Madhuvidya

Author(s): S D Laddu, T N Dharmadhikari, Madhvi Kolhatkar, Pratibha Pingle
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 58

SOME LEXICOGRAPHICAL NOTES ON THE UPANIŞADS 185 2. atighni- BĀU. 2.1.19. is explained by BR as follows: "(von han mit ali), adj. vollständig vernichtend, davon f. oghni, vielleicht mit Ergänzung von avasthä, ein alles Unangenehme vergessen machender Zustand". This is following Sankara, cf. atiśayena duḥkhaṁ hanti ity atighni, anandasyavastha.... Böhtlingk regards it as a noun and renders it better as die höchste Stufe". The meaning given by Monier-Williams "utter oblivion or profound sleep (obliterating all that is disagreeable in the past, and regarded as the highest condition of bliss)” is not quite suitable for the Upanișadic passage which runs as follows: sa yatha kumäro-vā mahäräjo vă mahābrahmaạo và 'tighnim anandasya gatvà sayītaivam evaisa etac chete. The expression atighnim anandas ya galvā obviously means "having reached the excess, or the utmost stage of joy". 8 This meaning of atighni is to be derived from ati Vhan- "to strike beyond (the limit)” which, when used as a mark of excellence in a feat would mean "surpass all others". Regarded this way, the expression would mean “having reached that utmost stage of joy which surpasses all other conditions of joy of lesser degree". We may compare here the use of ati ✓ vyadh“to pierce through, beyond" which in the RV. 4.8.8 is used as a mark of excellence: sá vipraś carşaninám sávasá mánuşāņām áti ksipréva vidhyati “Dieser Redekundige übertrifft mit Kraft (die Reden aller) Völker, (aller) Menschen wie die schnellende (Bogensehne)" (Geldner). Instead of a bow-string, we should better think of an arrow (isu-).
We may also discuss here the word atighnyd- occurring in AV. 11.9.16 (= 11.7.16) which, according to the lexicons, is derived from atighniand hence rendered as "überwältigend (?)" BR, "am höchsten stehend" Böhtlingk, "one who is in the condition ati-ghnf” Monier-Williams. The AV. passage runs as follows: sá kşiyati víśvasyeśāno vřşå bhámyām atighnyaḥ "he (= úcchişja- "the remnant of the offering") dwells, ruler of all, an overpowering (?) bull upon the earth” (Whitney). But in this context, as an adjective of bull, the word is better interpreted as “beyond those that may be killed" (ati-*ghnya-). The word would then be almost identical in meaning with ághnya- (or aghnyd-). We may compare this interpretation of ati-ghnyà- with ati-martya- "superhuman" Bhāg. Pur. 1.1.20 (BR, additions in vol. V), and upári-martya-s "superior to men" RV. 8.19.12. mártya- has been treated as a gerundive reformed from
: Cf. "ein Ubermass von Wonne geniessend" Deussen, "Höhepunkt der Wonne" Böhtlingk, "the summit of bliss" Hume. • Also Wackernagel-Debrunner, II/2, $ 642y, small type, p. 791.
Cr. however Wackernagel-Debrunner, II/2, $ 653, small type, p. 814, where the possibility of upari-martya- being derived from upari-marta- + ya- is also mentioned.
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