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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...

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The following fifteen words are listed as the synonyms of rays. 1 92 1. Khedayah: Chandramani vidyalakara, the commentator of Niruktabhasya, says that the synonym of rasmi is kheda and not 'khedayah.' The word 'khedayah' is listed by mistake. The word occurs in three places in two forms. Khedaya VIII.72.8. rasmina yadva atrendra-sabdenagniradityo va. Grhvate VIII, 77.3. rajiva. 2--K 2 Khedama: X.116.4, khidvanam Satrunamuthittaye abhimukhyena. Durga, the commentator of Nirukta, says: khedayante khe ---------gacchanti iti khedayah. (Bhasya on Niru. 2.15 ). 1. 1. khadeyah, 2. kiranah 3. gaveh 4. rasmayeh 5. abhisevah 6. dirghitayah 7. garbhastayah, 8 vanam 1 . 9. ustrah : 14. sadhyahh 15. suparnah | 10. varsavah 8, 11. maricipah 12. mayukhoh 13. saptasayah 2. vedartha dipaka niruktabhasya purvardha prakasaka arsa kanya gurukula narela dilli - 40. 1926. pu . ni . 4. kha sabda ka prayoga ata hai | ne bhi nirvacanadvara veda sabda siddha batalaya hai | aura khadaya ka hi mantra diya hai | veda me trtiyaika vacana vedama, aura khedayah ka nahim | devarajayajva karane hue khedaya ko trtiyaika vacana anyaveda mem nahim ata hai | atah sambhavatah khedaya ki jagaha khedayah prasada se likha gaya hai | patha lekhaka

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2. Kiranah: The word occurs in only two places. It is used in the sense of sun rays. 3 93 3, Gavah; Out of seventy-one places where it is used, it is interpreted in ten places as rays. The other forms of the word are also interpreted in other twenty places as rays. It may be noted that usually the plural form is used in this sense. 4. Rasmayah : The word is used in seventy-two places 5 with its forms in the sense assigned. The word is also used metapherically to mean reigns or ropes in seven places.b forms. 5. Abhisavah: The word is used in six places with its 7 In two places the word is used in the sense } 3. 1.63.1. kiranah surya rasmayah | kiryante vipsante iti viranah | kiranah iva 10.106.4. kiranaviva yathagnyadityakirano 'sarvesa ' prakasanadi dvarena bhogaya bhavatah tadvat | 4. vivaranam - prthivinamani 1.1.1. 86.756. rasmayah, 4.22-8� 5.33.3, 8.32.23. ityadi 5. rasmitu iva, ismih rasmibhih rasmim rasmisu rasme, khamira rasmin'iva | 6. 1. 28.4. rasmin asvabandhanarthan pragrahan | 1.109.3. rasmisabdo rajjavaci | yatha rasmayo dirgha avicchinna bhavanti | evamavicchinnan putrapautradin | abhigudabhih, abhinadhika abhisunam abhisan 'iva |

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94 assigned (V. 4447 VI. 75,6), In two places it is interpreted 8 as reigns. It should be noted that Yaska says "the first five words listed in the synonyms of rays are common synonyms of horse and rays. Ray is so called on account of restraining. g The word is listed in angulinamani (Ni.2.5.20). I.38.12, Sayana interpretes it as angulayah, abhisavah, didhitayah iti tannamasu pathat (N 1.2.5.20). abhisu is listed in bahunamani (Ni. 2.4.3). In And the word 11 10 6. Didhitayah: The word occurs in its forms in eight places. sayana Interpretes differently. The word didhitayah is listed in angulinamani; same is the case with abhisavah (N 1.2.5.20). Yaska says: didhitayah means fingers: they are employed in the performance of actions (Niru.5.10). B. abhisavah 8.33.11. rasmayo'svarasanah | 5.61.2. bandhanarajjavah | 6.57.6. abhisun rasmin asvabandhanarthan yatha karsati tadvat | 9. hainika . 201508 ravimaryamanat | tesamaditah sadharanani pa casvarasmibhih | 10. 10. didhitih, didhitibhih didhitim | 11 a 3.4.36 didhitih stutidiptirva | 5. 18. 4. didhitisa yajnavisayakriya bhavati | 3.31.1. didhitim dhartaram jamataram tatpatitam | 9. 102.1. prakasakam dharakam va sviyam rasam | 8.1.1. didhitibhih angulibhih didhitayom i . gulyo bhavanti | dhiyante karmasu | , ,

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12 7. Gabhastayah: The word in its other forms occurs in thirty two places. Nowhere sayana explains it as rays. He interpretes it either as bahu or as hasta. 95 The word gabhasti-putah occurs in the RV. IX, 86.34. Sayana explains it: bahubhirabhisodhitah. But Durga in I his commentary on Nirukta (5.6) explains it as gabhastiputah eva rasmiputah. 1 13 8. Vanam: The word with its forms occurs in one hundred and thirteen places in the RV. The word occurs in the udakanamani also (N 1.1.12.9). Sayana interpretes the word in eight places in the sense of forest or group of trees. In twenty places he interpretes it as water. He interpretes 14 the word in other senses also. 12. garbhastim, garbhasti itim garbhastiputah, garbhastiputam garbhasti, garbhastyoh | 13. vanasya varna, vana, vano'va, varnat, vananam, vanoni ' vanam, vanebhyah, vane, vanesu vana'vat, ne'jah | 14. 1.24.7. vananiyasya tejasah | 9.96.6, vananam vanati himsakarma | himsakana chedakanam madhye | 9.68.10. vananam | vananiyani yodhanani sunitani 10 23.2. vane | vanyante sambhajyante asmin deva iti vanam yajno'ranyam va | tasmin | ,

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hai 9. Usrah: The words usra and usriva are listed in gonamani (Ni.2.11.2 and 3). 96 15 The word with its forms occurs in thirty eight places in the RV. Sayana interpretes the word in twelve places as ray. In other places the word and its forms are explained with different meanings. 16 17 10. Vasavah: The word occurs with its other forms in fifty three places. Sayana explains the word as vasayitaro devan. In VII. 1. 2. He says vasavah vasaka ye vasisthar. sarvam chadeyan vasunivakurvan. In_RV. I. 174, 1, Sayana explains vasavanah: svate jase And in VIII. 99. 8 vasavanam: dhananyacchadayantam. Yaska says (Niru.12.41) the vasus 15. uttaraya, uाyane, usa, ujada iva | 16. 1.69.5. usah nivasayita | 3.58.4. vasati na bhasityutah suryah | 7.15.8. usah ahani | sa carantyah aingulayah | 9.67.9. usayah | karmakaranartha itastatah 2.39.3. uta | satrunamutsarako gamanasilo va | 4. 45.5. nivasantavasvinau | 10.35.L. papanamutsarini usah | 17. vasavah vasavana, vartavanah, vartavanam vartavanah, vasavai | 1 f

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are so called because they put on every thing. On account of vasu Agni is called vasava... Vasus are the rays of the sun, so called on account of shining forth, hence they are 18 celestial. 11. Maricipah: The forms maricih and maricinam occur in X.58.6 and X.177.1 respectively. as diptih and rasminam respectively. does not occur. Sayana explains these The word maricipah 12. Mayukhah: The word with its form mayukhaih occurs in two places. In RV.X.130,2, sayana says, mayukhah rasmibhutah tasya prajapateh, pranatmakah; and in VII.99.3 mayukhaih parvataih. 13. Saptarsayah: The word with its form saptarsin occurs in two places. Sayana explains them in the sense of 19 seven sages (and rays) and he quotes Nirukta (10.26). Yawka, while explaining the Rk.X.82.2 which is addressed to 18. vasavoyada vivaste sarvam | agnirvasubhirvasava iti samakhya | vasava aditya rasamayi vivasanat | tasmat ghusthanah | 19. 10.109.4. sakhtarsayah | samasasvarah saptasamkhyaka rsayah 10.82.2. saptarsin | saptarsibhyah ityarthah | ... saptasamkhyakebhyah ALANCUTGFU: tesam jyotisam rasminamityarthah | 97 1

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I visvakarman says: ... 'these seven seers i.e., lumanaries. Beyond them is the sun. In him the luminaries become one. This is with reference to the deity.' It should be noted that the word saptarsayah is also listed in the V chapter of the Nighantu (5.6.25). 98 + 20 14. Sadhyah: The word comes in three places. Sayana interpretes it as ancient gods; and he refers to Aitareya Brahmana and Nirukta. Yaska says "having become great they verily enjoyed heaven together, where dwelt the earlier gods who are to be propitiated, i.e., who lead straight to the goal. 'They are group of gods whose sphere is heaven,' say the etymologists. The tradition is that it was the first The word is also listed in 21 epoch of the gods (Niru.12.41). the V chapter (N 1.5.6.28). 20. 1.164.50. ATENT: ATUAIT: TIGHT 4 A 971: 1 karmadeva ityarthah | aditya angirasaca sadhya deva ucyante | "saifa a atCUT GOT: 8 ai. bra . 1.168 10.90.7. sadhyah srstisadhanayogyah prajapati prabhrtayah | 90.16. getamfartSurfanatumt: Gat: 1 21. yatrapurve sadhyastanti devah sadhanah | sthane devagana iti nairuktah | purve devamugamityakhyanam |

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22 15. Suparnah: The word with its forms occurs in thirty six places. In eight places Sayana interpretes it as rays, and in the other places as adjectives or Syena, 23 gayatri, soma, vaira, etc. In two places Sayana interpretes the word as asva (VI.75.1 and IX.86.37). The word is also included in the asvanamani in the Nighantu (1.14.21). The word suparnah is included in the 24 V chapter. (5.4.31). Yaska, in his Nirukta (Niru.3.12) � explains the word while interpreting the Rk.I.164.21. says: 'Birds of beautiful wings i.e., rays of the sun, falling in a beautiful manner'. (Here Durga comments: 'They fall on a bright object which is quite free from He 25 99 22, suparna, suparnah, suparnam, supadhi tum 23. udaharanam | 1.164.21. suparnah supatanah sobhatagamanah 24, rasmayah | adhyatmapaksa atmani sobhanapatanani sva sva visayagrahanaya gama nakusalanindriyani caksuradini .10.114.3. suparna | suparni supattanau jayapati yajamana brahmani va | 9.86.37. suparnyah supatanascasvah | 9.88. 19. supatana ratrayah | 1. 105 1. suparnah | sobhanapatanah | yadva | suparna iti rasminam | susumnakhyena suryarasmina yuktah | candramah | 9.48.3. 947: 1 10.28.10. paksirupa gayatri 10.114.4.. supatano madhyamasthano devah | 10.30.2� supatanah somah | yatra 8 suparnah | supatana adityarasmayah | 25. te hi sobhanarthamuddisya tamo vidyutalaksanam patanti | athava sobhanamanah patanti iti suparnah | 1

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I 1 darkness or they shine when they fall). Further, Yaska says: Now about the self, 'where the birds of beautiful wings' i.e. senses. 26 100 No.of times used in the RV. The discussion made above may be given in a tabular form as follows: Word No.of times used in the sense assigned 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 � 0 8 Khedayah Kiranah Gavah Rasmayah Abhisavah Didhitayah. Gabhastayah Vanam 3 1 2 · 2 71 10 72 72 6 2 8 1 1 32 113 9 Usrah 38 6 K 10 Vasavah 53 -(1) 11 Maricipah 12 Mayukhah 2 1 1 13 Saptarsayah 2 --(2) 14 Sadhyah 3 15 Suparnah 36 8 00 as 26. athadhyatmam | yatra suparnah supatananindriyani | * At one place (1.24.7) the word is explained by Sayana tejas (lustre). (1) At one place (RV. I. 174.1) the word is explained by Sayana as tejas (lustre). *1 3 (2) At one place sayana gives rasmi as an alternative meaning (RV.X. 82.2).

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