Proceedings of the Seminar on Prakrit Studies 1973

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

Page 106

65
hi adhivacana-nirutti-panħattisu atthato koci bhedo atthi, nipphatti-nimittabhe. dadassanatthaṁ pana nesam vibhāgenapadattho dassito. The point which the Expositor wants to make is that when a word is given as a synonym of another word, the adhivacana marks its adhikara, the nirutti points out its derivation, and the panħatti, its signifying mode. This is why an amalgamation of the usage of these terms is perceptible as for example A.IV. 88-89 sukhassetam adhivacanam yadidam puññāni where subhasse'sa paħħatti can also be thought of. [The Expositor.I.p.69 says 'terms, signifying (one and the same idea) in various ways, e.g. takka, vitakka, sankappa, are called 'ex... pressions' (=nirutti)'. Here adhivacana and nirutti converge in meaning.]
3.2 Comparison of Adhivacanas and Niruttis :
The formal distinction between the two is that the former is presented usually in the form 'B' is the adhivacana of A' (i.e. amukasse'tam adhivacanan) while the latter is generally introduced with 'tasma amuko'ti vuccati'. A more vital difference between the two pertains to their origin. The adhi. vacanas have their stand primarily on metaphors while the niruttis or nibba. cana are based on the slender phonetic semblance between the nibbacaniyas and the nibbacanas. In other words the adhivacanas acquire their status of synonyms through metaphorization while niruttis do it through some pseudo etymological relations. The differences between the two can be still more exactly stated by subjecting them to a specific difference under the generic heading of 'metaphoric activity'.
(Here, the phrase 'metaphoric activity' is to be understood in its etymo. logical meaning, meta, - a change and phora - a motion. A change in the motion is the resultant where the motion is of course to be conceived as semantic rather than a physical one). The following diagram will clarify the position : Vocable
Change in the Meaning Modus operandi (a) Kantaka(=a thorn) (piyarūpa & sātarūpa Metaphorization
(pleasant and agree.
able) (b) B(b)rahmana bahita papa
Etymologization (A Brahmin by (a sinless person)
based on pseudocaste)
metaphor or pun. 4.0 The preceding discussion can be summed up with the following remarks:
4.1 The Buddha in his reformative zeal wanted to revalue many of the old terms like brahmana, nhataka, samaņa etc. This was a socio-religious ideal. He tried to achieve this by means of fresh interpretations (etymo. logical and otherwise) and presented many stipulative definitions in the course of his discourses,