Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (study)
by A. Yamuna Devi | 2012 | 77,297 words | ISBN-13: 9788193658048
This page relates 鈥楳iscellaneous (1): Geographical Data鈥� 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 鈥渓exicography鈥� 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.
Miscellaneous (1): Geographical Data
Some of the topics which could not be included in the above sections are discussed here.
The 叠丑奴尘颈 varga gives some information on the geographical data. 础尘补谤补办辞艣补 gives such synonyms as鈥搕he earth鈥�产丑奴尘颈; the world鈥�箩补驳补迟墨; India鈥�叠丑腻谤补迟补, the subdivisions of the 叠丑腻谤补迟补 惫补谤峁, Janapada鈥揳n inhabited country and a country鈥�顿别艣补.
(a) 叠丑奴岣� (II. 1. 2; p. 70)鈥�
[Earth:]
础尘补谤补办辞艣补 gives 39 words to denote the earth.
碍峁Ｄ玶补蝉惫腻尘颈苍 explains that the word 叠丑奴岣� etymologically signifies that 'everything is born out of this' and that the word is an indeclinable鈥�
bhavatyasm膩tsarva峁� bh奴岣�, reph膩nta峁� tvavyaya峁�, 测补迟丑腻鈥�产丑奴谤产丑耻惫补岣� sva岣� |
(b) 叠丑腻谤补迟补 惫补谤峁 (II. 7. 7; p. 71)鈥�
[India:]
础尘补谤补办辞艣补 does not provide any other details of this country. 碍峁Ｄ玶补蝉惫腻尘颈苍 give additional information on the same with regard to its geographical or continental positions. He mentions that 叠丑腻谤补迟补 惫补谤峁 is ninth portion of the sub-continent, 闯补尘产奴诲惫墨辫补[1]. It is named after king Bharata.
The other eight countries[2] of the 闯补尘产奴诲惫墨辫补 are named as鈥�
膩ya峁� jamb奴dv墨panavam膩峁兣沷 bharatasya 办峁迟谤颈测补蝉测别诲补峁� 产丑腻谤补迟补峁� 苍腻尘补 惫补谤峁峁� bh奴myekade艣a岣� tath膩 ca鈥攈imav膩峁僪emak奴峁璦艣ca ni峁dho merurantare | 苍墨濒补岣� 艣veta艣ca 艣峁涐箙g墨v膩n gandham膩danama峁ａ弓amamiti s墨m膩vicchinn膩nyany膩n墨lav峁泃t膩d墨nya峁ａ弓au var峁Ｄ佱箛i |
119 痴测腻蝉补 产丑腻峁补 on 笔腻迟补帽箩补濒补 yoga 蝉奴迟谤补 (III. 26) mentions seven continents鈥�闯补尘产奴, 艢补办补, 碍耻艣补, Kraunca 艢腻濒尘补濒补, Magadha and 笔耻艣办补谤补.
120 ibid., mentions seven 惫补谤峁s鈥�搁补尘补峁嘺办补, 贬颈谤补峁噈补测补, Uttarakuru, Hari惫补谤峁, 碍颈尘辫耻谤耻峁, 叠丑腻谤补迟补 and 滨濒腻惫峁泃补
The divisions of 叠丑腻谤补迟补惫补谤峁 (II. 1. 8-9; p.71): The eastern region is defined by 础尘补谤补办辞艣补 as the region falling to the south of the river 艢补谤腻惫补迟墨, the northern as that which is to the west of the river 艢补谤腻惫补迟墨; and the middle region as 尘补诲丑测补诲别艣补.
Explaining the 尘补诲丑测补诲别艣补, 碍峁Ｄ玶补蝉惫腻尘颈苍 quote Manu (2/21)鈥�
测补苍尘补苍耻岣モ赌�
himavadvindhyayorantaryatpr膩gvina艣an膩dapi |
pratyageva pray膩g膩cca 尘补诲丑测补诲别艣补岣� 辫谤补办墨谤迟颈迟补岣� |
(c) 膧谤测腻惫补谤迟补 (II. 1. 9; p. 71)鈥�
础尘补谤补办辞艣补 defines this region as the pu峁噛a产丑奴尘颈, holy place, the region between the 贬颈尘腻濒补测补蝉 and Vindhya.
碍峁Ｄ玶补蝉惫腻尘颈苍 supplements the statement of 础尘补谤补办辞艣补, quoting Manu's text (II. 22)
鈥淭he land lying between the eastern and western seas and included between the Vindhya and the 贬颈尘腻濒补测补蝉 is called 膧谤测腻惫补谤迟补鈥浓赌�
膩samudr膩ttu vai p奴rv膩d膩samudr膩ttu pa艣cim膩t |
tayorev膩ntara峁� giryor膩ry膩varta峁� vidurbudh膩岣� ||
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
ibid., mentions seven 惫补谤峁s鈥�搁补尘补峁嘺办补, 贬颈谤补峁噈补测补, Uttarakuru, Hari惫补谤峁, 碍颈尘辫耻谤耻峁, 叠丑腻谤补迟补 and 滨濒腻惫峁泃补