Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (study)

by A. Yamuna Devi | 2012 | 77,297 words | ISBN-13: 9788193658048

This page relates ‘Mythical Informations’ 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.

Mythical Informations

(a) Kṛpīṭayoniḥ (I. 1. 53; p. 17):

Kṣīrasvāmin mentions that the Nirukta (II. 7. 24) names more than 100 words for water of which Kṛpīṭa is one. Quoting Manu (3. 76) he derives the word to signify 'the source of water, for Manu says whatever is duly offered as sacrifices reaches the sun and in turn returns as rain.

According to some water is the source of fire and they quote Manu (IX. 321) who mentions that fire originated from water:

udakanāmānyuttarāṇyekaśatamiti |
kṛpīṭasyāṃbhaso yonirdhumajatvānmeghānāṃ āgnau prāstāhutiḥ saṃyagiti ca |
kṛpītaṃ yonirasyetyeke | yadāhuḥ—
ādbhyo'gnirbrahmataḥ kṣatramaśno lihamutthitam |

An outline of creation is presented in the above passage.

(b) Aurva (I. 1. 56; p. 18)–

[Submarine fire:]

Kṣīrasvāmin in deriving the word presents the legend that aurva was the son of urva and records the view of some that he was concealed between the thighs b y his mother fearing Varuṇa

urvasyāpatyamaurvaḥ |
varuṇabhayānmātrā ūrvorgopitatvādityeke |

(c) Rākṣasa (I. 1. 60; p. 19)–

[Giant or ghost:]

Nikaṣātmaja is one of the synonyms of giant.

Kṣīrasvāmin remarks that according to Nāmamālā, Nikaṣā was the mother of the rākṣasas. He also observes that naikaṣeya being other derivation of the same word some mistake it as Kaikaseya–

nikaṣā rakṣasāṃ māteti mālā—āto naikaṣabhrāntyākaikaseyamāhuḥ |

Kṣīrasvāmin adds the term Vithura to denote a giant.

(d) Diggajas (I. 2. 5; p. 23):

Each of the eight quarters were believed to be protected by gods and guarded b y elephants. Amarakośa presents the list of elephants guarding each direction. Kṣīrasvāmin observes that the order as given by Bhāguri and Mālā is different.

Kṣīrasvāmin also adds the names of their consorts. All these are presented in the table below:

Lord of direction Diggaja as in Amarakośa Consorts as given by Kṣīrasvāmin Bhāguri Mālā
Indra
East
Airāvata Abhramu Airāvata Airāvata
Agni
South-East
Puṇḍarīka Kapilā Puṇḍarīka Supratīka
Yama
South
Vāmana Piṅgalā Kumuda Vāmana
Naiṛṛti
South-West
Kumuda Anupamā Añjana Kumuda
Varuṇa
West
Añjana Tāmrakarṇī Vāmana Añjana
Vāyu
North-West
Puṣpadanta Śubhradantī Puṣpadanta Puṣpadanta
Kubera
North
Sārvabhauma Aṅganā Sārvabhauma Sārvabhauma
Īśa
North-East
Supratīka Añjanāvatī Supratīka Puṇḍarīka


diśāṃ dhārakā gajā diggajāḥ |
kramāt airāvataḥ puṇḍarīkaḥ kumudoñjanavāmanā
iti bhāguriḥ kramaṃ vyatyastavān |
mālāpi—airāvataḥ supratīka iti |
puṇḍarīkādivarṇākṛtibhyāṃ saṃjñā etāḥ ||
kariṇyobhramukapilāpiṅgalānupamāḥ
kramāt |
tāmrakarṇī śubhradantī cāṅganā cāñjanāvatī |

(e) Anāmikā (II. 6. 82; p. 151)–

[Ring finger:]

Explaining the term anāmikā[1] the ring finger, Kṣīrasvāmin mentions the legend which states that the ring finger is not worth naming as it was with this that Śiva had once plucked the head of Brahmā.

He further remarks that the same is the reason for purifying this finger, in the rituals–

ānāmikā nāmagrahaṇāyogyā brahmaṇo'nayā śiraśchedanādata evāsyāṃ pavitraṃ kriyate |

(f) Vāruṇī (III. 3. 52; p. 282)–

[Western direction or liqour:]

Amarakośa mentions that vāruṇī signifies both western direction and liqour[2].

Kṣīrasvāmin explains that since Varuṇa was believed to be the presiding deity of the western direction it is also denoted as vāruṇī; so also as spiritual liquor is considered to have mythologically originated from the ocean, it earns the name vāruṇī[3]

surā varuṇādabdherjātā | pratyak pratīcī dik varuṇasyeyamiti |

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Cf. The popular adage: kaniṣṭhikādiṣṭhita kālidāsaḥ... ānāmikā sārthavatī babhūva |

[2]:

surā pratyak ca vāruṇī |

[3]:

Cf. Padma Purāṇa: Bhūmikāṇḍa, Ch. 119, 5, 8:

purā deva mahādaityaiḥ kṛtvā sauhārdamuttamam |
mamanthuḥ sāgaraṃ kṣīramamṛtārthaṃ samudyatāḥ ||
mathanāddevadaityanāṃ kanyāratnacatuṣṭayam |

... sulakṣmīrnāma sā caikā dvitīyā vāruṇī tathā |
jyeṣṭhā nāma tathā khyātā kāmodānyā pracakṣate |

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