Nirukta

[John Gardner]

Members,

The discussion on kaarikaa has proven of such interest, and now the 
Filiozat one as well, that I hesitate to burden the list with yet another 
thread.  However, time constraints require otherwise.  I am curious about 
resources, whether ancient or modern, which discuss the role and function 
of Yaaska's Nirukta, specifically his citations of shruti, with regard to 
the texts upon which it acts as a "commentary" of sorts.  In specific, 
discussions in the early Sanskrit grammatical tradition would be of 
interest (those prior to 500 c.e. or so), as well as discurvie studies by 
later academe which address this matter.  I am particularly curious as to 
any studies which attend to his choice of shruti passages.  This comes to 
mind viz. N 1.4, the citation there from RV 8.2.12, used to demonstrate 
"na" in the comparative sense.  This passage struck me as a curious 
choice when, in 8.2.2, there is far clearer indication of "na" as a 
comparative (sadly, I am at my office and do not have the text in hand 
for quoting).  8.2.12, on the other hand, is far less obviously so (cf. 
Sayana, Ludwig, Griffith, et. al).

As a result, I am interested to know if there were studies on these 
specfic choices (e.g. why this mantra and not that one), and on how his 
text was viewed as a whole and with particular regard to mantra selection.

In advance, I thank the participants on this list.

John Robert Gardner
University of Iowa