Saturday, May 1, 2010

SAUNDARANANDA 1.24: Earthly Shakyas, from among the Teak Trees

shaaka-vRkSha-praticchannaM
vaasaM yasmaac ca cakrire
tasmaad ikShvaaku-vaMshyaas te
bhuvi shaakyaa iti smRtaaH

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1.24
And since they made a dwelling

Concealed among shaka trees,

Therefore those descendants of Ikshvaku

Were known on earth as Shakyas.


COMMENT:
Shaakya-muni means "the Sage of the Shakyas"; and so here is the explanation of why the clan out of which the Buddha sprang was known as the Shakyas, or "From Teak Trees."



An implication of bhuvi, on earth, might be that in no way was Shakyamuni Buddha the son of a god, born of a virgin birth. Neither did his name Shakyamuni arise out of thin air.

After his enlightenment the Buddha taught his followers to drop off all class and caste prejudices. But as a matter of earthly, empirical, historical fact, he was born into the kshatriya class of royalty and warriors.


EH Johnston:
And as they made a dwelling shaded by shaka trees, these scions of Iksvaku's race came to be known on earth as Sakyas.

Linda Covill:
And since they made a dwelling roofed with shaka trees, the sons of Ikshvaku were known on earth as Shakyas.


VOCABULARY:
shaaka-vRkSha-praticchannam (acc. sg. m.)
shaaka: m. the Teak tree, Tectona Grandis; m. Acacia Sirissa
vRkSha: tree
praticchanna: mfn. covered , enveloped , hidden , concealed , disguised; endowed or furnished with (ifc.)

vaasam (acc. sg.): m. (fr. √vas) staying , remaining (esp. " overnight ") , abiding , dwelling , residence , abode , habitation
yasmaat: ind. from which, since
ca: and
cakrire (3rd pers,. pl. perfect kR): they made

tasmaat (correlative of yasmaat): ind. therefore
ikShvaaku-vaMshyaaH (nom. pl. m.): decendants of Ikshvaku; sons of Ikshvaku
vaMshya: m. any member of a family , a son , lineal descendant
te (nom. pl.): they

bhuvi = loc. sg. bhuu: f. earth
shaakyaaH (nom. pl.): mfn. derived or descended from the shakas ; m. N. of a tribe of landowners and kShatriyas in kapila-vastu (from whom gautama , the founder of Buddhism , was descended)
iti: "....," thus
smRtaaH (nom. pl. m.): mfn. remembered , recollected , called to mind , thought of; termed , styled , named (nom. with or without iti)

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