Amarakoshodghatana of Kshirasvamin (study)
by A. Yamuna Devi | 2012 | 77,297 words | ISBN-13: 9788193658048
This page relates ‘Flora (9): Common weed’ 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.
Flora (9): Common weed
Citrā (II. 4. 157; p. 120)–
[Indian wild gourd or bitter apple:]
Amarakośa gives citrā as synonym of gavākṣī viśālā and indravāruṇī.
Kṣīrasvāmin remarks that reading the dvyarthakoṣa (II. 68), Amara has mistaken citrā for viśālā. Kṣīrasvāmin cites Dhanvantari (I. 248) who does not mention the two as synonyms. He tries to justify this reading of Amara by suggesting that viśālā is a variety of gavākṣī and that the term viśālā is indicative of a big fruit–
āha ca—
aindrīvāruṇī drākṣā indrervāruvṛṣādanī |
gavādanī kṣudraphalā vṛṣabhākṣī gavākṣyapi |
?[™]rthe citrā viśālā dravantī ceti viśālāyāścitratvād bhrānto granthakṛd |
gavākṣī viśeṣo vā viśāleti na doṣaḥ | viśālā mahāphalatvāt |
āha ca—
ānyendravāruṇī proktā viśālā tu mahāphalā |
ātmarakṣā citraphalā tuvasī trapuṣī ca sā |