In the Grassmann Wörterbuch zum Rig Veda (printed on page 1398), śīrṣan is defined as 'als Sitz der Geisteskraft und Tüchtigkeit. I am particularly interested in this specific meaning.
Apte शिरस् śiras (p. 1553) 1 The head; -2 Skull. -3 A peak, summit, top (as of a mountain); -6 Pinnacle, acme, highest point. -7 Front, forepart, van (as of an army); -8 Chief, principal, head (usually at the end of comp.). -9 N. of the verse in the गायत्री;
शिरस् śiras n. [शॄ-असुन् निपातः Uṇ.4.193] 1 The head; शिरसा श्लाघते पूर्वं (गुणं) परं (दोषं) कण्ठे नियच्छति Subhās. -2 Skull. -3 A peak, summit, top (as of a mountain); हिमगौरैरचलाधिपः शिरोभिः Ki.5.17; Śi.4.54. -4 The top of a tree. -5 The head or top of anything; तेनाहृतो महातालो वेपमानो बृहच्छिराः Bhāg.10.15.33; शिरसि मसीपटलं दधाति दीपः Bv.1.74. -6 Pinnacle, acme, highest point. -7 Front, forepart, van (as of an army); पुत्रस्य ते रणशिरस्ययमग्रयायी Ś.7.26; U.5.3. -8 Chief, principal, head (usually at the end of comp.). -9 N. of the verse in the गायत्री (from आपो ज्योतिः to स्वरोम्); cf. T. Ar.10.27; Bhāg 5.9.5. -Comp. -अस्थि n. (शिरोस्थि) the skull. -कपालिन् m. an ascetic who carries about a human skull. -क्रिया presentation of the head. -गृहम् (शिरोगृहम्) a room on the top of a house, turret, garret. -ग्रहः (शिरोग्रहः) affection of the head, head-ache. -छेदः, -छेदनम् (शिरश्छेदः &c.) beheading, decapitation. -तापिन् m. an elephant. -त्रम्, -त्राणम् 1 a helmet; च्युतैः शिरस्त्रैश्चषकोत्तरेव R.7.49,66; अपनीत- शिरस्त्राणाः 4.64. -2 a head-dress. -धरा, -धिः, ध्रः (शिरोधरा, -धिः, -ध्रः) the neck; तेषां शिरोधरान् धूताञ्छरध्वज- धनूंषि च Rām.7.7.17; निकृत्तबाहूरुशिरोध्रविग्रहम् Bhāg.10. 59.16; Śi.4.52;5.65; cf. कम्बुशिरोधिः Chaitanyachandrodaya 3. -पीठम् the back of the neck. -पीडा head-ache. -पुष्पम् an ornament for the head; स्फुरितारुणवर्णेन शिर- ष्पुष्पेण शोभिताम् Śiva B.2.53. -प्रणामः bending the head. -प्रदानम् giving up the head or life. -प्रावरणम् a turban. -फलः the cocoa-nut tree. -भूषणम् (शिरोभूषणम्) an ornament for the head. -मणिः (शिरोमणिः) 1 a jewel worn on the head. -2 a crest-jewel. -3 a title of respect conferred on learned men. -मर्मन् m. (शिरोमर्मन्) a hog. -मालिन् m. (शिरोमालिन्) an epithet of Śiva. -रत्नम् (शिरोरत्नम्) a jewel worn on the head. -रुजा (शिरोरुजा) head-ache. -रुह् m., -रुहः (शिरोरुह्- रुहः) (also शिरसिरुह्-हः) the hair of the head; शिरोरुहैः स्नानकषायवासितैः स्त्रियो निदाधं शमयन्ति कामिनाम् Ṛs. 1.4; Ku.5.9; R.15.16. -रोगः a disease of the head; अथातः शिरोरोगविज्ञानीयमध्यायं व्याख्यास्यामः Suśr. -वर्तिन् a. (-शिरोवर्तिन्) being at the head. (-m.) a chief, any one at the head of affairs. -वल्ली (शिरोवल्ली) the crest of a peacock. -वृत्तम् (शिरोवृत्तम्) pepper. -वेष्टः, वेष्टनम् (शिरोवेष्टः, -ष्टनम्) a head-dress, turban; शिरोवेष्टनव्याजतस्ते मुखेन्दोः Sūkti.35. -शूलम् head-ache. -रथः 1 leader, chief. -2 a plaintiff. -a. imminent. -स्थानम् main apartment; गतेष्वस्मासु राजा नः शिरःस्थानानि पश्यतु Pratimā 1.31. -हारिन् m. (शिरोहारिन्) an epithet of Śiva.
शीर्षन् śīrṣan (p. 1558)
शीर्षन् śīrṣan n. The head. (This word has no forms for the first five inflections, and is optionally substituted for शिरस् or शीर्ष after acc. dual); नाभ्यां कोष्ठेष्ववस्थाप्य हृदुरःकण्ठशीर्षणि Bhāg.4.23.14; Śiva B.14.49.
2. Macdoneell शिरस् śiras (p. 314) शिरस् śiras शिरस् sír-as n. head; summit, peak, top; front, van (of an army); head, chief, first; N. of the verse ʻâpo gyotir âpo ƶ mritamʼ: siro dâ, give up one's (head=) life; – dhri, hold up one's head; – vah, hold one's head high, be proud; – vartaya, hold out one's head, declare oneself ready for punishment (when an opponent has cleared himself in an ordeal); sirasâ kri, grah, or dhâ, place on the head; – dhri, bhri, or vah, hold or carry on the head; – kri, receive reverently, honour; – gam, yâ, pra-nam, pra-ni-pat, touch with one's head, bow down; sirasi kri or ni- dhâ, place on one's head; – sthâ, be on the head; hang over the head of, be imminent; stand at the head of=far above (g.).
शीर्षन् śīrṣan (p. 315)
शीर्षन् śīrṣan
शीर्षन् sîrsh-án n. [sir(a)s-án] head (V., where all cases in sg. exc. nm. ac. occur, also nm. ac. du. pl., & lc. pl.; rare in E., P.).
3. Monier-williams
siras
(H1) [Printed book page 1072,2]
śiras n. (prob. originally śaras = karas; and connected with karaṅka, q.v.) the head, skull (acc. with √dā, ‘to give up one's head i.e. life’; with √dhṛ, or √vah, ‘to hold up one's head, be proud’; with Caus. of √vṛt or with upa-√sthā, ‘to hold out the head’, ‘acknowledge one's self guilty’, see śiropasthāyin; instr. with √grah, √dhā, √dhṛ, vi-√dhṛ, √bhṛ, √vah, or √kṛ, ‘to hold or carry or place on the head, receive deferentially’; instr. with √gam, abhi-√gam, pra-√grah, √yā, pra-ṇam [√nam], ni-√pat, pra-ṇi-√pat, ‘to touch with the head, bow or fall down before’; loc. with √kṛ or ni-√dhā, ‘to place on one's head’; loc. with √sthā, ‘to be on or stand over a person's head, stand far above [gen.]’), RV. &c. &c. [ID=217079 ]
the upper end or highest part of anything, top, peak, summit, pinnacle, acme, MBh.; Kāv. &c. [ID=217080 ]
the forepart or van (of an army), Śiś. [ID=217081 ]
the beginning (of a verse), VarBṛS. [ID=217082 ]
(ifc.) the head, leader, chief, foremost, first (of a class), BhP. [ID=217083 ]
N. of the verse āpo jyotir āpo 'mṛtam, Baudh.; Viṣṇ. &c. [ID=217084 ]
of a Sāman (also with indrasya), ĀrṣBr.; Lāṭy. [ID=217085 ]
of a mountain, Buddh. [ID=217086 ]
śiras [cf. śīrṣan; Gk. κέρας, κάρη &c.; Lat. cerebrum for ceresrum, cornu; Germ. hirni, Hirn; Eng. horn.] [ID=217086.1 ]
śirastas
(H3) [Printed book page 1072,2]
śiras—tas ind. out of or from or at the head, GṛS.; Kāv. [ID=217087 ]
śirastāpin
(H3) [Printed book page 1072,2]
śiras—tāpin m. ‘hot in the head’, an elephant, W. [ID=217088 ]
śirastra
(H3) [Printed book page 1072,2]
śiras—tra n. ‘head-protector’, a helmet, Ragh.; Rājat. &c., a cap, turban, head-dress, W. [ID=217089 ]
śīrṣan
(H2) [Printed book page 1079,1]
śīrṣan n. (for śiras + an; rare in later language; Veda has all cases in sg. except nom. acc.; also has nom. acc. du. pl. loc. pl.; later language has only acc. pl. and remaining cases; cf. also a-, tri-, sahasraś°) the head (also ‘an eminent or illustrious person’, cf. RV. vii, 18, 24), RV.; &c. [ID=218648 ]
śīrṣa
(H1) [Printed book page 1078,3]
śīrṣa n. (connected with śiras; collateral of śīrṣan below, from which it is not separable in comp.; m. only in vasti-ś°, q.v.; ifc. f(ā or ī). ), the head, skull (acc. with Caus. of √vṛtśiras with id.), AV. &c. [ID=218590 ]
the upper part, tip, top (of anything, as of a letter &c.), Hariv.; Kāv. [ID=218591 ]
the fore-part, front (in raṇa-ś°, q.v.), R. [ID=218592 ]
black Agallochum or aloe wood, L. [ID=218593 ]
śīrṣa m. a kind of grass, Pat. [ID=218594 ]
N. of a mountain, W. [ID=218595 ]
(H1B) [Printed book page 1078,3]
śīrṣā (ā), f. a kind of metre, Col. [ID=218596 ]
4. Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary
śiras [Printed book page 719-a]
śiras
n. (-raḥ)
1. The head.
2. The skull.
3. The top of a tree.
4. A summit, a peak.
5. The van of an army.
6. Chief, principal, head.
E. śri to honour, in the passive form, to be honoured, (by the other members,) asun Unādi aff., and the form irr.; or śṝ- asun ni0 .
[ID=40174 ]
5. Grassmann Wörterbuch zum Rig Veda
śīrṣan [Printed book page 1398]
śīrṣán, n. [mit śíras zusammenhängend], Haupt, Kopf, insbesondere 2〉 als Sitz der Geisteskraft und Tüchtigkeit; 3〉 mit Gen. oder einem ihn vertretenden Adjectiv; 4〉 śīrṣán-śīrṣan jedes Haupt, jedes Wesen. — Die Formen -ám, -é, -ā́ stammen aus śīrṣá. Vgl. a-śīrṣán u. s. w.
-ám AV. 4,34,1.
-ṇā́ 853,13. — 3〉 áśvasya 116,12. — 4〉 132,2 (upavā́cias).
-ṇé 4〉 534,24 (vibabhā́ja).
-ṇás [Ab.] 916,14. — 3〉 〰 kṣīrám duhrate gā́vas asya (vés) 164,7.
-ṇás [G.] 4〉 pátim 582,15.
-áṇi [L.] 208,2. — 2〉 bhárati 〰 krátum 207,2.
-án [L.] 627,25. — 2〉 und 3〉 〰 índrasya kratavas 705,3.
-é [du.] 3〉 dué 〰 asya (ghṛtásya) 354,3.
-ā́ṇi 3〉 áśviāni 534,19.
-ā́ [pl.] 33,5 (párā vavṛjus). — 3〉 yātumátīnaam 133,2; vanuṣyatā́m 503,10; caturṇáam 683,13; tvāṣṭrásya 834,9 (trī́ṇi).
-ásu 408,11. — 2〉 nṛmṇā́ 〰 (marútām) 411,6.
-atás [Ab.] 914,16 (jātám).
[ID=8815]
[Printed book page 1771]
śīrṣán: [vn add 564 gra]
-ā́ṇi 3〉 téṣām 913,16.
[ID=12625]
śīrṣan - "als Sitz der Geisteskraft und Tüchtigkeit"
Why is this meaning not indicated in any other dictionary? And if possible, could you please clarify this meaning for me? Does Skt. śīrṣan have any connection with the mind (e.g. like Skt. hṛíd (the heart (as the seat of feelings and emotions), soul, mind (as seat of thought and intellectual operations)?
In none of the dictionaries available to me is there any direct or metaphorical association between the Sanskrit word śīrṣan and mental capacities. The sole exception appears to be Grassmann. I am confident that in Classical Sanskrit śīrṣan has no semantic connection whatsoever with intellect or cognition. My inquiry therefore arose from observations in Vedic Sanskrit, to which I turned in order to understand Grassmann’s position.
Gamkrelidze and Ivanov (Gamkrelidze-Ivanov - 1984 [Indo-European and the Indo-Europeans: A Reconstruction and Historical Typological Analysis of a Protolanguage and a Proto-Culture]. p 712) reconstruct the Proto-Indo-European root **ḱʰerḤ-s-r/-n- 'head; location of thoughts and brain' only according to Ved. Skt. śīrṣán-, gen. śīrṣnáh 'head; location of thoughts' (see Grassmann 1873:1398). However, no other reflex of this reconstructed PIE root appears to show an original or inherent association with intellect or mental faculties ( Latin cerebrum, Old High German hirn(i), etc.). This raises the question of whether the Sanskrit evidence genuinely supports such a semantic reconstruction.
If the association between śīrṣan and mental faculties is indeed symbolic, then it would appear that Gamkrelidze and Ivanov may have overinterpreted this evidence in assigning ‘location of thoughts’ as an original semantic component of the PIE root. I would very much appreciate your further thoughts on this issue.
Thank you for your time and insights.
I will eagerly await your response.
Sincerely,
Giorgi Tutberidze
