• Sena

King of Ceylon (Sena I., 831-51 A.C.). He was the younger brother and the successor of Aggabodhi IX. He had three younger brothers: Mahinda, Kassapa and Udaya. His queen was Sanghā. During his reign the Pandu king invaded Ceylon, and Sena had to retire into the Malaya district. After the army of the Pandu king had plundered a great part of the kingdom, Sena made a treaty with him and re-gained his throne. He adopted the three sons and the three daughters of Kittaggabodhi: Kassapa, Sena and Udaya, and Sanghā, Tissā and Kitti. Among the king's good acts was the construction of a monastery on Aritthapabbata for the Pamsukulikas, and a many storeyed pāsāda in Jetavana. He also built the Vīrankurārāma, the Pubbārāma, Sangha-sena-parivena, Senaggabodhi-vihāra, a refectory in the Mahāmettapabbata-vihāra, and single cells in the Kappūra  and Uttarālha-parivenas. He completed the Dappulapabbata-  and the Kassaparājaka-vihāras. Among Sena's ministers were Bhadda (the senāpati), Uttara, Vajira and Rakkhasa. His capital was in Pulatthinagara (Cv.l.1ff). He was also known as Silāmegha (Cv.l.43).

Son of the Adipāda Kassapa, and therefore nephew of  Sena I. On the death of his father, Sena became king as Sena II. (851-85 A.C.). He married Sanghā, daughter of Kittaggabodhi, and had a son, Kassapa. Sena sent an expeditionary force against the Pandu king, captured Madhurā, and brought back the treasures which had been pillaged by the Pandus in the time of Sena I. The Pamsukulika monks separated from the incumbents of Abhayagiri in the twentieth year of Sena's reign. He built the Manimekhala dam and a dam across the Kanavāpi at Katthantanagara. He endowed various monasteries - Buddhagāma, Mahiyangana, Kūtatissa, Mandalagiri, and Sobbha - and held a special ceremony in honour of the image of Ananda. He held a consecration festival at the Hemavāluka-cetiya (Mahā Thūpa), and decreed that this festival should be repeated annually. His senāpati was Kutthaka. Cv.li.1ff.

3. Sena. Son of Kittaggabodhi. Cv.l.56.

4. Sena. Called Mahālekhaka Sena. He was a minister of Kassapa V. and built the Mahālekhakapabbata-house in the Mahāvihāra (Cv.lii.33). His mother was Nālā. Cv.Trs. i.138, n.3; 165, n.1.

5. Sena. Upāraja of Udaya III., and later Sena III., king of Ceylon (937-45 A.D.). According to some accounts he was the brother of Udaya III. He observed the uposatha-day regularly, and among his benefactions was the Dandissara offering to mendicant artists. He made the stone paving of Abhayuttara-cetiya and endowed the Nāgasālā-parivena. Cv.liii.13, 28ff.

6. Sena. Uparāja of Udaya IV., and afterwards king of Ceylon (Sena IV. 953-6 A.D.). He was learned, and used to explain the suttantas in the Lohapāsāda. Because of his piety, the gods sent timely rain. He made a casket for the Tooth Relic and built the Sitthagāma-parivena. Cv.liii.39; liv.1ff.

7. Sena. Senāpati of Mahinda IV. and of Sena V. He was sent to Nāgadīpa, where he subdued the Vallabha king. Once, when he was absent, Sena V. had the senāpati's younger brother, Mahāmalla, slain for an offence with the queen mother, and appointed a court official Udaya as senāpati. When Sena senāpati heard of this, he marched against the king, who had to flee to Rohana. The queen mother joined Sena, and he lived in Pulatthipura. This king, later, dismissed Senāpati Udaya and made peace with Sena, whose daughter he married. Cv.liv.13f.; lviii.70.

8. Sena. Son of Mahinda IV. and king of Ceylon (Sena V. 972-81 A.C.). His mother was a Kālinga princess. He came to the throne at the age of twelve. His senāpati was also called Sena (see Sena 7), and for some time the king had to live in Rohana from fear of Sena. But later he made peace, and married Sena's daughter and had a son, Kassapa. The king drank much, and died of digestive trouble in the tenth year of his reign. Cv.liv.57-72.

9. Sena. Adhikāri of Kittisirimegha (2). He was sent to fight against Parakkamabāhu I. at Siriyāla and Buddhagāma, but was defeated. Cv.lxvi.66f.

10. Sena Ilanga. Senāpati of Kassapa IV. He was of royal lineage. He built a dwelling for the monks to the west of the Thūpārāma. He also founded the Dhammārāma-vihāra and Hadayaunha-vihāra for the Dhammarucikas and Kassapasena for the Sāgalikas. For forest dwelling ascetics he built a hut on Rattamālapabbata. For the Pamsukulikas he built the Samuddagiri-parivena in the Mahāvihāra, and for the bhikkhunīs the Tissārāma. He erected hospitals in Anurādhapura and Pulatthipura, against the upasagga disease. Cv.lii.30.

11. Sena. A Tamil usurper who, with his companion Guttika, both of them horse dealers, defeated Sūratissa and occupied the throne at Anurādhapura for twenty two years (177-55 B.C.). At the end of that time they were overpowered by Asela. Mhv.xxi.10f.; Dpv. xviii.47f.; Cv.lxxxii.21.

12. Sena Thera. An arahant. He was the maternal uncle of Vijitasena Thera. His brother was Upasena. ThagA.i.424.

13. Sena. Elder brother of Jotika, when the latter was born as Aparājita. He entered the Order under Vipassī Buddha and became an arahant. DhA.iv.201f.

14. Sena. The name of Bhūta Thera in the time of Siddhattha Buddha. He was a brahmin, and, having seen the Buddha, uttered his praises in four stanzas. ThagA.i.493; Ap.i.113.

15. Sena. Son of Atthadassī Buddha. Bu.xv.16; BuA.178 calls him Sela.