You wrote:
<< The late O.H. de A. Wijesekaera,Sri Lankan scholar (incidentally my
Skt teacher) describes it in his Syntax of the Cases in the Pali
Nikayas, (Post Graduate Inst. of Pali & Buddh. Studies, Colombo
1993) p. 70 f. Just this morning I found that he alludes to this
very passage on p.240. He translates, "When worshipped by the Ven.
MK .. the funeral pyre of Bl One blazed forth by itself" and adds,"
(here) .. the loc. vandite canot be strictly regarded as as
absolute, for the construction can stand even if it were the nom
vandito." >>
I have not seen Wijesekaera's book but have been hearing about it on my list
over the past few years. I will see if I can get a copy. Thank-you for all
the points you've made about "vandite". I'm not ruling out the possibility
of a locative absolute construction especially in view of the Suddhodana
passage at Sp V 1006 with "bhagavati" I can also see the merits of
taking "vandite".as an accusative plural in agreement with "paade"
especially in the passage at D II 164. Either way, I don't think it makes
much of a difference in a translation. It's mostly a matter of concern to
grammarians.