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Re: Origin of Saundarananda
Saundarananda is not the name of a person, it is the name of a text dealing with sundarAnanda: The -a suffix to form a noun meaning `related to', `descendent of', etc. often removes a final vowel and does `vRddhi' (back dipthong) on the first vowel.Now sundarAnanda is definitely composed of two elements in a `samAsa' (compound word), and these are sundara and Ananda. sundara (unknown etymology; probably from su- of uncertain orgin meaning good and nR man, with the -d- unexplained) means beautiful and Ananda (from A- from, towards etc., but often completely and nand, to please) means happiness; and the two are obviously joined in a `dvandva samAsa' (coordinate elements), but whether it is `karmadharaya' (attribute-noun) version of that is the question. Since in such conjuntive situations, a modification clearly perceived as due to a suffixial feminine gender marker is removed, the first element could equally well be sundarI (feminine for sundara).Both meanings are thus possible: Ananda was also called sundara, and the subject matter of the composition is sundara's conversion to buddhism over his attachment to his wife sundarI holding him back, and so, I would not consider either of these two translations wrong. In fact, even in Sanskrit, different scholars have glossed the name of this early work differently.
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Thanks for the explanation. The mentioned name is definitely not of a person but it deals with name(s) and since the time I had come across the title "Handsome Nanda", I am getting the feeling it is an incorrect translation, as your own explanation suggests it is "Ananda" rather than "Nanda." Sounds like I was confused by the titles like Malvikaagnimitra (Malvika and Agnimitra) and again Sundari being Nanda's wife added to my confusion.

This message was edited 7/10/2009, 8:09 PM

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