Madhuvidya

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

Page 61

UPANIŞADIC ETYMOLOGIES
A third etymology of the word stated clearly in the Br. 1.4.1, but which does not seem to have found favour with the etymologists, is from purva +us 'to burn'. sa yat purvo 'smät sarvasmat sarvän papmana auşat tasmat purusaḥ.
(2) Etymology as evidence for pronunciation.
In the case of a few etymologies the varṇasamanya between the words derived and the elements from which their derivation is sought is not perfect. If one does not wish to set aside such cases on the ground that slight dissimilarities in the phonetic shape were not cared for, one may argue that this difference, at least in some cases, points to the habits of pronunciation. Thus the etymology of yajñá (<yaj-) apparently should not be in doubt. But in the Ch. Up. 4.16.1 the identification of yajñá with väyú gives occasion for a different etymology. esa ha vai yajño 'yo 'yam pavate; esa ha yann idam sarvam punāti; yad esa yann idam sarvam punäti tasmad esa eva yajñaḥ. This implies the derivation of yajñá from yat (1) + na (punāti) which should give yadna (or yanna). Is it then permissible to assume that this etymology was inspired by the knowledge of the fact that the pronunciation of yajña had been approximated to yadna? 10
Among the etymologies of púrusa noted above those which derive the final syllable of it either from us or from sic,sad and as take care of the retroflex ş. But the one which seeks to obtain it fromsi (or perhaps vis) may indicate that a clear distinction between the pronunciation of é and was not always maintained. 11
The Upanisadic etymology of ukthá has in fact for its basis the middle Indic pronunciation uttha. präno vā uktham; prano hidam sarvam utthapayati Br. 5.13.1 (also 1.6.1,2,3). It is, however, not intended to suggest that the Upanisadic author was himself pronouncing uktha as uttha. 12 There is evidence about the consciousness of the irregularity in the phonetic shape which at times is pointed out as due to paroksatva. tah va etam indham santam indra ity acakṣate paroksenaiva Br. 4.2.2.13 But in the case of atriatti it is said väg evätrir; vācā hy annam adyate; attir ha vai namaitad yad atrir iti Br. 2.2.4.14
(3) Generalities, 15
It is a matter of common knowledge that the Upanisads, like the Brahmanas, contain many etymological speculations. The underlying idea of these etymologies appears to be the same as that of the Nairuktas, viz. that all nouns are derived from verbs. Naturally
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