The Orion, or Researches into the Antiquity of the Vedas c8.29

Language: English

c8.29.1

There appears to be no express passage in the Vedic works, which states that Mṛigashiras, like the Kṛittikâs was ever the mouth of the Nakshatras. But what is so lost may still be discovered, in the words of Prof. Max Müller, “hidden in the secret drawers of language.” Mṛigashiras may not be specifically described as the first of the Nakshatras; but the word *Agrahâyaṇî* which Amarsinha (i. 3. 23), gives as a synonym for Mṛigashiras, and which supplies, according to Pāṇini, a derivative word for the month of Mârgashîrsha tells the same tale. *Agrahâyaṇî* literally means “commencing the year;” and the question is how did the Nakshatra come to be so called? In explaining the formation of this word all native lexicographers begin by assuming that the full-moon in the month of Mârgashîrsha was the first night of the year, hence called *Agrahâyaṇî*, and as this full-moon occurred in the month of Mârgashîrsha the month itself was called *Agrahâyaṇika*. There is no grammatical inconsistency so far. But when these lexicographers further tell us that the Nakshatra itself was called *Agrahâyaṇî*, as Amarsinha has done, because the full-moon in the vicinity of that Nakshatra commenced the year in old days,[*] one feels that there is something wrong in this explanation. The ordinary course is to name the full-moon or any other day after the Nakshatra, as *Chaitrî*, *Pausham*, *Paushî*, &c (Pan. iv.

c8.29.2

2, 3), while in the present case the order is reversed and the Nakshatra, we are told, is named after the full moon. It is true that the lexicographers were, to a certain extent, compelled to adopt such a course, as they could not otherwise explain why *Agrahâyanî*, a term usually denoting a full-moon night, should have been given as a synonym for the Nakshatra of Mrigashiras by Amarsinha. But whatever their motive, we have now to see if their explanations, as well as the statement in Amara, are correct. Turning to Pânini we find no authority for this converse process. The word *Agrahâyanî* occurs in Pânini iv. 2, 22, which lays down the rule that the derivative names of months are formed from *Agrahâyanî* and *Ashwattha*, by the addition of *thak*,* as a necessary termination; and this gives us the words *Agrahâyanika* and *Ashwatthika* for the months of Mârgashîrsha and Âshvina. Now in the previous *sûtra* (iv. 2. 21) Pânini states that the names of the months are derived from the names of the full-moon days that occur in those months. It appears, therefore, that he understood *Agrahâyanî* to mean the full-moon and not the Nakshatra of Mrigashiras. The word *Agrahâyanî* occurs thrice in Pânini (iv. 2. 22; 3. 50; and v. 4. 110) and in all places it denotes the full-moon day. It is not, however, clear whether Pânini treated it as a word derived in the same manner as *Chaitrî*, &c.

c8.29.3

If we, however, rely on analogy there is every reason to hold that *Agrahâyanî*, like *Kârtikî* and *Phâlgunî*, may have been derived from *Agrahâyana*, and that this may originally be the name of the Nakshatra of Mrigashiras. This supposition derives support from the fact that if, like Amarsinha, we take *Agrahâyanî* as synonymous with the Nakshatra of Mrigashiras and follow the native grammarians in deriving this name of the Nakshatra from that of the full-moon, it is very difficult to account for the initial long vowel in Âgrahâyanî. All lexicographers derive the word from Agra and Hâyana combined in a Bahuvrîhi compound and afterwards adding the feminine termination; thus Agra + hâyana + î. But the feminine termination cannot be added without a previous suffix (an) which also gives the initial long vowel, as î is not a general feminine suffix, but is only used in special cases. We cannot get this an by Pânini iv, 2. 3, as Âgrahâyana is not the name of a Nakshatra according to Amarsinha. Various suggestions have, therefore, been made to account for the initial long vowel. Bhattoji suggests that we should obtain the long vowel by including Âgrahâyana in the Prajnâdi list (Pan. v. 4. 38); but in the Ganapâtha, the list is not said to be a ‘specimen list,’* nor is the word Âgrahâyana specifically included in the list there given. Boehtlingk and Roth in their dictionary obtain the long vowel by Pan. v. 4. 36; but here 36 may probably be a misprint for 38.

c8.29.4

Târânâtha in his Vâchaspatya obtains the long vowel by Pânini v. 2. 102, Vârtika 1; but Jyotsnâdi is not again expressly said to be a ‘specimen list.’ Bhânu Dikshita, the son of Bhattoji, in his commentary on Amara adopts his father's view and refutes that of Mukuṭa. The latter obtains the initial long vowel from the very fact that the word itself is so pronounced by Pânini in iv. 2. 22; but this gives us Âgrahâyanî as a ready made word at once, and Mukuṭa had to assign some reason why the word should have been again included in the Gaurâdi list in Pan. iv. 1. 41. Mukuṭa's explanation is that Pâṇini thereby intends to show that the feminine termination in Âgrahâyaṇî is not dropped in compounds. But Bhânu Dikṣhita replies by observing that the Gaurâdi list was never intended for the purpose and that as regards the accent we can get it otherwise. Bhânu Dikṣhita's own explanation or that of his father Bhaṭṭoji also dispenses with the necessity of including the word in the Gaurâdi list as they obtain the feminine suffix î by Pan. iv. 1. 15; and so in replying to Mukuṭa he observes at the end that the "inclusion of the word in the Gaurâdi list is questionable." Thus if we suppose Amarsinha to be correct and accept either Bhaṭṭoji's or Mukuṭa's derivation of Âgrahâyaṇî we shall have to hold that the word in question was either wrongly included or subsequently inserted in the Gaurâdi list and that Pâṇini, who knew the word, forgot to insert it in the Prajnâdi or the Jyotsnâdi list.

c8.29.5

Both the explanations are again open to the objection that in this instance the Nakshatra is named after the full-moon as against the usual method given by Pâṇini in iv. 2. 3.