As Sri Suresh mentioned, this is a euphemism. 

In Telugu, in the case of rice and other food grains and auspices things like kumkum, euphemism for 'exhausted' is 'full' or 'became/filled full' 

'Poornam' in Sanskrit is considered to be standing for zero. 

Pujyam for zero /s'unyam seems to be on the same lines. 

On Thu, Jan 27, 2022 at 9:12 AM Sivasenani Nori <sivasenani@gmail.com> wrote:
Very interesting observation, Sir. Though I am familiar with this usage, never thought about it. 

Initially when Buddhism was rampant, SUnya must have been pUjya and then after Buddhism waned, this usage must have remained. Just like we (Telugu speakers) still start practice of writing with ओं नमः शिनायः, सिद्धं नमः on the day of aksharAbhyAsa, 

Regards 
Senani 


On Wed, 26 Jan, 2022, 9:25 pm Suresh Kolichala, <suresh.kolichala@gmail.com> wrote:
In the South Indian languages (including Marathi), the word  पूज्य (pūjya) is used to mean zero, nothingness. Is there any evidence of such usage in Sanskrit texts?

I notice that Marathi dictionaries also give a similar meaning:

पूज्य pūjya —न. १ शून्य; टिंब.'विद्येच्या नांवानें पूज्य.' [सं.]
(Date, Yasavanta Ramakrshna. Maharashtra śabdakosa)

My question is whether such usage is limited only to the South Indian languages or is it found in other languages too. It would be interesting if there are Sanskrit, Prakrit or Pali texts with such usage.

Thanks,
Suresh.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत्" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to bvparishat+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bvparishat/CAF_vCaV3nYGtUcke-BP_9xbvf%3D77k95THxnO2rNvaL6Kp-XoMw%40mail.gmail.com.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत्" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to bvparishat+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/bvparishat/CAAs%2BaZPMO3R8EbunxKDHi_sgxT%2BTwJ2i0bEc1VoAAdNucm940g%40mail.gmail.com.


--
Nagaraj Paturi
 
Hyderabad, Telangana, INDIA.


Director, Indic Academy
BoS, MIT School of Vedic Sciences, Pune, Maharashtra
BoS Kavikulaguru Kalidasa Sanskrit University, Ramtek, Maharashtra
BoS Veda Vijnana Gurukula, Bengaluru.
Member, Advisory Council, Veda Vijnana Shodha Samsthanam, Bengaluru
BoS Rashtram School of Public Leadership
Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Studies in Public Leadership
Former Senior Professor of Cultural Studies, 
FLAME School of Communication and FLAME School of  Liberal Education, 
Hyderabad, Telangana, INDIA.