Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society/Volume 82/The founder of Old Singapore
The Founder of Old Singapore.
By R. O. Winstedt.
According to the Sêjarah Mêlayu, (Leyden's "Malay Annals," pp. 20-41) the founder of old Singapore was Sang Nila Utama. He was the grandson of Raja Suran and the son of Sang Sapurba, ruler of Minangkabau, and he had a brother Sang Maniaka. The more scholarly author of the Bustamu's-Salatin made Sang Sapurba, Sang Baniaka and Sang Nila Utama, three brothers, the children of Raja Suran.
It is very probable, as Blagden has suggested (J. R. A. S., S. B. No. 81), that Raja Suran represents a Chula king who was at enmity with Palembang and ravaged Palembang's subject state Kedah.
It is hardly perhaps known to English students that van der Tunk, in his Bataksch Leesbock, IV, pp. 115, has robbed Singapore of its legendary founder by identifying Sang Sapurba, Sang Maninka aud Nila Utama with Suprabta, Tillottama and Menaka, three well-known nymphs (apsaras) of Indra's heaven, who on his orders were sent down to try the weakness of the flesh of religious ascetics. They are mentioned in a Kawi work, called Wiwaha (Kawi-Studien. Arjuna-Wiwaha, Kern, The Hague 1871). van der Tunk thinks that the Hikayat Nila Datia Kuacha, included in Werndly's list of Malay works, or Ht. Datia Nila Kuacha as it should be called, was based on the Wiwaha; the Titan (dailya) Nilakawacha being the hero of the Wiwaha, against whom Indra appealed to Arjuna for help. Cf. Wilkinson's "English-Malay Dictionary" sub Ranjuna.
'Mena' or 'Menaka' and 'Tilottama' may be found in Dowson's "Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology".