MAHASEN

               Mahasena, also known in some records as Mahasen, was a king of Sri Lanka who ruled the country from 277 to 304 AD. He started the construction of large tanks or reservoirs in Sri Lanka, and built sixteen such tanks. After becoming king, Mahasen discriminated the Theravada Buddhists in the country, and destroyed several temples including Mahavihara (the main Theravada temple) before his chief minister led him to realise his mistakes. The Jethavana stupa was also built by Mahasen. His countrymen regarded him as a god or deity after the construction of the Minneriya tank, and he was named Minneri Deviyo (God of Minneriya). 

  wasabha built 11 tans, but Mahasen, who lived about 200 years later, built 16 tanks. one of these is Kavduluvava, which lies to the east of Eruvava. Another is Minneriya Tank, which is one of the largest tanks in Ceylon. When this tank is full, the water covers 4,560 acres. To get enough water for this tank, Mahasen made a canal from the Amban Ganga in the Matale valley. The Amban Ganga is the biggest river that flows into the Mahavali Ganga. The canal that Mahasen made brings to Minneriya Tank a great deal of water which otherwise would flow into the sea through the Mahavali Ganga.

                These tanks built by Mahasen helped thousands of people to cultivate their fields and get food for themselves. The people were so grateful that they worshipped Mahasen as a god and the devale where he was worshipped can be seen to this day, close to the road from Hadarana to Polonnaruwa, near Minneriya Tank.

                Mahasen did one thingWhich the people did not like.You have already learnt What  Dutugamunu and Saddha Tissa did for the Mahavihare. The kings Who came after Dutugamunu and Saddha Tissa also helped the bhikkus there and gave them more buildings. But Mahasen not only stopped helping the Mahavihare, but also asked the people not to feed the bhikkus of that place.

                The bhikkus of the Mahavihare had no way of living, so they left Anuradhapura and went to Malaya and Ruhuna. Then the Lovamahapaya and some other buildings of the Mahavihare were broken down and the stones and bricks taken to make new buildings for the Abhayagiri Vihare, which Mahasen helped. 

                 Mahasen destroyed the Mahavihare because of Bhikku Sanghamitta. Bhikku Sangamitta came from Chola in South India. He told Mahasen that the bhikkus of the Mahavihare were not following the rules made by the Buddha and therefore should not be helped.

                The truth is that the bhikkus at that time did not agree about the Buddha's rules. Some said this and some said that. The Mahavihare bhikkus followed  what were called Theravada rules and they thought the Abhayagiri bhikkus were wrong. Later on, when Mahasen found that the people disapproved of the way he treated the Mahavihare, he ceased to work against the Mahavihare and the bhikkus there

                 Mahasen is also remembered as the king who put up the vihare called Jetavanarama  in the east of Anuradhapura. Its dagoba is bigger then the Ruanvali Saya and the Abhayagiri Dagoba. Like the Mahavihare and the Abhayagiri Vihare, Jetavanarama had a large number of buildings with a great many bhikkus, and was one of the chief vihares of the time.

                Mahasen was certainly one of the greatest kings of Ceylon. Some people did not like him because he worked against the Mahavihare. But you must remember that he built one of the largest of the ancient vihares and was the greatest builder of tanks, which helped the country very much.

The sixteen tanks given in the Mahavamsa as built by Mahasen are as follows. Some of these tanks have been identified, and the present names of the ones that have been identified are given in brackets.

• Manihira (Minneriya)
• Mahagama
• Challura
• Khanu
• Mahamani
• Kokavata
• Dhammarama
• Kumbalaka
• Vahana
• Ratmalakandaka (Padawiya)
• Tissavadamanaka (Kawudulla)
• Velangavitthi
• Mahagallaka
• Cira
• Mahadaragallaka (Nachchaduwa)
• Kalapasana

In addition to these, Mahasen also built the canal Pabbathantha ela, and also completed the canal Elahara ela, which was started by King Vasabha.

        END

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