[INDOLOGY] Two terms

Fri Sep 16 06:14:12 UTC 2016

My thanks to *All* who gave me some of their time and helped me to
understand better the enigma of *vāḷasaṅghāṭayanta*

But ---- *yakṣi ?*

Artur

2016-09-14 21:26 GMT+02:00 Rolf Heinrich Koch <rolfheiner.koch at gmail.com>:

> Dear Artur
>
> regarding your question vāḷa = snake in Pāli-sources  please see two
> references from the Jātakas according to
>
> W. Geiger (1916), Pāli. Literatur und Sprache, p. 66: vāḷa "Raubtier,
> Schlange" Jā. VI 497 (13) and JāCo. I 99 (14).
>
> Best
>
> Rolf Heinrich Koch
>
> Am 14.09.2016 um 13:01 schrieb petra kieffer-pülz:
>
> not to my knowledge.
>
> Best,
> Petra
>
> Am 14.09.2016 um 12:49 schrieb Artur Karp:
>
> > the word vāḷa means predators in other contexts too
>
> Dear Petra,
>
> Are there any contexts in which vāḷa could mean serpents?
>
> Best,
>
> Artur Karp
>
> 2016-09-14 10:51 GMT+02:00 petra kieffer-pülz < <kiepue at t-online.de>
> kiepue at t-online.de>:
>
>> Dear Artur,
>>
>> the Sinhala Thūpavaṃsaya has been translated by S. Berkwitz, The
>> Enshrining of the Relics.
>> On p. 131f. you'll find the translation of this passage as follows:
>>
>> "Dear boy! The enshrining of the relics has been done by King Ajātaśatru.
>> Create a suitable defense for them." The deity Viśvakarma, who heard those
>> words, came and prepared a device outfitted with figures of wild beasts,
>> and created a device in the relic chamber out of wooden forms that held
>> shining swords of crystal and that whirled around with a speed equal to
>> that of the wind."
>>
>> By the way the word vāḷa means predators in other contexts too. Thus we
>> have diwans (pallaṅka) the feet of which are decorated with figures of
>> beast of prey (Vin IV 299,21f.).
>>
>> Best,
>> Petra Kieffer-Pülz
>>
>> Am 14.09.2016 um 08:45 schrieb Artur Karp:
>>
>> Dear List,
>>
>> Would anyone take pity on me and translate this bit of the Sinhalese text
>> for me?
>>
>> [Sent by Rolf Heinrich Koch:]
>>
>> "daruva, Ajātaśatru rajjuruvan visin dhātu nidhānaya karavana lada, topi
>> da īṭa sudusu ārakṣāvak karav" yi kiya.
>> e bas äsū Viśvakam divyaputra avut vyālarūpa yukta yantrayak yodā daṇḍin
>> neḷā karana lada dūpayan dhātu garbhayehi ävāṇa puhupat kaḍugena
>> vānavēgayak hā samāna vēgayen sisārā divannā vū
>> yantrayak mavā,...
>>
>> Sinhala Thūpavaṃsaya (2007) p. 109sq.
>>
>> In advance, etc.
>>
>> I would be especially grateful for the meaning of vyālarūpa -  as it is
>> understood in the text: in the form of ferocius animal(s) [like tigers
>> or lions] or serpent(s)?
>>
>>
>> Artur
>>
>>
>>
>> 2016-09-12 17:19 GMT+02:00 Rolf Heinrich Koch <
>> <rolfheiner.koch at gmail.com>rolfheiner.koch at gmail.com>:
>>
>>> I am just working on Sinhalese sources of the Buddhacarita.
>>>
>>> Regarding *vāḷasaṅghātayantan t*he Sinhala Thūpavaṃsaya reads:
>>>
>>>
>>> "daruva, Ajātaśatru rajjuruvan visin dhātu nidhānaya karavana lada, topi
>>> da īṭa sudusu ārakṣāvak karav" yi kiya.
>>> e bas äsū Viśvakam divyaputra avut vyālarūpa yukta yantrayak yodā daṇḍin
>>> neḷā karana lada dūpayan dhātu garbhayehi ävāṇa puhupat kaḍugena
>>> vānavēgayak hā samāna vēgayen sisārā divannā vū
>>> yantrayak mavā,...
>>>
>>> Sinhala Thūpavaṃsaya (2007) p. 109sq.
>>>
>>> Best
>>>
>>> Heiner
>>>
>>>
>>> www.rolfheinrichkoch.wordpress.com
>>>
>>> Am 12.09.2016 um 15:03 schrieb Seishi Karashima:
>>>
>>> Dear colleagues,
>>>
>>> Almost identical passages are found in the *Thūpavaṃsa*: *The chronicle
>>> of the Thūpa and the Thūpavaṃsa: Being a Translation and Edition of
>>> Vācissaratthera’s Thūpavaṃsa*, by N.A. Jayawickrama, London 1971: Luzac
>>> (Sacred Books of the Buddhists / Pali Text Society, v. 28; Unesco
>>> Collection of Representative Works), pp. 182f.
>>>
>>> Jayawickrama translated the passages in question as follows:
>>>
>>> Sakka, the king of the deities addressed Vissakamma: 'Ajatasattu, my
>>> dear, has done the enshrining of the relics ; you provide protection
>>> there', and despatched him. He came and set up *a contraption with a
>>> number of figures of ferocious animals* and setting up inside the relic
>>> chamber (another contraption) which made the wooden figures bearing crystal
>>> coloured swords revolve with the speed of the wind, he had it all
>>> joined to one pin, had a rampart of granite in the form of a 'brick-hall' 6
>>> built, and having it covered on top with a single (stone-slab) had earth
>>> thrown in and the ground levelled and had a granite thiipa established upon
>>> it. (*ibid. *p. 46).
>>>
>>> Cf. also *Dīghanikāyaṭṭhakathāṭīkā Līnatthavaṇṇanā*, ed. Lily De Silva,
>>> London 1970: Luzac, vol. 2, p. 246, ll. 14ff. *vāḷasaṅghātayantan ti **kakkhalaṃ
>>> paṭibhayadassanaṃ aññamaññapaṭib{h}addhagamanāditāya saṅghāṭitaṃ
>>> rūpakayantaṃ** yojesi. ten’ āha “kaṭṭharūpakānī”ti ādi*.
>>>
>>> With best regards,
>>> Seishi Karashima
>>>
>>> 2016-09-12 21:42 GMT+09:00 Madhav Deshpande < <mmdesh at umich.edu>
>>> mmdesh at umich.edu>:
>>>
>>>> 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>
>>>> http://www.sak-yant.com/archive/108yant/payanakarach/yantpay
>>>> anakarach.jpg
>>>>
>>>> Madhav
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Sep 12, 2016 at 8:32 AM, Artur Karp < <karp at uw.edu.pl>
>>>> karp at uw.edu.pl> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> > contraption
>>>>>
>>>>> :)
>>>>>
>>>>> any image of ?
>>>>>
>>>>> 2016-09-12 14:29 GMT+02:00 Madhav Deshpande < <mmdesh at umich.edu>
>>>>> 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>
>>>>>> 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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