scripture in the third century B.C. But it is probable
that considerable variation was permitted in the text, although the
sense and a certain terminology were carefully guarded. It was not
till the reign of Vattagamani, probably about 20 B.C., that
the canon was committed to writing and the Parivara, composed in
Ceylon,[82] was included in it.

In the reign of Buddhadasa[83] a learned monk named Mahadhammakathi is
said to have translated the Suttas into Sinhalese, which at this time
was esteemed the proper language for letters and theology, but in the
next century a contrary tendency, probably initiated by Buddhaghosa,
becomes apparent and Sinhalese works are rewritten in Pali.[84] But
nothing indicates that any part of what we call the Pali Canon
underwent this process. Buddhaghosa distinguishes clearly between text
and comment, between Pali and Sinhalese documents. He has a coherent
history of the text, beginning with the Council of Rajagaha; he
discusses various readings, he explains difficult words. He treated
the ancient commentaries with freedom, but there is no reason to think
that he allowed himself any discretion or right of selection in
dealing with the sacred texts accepted by the Mahavihara, though it
might be prudent to await the publication of his commentaries on all
the Nikayas before asserting this unreservedly.

To sum up, the available evidence points to the conclusion that in the
time of Asoka texts and commentaries preserved orally were brought to
Ceylon. The former, though in a somewhat fluid condition, were
sufficiently sacred to be kept unchanged in the original Indian
language, the latter were translated into the kindred but still
distinct vernacular of the island. In the next century and a half
some additions to the Pali texts were made and about 20 B.C. the
Mahavihara, which proved as superior to the other communities in
vitality as it was in antiquity, caused written copies to be made of
what it considered as the canon, including some recent works. There is
no evidence that Buddhaghosa or anyone else enlarged or curtailed the
canon, but the curious tradition that he collected and burned all the
books written by Mahinda in Sinhalese[85] may allude to the existence
of other works which he (presumably in agreement with the Mahavihara)
considered spurious.

Soon after the departure of Buddhaghosa Dhatusena came to the throne
and "held like Dhammasoka a convocation about the three
Pitakas."[8