More importantly, I think, it tells us the etymology of the word "gOpuram" does not lie in "gO" (cow) but in "gOpyatE" -- i.e. protection. If the "amarakOsa" (Sanskrit lexicon) is to be accepted, then "gOpuram" has really nothing to do with "gO shabdham" at all. I wonder what other learned members think! Rgds, dAsan, Sudarshan --- jayasartn <jayasartn@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: --------------------------------- SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA. I think the following mail sets at rest the question of origin and meaning of the words gOpuram and vimAnam. Since the meanings tally with the Tamil meanings found in ChoodAmaNi nikandu and since the derivations are in Sanskrit,these words must have originated in Sanskrit and later got adopted into Tamil and had come into stay in popular usage. jayasree saranathan. -- In tiruvenkatam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "Sudarshan K Madabushi" <mksudarshan2002@xxxx> wrote: > --- In SriRangaSri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "champakam" <champakam@xxxx> > wrote: > The following extract from the amara koSa vyAkhyAna-s might have > already been presented, but since I do not recall seeing it, I am > adding it here. > > Gopuram: > > The definition given for the word is "gopyate pauraih iti gopuram" - > The protection for a city, or "gopyate purasthaih iti gopuram" - The > protection at the front. Typically, this refers to the citygate. > amarapada pArijAta of mallinAtha gives the definition - nagara dvAram > gopuram syAt - a reference to the citygate or entrance to the city. > > The roots involved are: > > 'gupU - rakshaNe - to defend, to protect, to conceal', and > 'pure - agra gamane - to go ahead'. In the current context, it > should mean 'the place in front, or the front entrance' - purah pUrvo > deSah. Puram also means temple ? "mandirampuram pATaluputre mandire > cApi kathyate". > > VAman Apte gives one of the meanings as "the ornamental gateway of a > temple", which is the sense in which it is commonly used by most of > us now. > > VimAnam: > > The meaning given for the term `vimAnam' by a translator for the > amara koSa vyAkhyAna-s is: "divine aerial car". The definition given > by li'ngAyasUrin is ? vimAnti vartante devA atra iti vimAnam ? The > place where the deva-s reside. In common usage, the place where the > structure above the garbha gRham where the Deity is consecrated, is > called vimAnam. Devotees may recall the reference to `pushpaka > vimAnam', in which Lord rAma traveled while returning from the vana > vAsam, the vaidika vimAnam of Lord Sar'ngapANI of tirukkuDanthai, the > praNavAkAra vimAnam of Lord SrI ra'nganAtha, and the Ananda nilaya > vimAnam of Lord SrInivAsa of tiruppati. > > -dAsan Krishnamachari > --- End forwarded message --- ________________________________________________________________________ Yahoo! India Matrimony: Find your partner online. http://yahoo.shaadi.com/india-matrimony/ ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/XUWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oppiliappan/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: Oppiliappan-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
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