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TWO NOTES ON YASNA 10
M. A. Mehendale
Yasna 10.17 reads:
vispe haoma upastaomi
yaēcit azahu daratanho
jaininam upadarozähu "Alle Haoma's preise ich,...; auch die, welche, in Gefangenschaft gehalten, sich in der Fesseln der Weiber befinden". Wolff.
What is meant by the Haomas held in captivity (or narrowness) with the chains (or in the bundles) by women is not clear. It is generally believed that the jani of 7.10.17 is the same as the mairya jani of 7.10.15. She is a roguish woman who makes use of Haoma for illegitimate purposes. But this can hardly be the correct interpretation since Zarathushtra is not likely to think of praising (upastaomi) such Haomas.
Two suggestions are offered here to explain the above passage.
(1) It is possible that the word janayo refers to the 'fingers' which hold the Haoma stalks. In the Rgveda, the fingers, in relation to Soma, are often spoken of as the (ten) 'sisters'. In many passages, however, the verbs used with them are expressive of some kind of forward movement, e.g. hinvanti" ; hinväntis; aheşata*; ájantis. But in two passages, the "holding" or the "restraining” of Soma by the ‘sisters' is, indeed, referred to, e.g. a grbhnánti"
1. "die in der Enge gehalten sind in den Bündeln der Frauen". Lommel. 2. 9.26.5. 3. 9.65.1. 4. 9.71.5. 5. 9.91.1, 6. 9.1.7.
Madhu Vidyā/206
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