pu-/pU-/po-

[Peter J. Claus]

Date: February 25, 1998

Indology List

Another meaning of pu/pU/po has to do with praise, spreading the fame of
someone. Thus in Tulu certain of the words spoken in ritual context are
described as pugaranu, eulogizing the Spirit/God. The genre of oral
literature, pADdana, "epic, ballad, song" is also often described as
pugarunu, spreading the fame of the particular God. It is THE central act
of much south Indian local (non- Brahman) [I dare say pre-Aryan?] ritual.
The equivalent word for this genre in coastal Kannada is hogalikke, a noun
form of the verb and having the same meaning and root.

I have often thought this might be connected to the original term for
worship in general, pUja.  We have discussed the origin of this word on
the LIST earlier, and I do not want to revisit that, but just to remind us
in this context ...


Peter J. Claus
fax: (510) 704-9636
pclaus at csuhayward.edu