Lalit Vistara

Author(s): Rajendralala Mitra
Publisher: Asiatic Society

Page 16

LALITA-TISTARA.
before he obtains the supreme science. Other beings, according to the text of Nepal followed by Chinese authors, obtain the rank of an Arhat on the annihilation of the corruption of sin ; and it is probably in this circumstance, that we may find the cause of the false otymology of the name of Irhat, which the Buddhists of all schools, Nort, as will as South, propose, and which consists in regarding Arhul, es uonymous with Arinum hættá, (Páli)" the vanquisher of enemies." "He lause already (AL. Lassen and myself) pointed out this erroneous interpretation (Essai sur le Páli, p. 203); and I add here, that its prescric amongst Buddhists of all countries proves that it comes from au 01.,.e, and most certainly, ancient source. The Jains, vio are in lulisht true descendants of the Buddhists, do not ippear to have fall u nto the same error if we may rely on the testimony of the Vis Piráma, ulich rull derives the word Arbat from ary to "menti,".. 10 l. worthy." ' (Wilson's Vishnu Purina,
330.) (Orientalistaminw unanimously of opinion that thu Jains date from before th Buldhists, and some are disposed to think that Buddhism is an ott'shock of Jainism.)
"Boblen har ingenio y approxiinated the word Arhat to the Aritoniciis oled Nichole of Damas. (Das alto Indien, t. I. p. 920) Asto the value of this approximation we may adnit with Lassen that the Achete wir known to the Greeks. The Seuvot (Simni) or venerable ho, according to (lement of Aluxandria, rendered worship to a pruunid valsed originally to the relics of a yod, are the Arbats www.blins liir thus translated by the Grecks. We may add that Clement mentions likewise of Aruvai or venerable females, who are very probably the Bhikshuis of our text." I think, howovor, M Burnout is mistaken in believing the Simnoi to have been Arbats ; etymological similitude would lead one to believe they were the Sranas, in those days popularly called Samaņas, whence Simnoi is. an easy transition.
"The Arhad is ove," says Rumusat," who has himself arrived at pertition and knows how to direct others to it, he is ten million time's superior to the Abhgáni, and a million times inferior to a Prnytyrka Buddha, accorcling to the scale of merit applied to the differont classes of saints, a soulo attributed to Sakya Mani himself."
ng image of Fu Hien, p. 33.