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Essay name: Nighantu (critical study)

Author: Gopalakrishna N. Bhat
Affiliation: Karnatak University / Department of Sanskrit

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 comparative study involving Sayana's interpretations and connections with other texts like Amarakosa.

Chapter 3 - First Adhyaya (chapter) of the Nighantu (study)

Page:

101 (of 242)


External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)


Download the PDF file of the original publication


Warning! Page nr. 101 has not been proofread.

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124 11
in
14. Sunrta: The word occurs with its other forms'
forty one places. In twenty four places the word is inter-
preted as adjective to vaāk or stuti (i.e. priva satyarupa
vak or stotram). In other nine places sayaṇa explains it
as 'vak' and says that it belongs to vangnama.
However,
it may be pointed out that the word is not listed in vaiga-
nāma. In the commentary on the Rk.X.39.2, Sāyaṇa gives
alternative meaning to the word sunnta� (i.e. vācah usaso vā).
The word sünṛta is used as an adjective to address the
goddess Usas in three places. The word sunṛta is listed in
annanamani (Ni.2.7.24).

The word mainly comes in the rks which are attributed
to goddess Usas. At the dawn, birds, animals, men and all
the creatures start speaking. While explaining that context
the word is used. The word sunrtavan is used in 1.59.7
where it refers to Agni (priya satyavak yukta� agnih).
15. Sūnṛtāvati: The word is used in four (1.22.3;
VII.81.6, 1.92.14 and VII, 74.2) places with its two forms
(1.e. sünṛtāvate and sunṛtāvati). Sāyaṇa explains them
as 'priyasatyavak. But in VII.74.2 he explains the word
stutivate stotre. The words are used mainly as adjective to uṣas.
सू॒नृता॑ सू॒नृता॑मः, सू॒नृता॑ सू॒नृता॑नाम् सुनत� �
-
[sū॒nṛtā� sū॒nṛtā॑ma�, sū॒nṛtā� sū॒nṛtā॑nām sunate |
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]

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