nirukta
Quick Summary
The term "Nirukta" refers to one of the six Vedangas, which are auxiliary disciplines associated with the Vedas in Hinduism. Specifically, the Niruktas are texts that explain the etymology of words found in the Vedas by deriving them from verbal bases, thus illustrating how their meanings relate to particular actions. The earliest and most significant work in this category is the Nirukta by Yaska, which comments on word sets found in a collection called the Nighantu. The study of etymology, as presented in the Nirukta, was crucial for understanding the Vedic texts and their rituals.1
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