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On the Etymology of 'Puggala or Poggala
Poggala appears to be connected, (1) Tamil-Putai 'to swell' 'to increase" (2) Tamil kalai to dis-integrate, to dissociatelo', and (3) Tamil Ponku or Telgu Pongu 'to swell, to increase' 11
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Now, (I) if we combine 'puta' and kala, we get Putakala, which may indicate integration and dis-integration. It may further suggest something that integrates or disintegrates, that is Puggala. The phonetic processes assumed in this respect are :
(1) Puṭakala puḍagala>puḍgala>puggala or poggala
or (2) Putakala> putakala>pudagala pudgala and puggala or Poggala.
(II) If we take the Tamil root poňku or the Telgu pong, we have their derivatives Ponakam and Pong respectively. So Ponka or Pong+kala may also give Pongala -- Poggala.
(III) But here it is presumed that the word is from two roots, And the question is: Is it necessary that this should be so? Could it not be that the word is derived from just one root? The third alternative, therefore, may be to derive poggala from the derivative pongala of panku or pong itself. Here pongala may mean 'swelling' or 'increasing' only. It may also indirectly suggest poggala 'matter'.
We can investigatate the meanings of the word puggala or poggala. Prakrit dictionaries such as 'paia-sadda-mahanṇavo' and Ardhamagadhi Dictionary of Ratnacandra, give the following meanings referring to the Jain Canons or sutras (such as Bhagavat, Thānanga, Ayaränga etc.) (1) matter. (2) soul, (c) flesh, (4) a kind of tree, and (5) a kind of fruit,
If we compare the avove etymology of puggala, i.e. putakala or pongala with the Jain traditional etymology, and definition of Puggala say, 'पूरणाद्गलनाच्च पुद्गला:'; we may conclude that the basic meaning of puggala was obviously 'the substance that integrates and disintegrates, that is, matter', Later on, Puggala assumed the meaning of Poggali 'an empirical being' receiving matter in various forms as body, 12 food, etc. In the context of material body of a sentient being Puggala may mean 'flesh' which is one of its chief constituents. Now commentators of the Jain canolcal literature, like those of the Buddhist canons tried to interpret some words and phrases, e.g. Bahu atthiyam puggalam..etc.13 as a kind of fruit or vegetable which probably originally meant flesh etc. Thus puggala is one of such words having a primary meaning 'flesh' and the secondary, rather imposed meaning, a fruit or a tree.
Then we may take up the meanings of puggala as given in the Pali dictionary. Puggala in Buddism means (1) individual as opposed to a group, (2) person, (3) man in later philosophical (abhidhamma) literature, and (4) soul or Atman.
