My P-E dictionary is TW Rhys Davids/W Stede. It lists Sithila as: loose, lax,
bending, yielding and Hanu as: jaw. It references sithilahanu as: a kind of
bird. As you pointed out it is used only once in the Canon at M I.429 I'm sorry
I could not be more helpful.
 
May you be well and happy and always smiling,
 
 Sarah Jane




________________________________
From: jayarava <jayarava@...>
To: Pali@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Fri, May 18, 2012 10:41:14 AM
Subject: [Pali] sithilahanu

 
In M 63 Nanamoli and Bodhi translate sithilahanu as 'stork'. Piya Tan also
'stork'. However I can find no authority for this. I have checked PED, including
electronically searching for 'stork'; the Dictionary of Pali Names;
Buddhadatta's P-E and E-P dictionaries (sv. stork he gives 'bakavisesa'. I've
tried Sanskrit equivalents in MW and Apte, and Apte's S-E dictionary sv. 'stork'
(nothing similar). I checked the VRI dictionary that comes with their electronic
tipitika. I even checked Childers!


Other translators Thomas (1913) and Gethin (2008) leave the word untranslated.
Horner (1954-9) "some other bird".

As far as I can make out the word sithilahanu occurs only once in the Canon (M
i.429); then once in the commentary on this passage (where it just says eva.m
naamakassa pakkhino); and once in the sub-commentary (Sithilahanu naama dattaa
ka.n.no pata"ngo [= ear bird?]). Neither of which translate to 'stork' (do
they?).

sithila-hanu would translate as something like 'slack jawed', and the only other
reference I can find on the web is Shravasti Dhammika's blog where he says
"Open-billed Storks, sithilahanu in
Pali."(http://sdhammika.blogspot.co.uk/2008/05/konch.html).


Can anyone point me to a dictionary or other source where sithilahanu is defined
as 'stork', or explain why Bodhi/Piya Tan translate it this way?

Many thanks
Jayarava




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