• Kammawāčhā (Kammavācā, Formulary for legal ritual procedures)

Contributor:
  • Princeton University. Library. Manuscript. Indic Manuscript no. 70.
Publisher:
  • [Northern Thailand] : [10 July 1897].
Extent:
  • 1 volume (26 leaves) ; 101 x 542 mm.
Format:
Abstract:
  • Vinaya texts for recitation in rituals.
Description:
  • Colophon: maṅgalaḥ vuḍhi subbhanamasatu ("May there be the great reverence and highly auspiciousness!") "In the year 1259 of the Chunla Sakkarat era, the Year of Moeng Rao, on the twelfth waxing day of the eighth month [equivalent to Saturday 10th July 1897 CE], or on the fifth day of the week according to the Mon calendrical tradition, Prince Ratchawong and Princess Thipphanet are the initiators who donated to sponsor [of the production of] this Kammavāca manuscript, along with their royal children and grandchildren, to sustain the religion of Lord Gotama Buddha for 5000 years. May this bring us reach the immortal crystal city of Nibbana!" nibbāna paramaṃ sukkhaṃ ("Nibbana is the greatest happiness.") -- fol. 7v line 2-8v line 4.
  • Colophon: จุฬสกฺราตไฑ้ ๑๒๕๙ ตัวปฺลีเมิงเร้าเฑือร ๘ ออก ๑๒ ฅำเมงพฺรำไฑ้วัน ๕ หฺมายมีปถมมหามลฺลสธา ตนเปนเจ้าราชฺชวงฺสา แม่เจ้าทิพฺพเนตเปนเคฺล้า พฺรอมกับฑ้วยราชบุตฺตาบุตฺตีนตฺตานตีก็ไฑ้ริรางส้างจางธำมเขียรยังธมฺมกมฺมวาจาฑวยนี ทานไวยคำชุสาสฺนาพฺรโคตมเจ้าตฺราบต่อเท้า ๕๐๐๐ พฺรวสฺสาตามสาสฺนาเสียงเขต ขอเปนปฺรไจคำชูยังเจ้ามฺหามุลฺลสทฺธาไพจนจอฑต่อเท้ารอฑเวียงแก้วอมตฺตมฺหาเนรพฺพาเจ้ายาคาศยาคาเทียงแทเทอ
  • Ms.
  • Layout: 4 lines.
  • Description: Written with gold ink on concertina-folded blackened khoi paper ; nineteen folios have writing on one side only.
Binding note:
  • Wood boards decorated in gold and black.
Subject:
Provenance:
  • Deposit no. 7499. Garrett.
Former owner:
  • Garrett, Robert, 1875-1961
Edm rights:
  • Copyright Not Evaluated
View in catalog:
Curator's notes:

  • Pali and Lanna, in Tham Lanna script
    Northern Thailand, 1897, khō̜i paper

    Kammavācā, containing texts for certain monastery rituals and presented to newly ordained monks, were to reach their most precious form in Myanmar, but were used in less precious materials elsewhere as well. This is a Thai accordion-style version on blackened khō̜i paper with gold ink, between wooden boards decorated in gold and black, which was sponsored by royalty, Prince Ratchawong and his consort, Princess Thipphanet, in 1897.

    Gift of Robert Garrett, Class of 1897, 1942
    Princeton Indic Manuscripts IM 70

    For further reading

    Kieffer-Pülz, Petra. “Kammavācā manuscripts: written artefacts for ordination (upasampadā) as a Buddhist monk or nun?” In Written artefacts in rites of passage: on the material culture of initiation, edited by Jochen Hermann Vennebusch and Karin Becker, 63-86. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 2025.

    Peters, Anne. “Die birmanischen Kammavācā-Sammlungen mit neun Abschnitten.” In Untersuchungen zur buddhistischen Literatur, edited by Heinz Bechert, Sven Bretfeld and Petra Kieffer-Pülz, 273-84. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, 1997.

    Singer, Noel F. “Kammavaca texts: their covers and binding ribbons.” Arts of Asia 23, no. 3 (1993): 97-106.

    Video

    A Burmese Kammavācā Manuscript and Its Use in the Buddhist Ordination Ritual
    6:46?
    Trent Walker (Assistant Professor of Southeast Asian Studies and Thai Professor of Theravada Buddhism, University of Michigan)

    Trent Walker discusses the ritual use of a Burmese Kammavācā, several of which are in this exhibition. The Kammavācā is a highly ornamental book, used in the Buddhist ordination ceremony for new monks entering the monastery within the Theravada tradition in Myanmar.

    This video was originally published in conjunction with the exhibition "Hidden Stories: Books Along the Silk Roads" (Aga Khan Museum, Toronto Oct. 9, 2021–Feb. 27, 2022) by "The Book and the Silk Roads," a project funded by the Mellon Foundation, co-located at the University of Toronto and the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton. Used with permission by The Book and the Silk Roads project, and Trent Walker.

Exhibit category:
Funder:
  • Intawaroros Suriyawong, Prince Ruler of Chiang Mai, 1859-1910
  • Thipphanet, Princess, Consort of Intawaroros Suriyawong, Prince Ruler of Chiang Mai, 1858-1918