Sources of the moth and lamp imagery

[Klaus Karttunen]

Dear Greg,
as patanga this is found in the Ramayana 3, 27, 13, Mbh. 2, 39, 19 & 3, 2, 65 & 5, 52, 12, etc., as salabha in Ramayana 3, 13, 36, Mbh 2, 16, 10 & 17, 15, etc., in Asvaghosa, Bhasa, etc, in Pali Udana p. 72 (PTS ed.). See my paper
“Śalabha, pataṅga, etc. Locusts, Crickets, and Moths in Sanskrit Literature”, The Second International Conference of Indian Studies, Proceedings. Cracow Indological Studies 4–5. 2003, 303–316.
 
Best,
Klaus
Klaus Karttunen
Professor of South Asian and Indoeuropean Studies
Asian and African Studies, Department of World Cultures
PL 59 (Unioninkatu 38 B)
00014 University of Helsinki, FINLAND
Tel +358-(0)9-191 22674
Fax +358-(0)9-191 22094
Klaus.Karttunen at helsinki.fi




On Jun 16, 2011, at 11:38 AM, Gregory Bailey wrote:

> Dear List,
> 
> Can anyone enlighten me as to the earliest reference to the image of the deluded moth being attracted by the lamp and then burnt in its flame.  Bhartṛhari (VŚ 3, 82) gives an instance of it.
> 
> Any help would be appreciated as another colleague has requested information about this as the image is used in nationalist posters of the thirties.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Greg Bailey



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