Ananda Thuriya

Ananda Thuriya (, ; also spelled Anantathuriya; d. 1174) was a senior minister to kings Sithu I, Narathu and Naratheinkha of the Pagan Dynasty of Myanmar. He is best remembered in Burmese history for the poem he wrote for King Sithu II, just a few minutes before his execution, titled ''The Law of Nature''. The extant poem, likely a result of a 14th-century update, is considered to be the first known instance of poetry in Burmese as well as monarchical criticism.

Brief

The future minister, whose personal name is lost to history, began his career as a royal attendant at the palace of King Sithu I (r. 1112–67) in Pagan (Bagan). Descended from a line of royal attendants,MSK Vol. 9 1975: 166 he attended to the children of Prince Narathu, including Naratheinkha and Sithu II.Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 316 He was a tutor to Naratheinkha.Harvey 1925: 54

The attendant entered the upper echelons of power in 1151 when the king promoted him to serve as a royal adviser/minister (''amat'' ( my-Mymr, အမတ်)), with the title of Ananda Thuriya.Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 118–119 The appointment certainly was not a routine matter as ministers of the day were usually drawn from more distant branches of the royal family.Aung-Thwin 1985: 130–131 Royal chronicles say that Crown Prince Min Shin Saw vigorously opposed the appointment because of the attendant's commoner origins.(Maha Yazawin Vol. 1 2006: 202), (Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 118–119) and (Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 303): Sithu I permitted Ananda Thuriya to wear an attire reserved for senior princes; when the crown prince saw Ananda Thuriya in the princely attire, the prince forced the commoner to change the attire right away; and when the king heard of what happened, a heated argument began between the king and the crown prince, which eventually led to the exile of the crown prince to the north. He may have also viewed Ananda Thuriya as too close to his younger brother and rival Narathu. At any rate, Min Shin Saw lost the power struggle, and was exiled.Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 303

In the following years, Narathu became the '' de facto'' heir-apparent, and Ananda Thuriya's career continued to rise alongside his patron's.Hmannan Vol. 2003: 304 He became a senior minister in 1167 after Narathu had seized the throne by assassinating both Sithu I and Min Shin Saw. Ananda Thuriya continued to serve in the role when Narathu's eldest son and his former pupil Naratheinkha became king in 1171. In 1174, Ananda Thuriya became ensnared in a power struggle between Naratheinkha and his younger brother Crown Prince Narapati. Chronicles say that the king tried to remove the crown prince because he coveted his brother's "exotically beautiful" consort Weluwaddy. The younger brother, who was commander-in-chief of the army, learned of the plan, and instead had the elder brother assassinated, and seized the throne.Hmannan Vol. 1 2003: 313–315

The younger brother, now King Sithu II, considered Ananda Thuriya too close to his brother, and ordered the execution of the aged courtier. At the execution site, Ananda Thuriya wrote a four-stanza poem to be presented to the king, titled ''The Law of Nature'', which was written only a few minutes before his execution. Sithu II pardoned the minister immediately after having read the poem. But it was too late: he was informed that the old minister had already been executed. Chronicles say that the king sobbed uncontrollably before everyone, and was filled with regret, reminiscing how he was raised by the late minister. The king now decreed that his death sentences from then on were to be carried out only after a cooling-off period of a month.Hmannan Vol. 2003: 317

''The Law of Nature''

''The Law of Nature'' was written in the ''linka'' ( my-Mymr, လင်္ကာ, ) form, and consists of four stanzas.Harvey 1925: 54–55 The minister is generally credited as the author of the poem but according to a recent analysis, the extant version of the poem was probably written, or at least updated in the 14th century by an unidentified poet.Yazawin Thit Vol. 1 2012: 125, footnote 3 It is considered to be the first known instance of poetry in Burmese vernacularLotus 1967
38–39
"For centuries, it has been claimed that the poet in this poem preached Buddhist doctrines and the virtue of forgiveness. ... Be that as it may, Ananda Thuriya, the first known poet of Burmese vernacular literature, suffered at the hands of an unjust ..." as well as monarchical criticism.Bagley, Kyaw Ei 2009: 273

The following is the English translation by R.F. St. Andrew St. John.

:Yes, he is one who, wealth attained,
:Shall pass away and disappear;
::'Tis, Nature's Law.
:Within his golden palace hall,
:Surrounded by his lords in state,
::He sits serene.
:But king's delights, eddies small
:On ocean's face a moment seen,
::Are but for life.
:Should he show pity, and not slay,
:But set me free, my liberty,
::Is Karma's work.
:Of mortals here the elements
:Last not, but change and fall away;
::It is the Law;
:The sure result of supplicant acts
:Or prayers, I wish not to transfer
::To future lives:

:T' escape this fate, past sins' result,
:Is my desire. Calmly I'll wait.
::My heart is firm.

:Thee, gentle lord, I blameless hold,
:Freely to thee, I pardon give,
::'Tis not thy deed.

:Danger and death are constant foes
:And in this world must ever be:
::It is the Law.

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{{Authority control

Year of birth unknown
1174 deaths
12th-century births
Ministers of Pagan dynasty
Burmese male poets
12th-century Burmese people
12th-century poets
Burmese poets