224 



Terms of address in use 



Milindapprasna, simply escefeseSceo f the divinity of the Sun; 7 

 and the latter the e goodness ' of the being who is designated 

 by that term. Like the English word f god,' the Singhalese 

 is also used by us to signify " a prince, a ruler, a magis- 

 trate, (Exod. xxii. Psal. xcvii. ) ; or any person exalted too 

 much in estimation, or deified and honored as the chief 

 god." — (Phil, iii.) But there is a distinction which some 

 writers have drawn between devi as applied to a god of 

 swarga, and the same when used as a term of address to 

 kings, &c. It is thus noticed by Mr. Justice Stark in the 

 following note at p. 70 ; but without perceiving the difference 

 in their orthography : — 



"The same term G^tDca-sSJaO^CF z$ (Dewianwahansa) is employed 

 by Mr. Alwis in his Singhalese version of the Hitopadasa as the corres- 

 ponding phrase for Please your Majesty !" — Sidath Sangarawa. 



The reader will however observe, that both in the extract 

 from the Tupawansa in my Sidath- Sangarawa, p. cixxv., and 

 in my Singhalese version of the Ilitopadesa, pp. 205-6, 

 ®.^8co^J€)cs)^C3 and ®^8©c5^5* are alone used to express 

 "His Majesty," and not @^§cseJ8eaed©e£ and ©q©c3^, 

 which latter are applied to the various deities of Swarga. 



The words C<S pati, indu, indra, i&uru, 



&o££)<5 iskwara, &3 na, <2?D3c3«5D nayaka, each signifying 

 ' chief,' when added to words indicating e earth ' are appel- 

 lations to Kings. Tims, or ©s8c<S, DeSg, 

 ©«S<55, ®$<5&Qd> or QiJcdQtf, §^o, ^C5s8©, ©e8 

 £03cc<^), &e. With a view to gratify the vanity of kings, 

 who anciently laid claim to universal empire,f they were 



* Devi, literally ' Goddess/ but applied to a Queen ; as the masculine form 

 Devi is especially the title of a King-. Professor Wilson's Hindu Theatre, II., p. 316. 



f Thus saith Cyrus King of Persia, the Lord God of heaven hath given all king- 

 doms of the earth. — Ezra i 2; Judith ii. 1. See also Luke ii. 1. The vain and 

 ' flattering titles ' (Job xxxii. 22.) which the Singhalese Kings received in ancient times, 

 expressive of the most eminent qualities, Mere many and various.— See Burdens 

 Oriental Customs, p. 189. 



