Page:The Ancient Geography of India.djvu/611

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557 CEYLON.

The famous island of Ceylon is not reckoned amongst the kingdoms of India, and it was not visited by the pilgrim on account of political disturbances. But as he gives a description of it from the account of the monks whom he met at Kanchipura, and as it is closely connected with India both religiously and politically, my work would not be complete without some notice of this interesting island.

In the seventh century of our era Ceylon was known by the name of Seng-kia-lo, or Sinhala, which was said to be derived from the lion-descended Sinhala, whose son Vijaya is fabled to have conquered the island on the very day of Buddha's death, in B.C. 543. Its original name was Pao-chu, or "Isle of Gems,” in Sanskrit Ratna-dwipa. Its existence was first made known to the European world by the expedition of Alexander, under the name of Taprobane. The popu lar Pâli form is Támba-panni, or "red-handed," in allusion to the "red palms" of the hands of Vijaya's sick companions, who, on landing from their vessel, touched the red ground with their hands. The true form, however, would appear to be Tamba-panni,* or "red-leaved,” from the Sanskrit Támra-parni. Lassen also gives Tambra-pani, or the “great pond," or "pond covered with the red lotus," as a probable derivation. In later times it was known to the western world as Simundu, or Palai-Simundu, which Lassen thinks may have been derived from Pali-Simanta, or "head of the holy law." As Pliny applies the latter name to the city containing the royal palace, it has been

Turnour's 'Mahawanso,' p. 50.