Meaning of samadhi

[Lars Martin Fosse]

At 12:52 21.06.98 +0100, you wrote:
>According to Feuerstein, The Philosophy of Classical Yoga, p. 85,the roots
>of the word samadhi are sam (= with, together) + A + dhA (= to put, place)
>
>I have also found another derivation in Swami Muktibodhananda's edition of
>the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, p. 421, as sama (= equal) and dhi (=
>"reflection", "to perceive").
>
>I am a novice in sanskrit, but I can see that sam and sama are really the
>same word, whereas dhA and dhi seem not to be the same.  I would be
>grateful if someone with more knowledge if sanskrit could explain the
>correct derivation.

Dhaa and dhi belong together. Historically, this is explained by the
laryngeal theory, according to which dhaa would < dhaH (where H symbolizes a
laryngeal), whereas dhi would < dhH-i, where i is a suffix and the root dhaH
has lost its vowel, a quite common phenomenon in Indo-European languages.

Best regards,

Lars Martin Fosse


Dr.art. Lars Martin Fosse
Haugerudvn. 76, Leil. 114,
0674 Oslo

Tel: +47 22 32 12 19
Fax: +47 22 32 12 19
Email: lmfosse at online.no

Check out: http://www.nofsa.uio.no

Mobile phone: 90 91 91 45