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JONE, 1924)
CROSS COUSIN RELATION BETWEEN BUDDHA AND DEVADATTA
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of their atrocious dealings with other Brahmans, whom they are said to have sacrificed to their Goddess during the
festival, no source available to me at the present moment. gives that tradition. 11 As our document does, however, mention the suppression of these cruelties by Nana Farnawis-an occurrence that apparently actually happened during the life-time of the writer-there must probably be some sort of fact underlying this narrative.
Another problem is : how we are to connect the tradition concerning "Midday-Paraiyans", recorded by Thurston and Mr. Cotton from the Tanjore District, with that mentioned by the writer in the Mackenzie Collection from Poona and the Konkan ? The denomination "Midday Paraiyans" is so unique, and the traditions so special and characteristic, that there must needs be some sort of connection; though a solution of the riddle, of course, scarcely presents itself to a scholar in Europe living very far away from the places to which these traditions are attached.
If, as seems most probable, these "Midday Paraiyans" originally belonged to the Konkan, the tradition may possibly have been carried to the South in two ways. That several families of Brahmans fled towards the South from South Konkan and the Goa districts under the pressure of religious persecution by the Portuguese during the middle and later half of the sixteenth century seems to be a fact, but it seems very doubtful whether any of them ever proceeded as far as Tanjore. On the other hand one might feel inclined to suggest that Konkan Brahmans may have established themselves in Tanjore during the establishment of Maratha rule in that country in the seventeenth century. But this is, of course, mere guess-work on my part, and I should be very thankful if any reader of this little article would take the trouble either to refute or to corroborate this hypothesis. I have ventured to publish this short notice only as a contribution to the question raised by Mr. Cotton and thanks to the kind encouragement of Sir Richard Temple. The solution of the riddle connected with the Midday Paraiyans "must be left to far more competent observers than myself. CROSS-COUSIN RELATION BETWEEN BULDHA AND DEVADATTA.
BY KALIPADA MITRA, M.A., B.L. The attribution of rivalry between Buddha and Devadatta to the cross-cousin system shown in an article entitled "Buddha and Devadatta' (ante., vol. LII, p. 267), written by Mr. A. M. Hocart is indeed very attractive. I do not feel competent at the moment to say anything for or against the theory, but desire to offer a few observations in regard to the article. ,: Mr. Hocart writes (ante., vol. LII, App. A, p. 271): "I should like to draw the reader's attention to Vinaya, vol. II, p. 188, where Devadatta approaches Buddha most respectfully and offers to relieve his age of the burden of administering the Order. The Buddha replies with abuse, calling him corpse, lick-spittle' (Chavassa, Khela ka passa). This seems scarcely in keeping with the character of the Buddha,'but it is with that of a cross-cousin.
But in Cullavagga (V. 8. 2), we read that when the Buddha heard that Pindola Bharadvaja had shown his magic power by flying through the air thrice round Rajagaha with the sandal-bowl, which was set high on a pole by a Rajagaha setthi (atha kho dyasma Pindolabharadvdjo vehasam abbhuggantva tam pattam gahetud tilkhattum Rajagaham anupariyasi), he reprimanded the thera for having displayed his iddhi (magic power) for so trifling an object as a sandal bowl. There he uses the word chavassa, and a simile not at all dignified and becoming (Katham hi náma tvam Bharadvaja chavassa darupattassa karanat gihî nam uttarima nussadhammam iddhipațihariyam dassessasi, seyyathapi Bharadvája matugamo
11 But cf. Grant Duff, History of the Mahrattas (ed. 1921), I, pp. 11n, 21n. 1 The notual words used in the Oullavagga, however, aro chavassa lhe dpakassa.
Italics mine.
