Page 704 - Pali English Dictionary.

Vimāna Vimāna

strains of cymbals and lutes, played by heavenly musicians. iv.1 sq.; Pv iv.11); or at one or the other of the great lakes
Angelic maidens perform their dances, filling the atmosphere of the Himavant (Pv ii.12). They are in out — of — the —
with a radiant light which shines from their bodies. Peace and way places ("end of the world"); they are also found in the
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happiness reign everywhere, the joys of such a vimāna cannot wilderness: Vv 84; Pv iv.3 . As tree — vimānas with rukkha
be expressed in words. This elysium lasts for aeons (cira — — devatā as inhabitants they occur e. g. at J iii.310; v.502;
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ṭṭhitika Vv 80 , kappa — ṭṭhāyin Th 1, 1190); in short it is Pv i.9; ii.9; PvA 244. Very often they are phantasmagorical
the most heavenly paradise which can be imagined. — For a castles in the air. By special power of their inhabitants they
monograph of vimāna the Vimāna Vatthu and its Commentary may be transported to any place at will. This faculty of trans-
should in the first place be consulted. — 3. The inhabitants of ference is combined with the ability of extremely swift mo-
the Vimānas are usually happy persons (or yakkhas: see Stede, tion (compared to the speed of thought: manojava). Thus a
P. V. trsl. 39 — 41), called devatā, who have attained to such golden palanquin is suspended in mid — air above a palace
an exalted state through their own merit (puñña see foll. 4). at VvA 6 (ākāsa — cārin, sīgha — java). They are said to
— Departed souls who have gone through the Petastage are be ākāsaṭṭhānāni J vi.117; SnA 222, 370 (but the palace of
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frequently such devas (at Vv 17 called pubbadevatā). That the Yakkha Āḷavaka is bhumma — ṭṭha, i. e. stands on the
these are liable to semi — punishment and semi — enjoyment ground, and is described as fortified: SnA 222). The place
is often emphasized, and is founded on the character of their of a (flying) vimāna may be taken by various conveyances:
respective kamma: J i.240 (vimāna — petiyo sattāhaṁ sukhaṁ a chair, an elephant, ship, bed, litter etc. Or the location of
anubhavanti, sattāhaṁ dukkhaṁ); J v.2 (vemānika — peta — it in the other world is in the Cittalatāvana (Vv 37), or the
bhavena — kammassa sarikkhako vipāko ahosi; i. e. by night Pāricchattaka tree (Vv 38), or in the Cātummahārājika — bha-
pleasures; by day tortures); cp. Pv ii. 12 (see Stede, Gespen- vana (VvA 331). — Later on, when the theory of meritorious
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stergeschichten des Peta Vatthu p. 106), iii. 7 ; PvA 204, deities (or departed souls raised to special rank) as vemānikā
210, & Divy p. 9. Expressions for these "mixed" devatās who devā was established, their abode was with their vimānas set-
are partly blessed, partly cursed are e. g.: vimānapeta PvA tled among the Tāvatiṁsa (e. g. VvA 188, 217, 221, 244, 289;
145, 148, 271, 275; f. vimāna-petī PvA 152, 160, 186, 190; DhA iii.291), or in the Tusita heaven. Thus Tusita-pura inter-
vimāna devatā PvA 190; vemānika-peta J v.2; PvA 244; changes with Tusita-vimāna at DhA ii. 208. The latter occurs
DhA iii.192 (as powerful, by the side of nāgas & supaṇṇas). e. g. at DhA iii.173, 219. — 6. The dimensions of the Vimā-
— In their appearance they are like beautiful human beings, nas are of course enormous, but harmonious (being "divine"),
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dressed in yellowish (pīta, expl as "golden" robes (cp. the an- i. e. either of equal extent in all directions, or specially pro-
gels in the oldest Christian apocalyptic literature: on their re- portioned with significant numbers. Of these the foll. may be
lation to Hellenic ideas see e. g. A. Dieterich, Nekyia, Leipzig mentioned. The typical numbers of greatest frequency are 12,
1903, pp. 10 — 18, 29: red & white the colours of the land 16, 30, 700, in connection with yojana. The dimensions, with
of the blessed), with gold and silver as complementary out- ref. to which 12 & 16 are used, are length, width, height, &
fit in person and surroundings. Thus throughout the Vimāna girth, whereas 700 applies usually to the height (DhA iii 291 e.
Vatthu, esp. Nos, 36 & 47 (pīta — vimāna). Their splen- g., where it is said to be "over 700"), and the number of turrets
dour is often likened to that of the moon or of the morning (see above 2). At VvA 267 (satta — yojana — pamāṇo ratho)
star. — 4. Origin of Vimānas. A vimāna arises in the "other No. 7 is used for 700; No. 30 (extent) is found e. g. at DhA
world" (paraloka) at the instant of somebody doing good (even iii.7; ThA 55; No. 12 e. g. at J vi.116; DhA iii.291; VvA 6,
during the lifetime of the doer) and waits for the entry of the 217, 221, 244, 246, 291 sq.; No. 16 at VvA 188, 289. — 7.
owner: DhA iii.291 sq. In the description of the vimāna of Vimānas of sun and moon. A peculiar (late?) idea is that sun
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the nāga — king (J vi.315=Vv 84 ) it is said on this subject: and moon have their vimānas (cp. Vedic ratha=sun). There are
a vimāna is obtained neither without a cause (adhicca), nor only very few passages in the post — canonical books men-
has it arisen in the change of the seasons, nor is it self — made tioning these. The idea that the celestial bodies are vimānas
(sayankata), nor given by the gods, but "sakehi kammehi apā- ("immense chariots in the shape of open hemispheres" Kirfel,
pakehi puññehi laddha" (i. e. won by one's own sinless & Kosmographie der Inder p. 282) is essentially Jainistic. See
meritorious deeds). — Entering the Vimāna — paradise is, on Jain Vimānas in general Kirfel, l. c. pp. 7 — 9, 292 —
analogous to all semi — lethal passing over into enchanted 300. — In the Pāli Com. we find SnA 187, 188 (canda —
conditions in fairy tales, compared with the awakening from vimānaṁ bhinditvā=breaking up the moon's palace, i. e. the
sleep (as in a state of trance): sutta — ppabuddha DhA iii.7. moon itself); and DhA iii.99 (candimasuriyā vimānāni gahetvā
Of the Vimāna itself it is said that it appears (pātur ahosi), e. aṭṭhaṁsu). — 8. Other terms for vimāna, and specifications.
g. VvA 188; DhA i.131; or arises (uggañchi) DhA iii.291; Var. other expressions are used more frequently for vimāna
VvA 221. — 5. Location of the Vimānas. The "vimāna" is an in general. Among these are ratha (see above 1 a); nagara
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individual paradisiacal state Therefore vimānas are not def- (Pv ii.12 ); pura (see above 5, as tusita°); pāsāda; either as
initely located "Elysian Fields." They are anywhere (in this dibba° (DhA iii.291), or vara° (VvA 130), or vimāna° (Vv
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world as well as in the Beyond), but certain places are more 31 ). — The vimānas are specified as deva-vimāna "heav-
favourable for their establishment than others. Thus we may enly palace," e. g. J i.59; Vism 342; VvA 173; or (in a still
state that κα᾿τ ἐςοξήν they are found in the neighbourhood of more superlative expression) brahmavimāna, i. e. best or most
water. Thus either in the Ocean (majjhe sāgarasmiṁ Th 1, excellent magic palace, highest paradise, e. g. D i.17 (here
1190; samudda — majjhe PvA 47), where access is possible perhaps "palace of Brahmā"); iii.28 ("abode of brahmās" Rh.
only through adventures after shipwreck or similar causes (J. D.); It 15; Vism 108. The latter expression is abbreviated to

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