Grammatical explanation of Amarakośa’s preamble

[Full title: Derivation of words following Pāṇini’s sūtras (1): Grammatical explanation of Amarakośa’s preamble]

The preface of Amarakośa (I. 1. 3-5; pp. 2-3) elucidates the techniques employed in the text. This has been variously interpreted by the commentators.

Amarakośa mentions that the text is composed after the survey of all the existing koṣas and related texts. The gender of words are also suggested by their very form or by the adjacent words or by special adjectives; also the text declares that to indicate the difference between the words the dvandva compound is not employed, nor is there an ekaśeṣa compound; and there is no jumbling of words in different genders; and all are presented in proper sequence.

The word triṣu is used to denote that a word is used in all three genders; when the word is to be used only in masculine and feminine genders the word dvayoḥ is mentioned and when a particular gender is debarred then the rest is applicable; and the synonyms of words are demarked from the next by the presence of the word tu or atha.

Amarakośa reads in the introductory verses (I. 1. 5; pp. 3-4)–

tvantā'thā''di na pūrvabhāk |

Explaining the above phrase Kṣīrasvāmin remarks letter ‘tu’ indicates a demarcation, while ‘atha’ denotes the beginning of the next set of synonyms.

So saying he cites examples from Amarakośa which do not adhere to the rules laid down by itself and hence creates confusion to the readers–

tathā tu śabdo'nte yasya tatvantamathaśabda ādiryasya tadathādi ca pūrvaṃ na bhajate—āgrimeṇa saṃbadhyata ityarthaḥ | nyāsasiddhaṃ caitat—tunā pūrvasmādviśeṣadyotanāt—āthaśabdena cārthāntarārambhāt yathā—“pulomajā śacīndrāṇī nagarītvamarāvatī” tathā “nityanavaratājasramapyathātiśayo bhara” iti | bhrāntisthanaviṣayaṃ caitat |

While pointing out the ambiguity, Kṣīrasvāmin also explains reasons for the choice of Amarakośa in not using dvandva or ekaśeṣa compounds.

He remarks that the dvandva compound is not employed for words in different genders enumerated as synonyms in Amarakośa, since in the dvandva compound the gender of the latter word alone is expressed and not of the components as in compound of kuliśa, bhidura and paviḥ–

paravalliṅgaṃ hi syānnāvayavaliṅgam yathā—
kuliśaṃ bhiduraṃ paviḥ na tu kuliśabhidurapavaya iti |

So also an ekaśeṣa compound is not entertained as the gender of the remaining word alone is reflected–

tathaikaśeṣo na kṛtaḥ śiṣyamāṇaliṅgasyaiva hi pratītiḥ syāt yathā—
nabhaḥ khaṃ śrāvaṇo nabhāḥ na tu khaśrāvaṇau nabhasī |