Nirukta of Yaskacharya Chapter 3

Nirukta deals with the science of etymology. Yaskacharya, the pre-Paninian linguist and etymologist, was a man of comprehensive knowledge. He wrote Nirukta, the first ever treatise on the science of etymology, which is a commentary on the five chapters of Nighantu, the glossary of Vedic words. Nirukta is regarded as a Vedanga. Sayanacharya, the commentator of the Vedic Samhitas, gave the definition of Nirukta as अर्थावबोधे निरपेक्षतया पदजातं यत्रोक्तं तन्निरुक्तम्।

Nirukta is a text in which derivations of words are provided for better understanding without any prejudice. Sometimes, a word is split in syllabic segments and then the derivation is given. Nirukta has 12 chapters divided into 3 sections – the synonyms (chapters 1–3), homonyms (chapters 4–6) and names of deities (chapters 7–12) occurring in the Vedic literature. Chapters 13 and 14 form the Appendix.

The fundamental concept of etymology is that every word is derived from a verb. To facilitate this, Yaskacharya has given some principles for derivations – “वर्णागमो वर्णविपर्ययश्व द्वौ चापरौ वर्णविकारनाशौ। धातोस्तदर्थातिशयेन योगस्तदुच्यते पञ्चविधं निरुक्तम्॥ The etymology of a word can be derived in one of five ways – addition of a letter, exchange of a letter, transformation, elision, and emphasis upon the preeminence of the verb root (dhātu).” Adding a syllable, transporting a syllable, modifying a syllable or deleting a syllable and attaching extended meaning to a verb are the five principles that form the baseline of every etymology.

The Nirukta of Yaskacharya, a unique treatise in etymological study, is rich in the analytical observation on Vedic words. The study based on the Nirukta reveals some of the divergent areas of ancient Indian linguistic thoughts.

Webinar Highlights

• Textual reading of Nirukta, Chapter 3
• The webinar covers all the names listed in Nighantu Chapters 2 and 3
• Total 49 different names will be discussed
• List includes synonyms for human being, arms, fingers, food, wealth, home, happiness ending with heaven and earth
• Glimpses of society in the 7th century BCE

Schedule & Details

Dates: 24 to 29 November 2025
Time: 7:15 to 8:15  PM IST
Language: English
Webinar Fees: ₹ 1500, US$ 40
Mode: Online Via Zoom

Past Modules

If you couldn’t attend Nirukta Chapter 1 or 2, don’t worry! You can still register using the link below to access the recordings and catch up on everything you missed.

Nirukta of Yaskacharya (Chapter 1)
Nirukta of Yaskacharya (Chapter 2)

Webinar Format

• 6 Online sessions
• The sessions will be streamed on Zoom. Those who miss the online session can listen to the recordings available in the dashboard
• Recordings will be available in the dashboard for a period of 6 months post the completion of the webinar.

Prerequisite

• Availability of a computer with audio-video internet conferencing facility
• Prior study of Sanskrit and Nirukta Chapter 1 & 2 is helpful.
• Access to Zoom

Facilitator

Prof. Gauri Mahulikar is the Academic Director at CIF. As the Gurudev Tagore Chair of Comparative Literature Professor, she headed the Department of Sanskrit at the University of Mumbai. She also served as a former Dean of Faculty and officiating Vice Chancellor at Chinmaya Vishwa Vidyapeeth. To know more about Prof. Gauri Mahulikar, please click here.

Contact Details

For further information or clarification
Contact: +91 92077 11467
Email: cifwebinars@chinfo.org