[INDOLOGY] Two terms

Fri Sep 16 06:25:59 UTC 2016

Yakshi is a popular word in Kerala, in Malayalam language. It is part of
Keralite folklore and the living belief system of Kerala. It is believed to
be a supernatural power and is believed sometimes to be 'felt' or 'seen' in
the backyards or in the wilderness.

The word/ concept finds its place in the lore of sorcery, witchcraft or
black magic.

The quoted lines seem to be a mantra involving the spirit.

On Fri, Sep 16, 2016 at 11:44 AM, Artur Karp <karp at uw.edu.pl> wrote:

> 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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>> -- www.rolfheinrichkoch.wordpress.com
>>
>>
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-- 
Nagaraj Paturi

Hyderabad, Telangana, INDIA.

Former Senior Professor of Cultural Studies

FLAME School of Communication and FLAME School of  Liberal Education,

(Pune, Maharashtra, INDIA )

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