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Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (study)

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

This page relates ‘Daily Life (3): Perfumes� 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.

Daily Life (3): Perfumes

It is interesting to observe that ś mentions the words dealing with sensory perceptions like taste, perfume etc. in the Dhī varga as they are percieved by the sense organs only with the help of intellect or the brain.

ś gives many words to denote good smell in varied senses as�fragrance, perfume, scent etc. ś mentions parimala[1] in the sense of a pleasing scent, 峾ǻ岹[2] as intense and far spreading scent, 첹ṣ�[3] is a wide spreading scent and surabhi, ghrāṇatarpaṇa, iṣṭagandha and sugandhi denote fragrance in general while 峾ǻī is a mouth freshener. Interesting remarks of ṣīr峾:

(a) Parimala (I. 4. 10; p. 40)�

[Pleasing scent:]

ṣīr峾 explains the term Parimala as:

“The pleasant fragrance obtained when the fragrant substances, flowers or sandal is pound”�

surabhimālyagandhādiparimardanotpanno hṛdyo Ի� 貹� |

(b) Āǻī (I. 4. 11; p. 40)�

[Mouth freshener:]

ś gives 峾ǻī and ܰ󲹱Բ as words denoting mouthfreshener. Here the commentator gives the two popular views or denotations of the word ܰ󲹱Բ.

According to some it is that which perfumes the mouth and in the opinion of 岵ܰ it is the perfume of the mouth-freshener

ܰ� vāsayatyanulimpati ܰ󲹱Բ� mukhavāsayogya ityeke mukhavāsasyāguruvāsana iti 岵ܰ� ⲹٲ� 峾ǻ nityo'syāsti | ānye dvau dvau bhinnāvāhu� |

ś mentions a variety of aromatic plants and trees and their products used as perfumes: śī–sڴڰDz, ṣ�–L, ṅg–cDZ, ⲹ첹–yellow fragrant wood, ṃśi–Gdz, aguru–black gallocam, ⲹṣdū貹–r, ṛkū貹–compounded perfume, ٳܰṣk–IԳԳ, ⲹٱԳپԱ, ṛg–mܲ, kolakamBdellium, 첹ūcamphor, Ի󲹲–sandal wood, 貹ٰṅg–red sander, īś–m, ⲹṣa첹岹perfumed paste, ٰԳܱ貹ībody perfume, ūṇapowder. Only those with novel ideas presented by ṣīr峾 are dealt with in this section:

(c) ṅg첹 (II. 6. 126; p. 160):

ṣīr峾 observes that ṅg첹 is used in making perfumes and is a product of mountains. He quotes Śśٲ who opines that pravara, loha and ⲹᲹ are other synonyms: ṅg첹� girijam | āhuśca -āgarupra� dz� kṛmijagdhamⲹᲹmiti śśٲ� |

(d) ī첹[4] (II. 6. 124)�

[Saffron:]

It was also used for its fragrance and unguent property. It was also denoted as ī첹 which ṣīr峾 opines indicates the country where it is obtained.

Justifying this view he cites from 鲹ܱṃśa (IV. 67) the journey of Raghu’s victory over the northern region where saffron is mentioned to grow in plenty.

ī첹śᲹ� ī첹� yadraghoruttarādigvijaye durdhūvurvājina� skandhāllagnaṅkܳkesarān |

鲹’s horses which had lessened their fatigue by turning from side to side on the banks of river Sindhu, shook their shoulders to which clung the filaments of saffron.

ṣīr峾 also includes ṇy to the list and it is ܲṛṇ in ٱśī:

ṇy� ca | ܲṛṇ� deśyām |

(e) ճܰṣk[5] and ʾṇḍ첹 (II. 6. 128; p. 160):

ṣīr峾 observes this to be a kind of incense originating in the Yavana or foreign country.

The 辱ṇḍ첹 is a compound incense as explained by ṣīr峾�

辱ṇḍko dravyāntarai� saha 辱ṇḍٲ� svarūpānna cyavate |

The ṛhٲṃh dealing with preparation of perfumes (LXXVII. 9) mentions 辱ṇḍ variety of incense which is made of Ჹṭāmṃs, , ٳܰṣk, nakha and candana:

ānyo māṃsībālakaٳܰṣknakhacandanai� 辱ṇḍ� |

(f) վ貹ṇ� (II. 6. 132; p. 161):

վ貹ṇ� is a variety of sandal used for perfume. ṣīr峾 describes that the leaves resemble the seasamum and hence named so.

He further adds that according to some it is a product from the river�

tilasyeva parṇānyasyā� tilaparṇ� Բī ākaro'syā ityeke |

(g) ۲ṣa첹岹 (II. 6. 133; p. 161):

ś mentions that a perfumed paste called ⲹṣa첹岹[6] with ingredients of 첹ū, agaru, 첹ٳܰī and 첹ṅkDZ were prepared. ṣīr峾 remarks that this paste was a favourite of the ⲹṣa. He further observes that the Ā include another substance namely the ṅkܳ and cites Dhanvantari Nighaṇṭu (VII. 25) which adds all these except candana instead of 첹ṅkDZ.

Probably it was used for special occasions�

etai� piṇḍīkṛtairyakṣapriya� 貹ṅk� | saṅkܳirityagama� dhanvantaristu—kuṅkumāguru첹ūī첹ū� Ի岹Բ� tathā mahāsugandhamityukta� nāmato ⲹṣa첹岹� |

(h) ղپ� (II. 6. 133; p. 161):

The body perfumes were also popular among people as پ� which ṣīr峾 remarks was used more by the actors�vartirhi naṭādau |

(i) ūṇa (II. 6. 134; p. 161):

ṣīr峾 explains that the ūṇa was a kind of perfume generally smeared over the dress�

ūṇa� paṭavāsādikṣoda� |

The ṛhٲṃh (LXXVII. 12) describes the preparation of ṭa(some read it as 貹ṭa) perfume for clothes thus–Take equal quantities of tvak (woody casca), śī and patra and half of the above of small cardamoms and pound them together into fine powder. This is an excellent toilette powder.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

parimalo gandhe jana manohare |

[2]:

峾ǻ岹� so'tinirhārī |

[3]:

첹ṣ� tu nirhārī |

[4]:

śīᲹԳ岵Ծś� ī첹-pītane |

[5]:

ٳܰṣk� 辱ṇḍ첹� sihlo yāvanopyatha ⲹ� | ṛt -ٳܰṣkdeśe 󲹱� ٳܰṣk� | pā - yavanadeśyadhupadravyanāmāni |

[6]:

첹ū岵ܰ 첹ūī 첹ṅkDZir ⲹṣa첹岹� |

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