Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (study)
by A. Yamuna Devi | 2012 | 77,297 words | ISBN-13: 9788193658048
This page relates ‘Post-Amarakosha Lexicographers and Lexicons� 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.
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Post-ś Lexicographers and Lexicons
(a) Աٳܳⲹ[1] of Śśٲ probably 6th C. A.D. is a lexicon on homonymns in six sections. The last two sections deal with indeclinables.
(b) ԲٲԲ[2] of ṭṭ Ჹܻ (10th C. A.D) is a lexicon in five ṇḍ; the last ṇḍ deals with homonyms and avyayas.
(c) ղᲹⲹԳī[3] of Yādavaprakāśa (at first preceptor and later pupil of 峾ԳᲹ) 11th Cent.A.D. is a work in two portions of synonyms and homonyms further divided into many sections. The speciality of the work is that the section on homonyms is arranged in alphabetical order of initial letters.
(d) վśś[4] of Ѳś is a lexicon of homonyms arranged after the final consonants; it is further subdivided according to the number of syllables contained in the words, such as kaikakam, kadvayam, katrikam, and so on.
(e) Աٳṣa of Ѳṅk is a work arranged in alphabetical order of final consonants and further divided into sections according to number of syllables in a word. Ѳṅk is identified with the author of Śī첹ṇṭٲ, who lived in the reign of King ⲹṃh of Kashmir (12th C. A.D.)
(f) Lexicographers like Ჹⲹ, Tārāpāla, Durga, ٳԲñᲹⲹ, ٳṇi, Dharma, Muni, Rantideva, Rabhasapāla, Rudra, and few others are mentioned by authors of 11th Cent.A.D. and later writers. Except the works of Ჹⲹ, ٳԲñᲹⲹ and ٳṇi which are available in manuscripts, all the others are known only by citations.
(g) Again, the Բ or ⲹ Բ is also known only by name from quotations of ԲԻ岹 and Rāyamukuṭa. Similar is the case with Muni, another lexicographer whose work, probably a lexicon of synonyms in the śǰ첹 metre, is not available.
(h) ṣaṣa and ٱū貹ṣa are attributed to ʳܰṣoٳٲ𱹲 11th -13th C. A.D. He is also said to be the author of three lexicons�հṇḍśṣa, 屹ī and ղṇaś. He has also written a commentary called ṣāvṛtپ on the ṣṭī of ṇiԾ. The հṇḍśṣa[5], a supplement to ś, as stated by the author in the beginning gives the words left out by Amaraṃh and words prevalant during his own time. 屹ī is a work in two portions–synonyms and homonyms, each further divided into three sections, giving words which are very common. ղṇaś is in prose dealing with orthographical variations. As indicated by the author in the beginning of the work, it discusses on various authorities, etymological details words which are misspelt such as singha for ṃh.
(i) Աٳś or ٳṅg is a lexicon written by Ჹⲹ probably in 11th C. A.D.
(j) 峾 of ٳԲñᲹⲹ (12th C. A.D), is found in many recensions. The text published in the ٱ岹śśṅg is taken to be authoritative by scholars. In this connection it is to be noted that there are three different ṣa with the same name 峾, one authored by ٲⲹ as already mentioned, another written in metre and oftquoted by ԲԻ岹, and yet another by Amara.
(k) Tārāpāla is known only by citations of ԲԻ岹, Medinīkāra and Rāyamukuṭa.
(l) Durga, another ancient lexicographer, whose work is not available, is quoted by ṣīr峾 and Hemacandra in their commentaries on ś. From the quotations of ṣīr峾 it is inferred that Durga's ṣa was similar to ś containing synonyms and homonyms and also was an authority on verbal roots and etymological derivations.
(m) ԲԳ峾ṇi, Աٳṃg, ṇṭśṣa and ٱśī峾–all the four lexicons are authored by the Jain monk Hemacandra also called Karikālasarvajña(11th -12th C. A.D) who lived under ⲹṃh and ܳ.
(n) 貹ܰṣa of ś is another lexicon worth mentioning (17th C. A.D). Many such ṣa are available recapsuling the earlier ones and updating the trends in language and society.
Besides the above mentioned ṣas of synonyms and homonyms there are lexicons dealing with special subjects such as ṣaṣa of ʳܰṣoٳٲ𱹲 lithographed in ٱ岹śśṅg[6], ⲹⲹṣa of Ѳ𱹲 published in ٱ岹śśṅg; lexicon of plants, drugs and medical virtues such as Dhanvantari nighaṇṭu[7] (500 A.D.); ʲⲹٲԲ of 첹 (8th or 9th C. A.D); Śṣa of Ś岹ٳٲ (17th C. A.D); astronomical and astrological glossaries such as ҲṇiٲٲԲ of Haradatta (published in ٱ岹śśṃg) and īԴǻ岹 of Vajrabhūṣaṇa.
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
Ed. Th. Aufrecht, London,1861.
[4]:
[6]:
Բṅg, Vol. I, Bombay, 1889.