Zend Avesta Part 03

SR No.: 007673
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: L H Mills
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1887
Total Pages: 2618
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 49 MB

Page 708

114
VEDIC HYMNS.
authority to guide him in the determination of the accent of dânú. Several words in nu have the accent on the first syllable. But one might go even a step further, and find a more appropriate meaning for sudánu by identifying it with the Zend hudanu, which means, not a good giver, but a good knower, wise. True, this root da, to know, does not occur in the ordinary Sanskrit; and Hübschmann (Ein Zoroastrisches Lied, 1872, p. 48) tries to prove that the root da, to know, does not exist in Zend either. But even thus we might have the derivation in Sanskrit and Zend, while the root was kept alive in Greek only (Dánus, ddels). This, however, is only a conjecture; what is certain is this, that apart from the passages where sudấnu is thus applied to various deities, in the sense of bounteous or wise, it also occurs as applied to the sacrificer, where it can only mean giver. This is clear from the following passages :
I, 47, 8. su-krite su-dấnave. To him who acts well and gives well.
VII, 96,4. gani-yantah nú ágravah putri-yantah su-danavah, sárasvantam havâmahe.
We, being unmarried, and wishing for wives and wishing for sons, offering sacrifices, call now upon Sarasvat.
VIII, 103, 7. su-dấnavah deva-yavah
Offering sacrifices, and longing for the gods. Cf. X, 172, 2; 3; VI, 16, 8.
IV, 4, 7. sáh ít agne astu su-bhágah su-dấnuh yah två nityena havísha yah ukthalh psprishati.
O Agni, let the liberal sacrificer be happy, who wishes to please thee by perpetual offerings and hymns. See also VI, 16, 8; 68, 5; X, I72, 2, 3.
It must be confessed that even the meaning of dãnu is by no means quite clear. It is clear enough where it means demon, II, 11, 18; 12, 11; IV, 30, 7; X, 120, 6, the seven demons. In I, 32, 9; III, 30, 8, dấnu, demon, is applied to the mother of Vritra, the dark cloud. From this dấnu we have the derivative dånavá, meaning again demon. Why the demons, conquered by Indra, were called dấnu, is not clear, unless they were conceived originally as dark clouds, like Danu, the mother of Indra. Dånu might mean wise,
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