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There is found in the Rgveda and in later mantra literature, but becoming obsolete later, a root noun is- of frequent occurrence. This is normally interpreted by Sayana as meaning ‘ food ’ (annam), and in conformity with this the modern interpreters usually render the term by ‘ nourishment’ or the like. Though this interpretation seems adequately to suit some passages, a survey of the whole material shows that this is too narrow a sphere of meaning to apply to the word in all its contexts. The central meaning is ‘ thriving, flourishing, prospering, prosperity’. This may apply to that thriving which results from adequate nourishment, to that nourishment itself, or to the force inherent in it. But it may also refer, and more frequently does, to men's thriving in economic, material, or social position, to the possession of riches necessary to maintain this status, and to the riches themselves. It also applies to the fructifying influence of rain or river-water necessary for the maintenance of life.
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- Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies , Volume 17 , Issue 2 , June 1955 , pp. 326 - 345
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- Copyright © School of Oriental and African Studies 1955
References
page 329 note 1 On this passage see Lüders, Varuna, I, p. 310.
page 331 note 1 Wackernagel-Debrunner, Altindische Grammatik, III, pp. 247
page 331 note 2 e.g. Lüders, Philologica Indica, p. 552.
page 335 note 1 cf. Bergaigne, Religion Vedique, n, p. 391.
page 335 note 2 For a detailed examination of this word see J. Duchesne-Guillemin in Mélanges Boisacq, pp.333 ff.
page 340 note 1 See H. W. Bailey, TPS, 1953, pp. 25 ff.
page 341 note 1 Essentially the same explanation as this, which has, however, not been generally followed is given by Oldenberg, SBE, 46. 4, who also gives the connexion with is-. But he starts from a narrower meaning ‘ give sap or nourishment’, which is due to the narrower meaning assigned to is- (‘ nourishment ’, see above).
page 343 note 1 This is a nasal-infixing root: Skt. pinásti pimsánti, Lat. pinso. With the addition of the enlargement to this nasalized form of the root we get the base of Skt. pinda- (< *pimz;da-, cf. impr. 2 sg. pindhi) ‘ something pressed into a ball, lump ’.