แม่แบบ:จดหมายเหตุบรมราชาภิเษกพระบาทสมเด็จพระปกเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัวฯ/๑๔๖
The ceremony may be said to have begun on the 3rd February when a chapter of priests held a service of benediction in preparation for the inscription of His Majesty’s full official style and title on the next day. The inscription was made on a gold tablet by a royal scribe in the Chapel Royal of the Emerald Buddha in presence of the above Sacerdotal Chapter and a deputy of the King. At the end of which due Brahminical ceremonies of blessing were held.
Meanwhile water for the King’s anointment was consecrated at various shrines in the 17 circles and conveyed in urns by special delegates to the Capital to be used on the day of coronation. Places where consecrations took place were chosen some on account of their being the surviving centres of ancient civilisations and others, in absence of the above qualifications, from being conveniently situated near present seats of the Administration. Among the former may be mentioned the following: “The Buddha’s Footprint” (Phrabad), the surviving centre of the former kingdoms of Lavo and Ayudhya; the Vihara of the “Victorious Lord” (พระพุทธชินราช), Bisnulok, once a Siamese Capital; Mahadhatu Monastery of Svargalok, representing the kingdom of Sajjanalaya-Sukhodaya; the Pathom Chetiya of Nagor Pathom, representing the kingdom of Sri Vijaya; Mahadhatu Monastery of Nagor Sri Dharmaraj, once seat of a former Siamese kingdom; Mahadhatu Monastery of Lampun, once the seat of the old kings of Haripunjaya, and taken also to represent the various kingdoms of the North, viz. Khelanga, Chiengsaen, Chiengrai, Chiengmai and Payao; and the Chetiya of Nagor Pnom, the former seat of an old kingdom of the Upper Mekhong.
On the 21st February, a preliminary evening service will be held in Baisal Hall by 30 priests, at which the Royal Family and officials of state will attend upon His Majesty. The service will be followed by the usual presentation of food to the celebrants on the next morning in the Hall of Amarindra, when His Royal Highness Prince Jinavara, Patriarch of the Kingdom will light the Candle of Victory in presence of the King and all the priests who are to take part in the Benediction Service hereafter.
Evening Benediction Services will be held for 3 days from the 22nd February, in all three sections of the Chief Residence. At the commencement of the service in Baisal Hall the Right Reverend Phra Sasanasobhon will make a public oration every evening. His Majesty will attend some parts of every service, each of which will be followed by the usual presentation of food on the next day, this series terminating on the morning of the 25th, the morning of the coronation proper, when the Most Reverend Somdech Phra Vanarat, Archbishop of the North will extinguish the Candle of Victory in the Hall of Amarindra. This will mark the end of the Buddhist part of the coronation.
Meanwhile Brahmin priests will tend the sacrificial fires in honour of the Hindu Trinity in a pavilion apart and generally make sacrificial preparations for the coming rites. They will offer to the King, each evening at the Buddhist services of Benediction, purificatory water from conch shells and leaves with which the King will brush himself in a manner symbolical of an idea of purification according to Brahminical tradition.
On the morning of the 25th the King will proceed to Baisal Hall, where Pricnes of the Blood Royal, Foreign Representatives of Ministerial Rank, and higher officials of state are assembled. After the profession of the Faith on the King’s part, at 9:53 a.m. the time being auspicious, the High Priest of Siva will invite His Majesty to take a ceremonial bath of purification and anointment on a specially erected pavilion between Baisal Hall and the Residence of Chakrabarti Biman. The anointment will consist of (a) Water from the five principal rivers of the Kingdom—the Menam Chao Phya, the Nagor Jaisri river (Meklong), the Rajapuri river, the Bejrapuri river and the Bangpakong river—supposed to be in analogy for the famous classical five of ancient India-the Ganga, Mahi, Yamuna, Sarabhu and Airavati; (b) Water of the 4 ponds of Subarna which are sanctified through constant usage in every State ceremony where there is an anointment (murdhabhisek); and (c) some of the water from the 17 circles which had been consecrated as already mentioned above. Before rising the King will receive benediction and anointment from their Royal Highness Prince Bhanurangsi and the Prince of Nagor Svarga as well as from the Prince Patriarch.
During the time while the King is to be anointed there will be a fanfare of drums and trumpets, and Siamese music; ancient guns will be fired within the Grand Palace. The 80 priests, assembled in the Chief Residence, will recite stanzas of Benediction. Thereafter the King will retire and again appear in Baisal Hall in full regal robes, preceded by Brahmin priests and learned men of the Court (Pandits) in the following order:—
แม่แบบ:จดหมายเหตุบรมราชาภิเษกพระบาทสมเด็จพระปกเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัวฯ/๑๔๖/๑
The King will now seat himself upon the Octagonal Throne made of fig-wood under the White Umbrella of State to receive further anointments from Brahmins, who, with Court Pandits, represent the eight cardinal points of the Kingdom, as follows:—
East: H.R.H. Prince Vividh, Court Pandit, and Phra Rajaguru Vamadeb, High Priest of Siva, (water from Prachin Circle).
South East: Luang Yodhadharmanides, Court Pandit, and Phraguru Astacharya, Brahmin Priest, (water from Chandapuri).
South: Phya Vichitradharm, Court Pandit, and Phraguru Satananda Muni, Brahmin Priest. (Circles of Nagor Sri Dharmaraj and Pattani).
South West: Phra Rajabhirom, Court Pandit, and a Brahmin Priest. (Circles of Jumbor and Bhuket).
West: Phaya Mahanam, Court Pandit, and a Brahmin Priest. (Circles of Nagor Jaisri and Rajapuri).
North West: Phra Nanavichitra, Court Pandit, and a Brahmin Priest. (Circles of Bayab, Maharashtra, Nagor Svarga and Bisnulok).
North: Chao Phaya Yomaraj, Court Pandit, and a Brahmin Priest. (Circles of Ayudhya and Uttara).
North East: Phaya Pariyati, Court Pandit, and a Brahmin Priest. (Circles of Nagor Rajasima, Ubol and Roi-Et).
The procedure for this part of the ceremony will be thus: after the King has seated himself with his face turned to the East, the Pandit for this point advances the foot of the throne and having made due obeisance addresses the sovereign in Pali to the following effect:—
“May it please Your Majesty! May the Sovereign here give me leave to pronounce his victory.
“May the Sovereign, turning now towards the East, seated upon his royal throne, extend his protection and exercise royal authority over all those realms situated to (the east) and all beings that therein dwell.
“May he remain on earth further protecting this kingdom, as well as her Buddhist Religion and her people.
“May he remain long in sovereignty, without ills, accomplishing success, and may his years number a hundred.
“May the Sovereign Guardian of the East, renowned as Dhatarath, gently protect the king and his realms. Whoever create evil in this eastern quarter, may the Sovereign, through his might, triumph over them all in a righteous manner.”
The Pandit then hands a cup of anointment water from the Eastern Circle (Prachin) while reciting the following stanza:—
“Through the power of the Triple Gems (the Buddha, the Lore, the Brotherhood), and through this water poured down (upon[1] him), may (the King be awarded with) success in the way therefore invoked.”
The king answers in Pali verse as follows:—
“Yours auspicious speech, going right to the hearts of kings, I fain accept. May it come to pass as you have said. I (shall) extend my protection and exercise royal authority over all those realms to the East and all beings that dwell therein. I (shall) remain on earth further protecting this kingdom, and her Buddhist Religion and her people.”
The Pandit then says:—
“Good, my Lord.”
The Brahmin of the quarter will then anoint His Majesty in due form.
The King then turns to the South-East, where the same dialogue is repeated with modifications as to names of the Quarters and their traditional celestial guardians.[2]
The King thus turns round in order until he finally comes to the East, completing the round, when Prince Vividh, the Pandit of the quarter, will sum up the benediction and the King will answer in a strain rather similar to the above replies.
The King will then rise from the Octagonal Throne, the Brahmins and the learned men of the Court preceding with chamberlains and pages bearing the regalia following His Majesty in the following order.
แม่แบบ:จดหมายเหตุบรมราชาภิเษกพระบาทสมเด็จพระปกเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัวฯ/๑๔๖/๒
His Majesty will then proceed in the procession detailed above from here to another throne in the west part of Baisal Hall, which is called the Bhadrapith (the Noble Throne) under the canopy of an Umbrella of State, which, by the way, is not yet of 9 tiers but only 7, because the King is not yet crowned. The Umbrella over the Octagonal Throne is also of 7 tiers for the same reason. Having seated himself on this, facing east, the King will receive the homage of the Court from the High Priest of Siva who will also offer him his style and title inscribed on a golden tablet, which had been duly prepared and consecrated in the Chapel Royal of the Emerald Buddha (cf. above p. 5), as well as the regalia and all their appurtenances, the procedure in detail being as follows:—
As soon as the King is seated, the High Priest of Siva advances to the front of His Majesty and, after rendering due homage, pronounces a set of Sanskrit Mantras called the “Opening of the Portals of Kailasa,’ the substance of which is an eulogy of Siva, the Lord of Kailasa, and may be found in full in the appendix. The Priest then offers homage, &c., in Pali as translated in the following words[3], at the same time handling the golden tablet.
“May it please Your Majesty to grant me leave to address Your Majesty! Since Your Majesty has received full anointment and become the King of Siam, we therefore beg in unanimity to present Your Majesty Your full style and title as engraved upon this tablet of gold as also to hand to Your Majesty these regalia befitting Your high dignity. May Your Majesty to be known by that style and accept these regalia. Having done so, may Your Majesty take upon Yourself the business of government, and, for the good and happiness of the populace, reign on in righteousness!”
The King says, also in Pali,—
“Be it so, Brahmin.”
The Pali dialogue is again repeated in Siamese.
The priest now takes the Royal Crown from the bearer in the procession and hands it to the King, who puts it on his head, thereby signalising the supreme moment of this Coronation. Salutes will be fired, and the usual music and fanfare will resound in the palace, and in the whole Kingdom. Buddhist priests, awaiting the other parts of the Chief Residence, will recite the Blessing. The High Priest of Siva will go on to hand other regalia to His Majesty, whilst the High Priest of Vishnu will hand him the ninetiered White Umbrella of State, the symbol of authority, with a similarly constructed speech, to which the King will make an almost identical reply, with again Siamese repetition. A Brahmin priest will then chant hymns in praise of Siva with accompanying music on ceremonial instruments, viz. conches, Pandava drums, metal drums and the gong of Victory. Another Brahmin priest will chant hymns in praise of Vishnu, with the usual accompaniments on ceremonial instruments. At the conclusion of this, all Brahmin priests will render homage before His Majesty, and the High Priest of Siva, kneeling in front, will thus pronounce a final benediction:—
“May His Majesty, the Supreme Lord, who now reigns over the kingdom here, triumph over all and everywhere always.”
His Majesty will pronounce his first command as a fully anointed and crowned king thus:—
“Brahmins, now that I have assumed the full responsibility of government, I shall reign in righteousness for the good weal of the populace. I extend my royal authority over yon and your goods and your chattels, and as your sovereign do hereby provide for your righteous protection, defence and keeping Thust me and live at ease.”
The High Priest of Siva will be the first man to formally receive the King’s command thus:—
“I do receive the first command of Your Majesty.”
The symbolism all through this ceremony is, in the author’s opinion, clearly along the lines of an assumption that the chief deities, especially Siva, are invited down to the Earth to become merged in the person of the crowned king. Hence the hymn “Opening the Portals of Kailasa,” by way of an invitation; the anushtubh hymns in praise of the two high gods; the presence among the regalia of such articles as the Brahmin girdle of strings (พระสังวาลพราหมณ์ธุรำ), Vishnu’s discus, and Siva’s trident, &c.; the epithet, within the full style of the king, of the “Incarnation of celestial gods” (Dibyadebavatara); and finally the use of the mystic contraction, referring to the Hindu Trinity in the phrase “Omkara,” to denote the command of the crowned king, whereas before coronation his command never ranked as an Omkara.
Being now fully crowned, the King will symbolically scatter riches and plenty, represented by gold and silver flowers and coins among the Brahmins, a process which he will again repeat later during his progress from the hall of audience. He will now pour out a libation as a vow of his undertaking to take up the reins of government for the good of all; and then, doffing the crown, will proceed up the residence chamber, with chamberlains and pages bearing the regalia after him. here the King will receive the first royal blessing from the Prince Patriarch, in full assembly of the clergy who have been taking part since the 22nd inst.
At 1 p.m. the King will receive homage of the Royal Family and the official world. The occasion will be on a full ceremonial scale, guards of honour lining the grounds within the Palace, the King’s mount fully caparisoned, the royal Elephant ready at the mounting platform on the outer walls of the Hall of Amarindra. Princes of the Blood Royal, the Diplomatic Corps and the whole officialdom will await His Majesty in the Hall of Amarindra where at the time stated, curtains at the south end will be drawn, and the King already seated upon the Throne under the ninetiered White Umbrella of State will receive the homage of all assembled.
Thereupon Field Marshal His Royal Highness Prince Bhanurangsi will read an address of congratulation and formal avowal of loyalty in the name of the assemblage, to which the King will reply thanking and enjoining all to carry on the government in their respective spheres as heretofore, assuring at the same his readiness to see and hear every official as far as opportunity allows for the carrying out of his respective duties. The curtain will again be drawn, and the King will retire to the inner Hall of Audience. The Lord Privy Seal will read a proclamation of investiture, by which the King, now fully crowned and hereby empowered, raises his royal consort to sovereign rank. The King will anoint Her Majesty with consecrated water from the royal conch and invest her with paraphernalia of rank, including the insignia of the Royal Family Order of the House of Chakri. The Queen will now sit by side of His Majesty. They will then receive the congratulations of the ladies, to which the King will make a reply thanking all and again giving the customary permission of access of his person. Their Majesties will then retire.
At 4 p.m. the King, seated on a palanquin of State, will make a state-progress to the Chapel Royal of the Emerald Buddha, where, in full congregation of the higher clergy of the Kingdom, he will make a formal declaration of his religion and his willingness to become the “Upholder of the Faith” in the following formula.
“My Lords! Whereas being a believer and one pleased (with the religion of the Buddha), having taken refuge in the Trinity in due form, and now having been anointed in sovereignty, I therefore give myself up to the Buddha, the Lore and the Brotherhood; I shall provide for the righteous protection, defence and keeping of the Buddhist Religion. If agreeable, my Lords, may the Brotherhood recognise me as ‘Upholder of the Buddhist Faith.’”
The whole clergy will then signify their acceptance.
The president of the Sacerdotal Chapter will then pronounce the supreme blessing as follows:—
“May the Great King Paraminda Maha Prajadhipok of Siam live to a full century of years in happiness and good health. May all his duties and deeds be crowned with success, may wealth and victory be his forever!”
The King will then proceed in full state to the Hall of Dusit where he and the Queen will render homage to the memory of their august predecessors as well as before the remains of his late Majesty in presence of the Royal Family, and officials of state. During his royal progress to the Chapel, Foreign Representatives and the Diplomatic Corps will be accommodated in the Sahadaya Reception Hall, where they will be able to see the procession. The leading members will then enter the Chapel and await His Majesty in their respective places.
The above will terminate the public ceremony for the day.
For the King, however, there is still the assumption of the Royal Residence to be gone through. It will be remembered that for the past three days there have been services of benediction in all three parts of the Chief Residence, to consecrate the water of anointment as well as to bless the various buildings, more especially the residence section of Chakrabarti Biman. All these having been accomplished, their Majesties will proceed to the State Bedchamber in the Residence of Chakrabarti Biman attended by young ladies of the Royal Family bearing various articles of personal and domestic use, as already referred to above (p. 4). Their Majesties Queen Sawang Vadhana, and Queen Sukhumal, as senior relatives of the King, will hand to His Majesty the whisk of the white Elephant’s tail and a golden bunch of Areca Flowers, and then Her Excellency Thao Varagananand, one of the senior Dames of the Palace, will also hand to His Majesty a golden key, the symbolic inference of which being that the King is now entrusted with the royal residence and the private treasury therein. The King will then lie down formally on the royal couch and receive blessing from the two Queens.
On the 26th February at 4 p.m. the King will receive in audience the special envoys and the diplomatic corps, who will submit an address of congratulations in the Hall of Chakri, after which the King will repair to the Hall of Amarindra, where he will hand royal letters patent to three priests, one each from a chief section of the Clergy, namely the Mahanikaya, the Dharmayutika, and the Mon, promoting them to the rank of abbot, by way of the first act of grace after his coronation. He will then receive traditional offerings of flowers, incense and candles from members of the Royal Family and officials of State. The Right Reverend Phra Sasanasobhon, Lord Abbot of Debisirindhara Monastery and Deputy Archbishop of the Dharmayutika Section, will then deliver a sermon of Benediction which will conclude the day’s proceedings.
The next day (27 February) is also set apart from a further reception of similar offerings from officials of State in the Hall of Amarindra, where the Supreme patriarch will also deliver another sermon on the ten virtues of a king, &c.
On the 1st March, the King will make a state progress through the Capital to pay his respects and worship at the principal shrines namely the Bovoranivesana and Jetubon monasteries where the Buddhist clergy will await and receive His Majesty.
The royal procession will star from the Grand Palace by way of the Vises Jayasri gate in the following order:—
แม่แบบ:จดหมายเหตุบรมราชาภิเษกพระบาทสมเด็จพระปกเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัวฯ/๑๔๖/๓
On the 3rd March the King will proceed to the Royal Landing by way of the gate opposite to the Hall of Dusit. At the landing pavilion there will be accommodations for the Royal Family, while tents will be put up along the river front, to seat members of the Diplomatic Corps, the officials of state and the general public. The King and Queen will witness the process of the state barges filing past until the Royal Barge comes to along the landing. His Majesty will then embarks, and, donning the personal Kathin crown, seat himself under the golden canopy (บุษบก) attended by their Excellencies the Minister of the Royal Household and the Chief Aide-de-Camp General as well as by chamberlains bearing the regalia, &c. The state barge will then proceeded down the river and cross over to the Monastery of Arun where the King will worship at the principal shrine and then return in the same manner to the Royal Landing and thence into the Grand Palace.
แม่แบบ:จดหมายเหตุบรมราชาภิเษกพระบาทสมเด็จพระปกเกล้าเจ้าอยู่หัวฯ/๑๔๖/๔
- ↑ Originally “up on.” — [Note by Wikisource].
- ↑ Attention should perhaps be called here of the historian or student of mythology that the “Guardians of the Quarters” here invoked are, in accordance with the tradition Buddhist idea of Hindu mythology. That is to say Dhataratha (East), Virulhaka (South), Virupakkha (West) and Kuvera (North); the subsidiary quarters in between are entrusted to the respective followings of the above four, i.e. Bhuta or genii (south-east), Deva or celestials (south-west), Naga or serpents (north-west), Yakkha or giants (north-east). Classical Hindu mythology is of course rather different. This phenomenon may be of some use for researches into the date of this ceremony in Siam. — [Original note].
- ↑ Originally “astrandstrated in ated following words.” — [Note by Wikisource].