Was Dhammapala as Sinhalese bhikkhu?

  Dear all,

I am reading a booklet on Buddhism in South India. The author quotes the
Sa-sanavamsa as follows:

"A-cariya Dhammapa-la, who compiled a number of commentaries such as the
one on the Itivuttaka, was a resident of the Badaratittha Viha-ra in the
Tamil country. Hence he may be considered as a Sinhalese Bhikkhu."


I checked the original in the Sa-sanavamsa and can't see how the author
can interpret the passage as suggesting that he was a Sinhalese Bhikkhu.
This is the Pali:

/Itivuttoda-nacariya-pit.akathera-theri-vima-navatthupetavatthunettiat.t.hakatha-yo
a-cariyadhammapa-latthero aka-si. So ca a-cariyadhammapa-latthero
si-hal.adi-passa sami-pe damilarat.t.he badaratitthamhi niva-sitatta-
si-hal.adi-peyeva san.gahetva- vattabbo./

My tentative translation of this is:


"A-cariya Dhammapa-la Thera made the commentaries on the Itivuttaka,
Uda-na, Cariya-pit.aka, Thera- & Theri--ga-tha-, Vima-navatthu,
Petavatthu and the Netti. That A-cariya Dhammapa-la Thera, because of
residency in Badaratittha in the Tamil country, which is near the Island
of Sri Lanka, is to be spoken of as having been included in the Island
of Sri Lanka."


Is this suggesting that Dhammapala was Sinhalese bhikkhu or that he is
to be considered as a Sri Lankan author because of living in a place
near Sri Lanka?

Regards,
                       Bh Nyanatusita





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