Saman (deity)
Encyclopedia
Saman is a deity
, subject to local and indigenous belief and worship in Sri Lanka
. The name Saman means "the rising morning sun". His character is of historical significance for the Sinhala people and veneration especially to all the Buddhists.
God Saman is considered one of the guardian deities of the island
and the Buddha Śāsana
. Natha
, Upulvan
, Vibhishana
and Kataragama
are the other guardian deities. Nayakkar dynasty from South India introduced Goddess Pattini
replacing God Saman. God Saman is the guardian (patron deity) or the presiding deity of Saparagamuva and the Sri Pada mountain. Accordingly his main shrine or devalaya is at Ratnapura
, where an annual festival is held in his honor.
According to common belief, he may have been a King or a provincial ruler (Mahasumana) of Saparagamuva from the Deva
clan, one of the four main clans in ancient Sri Lanka. Others are Yakkha, Naga
and Raksha. According to the tradition of Sammuthi Deva (considered a deity by common acceptance), he is revered as a deity.
He is also thought to have been a Deva (god)
of the heaven. There is much debate regarding his origin. By a few, he is also related to Vibhishana
and God Katharagama
. Some also relate him to the Mahayana
tradition of Samanthabhadra
.
In the legendary history, Sumana Saman deviyo invited Lord Buddha
to the Samanalakanda and on request Lord Gautama Buddha left his foot print on the rock at top of the mountain as a token of symbolic worship, in the absence of the Buddha. God Maha Sumana Saman is depicted crowned, bejeweled, holding a lotus flower in his right hand and accompanied by a white elephant.
clan or yakkha or rakus or even Indian. Another legend discloses that Deity Saman (Vibishana) is the younger brother of King Ravana
who ruled Sri Lanka 6000 BC. Saman also had a sister of historic importance.
Following his death, Prince Sumana Saman became a god, by the name of God Maha Sumana Saman.
God Sumana Saman was there when Lord Buddha visited the island for the second time. God Saman is recorded as having met the Buddha on the latter's first visit to the island when he visited Mahiyangana
to drive away the yakkhas. Saman became a stream-entrant
(sotapanna) after listening to the Buddha, who gave him a handful of hairs with which he erected the dagoba
at Mahiyangana (Mhv.i,33).
Generally Sri Lankan Buddhists believe that the footmark on the summit of Sri Pada is that of Lord Buddha, who during his third visit to Kelaniya
, 2580 years ago, kept the imprint of his left foot thereon as a relict worthy of veneration.
, Boltumbe, Ellakkala, Nivitigala and the mountain Benasamanalagala. He is regarded as the chief deity of the area surrounding the sacred mountain as well as of the Saparagamuva country in general.
The Theravada Buddhists of Sri Lanka later made god Saman the guardian of their land and their religion. With the rise of Mahayana Buddhism, Saman developed into Samantabhadra
, one of the four principal bodhisattvas of Mahayana. Like his later manifestation, Samanta is usually depicted crowned and bejewelled, holding a lotus in his right hand and accompanied by a white elephant. At Weligama
, an ancient port on Sri Lanka's south coast, there is a 12 ft high statue which some believe is the figure of Samantabhadra carved out of a huge moss-covered bolder. This statue is now called Kushtarajagala. It is thought that the Pilgrims from India and northern Sri Lanka disembarking at Weligama were greeted by this bodhisattva figure as they set out on the long trek to Sri Pada.
God Maha Sumana Saman is depicted in human form accompanied by a white elephant, the ancient bulldozer of Lanka, the great noble beast of royal and Buddhist significance, in the background of Sri Pada (Adam's Peak). The resplendent god, a divine being in every sense of the word, holds a red lotus, a flower of Sinhalese Buddhist significance. His noble elephant too holds a red lotus.
, relating to the worshiping of God Saman much revered by local people.
The Maha Saman Devalaya of Rathnapura, first built by King Parakramabahu II (Pandita Parakramabahu) in 1270 AD, is the main temple dedicated to the deity Saman. Every august this shrine conducts a traditional festival for two weeks every night. This ceremony may be the oldest precession in Sri Lanka, according to a poem sung in "Gara Yakuma" dance, relating to Rama
Ravana
Story and God Sumana Saman.
There is also a Saman Devalaya at Mahiyangana
. In Sandesha literature, poems were written to Sumana Saman for his blessing on the country. Pilgrims who climb the Samanalakanda expect blessings of the deity. They make sure not to anger him. The people living in the area tell many tales of his power and miracles.
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
, subject to local and indigenous belief and worship in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. The name Saman means "the rising morning sun". His character is of historical significance for the Sinhala people and veneration especially to all the Buddhists.
God Saman is considered one of the guardian deities of the island
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and the Buddha Śāsana
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. Natha
Maitreya
Maitreya , Metteyya , or Jampa , is foretold as a future Buddha of this world in Buddhist eschatology. In some Buddhist literature, such as the Amitabha Sutra and the Lotus Sutra, he or she is referred to as Ajita Bodhisattva.Maitreya is a bodhisattva who in the Buddhist tradition is to appear on...
, Upulvan
Upulvan
Upulvan deviyo is a guardian deity of Sri Lanka. The name Upulvan means "blue water lily coloured". A major temple dedicated to him is situated at Devinuwara in Matara District of Sri Lanka. He came to be worshiped as a protector of Sri Lanka in the medieval period. God Upulvan is also regarded as...
, Vibhishana
Vibhishana
Vibhishana or Bibhishan is a character in the epic Ramayana. He was the younger brother of the demon Ravana. Though a half-demon himself, Vibhishana was of a noble character and advised Ravana, who kidnapped and abducted Sita, to return her to her husband Rama in an orderly fashion...
and Kataragama
Kataragama deviyo
Kataragama deviyo is a guardian deity of Buddhasasana and of Sri Lanka. A major temple dedicated to God Kataragama is situated in the town of Kataragama, Sri Lanka. He is identified with Skanda of the Hindu tradition and as Murugan by the Tamils of Sri Lanka and India...
are the other guardian deities. Nayakkar dynasty from South India introduced Goddess Pattini
Pattini
In Sinhala Buddhist belief the Pattini is a guardian deity of Buddhism. She is the deification of Kannagi, who is the central character of the Tamil epic Silapadhikaram of Ilango Adigal...
replacing God Saman. God Saman is the guardian (patron deity) or the presiding deity of Saparagamuva and the Sri Pada mountain. Accordingly his main shrine or devalaya is at Ratnapura
Ratnapura
- Floods :The town of Ratnapura is situated in the flooding plain of the river Kalu. The town experiences regular floods usually in the month of May. There is no large dam across the Kalu, so this leaves the city at the mercy of nature's forces every year. Several proposals have been made to reduce...
, where an annual festival is held in his honor.
According to common belief, he may have been a King or a provincial ruler (Mahasumana) of Saparagamuva from the Deva
Deva people of Sri Lanka
The Dewa are a mythical people of Sri Lanka according to the Sanskrit epics.According to the Mahavamsa and Ramayana they lived among the Naga, Yakkha and Raskha.They ousted their arch enemies the Raskha from Sri Lanka, with the help of Lord Vishnu....
clan, one of the four main clans in ancient Sri Lanka. Others are Yakkha, Naga
Naga people of Sri Lanka
The Nāka people were the aboriginal inhabitants of Sri Lanka who ruled Nagadeepa or Nāka Nadu - the coastal districts of mostly Western and Northern Ceylon, particularly the Jaffna peninsula from the 6th century BCE to 3rd century CE...
and Raksha. According to the tradition of Sammuthi Deva (considered a deity by common acceptance), he is revered as a deity.
He is also thought to have been a Deva (god)
Deva (Buddhism)
A deva in Buddhism is one of many different types of non-human beings who share the characteristics of being more powerful, longer-lived, and, in general, living more contentedly than the average human being....
of the heaven. There is much debate regarding his origin. By a few, he is also related to Vibhishana
Vibhishana
Vibhishana or Bibhishan is a character in the epic Ramayana. He was the younger brother of the demon Ravana. Though a half-demon himself, Vibhishana was of a noble character and advised Ravana, who kidnapped and abducted Sita, to return her to her husband Rama in an orderly fashion...
and God Katharagama
Kataragama deviyo
Kataragama deviyo is a guardian deity of Buddhasasana and of Sri Lanka. A major temple dedicated to God Kataragama is situated in the town of Kataragama, Sri Lanka. He is identified with Skanda of the Hindu tradition and as Murugan by the Tamils of Sri Lanka and India...
. Some also relate him to the Mahayana
Mahayana
Mahāyāna is one of the two main existing branches of Buddhism and a term for classification of Buddhist philosophies and practice...
tradition of Samanthabhadra
Samantabhadra
Samantabhadra , is a bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism associated with Buddhist practice and meditation. Together with Shakyamuni Buddha and fellow bodhisattva Manjusri he forms the Shakyamuni trinity in Buddhism...
.
In the legendary history, Sumana Saman deviyo invited Lord Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
to the Samanalakanda and on request Lord Gautama Buddha left his foot print on the rock at top of the mountain as a token of symbolic worship, in the absence of the Buddha. God Maha Sumana Saman is depicted crowned, bejeweled, holding a lotus flower in his right hand and accompanied by a white elephant.
History
Sumana Saman may have been of the DevaDeva people of Sri Lanka
The Dewa are a mythical people of Sri Lanka according to the Sanskrit epics.According to the Mahavamsa and Ramayana they lived among the Naga, Yakkha and Raskha.They ousted their arch enemies the Raskha from Sri Lanka, with the help of Lord Vishnu....
clan or yakkha or rakus or even Indian. Another legend discloses that Deity Saman (Vibishana) is the younger brother of King Ravana
Ravana
' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
who ruled Sri Lanka 6000 BC. Saman also had a sister of historic importance.
Following his death, Prince Sumana Saman became a god, by the name of God Maha Sumana Saman.
God Sumana Saman was there when Lord Buddha visited the island for the second time. God Saman is recorded as having met the Buddha on the latter's first visit to the island when he visited Mahiyangana
Mahiyangana
Mahiyangana is a town in Badulla District, Uva Province of Sri Lanka. Some orthodox Sri Lankan Buddhists believe that Lord Gautam Buddha himself traveled from India to visit Sri Lanka and arrived at Mahiyangana to stop a war between the race of Yakshas and the race of Nagas...
to drive away the yakkhas. Saman became a stream-entrant
Sotapanna
In Buddhism, a Sotāpanna , Srotāpanna , or "stream-winner" is a person who has eradicated the first three fetters of the mind. Sotapanna literally means "one who entered the stream ", after a metaphor which calls the Noble Eightfold Path, 'a stream'...
(sotapanna) after listening to the Buddha, who gave him a handful of hairs with which he erected the dagoba
Stupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
at Mahiyangana (Mhv.i,33).
Sri Pada
According to Mahavansa, the great chronicle of Sri Lanka, Sri Pada mountain (also called Sumanakuta,Samangira,Samanthakuta and Samanalakanda) bears the impression of the Buddha's left foot, which he left on his third visit to the island (Mhv.i,77ff.). Some say that the name Samanthakuta means the "Peak of the God Saman".Generally Sri Lankan Buddhists believe that the footmark on the summit of Sri Pada is that of Lord Buddha, who during his third visit to Kelaniya
Kelaniya
Kelaniya is a small town near Colombo, Sri Lanka in the Gampaha District. It is known for the Buddhist temple built on the banks of the Kelani River, which runs through the town...
, 2580 years ago, kept the imprint of his left foot thereon as a relict worthy of veneration.
Beliefs
God Saman is the tutelary deity of the mountain wilderness, whose divine eye is supposed to cast upon DeraniyagalaDeraniyagala
Deraniyagala is a small town which belongs to the Kegalle district in the Sabaragamuwa Province of Sri Lanka.The area consists of five administrative areas, namely , , , and ....
, Boltumbe, Ellakkala, Nivitigala and the mountain Benasamanalagala. He is regarded as the chief deity of the area surrounding the sacred mountain as well as of the Saparagamuva country in general.
The Theravada Buddhists of Sri Lanka later made god Saman the guardian of their land and their religion. With the rise of Mahayana Buddhism, Saman developed into Samantabhadra
Samantabhadra
Samantabhadra , is a bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism associated with Buddhist practice and meditation. Together with Shakyamuni Buddha and fellow bodhisattva Manjusri he forms the Shakyamuni trinity in Buddhism...
, one of the four principal bodhisattvas of Mahayana. Like his later manifestation, Samanta is usually depicted crowned and bejewelled, holding a lotus in his right hand and accompanied by a white elephant. At Weligama
Weligama
Weligama is a Urban Council in Matara district on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. The term Weligama literally means "sandy village" which refers to the area's sandy sweep bay. Tourism & Fishing are two main business. Situated at a distance of 144 km from Colombo, Weligama is a popular tourist...
, an ancient port on Sri Lanka's south coast, there is a 12 ft high statue which some believe is the figure of Samantabhadra carved out of a huge moss-covered bolder. This statue is now called Kushtarajagala. It is thought that the Pilgrims from India and northern Sri Lanka disembarking at Weligama were greeted by this bodhisattva figure as they set out on the long trek to Sri Pada.
God Maha Sumana Saman is depicted in human form accompanied by a white elephant, the ancient bulldozer of Lanka, the great noble beast of royal and Buddhist significance, in the background of Sri Pada (Adam's Peak). The resplendent god, a divine being in every sense of the word, holds a red lotus, a flower of Sinhalese Buddhist significance. His noble elephant too holds a red lotus.
Impact on the Sri Lankan Culture
The dance tradition of Saparagamuva relates to the god Saman. The costume worn in the dance is said to resemble his cloths. People of Saparagamuva have much faith in the deity and many of their traditions relate to him. The dances are usually performed in RatnapuraRatnapura
- Floods :The town of Ratnapura is situated in the flooding plain of the river Kalu. The town experiences regular floods usually in the month of May. There is no large dam across the Kalu, so this leaves the city at the mercy of nature's forces every year. Several proposals have been made to reduce...
, relating to the worshiping of God Saman much revered by local people.
The Maha Saman Devalaya of Rathnapura, first built by King Parakramabahu II (Pandita Parakramabahu) in 1270 AD, is the main temple dedicated to the deity Saman. Every august this shrine conducts a traditional festival for two weeks every night. This ceremony may be the oldest precession in Sri Lanka, according to a poem sung in "Gara Yakuma" dance, relating to Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
Ravana
Ravana
' is the primary antagonist character of the Hindu legend, the Ramayana; who is the great king of Lanka. In the classic text, he is mainly depicted negatively, kidnapping Rama's wife Sita, to claim vengeance on Rama and his brother Lakshmana for having cut off the nose of his sister...
Story and God Sumana Saman.
There is also a Saman Devalaya at Mahiyangana
Mahiyangana
Mahiyangana is a town in Badulla District, Uva Province of Sri Lanka. Some orthodox Sri Lankan Buddhists believe that Lord Gautam Buddha himself traveled from India to visit Sri Lanka and arrived at Mahiyangana to stop a war between the race of Yakshas and the race of Nagas...
. In Sandesha literature, poems were written to Sumana Saman for his blessing on the country. Pilgrims who climb the Samanalakanda expect blessings of the deity. They make sure not to anger him. The people living in the area tell many tales of his power and miracles.
See also
- Culture of Sri LankaCulture of Sri LankaThe culture of Sri Lanka has been influenced by many things in the past, but has managed to retain much of its ancient, rich aspects. Mostly it has been influenced by its rich history, diversity, and religious beliefs. The country has a rich artistic tradition, embracing the fine arts, including...
- History of Sri LankaHistory of Sri LankaThe History of Sri Lanka begins around 30,000 years ago when the island was first inhabited. Chronicles, including the Mahawansa, the Dipavamsa, the Culavamsa and the Rajaveliya, record events from the beginnings of the Sinhalese monarchy in the 6th century BC; through the arrival of European...
- Sri Pada
- Sabaragamuwa