Part 51 (1/2)

Pabba'jja, _p._, pravra'jya, _skt._, the act of leaving the world for receiving admittance to the Order. The first step of the Buddhist ordination. (See Upasa'mpada.)

Paja'pati, _p._, Praja'pati or Maha-Praja'pati, _skt._, the sister of Maya-devi, second wife of Suddhodana, aunt and fostermother of Buddha.

She is also called by her husband's family name Gotami (feminine form of Gotama).

Pajjo'ta, _p._, Pradyo'ta, _skt._, name of a king of Ujjeni.

(Pakati, _p._) Pra'kriti, _skt._, name of a girl of low caste.

Paramita', _p._ and _skt._, perfection, or virtue. The six paramitas are: almsgiving, morality, patience, zeal or energy, meditation, and wisdom.

Paribba'jaka, _p._, Parivra'jaka, _skt._, a sect belonging to the Tirthika school.

Pase'nadi, _p._, (Prase'najit, _skt._, also called Pasenit) king of Kosala, residing at Savatthi.

Patalipu'tra, _skt._, Patalipu'tta, _p._, also called Pataligama, a city on the Ganges north of Rajagaha and belonging to the kingdom of Magadha, the frontier station against the Vriji (Vajji), the present Patna.

Buddha is reported to have predicted the future greatness of the place, which is an important pa.s.sage for determining the time in which the account of Buddha's sojourn in Pataliputra was written. It is still uncertain, however, when Patna became the important centre which it is now. It was the capital of the country when Megasthenes, the amba.s.sador of Seleucus Nicator, at the end of the third century B.C., visited India. He gave in his book a detailed description of the city; Pataliputra, three dangers hang over.

Patimo'kkha, _p._, Pratimo'ksha, _skt._, (usually spelt Pratimoksha in Buddhistic Sanskrit,) literally ”disburdenment.” It is the Buddhist confession. Rhys Davids says ”that it almost certainly dates from the fifth century B.C. Since that time--during a period that is of nearly two thousand and three hundred years--it has been regularly repeated, twice in each month, in formal meetings of the stricter members of the Order. It occupies, therefore, a unique position in the literary history of the world; and no rules for moral conduct have been for so long a time as these in constant practical use, except only those laid down in the Old Testament and in the works of Confucius” (p. 163).

Pa'va, _p._ and _skt._, a village where Buddha took his last meal.

Pokkharasa'ti, _p._, Paushkarasa'ti, _skt._, a Brahman philosopher.

Pubbara'ma, _p._, Purvara'ma, _skt._, the Eastern garden.

Pu'kkusa, _p._, Pu'kkasha or Pu'kkasa, _skt._, name of a low caste.

Punn'aji, _p._, Pu'nyajit, _skt._, a friend of Yasa.

Raga, pleasure, desire or l.u.s.t; a synonym of _rati_. The name of one of Mara's daughters.

Rahula, _p._ and _skt._, the son of Buddha, was admitted to the fraternity while still a boy. Buddha gave him a lesson in truthfulness [see Chapter LVI]. He is always named among the prominent disciples of Buddha and is revered as the patron saint of novices.

Rainy season (see Va.s.sa).

Ra'ja, _p._ and _skt._, nominative form of the stem rajan, a king (in composition raja).

Rajaga'ha, _p._, Rajagri'ha, _skt._, the capital of Magadha and residence of king Bimbisara.

Ra'tana, _p._, ra'tna, _skt._, ”jewel.”

Rati, love, liking; a synonym of _raga_. The name of one of Mara's daughters.

Saha'mpati, occurs only in the phrase ”Brahma Sahampati,” a name frequently used in Buddhist scriptures the meaning of which is obscure.

Burnouf renders it _Seigneur des etres patients_; Eitel, Lord of the inhabitable parts of all universes; H. Kern [in _S.B._, XXI, p. 5]

maintains that it is synonymous with Sikhin, which is a common term for Agni.

Sa'kka, _p._, Sa'kra, _skt._, Lord; a cognomen of Indra.