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 17 - Jvalato Namadheyani (Namadheya)
The following eleven words are listed as synonyms of flame (bright). 1 262 1. Jamat: The word does not occur but its compound 1 with 'agni' i.e. jamadagni occurs in seven places with its other two forms. Sayana interpretes it as the name of a seer (jamadagni) while explaining the Jamadagni-datta in III.53.15; he interpretes it as 'Jamadagnibhih prajvalitagnibhih rakbhih. 2. KalmalIkinal: It occurs only once in the RV. II, 33.8. Sayana interpretes it in the sense assigned quoting the Nighantu. 2 3. Janjanabhavan: It occurs only once (VIII,43.8) in the RV. Sayana interpretes it as 'ivalan' and says it is listed in ivalatikarma. But, it is not included in that to 3 list of the ivalatikarmanah (Refer supra Nigh.1.16). 1. 2. 3. 10. hrnih 1. jamat 2. kulmali kines, 3. ju-janabhavan 4. malmalabhavan 5. arcih 6. socih 7 tarpah, 8 terjah, 1 . hareh, || srrngani | ghrnih r . 2.33.8. jvalato namadheyametat | nighah 1.17.8 1 jvalantam | kalayati apamgamayati malamiti kalmalikam tejah 1 tadantam rudram namasya pujaya | r . 8. 43.8. jvalam | jajanabhavan malamalabhavan " iti jvalatikarmasu pathat |
4. Malmalabhavan: The word does not occur in RV. It occurs in TS in the sense of 'glittering. ' 5, Arcih: The word occurs with its forms in thirty places, sayana interpretes it as either atejas or rasni. He explains arcisa in VI.60.10 as 'jvalarupena tejasa. 263 6. Socih: The word with its forms occurs in sixtyfour places. Sayana explains it in the sense assigned; either as dipti or ivala. While explaining the Rk.X.16.4 he interpretes the word socih as ivala visesah with explanation. 4 7. Tapah: The word with its forms occurs in twentyone places. In five places it is used in the sense of tapa, in three places as yainasadhana (X.154.2; 169.2) in two places as telas (VII.1.7, VI.5.4) and in rest of the places it is interpreted as penance. 40 � 10.16.4. socih sokahetuh jvalavisesah | tapah sociracih sabdanam samtapataratamyena bhedah |
1 F � 264 8. Tejah: The word and its forms occur in seven places in the sense of lustre. The word is also listed in udakanamani (refer supra to Nigh.1.12.96). 9. Harah: The word with its forms occurs in ten places. The form harasa which occurs in six places is interprezed as tejas or tapa. The form harah occurs in two places (x.87.25; 158.2) as adjective (haranasila). Harasah occurs in one place (VIII.48.2) and is interpreted as krodhasya. Sayana says it is krodhanama. He quotes Yaska while explaining the word in RV.X.87.25: Haras is derived from. the root hr (to take away). Light is called haras root/hr water is called haras, worlds are called haras, blood and 5 day are called haras'(Niru.4.19). The word is also listed in the second (2.13.2) and fourth (4.1.40) chapter of the Nighantu.- 10. Hrnih: The noun does not occur; but the verbal form is used (VII. 104.14 etc.) to mean 'get angry. The word is listed also in the synonym of 'angry' (Nigh.2.13.3), 5. niru . 4.19. haro harateh | jyotirhara ucyate | udakam hara ucyate | loka harasyucyante | asugahani harasi ucyete |
265 11. Srigani: The word occurs with its forms in thirteen places; but it is mainly used in the sense of horns. Sayana in four places interpretes it as Spiga-sthaniya ivala (I.140,6; V.2.9; VIII.60.13; IX.5.2) and points out that 6 it is listed as the synonym of flame. The famous Rk catvari srana (IV.58.3) is explained by Sayana quoting Yaska. 7 The above discussion may be given in the tabular form: Words No. of times used in theRV. (Used in a compound in seven' places) Used in the sense assigned 7 1 Jamat 2 Kalmalikinam 3 Janjanabhavan 1 1 1 1 4 Malmalabhavan 5 Arcih 30 (tejas or rasmi) 6 Socih 64 64 7 Tapah 21 2 8 00 Tejah 7 7 9. Harah 10 6 10 Hrnih 11 srgani 13' i 6° 7. r. 9.5.2. vai ge iti | grhage dipta unnatapradese | "hunih sangani " iti jvalannamasu pathat | #.4.58.3. araret dar: � gsmeITANIT: 1 suryapaksa catvari igani catasau disah | sabdikastu catvari iti catvari padajatani | hainika . 13.7.]