Re: Who/What is KUTastha : Bhagwad Gita Verse 16, chapter-15
hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
namasté
devotee wrote,
KUTastha = KUTa (difficult to understand, devilish, looks what it is not) + stha (staying, residing) ; So, that which resides in KUTa is KUTastha. )
This question is a good one; I looked at 4 different references + yours = 5.
Let me offer some first impressions as I am not the final authority on this matter; my offers are not to correct anyone’s point of view,
just to discuss some ideas ( and conjecture). That said, I will offer and use the support what svāmī lakṣman-jū has to offer in a later post , of which comes
from abhinavagupti-ji’s work (bhāgavadgītārthasaṁgraha). I also looked at paramansa yoganda’s commentary, jñānadev’s work (bhāvārthadīpikā), and svāmī prabhupāda’s work.
My teacher only commented on the 1st 6 chapters; It would have been my delight to see his translation on this matter.
Let me offer my view which is not co-mingled with the others.
- kūṭastha (mn¹)- standing at the top , keeping the highest position; immovable , uniform , unchangeable
- If we disconnect the terms ( as you aptly done) we have kūṭa+stha .
- kūṭa - summit , peak or summit of a mountain ; this infers the highest, most excellent , first which is another definition. Yet there is more to this term but will avoid them to keep the term simple.
- stha - standing , staying , abiding , being situated in , existing or being in or on or among
Hence as I see this word kūṭastha, it is abiding in the highest.
Now can one tease out the notion of ‘devilish’ in this term? Perhaps the neuter term ( as we have masculine, feminine and neuter genders to work with)
is defined as ‘the bone of the forehead with its projections or prominence's , horn’. This horn ~could~ be aligned to the looks of a devil-ish being,
but for me ( and me only) I would not go in that direction for a few reasons. Why ? keeping the continuity of śloka-s 16 + 17 + 18 aligned.
So, I wish to rest with this word before moving on till you weigh-in on the matter… too many ideas only causes confusion ( and mischief)
iti śivaṁ
1. mn = masculine gender or neuter gender
यतस्त्वं शिवसमोऽसि
yatastvaṁ śivasamo'si
because you are identical with śiva
_
Bookmarks