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AVESTAN Vahwă (n., f.)
By
M. A. Mehendale
The word ratwa occurring in the Avesta has been assigned the meaning 'a herd, a flock, a multitude". The word occurs both as a single expression and in compounds. From the contexts in which it appears, it is clear that the meaning of the word cannot be considered doubtful. E.g. in yast 10.28 we read : āat alımãi w ändi dadāiti gāušća vàowa viranąunia yalva ašnūto bavaiti "herds of cattle (and multitudes) of heroes he bestows on the house in which he is pleased.” In yasna 62.10 we read : upa Owā harsoit gauš vaiwa upa viranan pourutās "Es mögen dir zuteil Werden Herden von Vieh, zuteil eine Fülle von Männern" (Wolff). In yaxt 8.15, 17 and 19 we get expressions like virayan raram, gavym mowam, and aspayan Owam 'a troop consisting of Jeroes', 'a herd consisting of cattle', and 'a troop oonsisting of horses'. The word voowa is thus used with reference to animals and human beings. When it is used with the expression fšaoni it can mean a group of animals of one kind or of different kinds (horses, cows etc.). In yašt 9.9 we have yatha azam fšaoni vunna avabarāni ari mazdā dāmabyő "...dass ich den Geschöpfen des weisen Herrn fette Herden (rather: herds of animals), verschafte........." (Lommel).
Bartholomae in his Wörterbuch (1435) does not give any etymology of this word. Louis H. Gray' accepts Jackson's derivation of the word from *"ene (> Skt. V van) 'strive, desire, gain' (Cf. Jackson's Avesta Reader, First Series, which is not successible to me). Gray cites, for comparison, words from the Germanic group like Goth. winja etc. 'meadow'. He adds, "...... the formation of the Avesta word implies that rąowa- was THE desirable possession of a pastoral and agricultural folk.
1. Language, 25.378 (1949).
Madhu Vidyā/192
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