Patanjali has drawn attention to the concept that there are many words with same sense; like for Indra, Shakra, Puruhuta and Purandara apply as synonyms. Again one and same word is also found to have different senses, for example, aksha (means the "die" in gambling as well as "axle"), pada, masha are seen in his Mahabhashya.<blockquote>बहवो हि शब्दा एकार्था भवन्ति । तद्यथा--इन्द्रः शक्रः पुरुहूतः पुरन्दरः । कन्दुः कोष्ठः कुसूल इति । एकश्च शब्दो बह्वर्थः । तद्यथा--अक्षाः पादा माषा इति ।(Mahabhashya under Panini Sutra 1.3.1)<ref>Mahabhashya ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%BD%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5 Adhyaya 1 Pada 3])</ref></blockquote>Yaska's explanation in this regard may be taken as one of the explanations for the presence of synonyms and homonyms in a language. According to him all nouns are derived from verbal roots and different etymologies are offered for a single word when its meaning becomes different. | Patanjali has drawn attention to the concept that there are many words with same sense; like for Indra, Shakra, Puruhuta and Purandara apply as synonyms. Again one and same word is also found to have different senses, for example, aksha (means the "die" in gambling as well as "axle"), pada, masha are seen in his Mahabhashya.<blockquote>बहवो हि शब्दा एकार्था भवन्ति । तद्यथा--इन्द्रः शक्रः पुरुहूतः पुरन्दरः । कन्दुः कोष्ठः कुसूल इति । एकश्च शब्दो बह्वर्थः । तद्यथा--अक्षाः पादा माषा इति ।(Mahabhashya under Panini Sutra 1.3.1)<ref>Mahabhashya ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%BD%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5 Adhyaya 1 Pada 3])</ref></blockquote>Yaska's explanation in this regard may be taken as one of the explanations for the presence of synonyms and homonyms in a language. According to him all nouns are derived from verbal roots and different etymologies are offered for a single word when its meaning becomes different. |