1875.] Rajendralala Mitra — On a Coin of Kunanda from Karndl. 85 



the balance of evidence inclines most. The aptote noun ku in Sanskrit and 

 its affiliated languages is a particle of depreciation, implying ' low', ' vile', 

 ' bad', ' wrong', &c.,* and it might at first sight appear improbable that it 

 should be used as a prefix to a royal name ; but, seeing that in India such 

 depreciatory particles are deliberately adopted by Hindu parents to avert 

 evils and for other causes, the objection may be set aside as of no weight. 

 Tinlcori, " three cowri shells," Panchkori " five cowri shells," SdtJcori " seven 

 cowri shells," JS'alcori, "nine cowri shells," and similar other terms, all 

 meaning ' worthless', are extensively used as proper names, in order that no 

 evil eye may rest on the children to whom they are assigned, and the 

 children may be allowed to thrive without exciting envy, malice, or jealousy. 

 Bhuto " blacky," Khonra, " lame," Nulo " weak-handed", and the like,t are 

 also of frequent occurrence as proper names. An accident or misfortune 

 happening on the day of a babe's birth is also often memorialized by assign- 

 ing a bad name to the newcomer, and such nicknames, like any other 

 mud, stick, and cannot be shaken off. Again, the horoscope of a babe 

 might indicate that he would in after life be evilly disposed, and this 

 may likewise influence the choice of a name for him. And any of these facts 

 may easily be assumed to account for the use of an offensive prefix like Jcu in 

 the name in question. 



No assumption of the kind, however, is necessary in the present case. 

 As a common noun ku means ' the earth', and joined to nanda, it would mean 

 the " earth's delight", a very appropriate name for a lad, whether a prince 

 or otherwise. No fond mother could wish for a better name for her young 

 hopeful. 



If we take the first syllable of the name to be kra, we must look for its 

 root in kri, which means, ' to do,' ' to make,' ' to perform any action,' or 

 ' to hurt,' ' to injure' or to ' kill'. Added to nanda it would mean the promo- 

 ter, or destroyer, of delight, and the former would unquestionably make a 

 very appropriate proper name. But if we accept Jcri to be the root, its 

 participial form should follow the word nanda, and not precede it. Mr. 

 Thomas says that the late Dr. Groldstueker was of opinion " that the kra, 

 in combination with Nanda, may possibly stand for if Jcri, " a million", 

 or some vague number corresponding with Mahapadma (100,000 millions), 

 under the supposition that the latter designation was applied to one of the 

 Nanda family, in its numerical sense, as a fabulous total, and not in the 

 more usually received meaning of " a large lotus. "J 



The learned doctor was doubtless a very conscientious worker and a 



* ffJlfiTST^: I'? ^^ | Panini. 

 t When a person gets too many female children, the last not unfrequently gets the 

 name of Arnd " no more", to express the satiety of the parents. 

 % Journal, E. As. Soc, N. S., I., p. 476. 



