Ajaya Ajeya and Ajayya

SR No.: 269106
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: M A Mahendale
Publisher: ZZ_Anusandhan
Total Pages: 4
Language: English
Classification: Article & 0_not_categorized
File Size: 90 KB

Page 1

ajaya-, ajeya- and ajayya
M.A. MEHENDALE*
According to the lexicons of Böhtlingk-Roth (BR), Monier-Williams (MW), V.S. Apte and Deccan College (DC) all the three words mean “invincible, unconquerable, unsurpassable'. Of the three words ajaya occurs both as an adjective and noun, while the other two only as adjectives. As noun, ajaya means 'defeated'.
It is necessary to look a little more closely at the adjectival meaning of these words.
1. ajaya- : As mentioned above, it functions both as adjective and as noun.
A. ajaya- Adjective: i) Meaning 'invincible'. In this meaning na jayah yasya or nūsti parair jayo yasya (Apte) 'who cannot be defeated' the genitive yasya is treated as objective genitive (karmaņi şaşthi).? There are many examples of this meaning given in the dictionaries.
ii) Meaning 'who cannot win'. This meaning is given only by the author of Kāśikāvrtti while commenting on Pāṇini 6.2.157. According to this sūtra?, if the words ending in the suffix uc (a) and ka (a) are preceded by nañ and if the meaning intended to be conveyed is incapability (to do something), the end syllable of the compound receives the acute accent. The Kāśikā gives two examples for the affix -ac, viz. apacá and ajaya and explains the former as yah paktum nu saknoti ‘one who cannot cook'. Obviously, the latter example ajaya is to be understood as yah jetum na saknoti' who cannot win’.4 However, there is no example of the use of ajayá in this meaning in any of the dictionaries.
B. ajaya- noun : Meaning ‘non victory, defeat (na jayah).