SV: White elephants

Many thanks for the note on the white elephants. Saasanavamsa Ee p. 88
appears to date Mahhaavijitaavin to 713 in Kaliyuga. According to my
calculation (638 + 713) this would place the author of Kacc-van.n. in 1351
which is difficult to reconcile with the colophon of that work.

Best regards,

Ole Pind


-----Oprindelig meddelelse-----
Fra: palistudy@yahoogroups.com [mailto:palistudy@yahoogroups.com] På vegne
af nyanatusita
Sendt: 14. oktober 2005 18:29
Til: Pali Study Group
Emne: [palistudy] White elephants

Dear Jim and Rett,
I found some more info about the Lord of 5 Elephants in the Saasanava.msa:
Saasanava.msa Myanmar p. 95 (in the Vijayapure Saasanava.msa chapter)
Kaliyuge catuvassaadhike sattasate ujanassa ran~n~no dharamaanasseva
kani.t.thabhaatiko kyecvaa naama raajaa kumaaro rajja.m ga.nhi.
``After the 4th rains/year in the 700th year of the Dark Era (kaliyuga),
Kani.t.tha (also) called Prince Kyecvaa, the brother of King Ujana, even
though (the king) was alive, grasped the Kingship.''
(The King got scared because his younger brother had obtained 5 white
elephants and left the palace.) Saasanava.msa Myanmar p. 97 Pan~cannaí  pana
setibhaanaí  laddhattaa  pan~casetibhindoti paaka.to.  Muulanaama.m panassa
siihasuuroti  da.t.thabbaí.
``Because of the gaining of 5 white elephants he became famous as the 'Lord
of 5 white elephants', but his original name is to be shown as siihasuuro
(`Lion's Strength').''
His son had four white elephants and was called catusetibhindo.
The Saasanava.msa concludes the chapter with ``Kaccaayanava.n.nana.m  pana
vijayapureyeva  abhayagiripabbate nisinno  mahaavijitaapii (sic.) naama
thero  akaasi.  Vaacako padesampi soyeva akaasi. Saddavutti.m pana
Saddhammagurutthero akaasi.''
``The Kaccaayanava.n.nanaa was made by the Great Vijitaavii thera sitting on
the mount Abhayagiri  in Vijayapura itself. He also made the Vaacakapadesa.
The Saddavutti was made by Saddhammaguru thera. ''
Thus, the king who is mentioned in the colophon is likely to be
Kani.t.tha/Siihasuura. The Abhayagiri appears to be a hill or mountain in or
near the town of Pegu.
I need to do some more research on the Kaliyuga to calculate the year.
The king mentioned in Bode p. 47 is King Baying Naung, the anekasetibhinda,
and he is someone else.
White elephants were
and are very important royal emblems in Southeast Asia, but not at all so in
Sri Lanka.
I hope that this is of use.
Best Wishes,
                        Bh. Nyanatusita







Yahoo! Groups Links