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Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (study)

by A. Yamuna Devi | 2012 | 77,297 words | ISBN-13: 9788193658048

This page relates ‘Amarakosha of Amarasimha� 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.

Go directly to: Footnotes.

ś[1] (hereafter ś) of Amarasiṃha is the earliest lexicon available belonging to the 6th C. A.D, followed by the other lexicons mentioned above. ś is called 峾ṅgԳśԲ by the author himself because, along with the synonyms, the genders are also denoted by certain techniques mentioned at the beginning of the work. The ś itself is a compilation of earlier lexicons and other relevant works, as stated by the author[2]. He further declares that the words arranged wrongly in earlier lexicons are rearranged by him according to certain principles; also the multitudinous classes unnecessarily sectioned in the earlier lexicons have been shortened by him.

ś is divided into three ṇḍ and each ṇḍ is further divided into various Vargas or groups. The first ṇḍ is classified into nine Vargas�Svar, Vyoma-dig, , Dhī, Śabdādi, ṭy, Pātālabhogi, Naraka and ; the second ṇḍ is again divided into ten sections�ū, Pura, Ś, Vanauṣadhi, ṃh徱, N�, Brahma, ṣaٰⲹ, ղśⲹ and Śū; and the third ṇḍ is divided into five Vargas–Viśeṣyanighna, ṅkīṇa, Nānārtha, Avyaya and Liṅgādisaṅgraha.

The contents of ś show that as the alternative name of the lexicon 峾ṅgԳśԲ indicates, it deals with names and genders; in addition it draws from medical and botanical ṇṭܲ also. In the portion on synonyms various names of particular object or animal or a class of objects and its related terms are presented in succession. The portion on homonymns is arranged in the order of the final consonants. A separate chapter is allowed for indeclinables; and the last portion is dedicated to the determination of genders.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

All publication details are given in the Bibliography.

[2]:

I. 1. 2:
samāhṛtyanyatantrāṇi saṃkṣiptai� pratisaṃskṛtai� |
ṃpūṇaܳⲹٱ
vargairnāmaliṅgānuśāsanam |

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