A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF COSMOLOGICAL SPATIAL STRUCTURES IN TRAIBHUM PHRA RUANG AND SHAN HAI JING

Abstract

This research article aims to: 1) examine the cosmological spatial structures in Traibhum Phra Ruang and the Shan Hai Jing; 2) compare the cosmological spatial structures between the two texts; and 3) compare the characteristics of spatial organization based on socio-cultural meanings presented in both works. Employing a qualitative research methodology via comparative literary analysis, this study utilizes conceptual frameworks from anthropology, religion, and imaginative geography. Primary data were analyzed from Traibhum Phra Ruang and the Shan Hai Jing, alongside secondary data. The comparative findings are synthesized into three main aspects: 1) the structural and physical dimensions of the cosmological spaces; 2) the mechanisms of spatial organization based on belief systems and social values; and 3) the ideological implications and power structures embedded within these spaces. The results reveal that: 1) Traibhum Phra Ruang presents a vertical spatial framework centered around Mount Meru, whereas the Shan Hai Jing presents a horizontal spatial framework extending from a real center of geography to mythological realms; 2) Traibhum Phra Ruang assigns realms by linking spatial positions to mental states and levels of merit, whereas the Shan Hai Jing expands outward from familiar landscapes and resources to remote, supernatural territories, reflecting how ancient humans sought to comprehend nature and the unfamiliar; and 3) Traibhum Phra Ruang structures space through an "ethical vertical axis," establishing the political legitimacy of rulers via the status of a righteous king (Dhammaraja), while the Shan Hai Jing structures space through a "boundary-of-knowledge horizontal axis" extending from a "cultural center" to "the other," enabling rulers to claim authority and legitimacy to govern through rituals and the mastery of such geographical knowledge.