________________
Thus according to Pt. H.D. Seth Vaşi and Vasi-both the words are of feminine gender and denote a tool of carpenter called Vasulā in Hindi, meaning an adze1. He has quoted a verse from Dharma Sangrahani2 which uses the word Vas? in the sense of an adze. Again, he has given references to several Prakrit works such as Praśna-vyakaraṇa, Paumacharia3, Kalpa Sutra, Surasundaricharia and Uvavāi Sūtra making use of the word Väsī in the sense of an adze. Pt. H.D. Seth also mentions the word Väsi-muha-(skt. Vāsīmukha) used in the Uttaradhyayana Sutra. Here also according to Seth, Vāsīmukha denotes an insect belonging to the class of being possessing two sense-organs and having mouth like an adze.
5. In the great Sanskrit lexicon, Sabda-Kalpadruma, the word Vāsī is explained as follows: "वासी (स्त्री) वासयतीति वासि प्रत्त । गौरादित्वाद् ङीष् । तक्षणी । वाइस इति ख्यातास्त्रम् । इति त्रिकाण्डशेष : ।
वासि: (पुं० ) ( वसू निवासे वसिवपिथतिराणीति) उणा० 4 1124 इति इभ् कुठारभेद: वाइस इति भाषा । इत्यणादि कोषः । "
Here the lexicographer has etymologically derived Vāsī in feminine gender from the verb fa and given the Sanskrit synonym Takṣani and Vernacular synonym Vaisa. He has also explained the word Vasi in masculine gender deriving it from the verb (vas=to live) its meaning is given as Kuṭhārabhedaḥ i.e. a kind of hatchet.
1. Cf. Bhargava's Standard Illustrated Anglo-Hindi Dictionary compiled by Prof. R.C. Pathak, (11th Edition). pp. 28 (see also the picture of adze given on it), 1151.
2. A prakrit work by Haribhadra Sūri, pub. by Devachand Lalbhai Pustakoddhara Fund, Bombay, 1916, v. 489.
3. It is to be remarked that Paumacharia by Vimal Süri is edited by Dr. H. Jacobi and pub. by Jain Dharma Prasaraka Sabha, Bhavnagar, 1914, see Cantos XIV, vs. 78.
4. Also known as Katha Surasundari, a love story in Prakrit written by Dhaneśvara Muni (A.D. 1848) Ed. by Muni Shri Rajvijayji, pub. by Jain Vividha Sahitya Sastramālā Banaras, 1916, Pariccheda I, v. 28.
5. Uttaradhyayana Sutra, 36/129.
6. Sabda-Kalpadruma by Sir Rājā Rādhā Kanta Deva Bahadūra, pub. by Motilal Banarasi Dass, Delhi, 1960, Kanda IV, p. 357.
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