Ho. 24. — 1881.] ANCIENT KALAHj ETC. 83 



ignorance by stating whether such a word for i soft' was in Indo-A'ryan 

 usage in above sense of 4 easy to cut.' 



7. — Pa-che-lo. — This is translated vajra, or diamond, and is 

 clearly erroneous. The colour, we are told, is like that of an amethyst 

 and the stone is used for engraving others. It must be translated 

 sapphire or corundum. 



We have in these (what the learned anuotators of course could 

 not see with the imperfect light then thrown on the minerals) a 

 parallel series in colour, thus :— 

 Li^ht ^ gold= Oriental topaz—? sun=-? life. 

 ° 1 silver=pearl=? moon=? death, 



f Crystal==diamond=? ether. 

 J Asteria=(emerald or) cat's-eye=? air. 

 Five elements \ Turquoise=sapphire=? water. 



I Kuby=carbuncle=? fire, 

 I Agate =coral=? earth. 

 Both gold and silver have in the ancient books one four-fold attribute, 

 of which " changeless," " indestructible," " incorruptible," and "omni* 

 potent" would be the euphonious transcription. 



" The seven precious things" might thus symbolise the five ele- 

 ments ether which is supported by (? generating) air, air supported 

 by (? generating)^/**? resting on water, and water supported by (gen- 

 erating) earth, all adorned by the attributes of gold and silver : that 

 is changeless, indestructible, incorruptible, and omnipotent, in one 

 sense, and combined with light—?!, e^ sun and moon — in another. 

 This is a well-known ancient symbol of the elements. 

 A, ether — B, air — C, fire — D, water — and E, earth — which, by 

 adoption among Buddhists give rise to the present Dagobas, 

 originally no doubt erected over his remains, and sym- 

 bolically used to show the return of Gautama Buddha 

 to the five primitive and indestructible elements. We 

 should thus have the shape of the Dagoba borrowed from 

 the symbol of creation of an older cult by the Buddhists, 

 and further illustration of it by the seven precious ornaments. 



In addition, then, to the question of the colours probably symbol- 

 ising the five elements with neither beginning nor end, I would suggest 



