puurvapadalopa-samaasa??

[Ashok Aklujkar]

While I am thinking about compounds that could possibly be explained as 
instances of puurva-pada-lopa, I wish to mention one other possibility of 
interpreting ratanasaasane. One quite common meaning of ratna/ratana is 
'the best of a kind' (jaatau jaatau yad utk.r.s.ta.m tad ratnam ity 
abhidhiiyate; I think Malli-naatha cites this in one of his 
commentaries). So ratanasaasana can be the equivalent of saasana-ratana 
'the best of teachings.' 

On Tue, 14 Jan 1997 jonathan.silk at wmich.edu wrote:

> In the Pali Jaataka i.303, top, we find the word ratanasaasane.  The English
> translators, of course without note, take this as teaching of the 3 jewels. 
> My questions: 1) Is there such a thing as *puurvapadalopasamaasa??  I know
> about, and know of references to, madhyamapadalopa-s, but nothing with
> puurva-.  I am assuming, of course, that it is ti- (= tri) which is being
> elided.  2)  Are there any other examples of this usage in Pali or similar
> uses in Skt?
> 
> Any hints in any direction most happily accepted.
> 
> Jonathan Silk
> 
>