Note On Ullana Kusuna Kusana

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This note by H. C. Bhayani explores the meanings of the Prakrit terms ullaņa and kusuna/kusaņa within the context of Jain texts, particularly referencing the Prakirṇakaṇḍa (PN) and Dravya saṁgraha Niryukti (DN). The author aims to clarify their significance, especially concerning various types of food preparations.

Key Points and Meanings:

• Ullaņa:

  • The primary meaning of ullaņa is "moistening".
  • It derives from the verb ullei, which means "to moisten" or "to render moist" (as indicated by the glossary to PN and DN).
  • In practice, it refers to a liquid or semi-liquid food item used to moisten other foods, particularly rice. Examples cited include curds (khira, dahi), buttermilk, pulse-water, and other liquid preparations.
  • When such a liquid food item was mixed with rice to moisten it, the entire mixture also came to be included within the meaning-range of ullaņa.
  • An example given is ollaņi, which means "curds mixed with sugar, cardamom, cinnamon etc.," suggesting a sweetened and flavored liquid preparation.
  • The text also mentions ullana as a "kind of eatable; cooked pulse of slight consistency" or "a kind of porridge, pulse-water." This indicates its direct use as a food item itself, not just as a moistening agent.

• Kusuna/Kusaņa:

  • The primary meaning of kusana is also "moistening".
  • It is linked to the Gujarati verb kasanvu, which means "to mix some liquid eatable like curds, cooked pulse etc. with rice etc. and coagulate to form a thin lump." This suggests a process of combining and slightly solidifying.
  • Kusuna refers to the liquid food item used for moistening, similar to ullaņa. Examples include curds (dahi), buttermilk (mānjha), and rice mixed with curds (kusuniya).
  • The term can also refer to the mixture itself created by moistening other food, particularly rice, with a liquid.
  • In the context of PN 282, kusaņa is described as "prepared in the form of a mixture of rice and curds etc."
  • Timana, a related term, also means "moistening" and "sauce," and can refer to liquid food items like curry, pulse-water, and curds used to moisten rice.

Relationship between Ullana and Kusana:

Both ullaņa and kusana share the primary meaning of "moistening." They both refer to liquid or semi-liquid food preparations that are typically mixed with other foodstuffs (especially rice) to improve their texture and palatability. The specific ingredients mentioned for both terms overlap significantly, including curds, buttermilk, and pulse preparations. The author suggests that later on, these terms came to signify the resulting mixture as well, not just the moistening agent.

In essence, the note clarifies that ullaņa and kusana are terms used in ancient Jain literature to describe liquid food preparations, often dairy-based or pulse-based, whose primary function was to moisten other foods, particularly rice. They could also refer to the resulting moist mixture or the direct consumption of these preparations. The author meticulously draws parallels between these Prakrit terms and their etymological and functional equivalents in later Gujarati language and usage.