630 On the Buddhist Emblem of Architecture. [No. 165. 



word is composed of the roots pegnytsa, or peentsa, " five," and anga, 

 " parts." The term anga, however, has a somewhat peculiar power, it 

 not only means the " part" of a " whole," or the " member" of a 

 " body ;" but it implies that such " part" or " member," as far as re- 

 gards its own individuality, is a complete object in itself. Thus, 

 (Judson's Burm. Diet, in voce.) the cavalry, infantry, elephants, and 

 chariots of an army, are styled angas, of that army. And it i3 thus 

 that these five distinct Dentals having each an individual complete- 

 ness in itself; but going towards the composition of a whole, would 

 be styled pegnytseng, " the five angas." I have already observed that, 

 speaking Boodhistically, from " Supreme Wisdom" " (Boodha) pro- 

 ceeded the Law," (Dhamma). Or to speak in other words, it (Dhamma) 

 may be said to be the mode in which Boodha (" Wisdom") mani- 

 fests itself to the Thenggha, or " Congregation." Thus, as far as 

 regards that " Congregation," Dhamma is " Wisdom." Or to speak 

 so as to be understood by Christians, the Deity can only be ap- 

 preciated by his followers in what he reveals of himself; now the 

 revelations of himself by the Deity, to be consistent with the awful 

 grandeur of his character must necessarily be commandments, the dic- 

 tations of His Will. For it would be utterly inconsistent with a proper 

 appreciation of that Being, to hold that he converses, in the usual ac- 

 ceptation of that term, with His creatures. This idea is carried out in all 

 Eastern dialects ; a term such as the Persian /o^^o *.3 firmoodun, which, 

 when applied to the act of an equal, would imply " to order ;" when re- 

 ferring to that of a superior, simply conveys " to speak, say." I have 

 been particular in explaining, how that in one point of view the Deity 

 {Boodha, " Wisdom") and His Law (Dhamma) are identical, and have 

 mentioned that this Dhamma is typified by the number " five ;" for 

 thus is explained how the Pali name of that number (pegnytsa) is de- 

 ducible from pegnya, " wisdom ;" and it may guide us to the under- 

 standing of Hor Apollo, where he says (Lib. I. c. 13.) that among the 



whole heart." (Ps. cxix. 34.) The same connection between "knowledge, wisdom, 

 and understanding," and the precepts of the law, exist in the Burmese language. 



The pure Burman term for these five commandments is OOOOC o thiedeng, which 



implies " news, information ;" and is composed of the root QQ thie, " to know, per- 

 ceive, understand," and QQ Q teng, (with, or without the points) "to contain, hold, 

 &c." Introduction to Grammar of Burmese Language, p. xi. 



