Vimanas and Yavanas

[Klaus Karttunen]

Dear colleagues,

while Allen W. Thrasher certainly said all necessary about the
"historicity" of flying palaces or cars, it is perhaps interesting to note
that constructing of flying machines as well as that of artificial servants
was often described among the skills of Yavana artisans (e.g. in some
Vinaya texts, in Schiefner/Ralston's Tibetan tales, in
BRhatkathAzlokasaMgraha).

As to the yAvanI bhASA, there are several references to this in Sanskrit
and Middle Indo-Aryan literature, but I must check them at home. I'll be
back in Monday.

Regards

Klaus


Klaus Karttunen
Institute for Asian and African Studies
Box 59, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
tel. +358-9-191-22224, fax. +358-9-191-22094