Post No. 11,869
Date uploaded in London – – 4 APRIL 2023
Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com
Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.
this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.
tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com
https://www.pustaka.co.in/home/author/london-swaminathan
Xxx
Etymology is the study of the origin of words. The history of a word or phrase is shown by tracing its development and relationships.
Yaska was the oldest etymologist known to history. He found the roots of Vedic words. His writing known in Sanskrit as Nirukta, is not only available to us but also studied by Vedic students today. Nirukta is one of the six ancillary subjects, that all the Vedic students must study and pass.
Nirukta is the oldest treatise on etymology, philology and semantics.
He lived before the time of Greeks, Tamil and Latin authors writing books or poems. The wonder is that he mentioned his predecessors. The list of names that he provides us show that India, that is Bharat, was the most literate country in the ancient world. That also proved that Vedic civilization was far ahead of other civilizations. That proved that Sanskrit was the oldest and well developed language.
Though we have older writings in Egyptian, Babylonian cultures, they don’t deal with grammar or linguistics in detail. We have only gibberish and primitive Gilgamesh poems as part of Middle East literature.
Here is what Yaska, the author of Nirukta (etymology) says:-
His 17 predecessors or his contemporaries:
1.Aagraayana
2.Audumbaraayana
3.Aupamanyava
4.Aurnavaabha
5.Kaaththakya
6.Kautsa
7.Krautuuki
8.Gaarrgya
9.Gaalava
10.Carmaciras
11.Yaitiki
12.Vaarsyaayani
13.Satabalaaksa
14.Saakataayan,
15.Saakapuuni
16.Saakalya
17.Sthaulaasthivi
Xxx
Apart from these individual names, he mentioned many subjects and professions:
Aithihaasikaahaa= historians
Duhitr- daayaadaah= a school of lawgivers who allow a daughter to inherit property of father just like a son.
Nairuktaahaa – etymologists
Parivraajakaahaa – ascetics or theologians
Yajnikaahaa – the ritualists
Vaiyaakarnaahaa = grammarians
Xxx
The existence of such schools of thought shows that specialisation in different subjects must have been prevalent for a considerable time to enable such schools to arise.
This was India before or around 1000 BCE.
We don’t see such a development anywhere in the world around that time.
Text books on these subjects must have existed at the time of Yaska.
Xxx
Six Limbs of Veda Maathaa
According to orthodox tradition, the Nirukta of Yaska is an auxillary treatise which is indispensable for a deep, full and proper knowledge of Vedic stanzas. It is technically called a Vedanga, a limb of the Veda. There are six limbs, Vedangas. The six limbs are
Grammar , phonetics, Ritualistic aphorisms,Metrics, Astronomy and Etymology
Shadango vedo adhyetavyah
Vyaakaranam sikshaa kalpa Chando jyotisham nruktam
Metre is indeed the feet of the Veda, Ritual texts the hands, astronomy the eye, etymology the ear, phonetics the nose and grammar the mouth of the Veda. Therefore, a scholar who has studied the Veda with its limbs becomes great in the world of Brahma.
Chandah paadau tu vedasya hastau kalpo atha padyate
Jyotishaamayanam chakshurniruktam srotramuchyate
Sikshaagnaanam tu vedasya mukham vyaakaram smrutam
Tasmaat saangamadheetyaiva brahmaloke mahiiyate
Xxx
Yaska is mentioned and quoted by many scholars in the later days,
Vararuchi in his Niruktasamuchchaya
Skandasvaamin in his commentary on the Rig Veda
Govindasvaamin in his commentary on Baudhaayana dharmasaastra
Medhaatithi in his commentary on the Manu Smriti
Uvata in his commentary on Vajasneyi Samhita
Bhatta bhaaskra Misra in his commentary on the Taittiriya Samhita
Devaraaja Yajvan in his commentary on the Nighantu
Udgiitha and Venkata Maadhava on their commentary on the Rig Veda
Saayana in his commentary on all the four vedas
quoted Yaska’s etymological explanations as authoritative.
Yaska has become, to all commentators, an ifallible guide in the domain of Vedic explanation.
Xxx
We have also got the 64 names of grammarians who lived before Panini of seventh or eighth century BCE
If we place Susrutha’s Sixth century BCE medical treatise together with the above, we can get a bird’s eye view of India’s enormous achievement.
Source book – Woolner Commemoration Volume, 1940 with my inputs
—subham—
Tags- Yaska, Nirukta, list of etymologists, Vedanga, six limbs.
Tamil and Vedas 