A mahavamsa story: King Panduvasudeva weds golden Bhaddakaccana

32 Indian maidens given to 32 Lankan men

By Elmo Leonard

Vijaya, the first chronicled king of Lanka was in the last year of his life. With no son, the kingdom peopled with such difficulty, may come to naught after his death, he contemplated. He consulted his ministers, on getting down his brother Sumitta so that the regime could be handed down to him.
A letter was dispatched to India asking for Sumitta to come over, and shortly afterward, Vijaya passed away. Awaiting the arrival of prince Sumitta, the ministers ruled, from Upatissagama.
And the fair isle of Lanka went kingless for a year, for, following the death of their father Sinhabahu, Sumitta became king -- in Sihapura in the Bengali region.
Sumitta had three sons by the daughter of the Madda king. (Madda, turned to Madras and now is known as Chennai). Sumitta had three sons by the Madda king’s daughter.
Sumitta, on receiving the letter, told his sons that he being old, one of them must depart to the greatly favoured and beautiful Lanka, belonging to his brother, and, there reign after his brother’s death.
The king’s youngest son, prince Panduvasudeva, goaded by the soothsayer, took with him 32 sons of ministers and embarked in the disguise of mendicant monks.

Arrive at Mahakandara river

They landed at the mouth of the Mahakandara river, and the people received the monks with due respect. That river is thought to be one of the rivers opening into the sea north of Mannar.
Conforming to a soothsayer’s prediction, the prince arrived on the seventh day. They entrusted Panduvasudeva with the sovereignty of Lanka. As he lacked a consort, he did not receive the solemn consecration.
A son of the Sakka Amitodana was the Sakka Pandu. Since he heard that the Sakkas would shortly be destroyed (foretold by a soothsayer) he took his followers with him and occupied another tract of land on the further side of the Ganges, and founded a city there and ruled as king. The king had seven sons.

Bhaddakaccana

Sakka Pandu’s youngest daughter was called Bhaddakaccana. She was like a woman made of gold, fair of form and easily wooed. In Sinhala poetry, the golden colour of the skin counts as a mark of particular beauty. The golden hue is much appreciated by the Sinhalese. Seven kings sent precious gifts to king Pandu, for love of Bhaddakaccana.
But, the king, for fear of competition for his daughter, and due to a soothsayer’s prophecy that an auspicious journey would take her to a royal consecration, set her speedily adrift on a ship.
The princess set off with 32 women friends upon the Ganges river. The king said, `whoever can, let him take my daughter.’ But the ship with the prince sailed swiftly...

Bhaddakaccana lands

On the second day, Princess Bhaddakaccana and her followers reached the haven called Gonagamaka at the mouth of the Mahakandara-nadi. There they landed, robed as nuns. They inquired about the capital, and slowly, approached the city, at Upatissagama.
A minister, knowing the prophecy of a soothsayer and seeing the women having come -- inquired and recognized them. He brought them to the king.
The ministers consecrated Panduvasudeva king.
When the king had consecrated Subhaddakaccana of noble status as his own queen, he had the maidens who had come with her, given to the followers who had come with him.
Monarch Panduvasudeva, as fairy tales go, lived happily ever after.