A small word
such as go ’dun can cause some
problems. The Tshig mdzod chen mo (s.v.)
notes that it is an old (rnying)
word (i.e. archaic or obsolete). It provides four meanings: (1) “whatever
desired” (gang mos) (as a noun?), (2)
“various” (sna tshogs), (3)
“cleansing substance (i.e. soap?)” (’dag
rdzas), and (4) “gathering” (tshogs
pa) or “assembly” (’du ba). The
word is found in the Mahāvyutpatti
(no. 6262): skad go ’dun gyi ming.
Sakaki seems to have misunderstood the word go
’dun for he has rendered it into Chinese as ninety-seven (i.e. as if go bdun). Jäschke correctly understood
the word where he renders it as “of different sorts” and provides sna ’dun as its equivalence (Jäschke 1881: s.v. go). Etymologically, I wonder how we
should understand? Perhaps go should
be understood as in the case of go skabs
and go ’phang and hence something
like “situation” or “occasion” and ’dun
as “wish.” Thus: “as occasioned by one’s wish” and hence “various” (i.e. all
that can be considered according to one’s wish)?
D, I'm scratching my head over this, but besides relieving my itchy scalp nothing seems to result from it. So I'll just congratulate you on an interesting post, with hopes to see more of them in the coming year. Happy light holy days! I guess he's not at the center of your devotional life, but anyway, Happy Tsongkhapa Day to you and yours from me and mine.
ReplyDeleteYours, D