17/19 Sleeman wrote 'Py-Khan', a corrupt spelling of pakhan, the Sanskrit pashana or pasana, 'a stone'. The compound pashana-murti is commonly used in the sense of 'stone image'. The sibilant _sh_ or _s_ usually is pronounced as _kh_ in Northern India (Grierson, _J.R.A.S.,_ 1903, p. Sarasvati, consort of Brahma; Devi (Parvati, Durga, &c.), consort of Siva; and Lakshmi, consort of Vishnu. |