[Advaita-l] A help required regarding some Sanskrit words

[Naresh Cuntoor]

Avyayas seem to be getting mixed up here. There are two different avayayas -
निः = निस् / निर् and  नि .

Depending on context they take different meanings, e.g.,

निः पृथक्करणे (निष्कासयति ) ; खेदे (निर्वेदः, निर्विण्णः) ; बहिष्कृतौ
(निराकरोति) ; वियोगे (निर्गतः) ; दर्शने (निर्दिष्टम् )  ; सुखे
(निर्वृत्तिः)

नि स्वापे (निद्रा), श्रुतौ (निशाम्यति), कौशले (निपुणः), आज्ञायाम्
(नियोगः) सामीप्ये (निकटः), परीक्षायाम् (निरूपकः), उपवेशे (निषीदति )

The above list is not exhaustive.

Regarding the OP's question, there is a subtle different in meanings.
For example,

अनपेक्षः  - निरपेक्षः  (not longing for anything)
अनवद्यं   - निरवद्यं  (faultless)

(a) अनपेक्षः = न विद्यते अपेक्षा यस्य सः = one without expectations
(b) निरपेक्षः = निर्गता अपेक्षा यस्मात् सः = one who has lost expectations.

The difference is that in (b) the implication is that expectations
were part of him. At some point, he got rid of them. In (a), that is
not necessarily the case. By nature he could have been free from
expectations.

अनवद्यं   - निरवद्यं  (faultless)
अवद्यम् = न वद्यम् = दोषः
अनवद्यम् = न विद्यते अवद्यं (दोषः) यस्य तत् (double negative)= one
without faults
निरवद्यम् = निर्गतम् अवद्यम् (दोषः) यस्मात् तत् = that from which
faults have gone.

I suppose one could say that all nirapekShas are anapekShas, but not
all anapekShas are nirapekShas.




Naresh
vaak.wordpress.com



On Wed, May 5, 2010 at 5:06 AM, Siva Senani Nori <sivasenani at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Sir
>
> The key is "nishkritya" which itself is the combination of ni + kritya. ni / nih (the form to be used depending on  rules of sandhis, compounds etc.) is an upasarga which means "well, properly, perfectly etc." as in nidhana, nidarSana, niveSa (the hindi word, niveS is from this form) or more familiarly abhi-ni-veSa and so on. There is another upasarga (if you consider the tails sometimes attached to such words) or a different set of meanings (the modern preference of presentation) for ni / nih, meaning not and variations thereof, which is found in nishkAma, nirmala, nishkalanka, nirupama, nirapeksha, niravadyam etc. For many of these, instead of ni / nih,  "a / an" may be prefixed to get the same meaning as in amala, anupama etc. I cannot think of any examples, where the words formed by 'ni' and 'a' combining with the same adjective result in slightly differing shades of meanings, but that cannot be ruled out.
>
> In light of the above, niruktam is well said.
>
> Regards
> Senani
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>
> To: A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
> Sent: Wed, May 5, 2010 6:38:52 AM
> Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] A help required regarding some Sanskrit words
>
> Namaste.
>
> I recalled that  the word निरुक्तं is found in the Taittiriya Upanishad:
> निरुक्तं चानिरुक्तं च (2.6.1).  The bhashyam is: निरुक्तं नाम निष्कृष्य
> समान-असमानजातीयेभ्यः देशकालविशिष्टतया इदं तत् इत्युक्तम्..(niruktam is that
> which is definable with specific characteristics..)
>
> Now, niruktam is 'something well said'.  It appears almost certain that this
> word does not mean 'unsaid' or 'poorly said'.
>
> I still welcome inputs on this topic.
>
> Om Tat Sat
>
> On Tue, May 4, 2010 at 10:49 PM, V Subrahmanian <v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> Namaste.
>>
>> Here are some pairs of words:
>>
>> अनपेक्षः  - निरपेक्षः  (not longing for anything)
>> अनवद्यं  - निरवद्यं  (faultless)
>> अनवकाशः  - निरवकाशः (bereft of occasion)
>> अनुक्त.... -  निरुक्त... (not the VedAnga) (unsaid)
>>
>> By the way, is the word निरुक्त used in a compound like: निरुक्ततात्पर्यम्
>> ? (to mean: unsaid purport)
>>
>> Is there any difference in the meanings of the words in each of the pairs?
>> If so what is the difference?
>>
>> Om Tat Sat
>>
> _______________________________________________
> Archives: http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/
> http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.culture.religion.advaita
>
> To unsubscribe or change your options:
> http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l
>
> For assistance, contact:
> listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Archives: http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l/
> http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.culture.religion.advaita
>
> To unsubscribe or change your options:
> http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/cgi-bin/listinfo/advaita-l
>
> For assistance, contact:
> listmaster at advaita-vedanta.org
>