________________
P, M. Upadhye
the word kagint meaning a kingdom and stamps it as a Deśya word. The 37dartet fra by Jain Muni Ratnachandraji Maharaj also says that the word kagiņi means ran or a kingdom. It further explains that affor is one of the 14 jewels of a cakravartin king by which he draws a circle to produce light in dark cayes as seen at goist 7-1. etc. The word kāgint in the sense of a kingdom or a jewel is not recorded by Hemachandra in bis Deśīdāmamala.
From these references it can be seen that both Sanskrit and Präkrit languages had the currency of the word kāgiņi io the sense of a jewel or kingdom but the Jain literature, as seen above, uses the word to mean a jewel of a sovereigo king. This appears to be special feature of this word in the Prākrit language.
It can be understood that the word kāgini meaning a kingdom may be brought nearer to the meaning of jewel, because a kingdom belongs to a king who has a privilege to put on various jewels and enjoy a 14 jewels etc.
It may be noted that in ancient Indla cowries or shells or some ivory articles were used as ornaments and it was believed that these articles had some magical, mysterious and medicinal effect on a man who wore them on his body. Even today among the tribals of various parts of India there are such notions about these articles made of ivory copper and other metals etc. Ratna is defined as anything best or excellent of its kind - Gial बातौ यदुकृष्टं तद्रत्नमभिधीयते ।' If this meaning of the word रत्न is taken into account, the word kāgint meaning a jewel can be explained. First of all dictionaries - Sanskrit as well as Prakrit accept the word kagiņi to mean a cowrie or a small coin or Goñja fruit and in that sense the word kāging as a worthlegs thing or most negliglble thing can be understood. Secondly when the word kagini denotes an excellent shell or coin or cow. rie, It can be looked upon as a jewel or a. As an excellent coln or a cowrie it possesses lustrous outlook and it can be easily detected even in darkness and that is to say that such a jewel produces light in a dark cave as believed in the Jain texts referred to above. Moreover as said earlier such a cowrie or coin or shell has medicinal magical effect to wrad off evll spirits, when it is an excellent one, not otherwise. Kings are considered as enjoyers of jewels - HS: and a sovereign king can be no exception to this belief, He enjoys all excellent things in the world.
Thus the word kägint can be explained in the sense of a cowrie or a small coin or Guñja berry as well as in the sense of a jewel of a king though this idea is quite peculiar to Jain líterature.
9. See Apte's Sanskrit English Dictionary.
