Shabda Cayanika (Part-3)

About the Book Ostensibly, SHABDA CAYANIKA is a series devoted to the linguistics and philology of the Bengali language, but in reality it is something much more than that. The author uses the platform of the word as a point of departure to take the reader on a journey through all the varied landscapes of human knowledge - history, geography, medicine, science, art, religion, philosophy, etc. - and, in the process, adds the indelible stamp of his own unique wisdom, enriching our experience with new ideas, and enabling us to see our human heritage in a way we have never been able to before.

YOU ARE SURELY FAMILIAR with the yajina dumura [a large variety of fig tree]. Another name for it in Sanskrit is udumbara, and yet another name karpara. Previously, the Aryans used to consider the wood of the yajina dumura to be quite hardy, thus during sacrifices (yajina) they would use it as sacrificial wood. Since it was used as sacrificial wood, its name became yajina dumura.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages