[INDOLOGY] Two terms

[Madhav Deshpande]

Hi Artur,

     I checked Google Images for "Nagayantra", and there are several
interesting diagrams and designs for such Yantras, some of which are
evidently found in Thai Buddhist temples.  Here is a link:

http://www.sak-yant.com/archive/108yant/payanakarach/yantpayanakarach.jpg

Madhav

On Mon, Sep 12, 2016 at 8:32 AM, Artur Karp <karp at uw.edu.pl> wrote:

> > contraption
>
> :)
>
> any image of ?
>
> 2016-09-12 14:29 GMT+02:00 Madhav Deshpande <mmdesh at umich.edu>:
>
>> Hi Artur,
>>
>>      It probably refers to some contraption surrounded by a host of
>> serpents.  Serpents as guardians of hidden underground treasures is a
>> reasonably common idea in Indian literature.
>>
>> Madhav
>>
>> On Mon, Sep 12, 2016 at 8:24 AM, Artur Karp <karp at uw.edu.pl> wrote:
>>
>>> Dear Madhav,
>>>
>>> The PTS,s Pali-English Dict.:
>>>
>>> *Vāḷa* - [cp. late Sk. vyāḍa, see Geiger, *P. Gr*. § 54⁶] I. a snake
>>> Vism 312 (so read for *vaḷa*).- 2. a beast of prey [...] *vāḷa-miga*, a
>>> beast of prey, predaceous animal, like tiger, leopard, etc. [...]
>>>
>>> When in search for the Elixir of immortality Garuda enters the
>>> underworld, he kills *two serpents* hidden under the [eternally]
>>> revolving wheel. (Mbh. I, 29. 3-9).
>>>
>>> When the relics of the Buddha are hidden by Ajatasattu in the
>>> underground chamber, Vissakamma places over them, for their defence the
>>> [eternally] revolving *vāḷa–saṅghāṭa–yanta.*
>>>
>>> If *vāḷa* would mean "snake, serpent", then this could be one of the
>>> tropes linking both the narrations.
>>>
>>> *Yanta *means "contrivance, artifice, instrument, machine, mechanism" -
>>> in what way could it be constructed/pegged together - using serpents?
>>> Ataching it to serpents? Giving it a serpentine look?
>>>
>>> Artur
>>>
>>
>>
>


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