[Samskrita] butterfly
125 views
Skip to first unread message
G S S Murthy
Apr 6, 2013, 12:01:27 PM4/6/13
to sams...@googlegroups.com
What is the word in Sanskrit for "butterfly"? Apte's Eng-sans dic gives चित्रपतङ्ग, but his Sans-Eng does not list it. The word appears coined. Is there any reference to butterfly in classical sanskrit literature? Scholars may enlighten.
Regards--
My web site : http://murthygss.tripod.com/index.htm
and also my Sanskrit blog :
http://simplesanskrit.blogspot.com/
Sunder Hattangadi
Apr 7, 2013, 9:48:24 AM4/7/13
to sams...@googlegroups.com
| Another reverse look-up: [11] कीटपक्षोद्गम / कीट--पक्षो m. the change from chrysalis or pupa to butterfly W. [#52305] [Img:284,3] [12] कीटपक्षोद्भव / कीट--पक्षो m. id. W. [#52306] [Img:284,3] [ [15] कीटमणि / कीट--मणि m. a glow-worm S3a1rn3gP. [#52309] [Img:284,3] [16] कीटमातृ / कीट--मातृ f. a female bee Gal. [#52310] [Img:284,3] Regards, sunder --- On Sat, 4/6/13, Eddie <eddie...@ontology.demon.co.uk> wrote:
|
|
Venetia Kotamraju
Apr 8, 2013, 1:02:16 AM4/8/13
to sams...@googlegroups.com
I have always wondered whether there were in fact butterflies in ancient India - are they native to India? In kavya there is so much about many other fauna but I have not to my recollection ever seen any mention of a butterfly by whatever name. This is odd if you consider how easily butterflies might have fed poets' imaginations. It is the bee that holds the pride of place instead.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "samskrita" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to samskrita+...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to sams...@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/samskrita?hl=en.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
murthy
Apr 8, 2013, 1:43:37 AM4/8/13
to sams...@googlegroups.com
I agree with Venetia-ji. May be we should check if
other Indian laguages have a word for butterfly. Kaanada has and is called
"baNNada chiTTe"- a colourd moth. Is it that butterflies were not around at a
time when Sanskrit vocabulary was not yet stagnant?
Regards
Murthy
Prabha Pillai
Apr 9, 2013, 2:15:46 PM4/9/13
to sams...@googlegroups.com
Malayalam also has chitrasalabham or pappathi.
Sunder Hattangadi
Apr 9, 2013, 4:48:59 PM4/9/13
to sams...@googlegroups.com
In Marathi, it is called:
फूलपांखरूं (p. 557) [ phūlapāṅkharūṃ ] n A butterfly.
Ref.
As regards the observation of 'the bee holding the pride of place', it would seem that the proverbial industriousness of the bee, its ability to extract the essence from the flowers and convert it into honey, has given it that place. In fact, the acquisition of spiritual wisdom is equated with these qualities, and a whole section of Brihadaranyaka upanishad is known as 'madhu-vidyA' ! (madhu = honey).
[ Brihad. upn. - 6:2:16 - ...ya etau panthAnau na viduH, te kITAH pata~NgAH yadidaM dandashUkam |] [Chandogya upan. 7:2:1 - refers to AkITa-pata~Nga-pipIlikam ......
The butterfly is more like the mind which can't sit still, flutters from flower to flower, 'shows off' in varied colors, etc.
Regards,
sunder
|
|
Venetia Kotamraju
Apr 10, 2013, 2:20:57 AM4/10/13
to sams...@googlegroups.com
There is also the butterfly asana which is I think called the titali asana but I am not sure what Sanskrit word 'titali' corresponds to. That an asana is named after a butterfly might argue for the fact that there were butterflies but such asanas are themselves controversial and perhaps this particular one is a modern invention.
murthy
Apr 10, 2013, 1:35:43 AM4/10/13
to sams...@googlegroups.com
As regards 'the bee holding the pride of place', I believe that what is
referred to as a "bhramara" in classics more often refers to the bumble-bee
(lady-bird?) which is dark blue in colour, makes a distinct sound while flying
and is not even remotely related to honey-gathering bee, "madhukara".
murthy
Apr 10, 2013, 1:28:24 AM4/10/13
to sams...@googlegroups.com
Thanks Prabha-ji. "Chitra shalabham" is quite
evidently a sanskrit word. As regards "Pappathi" it has some resemblance to
"papillon" (French) and perhaps purely a coincidence. It could perhaps be
checked if "chitrashalabham" finds a place in Malayalam classics.
Sunder Hattangadi
Apr 10, 2013, 11:48:51 AM4/10/13
to sams...@googlegroups.com
|
भ्रमर [p= 769,3] [L=153557] m. (ifc. f(आ).) a large black bee , a kind of bumble bee , any bee MBh. Ka1v. &c
तितील [p= 446,3] [L=84889] m. a bat Buddh. L.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Vaze (DSAL)
फूलपांखरुं
n A butterfly.
Regards,
sunder
|
Sunder Hattangadi
Apr 10, 2013, 12:38:56 PM4/10/13
to sams...@googlegroups.com
|
Bee, s. अलिः, भ्रमरः, द्विरेफः, शिलीमुखः, भृंगः, मधुकरः, षद्पदः; |
|
Regards,
|
|
Date: Wednesday, April 10, 2013, 1:35 AM |
Venetia Kotamraju
Apr 12, 2013, 2:06:00 AM4/12/13
to sams...@googlegroups.com
Yes I also saw that titila means a bat but not sure if that corresponds to the name of the asana.
Is there such a distinction between the bhramara and madhukara. In kavya at least they seem to me to be interchangeable - along with the many many other synonyms for bee (madhu-lih, shat-pada etc etc).
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "samskrita" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to samskrita+...@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to sams...@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/samskrita?hl=en.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages