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M.A. MEHENDALE
standable. As Wackernagel (Alt. Gr. II, I, 8 95c 8, p. 234 ) puts it, “Bei solchem Verhältnis der Glieder ist Kasusform des Vordergliedes häufig". The adjective priya is again often used with the loc. case. But it is difficult to explain the accent. As a rule, the compound then should have been accented as vistpriya. (cf. Wackernagel, op. cit., 896, p. 238 f.) The shifting of the accent to the first syllable, as seen in the attested form, may be said to have occurred on the analogy of many compounds with prefix vi as the first member showing the accent on the first syllable. We have, of course, then to assume that the accent shift had occurred very early even before the Pada analysis of the Taitt. Samhita.
The interpretation of the word visipriya can be attempted also from a different direction. In the corresponding mantras, the Maitr. Sari ( 1.11.4 ) gives the reading visišna and the Kathaka ( 14.3) visišnya. If the reading visišna is taken to bc thc original onc, it is possible to understand it as the description of a Soma cup. The handle of a Soma cup, as something projecting from it, can be looked upon as its siśna (organ or tail ). visišna as applied to a Sona cup, can mcan 'without a handle'. sipra in ovisipra may then be looked upon as a euphimistic substitute for sisna in višiśna. #uisiprya would be a further deviativc from #usipra as visisnya of thc Kațliaka is from višišna of the Maitr. This avišiprya could be the basis of the attested višipriya."
If sipra can be considered as a euphimism or siśna, then it would also be possible to understand better the
6. cf. priyo viksu RV 6.1.6: priyaḥ saryo priyo agná bhavati RV 5.37.5 etc.
7. On thc variation between -ya and -iya cf. All. Gr. 11.2 § 228 b p. 359.
Madhu Vidyā/74
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