biliśa (10959)

biliśa
Entry 10959, Page 400, Col. 2

(biliSa, biliSa)
biliśa¦ (so once in Skt. for regular baḍiśa, Suparṇ., pw 4.226; and note Pkt. biḍisa, Sheth; Pali only baḷisa, bal°), fishhook; some form or cpd. of this word is to be read in Mv iii.259.2, for mss. bilaśa (v.l. billaśa)-tāni- kāyetsuḥ, and 260.16 (vs), same reading, except that both mss. read billa° here; evidently a verb is concealed in the end; Senart reads pāṭensuḥ, and before it bila- śatāni, which is impossible. It is possible that bilaśa- (with one ms.) is the true reading, tho it is not recorded anywhere. The phrase follows, both times, that containing kahāpaṇa-māṃsikaṃ (or kārṣāpaṇa°), q.v., while in Pali lists of tortures kahāpaṇakaṃ regularly follows balisa- maṃsikaṃ. It is certain that we must understand some torture by means of fishhooks; should we read biliśa-tāṃ, fishhook-condition, i.e. being torn with fishhooks? The preceding words are much like those quoted as occurring before kahāpaṇa-māṃsikaṃ.