xl AMARAKOŚA This thoughtful interpretation is not found in the principal commentaries. The brevity of Amara being sometimes reminiscent of Panini's sūtra-s, Sūrin fulfils the role of the Bhāṣyakāra. The words halika and sairika are defined by Amara as खनति तेन तद्बोढास्येदं हालिकसैरिकौ । (p. 591) Surin brings the above aphoristical statement within the realm of intelligibility by saying: हलेन खनतीति हालिकः । हलं वहतीति हालिकः । हलस्य संबन्धी हालिकः । हलेन खनतः, हलं वहतः, हलसंबन्धिनो वा बलीवर्दस्य नामनी । (p. 592) i.e. oxen utilized for ploughing or drawing carts. Similar is the explanation of the word sairika. Some words in Amara's text are desya, local words of popular origin; for even such a conservative and classical language as Sanskrit is not completely immune to the influence of the regional languages. Sūrin points out that some words, more especially names of plants in the Vanauṣadhivarga, are of Prakrit origin. The word phanijjaka (citron tree), Sūrin says, has been adopted from the vernacular, phanijjakaśabdo desyaḥ (p. 262). The milk-hedge plant is variously named sihunda, simhunda and sihunda. Dhanvantari and Svāmin recognize the Prakrit form sihunda; but Sūrin gives simhunda only and explains that it is only irregularly formed with the loss of ta in simhatunda (resembling the mouth of a lion). सिंहतुण्डाभशाखात्वात् सिंहुण्डः । तकारलोपः । (p. 277) The word indindira (bee) is given by Sūrin as an additional variant of a doubtful character (p. 351); Svāmin considers it a desya word, but Sürin has no comment to offer. While avoiding the intricacies of grammar, Surin quotes the Dhātupāṭha at every step, sometimes in a form slightly different from what is in modern editions, which may indicate
