gaNita

[Klaus Karttunen]

Dear Jean-Michel,

the idea of a jewel in the head (hood) of a snake is common literary topos. see e.g. Kālidāsa: Mālavikāgnimitra 3, 1+, Kumārasaṁbhava 2, 38; Raghuvaṁśa 10, 7 & 11, 68 & 13, 12; Bhartṛhari  2, 53; Vidyākara: Subhāṣitaratnakoṣa 630, 861; Kṣemendra: Suvṛttatilaka 1, 1; Bhāgavatapurāṇa 10, 89, 54f. etc. etc.
See also
GAEFFKE, Peter 1954. “The snake-jewel in ancient Indian literature”, IL 14, 581-594.
HARA, Minoru 1999. “The Pearl in Sanskrit Literature”, Mem. Toyo Bunko 57, 155-175 (also on snake-jewels).
RAU, Wilhelm 1986. “Poetical conventions in Indian Kāvya literature”, ALB 50, 191–197.
VOGEL, J.-Ph. 1926. Indian Serpent-lore or the Nagas in Hindu legend and art. London (index s.v. jewel).
Best,
Klaus

Klaus Karttunen
South Asian and Indoeuropean Studies
Asian and African Studies, Department of World Cultures
PL 59 (Unioninkatu 38 B)
00014 University of Helsinki, FINLAND
Tel +358-(0)9-191 22674
Fax +358-(0)9-191 22094
Klaus.Karttunen at helsinki.fi



 


On Dec 28, 2012, at 11:43 AM, Jean-Michel Delire wrote:

> Dear list members,
> 
> The VedANga JyotiSa mentions arithmetics (gaNita) as the head of the Vedic teaching, "as is the crest of the peacock and the jewels of the snakes". The first image is quite clear, but does anyone know the meaning of the second ? What exactly is intended by the "jewels of the snake" and in what other source could we find this figure ?
> Another query : I am looking for ancient numerical inscriptions (i.e. showing figures, numbers in decimal notation), either in Indian locations or in good copies, books, articles, etc.
> 
> With my best wishes for 2013,
> 
> Jean Michel Delire,
> Lecturer on "Science and Civilization in India - Sanskrit texts", University of Brussels



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://list.indology.info/pipermail/indology/attachments/20121228/75a30793/attachment.htm>