Vaŋsa [Vedic vaŋśa reed, bamboo (R.V.)] 1. a bamboo Sn 38 (vaŋso visālo va; vaŋso expld at Nd2 556 as "veḷugumba," at SnA 76 as "veḷu"), ibid. (˚kaḷīra);

J vi.57; Vism 255 (˚kaḷīra); KhA 50 (id.). -- 2. race, lineage, family A ii.27 (ariya˚ of noble family); S v.168 (caṇḍāla˚); J i.89, 139; iv.390 (caṇḍāla˚); v.251 (uju˚); Mhvs 4, 5 (pitu -- ghātaka -- vaŋso a parricidal race). -- 3. tradition, hereditary custom, usage, reputation Miln 148 (ācariya˚), 190 (Tathāgatānaŋ); KhA 12 (Buddha˚); Dpvs 18, 3 (saddhamma˚ -- kovidā therā). -- vaŋsaŋ nāseti to break family tradition J v.383; vaŋsaŋ ucchindati id. J v.383; or upacchindati Jiv.63; opp. patiṭṭhāpeti to establish the reputation J v.386. -- 4. dynasty Mhvs 36, 61 (kassa v. ṭhassati). -- 5. a bamboo flute, fife Miln 31; VvA 210. -- 6. a certain game, at D i.6 in enumn of pastimes and tricks (caṇḍālavaŋsa -- dhopana), a passage which shows an old corruption. Bdhgh at DA i.84 takes each word separately and expls vaŋsa as "veṇuŋ ussāpetvā kīḷanaŋ" (i. e. a game consisting in raising a bamboo; is it climbing a pole? Cp. vaŋsa -- ghatikā "a kind of game" Divy 475), against Dial. i.9 "acrobatic feats by Caṇḍālas." Cp. J iv.390 in same passage. Franke (Dīgha trsln) has "bamboo -- tricks"; his conjecture as "vaŋsa -- dhamanaŋ," playing the bamboo pipe (cp. Miln 31: "vaŋsadhamaka"), as oldest reading is to be pointed out. <-> On vaŋsa in similes see J.P.T.S. 1907, 134.

 -- āgata come down fr. father to son, hereditary Mhvs 23, 85. -- ânupālaka guarding tradition Sdhp 474 (ariya˚). -- ânurakkhaka preserving the lineage, carrying on the tradition J iv.444; Vism 99 (+paveṇi -- pālaka); DhA iii.386. -- coraka N. of a certain kind of reed (cp. coraka: plant used for perfume) Jv.406 (C. for veḷuka). -- ja belonging to a race Mhvs 1, 1 (suddha˚). -- ñña born of good family A ii.27. -- dhara upholding tradition Miln 164. -- dharaṇaid. Miln 226. -- nalaka bamboo reed KhA 52, 59 (with note Sn Index p. 870: naḷaka). -- nāḷa id. Miln 102. -- rāga the colour of bamboo, a term for theveḷuriya gem J iv.141. -- vaṇṇa the veḷuriya gem Abhp 491.