Prepositions in Aśvaghoṣa
Summary
Satya Vrat’s essay studies the use of prepositions (upasargas) in the works of the Buddhist poet‑philosopher Aśvaghoṣa, author of the Buddhacarita and Saundarananda. The article opens by reviewing the old debate about whether Sanskrit prepositions have independent meaning or simply modify verbal roots. Drawing examples from Aśvaghoṣa’s poems, the author shows that prepositions can limit the sense of a root, strengthen it or introduce novelty. He examines compounds such as ā + √ṛ, ā + √viś, prati + √bhū and sam + √dhā to illustrate how meaning changes when upasargas are added. The paper notes that some roots in Aśvaghoṣa’s verses are never used without specific prepositions, indicating that the composite meanings became lexicalised. Vrat then classifies Aśvaghoṣa’s prepositional usage into three categories: (1) prepositions that leave the primitive sense unchanged but add refinement; (2) those that intensify or multiply the basic meaning; and (3) those that invert or negate the root. He discusses, for example, how prepositions like sam‑ and pra‑ can denote completion or forward motion, while vi‑ and dur‑ can imply separation or negativity. Sanskrit verses with diacritics are cited to demonstrate the variety of senses that arise when the same root is combined with different prepositions. The essay concludes by suggesting that Aśvaghoṣa’s creative employment of prepositions gives his poetry linguistic richness and allows him to express subtle philosophical ideas within the constraints of metre and morphology.
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Conclusion
The article concludes that Aśvaghoṣa’s sophisticated use of upasargas shows how Sanskrit prepositions are far from semantically void. In his hands, prepositions function as nuanced modifiers that shape meaning, contribute to poetic imagery and convey philosophical distinctions. Satya Vrat argues that this nuanced usage reflects both the flexibility of the Sanskrit language and Aśvaghoṣa’s skill as a poet, and he encourages further study of prepositions in other classical works.