Dear Artur,
I assume you know Johannes Bronkhorst's article in AS/EA LXIII/I (2009), pp. 7-27, "Hendrik Kern and the body of the Buddha"
I think it is very unlikely that the Buddha's body, or that of any other king (Daśaratha in Rām 2.60.12-14, 2.70.4) was laid down in a tub filled with hot oil, frying him like french fries. We are dealing with a process of embalming.

Herman


Herman Tieken
Stationsweg 58
2515 BP Den Haag
The Netherlands
00 31 (0)70 2208127

Van: INDOLOGY [indology-bounces@list.indology.info] namens Artur Karp via INDOLOGY [indology@list.indology.info]
Verzonden: dinsdag 20 november 2018 17:14
Aan: indology
Onderwerp: [INDOLOGY] The Buddha's body in a vat of oil

pali tela-doni, sanskrit taila-droni. 

Was the body placed in cold - or hot oil?

Any mention of the oil's temperature in the accessible sources?

Artur Karp (ret)
Chair of South Asian Studies, 
University of Warsaw
Poland