Class notes prepared for M.Phil. students in 2009

1. Notes on
Sanskrit Lexicology
J.S.R.A. Prasad
University of Hyderabad

2. Tracing History
 the fourteen vidyaasthaanas
 Vedic Indices
 Nighantu – the oldest available lexical work.
has five chapters. Started with पृथिवी (21)
 Niruktam – a commentary on Nighantu by
Yaska
 purpose: to understand the meaning of the
Vedic words

3.  समाम्नायः समाम्नातः । स व्याख्यातव्यः । तमममं
समाम्नायं ननघण्टव इत्याचक्षते । ननघण्टवः कस्मात्
। ननगमा इमे भवन्तत । - Yaska
 अिाावबोधे ननरपेक्षतया पदजातं यिोक्तं
तन्तनरुक्तम ्। - Sayana
 most important alongside Vyakarana
Definition

4. Classification
 classified in to three major parts
नैघण्टुककाण्डम्: deals with synonyms
नैगमकाण्डम्: deals with homonyms
दैवतकाण्डम्: deals with deities
 chapter wise divison:
1st kanda  1-3 chapters
2nd kanda  4th chapter
3rd kanda  5th chapter
 commentators - Ugra, Skandaswami,
Durga

5. Etymology
(Lakshman Sarup)
 etymology is essential for the proper
understanding of the Vedic words
(अिापीदमततरेण मतरेष्विाप्रयोगो न ववद्यते)
 etymology is the complement of grammar
(तदददं ववद्यास्िानम्व्याकरणस्य कात्स्तयाम्)
 etymology is necessary for the analysis of
samhita in to the padapatha, and of words in
to their elements (अिामप्रनतयतो
नात्यततं स्वरसंस्कारोद्देशः)

6. Etymology
(Lakshman Sarup)
 etymology has practical utility, for it enables
one to discover the primary deity of a stanza
which bears the characteristic marks of more
than one deity and thus helps to perform the
sacrifice with perfection (अिावप याज्ञे दैवतेन बहवः
प्रदेशा भवन्तत । तदेतेनोपेक्षक्षतव्यम्। )
 etymology is a science, and should be
studied for its own sake, for knowledge is
commended, and ignorance is condemned
(अिावप ज्ञानप्रशंसा भवनत । अज्ञानननतदा च ।)

7. Succession
before the classical lexicons such as amara
kosa the gap has been filled by –
 dhatupatha
 gaNapatha
 uNAdi sutra etc.

8. prAtipadikam
 word-meaning-relation : these are fixed
(मसद्धे शब्दािासम्बतधे, म.भा.)
 ननयतोपन्स्िनतकः प्रानतपददकािाः – दीक्षक्षतः।
prAtipadika always gives a fixed meaning
 Panini supports both the derived and
underived words – Yaska too
 Ashtadhyayi - 1.2.45-46
 Sakatayana disagrees with the above (सवं
धातुजमाह शाकटायनस्य..)

9. Division of Words
 तद् यानन पदजातानन नामाख्याते
चोपसगाननपाताश्च तानीमानन भवन्तत ।
 नाम (noun)
 आख्यातः (verb)
 उपसगाः (preposition)
 ननपातः (particle)

10. Definition of words (नन.1.2)
 भावप्रधानमाख्यातम ्। The verb is
predominantly becoming
 six modifications of becoming: अन्स्त, जायते,
ववपररणमते, वधाते, अपक्षीयते, ववनश्यनत -
वाष्याायणणः
 सत्त्वप्रधानानन नामानन । The noun is
predominantly being
 ex: व्रज्या, पन्क्तः

11. Definition of words (नन.1.2)
 उपसगाः –
न ननबाद्धा उपसगााः अिाान्तनराहुररनत शाकटायनः ।
नामाख्यातयोस्तु कमोपसंयोगद्योतका भवन्तत ।
(they are unconnected prepositions, have no
meaning but only express a subordinate
sense of nouns and verbs.)

12. Definition of words (नन.1.2)
 ननपातः –
अि ननपाता उच्चावचेष्विेषु ननपतन्तत । (particles
occur in various senses)
1. उपमािे (comparative sense)
2. कमोपसंग्रहािे (conjunctive sense)
3. पदपूरणािे (expletive sense)
1.‘इव’ - अन्ननररव, इतर इव

13. ‘न’ –
न
negation comparison
नेतरं देवममंसत । (they did not recognize Indra
as god); negation
दुमादासो न सुरायाम ्। (like hard drinkers of
wine); comparison
Definition of words (नन.1.2)

14. 1. च – अहं च त्वं च वृरहन् (I and you, O slayer
of Vrtra)
2. उ (इदम्), च इत्यादद – मृषेमे वदन्तत । सत्यमु ते
वदततीनत । (these people tell a lie, those
truth)
.. इदमु, तदु (this, that)
Definition of words (नन.1.2)

15. Speech
Division of speech

16. Yaska’s etymology of dandya –
M.A. Mehendale
तद्थधतपदानां समासपदानां ननवाचनोपायाः –
तर प्रिमम ्एकपदतद्थधतोदाहरणण्।
‘दण््यः पुरुषः’
= दण्डमहातीनत वा
कन्स्मंन्श्चदपराधे दण्डमहातीनत । (a punishable
person)

17. Yaska’s etymology of dandya –
M.A. Mehendale
दण्डेन सम्पद्यत इनत वा ।
= दण्डेन वा काषाापणाददना वा यः संपद्यते ननष्पद्यते
। (something to be accomplished by
punishment)
= दण्डो ददातेधाारयनत कमाणः । (दद् = to hold)
धारणािास्य दद्धातोः कमाण्यौणाददके अनन
धातोणुामागमे ष्टुत्वे च ‘दण्डः’ । धायाते ह्येषो।पराधेषु
राजमभः । अर लोकदशानं तावत्प्रमाणयनत
।(दुगााचायाः)

18. ‘अक्रू रो ददते मणणममत्यमभभाषतते’ ।
अक्रू रो नाम राजा वृष्ण्यतधकाथधपनतः स मणणं
स्यमततकनामानं भन्क्ततुष्टेन भगवता भास्करेण
प्रदत्तं ददते मशरसा धारयनत इनत – एवं लोके ।वप ददनतं
धारणािे।मभभाषतते मशष्टाः ।

19. THANK YOU!