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)
24 (of 242)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
(ii) Avanayah: It is also enlisted in the I chapter of the Nighantu under the sub-grouping of Nadinamani and in the II chapter under Angulināmāni. Sayana interpretes the forms as follows: 46 (iii) Avana comes only in RV. V. 54.2 in locative form.
Sayaṇa interpretes it as bhumau..
48 (iy) Avanim comes in two places (RV.I.140.5 and IV.19.6).
Sayana interpretes it as bhumim.
In
(iv) Avanih comes in seven places only. In RV.VI.61.3
Sāyaṇa explains it as earth (asurairapahṛtā bhumi�).
1.61.10, he comments raksanahetubhūta apah and in RV.X. 99.4
apah. In RV.V. 11.5 Sayana says: avanayo nadyah.
the same whether avanih means earth or river.
Accent is
While explaining the word in 1.62.10, Sayaṇa says:
avanaya� iti angulināma evambhūta� avani� añqulayah. In
11.13.7 Sāyaṇa comments on avanih as avatri� osadhi�.
46.
1.186.8. अवनय� � यथैव नमनस्वभावा� रथाः रहणस्वभावा
रथवन्त� वा � यद्व� � अवनयों रक्षका रथ� इव स्थिता� �
[avanayo na yathaiva namanasvabhāvā� rathā� rahaṇasvabhāvā
rathavanto vā | yadvā | avanayo� rakṣakā rathā iva sthitā� |
] � 190.7. अवनय� � � सर्व� अवनय� भूमय� मनुष्य� यथ�
स्वामिनं कर्मप्रत� वा संगच्छन्ति तद्वत् �
[avanayo na | sarvā avanayo bhūmayo manuṣyā yathā
svāmina� karmaprati vā saṃgacchanti tadvat |
] 5.85.6. 3474: 74: 1
