saptaratna (navaratna)

[Claudine Picron]

See the recently published Ph.D. (Heidelberg Univ., 2007):

Chin-An Hsu (Rev. Hui-Yen Shi), "Sieben-Juwelen" und Stifter Reliefs in 
Bodh-Gayâ, Bihar, Taipei: Shen-Chon Lai, Research Center for East-West 
Philosophy and Hemeneutics (National Taipei University, San Shia Campus, 151 
University Road, San Shia, Taipei), 2008.

or:
Dagya Rinpoche, Buddhist Symbols in Tibetan Culture, Wisdom Publ., 1995, pp. 
65-83.

Cl. Bautze-Picron.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Arlo Griffiths" <arlo.griffiths at LET.LEIDENUNIV.NL>
To: <INDOLOGY at liverpool.ac.uk>
Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 3:17 PM
Subject: saptaratna (navaratna)


Dear colleagues,

I am interested in the concept of 7 (or 9) 'jewels' denoting certain
standard lists composed of people and insignia at the king's court,
as e.g. in Mahaavastu I.49 (ed. Senart):

tasya imaani sapta ratnaani abhunsu | sayyathiida.m cakraratna.m
hastiratna.m a;svaratna.m
ma.niratna.m striiratna.m g.rhapatiratna.m parinaayakaratnam eva
saptama.m

I have hitherto failed to find good examples of this meaning of
saptaratna in brahmanical texts, nor am I aware of any discussions of
this list (or similar lists) in secondary literature.

I would be very grateful for references.

Arlo Griffiths
École française d'Extrême-Orient (Jakarta)
Instituut Kern, Universiteit Leiden