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Aduvas (?) In a hymn addressed to Agni in the Rgveda occurs má tvā vayám sahasāvann avirā má psavah pári sadāma măduvah (7.4.6). The author of the Padapātha has analysed må duvah as ma áduvah. Geldner, accordingly, translates: "Nicht wollen wir dich, du Mächtiger, ohne Söhne, ohne Vieh und ohne Achtung umsitzen.”
áduvah is thus looked upon as a nom. pl. mas. form coordinated with avírāh and ápsavah. One arrives at the masculine plural form áduvah either from the base *ádū 'Gabenlos' (Grassmann and Alt. Gr. III. 81, 197), or as a haplology form from áduvasah (Alt. Gr. III. 80).
Thieme' is against considering áduvaḥ as a haplological masculine plural form. In his opinion áduvah is nom. sg.neut. and the nominal sentence (Nominalsatz) må duvah contains a most abridged reference to the preceding two requests, viz., not to leave the worshippers without heroes (avírāḥ) and not to leave them without vital force (ápsavah). He, accordingly, translates må duvaḥ as "Nicht (sei] Nichtfreundschaft? [von deiner Seite]"
Renou, however, agrees with Geldner in treating á duvaḥ as a mas. plural form; but he agrees with Thieme in relating dúvas with the deity. He therefore explains áduvaḥ as 'dénués de la faveur (divine).'
A simpler solution to the problem posed by áduvaḥ can be found if we go against the Padapātha and interpret the Samhitā text măduvaḥas standing for má duvah. In that case duvaḥ can be considered as aorist 2nd pers sg. of dŭ 'to burn, to torment, to afflict,' or of * dů 'to go afar, to go away from.' The words må duvah would give expression to the worshipper's request to Agni either not to torment him (by withholding from him (without granting his requests.)
For the connection of the verbal form duvah with dů 'to torment, etc.' we may compare AV9.4.18 nainam dunvanty agnayaḥor AV 5.22.2 agnirivābhidunván; and for the connection of duvah with *dů 'to go away' we may compare Agni's going away at a distance and hiding in waters RV, 10.51, especially tásmad bhiyá varuna dūrám āyam (6), or yád dūré sánn ihåbhavaḥ RV.3.9.2.
For requests to Agni with the use of má in this very hymn (RV 7.4) cf. stanza 4 să mã no átra juhurah sahasvah ("Oh mighty one, that thou mayest not lead us astray."), and stanza 7 má pathó ví dukşah (“Do not seek to spoil the ways.").
DECCAN COLLEGE
M.A. MEHENDALE
W. Schubring Festschrift (1951) p. 8 and fn. 1. Incidentally, H. Günther is not in favor of assigning the meaning 'Vertraulichkeit, 'Freundschaft' to dúvas, KZ 69.240 (1951). EVP 13.55, 141 (1964).
Madhu Vidyā/153
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