著者

中村 隆海

出版者

日本印度学仏教学会

雑誌

印度學佛教學研究 (ISSN:00194344)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.54, no.2, pp.894-890,1327, 2006

---

The paper focuses on the opening <i>pada</i> in the Atharvaveda-Samhita of the Saunakiya recension (AVS) XIII 2, 2. Former studies see the word form of <i>praj&ntilde;&aacute;nam</i> as a problem. Whitney notes (following PW and Henry) that the reading of the Paippalada recension (AVP) <i>praj&ntilde;anam</i> is more plausible. <i>praj&ntilde;anam</i>, however, is supported by only secondary MSS. It is also necessary to examine the verb <i>svar&aacute;yantam</i> in its meaning and with regard to case government.<br>AVS <i>praj&ntilde;&aacute;nam</i> is presumed to be a gen. pl. of adj. <i>praj&ntilde;&aacute;</i>-, and qualifies <i>dis&aacute;m</i>. AVP <i>praj&ntilde;anam</i> is acc. (Inhaltsakkusativ) sg. of the action noun n. <i>praj&ntilde;ana</i>- in the meaning of &lsquo;signpost&rsquo;. This meaning is attested in Vedic and in Pali <i>pa&ntilde;&ntilde;ana</i>- &lsquo;sign&rsquo;. The participle <i>svar&aacute;yantam</i> is derived from <i>svar&aacute;yati</i> &lsquo;sounds&rsquo;. The previous interpretation &ldquo;shining&rdquo; on the assumption that the word is a denominative from n. <i>sv&aacute;r</i>- is to be abandoned on morphological grounds. The verb-root <i>svar</i> does not exit in the meaning &lsquo;to shine&rsquo;.<br>The translation would be: &lsquo;(the sun) sounding for the foreknowing directions with [his] flame&hellip;&rsquo;. The directions foreknow (<i>pra-j&ntilde;a</i>) each of their own positions to be located by the sound that the flame of the sun makes, and play the role of the signpost for the flying sun. This motif is succeeded by the Yajurvedic prose, and bears the background which explains the location between <i>devas</i> and azimuths.