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== व्युत्पत्तिः ॥ Etymology ==
 
== व्युत्पत्तिः ॥ Etymology ==
Shabda Sagara:
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Shabda Sagara gives the etymology of the word nakshatra as न क्षीयते क्षरते वा । ''na kṣīyate kṣarate vā ।''<ref name=":1" />
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न क्षीयते क्षरते वा <ref name=":1" />
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While the Shatapatha brahmana explains the etymology of the word nakshatra with an anecdote in the context of discussing the right time for Agnyadhana. It says, the stars shone just like the Sun or the moon. However, the Sun, even as he was rising destroyed their power, virility and lustre. And hence, the deities said, "These are not powers any more." That is the powerlessness (nakshatratva) of the stars. <blockquote>तेजः प्रलुलोप तद्धैषामादधे ते ह देवा उचुर्न वा इमानि क्षत्राण्यभूवन्निति तन्नक्षत्राणां नक्षत्रत्वमा... ॥१२॥<ref>C. R. Swaminathan (1994), Kanvasatapathabrahmanam, [http://ignca.nic.in/eBooks/KANVASATAPATHABRAHMAAAM_Vol_I.pdf Volume I], New Delhi: Indira Gandhi National Centre For The Arts and Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Pvt. Ltd.</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''tejaḥ pralulopa taddhaiṣāmādadhe te ha devā ucurna vā imāni kṣatrāṇyabhūvanniti tannakṣatrāṇāṁ nakṣatratvamā... ॥12॥'' </blockquote>Nirukta mentions Rksha and Strbhi as synonyms of nakshatra. And further states that Nakshatra (star) is derived from the root naksh, meaning 'to go'.<ref>Lakshman Sarup (1967), [http://shastradeepika.org/Resources/Vyakarana/Nighantu_Nirukta_Yaska.pdf The Nighantu and The Nirukta], Motilal Banarsidass. </ref> <blockquote>ऋक्षाः स्तृभिः इति नक्षत्राणाम् । इति अपि निगमौ भवतः । नक्षत्राणि नक्षतेः गतिकर्मणः । इति अपि निगमः भवति । ३.२० ।<ref>Nirukta, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83 Adhyaya 3].</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''r̥kṣāḥ str̥bhiḥ iti nakṣatrāṇām । iti api nigamau bhavataḥ । nakṣatrāṇi nakṣateḥ gatikarmaṇaḥ । iti api nigamaḥ bhavati । 3.20 ।''</blockquote>While the Taittiriya brahmana says, <blockquote>अमुꣳ स लोकं नक्षते । तन्नक्षत्राणां नक्षत्रत्वम् ५<ref>Taittiriya brahmana, Kanda 1, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D_(%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A0%E0%A4%83)/%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A7/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A0%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A6%E0%A5%AB Prapathaka 5].</ref> ''amuꣳ sa lokaṁ nakṣate । tannakṣatrāṇāṁ nakṣatratvam 5''</blockquote>According to Amarakosha, there are 6 words for a star  -Nakshatra, Rksha, Bha, Tara, Taraka and Udu. While, the word Dakshayani is always used in plural as suggestive collectively of the 27 stars namely, Ashvini and others.<ref name=":7">Manna Lal Abhimanyu (1994), [https://archive.org/details/AmaraKosha/page/n27/mode/2up The Amara-kosha of Shri Amara Sinha], Benaras: Master Khelarilal & Sons.</ref><blockquote>नक्षत्रमृक्षं भं तारा तारकाप्युडु वा स्त्रियाम् दाक्षायिण्योऽश्विनीत्यादि तारा ... (Digvarga)<ref name=":8">Amarakosha, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D Kanda 1].</ref> </blockquote><blockquote>''nakṣatramr̥kṣaṁ bhaṁ tārā tārakāpyuḍu vā striyām dākṣāyiṇyo'śvinītyādi tārā ...''</blockquote>In fact, the Amarakosha also enlists the alternative names for a few nakshatras as follows<ref name=":7" />:
 
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* Ashvini is also called Ashvayuk
The Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 1) ii. 1, 2, 18. 19. Cf. a citation in Nirukta, iii. 20. resolves it into na-kṣatra, explaining it by a legend.
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* Vishakha is also called Radha
 
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* Pushya is also called as Sidhya and Tishya
The Nirukta 2) Loc. cit., s.v. refers it to the root nakṣ, ‘obtain,’ following the Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa. 3) i. 5, 2, 5.
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* Dhanishtha is also called Shravishtha
 
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* Purva Bhadrapada and Uttara bhadrapda are collectively called as Proshthaprada and Bhadrapada
[https://archive.org/details/AmaraKosha/page/n27/mode/2up Amarakosha]
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* Mrgashirsha is also called as Mrgashiras and Agrahayani; while the 5 small stars situated at the head of Mrgashirsha are collectively termed as Ilvala.
 
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<blockquote>अश्वयुगश्विनी ।। १.३.२१८ ।। राधाविशाखा पुष्ये तु सिध्यतिष्यौ श्रविष्ठया ।। १.३.२१९ ।। समा धनिष्ठाः स्युः प्रोष्ठपदा भाद्रपदाः स्त्रियः ।। १.३.२२० ।। मृगशीर्षं मृगशिरस्तस्मिन्नेवाग्रहायणी ।। १.३.२२१ ।। इल्वलास्तच्छिरोदेशे तारका निवसन्ति याः ।। १.३.२२२ ।।<ref name=":8" /></blockquote><blockquote>''aśvayugaśvinī ।। 1.3.218 ।। rādhāviśākhā puṣye tu sidhyatiṣyau śraviṣṭhayā ।। 1.3.219 ।। samā dhaniṣṭhāḥ syuḥ proṣṭhapadā bhādrapadāḥ striyaḥ ।। 1.3.220 ।। mr̥gaśīrṣaṁ mr̥gaśirastasminnevāgrahāyaṇī ।। 1.3.221 ।। ilvalāstacchirodeśe tārakā nivasanti yāḥ ।। 1.3.222 ।।''</blockquote>
1।3।21।1।1
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नक्षत्रमृक्षं भं तारा तारकाप्युडु वा स्त्रियाम्. दाक्षायिण्योऽश्विनीत्यादि तारा अश्वयुगश्विनी॥
      
== वेदवाङ्मये नक्षत्रम् ॥ Nakshatra in the Vedic Literature ==
 
== वेदवाङ्मये नक्षत्रम् ॥ Nakshatra in the Vedic Literature ==

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