Abstract:
The objectives of this thesis are to analyze the concept of Dharmaraja in royal ceremony literature written in the Rattanakosin period and to investigate literary techniques, both in terms of contents and poetic devices, employed to reinforce Dharmaraja concept effectively. The result of the study reveals that seventy poetical works are divided into three groups namely royal ceremony proclamations, poetry of ritual chants and royal barge songs. Theses works were composed according to three main factors: the status of the works, their function and literary convention. As a result, the contents of royal ceremony literature are mainly the depiction of kings virtues, conducts and duties, paralleled with the contents providing significant information about each ceremony. Embedded in these unified contents are the kings ethical practices, firstly as the Dharmikaraja who upholds Rajadharma and other Buddha Dharma, secondly as the Cakravartin who accomplishes Cakravartivatra and gains the emblems signifying Cakravartin kingship, thirdly as the Bodhisattva who accumulates merit to attain enlightenment with the resolution to help his people, and finally as the Buddhism protector who cherishes Buddhism and the kingdom simultaneously. These ethical practices of Buddhist kings convey two prominent concepts of Dharmaraja: the kings observance of Buddhist doctrines to uphold the whole kingdom onto the path of Buddha Dharma with the kings as the moral models and the kings accomplishment of royal duties for the well-being of all people in the kingdom as well as the stability of the throne. To convey Dharmaraja concept effectively, various poetic devices are employed to enhance the aesthetic values both in sounds and senses. The uses of versification and diction enable the audience to perceive Dharmaraja concept with both appreciation and insight. Royal ceremony literature, therefore, plays an important role in transmitting and establishing Dharmaraja concept as the solid foundation of Thai society.