PALI DOCUMENT IN CAMBODIAN CHARACTERS FOUND IN THE MALVATTE VIHARE, KANDY'F

by
S. Paranavitana

The document ofwhich the photographs (37 prints) have beeu sent to me contains a letter written in Pali (prints 1-33) from the Commanderin-Chief of the King of Siam to the Commander-in-Chief of the King of Kandy, and a copy of the Kammavaca the Pali formulae used by the chapter and the candidate for ordination rn the upasampada ceremony. The latter document seems to be incomplete and has evidently been joined to the

former at a comparatively recent date by some one ignorant of the Cambodian script, for the letters in this porion are upside down. The Sinhalese and Pali historical writings dealing with the Siamese religious missions to Ceylon mention the fact that, among other books, a copy of
the Kammavaca was sent to Ceylon by the Siamese King ; and this is most

probably a fragment of the identical book. As the Kammavaca is well known to students of Buddhim, no further details may be necessary about this parl of the document. Coming to the larger and more important document, a few remarks may be made about the seript and the ianguage before dealing with its contents. Following the usual practice in Siam in writing Pali, this document is written in the Cambodian script which, in this case, differs slightly from that in printed books and also in modern manuscripts. These variations,
however, are not considerable and, after a little practice, the document can be read with ease even from the photographs.

The writing has been carefully executed, the letters are uniform,
and, on the whole, the document presents a very good example of Siamese caligraphy. The Pali in whieh the document is written is, however, barbarous in style. There are innumerable peculiarities in orthography and violations of the rules of grammar-. The construction of the sentences is, in places, so faulty as to make it very difficult to undersland what the writer meant to convey.
Reproduced from the Second Report of the Ce,tlon Historical Manuscripls Contnisittn, September, 1935, pp. 58-61.

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The letter comprises an official repon from Siam about the reception accorded to the envoys sent there by Kirtti Sri Rajasinha, for the second time, to accompany the Siamese monks who retumed to their native country after their labours for the cause of the Buddhist Church in Ceylon. It opens with a long list of the many highsounding, but often meaningless, titles of the Siamese monarch and mentions that this communication was sent by His Majesty's generalissimo to the dignitary of similar status in Ceylon. It then states in brief that the envoys, in the company of the monks, visited the city of Ayuddhya and presented the gigts of the Sinhalese King which included a model of the Tooth-Relic and a Buddha image fashioned out of a precious stone, to the ruler of Siam and also the gifts to the heir-apparent, the Sangharaja, as well as the offerings sent to the Footprint of the Buddha on lhe Saccabandhana mountain in siam. The document then enters into details and relates how the Sinhalese

was reported to the Siamccse King, His Majesty ordered that copies of canonical, exegetical grarnmatical, and other books, numbering ninetyseven in all, and of which the names are given, be sent to Ceylon. Then follows an account of how the King of Kandy caused religious discourses to be deliveed in his palace, eight times a month, by a monk who was a favourite at the court, ending as usual with a transference of a part of this rlclil to the Siamese King. ln this part ol their narrative. the Sinhalese envoys have aired their knowledge of the scriptures by quoting several extracts fiom the Pali books regarding the great merit one acquires by a gift of the dhamma.
The envoys then reported how Upali thera and his colleagues noticed that people in Kandy, when entering places of religious worship, did so without removing their head-dresses and the upper garments. They

envoys bearing royal gifis and the monks, were escorted by Siamese officials from the mouth of the river to the capital, the valious honours paid to the sacred objects, the mannar in which the envoys were accommodated at the capital and how they were given an audience of the King at which the envoys presented the letter, written on a gold plate, and the fifts sent by the King of Kandy. The document then relates how the Sinhalese envoys, after their formal reception by the King, amplified the various points dealt with in
the letter, in their interviews with the Commander-in-Chief who reported these matters to the King. The envoys opened their account by relating that the first Siamese mission sent to Ceylon in B. E. 2296 reached Trinconmaiee in safety, that the Ceylon King paid the members of this mission great honour and that with their help, he firmly established the Buddhist Church in Ceylon by ordaining 600 monks as upasampannas, and 3,000 persons as sanlaneras. Th Ceylon King requested his royal brother in Siam to partake of the merit thus reaped by him. Then the envoys related how the model of the Tooth-Relic and the Buddha image of gold were made and the honours paid to them in Ceylon; and an account is given of the manner in which these ceremonies were repeated in Siam.

explained that procedure was unbecoming; but experienced some difficulty in making the people conform to the corect manner in which sacred places should be entered. i.r'.. with bare head and lhe upper garment covering only one shoulder. They, however, seem in the end to l.rave made the majority of the people c.iiiform to this rule; but the Brahmanas in Kandy are said to have definitely refused t do so at the bidding of the Siamese monk, saying that such actior.r befitted only those of the lower castes. As a consequence, the proud Brahmins were refused admittance to the Buddhist monastries. This section ends with quotations fiom various exegetical works laying down that any one who enters places of religious worship in a manner other than that recommended by the nonks, would be boiled in hell ; and His Siamese Majesty caused copies of these works to be sent to Ceylon for the instruction of the people of the Island, particularly the Brahmins.

Next the various gifts sent by the Ceylon King to the Siamese King, the heir-apparent, the Sangaraja, and the offerings to the footprint in Siam were disposed of according to the royal wish. The the envoys ir.rformed

that religious books were rare in Ceylon and delivered the message of their master requesting that scriptures be sent to Ceylon. When the matter

The envoys next reported that the King of Kandy had made an image of the Buddha adorned with various orxaments and jewellery. It appears that when the first Sinhalese envoys visited Ayuddhya, they noticed in one of the viharas there, a similar Buddha irnage caused to be made by the Siamese King and questioned the Propliely of rnaking representations of the Lord in that manner. Their Siamese mentors, however, set their doubts at rest by the very forcible ar-qument that the King was a pious person and that it was impossibie to think that he would do anything against the precepts of the Buddha. moreoler, they produced a text called Jambupati vathu as authority for the fashioning of Buddha images in this manner. A copy of this book was presented to the King of Ceylon, the outcome of this episode being the Buddha image mentioned above.

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The envoys on their visit to the Parama Buddharama noticed the image called the Sihinga Buddha and, as they did not know what it was, the story connected with it was related t them from the book called Buddha Sihinga Nidana. On their stating that this book was not known in Ceylon. a copy of it was duly presented. It may be stated here that "Sihinga Buddha" is the Siamese name for the "sihalapatima" which was taken to Siam from Ceylon in the thirteenth century (see my paper "Religious Intercourse between Ceylon and Siam in the 13th- 15th centuries" in the Journal of the RoyalAsiatic Society, Ceylon Branch, Vol.XXXil., pp. 190ff). The envoys next reiated on account of the reception accorded to the second religious mission for Siam. The ship in which the Siamese
envoys, three in number, and monks, were coming to Ceyion was wrecked off the eastern cost of the Island and eight persons including four theras and two sanTaneras, iost their lives. The rest of the passengers and crew including the three Siamese envoys, twelve theras, nine samaneras, and I l7 Vilanta people (presumabiy Hollanders) managed to escape and landed at Arunagama (Arugam near Pottuvil in Panama pattu). They waited at Arugam and Magul Mahavihara (near Lahugala about eight miles west of Potuvil) and despatched a messenger to Kandy with a letter conveying the news. The King was duly inforn-red and His Majesty ordered the Gampahe Adikarammahe of the left hand (Pallegamapaha) and the Commander-inChief of the army to go and receive the distinguished visitors who were in

as the

river and expressed great concem for their safe arrival in their native

land. The docuntent next gives a long list of the presents, made by the Simese King, to each of the tl.rree sinhalese envoys and the various members of their retinue including the messengers, the two Dutch interpreters, the guards, and not omitting even the servants. This part of the document, in detailling the various articles of apparel and ornaments presented to the envoys, &c., contain anumberof ufamiliarwords which are, mostprobably,
the Siamese names of court dresses and jewellery in the pali garb.

"Kapitein" and "luiter.rant". when this matter was reported to the King of Siarn, His Majesty was greatly pleased, and costly presents were caused to be given to the Dutchman, rernarking "Kapital-lotelante, the marinel is a vilanta (Hollander) by birth and is an outsider, yet he is possessed of mind which takes delight in the religion of the Buddha, &c.,'
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The Sinhalese envoys ended by paying a high tribute to the Dutch Captain of the vessel in which thel, sailed, reporting that owing to the courtesy and consideration with which he treated the rlonks whilst on board, they were able to perform the voyage without any discomfort. The name of the Captain is given as "Kapital lotelante,', in which we can recognize, not the personal name of that officer, but the two Dutch titles,

The envoys also reported that the monks Visuddhacariya and

varananamun remained in Kandy doing'eligious work and that those who returned to Siam did so on account of the f'act that the climate of Kandy

distress and escort them t the capital. They accordingly went with a numerous retinue taking with them all necessary things for the comfort
and entertainment of the visitors and conducted them in great state to the capital. In twelve days they reached Hanguranketa and thejourney from

did not agree with them. The cold in Kandy during a part of the year is said to have been too much for the Siamese monks.
The document, next gives in detail the various costly presents sent by the King of Siam, through the returning envoys, to the King of Kandy,
the sub-king, the Sangharaja of Ceylon zrnd the Commander-in-Chief the Island.

that place to Kandy was performed in one day. The King himself accompanied by the officers of state, and the dignitaries of the church'
proceeded as far as the Mahaweli-ganga to receive the envoys and after entering the city in state, the monks who anived frorn Siam were lodged at the Malvatte Vihare and the envoys in a coconut grove calld Kutiyavaira. The details of the reception of the envoys, the gifts made by the King to them and to their entourage are next related. In the audience given to the Siamese envoys, they were required to bow down to the King only once whilst approaching the throne and once whilst leaving the presence.

of

The letter is dated at Ayuddhya on Friday, the seventh ofthe dark half of the month of Asuja (Asvayuj) in rhe Rar-yea r, 2299 years afrer the ltarinirttana of the Buddha (l5rh October, 1756 A.D.). It would be seen from the foregoing account that this contemporary document confirms the evidence we already possess about the religiou.s ttltercourse between Ceylon and Siam in the reign of Kirttisri, and such Pali and Sinhalese writings as the Mahavamsa, the Sangharajasadhucariyava-

When the time came for the Siamese envoys and the monks who wanted to return to Siam to ieave the capital, the return embassy of the King of Kandy bearing the royal gifts above mentioned was despatched with them. The King himself and the sangharctja accompanied them as far

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VIHARE PALI DOCUMENT IN CAMBODIAN CHARACTERS IN MALVATTE

writings of the the Syamopasampadavata, Symaandesavarnnana and in the

nutc"i'.maaaitionitgivesuSsomeinterestinginformationnotknown
fromothersources,particularlyaboutthesecondreligiousmissionfrom quoted Siam which is treated somewhat perfunctorily in the authorities

above.Thusitwillbeevidentthat,apartfromtheinterestalwaysattachd the to any original document of this nature, it is of great importance for I think' be stuay of tile Island's history during this period; and should'
published in a suitable manner for the benefit of students'

Colombo, October 29, 1934