Word Study 5

Analytical study of the word “Sahoḍḍhagahito”

Introduction

In Pārajika commentary, there is this word “sahoḍḍhaggahita”. It means captured someone who carried with stolen products or ‘[together with stolen product’. Here, gahita means ‘seized’, ‘taken’, ‘grasped’. the root is √gah (to take).

Sahoḍḍhaggahita is formed by three words: [saha + oḍḍha + gahita]. When sahoḍḍha is linked with gahita, the “g” becomes double in accordance with the grammar rule “paradvebhāvo ṭhāne”[i]  .

Sahoḍḍhaggahita is defined as such: 1. Sahoḍḍhaggahitoti saha bhaṇḍena gahito.[ii];
2. Sahoḍḍhaggahitoti sabhaṇḍaggahito.[iii]

It means seized together with bhaṇḍa (goods). Sahoḍḍha is further explained as “Saha oḍḍhenāti sahoḍḍhaṃ, thenetvā gahiyamānabhaṇḍena saddhinti attho.[iv]” “Sahoḍḍha” means ‘having stealing, is captured together with the goods’. Thus sahoḍḍha is formed from the word “saha” + “oḍḍha”. (saha + oḍḍha > sahoḍḍha).

Word formation for Oḍha

Oḍha comes from ūḍha.  The word ‘saha’ and ‘ūḍha’ are combined to be “sahoḍha”. Here, a” vowel and “ū” vowel is combined to become “o”. The consonant “ḍ” becomes double.
 (Saha + ūḍha > sahoḍha > sahoḍḍha)                                                  

The word “ūḍha” is a past participle of the root √vah (to carry, to bear away)[v] . Thus it means carried, conveyed, stolen. The verb is vahati (to bear, to carry, to flow), Its past participle are ūḷha, vuḷha and būḷha[vi].(√vah + ta > vuh + ta > vuḷha).

To become “ūḷha”, root √vah and past participle “ta” is combined, the “va” becomes “ū” and double consonant “ht” becomes “ḷh”. Then “ḷh” becomes “ḍh”.   (√vah + ta > ūḷha > ūḍha)

This “ūḍha” is also a Sanskrit word. It means ‘carried’, ‘conveyed’, ‘stolen’, ‘lost’.[vii] It is combined with “saha” to become “sahoḍha”. Sahoḍha[viii] exists in the Sanskrit dictionary. Sahoḍha means one who has the stolen property with him.

Possible versions and explanations

The other versions of sahoḍḍha are
1. Sahoḍha – as in aṭṭhakathā)[ix],
2. Sahoḍḍa- as in Sāsanavaṃsa[x],
3.Sahottha -[xi].
As for the word “oḍḍa”, it is defined as “ava + ḍīyate iti oḍḍo” and ava-ḍiyate means to steal[xii] . To become “oḍḍa”, “ava” becomes “o”, “ḍ” becomes double.

There is also “sahotthaggahita” in tīkā. Here, sahottha is formed by [saha+ attha]. Here, attha word is thought to be dhana (wealth, riches, treasures). When “attha” is joined with “saha”, the initial vowel “a” of “attha” is elided, and “o” is inserted.  But, this is not common. For the “attha” becomes “aḍḍha”, “t” becomes “d” and then dental “d” becomes lingual “ḍ”. (Sahottha > sahoddha > sahoḍḍha)

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are few possible versions for the word “sahoḍḍhagahita”.
1. Sahoḍaggahita
2. Sahoḍḍaggahita—can be formed by basing on “oḍḍa” word from the sentence ‘sahoḍḍena gahitoviya coro’
3. Sahoḍhaggahita - – as in Thai version
4. Sahoḍḍhaggahita- ‘oḍḍha’ comes from ‘oḍha’, or can be formed based on “saha oḍḍhenā”
5.Sahotthaggahita- can be formed by basing on “saha + attha”
Only the fourth is found in the Chattha Sangāyana Tipiṭaka (CSCD).

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[i] Kaccāyana: rule 28

[ii] Sāratthadīpanī-ṭīkā-II, 40

[iii] Vimativinodanī-ṭīkā-I,10

[iv] Visuddhimagga-mahāṭīkā-I,20

[v] U Hau Sein’s Pāḷi-Myanmar

[vi] Pāḷi-Text Society

[vii] Monier-Williams, Monier-Williams Sanskrit Dictionary, page 933

[viii] Monier-Williams, Monier-Williams Sanskrit Dictionary, page 1194

[ix] “sahoḍhaṃ coraṃ”,Itivuttaka-aṭṭhakathā, 1.147

[x] sahoḍḍena gahitoviya coro, Sāsanavaṃsappadīpikā.15

[xi] Ashin Janakābhivaṃsa, Pārājikaṇ-bhāsāṭīkā-II, 304

[xii] Ashin Janakābhivaṃsa, Pārājikaṇ-bhāsāṭīkā-II, 304

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