It was an exhilarating time for us at Suvannabhumi (name changed to Thaton now).
The battles were Fearsome the natives did not surrender the scriptures easily. No amount of coaxing, explaining and begging made these fierce Mon fighters lend us the THREE PITAKAS of the Lord Buddha.
As head of the campaign, I, Prince Kyansittha, had broadcast to all and sundry that we came in peace; that all we wanted was to borrow the scriptures to present it to our people in the kingdom of Paukkan (Bagan). This was the express desire of my adoptive father, our illustrious King Anawrahta the Great; who was now an ardent Buddhist and disciple of the saint, Shin Arahan from Sri Lanka; the same teacher of the Mon king Manuhar.
All these fell on deaf cars as their proud and hot- headed king opted for battle. We had surrounded the capital for some time and there was no alternative but to fight. Yes, fight we did and finally subdued the leaders and took the scriptures with us back home. King Manuhar of Thaton and his royal entourage were invited to accompany us. Yes, we had a lot of love stories, some sad ones; like one of our centurions who gave his life for his love of the mayor’s daughter; tender scenes of partings, with vows of faithfulness; as well as heartaches and heartbreaks for those fallen heroes we left behind. These were the traditional fates that await warriors after every battle and we were hardened to accept it-though never easily.
But none could rival the cruel fate that awaited me, their leader, in the midway station where I had left my heart-the Mon capital of Hongsawaddy (Bago).
It was where my only true love Manisandar (Khin Oo), the lovely princess of the heavenly eyes and the heir apparent to the throne, vowed to wait for me.
When I arrived there, with bated breath, and expectations of the long awaited erception from my love; my heart received a skewer-one that I, the indomitable warrior, cannot bear without the greatest agony.
It was a royal command from my King- I, and my victorious, expeditionary force; the conquerors of Suvannabhumi, were to be the honorary escort for the future queen of my country, Bagan. My adopted father’s bride-to-be was none other than Manisandar, the daughter and heir apparent of Hongsawaddy’s King. It was enough to break my heart.
With a soldier’s obedience and with the pledge of fealty to my king and father embedded in my bosom, I gritted my teeth and marched my little army northward to the middle plains of my land – that of the 4,446,733 pagodas-Bagan.
As God is my witness, I kept the feelings, for my love screwed tight within my breaking heat, and thought about her as my future Queen. Temptation to see her was welling in my body, but was not given in. I had only one thought- to reach my fatherland.
When I reached home, the victor of the battles was shown the most undeserving reward-incarceration at once; accused with betrayal and traitorous conduct.
Someone had reported before I arrived that I had betrayed the trust and fell in love with the offering of the King of Bago.
I knew that the King’s son prince SawLoo was always jealous of my being made favorite by his father. Some were saying that I would be the successor to the throne in his stead.