A•flädhyäyï (‘eight chapters’)
Title of the celebrated SANSKRITgram-
mar by PÄŒINÏ(6th century BCE?) which
has been hailed as one of the greatest
intellectual achievements of all times. In
it Päæinï attempts to reduce the entire
Sanskrit language to about 800 roots
and their derivations, governed by
about 4,000 rules. Päæinï’s grammar
became the standard for classical
Sanskrit.a•fläk•ara (‘eight syllables’)
The famous mantra: Om Namah
Näräyanäya, repeated thrice daily by
many VAIÆŒAVASto obtain liberation.
(See alsoMANTRA(3).)a•fla-maögala
(‘eight auspicious objects’)
These are required for important offi-
cial occasions. Their composition
varies; one list mentions lion, bull, ele-
phant, water-jar, fan, flag, trumpet,
lamp; another has brahmin, crow, fire,
gold, ghi, sun, water, king.a•flamürti (‘eightfold image’)
The presence of ŸIVA in the five ele-
ments, the sun, the moon and in sentient
beings, associated with the eight names
of Ÿiva under which he is worshipped
(RUDRA, ŸARVA, PAŸUPATI, Ugra, A•ani,
BHAVA, MAHÄDEVA, ÏŸÄNA)29 a•flamürtiThe four stages of life: a. Brahmacarya (early youth),
b. Garhasthya (life of householder); c. Vänaprastha (life in forest);
d. Samnyäsa (life of renunciation).(a) (b)(c) (d)Encyclo - Letter A 10/2/03 9:37 am Page 29