Etymology, glossary. One of the Vedangas. Nirukta is devoted to the explanation of difficult Vedic words. The only work of the kind now known to us... more

Vedic glossary of difficult words. The only work of the kind now known is that of Yaska, a predecessor of Panini, the Sanskrit grammarian. Nirukta consists of three parts, viz., (i) Naighantuka, a collection of synonyms; (ii) Naigama, a collection of words peculiar to the Vedas, and (iii) Daivata, words relating to deities and sacrifices.

Nirukta is one of the six Vedanga disciplines of Hinduism, treating etymology. Nirukta sutras consist of rules for deriving meanings of straightforward structures, supplemented with glossaries of difficult or rare Vedic words.