Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (study)
by A. Yamuna Devi | 2012 | 77,297 words | ISBN-13: 9788193658048
This page relates ‘Divine Attendants’ of the study on the Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (in English) which represents a commentary on the Amarakosha of Amarasimha. These ancient texts belong the Kosha or “lexicography” category of Sanskrit literature which deals with the analysis and meaning of technical words from a variety of subjects, such as cosmology, anatomy, medicine, hygiene. The Amarakosa itself is one of the earliest of such text, dating from the 6th century A.D., while the Amarakoshodghatana is the earliest known commentary on that work.
The Divine Attendants
Kṣīrasvāmin takes oppertunity to mention the divine attendants (III. 5. 11. 346)[1] as follows–
(i) Viṣṇu's attendants as–
viṣṇoranucarāḥ—
caṇḍaḥ pracaṇḍaḥ jayo vijayaḥ viṣvaksenaḥ |
(ii) Śiva’s attendants called Pramathas (I. 1. 35; p. 12) Kṣīrasvāmin adds that they are also called gaṇas–
Are–
(iii) Pāripārśvakāḥ (I. 2. 32; p. 30)–[Sun's attendants:] Amarakośa mentions Maṭhara, Piṅgala and Daṇḍa as Sun's attendants.
Kṣīrasvāmin supplements that Indra and others are designated differntly as attendants of the Sun and quotes from a Saura Tantra–
indrādayo hyaṣṭādaśa nāmāntareṇārkaparicārakāḥ yatsauratantram—
tatra śakro vāmapārśve daṇḍākhyo daṇḍanāyakaḥ |
vahnistu dakṣiṇe pārśve bhavenmāṭhara sajñayā evamanye pātādyāḥ guhahararāhukharādayaḥ |
teṣu prādhānyāttraya evoktāḥ |`