Grammatical Riddles from Jain Works

Author(s): Nalini Balbir
Publisher: Z_Nirgranth_Aetihasik_Lekh_Samucchay_Part_1_002105.pdf and Nirgranth_Aetihasik_Lekh_Samucchay_Part_2

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Nalini Balbir
Jambu-jyoti
bhä, when there is na instead of ma (a-jā-ma-da-ha-ta-bhā-pūrvo me ne): muja - anuja, jānuja, manuja, danuja, hanuja, tanuja and Bhānuja!.
In all these cases, whatever the process at work, the analysis of the compound which forms the answer in the smallest possible elements looks both artificial and skillful.
(II)
5. We now come to varieties of grammatical praśnottaras which are defined and illustrated in the relevant śāstras. In the so-called nămākhyātajāti, the same sequence of phonemes is submitted to a twofold analysis and can be understood both as a noun (substantive, adjective, indeclinable) and as a verb. Mahākavi Ajitasena states :
sup-tin-anta-prabhedena suyogitvăd dvidhottaram ekam eva bhaved yatra tan nāmākhyātam ucyate (AC 2.55)
When an answer, which is twofold because of a good grammatical connection, corresponding respectively to an inflected nominal form and to an inflected verb form, is the same, the riddle is called nāmākhyāta, "noun (and) verb."
This verse obviously echoes Dharmadāsa's definition; both the syntactic pattern and the vocabulary are identical, except for one word :
ekam evottaram yatra suslistatvad dvidhā bhavet sup-tin-anta-prabhedena nāmākhyātam tad ucyate (VMM 2.37)
When the same answer becomes twofold because of a good double meaning, corresponding respectively to an inflected nomimai form and to an inflected verb form, the riddle is called nāmākhyāta, "noun (and) verb."
In the VMM, this variety is illustrated through 18 examples, a fairly large number compared to what we get for other types. Three groups can be sorted out depending on the pattern at work :
5.1. Q1 + Q2 ... + x + A + A, ... + A as nominal forms and Q. → A, A, ... + A, as a verbal form. E.g.,
padam anantara-vāci kim isyate ? kapi-patir vijayi nanu kidrśah ? para-gunaṁ gaditum gata-matsarāh kuruta kim satatam bhuvi sajjanah ? (VMM 2.39)