Madhuvidya

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

Page 62

M. A. MEHENDALE
many etymologies are based on sound similarities, especially those which occur as explanation of certain identifications. Usually in such etymologies it is the initial letter of the elements from which the noun is sought to be derived that is taken advantage of. Cf. for instance the implied etymology of púruşa above. But this by no means is always the case. Thus for example the second letter ś of
✓ vis in one of the etymologies of púruşa or n of the class-sign nā in punāti in the etymology of yajñá are also availed of. What is more striking is the fact that in a few cases the augment a- of the past tense is also used for the purposes of derivation. This perhaps implies that the derivation is based on some event that had once occurred. In the etymology of áśva we read: tato 'śvaḥ samabhavat, yad aśvat Br. 1.2.7.16
The most simple way of giving the etymology in the Upanişads is to state the verb in an inflected form and follow it up by saying that that is how the object has come to have its name. The initial clause giving the verb may begin with yat.17 yad ebhir (= chandobhir) acchädayans tac chandasām chandastvam Ch. 1.4.2;18 sarvam vā attīti tad aditer adititvam Br. 1.2.5. In the Upanişads we do not find an etymology being introduced by the word kasmät, as for example we do in the Nirukta, nighantavaḥ kasmāt (1.1.). But this later method appears to be foreshadowed in the Upanişads in the use of the word tasmāt (or tena) in the latter part of the etymological statements. sä haisā garāms tatre ... tad yad gayārs tatre tasmad gāyatri nāma Br. 5.14.4; te yad idam sarvam ādadānā yanti tasmād āditya iti Br. 3.9.5.19 Instead of tasmāt the ablative of the noun derived from the verb underlying the etymology is also used. yad garhapatyāt pranīyate, pranayanad āhavaniyaḥ pränah Praśna 4.3; vidānäd vidyut, vidyaty enam primano... Br. 5.7.1. In one instance where no derivation from a verb is involved, the word niruktam in the sense 'etymology' occurs: tasyaitad eva niruktañ hrdy ayam iti tasmād dhrdayam ch. 8.3.3.
A large number of Upanişadic etymologies occur due to curious identifications. These etymologies are then made the basis for the various identifications by showing that the meaning derived from the etymology is applicable to the object identified. This is usually expressed in two statements, the first containing the identification and the second the etymological explanation. The former has very often the particle vai, but occasionally also eva or vāva, while the latter is overwhelmingly marked by the particle hi (seldom vai or ha). Prāno va uktham, prāno hidam sarvam utthāpayati Br 5.13.1; väg vai gāyatri, väg va idam sarvan bhūtań gāyati ca trāyate ca Ch. 3.12.1; iyain vai prūsā, iyam hidam sarvam pusyati yad idar kim ca Br 1.4.13.20
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