Madhuvidya

Author(s): S D Laddu, T N Dharmadhikari, Madhvi Kolhatkar, Pratibha Pingle
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 211

TWO AVESTAN NOTES
65
Freund überfordert", p. 950) Humbach has already compared RV. 2.33.4 má tvă rudra cukrudhāmā námobhir. We may also add the following passage from the Sat. Br. 2.3.4.4, which is pertinent in this connection: ubhaye ha vă idam agre saha asur devās ca manusyaś ca/ tad yad dha sma manusyāņāṁ na bhavati tad dha sma devän yăcanta idaṁ vai no năstida no 'sty itil te tasyä eva yācñyāyai dveșeņa devās tirobhūtā ned dhinasäni ned dveşyo 'sānīti tasmān nopatistheta/ “Now in the beginning both the gods and men were together here. And whatever did not belong to the men, for that they importuned the gods, saying, 'This is not ours; let it be ours!' Being indignant at this importunity, the gods then disappeared. Hence (it may be argued) one should not approach (the fires), fearing lest he should offend them, lest he should become hateful to them"19 (Eggeling).
A discussion of a few passages where yāna- occurs may now be added. According to Geldner's edition, which is followed by Bartholomae, we read in Yt. 14.36:
yānå baraiti astavā vă taxma| he marayahe parenavỏ và taxmahe
marayahe... Bartholomae suggests to consider yānå as acc. pl. mas., which would be an irregular formation, 20 and translates: "Gunstbeweise (der Götter) trägt davon, wer einen Knochen des starken Vogels oder eine Feder (als Amulet) trägt.” Lommel, however, translates differently: "Wer einen Knochen dieses kräftereichen Vogels trägt oder wer eine Feder dieses kräftereichen Vogels trägt..."21 Apparently he reads yo nä "the man who..." for yānå. He also seems to take astavo and paranavo as acc. sg.
The irregularity in Bartholomae's interpretation of yānå can be removed if we regard it as acc. pl. fem. from a base yānā-. With this we may comparé Skt. yac-na- (or yac-nya-), fem. beside yăc-na-23 (or yāc-nya-) mas. We may then translate the above passage as: "(The amulet) containing the bone of the strong bird or containing the feather of the strong bird brings (him) many requests (i.e. fulfils them).” For a similar use of Vbhar in the sense of the fulfilment of wishes cf. RV.
10 The point that is established, however, is that one should approach the fires. 30 Similarly in Y.43.14 he takes mqorå as acc. pl. mas. Perhaps there also we have to take it as a fem. form. 21 Darmesteter (S.B.E., 23, p. 241): "If a man holds a bone of that strong bird, or a feather of that strong bird..." 22 Wackernagel-Debrunner, II, 2, seem to take yaciya- (- yācna-) once as a -na derivative ( 561a and c), and once as a -ya derivative (8 652a).
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