Kingdom of Arakan: Nankya Buddha Image AD 1272

Among the rulers of Laungkyat city, king Nan Kya was the sixth king of Laungkyat dynasty. The citizens were discontended with the king because he collected more taxes, extorted the virgin daughters of others and behaved the conducts of the foolish persons. So, they were eager to revolt against the king if the opportunity appeared. In such time, the two able men named Seik Ta Ra and Na Ra Da appeared. They were proficient in the worldly art which can create various forms. Seik Ta Ra disguished himself as king Nan Kya and entered the queen chamber of the palace every day. When king Nan Kya came to the queen chamber, she asked him why he came to her chamber many times. And then, the king replied that he didn’t often come to her chamber and he came to hers only that day. And, the queen said that there would be a disguised person as the king if the king didn’t come to her chamber every day. And then, the king said that he wouldn’t come to her chamber duing the week and the person who would come to the chamber, must be a disguised person. And, he advised the queen to stamp on the disguised person’s back with her oily palm to be able to catch him. When Seik Ta Ra came into the queen chamber disguisings as the king, she stamped on his back with her oil smudgy palm according to the kings’s advice.

nankya buddha image

The next day, the king ordered his servants to go aroungd the city to catch the person who has the palm mark. When the royal servants obviously saw the palm mark on Seik Ta Ra’s back who was sitting basking in the sun in the winter, they sent for Seik Ta Ra to the king. Without giving any penalty, king Nan Kya tole Seik Ta Ra to teach him the worldly art by appointing him as a teacher, but he only taught him partly. King Nan Kya became worse than before when he mastered the worldly art which can create various forms. Therefore, some people went to Seik Ta Ra and Na Ra Da and requested them to rescue the citizens from miseries. They went, therefore, to capture the king. The king ran away disguising various forms, but they followed him disguising as the preditors the animals disguised by the king. At last, king Nan Kya ran into the cave he donated when he couldn’t escape from them by running, but he had to give up his one ear as Seik Ta Ra cut him with his sword when he entered the cave. And, the king stayed closing the door in the cave.

Seik Ta Ra and Na Ra Da asked the king whether the king would accept detaining by coming out of the cave or they must enter breaking down the door. And then, it dawned on him that Seik Ta Ra and the citizens would destroy his good deed if he didn’t come out of the cave, but he wished his good deed remain even though he died. Therefore, he smeared the blood dripped from his wound on his palm and made a solemn wish stamping his palm on the thigh of the Buddha image.

He said, “I will be killed by Seik Ta Ra. So, may this blood-palm mark disappear only after I had revenged on Seik Ta Ra and his relatives as a king in Rakhine in the next life after I had died.” “I wish no one can wipe out it.” After he had made solemn wish, he came out of the cave opening the door, and Seik Ta Ra seized him and killed him by beheading.

King Min Saw Mon, the last king of Laungkyat city, looked for the new city and founded the city of Mraukoo. The successive kings washed the blood on the thigh of Nankya Buddha image, but no one could do. King Thi Ri Thu Dam Ma became the twentieth king of Min Saw Mon dynasty. At that time, queen Nat Shin May fell in love with minister Nga Ku Tha La, the governor of Laungkyat, and he arranged Ngasay magical contrivance to die king Thi Ri Thu Dam Ma. Nga Ku Tha La, the governor of Laungkyat, ruled the throne of Mraukoo with the name of king Na Ra Pa Ti Gyi by crowing Nat Shin May as a queen. Only if such king washed it, the blood-palm mark on the thigh of Nankya Buddha image, disappeared.

Thus, Seik Ta Ra in the previous life became king Thi Ri Thu Dam Ma and king Na Ra Pa Ti Gyi became the reincarnation of king Nan Kya Gyi. Therefore, it was alleged that the blood-palm mark disappeared only after king Thi Ri Thu Dam Ma had died in consequence of making the past solemn wish at the Buddha image.

King Na Ra Pa Ti Gyi wrote the supplementary lullaby in Rakhine princess lullaby in order to know it for the posterity. Nowadays, the erosion of Lyamyo river bank took the cave away. The villagers took the Buddha image to the palce distant away form Laymyo river bank and placed it together with other Buddha images in the prayer hall. Such nearby village is called Nankya village in reference to the Nankya Buddha image.

There is a prayer hall on Mraukoo-Minbyar highway road in which Naykya Buddha image and other Buddha images of Laymyo period are dwelling.




Reference
1. Rakhine Touristy Stupas, 2008 by Htay Win