On the Chronicles of Ceylon

I. Chonological Position – 45
The author of this version of the Pali Thūpavaṁsa is introduced in
the colophon as the Thera Vācissara who was appointed by king
Parakkamabāhu to the office of the Librarian of the Royal Library
(Dhammāgāra). He is also described as the author of the
Līnatthadīpanī Ṭīkā, a sub­commentary on the Paṭisambhidāmagga,
the Saccasaṅkhepa-atthadīpunā and the Visuddhimaggasaṅkhepaatthappakāsinī.
[25]
In the Cūḷavaṁsa, the same Thera Vācissara finds mention as the
leading Thera of the island of Laṅkā of his time, who lived in the
time of king Vijayabāhu III, father of Parakkamabāhu II. Vācissara
led the deputation of the Theras of Ceylon sent to the kingdoms of
Pāṇḍya and Coḷa for the search of the Buddha’s tooth-relic and
bowl. 82
According to the colophon, Vācissara undertook to compile the
Dhātuvaṁsa at the instance of a Venerable Thera who made the
request to him while he was staying at the Mahindasena monastery.
The name of the supplicant is not, however, given.
The Pali Thūpavaṁsa 83 in its present form presupposes an older Pali
version and a still older Sinhalese version. There are a few minor
points of disagreement between the Sinhalese Thūpavaṁsa and
Vācissara’s chronicle. Unfortunately the names of the authors of the
Sinhalese Thūpavaṁsa and the older Pali version are unknown. The
82 Cūḷavaṁsa, LXXXI, 20-23.
83 Vide P.T.S. Ed. by B.C. Law (1935); Sinhalese Ed. by Dhammaratana,
1896; J.R.A.S., 1898; English Tr. by B.C. Law (Legend of the Topes,
Bibliotheca Indica Series, 1945).