शून्य - śūnya
About Śabdayoga Blog author Jayaraman Mahadevan शून्य - śūnya Etymology 1) शूना + यत् = शून्यम् śūnā+ yat = śūnyam or 2) श्वन् + यत् = शून्यम् śvan + yat = śūnyam 1) Śūnā is a noun that means to misdeed/violent act yat is the suffix that is added to the word to indicate the meaning – beneficial for that. The suffix added as per the grammatical rule उगवादिभ्यो यत् ( a ṣṭā dhy ā y ī 5.1.2 ) Hence the derivative statement would be शूनायै हितम् - शून्यम् - śūnāyai hitam – śūnyam - śūnya refers to the (solitary/empty place or uninhabited-ness) conducive to commit misdeeds/violence etc. The following derivation of the term in apte and Vacasatyam [1] dictionaries are worth noting - शूनायै प्राणिवधाय हितं रहस्यस्थानत्वात् यत् – that (the empty place/ uninhabited place or aloneness/aloofness )which is appropriate for killing animals (misdeed, an act of violence secretively) or 2) Śvan is the noun that means a dog