relative pronoun sang, which has the sense, in this case, of a definite article, is placed before it.
Thus sangywang guru is the same as batara guru.... It is probably the same word also which
forms the last part of a word in extensive use, sâmbahayang, ‘worship or adoration.’”—
Crawfurd, Mal. Grammar, p. cxcviii. To this I may add that the form ywang, when used by the
Peninsular Malays, becomes “yang,” sangyang being also found.
Another (and probably better) etymology of batara is given by Favre and Wilken, viz. Sanskr.
bhattara, “lord.” ↑
8
To these should perhaps be added dewa, mambang (?), and sa-raja (or sang raja), if Mr.
Wilkinson’s explanation of this last expression be taken as correct. And in any case its use in
combination with guru appears to warrant its classification with the titles applied to the greater
deities. It is also, however, used, like sang, of inferior deities and even of animals (e.g. in a
“Spectre Huntsman” charm) we find “Lansat, sa-raja anjing, etc.” Dewa is used
indiscriminately (occasionally in conjunction with mambang) both of the greater and lesser
divinities. Thus we not unfrequently find such expressions as Dewa Bisnu (i.e. Vishnu), dewa
mambang, dewa dan mambang, etc.; and we are expressly told that they (the Dewas) “are so
called because they are immortal.” Mambang (per se) is said to be similarly used, not only of
greater (vide App. xvii.), but of lesser divinities, and “Mambang Tali Harus,” god of mid-
currents, has even been explained as referring to Batara Guru (Shiva). This, however, is no
doubt an instance of confusion, as it generally appears to be used with the “colour” attributes
(e.g. M. puteh, White; M. hitam, Black; M. kuning, Yellow) usually assigned to the inferior
divinities; and, moreover, in an invocation addressed to the sea-spirit, the “god of mid-
currents” is requested to forward a message to Dato’ Rimpun ʿAlam, which appears to be
merely another name for Batara Guru, the reason given for the preferment of this request being
that he is in the habit of “visiting the Heart of the Seas” in which ’Toh Rimpun ʿAlam dwells
(the title of the latter being perhaps taken from the tree, Pauh Janggi). ↑
9
Footnote supra. Sambu (Sambhu, the Auspicious One) is merely another name for Shiva
(rarely of Brahma), and its application to the crocodile-spirit would appear to indicate that this
latter was, formerly, at least, regarded as an embodiment of that supreme god’s manifestation
as a water-god. It is worth while to compare this with the expression “’Toh Panjang Kuku,”
which is applied to the corresponding manifestation of the supreme god on land, and which
strongly suggests the tiger.
“Most of the theological words of this list [printed in App. xiv.] are Sanskrit, and afford proof
sufficient, if any were needed, of the former prevalence of the Hindu religion among the
Malays and Javanese. Many of them are more or less corrupted in orthography, owing to the