De lanerolle, J.

De Lanerolle, J.

Coconut Research Institute Repository

Ceylon Coeon. Q. (1972) 23, U4-115 Printed in Ceylon. C O C O N U T I N S I N H A L E S E L I T E R A T U R E JULIUS DE LANEROLLE [Introduction by W. V. D. Pieris.—The following note on Coconut in Sinhalese Literature was sent to me by the late Julius de Lanerolle of the Editorial Staff of the Sinhalese Dictionary for inclusion in my Annotated Bibliography of the Coconut Palm, which was first prepared for publication in 1940 while J was Geneticist of the Coconut Research Scheme (now institute) of Sri Lanka. War intervened, I left Sri Lanka in 1946 and due to various other circumstances also, publication was unavoidably delayed. But now, more than thirty years later, the Coconut Research Institute has generously decided to publish the work at an early date. Julius de Lanerolle's contribution is, however, too good to be buried in a bibliography: and the Director of the Institute has agreed to publish it separately in the Ceylon Coconut Quarterly. The antiquity of the Coconut palm and of its uses in Sri Lanka is. well illustrated'therein]. There are five names by which coconut is generally known in Sinhalese literature, viz., neralu (SK. narikela, narikera, nalikera, nalikela, maha-ruk (ma—°) big tree (cf. Sk. tunga—drma tall tree), kasa (cf. Sk. Kaidika-phala, Kausika's nut, said to have been created by Kausika, i.e. Visvamitra, when endeavouring to form a human being, the nut being the rudiment of a head—Wilson), pol, and pulup. King-coconut is known as tambili; other varieties are tampunel, navasi, bodili. In the Sikhavalanda-Vinisa, a work of the 10th century (ed. D. B. Jayatilaka, 1934), which records vinaya rules and certain traditions handed down from the time of the establishment of Buddhism in Ceylon in the 3rd c.B.C, coconut (neralu-pak) is given (p. 56 1 5) as one of the nine great fruits (nava-maha-phala), the other eight being tal palmyrah, pana jak, del wild bread fruit, labu pumpkin gourd, komadu water-melon, pulutl ash-pumpkin, tiyambara and kakiri, varieties of melon; there are also coconut trees (neralu), coconut jaggery (pulup-sakuru) and king-coconut (tambili) mentioned in connection with various vinaya rules (ib. 47 8, 53 2 0 , 66 6). A few references to coconut in later literature are noted below:— Vasaturu-da-Gatapadaya, 11th c. (unpublished), (neralu). Butsarana, 12th c. (ed. Jnanadarsaya, 1929), p. 252 1 2, (maha-ruk). Dahamsarana, 12th c. (ed. Sri Dharmananda, 1929), p. 154 (P. lw. nalikera), 15B (P. lw. sannlra king-coconut).. Thupavamsaya, 12th c. (ed. VijayaSekhara, 1929), p. 129 3 8 , 3 7 (pol coconut, kasa-pan water of young coconut, with which, among other things, people were treated by Dutugamunu during the cons­truction of the Great Thiipa, in the 2nd c. B.C.). Kavsilumina, 13th c. (Government ed., 1926), ver. 261 (pulup, tambili), 748 (tambili). Pujavaliya, 13th c. (ed. 1928), p. 699 w (n&likerddy-anayak a coconut garden, extending from Kalutara to Bentota). 114 COCONUT I N SINHALESE LITERATURE 115 Sidatsangar&va, Oth c. (ed.' Sri Dharmarama ,1913), p. 1066 (neralu, tambili). Saddharmaratnavaliya, 13th c. (ed. D. B. Jayatilaka, 1933), p. 714" (tambili-pan water of king-coconut). Purana-Supasastraya, 13th c. (unpublished), ver. 48, 237 (neralu). Bhesajjamanjusa-Sanne.Pali Text 13th c. (ed. 1924), p. 5\2B(p.nalikera, regarding its medicinal value). Yogarnavaya, 13th c. (unpublished), polpakak a coconut, neralu-kiri coconut milk, mirukmal-ata seeds of the coconut flower). —Med. Kankhavitarani-Pitapata, 13th c. (ed. 1936), p. 88 2 1 (p. nahkera=Sinh ; pol, as one of the eight great fruits). Dalada-Sirita, 14th c. (ed. 1920), p. 43 2 1 (neralu, a gift of coconut gardens etc. to Danta and Hema-mala, who brought the sacred Tooth Relic to Ceylon in the 4th a) . Dambadeni-Asna, 14th c. (ed. 1917), p. 8 6 (maruk, tambili, bodili, Navasi). Saddharmalankaraya, 14th c. (ed. 1924), p. 654 1 (maharuk). Saddharmaratnakaraya, 14th c. (ed. 1912), pp. 83 2 9 , 98° (nalikera). Purana-Nam&valiya, 15th c. (ed. 1923), ver. 136 (maharuk, neralu kasa,pulupu). Ruvanmala, 15th c. (ed. 1904), ver. 232 (neralu, pol, maharuk, kasa, pulupu). Paravi-Sandesaya, 15th c. (ed. 1925), ver. 65 (neralu). Kavsekara, 15th c. (ed. Richard de Silva, 1915). 2.22 (tambili), 8.22 (maruk), 10.100 (tambili). Prayogaratnavaliya, 16th c. (unpublished), pulupu-ra coconut toddy). —Medicinal. Vaidyacintamaniya, 16th c. (ed. 1909), pp. 38 1 8 , 38 1 0 , 146 1 2 (neralu-diya coconut water, neralu-pan id., pulup-ra coconut toddy). —Med. Yogaratnakaraya, 16th c. (ed. 1930), ver. 983 (pol-kiri coconut milk), 2199 (pulup-diya c. water), 2304 (nerdlu-kiri c. milk), 2448 (neralu-pan c. water), 2570 (pol-baya one half of a coconut), 2572 (pol-kiri c. milk), 2574 (pol-sunu c. refuse), 2927 (kasapan-diya water of young coconut). —Med. Kusajataka-Kavyaya, 17th c. (ed. A. M. Gunasekara, 1897), ver. 264 (maruk). Vadankavipota 18th c. (ed. 1922), ver. 61 (tambili, tambunel, navasi, bodili). Kavminikofidola, 18th c. (ed. 1905), ver. 127 (neralu). Lokdpakaraya, 18th c. (ed. 1921), ver. 233 (neralu). NIlakob5-Sandesaya, 18th c. (ed. 1915), ver. 25 (neralu). Kapinsirasapadaya, modern (Demonology), pp. 1-2 (regarding the origin of coconut; varieties mentioned: ran-tarhbili,gon-tdmbili, navasi, bodili). Dolahadeviyange Kavipota, mod. (Demonology), ver. 97 (kahapan-gedi young coconuts). Mahasohon-Samayama, mod. (Demonology), ver. 48 (rantambili). Jnan&darsaya, a modern literary journal, ed. A. M. Gunasekara, VII (1903), p. 208, gives the information that in the Philippines a certain disease produces pearls (pol-mutu) in coconuts. 

Coconut in Sinhalese literature

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Coconut in Sinhalese literature

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