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On Nouns with Numerical Value in Sanskrit
WILLEM BOLLÉE
There are many studies on so-called lucky or typical numbers in India, as, e.g., 16, 18 or 108 in place of which the latest one known to me, that of Lienhard," may be mentioned here. These deal with numbers expressed by numerals. Apparently, numerals cannot be used as nouns as, e.g. in English “the eleven” for a soccer team; in German “4711” for eau de Cologne, or in French “soixante-neuf" for a particular kind of sexual activity. In India, however, as with the Pythagoreans in Greece, there are many nouns with a numerical value because associated with a certain number as agni ‘fire' which can alsopertain to the number three for there are three fires. Others, as kāya, tanu or deha ‘body', do not stand for 25 though the body is twenty-fivefold nor does karņa ‘ear' or kumbha 'frontal globe on the forehead of an elephant denote the number two. In this paper the former category will be the subject on the basis of the references of the word 'number' in Monier-Williams.4
The first to draw the attention to this phenomenon was the astrologer Abu-al-Rayhān al Biruni (973-1048) who studied Sanskrit in India in 1017 C.E. Writing on the metrical handbooks on astronomy of the Hindus he says: „For each number they have quite a great quantity of words. Hence, if one word does not suit the metre, you may easily exchange it for a synonym which suits. Brahmagupta says: „If you want to write one, express it by everything which is unique, as the earth, the moon; two by everything which is double, as, e.g., black and white ...; twelve by the names of the sun.”
Both Filliozat and the polymath Kane put up a nonexhaustive list of synonyms up to 49 to be employed to indicate a certain number. The practice is especially used by astronomists such as the author of the Sūryasiddhānta’ and Varāhamihira (first
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half of the 6th century C.E.), and to write years, as did Guņabhadra (9th century) in his Uttarapuraņa 73,76 kha-catuska-dvi-varşânte “after twenty-thousand' (two with a tetrad of zeros) years, or Manoharlāl Sastri (20st century) in his preface, p. 8 vs 5, to Vādirāja's Pārsvanāthacarita composed in Saka 947 that is naga(7)-vārdhi(4)-randhra(9)-gamana-samvatsare 'in the year that consists of mountain, ocean & opening in the body read from right to left.
Below a list of Sanskrit nouns attested in Monier Williams as used instead of numbers is given. Items omitted in MW have been incorporated from Filliozat's list with a superior plus sign (), from Kane's list with an asterisk (*). As a rule, there seems to be no relationship between non-synonyms associated with the same number, as, e.g., the earth, the hook and the kali die which all denote the number one.
akşa (die) 5 aksi (eye) 2 anka (hook) 1 or 9 aga () 7 agni (fire) 2 atidhịti* (metre of 4x19 syllables) 19 atyasți (metre of 4x17 syllables) 17 Atridựg-ja, Atri-netra-prabhava, Atri-netra-(pra)sūta (moon) 1 adri (mountain) 7 an-anta+ (heaven, space) 0 an-antā (earth) 1 anala (fire) 3 anila (wind) 49 anusțubh (metre of 4x8 syllables) 8 antariksa+ (heaven, space) 0 antya (ʻlast) 1.000 billions abja+ (moon) 1
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31LHEITA 40 (?)
abdhi*+ (ocean) 4 abhra*+ (heaven, space) 0 amara (deity) 33 amệta (“nectar; water') 4 ambara*+ (heaven, space) 0 ambu(dhi) (ocean) 4 ambu-vāha (cloud) 17 ambhas (water) 4 aya, āya (die of good fortune) 4 arāti (inner enemy) 6 ari 6 (of the 6th astrological mansion) arka (ray > sun) 12 arņava (sea) 4 artha (five things of the Pāśupatas) 5. - See also s.v. sense
object
avatāra* ("descent, incarnation of a deity') 10 aśva (horse of the sun) 7 Aśvin 2 aşți (metre of 4 x16 syllables) 16 ahar+ (day) 15 ahi (snake) 8 ākāśa*+ (space) 0 ākṣti (metre of 4x22 syllables) 22 ādi* (beginning) 1 āya (die) 4 āśā* (direction, quarter) 10 indu (moon) 1 Indra 14 indriya (sense) 5 ibha (elephant ?) 8 ișu (arrow) 5 īšu, īśvara (Rudra) 11
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utkyti (metre of 4x26 syllables) 26 urvarā+ (earth) 1 ūrmi (wave) 6 (waves of existence: cold, heat, etc.) stu (season) 6 rşi (seer) 7 kara (hand) 2 karanyia+ (with Jains: major observance) 5 karmant, see: action kalā (moon digit) 16 kali (losing die) 1 ku (earth) 1 kuñjara (elephant) 8 (cf. kumbhin) ku-dhara (mountain) 7 kunda (treasure of Kubera) 9 ku-bhrt (mountain) 7 Kumāra-vadana (six faces of Kumara/ Skanda) 6 kumbhin (with prominences on its forehead: elephant) 8 (elephants of the quarters and intermediate quarters) kyta (winning die with four dots) 4 křti (metre of 4x20 syllables) 20 kona (corner) 4 krama* (step) 3 (steps of Visņu) kşamā (earth) 1 kşamā-dhara (mountain) 7 kșiti (earth) 1 kha*+ (sky) 0 khe-cara (planet) 9 gagana*+ (sky) 0 gaja (elephant) 8 (cf. kumbhin) gāyatri+ (metre of 3 pādas of 8 syllables) 24% giri, girindra (mountain) 8 guņa (quality) 3
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37TH-EIN 40 (?)
gulpha (ancle) 2 guhaka, guha-vaktra (Skandha's heads) 6 guhyaka 11 (class of divinities) go (planet earth) 9 graha (planet) 9 grāma* (scale, gamut) 3 cakra (sign of zodiac) 6 candra (moon) 1 chidra (opening of the body) 9 jagat 48 jagati+ (metre of 4x12 syllables) 4810 jala+ (water) 4 and 7 jala-dhara-patha+ (sky, space) 0 jāti*+ (metre of 4x22 syllables) 22 Jina 24 jvalana (fire) 3 tattva (true principle in Sāmkhya philosophy) 24 or 25 tanū+ (body) 1 tarka (logical category : dravya, samaya, etc.) 6 tāna*+ (note in music) 49 tigma-kara (sun) 12 (cf. arka) tithi (lunar days) 15 tura(n)ga (horse) 7 (horses of the sun) Trinetra (Śiva with three eyes) 3 danta (tooth) 32 darśana (system of philosophy) 6 Dasra (Aśvin) 2 Dānava diś (quarter and intermediate quarter) 8 diśā* (direction) 10 deva (deity) 33 deva-suși (“divine tube or vital air) 5
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dos*, dosan* (arm) 2 dvipa (elephant) 8 dharā*+ (earth) 1 dhātu* (element of the body such as skin and blood) 7 dhịti*+ (metre of 4x18 syllables) 18 nakṣatra* (lunar mansion) 27 nakha* (nail) 20 naga (mountain) 7 Nanda (ancient dynasty) 9 nabhas-cara* (planet) 9 nayana (eye) 2 nāga 7 or 8 (Nāgas), cf. snake Nāsatya* (Aśvin) 2 nidāna (with Buddhists: cause of existence) 12 nidhi* (treasure) 9 nrpa* (king) 16 netra+ (eye) 2 pakṣa(ka) (side) 2 pankti (row) 5 pankti (metre of 4 x 10 syllables) 10 payo-rāśi (milk ocean) 4 para (top, maximum) ten billions parvata (mountain) 7 pavana (vital air) 5 Pāņdava* 5 Pāņdu-suta* 5 pāvaka (fire) 3 pitā-maha+ (grandfather) 1 Pināka-nayana (Siva) 3 pura* (city burnt by śiva) 3 pārņa (zero) 0 pệthivi + (earth) 1
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31LHEITA 40 (?)
phaņa-bhrt (“snake') 8 or 9 prakrti* (“natural condition'?) 21 bāņa (arrow) 5 (Kāma has five arrows) bāhu+ (arm) 2 bindu (dot) 0 bha-samūha (aggregate of lunar asterism) 27 bhaya+ (fear) 27 bhuja* (arm) 2 bhujaga(ma) (snake) 8 bhuvana+ (earth, world) 3 and 14 bhū (earth) 1 bhūta (element) 5 bhū-dhara (mountain) 7 bhū-pa (king) 16 (cf. nypa; rājan) bhūmi* (eartth) 1 bhūmi-dhara (mountain) 7 brhati (metre of 8 + 8 + 12 + 8 syllables) 36 makarâlaya (sea) 4 mangala+ (good omen) 8 Madana-dahana (Śiva-Rudra) 11 Manu+ 14 mahi (earth) 1 mahi-dhra (mountain) 7 Mahêśa(-netra) (Siva's three eyes) 3 Mahêśvara (Rudra) 11 mandākrānta 17 (metre with 4 x 17 syllables as, e.g. of Meghadūta) mārgaņa (arrow) 5 (cf. bāņa) Mārtanda (Aditya) 12 māsa (month) 12 muni (seven celestial munis: 7 stars of Ursa Maior) 7; — cf. rsi, seer)
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murchanā* (melody) 21 mrgānka+ (moon) 1
yama(la) (twin) 2
yuga (age of the world) 4 or (as a moon position ?) 12
yuj (couple, pair) 2
ratna (jewel) 3+, 5+, 9 or 12
rada (tooth) 32
randhra (hole+; opening) 0 or 9 ravi (sun) 12
rasa (taste, flavour) 6
rāga+ ('colour, melody') 6 rājan* (king) 16 (cf. nṛpa, bhūpa) Rāma 3;-(there are three Ramas)
Ravana-siras*+ (ten heads of R.) 10 rasi+ (sign of zodiac) 12
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Rudra (Bharga, Madana-dahana) 11 (there are eleven R.)
rupa (single specimen) 1
linga (twelve Śiva-lingas) 12
loka*+ (world) 3 and 7
locana* (eye) 2
varna* (social class) 4 Vasu (deva) 8
vahni (fire) 3 (cf. agni)
vājin (horse) 7 (cf. aśva)
vāri-dhi (ocean) 4
vikṛti+ (metre of 23 syllables in a quarter) 23
viyant+ (sky) 0 viraj (metre of 4x10) 10
viraj (metre of 4x10) 10
vivara (aperture of the body) 9
viśva (for: Viśvedevāḥ) 13 Viṣve(-devāḥ) 13
viṣaya (sense object) 5
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31LHEITA 40 (?)
Visnu* 1 Visņu-pada+ (sky) 0 veda 4 vyāla (elephant or snake) 8 vyoman+ (sky) 0 sakti of Śiva (mahā-vidyā) 10 Śakra (Indra) 14 śaśânka, śašin (moon) 1 śāstra+ (manual, treatise) 6 śikhin (fire) 3 (cf. agni) šūnya* (emptiness, vacuum) 0 saila (mountain) 7 samkhyā* (number) 1 to 9 samiraņa (body wind) 5 samudra (ocean) 4 sarit (stream) 4 sarpa* (snake) 8 sāyaka (arrow) 5 (cf. ??? Siddha (Jina) 24 siddhi* (supernatural faculty in yoga) 8 sindhu (ocean) 4 sindhura (elephant) 8 sura (deity) 33 sūrya (sun) 12 (sun in 12 signs of zodiac) soma+ (moon) 1 smrti (sacred tradition) 18 (after the 18 law-givers) svara (musical note) 7 svarga+ (praksti metre of 4 x 21 syllables) 21 haya (horse) 7 (cf. a.va) Hara-netra (Siva's third eye) 3 hutâśa (fire) 3 (cf. agni)
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1.
2.
5.
6.
3.
4.
I sincerely thank Dr Thomas Malten, of Cologne, who was kind enough to have his computer collect the material for this paper for
me.
8.
9.
Lienhard 1996: 523-36.
For one they say Apollo; for two: strife; for three: Athena, justice,
etc. (Plutarch, De Iside et Osiride 381F).
ŚpBr IX 1,1,44 and 3,3,19, cf. XII 3,2,2.
FOOT-NOTES
१५३
Sachau 1910: I 177. For this purpose Filliozat's Appendix I in Renou & Filliozat 1953, p. 708f. and Kane's list 1974: 701ff. can be used as they were drawn up after numbers.
7. Lața mentioned as such by Alberuni probably was actually its commentator (Winternitz III,2 1967: 683). On the practice see Gangooly 1935: Introductory note, p. lv, and Renou & Filliozat 1953, § 1722.
Translated from Nathurām Premi's Marathi.
Shouldn't this be 8?
10. Shouldn't this be 12?
Kane, loc. cit. His statement "Any number of synonyms may be employed to indicate the same number" (p. 701) is not (always) covered by MW, e.g. 9 or 14 for ratna is not mentioned as such for mani.
Balbir & Pinault 1996
Burgess 1860 Gangooly 1935
Glasenapp 1999
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Balbir, Nalini & Pinault, Georges, Langue, style et structure dans le monde indien. Paris: PUF.
Burgess, Ebenezer, see Gangooly. Gangooly, Phanindralal (ed.), Translation of the Surya-siddhânta by Ebenezer Burgess. Calcutta: University of Calcutta (repr. from JAOS 1860).
Glasenapp, Helmuth von, Jainism. An Indian Religion of Salvation. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.
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________________ 154 3TTHET 40 (2) Ifrah 1994 Kane 1974 Lexicographical Notes on the Tarangalola Thomas Oberlies Lienhard 1996 Ifrah, Georges, Histoire universelle des chiffres. Paris: Laffont. Kane, Pandurang V., History of Dharmasastra V,1. Poona: BORI (Government Oriental Series Class B, No 6). Lienhard, Siegfried, Lucky numbers in ancient Indian literature, in: Balbir & Pinault 1996: 523-36. Renou, Louis & Filliozat, Jean, L'Inde classique. Manuel des Etudes Indiennes II. Paris: Imprimerie nationale. Sachau, Edward C., Alberuni's India. London : Routledge & Kegan Paul. Winternitz, Maurice, History of Indian Literature III, 1 and 2. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. Renou & Filiozat 1953 Sachau 1910 Winternitz 1963-67 Don-Bosco-str-2 D-96047, Bamberg Germany Right at the start of the Tarangalola, its author Nemicandra states he had decided to re-write an older work bearing the name of Tarangavai because "it was composed by Palittaya using a lot of Desi words. It had an entertaining [but] also very detailed story. [So] nobody heard of it? nor did anybody ask for it nor did anybody narrate it. It was fit only for the educated ones. What should other people do with it? Having ... divested the stanzas composed by Palittaya of the Desi words, this abridgement was made for the pleasure of other people so that [the Tarangavai] may not pass into oblivion ....". Palittaena raiya vittharao taha ya desi-vayaanehim namena Tarangavai kaha vicitta ya viula ya (5) katthai kulayai manoramai annattha guvila-juyalaim aNGNGattha [ca]kkalaim duppariallai iyaranam (6) na ya sa koi sunei no puna pucchei neva ya kahei, viusana navara jogga, iyara-jaao tie kim kunau (7) ta ucceunam gahao Palittaena raiyao desi-payaim mottum samkhittayari kaya esa (8) iyarana hiyatthae ma hohi savvaha vi vuccheo evam vicintiunam khameunam tayam surim (9) Judged by the amount of Desi words Nemicandra still uses in his Tarangalola despite this announcement, we can imagine how rich the original work must have been with such words. No wonder Padalipta is credited with the composition of a Desikosa. Over the next couple of pages quite a number of these, as well as words previously unattested in the literature, are listed, which suffice to give an impression, however faint, of how much our Prakrit dictionary would be enriched by a