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 12 - Antikanamani (Antika Nama)
The following eleven words are listed as synonyms of 1 Yaska derives the word antika from a ni (to bring near) (anitam bhavati, Niru,3,9). 346 1. Tality The word occurs with its forms talitah in two places. It is used in the sense assigned (RV.I.94.7; II.29.3). Sayana explains it as antikanama (1.94.7) and quotes Nirukta (3.11) 'dure api sannantika iva sandrsyate iti. Yaska in Nirukta explains: "The word talit has joint sense of 'near' and killing; so called because it kills"2 and quotes Sakapunis statement "tal(d)it means lighting, for it smites and is seen from afar, or else it may be R 3 meant to be the synonym of 'near' alone. On this Durga comments: "According to the context the word should be interpreted as the synonym of 'near', 'lighting' or 'killing'. The word occurs also in Vadha Karmanah (Nigh.2.19.21), 1. 1. tulat 2. asat 3. amberam 4. turvase 5 astamake 6. ake 7 upake 8 avaka 9 arntamanam 10. avame || . upamah | niru . 83.10.8 talidityantikavadhayoh samsprstakarma | talyatiti satah | 3. vidyuttadibhavatiti sakapunih sa yavatarayati | durascadrsyate | api tvidamantikanamaivabhipretam syat | 2. 4. durgabhasya niru . 3.11.8 ekmantika namatvena va vidyunnamatvena va vadhanamatvena va prakaranopapade aveksya yathasambhava nirvavatavyam |
r 347 2. Asat: The word occurs in two places (I.27.3; IV.20.1). It is used in the sense assigned as asanna, antika. 3. Ambaram: The form ambara. occure in RV. VIII. 8. 14. Sayana interpretes it in the sense assigned. But Dayananda Sarasvati explains in the sense of antariksa. The word is listed also in the Antariksanamani. It has been already explained there (supra Nigh.1.3.1). 4. Turvasa: The locative form occurs in four places. Out of these in 1.47.7 the word is used as adhiturvase. Sayana explains it as adhike samipe (very near). Its other forms occur in fifteen places; they are all used as a king's · name. The word turvasah is listed in the synonym of man. It has been explained there (supra Nigh.2.3.15). 5. Astamike: The word occurs only in RV. I. 129.9. Sayana explains it as atvantantike. 6. Ake: The word independently occurs in RV. II.1.10. In IV.45.6 it occurs compounded with the word nipasah. In both the places it is used in the sense assigned. 7. Upake: The word occurs in thirteen places. In all r the places it is used in the sense assigned. 1 While explaining e
" I the word in IV.10.5, Sayana quotes the Nighantu (2.16.7) and says 'it belongs to antikanamani, upake iti in III.4.6 is explained as parasparam sangate. 8. Arvake: The word occurs only in VIII.9.15. It is used in the sense assigned. 9. Antamanam: The word- occurs only in I.4.3. used in the sense assigned. fu 10. Avame: The word occurs in two places. It is 348 Sayana interpretes it differently. In RV. I. 101.8 he explains it as arvacine and in V.60.6, he explains it as divi. In both the places it is not used in the sense assigned. beng 11. Upamah: The word occurs only in RV. IX. 8.6.35. It is used in the sense of upamiyamanah. NO. Word No. of times used in RV. The above discussion may be given in a tabular forms No. of times used in the sense assigned | 1. Talit 2 2 2. Asat 2 2 3. Ambaram 1 1 4. Turvase 19 1
No. Word 5. m 6. Astamike Ake No.of times used in RV. ' 1 2 13 1 No. of times used in the sense assigned $ 1 2 13 7. Upake 1 3 8. Arvake 9. Antamanam 1 1 * 10. Avame 2 11. Upamah 1 349 The study shows that all the words occur in less than twenty places. Out of eleven words, nine words occur only in one or two places. The word avame which occurs in two places does not have the sense assigned. 1