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The
Nîti Literature of Burma.
I.—The Lokanîti.[1]
Section I.
The Wise Man.
1.
Having paid homage to the Three Gems,[2] I recite concisely in Mâgadhese[3] the "Lokanîti," extracted from various treatises.[4]
- ↑ I have selected this Nîti for translation before the others because it is the most popular in Burma. Its popularity during recent years has been increased by printed editions of it emanating from the presses of Rangoon. It forms, besides, a textbook for the vernacular schools of the province. The Pâli text of it is very corrupt in many places, and an emended edition has not yet been attempted. The Lokanîti ("Worldly Behaviour") is divided into seven sections, viz., (1) The Evil-Doer, (2) The Good Man, (3) The Evil-Doer, (4) Friendship, (5) Woman, (6) Kings, and (7) Miscellaneous. It was, for the first time, rendered into Burmese in A.D. 1835, during the reign of Bhagidaw, by the guru Cakkandâbhisîri.
- ↑ The Tiratanaṃ, viz., Buddha, his Law (i.e., the Buddhist Scriptures), and the Priesthood. Buddhistic compositions frequently begin with a respectful reference to these three objects of veneration in addition to the formula addressed to Gotama — Namo tassa bhagavato arahato sammâsambuddhassa, "Honour to him the Blessed, the Sanctified, and All-wise."
- ↑ The language of Mâgadha. This was one of the nine tracts into which India of the Purâṇa period was known to be divided. During Gotama's time it was probably bounded by the Ganges on the north, Hiraṇya Parvata (Monghyr) on the east, Kirana Suvarṇa on the south, and the Benares district on the west, making in all a circuit of about 800 miles. Its ancient capital was Pâṭaliputra, established in the reign of Ajâtaśatru. Magadha was also known as Palâśa or Parâsa, the land of the Butea frondosa. Hence Arrian, Strabo, and Pliny call the
- ↑
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