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would declare that the prince could speak clearly. In that case mūga
(=mürkha) and pakkha in the first quarter would be contrasted, as in Gathā 38, as referring to the mental and physical deficiencies,13 In Găthă 5, the meaning of mūga is doubtful; but as it stands by the side of badhira 'deaf, it may there have meant 'dumb'.
Now as regards the meaning of mūga= mürkha in relationship with eda, it would be good to start with some of the observations of EDGERTON in BHS Dictionary. Under edaka-mūka we read "Here perhaps the literal idea, speechless, is dominant, tho the parallel jadasamena suggests that overtones of dull, stupid must also be present". For edamūka EDGERTON gives the meaning 'stupid (lit. dumb) as a sheep'.14 But as has been shown above the word just literally means 'stupid as a sheep' and not dumb as a sheep', and originally at any rate mūka (< mürkha) in this compound had nothing to do with müka = dumb. At the close of his remarks under edamūka, EDGERTON observes, "Sheep are proverbially stupid in other countries than India.”
This remark appears to be almost correct as stories showing the stupidity of sheep are ordinarily not known from Indian literature. However, so far as the proverbial stupidity of sheep is concerned we may do well to refer to a popular nyāya called ajākļpānīya which has been cited in the Käsikā under P. 5.3.106 (together with kälcatūlīya and andhakavarttakiya). It has been taken there to convey the idea of an unexpected happening, a surprising event (atarkitopanatan citrīkaraņam ucyate—Kāśikā).
As regards the interpretation of this nyāya we get the following information in the Laukikanyåyāñjali (A Handful of Popular Maxims, Part I) collected by Colonel G. A. JACOB (2nd edn., Bombay, 1907, p. 1): The maxim of the she-goat and the sword. It is founded on some story of a goat's being suddenly killed by accidental contact with a sword, and is used to illustrate any surprising event happening altogether by chance. It, therefore, belongs to the same class as käkatālīya, khalvāțabilvīya and others of a similar kind. An excellent illustration of its use is found on page 229 of śrîharsha's Khandanakhandakhadya :-pānau panca varā. takan pidhāya kaścit prcchati kati varāțakā iti/ prstas cājākrpāniyanya.
13. It may further be pointed out that perhaps the title of the jātaka mūga. pakkha also is intended to show similar contrast between mūga (foolishness) and pakkha (physical disabilities) and hence there too mūga possibly stands for mürkha.
14. To quote LUEDERS again from the end of § 47 (p. 48), "Die im PW. aus. gesprochene Vermutung, dass edamūka das gewöhnliche Wort für Schaf', eda, enthält, also stumm wie Schaf' bedeutet, ist daher nicht von der Hand zu weisen. Die für das Päli gesicherte Bedeutung ,Idiot' würde sich leicht daraus ableiten lassen."
Madhu Vidyā/586
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