ཚོང་དཔོན་བུ། | Glossary of Terms

The term śreṣṭhin and its Pāli equivalent seṭṭi have undergone a particular development in Buddhism. The Tibetan translation “merchant” or “owner of merchandise” (tshong dpon) reflects that śreṣṭhin later came to be associated with traders, merchants, and also moneylenders. However, in Sanskrit the term literally means “distinguished,” and an older survey of the term shows that it implies a kind of nobleman of influential social standing who has both access to wealth and a close association with the king. For a more detailed history on the development of this term, see Chakravarti (1996), chapter 3, particularly pp. 73–79.