[INDOLOGY] paścāccharīra and synonyms for back(bone)

[Arlo Griffiths]

Learned colleagues,

Can anyone help me understand what is intended with paścāccharīra in connection with elephant cows in the following Kośakalpataru verse?

paścāccharīre kariṇāṃ striyāṃ tu
bhavej jarāyau carame'dhunārthe |
ārvāgbhave bhedyasamaṃ vadanti
dantacchade puṃsi tathādharaḥ syāt || 83 ||

Actually I am looking for potential synonyms of 'back(bone)' other than those found in kośa passages such as these:

- AK 2.5.667  syāc charīrāsthni kaṅkālaḥ pr̥ṣṭhāsthni tu kaśerukā
- AbhCM 627ab kapālakarparau tulyau pṛṣṭhasyāsthni kaśerukā |
- AbhiRM 632–634 asthīni dhātukīkasakulyāni bhavanti tulyāni || 632 || śarīrasyāsthi kaṅkālaṃ tathā syād asthipañjaram | śiraso'sthi karoṭiḥ syāt kapālaṃ śakalaṃ ca tat || 633 || śākhāsthi nalakaṃ proktaṃ pṛṣṭhasyāsthi kaseru ca |
- ŚRĀ asthi kulyaṁ kīkasañ ca kaṅkālo dehakīkase | kaśerukā kaśeruḥ strī pṛṣṭhāsthani bhaved dvayam ||

And more particularly words beginning with paścāt. I am wondering if paścāccharīra could be the word I am looking for.

By the way, since the relative (un)originality of MW data vs. PW/pw is occasionally at stake on this forum, I found it interesting to see that kaśeru(kā) in the meaning 'back(bone)' seems not to be recorded in pw (if I can rely on NWS) whereas MW does have a relevant entry.

Best wishes,

Arlo Griffiths


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://list.indology.info/pipermail/indology/attachments/20240310/9238d4f9/attachment.htm>