Editing Apalala

{{Short description|Nāga in Buddhist mythology}}
{{Infobox Buddha
| name                     = Apalāla
| image                    = [[File:Subjugation_of_Naga_Apalala_-_Government_Museum_-_Mathura_2013-02-24_5937.JPG|100px]]
|image caption     =
| sanskrit_name   = अपलाल<br>Apalāla
 | pali_name       = अपलाल<br>Apalāla
 | burmese_name    =
 | chinese_name    = 阿波羅羅龍王<br>([[Pinyin]]: ''Ābōluóluó Lóngwáng'')<br>阿波羅龍王<br>([[Pinyin]]: ''Ābōluóluó Lóngwáng'')
 | japanese_name   = {{ruby-ja|阿波羅竜王|あぱらりゅうおう}}<br>([[romaji]]: ''Apara Ryū-Ō'')
 | karen_name      =
 | khmer_name      =
 | korean_name     = 아파라라용왕<br>([[Revised Romanization of Korean|RR]]: ''Apalala Yongwang'')
 | mongolian_name  =
 | okinawan_name   =
 | shan_name       =
 | thai_name       = พญานาค อะปาลาละ<br>({{rtgs|''Phayanak Apalala''}})
 | tibetan_name    = <big><big>ཀླུའི་རྒྱལ་པོ་སོག་མ་མེད་པ་</big></big><br><small text>Wylie: Klu'i rgyal po sog ma med pa</small>
 | vietnamese_name = Long Vương Ưu Bát La
 | sinhalese_name  =
 | veneration      = [[Theravāda]]*, [[Mahāyāna]], [[Vajrayāna]]
 | attributes      = [[Nāgarāja]]
}}

'''Apalāla''' is a [[water]]-dwelling [[Nāga]] in [[Buddhism|Buddhist mythology]]. It is said that Apalāla lived near the [[Swat River]], this area is currently located in [[Peshawar]], [[Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa]] Province, [[Pakistan]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name="isbn0-393-32211-4" /> He is known to be a [[Nagaraja|Naga King]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/753469/between-buddha-and-naga-king-enter-the-yin-and-yang-of-the-swat-river/|title=Between Buddha and naga king: Enter the yin and yang of the Swat River|date=2014-08-26|website=The Express Tribune|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-12}}</ref>

Apalāla was converted to Buddhism by [[Gautama Buddha|the Buddha]];<ref name="isbn0-393-32211-4">{{cite book |author=Rose, Carol M. |title=Giants, Monsters, and Dragons: An Encyclopedia of Folklore, Legend, and Myth |publisher=W.W. Norton & Company |location=New York |year=2001 |pages= 22|isbn=0-393-32211-4 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=GKrACS_n86wC&dq=Apalala&pg=PA22}}</ref> this is one of the most popular legends in Buddhist [[Folklore|lore]] and [[art]].<ref name="Hastings">{{cite book|last=Hastings|first=James|title=Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics|publisher=Charles Scribner's & Sons|year=1922|pages=127|isbn=978-0-567-06512-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UD8TAAAAYAAJ&dq=Apalala&pg=PA127}}</ref><ref name="isbn140273543x">{{cite book |author=Matthews, John O. |title=The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: The Ultimate A-Z of Fantastic Beings From Myth and Magic (The Element Encyclopedia) |publisher=Sterling |location=New York |year=2005 |pages= 32|isbn=1-4027-3543-X |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=YPhztQ1VU1QC&dq=Apalala&pg=PA32}}</ref> The [[Narrative|tale]] is often told to children of Buddhist parents for them to learn their happiness lies in the Buddhist faith.{{Citation needed|date=July 2008}}

==In Buddhist texts==

The story of Apalāla's conversion ([[Pali]]: ''Apalāladamana'') does not seem to be found in the [[Pali Canon]], although his name does appear with other beings that honor the Buddha.

The [[Samantapasadika|Samantapāsādikā]] mentions that this story was among those not included in the Three Councils. It is evidenced that it was known in [[Sri Lanka]] as it is mentioned among the scenes depicted in the relic-chamber of the [[Ruwanwelisaya|Mahāthūpa]]. The [[Divyavadana|Divyāvadāna]] also mentions that Apalāla's conversion took place shortly before the Buddha's [[parinirvana|death]].

==Notes==
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[[Category:Asian dragons]]
[[Category:Buddhist legendary creatures]]
[[Category:Nāgas]]

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