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Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (study)

by A. Yamuna Devi | 2012 | 77,297 words | ISBN-13: 9788193658048

This page relates ‘Mythical Informations� of the study on the Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (in English) which represents a commentary on the Amarakosha of Amarasimha. These ancient texts belong the Kosha or “lexicography� category of Sanskrit literature which deals with the analysis and meaning of technical words from a variety of subjects, such as cosmology, anatomy, medicine, hygiene. The Amarakosa itself is one of the earliest of such text, dating from the 6th century A.D., while the Amarakoshodghatana is the earliest known commentary on that work.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

Mythical Informations

(a) ṛpīṭayoni� (I. 1. 53; p. 17):

ṣīr峾 mentions that the Nirukta (II. 7. 24) names more than 100 words for water of which ṛpīṭa is one. Quoting Manu (3. 76) he derives the word to signify 'the source of water, for Manu says whatever is duly offered as sacrifices reaches the sun and in turn returns as rain.

According to some water is the source of fire and they quote Manu (IX. 321) who mentions that fire originated from water:

udakanāmānyuttarāṇyekaśatamiti |
kṛpīṭasyāṃbhaso yonirdhumajatvānmeghānā� āgnau prāstāhuti� saṃyagiti ca |
kṛpīta� yonirasyetyeke | yadāhuḥ�
ādbhyo'gnirbrahmata� kṣatramaśno lihamutthitam |

An outline of creation is presented in the above passage.

(b) Aurva (I. 1. 56; p. 18)�

[Submarine fire:]

ṣīr峾 in deriving the word presents the legend that aurva was the son of urva and records the view of some that he was concealed between the thighs b y his mother fearing ղṇa

urvasyāpatyamaurva� |
varuṇabhayānmātrā ūrvorgopitatvādityeke |

(c) Rākṣasa (I. 1. 60; p. 19)�

[Giant or ghost:]

첹ṣātᲹ is one of the synonyms of giant.

ṣīr峾 remarks that according to , 첹ṣ� was the mother of the ṣa. He also observes that naikaṣeya being other derivation of the same word some mistake it as Kaikaseya�

nikaṣ� rakṣasā� māteti —āt naikaṣabhrāntyākaikaseyamāhu� |

ṣīr峾 adds the term Vithura to denote a giant.

(d) Diggajas (I. 2. 5; p. 23):

Each of the eight quarters were believed to be protected by gods and guarded b y elephants. ś presents the list of elephants guarding each direction. ṣīr峾 observes that the order as given by 岵ܰ and is different.

ṣīr峾 also adds the names of their consorts. All these are presented in the table below:

Lord of direction Diggaja as in ś Consorts as given by ṣīr峾 岵ܰ
Indra
East
屹ٲ Abhramu 屹ٲ 屹ٲ
Agni
South-East
ʳṇḍī첹 ʳṇḍī첹 ܱī첹
Yama
South
峾Բ ʾṅg Kumuda 峾Բ
ṛṛپ
South-West
Kumuda Գܱ貹 ñᲹԲ Kumuda
ղṇa
West
ñᲹԲ 峾첹ṇ� 峾Բ ñᲹԲ

North-West
ʳṣp岹Գٲ Śܲ岹Գī ʳṣp岹Գٲ ʳṣp岹Գٲ
Kubera
North
󲹳ܳ ṅg 󲹳ܳ 󲹳ܳ
Īś
North-East
ܱī첹 ñᲹ屹ī ܱī첹 ʳṇḍī첹


徱ś� dig� |
屹ٲ� ṇḍī첹� ܻܳñᲹԲ峾
iti 岵ܰ� vyatyastavān |
pi—屹ٲḥ supratīka iti |
ṇḍī徱ṇākṛt� ṃjñ etā� ||
첹ṇyDzܰ첹辱辱ṅgԳܱ貹�
|
tāmrakarṇ� śubhradantī cāṅganā cāñjanāvatī |

(e) Anāmikā (II. 6. 82; p. 151)�

[Ring finger:]

Explaining the term [1] the ring finger, ṣīr峾 mentions the legend which states that the ring finger is not worth naming as it was with this that Ś had once plucked the head of .

He further remarks that the same is the reason for purifying this finger, in the rituals�

峾 nāmagrahaṇāyogyā brahmaṇo'Բ śiraśchedanādata evāsyā� 貹ٰ� kriyate |

(f) Vāruṇ� (III. 3. 52; p. 282)�

[Western direction or liqour:]

ś mentions that ṇ� signifies both western direction and liqour[2].

ṣīr峾 explains that since ղṇa was believed to be the presiding deity of the western direction it is also denoted as ṇ�; so also as spiritual liquor is considered to have mythologically originated from the ocean, it earns the name ṇ�[3]

ܰ varuṇādabdherjātā | pratyak īī dik varuṇasyeyamiti |

Footnotes and references:

[back to top]

[1]:

Cf. The popular adage: 첹Ծṣṭ󾱰徱ṣṭ󾱳ٲ ... sārthavatī babhūva |

[2]:

ܰ pratyak ca ṇ� |

[3]:

Cf. Padma Purāṇa: Bhūmikāṇḍa, Ch. 119, 5, 8:

ܰ deva 岹ٲⲹ� ṛt sauhārdamuttamam |
Գٳ� 岵� kṣīramamṛtārtha� samudyatā� ||
mathanāddevadaityanā� kanyāratnacatuṣṭayam |

... sulakṣmīrnāma sā caikā dvitīyā ṇ� tathā |
jyeṣṭhā nāma tathā khyātā kāmodānyā pracakṣate |

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