THE GREAT CHRONICLE OF BUDDHAS
1670
brought together and speak of the impending matter in same language and in same voice.
That is to say,
kolÈhala
exactly is an uproar created with excitement by people at large, as
an omen before the actual occurrence of something. It does not mean a nonsensical
commotion that prevails in towns and villages, falsely predicting an impossible incident
such as ‚Prince Setkya is about to come back!‛
22
There are five
kolÈhalas
in this world:
(1) Kappa-kolÈhala
The
kolÈhala
that warns people of the dissolution of the world is kappa-kolÈhala. When
the time for the destruction of the world is drawing near, the deities named Lokavy|ha of
the realm of sensual pleasures (
kÈmÈvacara-
devas), wearing red garments, letting their hair
down, wiping the tears off their faces, roam in a distressed manner about roads and
highways used by people, and cry aloud to human beings at all places, a hundred years
ahead of the event:
‚Friends, a hundred years from today, the world will dissolve! The great oceans
will dry up! The great earth, Mount Meru and all will burn and disintegrate (if the
world is to be destroyed by fire), will go under floods and disintegrate (if it is to be
destroyed by water), will expose itself to violent storms and disintegrate (if it is to
be destroyed by the winds)! There will be the destruction of the world extending
from this great earth with Mount Meru and the oceans up to the abode of BrahmÈs!
Friends, develop loving-kindness (
mettÈ
), develop compassion (
karuÓÈ
), develop
altruistic joy (
muditÈ
), develop equanimity (
upekkhÈ
) which form the conduct of
Brahmas! Attend and serve your parents respectfully! Be awake to good deeds! Do
not be careless!‛
The uproar of the multitude caused by such loud cries is known as kappa-kolÈhala.
(2) Cattkkavatti-kolÈhala
The
kolÈhala
that arises in the world of human beings proclaiming that ‚a Universal
Monarch will appear‛ who rules over the human realm including the four great island-
continents and their satellite smaller islands, two thousand in all, is called ‘Cakkavatti-
kolÈhala’. The guardian deities of the world (
lokapÈla
), these
kÈmÈvacara-
devas, knowing
in advance of the appearance of a Universal Monarch, roam about public roads and
highways and cry aloud to human beings at all places, a hundred years ahead of the event:
‚Friends, a hundred years from today, a Universal Monarch will emerge in this
world!‛
The uproar of the multitude caused by such loud cries is known as Cakkavatti-kolÈhala.
(3) Buddha-kolÈhala
The
kolÈhala
predicting in the world of human beings that ‚a Buddha will arise‛ is called
Buddha-kolÈhala. The BrahmÈs of the SuddhÈvÈsa abode, knowing in advance of the advent
of an Omniscient Buddha and wearing BrahmÈ clothing, ornaments and crowns, happily
22. The name is spelt ‚Tsakyamen‛ by Burney, British Resident at Ava (In-wa) during the reign of
King Bagyidaw (1819-37). Tsakyamen or Prince Setkya, as the only son, was Heir-apparent. He
was executed, according to the British, by Bagyidaw's brother, King Tharrawaddy, who usurped
the throne in 1837, and the execution took place in April 1838. But tradition has it that Queen
Mai Nu, Bagyidaw's wife and the Prince's step mother, was instrumental in the execution. No
matter who did it, it was true that the people's feelings were ‚those of regret and indignation.‛
(History of the British Residency in Burma 1826-1840 by W.S.Desai, p.335).
The latter version is dramatized and popularized by theatrical troupes which thereby enhanced
the people's sympathy towards the unfortunate Prince. Those, who did not believe that the prince
actually was killed, entertained the hope that he would re-appear some day. But there has been
no sign of the return of the Prince.
The word ‚
setkya
‛ being the derivative of the Sanakrit
cakra
(
PÈli
,
cakka
) should not be
confused with Cakravartin (
PÈli,
Cakkavatt|
), ‘Universal Monarch’.