The Pali Text Society's Pali-English Dictionary

Nakula [Ved. nakula, cp. nakra crocodile] a mungoose, Viverra Ichneumon A v.289 sq.; J ii.53; vi.538;
Miln 118, 394.
Nakkhatta
Nakkhatta (nt.) [Ved. nak+atra collect. formation from nakti1 & nakt!=Gr. nu/c, Lat. nox, Goth. nahts, E.
night=the nightly sky, the heavenly bodies of the night, as opposed to the Sun: !dicco tapata' mukha' Vin
i.246] the stars or constellations, a conjunction of the moon with diff. constellations, a lunar mansion or the
constellations of the lunar zodiac, figuring also as Names of months & determinant factors of horoscopic
and other astrological observation; further a celebration of the beginning of a new month, hence any kind of
festival or festivity. -- The recognised number of such lunar mansions is 27, the names of which as given in
Sk. sources are the same in P!li, with the exception of 2 variations (Assayuja for A$vin", Satabhisaja for
-atat!raka). Enumd at Abhp. 58 -- 60 as follows: Assayuja [Sk. A$vin"] Bhara*", Kattik!, Rohi*",
Magasira' [Sk. M%ga$"r+a] Add! [Sk. 4rdr!], Punabbasu, Phussa [Sk. Pu+ya], Asiles!, Magh!, Pubba --
phaggun" [Sk. P(rva -- phalgun"). Uttara˚, Hattha, Citt! [Sk. Chaitra], S!ti [Sv!t"], Vis!kh!, Anur!dh!,
Je&&h!, M(la', Pubb -- !s!)ha [˚!+!.ha], Uttar˚, Sava*a, Dhani&&h!, Satabhisaja [-atat!raka], Pubba --
bhaddapad!, Uttara˚, Revat". -- It is to be pointed out that the Niddesa speaks of 28 N. instead of 27 (Nd1
382: a&&hav"sati nakkhatt!ni), a discrepancy which may be accounted by the fact that one N. (the Orion)
bore 2 names, viz. M%ga$"r+a & Agrahayan" (see Plunkett, Ancient Calendars etc. p. 227 sq.). -- Some of
these Ns. are more familiar & important than others, & are mentioned more frequently, e. g. 4s!)ha
(4s!lhi˚) J i.50 & Uttar!s!)ha J i.63, 82; Kattik! & Rohi*" SnA 456. -- nakkhatta' !disati to augur from the
stars, to set the horoscope Nd1 382; oloketi to read the stars, to scan the constellations J i.108, 253; ghoseti
to proclaim (shout out) the new month (cp. Lat. calandae fr. c!l!re to call out, scil. mensem), and thereby
announce the festivity to be celebrated J i.250; n. ghu&&ha' J i.50, 433; sanghu&&ha' PvA 73; ghosita' VvA
31; k")ati to celebrate a (nakkhatta -- ) festival J i.50, 250; VvA 63; DhA i.393 (cp. ˚k")! below). n. osita'
the festival at an end J i.433. -- nakkhatta (sg.) a constellation Sn 927; collect. the stars Vv 811 (cando
npariv!rito). nakkhatt!ni (pl.) the stars: nakkhatt!na' mukha' chando (the moon is the most prominent of
the lights of night) Th 2.143; Vin i.246=Sn 569 (but cp. expl. at SnA 456: candayogavasena "ajja kattik!,
ajja Rohi*"" ti paññ!*ato !lokak!ra*ato sommabh!vato ca nakkhatt!na' mukha' cando ti vutto); D i.10
(nakkhatt!na' pathagamana' & uppatha -- gamana' a right or wrong course, i. e. a straight ascension or
deviation of the stars or planets); ii.259; iii.85, 90; A iv.86; Th 2, 143 (nakkhatt!ni namassant! b!l!). --
k")ana=k")! DhA iii.461; -- k")! the celebration of a festival, making merry, taking a holiday J i.50; ThA
137; VvA 109; -- gg!ha the seizure of a star (by a demon: see g!ha), the disappearance of a planet (transit?)
D i.10 (expl. at DA i.95 as nakkhattasa ang!rak!di -- gahasam!yoga); -- patha "the course of the stars," i. e.
the nocturnal sky Dh 208; -- pada a constellation Vin ii.217; -- p!&haka an astrologer, soothsayer, augur
Nd1 382; -- p")ana the failing or obscuration of a star (as a sign of death in horoscopy) DhA i.166; -- m!l! a
garland of stars VvA 167; -- yoga a conjunction of the planets, a constellation in its meaning for the
horoscope J i.82
-- 345 --
253; DhA i.174 (+tithi -- kara*a); ˚' oloketi to set the horoscope DhA i.166, ˚' ugga*h!ti id. Pv iii.54. --
r!j! the king of the nakkhattas (i. e. the moon) J iii.348.
Nakha
Nakha [Ved. nakha, cp. Sk. anghri foot; Gr. o)/nuc (claw, nail), Lat. unguis= Oir. inga; Ohg. nagal=E. nail]
a nail of finger or toe, a claw Vin ii.133; Sn 610 (na angul"hi nakhehi v!); J v.489 (pañcanakh! satt! five --
nailed or -- toed beings); Kh ii.=Miln 26, cp. taca (pañcatacaka'); KhA 43; VvA 7 (dasa --
nakhasamodh!na putting the 10 fingers together); PvA 152, 192; Sdhp 104.
Nakhaka