Mālaka (Māḷaka)

a circular (consecrated) enclosure, round, yard (cp. Geiger, Mvu. trsl. 99: “m. is a space marked off and usually terraced within which sacred functions were carried out. In the Mahāvihāra (Tiss’ ārāma) at Anurādhapura there were 32 mālakas; Dpvs.xiv.78; Mhvs.15, Mhvs.192. The sacred Bodhi-tree e.g. was surrounded by a malaka”)-The word is peculiar to the late (Jātaka-) literature & is not found in the older texts
■ Ja.i.449 (vikkama˚), Ja.iv.306; Ja.v.49 (visāla˚), Ja.i.138 (id., spelling maḷaka) Mhvs.15, Mhvs.36 (Mahā-mucala˚); Mhvs.16, Mhvs.15; Mhvs.32, Mhvs.58 (sanghassa kamma˚, encl. for ceremonial acts of the S., cp. 15, 29) Dhp-a.iv.115 (˚sīmā); Vism.342 (vitakka˚).

fr. māla or māḷa