..續本文上一頁ders, s.v. gâla. In the MSS. of the Nepalese Sukhâvatî-vyûha (R.A.S.), p. 39 a, l. 4, I likewise find svarnaratnakinkinîgâlâni, which settles the matter, and shows how little confidence we can place in the Japanese texts.
2. Anuparikshipta, enclosed; see parikkhepo in Childers” Dictionary, and compare pairidaêza, paradise.
3. The four and seven precious things in Pâli are (according to Childers):--
1. suvannam, gold.
2. ragatam, silver.
3. muttâ, pearls.
4. mani, gems (as sapphire, ruby).
5. veluriyam, cat”s eye.
6. vagiram, diamond.
7. pavâlam, coral.
Here Childers translates cat”s eye; but s.v. veluriyam, he says, a precious stone, perhaps lapis lazuli.
In Sanskrit (Burnouf, Lotus, p. 320):--
1. suvarna, gold.
2. rûpya, silver.
3. vaidûrya, lapis lazuli.
4. sphatika, crystal.
5. lohitamukti, red pearls.
6. asmagarbha, diamond.
7. musâragalva, coral.
Julien (Pèlerins Buddhistes, vol. ii, p. 482) gives the following list:--
1. sphatika, rock crystal.
2. vaidûrya, lapis lazuli.
3. asmagarbha, comaline.
4. musâragalva, amber.
5. padmarâga, ruby.
Vaidûrya (or Vaidûrya) is mentioned in the Tathâgatagunagñânakintyavishayâvatâranirdesa (Wassilief, p. 161) as a precious stone which, if placed on green cloth, looks green, if placed on red cloth, red. The fact that vaidûrya is often compared with the colour of the eyes of a cat would seem to point to the cat”s eye (see Borooah”s Engl.-Sanskrit Dictionary, vol. ii, preface, p. ix), certainly not to lapis lazuli. Cat”s eye is a kind of chalcedony. I see, however, that vaidûrya has been recognised as the original of the Greek {Greek bh”rullos}, a very ingenious conjecture, either of Weber”s or of Pott”s, considering that lingual d has a sound akin to r, and ry may be changed to ly and ll (Weber, Omina, P.326). The Persian billaur or ballúr, which Skeat gives as the etymon of {Greek bh”rullos}, is of Arabic origin, means crystal, and could hardly have found its way into Greek at so early a time. See ”India, what can it teach us
” p. 267.]
{p. 93}
such arrays of excellences peculiar to a Buddha country is that Buddha country adorned.
§ 4. ”And again, O Sâriputra, in that world Sukhâvatî there are lotus lakes, adorned with the seven gems, viz. gold, silver, beryl, crystal, red pearls, diamonds, and corals as the seventh. They are full of water which possesses the eight good qualities[1], their waters rise as high as the fords and bathing-places, so that even crows[2] may drink there; they are
[1. The eight good qualities of water are limpidity and purity, refreshing coolness, sweetness, softness, fertilising qualities, calmness, power of preventing famine, productiveness. See Beal, Catena, p. 379.
2. Kâkâpeya. One text reads kâkapeya, the other kâkâpeya. It is difficult to choose. The more usual word is kâkapeya, which is explained by Pânini, II, 1, 33. It is uncertain, however, whether kâkapeya is meant as a laudatory or asa depreciatory term. Bohtlingk takes it in the latter sense, and translates nadî kâkapeyâ, by a shallow river that could be drunk up by a crow. Târânâtha takes it in the former sense, and translates nadî kâkapeyâ, as a river so full of water that a crow can drink it without bending its neck (kâkair anatakandharaih pîyate; pûrnodakatvena prasasye kâkaih peye nadyâdau). In our passage kâkapeya must be a term of praise, and we therefore could only render it by ”ponds so full of water that crows could drink from them.” But w…
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