สำนักราชบัณฑิตยสภา

The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand æ√–æ√À¡Œ‘ π¥Ÿ -æ√–æ√À¡æÿ ∑∏å -∑à “π∑â “«¡À“æ√À¡ Vol. 32 No. 2 Apr.-Jun. 2007 412 Abstract The Hindu-Buddhistic Brahma and the Mahabrahma of Popular Thai Believers Visudh Busyakul Fellow of the Academy of Arts, The Royal Institute, Thailand The definition of the Indian term Brahma has gone through periods of development and change. In the Rig-Veda, Brahma means ç Prayer; praying; the ecstatic feeling experienced during praying é . In the earlier Upanishads, Brahma is the omnipresent soul of the Universe. In Buddhism, Brahma refers to two superior categories of deified beings. In the Puranas, Brahma is a member of the Tri-Murti, whose cosmogonical function is the periodic creation of the universe. In Bangkok, Thailand, the Mahaphrom (or Mahabrahma) of the Thai believers is the name of a four-faced sacred image of an ever-benevolent god established in a Devalaya in the north- west corner of the prestigious Erawan Hotel. The public donation collected from this Devalaya has been substantial and earmarked as contributions to hospitals and other public welfare organizations. The image was demolished by a non-Buddhist fanatic once, but has been very promptly replaced. Key words : Brahma, Mahaphrom, Upanishad, Tri-Murti, Erawan §«“¡‡≈◊Ë Õ¡„ „π∑à “π∑â “«¡À“- æ√À¡π—È π¡’ ¡“µ—È ß·µà ‡¡◊Ë Õ √â “ß»“≈ ‡ √Á ® ‰¥â ¡’ ºŸâ ‰ª°√“∫‰À«â ∫Ÿ ™“‡ªì π ª√–®”∑ÿ °«— π·≈–∑ÿ °§◊ π √“¬‰¥â ∑’Ë »“≈∑à “π∑â “«¡À“æ√À¡‰¥â √— ∫π—È π ‡¥‘ ¡¡’ ®ÿ ¥ª√– ß§å ‡æ’ ¬ß‡æ◊Ë Õ∫Ÿ √≥–»“≈ „Àâ Õ¬Ÿà „π ¿“æ∑’Ë –Õ“¥ ‡√’ ¬∫√â Õ¬ «¬ß“¡ ·≈–‡À¡“– ¡°— ∫‚√ß·√¡ ∑’Ë „À≠à ∑’Ë ÿ ¥„π°√ÿ ߇∑æœ „π¢≥–π—È π ·µà ¬‘Ë ßπ“π √“¬‰¥â ¬‘Ë ß Ÿ ߢ÷È π ∑“ß ‚√ß·√¡®÷ ß®— ¥µ—È ß‡ªì π°Õß∑ÿ π™◊Ë Õ«à “ ç∑ÿ πæ√À¡«‘ À“√‚√ß·√¡‡Õ√“«— ≥é ‚¥¬¡’ «— µ∂ÿ ª√– ߧå ∑’Ë ®–∫√‘ ®“§‡ß‘ π ‡æ◊Ë Õ°“√·æ∑¬å ·≈– “∏“√≥ª√–- ‚¬™πå Õ◊Ë π Ê „π√–¬–·√° ‰¥â ¡’ °“√ ∫√‘ ®“§∑ÿ ππ’È ®— ¥À“‡§√◊Ë Õß„™â ∑—Ë «‰ª ª√–®”‚√ß欓∫“≈ µà Õ¡“‰¥â √«¡∑—È ß °“√®— ¥À“‡§√◊Ë Õß¡◊ Õ∑“ß°“√·æ∑¬å ·≈–™à «¬‡À≈◊ Õß“π “∏“√≥ª√–‚¬™πå µà “ß Ê °Õß∑ÿ ππ’È „π∑’Ë ÿ ¥‰¥â ®¥ ∑–‡∫’ ¬π‡ªì π¡Ÿ ≈π‘ ∏‘ ™◊Ë Õ«à “ ç¡Ÿ ≈π‘ ∏‘ ∑à “π∑â “«¡À“æ√À¡‚√ß·√¡‡Õ√“- «— ≥é ‚¥¬¡’ «— µ∂ÿ ª√– ߧå À≈— °µ“¡ ‡¥‘ ¡ √“¬‰¥â ¢Õß°Õß∑ÿ π·≈–¡Ÿ ≈π‘ ∏‘ ∑’Ë ‰¥â ∫√‘ ®“§‰ª·≈â «√–À«à “ß æ.». ÚıÒÚ ®π∂÷ ߪ≈“¬ æ.». ÚıÙ¯ π—È π ¡’ ®”π«π√«¡∂÷ ß ˜Û˘ ≈â “π ˜ · π∫“∑ ·µà ·≈â « ·¡â «à “‡∑« ∂“π¢Õß ∑à “π∑â “«¡À“æ√À¡®–‡ªì π∑’Ë ‡§“√æ π— ∫∂◊ Õ¢Õߧπ®”π«π¡“°°Á µ“¡ „𠇫≈“°≈“ߧ◊ π¢Õß«— π∑’Ë ÚÒ ¡’ π“§¡ æ.». ÚıÙ˘ π“¬∏π°√ ¿— °¥’ º≈ Õ“¬ÿ Ú˜ ªï ‰¥â ∂◊ Õ§â Õπ‡¢â “‰ª„π ∫√‘ ‡«≥»“≈ ·≈–°à Õπ∑’Ë ºŸâ ∑’Ë Õ¬Ÿà „π ∫√‘ ‡«≥®–‰¥â ´— °∂“¡‡Àµÿ º≈À√◊ Õ æŸ ¥®“Àâ “¡ª√“¡À√◊ Õ¢— ¥¢«“ß π“¬ ∏π°√°Á ‰¥â „™â §â Õπ‡¢â “∑ÿ ∫∑”≈“¬ ‡∑«√Ÿ ª∑à “π∑â “«¡À“æ√À¡®π·µ° °√–®— ¥°√–®“¬‰ª∑—Ë «∫√‘ ‡«≥ ∑à “¡ °≈“ߧ«“¡µ–≈÷ ßæ√÷ ߇æ√‘ ¥¢ÕߺŸâ ∑’Ë ¡“ §Õ¬∫Ÿ ™“∑à “π∑â “«¡À“æ√À¡Õ¬Ÿà „π ¢≥–π—È π ºŸâ ™“¬®”π«πÀπ÷Ë ß∑’Ë Õ¬Ÿà „π ∫√‘ ‡«≥π—È π‰¥â √à «¡ª√–™“∑— ≥±å 𓬠∏π°√®π∂÷ ß·°à ™’ «‘ µ∑’Ë Àπâ “ª√–µŸ ∑“ß ‡¢â “¢Õß‚√ß·√¡Àà “ß®“°»“≈∑à “π∑â “« ¡À“æ√À¡‰ªª√–¡“≥ ı ‡¡µ√ ‰¥â ¬‘ π«à “∫‘ ¥“¢Õßπ“¬∏π°√‰¥â ™’È ·®ß µà Õ ◊Ë Õ¡«≈™π„π¿“¬À≈— ß«à “π“¬ ∏π°√‡ªì πºŸâ ¡’ ®‘ µ„®‰¡à ª√°µ‘ ¢à “«π’È ‡ªì π¢à “« –‡∑◊ Õπ„®¢Õß ºŸâ ∑’Ë ‡≈◊Ë Õ¡„ ∑à “π∑â “«¡À“æ√À¡‡ªì π Õ¬à “ß¡“° ·µà °Á ‰¥â ¡’ °“√ √⠓߇∑«√Ÿ ª ∑à “π∑â “«¡À“æ√À¡¢÷È π„À¡à ·≈–‰¥â ®— ¥∑”æ‘ ∏’ ∫«ß √«ß‡ªì π°“√‡ √Á ® ‡√’ ¬∫√â Õ¬·≈â «.