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ASUSÚ
BY M. A. MEHENDALE
The word asush (adj.) occurs only once in the AV 10.10.23. According to the lexicons (BR and MW) it has the same meaning as as (adj.) 'not giving birth, barren'. In his Grammar § 1147c, Whitney also regards this as a root noun with reduplication (like sasydd. cikit etc.). But he further notes a second possibility: "asus is probably to be understood as a compound, asu-sá‚” (For the meanings assigned by Whitney, see below his translation and note). The same view is put forth in the Alt Gr. II 2, p. 40. It is regarded as formed either with the reduplication of Suand hence, in mesning, equal to as 'not giving birth (nicht gebärend); or, it is treated as a double compound and assigned the meaning 'giving birth to one who is barren (die Unfruchtbare [a-sú-] gebären machend ?')."
AV 10, 10. 23 runs as :
sárve gárbhad avepanta jdyamanad asusvàḥ/
sasúva hi 14m ahúr valéti bráhmabhiḥ klptáḥ sá hy dsya bandhuḥ ||
Whitney translates the verse as-"All trembled at the embryo, while being born, of her who gives not birth (? asasú); for "the cow hath given birth", they say of her; shaped (m.) by charms. (bráhman); for it is her connection." Whitney admits that much. in this verse is not clear and hence doubtful, He notes that the padapatha does not analyse the word asus, but that the accent indicates that it is a compound to be analysed as asu-s 'giving birth to one who does not herself g ve birth'. He considers the connection of klptás with vasa as strange but also says that it probably belongs to gárbhas understood.
1. It may be noted that in the BR (also in the abridged edition) the word is recorded as asui (with the final vowel short).
2. Or does the German expression mean 'making the sterile one to produce?'
3. In the paippalada 16.109.3 there is some variation towards the end. brahmana klpia uta bandhur asyaḥ.
Jain Education International
4. Also J. Narten agrees with BR in assigning the meaning of asn t asusá barren. In the opinion of Narten the use of asasi and sasiva is meant to create a paradox. See Acta Orientalia Neerlandica p. 128, f.n. 58 (1 71).
Madhu Vidya/97
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