⏑−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−¦¦−−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−
Upajāti (Kīrti)
tataḥ
prasannaś-ca babhūva puṣyas-tasyāś-ca devyā vrata-saṁskṛtāyāḥ
|
−−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−¦¦−−⏑−¦−⏑⏑¦−⏑−−
pārśvāt-suto
loka-hitāya jajñe nirvedanaṁ caiva nirāmayaṁ ca || 1.9
Then,
as a propitious moon passed into the asterism of Puṣya,
as a propitious moon passed into the asterism of Puṣya,
To
that queen sanctified by the manner of her action --
Through
her, for the welfare of the world -- a son was born,
Painlessly
and healthily.
COMMENT
On
first reading this verse, I knew that beneath the impossible surface
meaning there must be another more real meaning. A cursory glance at
the MW dictionary was enough to find it. On the surface pārśvāt
means “from/through her side” -- as opposed to through the birth canal leading naturally from her womb to the outside world. But
the dictionary indicates that
pārśvāt also means “by the means
of” or simply “through.” So what Aśvaghoṣa is really
pointing to in this verse is not the defiance of cause and effect by
a miraculous side exit; on the contrary, the point is that such an
excellent baby as was the infant Gautama, was born painlessly and
healthily to a natural woman who reaped just what she sowed, having
been sanctified by the manner of her action.
vrata-saṁskṛtāyāḥ,
as I read it, does not mean sanctified by a religious vow or a
religious rite. It means sanctified by the natural manner of her
action, by her natural conduct, by the natural way in which she lived
her life.
EHJ
translated
vrata-saṁskṛtāyāḥ as “hallowed by her vows,”
and Patrick Olivelle translated
vrata-saṁskṛtāyāḥ as
“consecrated by rites.”
These
translations cannot be criticized on linguistic grounds: they are
supported by the dictionary, which defines
vrata as: n. sphere of
action, mode or manner of life (e.g. śuci-vrata, "pure manner
of life"), conduct, manner, custom; a religious vow or practice
; any vow or firm purpose.
I
criticize those translations on the grounds that neither EHJ nor PO
peeped, even in a dream, Aśvaghoṣa's real purpose – which had
fuck all to do with religion, but everything to do with the sphere of
action.
The
Buddha was born from a real individual human being called Māyā, by
the means of the whole of her, not through one side of her. And yes, Aśvaghoṣa writes that Māyā was sanctified, but not by religion.
What
is there in Aśvaghoṣa's own words to lend credence to the
assumption that Māyā was hallowed by vows, or consecrated by rites?
It is in the sphere of action that Māyā, according to EHJ's
conjecture, is described in Buddhacarita 1.5 as vīta-śrama-śoka-māyā
“devoid
of weariness, sorrow, and
the māyā which is deceit.”
It
is through the manner of her action that Māyā is described in
Saundarananda 2.49 as vīta-krodha-tamo-māyā
“devoid
of anger, darkness and the māyā which is deceit.”
Who
says Māyā was hallowed by vows? Who says she was consecrated by
rites? Aśvaghoṣa himself? Or educated people who assume without
reason that the Buddha's teaching is some kind of whacky religion
like Judaism, or Christianity, or Islaam, in which believers are encouraged to believe irrationally in something other than cause and
effect?
VOCABULARY
tataḥ (ind.): thence
tataḥ (ind.): thence
prasannaḥ
(nom. sg. m): mfn. clear , bright , pure (lit. and fig.) ; gracious ,
kind , kindly disposed towards, favourable (as stars &c )
ca:
and
babhūva
= 3rd pers. sg. perfect bhū: to be, become
puṣyaḥ
(nom. sg.): m. name of the 6th lunar asterism (also called sidhya and
tiṣya)
tasyāḥ
(gen. sg): f. her
ca:
and
devyāḥ
(gen. sg.): f. goddess; queen , princess lady (the consecrated wife
or daughter of a king, but also any woman of high rank)
vrata-saṁskṛtāyāḥ
(gen. sg. f.): sanctified in the sphere of action; sanctified by the
manner of her action
vrata:
n. sphere of action , function , mode or , manner of life (e.g.
śuci-vrata , " pure manner of life "), conduct , manner ,
usage , custom; a religious vow or practice ; any vow or firm purpose
saṁskṛtā:
mfn. put together , constructed , well or completely formed ,
perfected ; made ready , prepared , completed , finished ; purified
, consecrated , sanctified , hallowed , initiated
pārśvāt
(abl. sg.): n. the region of the ribs (pl. the ribs) , side , flank
(either of animate or inanimate objects); the side = nearness ,
proximity (with gen. or ifc. ; pārśvayaḥ , on both sides ;
pārśvam , aside , towards ; pārśve , at the side , near [opp. to
dura-tas] ; pārśvāt , away , from ; by means of , through)
sutaḥ
(nom. sg.): m. a son
loka-hitāya
(dat. sg. m.): for the welfare of the world
loka:
the world
hita:
n. anything useful or salutary or suitable or proper , benefit ,
advantage , profit , service , good , welfare , good advice &c
jajñe
= 3rd pers. sg. perf. jan: to be born
nirvedanam
(acc. sg. n.): painlessly
nir:
without
vedanā:
f. pain , torture , agony
ca:
and
eva:
(emphatic)
nirāmayam
(acc. sg. n.): mfn. free from illness, healthily
āmaya:
m. sickness , disease
ca:
and
No comments:
Post a Comment