Rigveda: a paradigm shift ininterpretation

[S.Kalyanaraman]

A paradigm change in the understanding of the substratum language of the
Rigveda may help us understand the processes of acquisition of wealth which
were central to the entire yajn~a process.

A very significant lexeme 'adri' may explain the context of 'Soma' preparation
elaborated in the entire Rigveda. The general understanding is that 'adri'
meant grinding stones (cf. Cologne Skt. lex. extract below). The Dravidian
etyma make the understanding a bit more precise: 'aduru' connotes a metallic
ore. Soma man.al in Tamil means, 'sand containing silver ore' (Tamil.lex.
Madras Univ., cf. Winslow).


The r.ca:
adrin.a_ te mandina indra tu_ya_ntsunvanti soma_npibasi tvames.a_m... (RV
10.28.3)

Sa_yan.a: Your worshippers express with the stone fast 
flowing exhilarating Soma for you, you drink them; they roast bulls for you,
you eat them, when you are invoked, Maghavan, to the sacrificial food. [They
roast bulls: you eat the cattle offered as oblations belonging to the
worshippers who cook them for you].

Dravidian semant. 'ore':

aduru = native metal (Kannada); ajirda karba = very hard iron (Tulu); ayir,
ayiram = any ore (Malaya_l.am); ayil = iron (Tamil)(DEDR 192).

adri
 
m. ( %{ad} Un2.) , a stone , a rock , a mountain ; a stone for pounding Soma
with or grinding it on ;a stone for a sling , a thunderbolt ; a
mountain-shaped mass of clouds ; a cloud (the mountains are the clouds
personified , and regarded as the enemies of Indra) ; a tree L. ; the sun L. ;
N. of a measure ; the number seven ; N. of a grandson of Pr2ithu. (Cologne
Skt. lex.)

I am posting preliminary notes on a series of dravidian semant. and Rigveda at
http://sarasvati.listbot.com (View Archive).

Regards,
Kalyanaraman


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