Part 9 - Gonamani (Go Nama)

The following nine words are listed as the synonyms of cow. 1 Though Yaska explains the word 'gauh' in many ' ways (i.e. earth, animal, sun, rays, cow-skin, etc.), he has not derived it to mean 'cow' (Niru.2.5.6) in the strict sense of the term as we use now. 1. Aghnya: The word with its forms occurs in twenty places. Out of these in seventeen places, the word is used in the sense assigned. In VII.87.4, Sayana gives three meanings i.e. cow, speech and earth. 2 Generally, the word 3 is interpreted by sayana as ahananiya. She is not to be killed a- han or she is the destroyer of sin (Niru.11.43), The word is listed in the fifth chapter also (Nigh.5.5.31). 2. Usra: The word with its forms occurs in thirty eight places. In twelve places it is used in the sense assigned. The word has been already explained in rasminamani (1.5.9). rasminamani 3. 5. 1. 1. ahalya 2. usa 30 dksiyom 40 ahi 5 mahi 6. aditih 7. ilo 8. jagati 1 . sakvari . : 2. aghnya gau | yadva | vagatragaurucyate | sa ca urati kasthe sirasi ca badvani gayatryadini saptachandasam namani bibharti | yadva | vedatmika vagekavimsatisamsthanam yajnanam namani bibharti dharayati | aparah aha | gauh prthivi, "tasyasca 'gauh gma jma iti pathitani ekavimsatinama aghnya, ahantavya bhavati | aghaghniti va |

1 332 3. Usriya: The word with its forms occurs in thirty eight places. Out of these, in thirty five places the word is used in the sense of cow, but in some places as an adjective utsaranasila (IX.108,6). In two places it is used in the sense of rays (V.58.6; VII.81.2); and in III.1.12 the word is explained as water. Yaska explains the word. He says it is so called, because enjoyable things flow from it. (Usravinah asyam bhogah Niru 4.19). Sayana quotes Yaska (III.31.11). • 4. Ahl: The form is not used in the Raveda. The word ahi is included in meghanamani and udakanamani (1.10.21;12.3). and in the fifth chapters of the Nighantu (5.4.29). (Refer supra to Nigh.1.10.21). (Nigh.3.30.22). Ahl is listed in the third chapter 5. Mahl: The word with its forms occurs in one hundred and forty one places; but it is not used in the sense assigned. 1 The word has been already explained under t prthivi-namani (1.1.12). f 6. Aditih: The word occurs in one hundred and sixty five places. In one place it is interpreted as cow; and Sayana says 'gonamaitat' (IX.96.15 adinayah goh). The word has

already been explained under prithivinamani (1.1.14). Yaska says "aditih adina devamata" (Niru.4.22) i.e. unimpaired mother of gods. 7. Ila: The word with its forms occurs in sixty eight places. In seven places the word is explained as gorupam devin (III.1.23; 5.11; 6.11; 7.11; 15.7; 22.5, 23.5) and in VII.3.7 as ksirabibhih. In 1.48.16 Sayana clearly mentions it as ileti gonama ilabhih gobhih. has been already explained under prthivi-namani (1.1.15). The word 8. Jagati: The word with its form jagatisu occurs in three places. Jagati (X.130.5) is the name of a metre (chandas). The other form which occurs in two places (I.157.5; VI. 72:4) is used in the sense assigned. 9. Sakvari: The word occurs in two places in its form Sakvarisu. It is not used in the sense assigned. The word is listed in bahunamani also (2.4.11). The above discussion may be given' in a tabular form: 333

No. Word 334 No.of times used in the RV. Used in the sense assigned 23 1. Aghnya 23 2. Usra 38 3. Usriya 38 23 12 35 4. AhI 5. MahI 141 6. Aditih 165 1 7. Ila 68 8 8. Jagati 3 9. Sakvari 2 Four of the words mentioned above are not used in the sense assigned in the Rgveda. Seven words are listed in other chapters, three of them in prthivinamani.