A Comparative Study of King Singu's Bell and King Thayawaddy's Bell

Out of the 31 bells on the Shwedagon Pagoda Platform, the biggest is the
Mahatisadda Bell, donated by King Thayawaddy. It weighs !"#$ %isses and lies at the
north&east 'orner of the (latform. The Mah)*a+,a Bell at the north&west 'orner of the
(latform is the oldest one, donated in 1--" M. by King Singu.
King Singu/s bell has a diameter of ! 'ubits, a height of - 'ubits and one finger
s(an 0two mi*es1, a 'ir'umferen'e of 1! 'ubits, and a thi'* of one finger s(an and fi%e
finger breadth 0a height of 11 feet and 3 in'hes, a 'ir'umferen'e of 2 feet, and a thi'*
of 1 3 feet1. King Thayawaddy/s bell has a height of " 'ubits, 2 finger s(an and 3 finger
breadths4 an it has a diameter of ! 'ubits, a 'ir'umferen'e of 1! 'ubits, one finger s(an
and # finger breadths 0a height of 1# feet and !51$$ in'hes, a 'ir'umferen'e of 2 feet,
and a thi'* of 1 15! feet1.
Thus, King Thayawaddy/s bell is bigger than King Singu/s.
King Tharyawadi/s bell is !,"#$ %isses hea%y while King Singu/s bell is 1!,!!!
%isses hea%y, thus the former being 1$,3!6 %isses hea%ier than the latter.
On King Tharyawadi/s bell are written 1$$ lines out of whi'h 6 are in Pali while
on the other are written 1 lines out of whi'h 7ust 3 are in Pali.
8ritten re'ords of the both bells starts with the ins'ri(tions of the Buddha/s
%irtues.
The first of the three lines on King Singu/s bell is illegible. Though the re'ord
says it is a %erse of 9na&*)ra%i(ul)9 a''ording to the wor* of 9:handa9 whi'h is
'on%ersant with the ;edas, the following %erses do not well meet with the rules in the
wor* of 9:handa.9
9<)7)r)7abhi(a%aro, n)gari*asu()li*o
0Tatiyana*)ra%i(ul)1, Bahu(u==o bahuyaso.9
9Bhum(uda> tas)mi*o%a, I''hita&arite4
Tam(ad?(amah)ra@@he, Sabbana*)ra%i(ul)9
The only stanAa, 9bahu(u==o bahuyaso9, meets with the rule of 9na&ga+a9. It is
found that the stanAa sayingB 9tam(ad?(amah)ra@@he9 meets with the rule of 97a&ga+a9
while the se'ond ant third lines are out of the rules in the wor* of 9:handa.9
The other lines written in Myanmar are saying that *ingdom of King Singu where
he got his throne, was situated at the 'onfluen'e of fi%e ri%ersB Samon, Panlaung,
Ma**har) et'.4 and %arious names of the 'ity of )%a are seen as 9.r)%aditam(ara@@ha,
Puranta((a, <atan)(ura, Sur)(aranta, Kam)%a'ara&usabhatam(ad?(a.9 That is why,
the histori'al names of the )%a are *nown to us. It is also *nown that title of King Singu,
founder of <atan)(ura, the 'ity of )%a, was 9Mah)dhammar)7)dhi(ati.9 On the bell,
King Singu eCa'tly re'orded his territories whi'h wereB
Sun)(aranta Di%ision E Sa*u, Salin, Ftilin, Gaw, and Saw4
Siri*hettar)ma Di%ision E Sare*hettar)4
Haya%a@@a Di%ision E Ketumat?, D%)ra%at?, and Heyya%at?4
)yuddhaya Di%ision E The**ate and Pai*tha4
Ih)%eyu*a Di%ision E :am(), Thet, and Minelo*e4
Fari(u==%a Di%ision E Jinmai4 Kabom4 )nam4 and Bhayaw4
Khem)%ara Di%ision E Kyaington, and Kyaingmai4
Hotinagara Di%ision E Kyaing&gon, and Maingsai4
Kambho7a Di%ision E Moene4 Lyaung Shwe4 and Ome&(aung4
Mah?sa*a Di%ision E Kyat(ying4
Moriya Di%ision E " Maw TownsB Maing Maw4 Sai Khwin4 and Tharlar et'.
Sait Di%ision E Ban Maw4 Khway Kon4 Ka( Khyu4
MNa%? Di%ision E Moe Fnyin4 Moe Sit4 and Moe Kaung4
Ma+i(Ora Di%ision E Ka Thai4 .mb Gin4
Tam(ad?(a Di%ision E )rimaddhan)4 Pagan4 Myin Saing4 and Pinya4
<)ma==a Di%ision E Mottama4 Fantharwadi4 Pathein4 and Myaung Mya4 and so
on.
The re'ord also in'ludes that all the regions were su''essi%ely re'ei%ed from his
father, King Sinbyushin, as an inheritan'e. The re'ord on the bell is saying that though
the territory was eC(anded in the reign of King Sinbyushin, his son, King Singu did ta*e
military o(erations for the whole of fi%e years while he was on the throne. It is also stated
that in different regions inside and outside, far and near, u(ri%er and downri%er of the
golden *ingdom, he built (agodas, stu(as, 'a%es and monasti' 'a%es4 and he also
donated, to the mon*s, monasteries of three&storied, four&storied, and fi%e&storied et'. In
e%ery region ruled by him, many a'ti%ities were (erformed for the de%elo(ment of the
S)sana, and for the e'onomi' growth of his (eo(le. )''ording to the re'ord, he built four
images of (re%ious Buddhas at the four 'ardinal sides of Shwedagon Pagoda4 in addition
to su'h donations, King Singu is *nown to us as a *ing who *e(t the ten (re'e(ts of
Kings, the se%en moral (rin'i(les of %irtuous ones, and the four guardian 0'arur)ra**ha1
(ra'ti'es of %irtuous ones, Buddha&to&be. Fe was a young *ing who got onto the throne at
the age of $, and who made 'ontinuous donations4 and he was neither distin'ti%ely
(owerful nor inferior.
Out of the 1$$ lines written on King Thayawaddy/s bell, the 6 are in Pali. ;erses
in the lines from the first to the twenty&eighth, are 9la*)ra&%i(ul)9, 9na*)ra&%i(ul)9,
9ma*)ra&%i(ul)9, 9ra*)ra&%i(ul)9, and 9(athy)%atta9 whi'h are %erses of 6 syllables.
Out of the 6 lines in Pali, the first $ lines are saying in (raise of the Buddha/s %irtues4
the 1
st
and the
nd
lines are a 'om(osition of the 'hroni'le of the Potama BuddhaB the
hermit Sumedh) heard (reordainment from the D?(aQ*ar) Buddha4 then the hermit
(ra'ti'ed tem (erfe'tions, and the Buddhahood was finally attained4 after that, while Fe
was staying at the foot of <)7)yatana tree, the Buddha met two brother mer'hants
named Ta(ussa and Bhalli*a who offered Fim honey 'a*es, and to whom the Buddha
ga%e Fis two strings of hair. In the 3
rd
line it is stated that the Buddha (rea'hed Fis Rirst
Sermon4 Fe (rea'hed to Subhadda4 Fe (assed away in Prinibb)na4 long time after
demise of the Buddha, on the Monday, the se%enth waning of Tawthalin 1$3 M.., the
bell was well 'ast. Rrom the #
th
line to the 6
th
line is re'ord of the King/s royal 7ourney
to Dagon Fair <eli' Pagoda where the bell was donated wishing for the attainment of
Omnis'ien'e, Sabba==uta&=)+a.
The rest lines from the "
th
to the 1$$
th
are written in Myanmar. In the lines from
the "
th
to the S1
st
, the 'hroni'le of the BuddhaB from the life of the hermit Sumedha to
the Buddha final (assing away is written, as it is written in the Pali re'ord. The rest lines
from the S
nd
to the 1$$
th
are re'ords of the *ing/s donations. )''ording to the re'ord on
the bell, King Thayawaddy dethroned the Jagine King, Bhagyiday, and got onto the
throne on the $
th
)(ril 163S. The *ing/s title was
9Sir?(a%ar)ditr)lo*)dhi(ati%i7ayamah)dhammar)7)dhir)7).9 )s it was re'orded on
King Singu/s bell, lo'ation of King Thayawaddy/s *ingdom where he got onto the throne
was mentioned in the re'ord on his bell.
King Singu ruled li%ing in his royal 'ity of <atan)(Ora, the )%a that was situated
at the 'onfluen'e of fi%e ri%ers. )nd King Thayawaddy ruled li%ing in his royal 'ity of
)mara(Ora, the )%a that was situated at the 'onfluen'e of se%en ri%ers namely
Sall)%at?, Du@@ha%at?, .rawadi, Jawghi, Ma**hara, :am(a and Panlaung.
The re'ord on the bell is saying that King Thayawaddy (ossessed the %irtues of
good *ings, the Buddha&to&beB the three abilities4 the four rules of good so'ial relation4
the fi%e (owers4 the siC %irtues of leaders4 the se%en %irtues of unfailing4 the eight %irtues
of *ings4 the ten %irtues of *ings. Hust as King Singu did, so King Thayawaddy (erformed
good deedsB he reno%ated old and de'aying (agodas, stu(as, 'a%es, tunnels4 he also built
new (agodas4 he 'ast (re'ious materials of iron, bronAe, gold, sil%er, and TuartA into
Buddha image4 form his self&'ulti%ated garden he earned money with whi'h he made a
donation of a 'o(y of a set of Ti(i@a*a4 he ga%e su((orts the four reTuisites to the mon*s
who were dutiful to learn and (ra'ti'e the Dhamma 0gantha&dhOra and %i(assan)&dhOra1.
There was s(iritual relation with )yuddhaya and Sihala. The re'ord says that the golden
*ingdom of )(ara(Ora eCisted not only in the reign of Kunbaung, but also in the times of
(re%ious four BuddhasU in the time of Ka*usandha Buddha, the *ingdom was *nown as
9Pa@h)namu+,i(Ora9 or 9Paduma%at?(Ora94 in the time of Ko+)gamana Buddha, it was
*nown as 9Dhamma(atta(Ora9 or 9De%a(Ora94 in the time of Kassa(a Buddha, it was
*nown as 9De%a(atti(Ora94 in the time of Potama Buddha, it was *nown as
9SaQgha(atti(Ora.9 The re'ord also says that King Thayawaddy and followers of his
Tueen, ministers and relati%es went down stream to Dagon by Phigyimon <aft, to see the
Dagon Fair <eli' Pagoda, on Monday, the siCth Se(tember of 16#14 they settled at a
tem(orary (ala'e situated 3$$ ar'h measures west to the Shedagon Pagoda4 and gold foils
of 3 %isses were beat to the (agodaB from the (linth to the diamond&bud, as ma*ing
offering of golden robe to it. )t that time the (agoda was of a height of 1$S 'ubits, half a
finger s(an and four finger breadths, and its (linth was in a 'ir'umferen'e of "$$ 'ubits.
Both of the *ings started their writing re'ords on their bells with the (raise to the
Buddha. The (raise written on King Thayawaddy/s bell is 'om(lete with ad7e'ti%es
re(resenting the Buddha/s %irtues whi'h are seen in the %erses from the first to the 1
st
B
:hatt)ti'hatt)ranto gu+a%anto
:arrying white umbrella 0of Omnis'ien'e 8isdom14
Pu+indriyo, guttadhammo, guttas?lo
8ith well&guarded (ra'ti'e, and well&guarded morality4
Mu**a@@ho, surO(a*o, surO(ena, suddha%a++o, suddha*)yo
8ith the most effe'ti%ely beautiful a((earan'e among the manifestations4
8ith neat and 'lean a((earan'e4
8ith smart and s(otless body4 and so on.
Ror the 'om(leteness of (raise to the Buddha/s %irtue, King Thayawaddy/s bell
has to bear more lines than King Singu/s bell does.
On King Singu/s bell were written the Buddha/s siC un'ommon %irtues, the ten
(owers, the nine %irtues of self&*nowing, and brief biogra(hy.
The *ings/ territories were mentioned on their bell, but ins'ri(tions on King
Thayawaddy/s bell are more detailed.
8hen his wish was written, King Thayawaddy briefly eC(ressed his willsB to be
Self&*nowing Buddha to sa%e the three audien'es of men, gods and brahmas4 to be noble
*ing wal*ing on the way of the Buddha&to&be. But, King Singu/s wish was written in
details and in one and half line.
Fis merit was shared to all beings in'ludingB from his father *ing, Shinbyushi and
his mother to his grandfather *ing, )laungmin4 from King Bagyidaw to Tueens and
ministers4 and without eC'e(ting gods.
In the writings of King Thayawaddy/s bell, it is statedB 9the great *ing, founder of
the third )mara(Ora, the royal 'a(ital.9 The use of 9third9 referred that the *ingdom of
)(ara(Ora founded be King Badom was su''essi%ely ruled by the grandfather *ing,
Badom, King Jagine and King Thayawaddy.
Thus we noti'e that the bell of King Thayawaddy 'ame S# years later than that of
King Singu4 the weight of former is hea%ier than that of the letter4 the ins'ri(tions on the
former are more s(e'ifi' than those on the letter. 8hen it 'omes to see from the %iew of
Pali language, it is noti'eable that the lines on King Singu/s bell are more grammati'al
and eCa'tly meets with the rules of the 9:handa.9 )s for the forms of the bells, King
Thayawaddy/s bell is well *e(t with its de'orations while the older one of King Singu is
somewhat de'aying. De'orations of 'abalisti' sTuares are found only on the bell of King
Singu, but not on that of King Thayawaddy.
Thus, by studying the ins'ri(tions on the bells, we ha%e to learn the distinguished
Pali wirtings, the %aluable histori'al do'uments, and the beautiful Myanmar 'ultural arts.