Page 187 - Lokmanya Tilak Samagra (khand 2)

172 SAMAGRA TILAK - 2 • THE ORION

Shukra wiih- Gk. Kupris. Chakra = kuklos, Shukra = Kupris, and
takra = turos, may thus be taken to iilustrate the application
of the rule above discussed, regarding the three-fold change of
kr or gr, to Greek and Sanskrit medially; and instances have been
already quoted to show that the rule holds initially as between
Greek and Sanskrit. We may, therefore, conclude that the change
of gignomai into ginomai is not a solitary instance, and that as a
general rule g may be dropped, labialised or retained before a
liquid as between Greek and Sanskrit whether at the beginning
or in the body of a word. We might even discover further instances
of the applicability of this rule; for, if takra is thus correctly
identified with turos, we may, on the same principle identify Sk·
agra with Gk. oros, meaning top summit. It was impossible to
represent Sanskrit agra by a separate Greek word otherwise. It
could not be represented by agros in Greek as the latter word
corresponded to Sk. a;ra, a field, nor can agra be changed to
. akris which represented Sk. ashri. Sanskrit agra, therefore, natu-
rally came to be represented by oros. Oros, meaning top or summit,
has not yet been satisfactorily derived in any other way.
It will be seen from the above that we have sufficient grounds
to hold that the rule about the omission of a gutteral before a
liquid, whether initially or medially applies to Greek and Sanskrit
in the same way as it does to other languages; and if so, Sk.
AgrayaiJa can be represented by Orion in Greek.
I have already quoted Brugmann to show that agra becomes
iir or aer in Teutonic lanugages. Now further comparing Lat.
integru, integer with Fr. entier; Gk. dakru, Goth. tagr with
Eng. tear; pagan with paien and regen with rain, we are led to
infer that where k or g is dropped before r or a liquid we may
expect two contiguous vowels, probably because this gr is at
first optionally altered into ger or gar. We can now understand
why Orion wass ometimes spelt as Oarion; and the existence of
this double form confirms, in my opinion, the derivation above
suggested. As for Orion alone we might derive it from oros,
limit, or ora, spring, ~nd ion; going thus, giving the same meaning
viz. the limit or the beginning of the year or spring, as Agraya~;~a
in Sanskrit. But this tloes not account for the double form-Orion
and Oarion-unless the latter be taken for a poetic or a dialectic
variation of Orion. I therefore, prefer to derive the word from
Sanskrit Agrayana. .