"Goghna" and Panini 3.4.73

[Guest guest]

The term <goghna> literally means 'cow-killer'. Buhler, in his

translation of the Apastamba Dharmasutra[1], footnoted that "A

guest is also called goghna, 'cow-killer,' because formerly a cow

used to be killed on the arrival of a distinguished guest. The

rite is described by Âsvalâyana Grihya-sûtra I, 24, 31-33."

 

This idiomatic usage is also mentioned in (polemical) essays by BR

Ambedkar[2] and KN Panikkar[3]. Panikkar actually claims Panini's

authority on the matter. However, this has been challenged[4] in

an op-ed article as a misunderstanding of Panini.

 

A fulltext search of the aSTAdhyayi finds only one instance of

"goghna", in 3.4.73:

 

3.4.73: dAzagoghnau sampradAne

 

Other than recognizing a reference to the dative case, I'm lost.

Can someone explain the full meaning of this sutra, in context?

 

 

1 http://hinduwebsite.com/sacredscripts/dharma/apa0208.htm

2 http://www.ambedkar.org/Tirupati/Chap1.htm

3 http://www.knpanikkar.org/articles/Outsider%20As%20Enemy.html

4 http://www.hvk.org/hvk/articles/1201/124.html.31990.VINCLUDEFIX

[Guest guest]

Panini's rule 3.4.73 (dAzagoghnau sampradAne) offers derivations of

the words dAza and goghna in the sense of targets/recipients of

certain actions, and not as agents of those actions. Thus the word

dAza is derived in the sense of dAzanti asmai "he, to whom a

donation is made", and go+ghna is derived in the sense of AgatAya

tasmai dAtum gAm ghnanti iti goghno 'tithiH "they (i.e. the hosts)

kill a cow to give to him, hence a guest is called goghna". These

are the explanations given in the commentary kAzikAvRtti on this

rule. According to this explanation, the word does not literally

mean "cow-killer", but refers to a guest for whose hospitality a cow

is killed to prepare a meal. Best,

 

Madhav Deshpande

 

 

INDOLOGY, Arjun Ray <arjun.ray@v...> wrote:

>

> The term <goghna> literally means 'cow-killer'. Buhler, in his

> translation of the Apastamba Dharmasutra[1], footnoted that "A

> guest is also called goghna, 'cow-killer,' because formerly a cow

> used to be killed on the arrival of a distinguished guest. The

> rite is described by Âsvalâyana Grihya-sûtra I, 24, 31-33."

>

> This idiomatic usage is also mentioned in (polemical) essays by BR

> Ambedkar[2] and KN Panikkar[3]. Panikkar actually claims Panini's

> authority on the matter. However, this has been challenged[4] in

> an op-ed article as a misunderstanding of Panini.

>

> A fulltext search of the aSTAdhyayi finds only one instance of

> "goghna", in 3.4.73:

>

> 3.4.73: dAzagoghnau sampradAne

>

> Other than recognizing a reference to the dative case, I'm lost.

> Can someone explain the full meaning of this sutra, in context?

>

>

> 1 http://hinduwebsite.com/sacredscripts/dharma/apa0208.htm

> 2 http://www.ambedkar.org/Tirupati/Chap1.htm

> 3 http://www.knpanikkar.org/articles/Outsider%20As%20Enemy.html

> 4 http://www.hvk.org/hvk/articles/1201/124.html.31990.VINCLUDEFIX