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The Vedic verb pávate ‘goes, moves, (wind) blows, (Soma) flows'

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 December 2009

Extract

The Vedic verb pávate occurs with great frequency in the ninth book of the Ṛgveda with reference to the preparation of the Soma drink. It is normally rendered in Sāyaṇa's commentary as Kṣarati ‘flows'. There is nothing in the contexts to suggest that this meaning is inappropriate, since the flowing of Soma is continually referred to, and by a variety of synonyms. Such are arṣati ‘flows', dhāvati ‘runs', yāti ‘goes', īyate ‘goes', and so forth. There is no contextual reason why we should not accept the authority of the commentator and regard this verb as yet another synonym describing the progress of the liquid during the course of its preparation.

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Articles
Copyright
Copyright © School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 1986

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References

1 Bhawe, S. S.: The Soma-hymns of the Ṙgveda, Part I, Baroda. 1957. (M.S. University of Baroda Research Series, 3.)Google Scholar

2 Renou, L.: Etudes védiques et pāṇinéennes, Tome VIII (Hymnes á Soma), Paris, 1961, 46.Google Scholar

3 Burrow, T.: ‘Sanskrit pā- “to go, move, pass, traverse”, Indo-Iranian Journal, XV, 2, 1973, 81108.Google Scholar

4 Burrow, T.: The problem of shwa in Sanskrit, Oxford, 1979.Google Scholar