1.4. Sanskrit Content and Studies in Thailand

[Full title: Thai Studies (4): Sanskrit Content and Studies in Thailand]

One of the most ancient languages of the world, Sanskrit has exercised considerable influence on Thai. This is remarkable in view of the fact that Thai is structurally entirely different from Sanskrit. It is coupled with Chinese in view of the two vital characteristics that it shares with it, the monosyllabism and the tone-variation. How then Thai could come to acquire such an enormous corpus of Sanskrit words is, therefore, one of the biggest riddles of linguistic history. The Sanskritic content covers every discipline of life. The Sanskrit based vocabulary of Thai can broadly be divided in three categories: One, where Sanskrit words are preserved in their original Sanskrit pronunciation and meaning (making allowance for elision of final a in a-ending words, dentalization of palatals and cerebral s and s, the o-type of pronunciation of a, a general feature of Thai) like vela for time, nalika for clock or watch, vivaha for marriage, mamsavirata for vegetarian, kavi for poet, sama for always or equal to, sura for liquor, rup(a) for picture or photograph, praman(a) for approximately, pariman(a) for quantity, pratidinam for calendar, man(a) for curtain, upama for simile, bhas($)a for language (bhasa Thai), mo(a)ntri for minister and so on; two, where words keeping up their original Sanskrit form in pronunciation undergo change in meaning, major or minor, like prarthana for desire, karuna for please, sukha for toilet and so on; and three, and this comprises the largest number of words which undergo change in pronunciation. Further, there are combination words which can be divided in two categories: CC-0. Prof. Satya Vrat Shastri Collection, New Delhi. Digitize

One, where two Sanskritic words are combined in a given sense like mit-sahay, mitra-sahaya, for friend, vivahamonkhon and monkhonsomrot, vivahamangala and mangalasamarasa, for marriage, wongsakun, vamsakula for family tree, hetkan, hetukarana for event, kiyattiyot, kirtiyasa(s) for fame, pasusat, pasusattva, a domestic animal, yakpisat, yaksapisaca for demon; occasionally even a Pali word is combined with a Sanskrit word: suksabay where suk, sukha, is of Sanskrit and sabay, sapaya is that of Pali; two, where one component is of Sanskrit and the other of Thai: Krungthev (Thai name of the city of Bangkok) where thev (deva) of Sanskrit and krung of Thai meaning place are joined, namtan for sugar where tan, tala of Sanskrit meaning palm and nam of Thai meaning water or juice or extract are conjoined to give the sense of sugar, reminiscent of the time when sugar was made in Thailand from the palm juice, khwamsuk where suk, sukha of Sanskrit has khwam of Thai in the sense of "ness" prepositioned to it, chitchai meaning mind has chit, citta of Sanskrit and chai of Thai combined, pholomai where pholo, phala, fruit of Sanskrit is combined with mai meaning root of Thai, the whole word even with the addition of the word meaning just fruit, rachwang where racha, raja(n) meaning king of Sanskrit is combined with wang meaning palace of Thai, the whole word meaning the royal palace, rangrup(a) and rangkay(a) where rup(a) and kay(a) of Sanskrit meaning body are combined with rang of Thai meaning 'form', the whole word meaning 'of bodily form' or just body and so on. Whether Sanskrit entered into Thailand through Pali which came with the introduction of Buddhism or independently is debatable . Evidences are not lacking in Thai even of the influence of Sanskrit over Pali. One of the most interesting instances of this is the Sanskrit word pracaksa, direct perception. The Sanskrit form of this is pratyaksa and the Pali form paccakkha. Now, if Thai pracaksa were derived from Pali paccakkha, its Sanskritization in Thai would have to be accepted, for the forms pra and caksa would not go well with Pali genius. So would not ccdo the appearance of or in akhra, Sangled by Ss Foundation USA agra, marga , Sanskrit

Sanskrit Content and Studies in Thailand 71 marga which in Pali is assimilated to the following sound: agga, magga. All this would lead us to the conclusion that Sanskrit was not always on the sidelines in Thailand, nor was it Pali's close follower. Not only the new coinages like sawad-di from Sanskrit svasti for namaste or the like (the term for greeting), Thanakhan for bank (Sanskrit Dhanagara), Praisani for Post Office (Sanskrit Praisani), Thora-lekh for telegram (Sanskrit Duralekha), Prapa for water works, Sathani-Vitthayu (Sanskrit Vidyutsthana) for Radio-Station, even quite a few of the older words have a Sanskritic ring about them. It is a tribute to the Thai power of assimilation, that they have been naturalized in it, given Thai pronunciation, Thai spelling and occasionally even Thai meaning (e.g., karuna in the sense of 'please' or krpaya as against its Sanskrit sense of 'compassion', prarthana (pronounced in Thai as pathana; r is silent there) 'desire' as against its Sanskrit sense of 'request', 'prayer', samjna pronounced in Thai as sanna 'promise' as against its Sanskrit sense of 'consciousness' or 'appellation' and so on). They might have once belonged to Sanskrit stock, they are now Thai words, an inseparable part of Thai vocabulary. Most of the Thais may be least conscious of the fact that the names that they have, such as Pridi (Priti), Hongskul (Hamsakula), Visudh (Visuddha), Praphod (Prabodha), Vinaya, Prasit (Prasiddha), Mahanond (Mahananda), Syamanond, Chirayu, Valaya, Manjari, Galiyani (Kalyani) are all from Sanskrit. To them they are Thai names of which they are legitimately proud. As with the names of the human beings, so with the names of the cities, towns, provinces and so on. They too have a Sanskritic ring about them. Behind the crust of their phonetic variation, their Sanskrit form peeps out. By way of illustration we take up the following: Thai Ayutthaya Buriram Chanthaburi Chayanat Sanskrit Ayodhya Puriramya Candrapuri Jayanada CC-0. ProChayaphunhastri Collection, NewJayabhumized by S 3 Foundation USA

Chonburi Kalasindhu Kanchanaburi Jalapuri Kalasindhu Kancanapuri Lopburi Nakhon Ratchasima Nakhon Pathom Nakhon Si Thammarat Nakhon Nayok Nakhon Sawan Nonthaburi Lavapuri Nagararajasima Nagaraprathama Nagara Sri Dharmaraja Nagaranayaka Nagarasvarga Nandapuri Mohasaragrama Mahasarakham Mukdahan Muktahara Phetchburi Vajrapuri Phitsnulok Visnuloka Prachinburi Pracinapuri Rajburi Sakon nakhon Samut Prakan Samut sonkram Rajapuri Sakalanagara Samudraprakara Samudrasangrama Simhapuri Simhaburi Sukhothai Suratthani Surin Sawankhalok U Bon Udon Thani Uttaradit Yasothorn Sukhodaya Surastradhani Surendra(puri) Svargaloka Utpala Uttaradhani Uttaratirtha Yasodhara For a country or region the Thai word is Prathet, Sanskrit Pradesa . One of the regions of Thailand bordering Cambodia is called Aranyaprathet, Sanskrit Aranyapradesa. Thailand in Thai is called Prathet Thai. The origin of the name Cakri, the present ruling dynasty of Thailand , is quite interesting , nay revealing, as it shows the profound impact of Sanskrit on it. Cakri is derived from cakra pronounced in Thai as cak. CC-0. Prof. Satya Vrat Shastri Conection, New Delhi. Digitized by S 3 Foundation USA

== Sanskrit Content and Studies in Thailand 73 The subjects in the kingdom are known as pracha chon, Sanskrit prajajana. The different parts of the country are called phak, Sanskrit bhaga. A province is known as canvat, of which vat, vata, is Sanskrit. The word for countryside is chonnabod, Sanskrit janapada. The field or farm is kaset, Sanskrit ksetra, the seed sown is phued, Sanskrit bija. Agriculture is kasetkam, Sanskrit ksetrakarma. As per the practice in Thailand the king himself ceremonially ploughs a small piece of land. This formally opens the sowing operation. The people follow it up in their fields. The ceremony is called phiti charot pra nangkhan, Sanskrit vidhi carana (?) pra (?) langala. Nangkhan is langala. Vidhi-langala the ceremony of handling the plough. Civil service is called rajakan, Sanskrit rajakarya and a civil servant kha... rajakan, kha... rajakarya. The word for municipal administration is thesaban, Sanskrit desapala and the one in charge of it is called thesamontri. Sanskrit desamantri; in big cities phu va rajakan, phu va rajakara. A minister in the Central Cabinent is called ratha-mantri, Sanskrit rastramantri. The Prime Minister is nayok rathamantri, Sanskrit nayaka rastramantri, the foreign minister rathamantri tang prathet, tang² pradesa rastramantri, minister of the Interior mahat Thai-Sanskrit maha-. In Thai, Director of broadcasting is adhibodi krom pracha samphan, Sanskrit adhipati karma praja sambandha. The Parliament is ratha-sabha, Sanskrit rastrasabha and the Cabinet khana ratha mantri, Sanskrit ganarastramantri. The Secretariat is called lekhadhikan khanarathamontri, Sanskrit lekhadhikaraganarastramantri. The word for road in Thai is thanon, Sanskrit sthana, for a footpath, padavithi, Sanskrit the same, for station sathani, Sanskrit sthana (Bus Stand: sathani rod [Skt. sthani ratha] may: Railway Station: sathani rod fay [Skt. ratha fay]). A hall is sala, Sanskrit sala. a pavillion, vedi, Sanskrit the same. The word for enemy in Thai is satru which is pure Sanskrit except for the dentalization, not uncommon in India itself of the Sanskrit palatal³. The word for friend is mit, Sanskrit mitra or sahay, Sanskrit sahaya (there is slight semantic variation here, in Sanskrit the word means companion) or mit sahay , Sanskrit Vrat Shastri Collection a a

mitra sahaya. Battle or war in Thai is samon, which is Sanskrit samara. So is samonphum, battlefield, from Sanskrit samarabhumi. The word for weapon in Thai is avut which is from Sanskrit ayudha. The names of a number of trees, plants and flowers in Thai are Sanskritc. Thus Bikun in Thai is Sanskrit Bakula, Paduma Sanskrit Padma, Kokonadu Sanskrit Kokanada, Komud, Sanskrit Kumuda, Phutsa Sanskrit Badara, Mali Sanskrit Malati or Mallika. Chomphu, Sankrit Jambu and so on. For fruit Thai has phon (tamai) of which phon is Sanskrit phala itself. The fruit of an action is also called phala or karma-phala in Sanskrit. So is it in Thai: phon la kam, phalakarma or karmaphala. The word for tree in Thai is tonmai. Ton is Sanskrit taru. The names of the months in Thai have also Sanskrit origin. But unlike Sanskrit they are based on the names of the signs of the Zodiac or Rasis. Quite scientific the Thais follow a definite system in the naming of the months: the names of the months with 31 days end in the word akhom, Sanskrit agama; those with 30 days in ayon, Sanskrit ayana and the one (obviously February) with less than 30 days ends in phan, Sanskrit bandha. The Thai names for the months, thus are: Thai Mesayon Sanskrit English Mesayana April Physaphakhom Vrsabhagama May Mithunayon Mithunayana June Karakadakhom Karkatagama July Simhakhom Simhagama August Kanyayon Kanyayana September Tulakhom Tulagama October Phrscikayon Vrscikayana November Dhanvakhom Dhanvagama December Makarakhom Makaragama January Kumphaphan Kumbhabandha February Minakhom Minagama March Besides these general names, some of the months may have in Thai some special names based on some special evetits, &.g., CC-0. Prof. Satya Vrat Shastri

Sanskrit Content and Studies in Thailand 75 Visakhabucha, Sanskrit Visakhapuja, for the month Lord Buddha was born, got enlightenment and attained Parinirvana. Similarly the month the Buddhist monks start the rainy-season-prayers is called A-sa-la-ha in Thai, Asalhapuja in Pali and Asadhapuja in Sanskrit. For season the Thais have rdu, a derivative of Sanskrit rtu, for time vela, for watch nadi, both of them the same as in Sanskrit. No word in Thai is found for any particular season. It is only in the name of the dish, Krayasat, however, that the name of the season sarad, autumn, peeps out. Sat = sarad.. The names of the days too have Sanskritic origin. As against the Sanskrit practice of adding the word vara or vasara signifying day, after the names of some planets, Thai has the word van (day) preceding them: Thai Sanskrit English Van-adit adityavara Sunday Van-can candravara Monday Van-ankhan angaravara Tuesday Van-phut budhavara Wednesday Van-phrhatsabody brhaspativara Thursday Van-suk sukravara Friday Van-sao sanivara Saturday It is noteworthy that Thai has the rather less known word ankhan (Sanskrit angara) for Mars or Mangala, generally found in older treatises on Astronomy or Astrology or here and there in older literature. While talking of the names of the days, etc., it is interesting to note that the Thai word for calender is pratidinam, a typcial Sanskrit word. The names of quarters in Thai are all from Sanskrit. The intermediate space in the quarters in Sanskrit is identified with certain deities like Rudra, Agni etc. and is named after them. So is it in Thai. Below is being reproduced a chart giving the names of the quarters and their intermediary points in Thai together with Sanskrit originals and English equivalents to help form a clear idea of the influence that Sanskrit has exercized 3 Foundation USA GC-0. Prof Satya Vrat Shastri Collection

Phayap Vayavya North West Pracim Pascima West Hawradi Nairrti Udorn Uttara North Isan Isana North East Burafa Purva East Akhane Agneya South East Thaksin Daksina South West South. Thai has words for all the four Varnas, castes, which are the same as in Sanskrit except for certain phonetic variations and certain semantic peculiarities. Brahmana is called Phram, Ksatriya Kasat, Vaisya Phait and Sudra Sud, in Thai". Of these Phait and Sud are of academic interest only, being no longer in use in popular speech. The dictionaries list them and give their meaning as people belonging to the merchant class and menials and slaves in India respectively. The word for merchants current in popular speech in Thai is Vanit pronounced as Phanit which is the changed form of Sanskrit Vanij. Evidently it is a case of phonetic variation here . Apiece with it is Thai Kasat from Sanskrit Ksatriya , as noticed above, especially Mahakasat someone belonging to the warrior class, in Sanskrit. Maybe this Kasat is a derivative of Ksatra and not Ksatriya. The concept of the four stages, Asramas, in the life of a person is not altogether unknown to Thailand where words for at least two stages, Brahmacarya and Grhastha do exist. Brahmacarya is called Phrommachan which means abstinence from sex. It is not unoften used with praphrt, Sanskrit pravrtti practice: Praphrt Phrommachan =practice of Brahmacarya. Grhastha is called Grhat, a householder. There are no words for Vanaprastha Prastha and Sammyasa in They Delhi. Digitized by S 3 Foundation USA CC-0.

Sanskrit Content and Studies in Thailand 77 The word Brahmacarin signifies in Sanskrit a young man practising continence. The Thai derivative of it, Phrommacari, however, signifies a virgin girl 6. Samskaras as religious rites are unknown to Thailand. As ceremonies, however, three of them are known and they have Sanskritic words: Namakorn, Sanskrit Namakarana, Vivaha and Antyesti called Jhapana-Kicca, Sanskrit Ksapana-krtya, burning of the body. For Vivaha or marriage Thai has four words of which three, except Tangaen, are Sanskritic: one Vivaha itself, two, Monkhon somrot, Mangalasamarasa and three, Vivahamonkhon, Vivahamangala. Though predominantly a Buddhist country Thailand has words for Brahmanic gods and goddesses; having come under the pale of cultural influence of India. The Sanskrit words for a god and a goddess in general are deva and devi which are pronounced in Thai as theva and thevi respectively. Of the Brahmanic gods the most worshipped in Thailand is Phrom, Brahma, whose temples are a common sight everywhere. The other gods known to Thais though not actually worshipped now, are Indra together with his divine vehicle Airavana whose figures in certain Wats or Viharas do meet the eye, Rama, Sita and Hanuman whose representations in frescos are not uncommon and Yima. Yama, the god of Death who is supposed to take away life from and give it to the people at the appointed hour. There is belief in semidivine beings, the Yaksas, etc. too, huge figures of whom adorn some monasteries. There is belief also in certain objects, like the trees, having the presiding deities. The Thais call it Rukkhatheva which is Sanskrit Vrksadeva. Some of the Brahmanic gods, though not worshipped, are not the less known to Thailand. A few of its prominent institutions have figures of them. The building of the Arts Faculty of the Chulalongkorn University carries the figure of Saraswadi, Sarasvati, at its top, the Krom Silpakorn, the Department of Fine Arts of the Govt. of Thailand and the Silpakorn University, have the figure of Khanesa, Ganesa , on their emblem. The National Theatre run by the Kromsilpakorn also has a big figure of Khanesa, Ganesa, on the top of its main

the top of its main entrance. On its both sides it has at the top three figures, those of Narai, Narayana (Visnu), Phrom, Brahma, and Isuan, Isvara (Siva). Along with the gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon Thailand shows familiarity with the pious and the spiritual people like the Rsis, seers, Munis, sages, Tapasas, hermits. The Thai words for them are only the phonetic variants of the above: Rasi (Rsi), Muni (Muni), Daba (Tapasa). The names that some of the sciences or disciplines have been given in Thailand could well be the envy of many an Hindi enthusiast even in India, e.g., English Thai Sanskrit Original Anthropology Manusyavidya Manusyavidya Economics Sethsat Sresthasastra Logic Takavidya Tarkavidya Psychology Cittavidya Cittavidya Ethics Cariyasat Caryasastra Humanities Manusasat Manusyasastra Sociology Sankhomvidya Sangamavidya Linguistics Bhasasat Bhasasastra History Pravattisat Pravrttisastra Political Science Rathasat Rastrasastra Mathematics Khanitasat Ganitasastra Philosophy Prajnna Prajna Zoology Satlavavidya Sattvavidya Biology Jivavidya Jivavidya Science of Teaching Grusat Gurusastra (gru pronounced as khru) or or Siksasat Siksasastra Nitisat Nitisastra Law Ethnology Engineering Chativanvidya Jativarnavidya Vissavakammasat Visvakarmasastra Science of Medicine Phaityasat Surgery Sallayasat Pathology Ayursat Vaidyasastra Salyasastra Ayussastra

Sanskrit Content and Studies in Thailand 79 As may be seen a particular order is noticeable in the nomenclature. The words which in English end in logy are rendered in Thai by the term vidya, while those ending in ics by sat, a derivative of Sanskrit sastra. The institutions of higher learning in Thailand have Sanskrit names. The College is called Vidyalaya and the University Mahavidyalaya, the words being pronounced as Vitthayalaya and Mahavitthayalaya, respectively. For school, however, a typical Thai word, Rong Rien is used. But when it comes to denoting a Primary or Secondary school the words Prathom, Sanskrit Prathama, and Matthayom, Sanskrit Madhyama are preposed to it. Similarly, the words Anuban, Sanskrit Anupala and Achip, Sanskrit Ajiva, are post-positioned to it to denote the Montessory School and the Vocational School respectively. The words for some of the University officials are Sanskritic in origin. The Dean is called Khanabody, Sanskrit Ganapati and the Rector (Vice-Chancellor) Andhikanbody, Sanskrit Adhikarapati. The Ministry of Education is called Kasuang Siksadhikan of which Siksadhikan is Sanskritic being derived from Sanskrit Siksadhikara. The terms for the various University degrees in Thailand are also typically Sanskritic. For the Bachelor's degree the term is Bandit, obviously from Sanskrit Pandita and for the Master's degree Mahabandit, Sanskrit Mahapandita. If the idea of B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) is to be denoted it will have to be done by Aksornsat Bandit, Sanskrit Aksarasastra Pandita. M.A. similarly is called in Thai Aksornsat Mahabandit, Sanskrit Aksara- sastra Mahapandita. For Ph.D. the Thai word is Dussadi Bandit or Tusti Pandita. For research Thai has easily the most appropriate word vicai, Sanskrit vicaya, gathering or collecting. At least three Universities in Thailand have Sanskritic names: the Universities of Thammasat, Sanskrit Dharmasastra, Silpakorn, Sanskrit Silpakara, Kasersat Sanskrit Krsisastra. The Ramayana and the Mahabharata, particularly the Ramayana, are quite well-known in Thailand . The Royal House has contributed much to the translation of Sanskrit works. King

Rama VI translated episodes from the Mahabharata, the Nalopakhyana and the Savitryupakhyana into Thai. The Savitri episode was given by him the drama form also. He also translated the Abhijnanasakuntala of Kalidasa and the Priyadarsika of Sriharsa. Prince Bidiyalongkorn translated some of the stories from the Vetalapancavimsati. Among the translations by scholars other than those from the Royal House may be mentioned the translation of the Bhagavadgita, the Natyasastra, up to the 27 the Adhyaya, the Brhatsamhita of Varahamihira and the episode of the killing of Kamsa, the Kamsavadhopakhyana, from the Bhagavata-purana by Prof. Saeng Monvidur³, the translation of the Kavyalankara of Vagbhata by Mr. P.S. Sastri, an Indian immigrant to Thailand, selections from the Upanisads by Mr. Bungruang Bunyor jointly with Prof. Likhit Likhitanon, the translation of the Dvatrimsatputtalikasimhasana by Mr. Kila Bardhanabadya, the translation of the dramas Svapnavasavadatta and the Ratnavali by Mr. Dusdie Malakun and selections from works like the Paddhati of Sarngadhara, Bharthari's Satakatraya, the Subhasitasamgraha of D.D. Kosambi, the Subhasitaratnakosa of Vidyakara, the Subhasitavali of Vallabhadeva, and the Amarusataka by Mr. Sthiraphong Varna Pok. Of the present-day Sanskritists of Thailand Mr. Karuna Kusalasaya has translated the Buddhacarita (Cantos I and II.). He is at the moment busy translating the Mahabharata. Chamlong Sarapadnuke has translated selections from the Rgveda under the title VedaSamhita, Parts I and II and the Bhagavadgita. He along with Dr. Chirapat Prapandvidya has translated the Rajaniti of Canakya. Dr. Pranee Lapanich has translated the Suvrttatilaka of Ksemendra and the Manusmrti. The latest in the line is Dr. Samniang Luermsai who has translated the Saundarananda and the Buddhacarita of Asvaghosa. Sanskrit studies in Thailand are pursued in a couple of centres the most important of which is the Department of Eastern Languages of the Chulalongkorn University. In this work has been carried out on a number of interesting and important subjects. Some of the topics such as the Passive and Causative Verbal System in Epic Sanskrit are highly intricate, requiring CC-0. Prof. Satya Vrat Shastri Collection, New Delicate requiring a degree

Sanskrit Content and Studies in Thailand 81 of expert knowledge of Sanskrit grammar, considered difficult even in India by all standards, on the part of the researcher. Other topics like the Cakravartin Kingship though not so intricate do require a thorough knowledge of the history of the ancient period as also of texts to trace its theory and practice. Some of the topics like the Indian Wedding Customs in the Vedic Period, Heroines of Kalidasa's Dramas and Jester in Kalidasa's Dramas are comparatively easy. They also cannot admit of much originality, enough work on them having been done already. Of other topics eleven are pure Sanskrit; some of the more interesting of them being: The Apsaras in Sanskrit Literature, Sati in Sanskrit Literature, Women's Rights and Duties in Sanskrit Legal Literature, Sabdalankaras in the Buddhacarita and the Nominal Stem Formations and Compounds in the Nalopakhyana. There are at least five topics which are connected with Sanskrit and Pali both. (or with Thai as seen above). They are: God Indra in Sanskrit, Pali and Thai Literatures, Brahma in Pali and Sanskrit Literatures, Garudas and Nagas in Sanskrit and Pali Literatures, The Lotus in the Pali and Sanskrit Literatures, Elephants in Sanskrit and Pali Literatures. Some other important topics are: Sudras in the Vedic Age, Similes in Sanskrit Dramas, Childhood Ceremonies in Ancient India, Initiation Ceremony in Ancient India and Nandi in Sanskrit Dramas. The volume of work turned out by the Department is substantial enough to attract the appreciative notice of scholars. Instances are not lacking in the Thai literature, old and new, where Sanskrit literature has been drawn upon for themes. As early as some 400 years back a well-known Thai writer Sree Prajna had taken up for treatment in his work the Puranic theme of the romance of Aniruddha, grandson of Krsna and Usa, daughter of Banasura. Prosody is, however, the field where the influence of Sanskrit is particularly marked. The names of quite a few of the Thai metres are derived from Sanskrit through Pali: e.g., Indravichien from Indravajra, Indrawong from Indravamsa, Vamsattha from Vamsastha, supachats from Upajati Vicczed by 53 Foundation USA Vicchummala from New Delhi. Digitized S 3

Vidyunmala, Saddullavikkilita from Sardulavikridita, Phuchockhaprayat from Bhujangaprayata, Saddhara from Sragdhara and so on. Some of the names of the metres in Thai and Sanskrit differ in only a letter here and there, e.g., Thai Salini from Sanskrit Salini, Thai Vasantatilok from Sanskrit Vasantatilaka. Occasionally the original Sanskrit word without any phonetic modification is found in such names as Malini and Totaka. Curiously there are some Thai metres which have Sanskritic names but which, however, are not found in Sanskrit, such for instance, are Idisam, Sanskrit Idrsam, Upathita Sanskrit Upasthita, Kamala, and Citrapada. There are five groups of metres in Thai of which the three Klong, Klon and Rai are typically Thai. The rest of the two, Karb and Chan are Sanskritic in origin. Karb is from Sanskrit Kavya and Chan from Sanskrit Chanda or Chandas. Karb is earlier. It has only two metres Indravichien, Sanskrit Indravajra and Vasantatilok, Sanskrit Vasantatilaka. It does not follow the short and long, laghu-guru, syllable scheme. Probably there was no awareness of it when it came into vogue. In the earlier stages of development the name Indravajra was also not in vogue. It was called Yani from the first two syllables of the line: yaniha bhutani samagatani. Later the name Indravichien came to replace it. The Chan type of classification recognizes, thanks to the Sanskrit influence becoming much more pronounced, the short and long, laghu-guru, scheme of syllables. It is the one which has all the Sanskritic metres including Indravichien and Vasantatilok forming part of Karb. Even though the Thais drew metres from Sanskrit, they did not leave them as they were; they introduced some innvoations in them the most important of which was rhyme employed at regular well-defined intervals and one-line verses in contradistinction to the four-line verse pattern of Sanskrit. The only four-line verse metres are the ones which are octosyllabic, a kind of system existing here too, e.g., Pathyavat, Vicchummala (Sanskrit Vidyunmala), Manavaka and Citrapada. The two-line verse-metres are the maximum: Indravichien (Indravajra), Upendravichien (Upendravajra), Upachat (Upajati), Vamsattha CC-0. Prof. Satya Vrat

Sanskrit Content and Studies in Thailand 83 (Vamsastha), Indrawong (Indravamsa), Vasantatilok (Vasantatilaka), Salini (salini), Upathita (Upasthita), Phuchoakhaprayat (Bhujangaprayata), Totaka, Kamala, Saddullavikkilita (Sardulavikridita), Saddhara (Sragdhara), and Malini. It was some 200 years ago that Sanskrit metres came to be used in Thai poetry. Though they have been taken from Sanskrit, there is a departure from it in the trisyllables or the Ganas or the short and long, laghu-guru, system of Sanskrit. There is no strict rule in it about the length of each syllable. In Thai poetry the rhythm is provided by the break-up of the line. It is curious that some of the more popular metres of Sanskrit like Mandakranta, immortalized by Kalidasa in his Meghaduta, are missing in Thai poetry. It is still more curious that the metres like Anustubh in which a substantial part of Sanskrit poetry is composed is found carrying an altogether different name of Pathyavat or Pathyavat in Thai poetry. Further, Prthvi or Vipula which is the name of a particular metre in Sanskrit, is used in Thai for a variety of Pathya or Anustubh, also called Sloka in Sanskrit. A few specimens of Thai verses in Sanskrit metres would not be out of place here: In Vasantatilaka: sae sap prasan duriyasangkhitaphat ya pheri sapsing pra da pra du ca si suralok cha lo longi "The sounds of the music blending with each other, the drum, the singing and everything in music, as if the entire band is transferred from the land of the gods." In Malini: pra phuttha kamala chun chom phoei katha ram pho tham pail anucha sathita daen dai nam sakun chanai sanoe riamil "The Buddha, having his heart gladdened started his enquiry asking: my young one, where do you live, what is your family's name, please tell me 'Shastri Collection, New Delhi. Digitized by S 3 Foundation USA

In Totaka: khana nan issaret phra pravet vana phai rahu thana sabai i riya batha vani phata se tanamun tha kophun harubani sukhu dom daru van vara thep thavi ongl "At that moment Lord Siva entered into the private sector of his forest. He relaxed his activities at the foot of the white mountain. There he enjoyed himself most in that forest with another one, they were only two of them." In Bhujangaprayata: phakphun phanaran cara saen saran rom noen rab salab som pitsaploen caroen cail khot khoen si khon khau lae lam nau phana lai sung liw lalan nai ya na phon praman maill "At the surface of the forest, wandering very pleasantly sometimes hilly, sometimes plain, alternate properly, looking at it is pleasant to the heart. Small and high hills and peaks of the mountain and also the range of trees very tall. So many things appearing before eyes beyond counting." " It may incidentally be mentioned that certain types of Thai poetry have Sanskritic names like Nirat, Sanskrit Nirasa, Lilit, Sanskirt Lalita. As for the Sanskrit Mss., Thailand, surprisingly, is particularly deficient. Out of 57697 bundles 10 of Mss. with the National Library, Bangkok, there are only one or two bundles of Sanskrit Mss. Only recently a Ms. of the Vairagyasataka on palm leaf belonging to the period of King Rama III has come to light. Sanskrit begins to appear in inscriptions in Thailand from the sixth century A.D. onwards. So far over a hundred of them have been discovered both types, very short; only a word or two of Sanskrit in them; like the one from Nakhon Si Thammarat which has just the word Lingesvaram in it; and of good length such as the ones from U Bon, 6 th cen. A.D., Nakhon Si Thammarat 1318 B.E. or 775 A.D.; Panom Rung, Buriram Province, 1660 B.E. or 1117 A.D.; Huaviang Temple, Jaya CC-0. Prof. Satya Vrat Shastri Collection, eya Distt, Suratthani Province, New

Sanskrit Content and Studies in Thailand 85 1799 B.E. or 1206 A.D." and so on. Sanskrit expression in some of these inscriptions is very beautiful. So are the figures of speech. Mark the Utpreksa, Poetic Fancy, in an inscription of as early a period as the 6 th century A.D.: jitvemam desam akhilam girisasyeha bhubhrtil lingam nivesayamasa jayacihnam ivatmanahu "He (Citrasena called Mahendravarman after coronation) conquered this entire country and set up the Sivalinga, as a mark of his victory as it were". As one more example of beautiful Sanskrit may be taken up the following couplet from an inscription from Panom Rung, Buriram Province (1660 B.E. or 1117 A.D.): yo'sau paran dhama [-] bhujena jetum ajau vina savyabhujam nu saktahi punar jayan savyabhujena karyam savyapasavyahitam icchati small "Who in the battlefield even without the help of the right arm, was able to conquer his enemies by the sheer dint of his armlike prowess. Still, conquering them with his right arm, he wanted to accomplish the task possible of achievement by both the arms." The influence of Sanskrit on Thai is all-pervasive. There may be few fields which may not have come under its impact. A study of Thai from the point of view of Sanskrit content in it forms part of a work on Sanskrit words in South east Asia that has appeared recently. The present essay may not be complete without reference to the Thai scholars of Sanskrit. Their smallness in number is more than made up by the devotion and the total dedication that they bring to bear on the study of the language and its literature. Headed by Prof. Visudh Busyakul, the doyen of Sanskrit studies in Thailand, they are busy contributing their mite in analysing and laying bare the charming wealth of Sanskrit literature. Prof. Busyakul's work pertains to a number of topics. He has brought out a collection of his writings under the title: Visudh's Nibondh, Writings of Visudhs His New Delhi. Digitized by S 3 Foundation USA erstwhile colleague in his former

Department, the Department of Eastern Languages, Chulalongkorn University, Dr. Pranee Lapanich has devoted years to the study of Ksemendra, particularly his Kalavilasa . Late Prof. Seksri Yamnadda in the Dept. of Thai of the same University had published some three articles on Sanskrit subjects like the Sun in Vedic Literature, Women in Sanskrit Literature and Asvins. Miss Subrangsu Indraruna of the Srinakharinwirot University who had earlier produced a valuable thesis, as stated in the preceding pages, on Passive and Causative Verbal Systems in Epic Sanskrit is at the moment working on the project of a comparative study of the Thai and Sanskrit words. Prof. Chamlong Sarapadnuke of the Silpakorn University is a prolific writer having a large number of publications, a majority of them small monographs, to his credit. They are: Practical Sanskrit Grammar, Parts I-III, Samskrtaracanavidhih, (Sanskrit composition), Samskrtapriyadarsiprasastayah, (Inscriptions of Asoka rendered into Sanskrit), Mahayanabauddha-granthah (Prajnaparamitahrdayasutra and Sukhavativyuhasutra), Samskrta-Dhammapada (Syamaka and Arhatvargas only), Samskrta Jataka, Part II, Introduction to Rgveda, Manual of Vedic Grammar, Samasa, Taddhita, Samjnavidhana, Sandhi and Avyaya. A special word is due here for him in that he is the only one among the Thai scholars who has written his thesis through the medium of Sanskrit. The thesis: Rgvediyaprathamamandalasya samalocanatmakam adhyayanam got him the Vidyavaridhi degree from the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi. The latest of his works on Sanskrit composition, Katham racyate Samskrtam is also in Sanskrit. Prof. Choosakdi Dipayagasorn, formerly of the National Library, Bangkok, has worked on the Inscriptions of Thailand. He has edited and published quite a few of them in journals. Prof. Prayoon Santankuro of the Mahamakuta Buddhist University, Bangkok has published a work on Sandhi. Apart from the Department of Eastern Languages of the Chulalongkorn University, Sanskrit studies are pursued in the Department of Oriental Languages of the Silpakorn University, Bangkok as well. In addition to the Post Graduate teaching which CC -0. Prof. Satya Vrat Shastri Colletothe

Sanskrit Content and Studies in Thailand 87 it provides like its sister Department in the Chulalongkorn University, it also provides guidance for research on Sanskritic topics for Dissertations under its Master's programme. In 1994 a student Samnyang had prepared a dissertation on A Comparative Study of The Srimadbhagavadgita and the Dhammapada. In 1995 another student Chantarachanan had prepared the dissertation on A Comparative Study of the Lalitasutra and the Visuddhimagga. Other dissertations are: A Comparative Study of the Concept of Brahman in the Suttapitaka and the Upanisads, A Comparative Study of Karman and Rebirth in the Upanisads and the Suttapitaka and A Comparative Study of the Concept of Moksa in the Upanisad and Nibbana in the Sutantapitaka. The Silpakorn University has had a distinguished faculty of Sanskrit which comprised Dr. Chirapat Prapandvidya (Head of the Department), Dr. Kusuma Raksamani till recently also the Vice-President (Pro-Vice-Chancellor) of the University, Dr. Chamlong Sarapadnuke, the erstwhile Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Archaeology and Dr. Manipin Phromsutthirak, also an earlier Vice-President of University. There is also a Visiting Professor from India to assist the Department in its Sanskrit teaching. The Sanskrit faculty of the Chulalongkorn University comprises Dr. Praphod Assavavirulhakarn (Head of the Department) and Miss Tassanee. Prof. Visudh Busyakul who was earlier with the University is now associated with the Royal Institute on attaining superannuation. So is Dr. Chirapat Prapandvidya of the Silpakorn University. Very recently The Thai-Bharat Cultural Lodge has started Sanskrit teaching for the benefit of the non-Sanskrit-knowing people of Bangkok. A very laudable effort on similar lines is that of Mrs. Tara Srinidhi, a teacher of the International School of Bangkok who gives free lessons in Sanskrit to school children at her home on Sundays and holidays. An excellent musician with a golden voice, she has trained a number of her young pupils in singing Sanskrit stotras in traditional musical modes, the RagasC-0. Prof. Satya Vrat Shastri Collection, New Delhi. Digitized by S 3 Foundation USA

Her Royal Highness Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the Princess of Thailand had done M.A. in Sanskrit from the Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok and has been a student of the writer of these lines. She has worked for her dissertation for the Master's degree on a study of the lengthy Sanskrit inscription (with its sections, called Patalas) from Prasad Panom Rung, the Panom Rung shrine of Thailand which she later brought out in book form. Thai scholars have done valuable work in the field of Sanskrit lexicography too. There are at least three dictionaries by them, two trilingual and one quadrulingual: (1) Sanskrit-Thai-English Abhidhana by Captain Luang Bowornbannarak. (2) Sanskrit-Pali-English Dictionary by Krom Pra Chantaburi Narunat. (3) Pali-Sanskrit-Thai-English Dictionary by Chalad Bunloy Prayut Prayutto. Before the present account is brought to a close, the writer of these lines would like to share with the readers a very happy development in the field of Sanskrit studies in Thailand. It is the setting up of a Centre for Sanskrit Studies in the Silpakorn University, Bangkok in 1996. It is the first Centre of its kind in the whole of Southeast Asia. An institution of far-reaching importance for the progress of Sanskrit studies, it has ambitious plans of bringing out translations of Sanskrit classics in Thai, and building up of a reference library. It has organized two international conferences, one in 2001 and the other in 2005 and has brought out a research journal. Manned by a committed band of votaries of Sanskrit the Assistant Professors Dr. Samniang Luermsai (the Director), Sombat Mangmees Ukhsiri, Dr. Bamroong Kam, Dr. Chainarong Klin-noi, the Centre augurs well for advancing the cause of Sanskrit in Thailand, a country with which India has the most intimate religious and cultural ties. Thailand's links with India go back to hundreds of years. And the strongest of these links, apart from that of religion, is provided by Sanskrit with which the Thais developed a sense of belonging CC -0. Prof. YX early timesllection, New Delhi. Digfized & sense of belonging

Sanskrit Content and Studies in Thailand REFERENCES 89 1. Gedney William J., Indic Loan Words in Spoken Thai (Yale University Ph.D. Dissertation), Introduction p. I, Ann Arbor: University Microfilms, 1947. 2. A Thai word. 3. Due to pronunciation vagaries it is often pronounced ass by some people in India. 4. This does not have an independent meaning. It is indicative of compounding. 5. Together with Sramana the word would be Saman-Phram, Sramana-Brahmana, unlike Sanskrit where Brahmana comes first: Brahmana-Sramana. 6. In good old days a preparation of rice, coconut milk and sugar called Krayasat was distributed among the monks, relatives and neighbours in the month of Bhadrapada. It was to be stirred, as per the custom, interestingly enough, by the Phrommacaris, Brahmacari(ni)s, virgin girls. The work Kraya in Krayasat, it may in passing by pointed out, is of Cambodian origin. 7. How we wish such type of words could be adopted in Sanskrit and Hindi in India instead of the lack-lustre words like sodha or anusandhana. 8. Died a few years ago. Was Professor of Sanskrit in the Silpakorn Univeristy and was one of those few Thais who could speak in Sanskrit. 9. Wife of the late Minister of Education Mr. Pin Malakun. 10. A bundle means a lot. It may have sometimes 4 or 5 Mss. 11. Recueil des Inscriptions du Siam, Deuxieme Parties: Inscriptions Dvaravati de Srivijaya et de lavo, editees et traduites par G. Codes, Department of Fine Arts, Bangkok, 1961.