- Source: Saddharmarathnakaraya
The Saddharmarathnakaraya, Pali: Saddhammarathnákara and Sinhala: සද්ධර්මරත්නාකරය is a historical Sinhala Buddhist religious text compendium and was compiled as an explanation to a Pali: páli anthology by Dhammadinnáchárya Vimalakiththi, who was well known as a talented pupil of Dharmakeerthi Sangharája at the Monastery of Palábaddala while Parakramabahu VI of Kotte was ruling the Kingdom of Kotte in the 15th century.
The name Saddharmarathnakaraya is a compound formed of Sadt (Noble), Dharma (Teachings of the Buddha), Rathna (Gems) and Ákara (Lode). Hence, it simply means that The lode of gems-like noble Dharma.
Affected base of era
The era in which King Parákramabáhu VI (1412–1467)—who was the last native sovereign to unify all of Sri Lanka under one rule—was ruling the Kingdom of Kotte is well known as the golden era of Sinhala poetry. The great poetry collections such as Kavyashekaraya, Panchikapradipikawa of Sri Rahula, Guththila Kavyaya of Weththewe, Budugunalankaraya, Loweda Sangarawa of Vidagama Maithriya, Elushilo shathakaya, and the five Sandesha Kavyayas (messenger poetry) viz. Parevi Sandeshaya, Selalihini Sandeshaya, Gira Sandeshaya, Hansa Sandeshaya, and Kokila sandeshaya were compiled in this era. Saddharmarathnakaraya is the only work created fully in the Kotte era. It is considered the last link in a chain of great literary work, including Amawathura, Buthsarana, Saddharmarathnawaliya, Pujawaliya, and Saddharmalankaraya.
It is believed that this book had been used as a reference for Sri saddharmawawada sangrahaya, Sarartha Sangrahaya of the Mahanuwara era.
Structure
It consists of eight (08) Sangraha Kathá, Pali: සංග්රහ කථා - compendiums of controversy and twenty eight (28) more points of controversy as follow.
Prakeernaka Sangraha Katha Pali: ප්රකීර්ණක සංග්රහ කථා - Controversy of auxiliary compendiums.
Abhinihara Sangraha Katha Pali: අභිනිහාර "" - Controversy of non-exterminated compendiums.
Dashaparamartha Paramitha Sangraha Katha Pali: දශපරමාර්ථ පාරමිතා "" - Controversy of deci-ultimate realistic perfections of compendiums.
Abhinishkramana Sangraha Katha Pali: අභිනිෂ්ක්රමණ "" - Controversy of renunciation compendiums.
Maithriya Sangraha Katha Pali: මෛත්රිය "" - Controversy of loving-kindness compendiums.
Buddhadbhutha Kriya Sangraha Katha Pali: බුද්ධාද්භුත ක්රියා "" - Controversy of compendiums about miraculous performance and super-humanity of Buddha.
Milindu Raja Katha Pali: මිලිඳු රාජ කථා - Controversy of King Milinda.
Sthavira Katha Pali: ස්ථවිර කථා - Controversy of Bhikkus
Panchananthardhana Katha Pali: පංචානන්තර්ධාන කථා - Controversy of the disappearances of the five Dharmas.
Chakravarti Vibhawana Katha Pali: චක්රවර්ති විභාවන කථා - Controversy of appearing of King Chakravarti and his treasures in eight.
Dharmadbhutha Katha Pali: ධර්මාද්භුත කථා - Controversy of miraculous superiority of Dharma.
Chaithya Katha Pali: චෛත්ය කථා - Controversy of tumulus or shrines done for eight reasons.
Sammajjhananishansa Katha Pali: සම්මජ්ජානානිශංස කථා - Controversy of good consequences received by Bhikkhus in six occasions.
Mathika mathu Katha Pali: මාතික මාතු කථා - Controversy of mother of Mathu.
Swapna Dipana Katha Pali: ස්වප්න දීපන කථා - Controversy of revelations of dreams.
Karma Vibhaga Katha Pali: කර්ම විභාග කථා - Controversy of divisions of Karma.
Sarana Sila Prabheda Katha Pali: සරණ ශීල ප්රභේද කථා - Controversy of categories of precepts.
Danadi Kushala sangraha Katha Pali: දානාදී කුශල සංග්රහ කථා - Controversy of compendiums about alms and so-called karmically wholesome acts.
Reasons for compiling the book
As mentioned above, Dammadinnacharya Wimalakiththi was a faithful pupil of Dharmakeerthi Sangharaja who was the author of a range of excellent scripture namely Saddharmalankaraya, Sinhala: සද්ධරමාලංකාරය, Jina Bodhawaliya, Sinhala: ජින බෝධාවලිය, Shasanawatharaya, Sinhala: ශාසනාවතාරය, Balawatharaya, Sinhala: බාලාවතාරය and Sankshepa SannayaSinhala: සංක්ෂේප සන්නය of Gampola era. Having a mastering knowledge of Nidhanasthana, Sinhala: නිධානස්ථාන (Treasuries of consistence), Prabhawasthana, Sinhala: ප්රභවස්ථාන (Origins of consistence) and Upanishrayasthana, Sinhala: උපනිශ්රයස්ථාන (Applicable facts of consistence) of Dhamma, the author has anxious to compile the book with the will, to achieve his ambition to exceed the Samsara at present of Maithri Sammasambuddha, housed in his deep mind.
He reveals it at the end of Prakeernaka Sangraha Katha saying,
" Accepting respectfully the order of our lord in his supremacy and ultimate kindness, Bhasaye jothaye Dhammang, Pali: "භාසයේ ජෝතයේ ධම්මං" the bright Dhamma and even if it is absolutely hard to find such rare higherst excellencies (Buddhas), super-masteres in preaching Dhamma in a manner of so called diversity and a noble accent, I am, as a disciple of lord Buddha, hereby so pleased to expound the blessed Dhamma in 'Hela Basa' (the ancient figure of Sinhala) to those who are unable to do due to their incapacity and lack of wealth but filled with Shraddha enough to respond and do favour for the household..."
The other reason, according to Dhammadinnacharya Vimalakiththi, the author of the book, Saddharmarathnakaraya was a request of Wickramabahu Maha Sthavira and the Upasaka Weerasundara Kumara (a disciple of the author).
See also
Kingdom of Kotte
Thotagamuwe Sri Rahula Thera
History of Sri Lanka
Guththila Kawya
