Skt vocabulary for: Hail

[Jonathan Silk]

>Actually, the source of my enquiry about hail was the
>Kaa'syapa-parivarta -- I'm just finishing off a translation for
>publication.   Given the importance of this early Mahayana text, I was
>trying to determine whether there is any data in the text that might
>help pinpoint its place of origin.  Like you, I have noted the
>apparent disparity in meaning for the term "a'sani".  However, I
>suspect that "hail" is the correct meaning here since Sthiramati's
>commentary (both Tib & Ch) explains that this phenomenon causes wounds
>or injuries -- lightning would, I imagine, normally result in death.
>
>Since you are possibly also doing some work on the KP, do you have any
>ideas about the identity of the "u.s.tra-dhuumaka" insect/worm ?

well, .... actually I've been studying this text for about 15 years.
I have been preparing a new edition of the Skt, critical edition of
Tib + 5 (!) Chinese translations, English translation with extensive
notes (with G M Nagao)...  (+ plans to re-edit the Cy with full
parallels from the Yogacarabhumi)...  I'll look forward very much to
your translation, which I will study with care! (Where & when will it
be published?)

I agree with you that azani means hail here, although the word still
puzzles me.

As for our old friend camel-smoke, I'm stumped. Perhaps all I have to
add is that in BHSD Edgerton's indication that Das's Tib-Eng Dict
gives "full confirmation of the KP passage" is vitiated by the fact
that the Tib quoted by Das is the Tib trans of KP!



Jonathan Silk

jonathan.silk at yale.edu

Dept. of Religious Studies
Yale University
320 Temple St.
New Haven CT 06520-8287
USA

tel. 203-432-0828
fax. 203-432-7844