Parakramabahu I
Parākramabāhu I (Sinhala: මහාරජ පරාක්රමබාහු (Maharaja Parakramabahu), circa 1123–1186), or Parakramabahu the Great, was the king of Polonnaruwa from 1153 to 1186. He oversaw the expansion and beautification of his capital,[1]:7 constructed extensive irrigation systems, reorganised the country's army, reformed Buddhist practices, encouraged the arts and undertook military campaigns in South India and Burma.[2]:160 The adage, "Not even a drop of water that comes from the rain must flow into the ocean without being made useful to man" is one of his most famous utterances."[3]
During his reign, a dispute arose between the three main Buddhist traditions in Sri Lanka: the Anurādhapura Mahāvihāra, the Abhayagiri Vihāra and the Jetavana Vihāra. Parakramabahu settled the dispute by ruling in favor of the Anurādhapura Mahāvihāra; he banned Mahayana texts and practices which were used by the other two traditions. He further decreed that the Anurādhapura Mahāvihāra was the only legitimate tradition in Sri Lanka. He deligitimized the Abhayagiri and Jetavana traditions, and forced the monks from these traditions to give up their vows or follow the Anurādhapura Mahāvihāra.
- Further reading
Parakramabahu I, Wikipedia
