The Nighantu And The Nirukta Of Sri Yaskacarya The Oldest Indian Treatise On Etymology Philology And Semantics 3 Parts Bound In One Part 1 Introduction Part 2 English Translation Part 3 Sanskrit Text

The Nighantus are the glossaries or lists of rare and obscure words occurring in the Vedic hymns. According to Yaska they were collected and classified by the descendants of ancient sages for the easier understanding of the Vedic texts. The Nirukta is a famous work of Yaska. It is the oldest Indian Treatise on Etymology, Philology and Semantics. This being a commentary on the Nighantus, collection of obscure words which tradition ascribes also to Yaska, follows the three-fold division of the contents of the Nighantus. There are three sections in the Nirukta, viz., Naighantuka Kada ( consisting of lists in which Vedic words are collected under certain main ideas), Naigama Kanda or Aikapadika ( containing a list of ambiguous and particularly difficult words of the Vedas) and Daivata- Kanda ( classification of deities according to the three regions: earth, sky and heaven). The book is divided into three parts. These contain Introduction, Translation and Sanskrit Text, accompanied by exegetical and critical Notes, Indices and Appendices.

This translation is of thirteen Sanskrit plays discovered in South India by the late Pandit Ganapati Sastri and edited by him in the Trivandrum Sanskrit Series. It comprises the following titles: 1. Pratijnayaugandharayana, 2. Svapnavasavadatta, 3. Carudatta, 4. Pancaratra, 5. Madhyamavyayoga, 6.Pratima-nataka, 7.Dutavakya, 8.Dutaghatotkaca, 9.Karnabhara, 10.Urubhanga, 11.Avimaraka, 12.Balacarita, and 13.Abhiseka. Sastri attributed all the thirteen plays to Bhasa and the prevailing opinion of the scholars is in agreement with him, though the available evidence is not conclusive and so the question still remains open. The translation was done by two eminent Sanskrit scholars. It was published s early as 1930 and a reprint is now issued in view of a persistent demand of scholars. Pandit Ganapati Sastri attributed all thirteen plays to Bhasa, a famous dramatist earlier than Kalidasa. Some verses are ascribed to Bhasa by medieval anthologies, but only ten with unanimity. We are told that he composed a Svapnavasavadattam (his best play) and that in another play the device of the wooden elephant was used. Characteristic features of his work are described by Bana, and other poets evidently held him in high estimation. One or two verses from his plays are quoted by writers on poetics. Otherwise, the text of BhasaÍs numerous plays had completely disappeared. The learned editor of the Trivandrum plays found that they contained a Svapnavasavadattam (the best play in the collection), and, in the Pratijna-Yaugandharayanam, a scene dealing with the wooden elephant. He noticed also certain peculiarities in the technique of the plays which he regarded as signs of antiquity. All these points confirmed the opinion that Bhasa was the author.

Prakrit has a vast literature but it had no systematic comprehensive grammar. Scholars like Vararuci, Hemacandra, Trivikrama, Markandeya, Laksmidhara, Krsna Pandit, Ramasarana Tarkavagisa had indeed their own grammars but they differed immensely in respect of their contents. Lessen was the first who tried to systematize Prakrit grammar but he wrote in Latin. Then came Pischel who analysed not only the extant grammars but studied minutely the whole of extant Prakrit literature and collected first hand information about this important language.

This completely revised edition now includes the most current terminology. This unique text helps your students learn medical terminology from a "classics" approach and includes references to Greek and Latin mythology. In addition, many new illustrations reinforce concepts and highlight various etymological notes.

In Indian Alchemy Dr. Mahdihassan attempts to elucidate the point that Alchemy is a science through which the higher states of being reveal themselves with the matrix of spatio-temporal world. It is a science that is directly related to temporal levels of the universal hierarchy which is totally beyond the reach of any of the profane methods employed during the past century.

This practical introduction to word history investigates every aspect of where words come from and how they change. Philip Durkin, chief etymologist of the Oxford English Dictionary, shows how different types of evidence can shed light on the myriad ways in which words change in form and meaning. He considers how such changes can be part of wider linguistic processes, or be influenced by a complex mixture of social and cultural factors. He illustrates every point with a wide range of fascinating examples. Dr Durkin investigates folk etymology and other changes which words undergo in everyday use. He shows how language families are established, how words in different languages can have a common ancester, and the ways in which the latter can be distinguished from words introduced through language contact. He examines the etymologies of the names of people and places. His focus is on English but he draws many examples from languages such as French, German, and Latin which cast light on the pre-histories of English words. The Oxford Guide to Etymology is reliable, readable, instructive, and enjoyable. Everyone interested in the history of words will value this account of an endlessly fascinating subject.