Esa Dhamme Vusunao Such Is Law Of Sage

Author(s): Colette Caillat
Publisher: Colette Caillat

Page 3

ESA DHAMME VUSĪMAO
83
mant-, "der Opferstreu hat" (KEWA II 415), generally applied, in the RS, to the officiant.10 The formation of Amg vusima(t) could thus be compared with that of ved. barh(smant-.
At this point, attention should be paid briefly to the phonetic history of brsi in LA.
As far as the evolution of OIA br- (a rare sequence!) is concerned, H. Berger notes the outcome MIA bu-11 Though he does not mention bisi, the word can be added to the list he has given: the expected MIA form would then be precisely busi. Actually, this form is quoted in the Ayaranga Cunni in a gloss on a versified passage of Ayar 1 (38,24*, to be considered later):
samjamo busi (sic), so jattha atthi jattha vā vijjati so vusimam (sic) ... visimam ca vusimamto. The relationship between busi, and, on the other hand, busimanto, vusimam vusimanto is thus clearly stated. This gloss, busi = samjamo (samyamah) or "self-control", possibly favoured, or even determined, the preservation in C of the probably original reading (lost in the Āyar vulgate, infra p. 84):
b(Iv)usimanto ma(()imanto 12
As far as the fluctuation bu- / vu- is concerned, it is not surprising, considering the widespread hesitation bly observed throughout the history of LA,15 and the variations which often occur in borrowed words. As for the fact that the name of the ascetic's pad, busi, could be used metaphorically.to, express (one of) the virtues on which the muni firmly stands, it is but natural: suffice it to refer to the last lecture of Ayår 1, called uvahana-suyam (Iohana-s.), i.e. "the pillow of righteousness", as translated by Jacobi. 14
Some Jaina canonical texts will now be considered.
From the accounts of the voluntary death of Jaina legendary beroes, it can be seen that a set ceremonial is in force at these last moments: it consists of several stages, the seventh of which is almost always mentioned; it concerns the careful arrangement of a layer of darbha grass on a pure, flat, piece of ground, where the dying man will take his place, facing the East, dabbha-samthårayam samtharai, 20 puratthahimuhe sampaliyanka-nisanne ... (Viy 425, 78.).15
Attention is called to both the posture and the preparation of the seat chosen for this ultimate sacrifice. For, as is well known, the pandiya