Conjunctive Particles - कर्मोपसंग्रहार्थ निपात - Part 3

The conjunctive particles as given in Nirukta, Chapter 1, Section 7 and 8 are continued here:

11.  'सीम्' (sīm) has the sense of totality (परिग्रहार्थ) or it is used as an expletive (पदपूरणः) - “प्र सीमादित्यो असृजत” (Aditya sent them forth – on all sides or from all sides).

The word ‘सुरुच’ (suruca) means rays of the sun so called on account of their brilliant light – सुरोचनात्

 

12. ‘त्व’ (tva)  is a pronoun with the sense of opposition/restrain* (विनिग्रहार्थ). Some hold it to be a synonym of ‘half’. 

*English translation taken from Mr. Sarup's book. But I feel the sense is not rightly communicated.
Readers are advised to look at the examples and understand the intent of Nirukta.

 

Example:

"ऋचां त्वः पोषमास्ते पुपुष्वान्गायत्रं त्वो गायति शक्वरीषु |

ब्रह्मा त्वो वदति जातविद्यां यज्ञस्य मात्रां वि मिमीत उ त्वः ||" (Rig Veda 1 10.71.11)

(One plies his constant task reciting verses, one sings the ‘gayatra’ hymn in Sakvari measures

One Brahma tells the knowledge of being and one lays down the rules of yajña)

(Now the roots of some of the words used in above phrase are explained)

The word ‘ऋचा’ (ṛcā) means a Vedic hymn used for prayer i.e. अर्चना (arcanā) – ऋगर्चनी

‘गायत्रं’ (gāyatraṃ) has the sense of 'singing a praise' from ‘गा’ (gā) - गायत्रं गायते: स्तुतिकर्मणः

‘शक्वर्य’ (śakvarya) is a type of Vedic hymn. The word is derived from ‘शक्नोते’ which means ‘to be able’. It is so called because with these hymns was one able to slay Vrtra (a demon) – तद् यदाभिर्वृत्रमशकद्धन्तुं तच्छक्वरीणाम शक्वरीत्वम्

(The last part of the second line of above mantra refers to a type of priest called ‘अध्वर्यु’. Its derivation is now explained)

‘अध्वर्यु’ (adhvaryu) is so called because:

 

a. Either because he directs or leads the yajña - अध्वरं युनक्ति I अध्वरस्य नेता
b.  Or because he desires (which is the first step of a yajña in the form of a sankalpa) - अध्वरं कामयत इति वा
c. Or the word is formed by the addition of the suffix ‘यु’ (yu) to ‘अधि’ (adhi) in the sense of 'studying' – अपि वाधियाने युरुपबन्धः

‘अध्वर’ (adhvara) is a synonym of yajña. ‘ध्वर’ means ‘to kill’ and ‘adhvara’ denotes the negation of killing.

(Further discussion related to ‘त्व’ is not presented here. With this, the series on conjunctive particles comes to an end.)