Proceedings of the Seminar on Prakrit Studies 1973

Author(s): K R Chandra, Dalsukh Malvania, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 101

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Bahitua papake dhamme, ye caranti sada sata khīnasamyojana buddha, te ve lokasmir brahmana
(The fanciful etymology based on the word-play, as implied in the above verse is also observable with a slightly different interpretation at Ndl. p. 72 where we read 'Sattanna dhammanam bahitatta brahmano,' at D. iii 94 (Roman) we have papam bahesun. Dha, iii. 84 has bāhitapapatta and DA. I. 244 glves 'ariya bahitapa patta brahmaņa).
1.4, The examples like the verse 388 from the Dhammapada, namelyBahita papo'ti brahmano samacariya samano'ti buccati |
Pabbajayamattano malam tasma pabbajito'ti vuccati // are all, really interesting examples of resultant synonymy where one word tends to acquire the sense of the other. By a certain stipulation (in most cases prompted by ethical considerations) the terms like brahmana, nhataka, pabbalita etc. become almost the stenographs for the fuller expressions of bahitapapadhama, ninhatasabbapāpaka, pabbajitamala etc. respectively. In other words the Pali nibbacaniyas like these appear not as simple terms but as specific code_words.
2.0 So far only the logical aspect of this type of synonymy is consi. dered. The consideration led to the conclusion that the Pali nibbacanas are the steno-symbolic words formed under the influence of certain stipula. tiva definitions. These stipulative definitions, however, lead us to another and equally important consideration which is linguistic relating to phonetic and etymological aspects. For when the Buddha gave such stipulative definitions he showed some regard for, nay, even based these definitions on etymological grounds. To consider a few examples :
(a) aguí na karoti kiñci loke
nägo tadi pavuccate tathatta / (Sn.121.ad.) (b) ninhaya sabbapāpakani
kappam ne'ti tamāhu nhatako / (Sn.120.ad.) (c) Samitatta hi pāpānam samaņo'ti pavuccati (Dh. 265 cd.)
[See also SD, verse 119.1 In (a) there is an attempt of dissolving naga into natagu (sk. agas) thus equating it semantically with the Sanskrit anagas (= sinless). In (b) there is no word-play or semantic make-shift, but the sinana (= bathing or washing) as in the Vitthüpamasutta from M. Is conceived as ethical rather