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This blog is about learning the meaning of Sanskrit words as explained in Yaska's 'Nirukta'. Nirukta refers to etymology of words used in the Vedas and it is one of the six Vedangas (fields of knowledge ancillary to the study of Vedas, including phonetics, prosody, and grammar).
Yaska's Nirukta is mainly a commentary on a compendium of Vedic words called 'Nighantu'. Nighantu consists of three sections covering synonyms, homonyms, and names of Vedic gods and goddesses. One can read more about the Nighantu here.
Besides explaining the origin of words given in the Nighantu, Yaska also explains a large number of other words from the Vedas. The Nirukta also includes discussion on word origins referring to diverse opinions of etymology experts of the time. This gives us an insight into a long and rich scholarly tradition of etymology which existed during the Vedic period. Nirukta is now held as the oldest Indian treatise on etymology, philology and semantics.
Yaska's Nirukta has been translated to English by Mr. Lakshman Sarup in 1920 and the book is easily available for anyone to read. In its preface, Mr. Sarup mentions that some portions of the Nirukta are later additions. He has pointed out such portions in his book. He has also provided a number of very useful indexes to help readers search for specific words. It is a must-read for anyone interested in Sanskrit.
While reading Mr. Sarup's book, I found that some of his translations, especially of Vedic hymns, were not very satisfactory. His translations are largely based on the work of A.A. Macdonell. Readers are therefore advised to read his work in strict guidance of a qualified Sanskrit teacher and at all times compare his translation with the original work by Yaska.
Nevertheless, the book is worth reading. One can delve into the great sea of Sanskrit word roots and revel in their beauty and diversity. I, personally, have always had an interest in etymology and therefore I found this book very interesting.
This blog is an endeavour to give a wide range of readers the chance to explore Sanskrit word roots. It is meant as an introduction to the world of Sanskrit etymology. The presentation has been made very simple and easy to read. But at the same time, great care has been taken that original Sanskrit text is available to read alongwith the English translations. This will help the learning process as one would not have to go back and forth from one book to another.
Some important points about the presentation of the blog:
- The entire text of Nirukta is not presented, Focus is on derivation of words from their roots. Other discussions have not been presented.
- The English translation is mostly taken from the book of Mr.Sarup. But at some places I have used a different translation, either to present an idea more simply or where I found Mr.Sarup's translation was not communicating the exact intent of the Sanskrit word.
- Transliteration scheme used- IAST
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