Re: Kaccaayanava.n.naa colophon

Dear Jim,

>I agree it's the same author. However, if you read the entry for
>Kaccaayanava.n.nanaa, there is a contradiction in stating that the author is
>Sinhalese, if I recall correctly. Also, consider the following entry (from
>metta.lk):
>
>"Vijita-pura, Vijíta nagara. A city founded by Vijita, minister to Vijaya.
>Near by was Khandhávárapitthi, where Dutthagámaní pitched his camp during
>his campaign against the Damilas, and also the village of Hatthipora (q.v.).
>The city was a stronghold of the Damilas, and was captured by Dutthagtámaní
>after a four months' siege. For details of the siege see Mhv.xxv.19ff."
>
>Isn't this in SL?
>
This was quite early in the history of Sinhalese Buddhism.
Du.t.thagaamini lived in the first century BCE. I don't think that it is
this place.

>>If it is the Burmese Sakka era (starting at 638 CE) then it is 1626 CE.
>>If it is the Sinhalese Sakka era (543 BCE) then it is 455. The latter of
>>course does not make sense.
>>I hope that this is of use.
>>   
>>
>
>Yes, this helps. As the author mentions the Saddaniiti in his introductory
>verses, it is obvious that his work must have been written later. So the 988
>Sakka era date lends support to a Burmese origin for the work.
>
> 
>
I agree.

>
>For 'siddhaa' I would prefer 'was completed/finished' instead of
>'succeeded'.
> 
>

I agree.

> 
>
>>>pa.myaabhikhyaatapuurimhi ussitaddhajasannibho
>>>la"nkato nandamuulaadile.nasiimaadikehi ca.
>>>
>>>     
>>>
>>In a town (called) Pa.myaa, resembling a hoisted  banner
>>from La''nkaa,  with delightful roots (of  trees), caves, boundaries,
>>   
>>
>etc.
>
>I think 'resembling a hoisted banner' qualifies the mountain 'abhayagiri'.
>Is this a prominent mountain in SL? It just occurred to me that 'la"nkato'
>might be 'ala"nkato' (adorned) with elision of the first 'a'. But I'm not
>sure if an elision can occur there. I wonder if 'nandamuula' could be the
>name of a particular cave as I recall an entry for such (somewhere in the
>Himalayas?) in DPPN.
>
> 
>
There is, as far as I know, no hill at all in or near the Abhayagiri
vihaara in Anuraadhapura in Sri Lanka. At least I have not seen anything
there. It is completely flat. According to the Sinhala chronicles it was
named after a jain ascetic called Giri who insulted King Va.t.tagaamini
Abhaya. The king later destroyed the Jain hermitage and built the
Abhayagiri vihaara on the spot. However, it might also be the case that
there was a big granite hillock there at some stage which would have
been used up for building the monastery or other buildings in
Anuradhapura. There are very few natural rocks left in Anuradhapura
because they would have been used for making the great amount of pillars
and slabs, etc, used for building.

I was thinking yesterday whether lan''kato could be alan''kato. Yes,
this makes much better sense.

>>>nadiipabbatavaapiihi cittehi parivaarito
>>>nato abhayagiriiti sabbadisaasu paaka.to.
>>>     
>>>
>
>'nato' should be 'nago' (mountain). I mistook the Thai 'g' for a 't'.
> 
>
This clarifies things. It means: ``The mount (named) `Abhayagiri'.''

>>Belonging to the Lord of the town of Ha.msavatii, the master of 65
>>elephants,
>>who has danced a very pleasing dance, you are are very famous by name.

>I'm thinking that 'ha.msaavatiipurindassa' are the proper names of the
>nephew's (nattaa) aunt and uncle i.e. Ha.msaavatii and Purinda. Could you
>explain how you got '65 elephants' out of 'pa~ncasetibha-'. 'setibha' still
>has me puzzled. The same goes for 'suuruccanaati'. This verse is the most
>difficult one for me.
> 

I thought that there was a misspelling of sa.t.thi, 60, but  of
course, as  Rett and Ole pointed out it is a ``white elephant''.
As I wrote in my message of yesterday: The king of Pa.myaa was called
the lord of 5 white elephants according to Saas. I don't have time now
to research which king had conquered which town in Burma during the
middles ages, there was certainly a lot of fighting going on, but the
colophon seems to me to indicate that Pa.myaa at this stage belonged to
the king of Ha.msavatii. In Sri Lanka there has never been a cult of
white elephants as far as I know.

>
>>>mahaasaddena sahitavijitaaviiti naamino
>>>racitaa tena therena esaa kaccaanava.n.nanaa.
>>> 
>>>
>>With a great sound (?), having the name of  Sahita-vijitaavii (''endowed
>>with the beneficial conquest''),
>>composed by that senior monk, is this elucidation of the Kaccaana.>>   
>>>
>I think it is more likely that 'mahaasaddena' means ('Vijitaavii'
>accompanied) by the word 'Mahaa' i.e. Mahaavijitaavii.
> 
I agree.

Best wishes,
                    Bh. Nyanatusita