Re: [INDOLOGY] kṛtti

Thu Oct 15 15:17:37 UTC 2020

kṛtti in Jaina-literature:

Deo, History of Jaina Monachism p. 407:

kṛtti = A piece of skin-leather which was worn by the monks if their 
clothes were stolen by the robbers.

Best

Rolf H. Koch

Am 15.10.2020 um 16:36 schrieb Dan Lusthaus:
> Dear Johannes and Rolf,
>
> I am not familiar with the Vivekavilāsa aside from the bare bones 
> facts: its author is Jinadatta Sūri (1280-1332), a Jain work I 
> believe. So the following is offered tentatively.
>
> This verse struck me as slightly ironic, passive-aggressively 
> demeaning - several of the terms he uses (for which other, more 
> respectful terms could have been employed) either have Śaivite 
> connotations (being descriptors of Śiva), or they are allusions to 
> animals, blood, etc. I’m not sure that kṛttiḥ kamaṇḍalur can be 
> treated as a compound, since kṛtti is feminine and kamaṇḍalu is 
> masculine.
>
> Kṛtti, according to Monier-Williams, is also “the hide or skin on 
> which the religious student sits or sleeps, (usually the skin of an 
> antelope)” as well as “the bark of the birch tree (used for writing 
> upon.” So it could refer to a meditation mat (an Indian zafu / 
> zabutan); tantrics in that period might have used an animal hide for 
> that. Or it could be a reference to the literary productivity of 
> Buddhists.
>
> As for kamaṇḍalu, a Wikipedia page 
> (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamandalu) reports “The kamandalu may 
> be made of various materials, including metal, clay, wood and dry 
> gourd.” It doesn’t mention leather. It also provides some detail on 
> how the water symbolizes asceticism for Hindus, the water it contains 
> considered amṛta. But, adding to the ironic possibilities of the 
> verse, it also states the following:
>
> “Buddhists pour water from the kamandalu onto the palms of people, 
> before rituals, where the water symbolizes elixir of life.[24] It is 
> also called bhumba.[25] Bodhisattvas like Maitreya and Avalokiteshvara 
> are depicted carrying the kamandalu.[26][27] The kamandalu was 
> initially imported from Brahmanical Hinduism to Buddhism, through god 
> Brahma to Maitreya; it later was incorporated in representations of 
> many Mahayana Buddhist deities.[28]
> Jain Digambara sages use the kamandalu for storing water for "toilet 
> purposes".[29]”
>
> The footnotes:
> 24 Blau, Tatjana; Mirabai Blau (2002). Buddhist Symbols. Sterling 
> Publishing Company, Inc. p. 256. ISBN 9781402700330. Retrieved 
> 2008-08-21. p.225
>
> 25 Jansen, Eva Rudy; Tony Langham (1990). The Book of Buddhas. Binkey 
> Kok. p. 110. ISBN 9789074597029. Retrieved 2008-08-21. p.28
>
> 26 Wong, Dorothy C. (2004). Chinese Steles. University of Hawaii 
> Press. p. 226. ISBN 9780824827830. Retrieved 2008-08-21. p.93
>
> 27 Donaldson, Thomas E. (2001). Iconography of the Buddhist Sculpture 
> of Orissa. Abhinav Publications. p. 792. ISBN 9788170173755. Retrieved 
> 2008-08-21. p.195
>
> 28 Jacques Duchesne-Guillemin (1974). Acta Iranica. BRILL. ISBN 
> 978-90-04-03902-5. ISBN 90-04-03902-3. Retrieved 2008-08-21. p.97
>
> 29 Jaini, Padmanabh S. (2000). Collected Papers on Jaina Studies. 
> Motilal Banarsidass. p. 428. ISBN 9788120816916. Retrieved 2008-08-21. 
> p.164.
>
> Dan
>
>> On Oct 15, 2020, at 9:53 AM, Rolf Heinrich Koch via INDOLOGY 
>> <indology at list.indology.info <mailto:indology at list.indology.info>> wrote:
>>
>> kṛttiḥ kamaṇḍalur:
>>
>> I guess this is a "cut" drinking vessel (made of a piece of leather).
>>
>> kṛtti < 1 kṛt "cut" (Whitney roots)
>>
>> There is a picture of a mendicant with his kamaṇḍalu from Ajanta (5th 
>> century CE)
>>
>> Schlingloff/Zin (2007): Saṃsāracakra p. 103 fig. 56.
>>
>> Best
>>
>> Heiner
>>
>>
>> Am 15.10.2020 um 14:17 schrieb Johannes Bronkhorst via INDOLOGY:
>>>
>>> Dear friends,
>>>
>>>
>>> The Vivekavilāsa (8.275) mentions /kṛtti/ as one of the 
>>> characteristics of Buddhist monks:
>>>
>>> kṛttiḥ kamaṇḍalur mauṇḍyaṃ cīraṃ pūrvāhṇabhojanam/
>>>
>>> saṃgho raktāmbaratvaṃ ca śiśriye bauddhabhikṣubhiḥ//
>>>
>>> /kṛtti/means "skin, hide" and other such things. Does this make 
>>> sense in connection with a Buddhist monk? Any help or explanation 
>>> will be appreciated.
>>>
>>>
>>> Johannes Bronkhorst
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>> -- 
>> Dr. Rolf Heinrich Koch
>> www.rolfheinrichkoch.wordpress.com
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>
-- 
Dr. Rolf Heinrich Koch
www.rolfheinrichkoch.wordpress.com

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