S. N. Ghosal

Haoma as a Plant in Avestan Text

By S. N. Ghosal

The article explores the figure of Haoma in the ancient Iranian scriptures known as the Avesta. Haoma, cognate with the Vedic Soma, is simultaneously a deity, a sacred plant and the intoxicating…

The Word Mahāṇa in Prākrit

By S. N. Ghosal

“The Word Mahāṇa in Prākrit” is a philological note on the meaning and usage of the Prākrit term ‘mahāṇa’. The author surveys occurrences of the word in Jain canonical texts and compares them with…

Self‑Immolation as an Expedient for Emancipation as Revealed in the Uvāsagadasāo

By S. N. Ghosal

Investigating a controversial practice, this article looks at stories of voluntary death in the Jain text Uvāsagadasāo. The author recounts the case of Ananda, a prosperous householder who, after…

Prakrit Studies

By S. N. Ghosal

In this address, S. N. Ghosal reflects on the state of Prakrit studies and oriental scholarship more broadly. He begins by lamenting that in modern India the study of Sanskrit and related classical…

Note on the Prakrit Passive

By S. N. Ghosal

In this philological note, S.N. Ghosal reviews the debate over whether certain Prakrit passive forms function as active or even future tense. Rudolf Pischel, in his Grammatik der Prakrit-Sprachen,…

On Some Instances of Vowel-Metathesis in Prakrit

By S. N. Ghosal

This linguistic study investigates the phenomenon of vowel metathesis in Prakrit, a process whereby vowel sounds exchange positions within a word. Beginning with the observation that most phonetic…

Some Aspects of Vowel Contraction in Prakrit

By S. N. Ghosal

Some Numerical Vocables in Prakrit

By S. N. Ghosal

Some Numerical Vocables in Prakrit is a linguistic inquiry into the etymology and phonetic development of certain Prakrit numerals. The author critiques Hemacandra’s grammatical sūtras dealing with…

The Vaitanasutra

By S. N. Ghosal

S. N. Ghosal continues his translation and commentary on the Vaitānasūtra, a Śrauta text associated with the Atharvaveda that deals with sacrificial rituals. The present instalment, chapter XXXVII,…

The Vaitanasutra

By S. N. Ghosal

The Vaitānasiūtra, a concise ritual text linked to the Sāmaveda, prescribes the order and manner of chanting during complex sacrificial sessions. The portion reproduced here continues the exposition…

The Vaitanasutra (Supplement)

By S. N. Ghosal

This supplement continues the translation and commentary on the Vaitanasutra, an Atharvavedic ritual manual. Covering sections XXVI–XXXI, it details procedures for diverse sacrificial rites. The text…

The Vaitanasutra

By S. N. Ghosal

This supplement continues a translation and commentary on the Vaitanasutra, a Vedic ritual manual dealing with offerings during the Soma sacrifice. It details the procedural steps for the Agnidhrya…

The Vaitanasutra

By S. N. Ghosal

This supplementary article continues a translation and commentary on the Vaitānasūtra, a late Vedic text concerned with Soma rituals. The author begins with the instruction that during the offering…

The Vaitanasutra (Supplement)

By S. N. Ghosal

This supplement offers an English synopsis of portions of the Vaitāna‑sūtra, a ritual text associated with the Atharva‑veda. Numbered sections describe the sequence of actions in complex sacrifices.…

The Vaitanasutra

By S. N. Ghosal

This article continues a translation and commentary on the Vaitāna Sūtra, a medieval ritual manual that outlines the procedures for various Vedic sacrifices. The section begins with instructions for…

The Vaitanasutra (Supplement)

By S. N. Ghosal

This supplement summarises the Vaitāna Sūtra, a ritual manual associated with the Saunaka recension of the Atharva Veda. The Vaitāna Sūtra is classified as a Śrauta Sūtra, meaning it deals with Vedic…

Eastern and Western Manuscripts of the Prakrita-paingala

By S. N. Ghosal

This linguistic note by S. N. Ghoshal compares two families of manuscripts of the **Prākṛita‑paingala**, a treatise on prosody and phonetics. The Western group, written in Devanāgarī script and…

Apabhramsa and post-Apabhramsa Features in the early Prakrits

By S. N. Ghosal

The paper investigates Apabhraṃśa and post‑Apabhraṃśa features in early Prakrit documents, including Ashokan and Kharoshthi inscriptions, the Prākrit Dhammapada, Central‑Asian Buddhist dramas and…

The Apabhramsa Lyrics in the Vernaculars

By S. N. Ghosal

Focusing on the lyric tradition known as Apabhraṁśa, this article traces the evolution of vernacular poetry from Prakrit to the early Indo‑Aryan languages. The author begins by quoting A.B. Keith’s…

Was Sumati—the Author of the Prakrta Paingala?

By S. N. Ghosal

S.N. Ghosh’s note ‘Was Sumati—the Author of the Prakrta Paingala?’ addresses the long-standing debate about the authorship of the Prākr̥ta Paiṅgala, a work on Prakrit grammar. Early scholars such as…