Dear Pāli friends,
I am looking at the
intro to the Sv (DN-a) where Buddhaghosa describes the pavilion (maṇḍapa) King Ajātasattu sets up for the
recitation of the discipline and dhamma by the 500.
On page 9, lines 6-12
is the following:
rājā ajātasattu vissakammunā nimmita-sadisaṃ
suvibhatta-bhitti-tthambha-sopānaṃ nānā-vidha-mālākamma-latākamma-vicittaṃ
abhibhavantamiva rāja-bhavana-vibhūtiṃ avahasantam iva deva-vimāna-siriṃ siriyā
niketanam iva ekanipāta-tittham iva ca deva-manussa-nayana-vihaṃgānaṃ loka-rāmaṇeyyakam
iva sampiṇḍitaṃ daṭṭhabba-sāra-maṇḍaṃ maṇḍapaṃ kārāpetvā…
I am wondering about
the meaning of two compounds ekanipāta-tittham iva ("like a fording
place with one descent"?) and deva-manussa-nayana-vihaṃgānaṃ loka-rāmaṇeyyakam
iva ("like a lovely place in the world where birds (? vihaṃgānaṃ)
bring gods and men"?).
Neither translation
quite makes sense to me as similes to describe the pavilion which Ajātasattu is
having built. There is some confusion in the tradition of the word vihamgānaṃ which has several variant
readings: vibhaṅgānaṃ (< vibhaṅga, "division,
distribution"), and vibhagānaṃ (= vibhaṅgānaṃ ?), and vihaṅgānaṃ
(birds).
The piece is also
found at Vin 3, 287, 19-25.
Possible translation:
Then King Ajātasattu, caused a pavilion
to be erected as if it were fashioned by
Vissakamma, with a stair, pillars and well divided walls, with diverse
coloured mural drawings of flowers and creepers more splendrous than a king’s
palace, as if mocking the glory of a heavenly palace, like a residence of
majesty, like a fording place with only
one descent (ekanipāta-tittham iva?), like the lovely places in the world where birds attract gods and men (deva-manussa-nayana-vihaṃgānaṃ loka-rāmaṇeyyakam iva),
(a pavilion) whose essence is visible in one whole
mass (sampiṇḍitaṃ).
Any help with these compounds would be
appreciated,
Best wishes,
Bryan