Nighantu (critical study)
by Gopalakrishna N. Bhat | 1985 | 71,168 words
This is an English study of the Nighantu and its commentary called the Nirukta by Yaska. The Nighantu is an ancient Sanskrit lexicon dealing with the words of the Vedic language. This essay presents a detailed analysis of the extant five chapters of this text and examines it's authorship, tracing meanings of words through Vedic texts by providing a...
Part 4 - Bahunamani (Bahu Nama)
Yaska The following twelve words are synonyms of arm, derives the word bahu (arm), He says "it is so called because they perform various actions with them. n 2 1. Avati: The word with its forms occurs in fourteen places. Nowhere it is used in the sense of arm. It is used as a participle i.e. agacchanti (e.g. I.191.2; IX.69.1). 2. Cyavana: The word with its forms occurs in twelve places. Nowhere it is used in the sense assigned. In eight places the word is used in the sense of a sage called Cyavana. The form cyavana which occurs in one place (VI.62.7), is used as participle gacchantau (asvinau). The word gyavanah is listed in the IVth Chapter (Nigh.4.1:38). 3. Abhisu: Its form abhisun iva occurs once (VI. 57.6) in the sense of rays. 2. 1. ayati 2. cyavana 3. abhise 4. apanevana 5. vinaitau 6 garbhasti 7. nau garbhasti 7. karamnau 8 bahu 9. 10. ज़ि²õ³Ù¾± 8 ksipati /devaraja 11. bahuh kasmat | prabadhata abhyam karmani 8. bai 1 . bhurijau sakveri 12. bharineh 1. niru . 3.8. 7
293 4. Apnavana: Its two forms occur once each. Apnavanah in IV.7.1 is interpreted as a sage who is related to Bhrgu. The form apnavana vat occurs in VIII. 102.4; it is interpreted as yatha apnavanah tatha (i.e. Bhargavah prayogah). L 5. Vinangrsau: The word occurs only once in the form of vinangrsah in IX. 72.3. It is explained as vinam kamaniyam stotramn grhnatiti vinamqrsah stota. 6. Gabhasti: The word with its forms occurs in thirty two places. In all the places it is used in the sense of arm or hand. In 1.54.4 Sayana gives alternative meanings, hand or rays (hasten grahitam yadva gabhastih iti rasminama tadvatim). The form gabhastayah is listed as the synonym of rays; (Nigh.1.5.7), and included also in the list of angulinamani (Nigh.2.5.22). 7. Karasnau: Its forms karsno and karasnam occur in three places (i.e. III.18.5; VI. 19.3; I.161.12). In all the places it is used in the sense assigned. 8. Bahu: The word and its forms occur in fifty nine places. It is used in the sense assigned. Bahu is explained
1 in two places, figuratively. 3 3 This word should have been 294 listed at the top. 9. Bhurijau: (Bhurijau): The forms bhurijah and bhurijoh occur in four places (IV.2.14, IX.26.4; 71.5; VII.4.16). In all the places the word is used in the sense of arm. 10. Keipasti: The word does not occur in any of the Vedas. 11. Sakvari: Its form Sakvarisu occurs in two places. In VII.33.4 it is interpreted as rksu; and in X.71.11 it is explained as roah in nominative plural (sakvaryah roah tasu). (Dayanandasarasvati interpretes the word as 'strong army'). rcal � 1 4 12. Bharitre: Its form bharitraih occurs in III.36.7. It is interpreted in the sense assigned. form: The above discussion may be summarised in a tabular 3. r. 1.95.7. bahusthaniyan khaminudgamayati 1 4. r. 10.142.5. bahubhyam, bahusthaniyaih jvalasamuhaih | r . 3. 36.7, karmakaranartham padartham bibhatiti bharitra bahavah | taih | c
295 No. Word No.of times used in RV. No.of times used in the sense assigned 1. Ayati 14 2. Cyavana 12. 3. Abhigu 1 4. Apravana 2 5-* Vinangrsau 1 6. Gabhasti 32 32 7. Karasnau 3 3 8. Bahu 59 59 9. Bhurijau 4 4 1 10. Ksipasti 11. Sakvari 2 To summarise the discussion, it may be pointed out that one word is not used in the Vedas. Out of eleven, seven words are not used in the sense assigned; that too the first five. Except two words, the words which occur here, are used less than fifteen times.