俱舍論疏 9.28

9.28

On the Śāstra's 'Among verbal roots... because it is abbreviated, there is no fault': this explains the abbreviation of the phoneme a. The Nyāyānusāra says: 'Because among verbal roots meanings are not single. Although this root av primarily denotes going, within it there is also the meaning of eating; because it feeds on fragrance, it is called a gandharva. As for its short vowel, it is like śakandhu and karkandhu; because it is abbreviated, there is no fault. Some say: the intermediate existence relies on fragrance to sustain its body, and because it moves seeking fragrance, it is called a gandharva.' According to this text of the treatise, av is the verbal root (dhātu), and gandha is the nominal affix/word. The compound gandhāva has a long vowel, whereas gandharva has a short vowel. Although long and short differ, this is translated as 'seeking fragrance'. Seeking fragrance is the meaning of going, but within it there is also the meaning of eating. Saying 'seeking fragrance' is because it feeds on fragrance. That is to say, because the root av has two senses, it is both due to the sense of going and due to the sense of eating. Omitting the sound a in the verbal root is also without fault, because it is pronounced with a short vowel. Just as in śakandhu and karkandhu, śakan and karkan are the nominal elements, and dhu is the root element. The root element should have two syllables, but because it is pronounced with a short vowel, one syllable is omitted, and it is merely called dhu.