Notes on Some Early Indian Names

Notes on Some Early Indian Names . By Dr. R. Morton Smith; 420-442 University of Toronto, Canada. / 420-442

parantu bharatiya- nibandhe'smin pu0 kaladarabhya collikhitani 7 [pracina bharatiya samskrtya adhyayane pracinanamnamadhyayanam paramupayogi vidyate | manavajivane namno mahattvam suvijnatameva | samskrteradhyayane pracinanamani praya upeksitani varttante utkirnalekhanakalatpragvattinam arthat 1500 i0 200 i0 pu0 kalam yavat vaidikavanmaye puranesu pradhanataya ksatriyanam brahmananam ca purusanamani vicaritani | pracina samskrtavanmaye vaisyanamani tvativalpasamkhyakani, sudranamnam ca prayo'bhava eva varttate, strinamanyapi ca itihase puranesu ca na bahulyena prapyante | puranoktaraja vamsavalisu brahmananam vanmaye ca tatkala- vattinam ( 1500 i0 pu0 - 200 i0 pu0 paryantam ) namnam samkhya tvanumanatah sahasradvayamevayamti | esam namnam visaye'pi niscayatmakataya abhavo vidyate, maukhika paramparasu hastalikhita granthesu ca pathanam prayaso bhrastatvat | etani namani ca punaranekadha vyakhyatum sakyante, yatha 'prajah ' = chago neta devo ( indrah, agnih ) va | punasca tatkalina samajiki paristhitirapi bahudha na suvijnata vidyate yasyam paristhitau tani namani krtanyasan, nidarsanartham yatha uksno randhrah, kimetannama adivrsabhalambhanasambandhinim iranadesiyam puranagatham nirdisati uta va vrsabhasya randhrah ( chidrah ) ityasambhavinamartham dyotayati, evameva 'sankha mitrah ityatra ca kah puman kimartham sankhasya maitrim samihate iti tu na jnayate | punasca tadanintanani kevalam lokapracalitani namani kenapyupayena jnatum na sakyante | namasu madhye ca sabdah puratanesvarthesu vidyamanah syuh, puratana va sabdastatra vartamanah syuh | evamvidha bahvayo baca atra namnamadhyayane upasthita bhavanti | bahuni samskrtanamani indoyoropiya bhasasu pathabhedena pratyayabhedena va suraksitani | vidusa lekhakenatra etadrsanam pracina samskrtanamnam tulana grikanamabhilaitina namabhirmittannibhasanamabhisca krta | samskrta- namani ca kadacid grikadibhasanamabhih saha tulanaya spastani bhavanti, yatha 'anjana ' iti namno'rthah ' Engonos' iti grikasabdena 'Egnatius' iti laitina sabdena ca spastikriyate |

July, 1964] NOTES ON SOME EARLY INDIAN NAMES etani namani ca vividhesu vargesu - sauryaprakhyapakani, mangala- dyotakani, karmakandasambandhi ni, devatavacakanityadirupesu--- vibhajayitum na sakyante | pracinakale prasiddhani brahmananamani ksatriyanamani ca spastabhedavanti parasparavyavarttakani ca nasan, yatastadanim varnanam parthakyavisaye saithilyamavarttata, rajanasca dharmakrtyesvapya- dhikrta babhuvuh | atastadanintanani rajnam namani brahmananam ca namani bahudha samanani varttante, yatha 'bhanumanta ' ( 1050 i0 pu0 ) iti rajno nama, vamsabrahmane (360 i0 pu0 ) ca tad brahmanasyapi nama, evameva 'anjana ' ( 1160 i0 pu0 ) ityetad atrivamsiyam nama ksatriyasya buddhapitamahasyapi ( 580 i0 pu0 ) ca nama | atra visaye na kascit niyama upalabhyate | evamprakara namavisayika vividha bharatiya samskrtyadhyayanopayogini vicarasamagri lekhakamahodayenatra suvicarita | ] 421 In the search for light on ancient Indian culture, it seems to us that personal names have been somewhat neglected. There are many ways of misusing their evidence, and difficulties in establishing it; but names were important in a man's life, and must reflect the hopes and ideas of a once living environment. We therefore hope that some of the following observations will be found interesting and true, and the rest usefully suggestive, even if in part erroneous. The name is a word, and the word in early thought could not be undone, and its permanence is one of the sources of the doctrine of transmigration; the man is name and form, namarupa, as late as Buddha's time, so that the nature of that name may be of some interest. We deal here with male names in Sanskrit¹; with some exceptions we do not deal with the Jain Prakrit or Pali names, as they would need separate study; nor with female names, which in the Purana and MBh.' are far less well attested as well 1. All names are from the Purana King-lists (as determined in my forthcoming book, Dates and Dynasties of Ancient India) or from the well-known Vedic literature, including the Vamsas there given. If the are not from either of these sources, it is so said. The Mitanni names are from: Gelb & Others, Nuzi Personal Names, O'Callaghan, Aram Naharaim. 2. All abbreviations are explained in the end, 21

422 puranam - PURANA [Vol. VI., No. 2 as very few in number. Also these names in Sanskrit are pre-inscriptional, since once we find inscriptions in India, the material would far exceed what we can cope with here. Within these limitations, we realize how unrepresentative the names available are, being chiefly of ksatriyas and brahmanas, very few vaisyas, and almost no sudras. (Janasruti is addressed by the brahmana Raikva as Sudra, but this may be a tribal designation, cf. MBh., Gk. Oxydrakoi, or there may be a social sting in the story (Ch. U. 4/2), as Janasruti is the Great-grandson, i.e. his family had been established for some time; the suggestion would then be that his mother was of lower caste, which would be objectionable to the purists (only) of those days: the name sounds aristocratic, parallelled by Gk. Demokles, -kleitos, famed among the people). From the Purana king-lists, and the brahmanic literature, say c. 1500-0200 B.C., we have about 2000 names, obviously a fraction of 1%. 1 There are also plenty difficulties and uncertainties in the names themselves. Oral corruption occurs even in the oral brahmanical tradition, e.g. the variation PREDI/PROTI/PRAVATI; scribal corruption can be much worse in Puiana, MBh., and pravara. However, a critical text can in the majority of cases be established. Even if we know the name, it may be explicable in more than one way, or none; e.g. ALANDA, ULUNDA look non-Aryan names: CANDHANA and upa-JANDHANA look Aryan by phonology, but I have not etymologized them (there seems to be a Prakritism in the hard/soft variation c/j in this pair, and this is not unknown). Or, in AJA, have we a goat ?, a leader?, or a god (epithet of Indra, Agni, etc, in RV) ? Again, in a single element we may have a hypocoristic; e.g. is AJAKA an endearing diminutive, or short for Ajapala, etc.? Time and again we do not know the exact social context in which names were given. 1. Dates are based on our book (in process of publication) Dates and Dynasties of Early India, and are subject to the limitations of accuracy there expressed.

July, 1964] NOTES ON SOME EARLY INDIAN NAMES 423 We have only part of the mythology of Vedic times; we have priestly and factitious mythology, but much of the old genuine article has been lost; e.g. does the name UKSNORANDHRA refer to the Iranian myth of the slaying of the primeval bull? "cavity, hole of the bull" would be incomprehensible. Or again, why should anyone want a shell, conch as his friend, or perhaps have a conch-contract, SANKHAMITRA? Or, kings at least may change their names, or have several, or be referred to by a title; eg. Sahadeva Sarnjaya decided, or was advised to call himself SUPLAN, which is less obvious than his own name, SAHADEVA. Or, we have in 435 ANURUDDHA taking the throne-name NANDIVARDHANA, but nicknamed MUNDA, baldy. BIMBISARA is SRENIKA, and so on; Are there taboos about the use of names? And finally, we never know the slang, which is a very real part of a society. One might expect archaisms to survive in names; a baby may be called after his grandfather, who was called after his uncle, and so on. Words may survive in old senses, or even old words survive only in names; e.g. ALARKA of c 1270 looks as if he should be compared with Gk. alalke, alal komenos strength/ defence (Lat. arceo ?), a suitable name for a king, as would be VIMSA & VIVIMSA, comparable with Lat. vinco, I conquer (Waldy-Pokorny want velar/k for Lith. & OSI., but semantically examples from the former at least do not look too close). An IndoEuropeanist would hope to find names preserved in different languages, and there may well be more than have been noticed. Geographically Kirfel finds KARAPATHA as hills, which must be the same name as the European Carpathians: but BALHIKAS and BELGI show the same root, though the suffix is different. Should one separate RAMA from ROMULUS & REMUS? Ancient habits too may be preserved in names, e.g. the ritual nudity of the Celtic warrior is well known, and such must explain the name NAGNAJIT, conquering naked or if we remember that Agamemnon was aggrieved by the possibility of losing the king's special share, we may have the explanation of AJAMIDHA, DVIMIDHA, having the leader's wage, having double wage.

424 puranam -- PURANA [Vol. VI., No. 2 In deciding the meaning of names, we must take the meaning of the elements as near the date of the name as possible, or earlier, e.g. it would be better to think of SANDHIMITRA (f) as Establishing an alliance, or union, since that is what princesses are for, rather than Friend of peace, which is probably too modern in its connotations. Or ANJANA is a lizard (lex.), or lamp-black, cosmetic paint; but it might be more easily understood as equivalent of Gk. engonos, born in (the family), cf. Lat. EGNATIUS Again, however strange the meaning seem, it may always derive some support from a name of parallel/identical meaning; e. g. SANKHANABHA is a var. lect. of SRNKHALA, fetter (Pan.), which is textually the better reading, and may be supported by SETU, fetter (RV). Others have noted that through the elements of names may be common to different branches of I. E., the identical name is not often to be found e.g. VASUMANAS of c 1350 is the Gk. Eumenes (Fehumenes), ARNA of RV 4/30 may well be Icel, Orn, Arna-, but exact equivalents are few, Philippos is exactly PRIYASVA in sense, but the latter is among the Mitanni, Bi ri a as su wa, and priya- is not a common element in early India. So while we might look especially among the Celtic peoples for parallels with Skt. -rix, king, so common among them in names is not to be found as a final in its early Skt. equivalent. Mere words in one language may appear as names in another; e. g. should we find in Lat. Marius not someone connected with the sea, or from the sea-coast (the Romans are not a sea-going people, and his birthplace Arpinum is far enough inland in the hills), but the RV marya, young man, seen also in the fighting men of Mitanni, the marianna (evidently Hurian pl. suffix), which might suggest with similar suffix, connection with the Phrygian Mita, known to us as Midas. It is not easy to make sharp distinctions between different categories of names; they are almost bound to overlap, e. g war, virility, description, wealth, good omen, royal, aristocratic, ritual and theophoric. But we can say that no category seems to be exclusive to brahmanas or ksatriyas in early times; perhaps this is

July, 1964] NOTES ON SOME EARLY INDIAN NAMES 425 due to greater fluidity of caste, and the early kings must have had religious duties, and been circumscribed by some religious tabus. But while categories are not peculiar, though there are tendencies, generally speaking, ksatriyas and brahmanas do not share the same name. This may be what we could have assumed, but of the names I have, only between 5 & 10% are owned by both castes, and perhaps a third of these can not be shown to be synchronic: e. g. BHANUMANT is royal c 1050 & 1000, but is a brahmana in the Vamsa Br. c 390; or SETU is royal Druhyava c 1520, but we have the brahmana patronymic SAITAVA c 400. Again we have ANJANA c 1160 in the Atreya genealogy, and the Buddha's grandfather, ksatriya of c 580. One cannot say therefore definitively that these were both brahmana and ksatriya names. Again, Renu is an Aiksvakava, hence ksatriya, father-in-law of Jamadagni c 1350, and a Vaisvamitra brahmana c 1240?; but perhaps the name is part of his ksatriya heritage. Rathitara Nabhaga c 1370 is of ksatriya origin, but the only other Rathitaras I can find (8-7th cent.s) are brahmanas. There does not seem to be any rule as to what names are shared, nor does any category seem to be excluded in such. TITTIRI, a king c 1110, seems guaranteed as a brahmana name by the Taittiriyas, and Yaska's pupil, Tittiri (partridge). We have BRHADUKTHA Vaideha c 1400, Sineya 1300 ?, ksatriyas, and Vamadevya the brahmana 1160?; Indrota Daivodasa c 1150, and Daivapi Saunaka brahmana of 900: CYAVANA Bhargava, brahmana c 1440, and in the Kuru line c 1220: KESIN Darbhya, grandson of Satanika the king, and Satyakami the brahmana, etc. Nor can I yet say that there is any time at which names cease to be shared; much more work will have to be done first. It may also be that a name could have different connotation depending on the caste; e. g. SUNITHA is Giving enjoying good guidance (MW), or this might mean Having good strategems (nitha RV), very appropriate for a warrior king; but of a brahmana Having good musical modes, hymns, (nitha) RV) would be fully as appropriate. Or DARBHA as the ritual darbha grass (of KUSA) is very acceptable for a brahmana; but perhaps also the root we

426 puranam - PURANA [Vol. VI., No. 2 see in Gk. trephein, nourish, make stiff or thick, is present with connotation of the duty of the householder, or virility, suitable for ksatriyas; cf. Vidarbha of 1290. Or VAHNI as a ksatriya may be the warrior charioteer (1400) or rider, but as a brahmana (patronymic 920 & 830) his name may be theophoric, the epithet of Agni. One might hope to see when certain kinds of names, or elements of names come into popularity. We may have some leads on such questions: e. g. the root raks is older than gup, and RV knows only gupita, gupta being only AV, yet neither root appears in names till late in the Puranas there is only DEVARAKSITA, and his homonymous sister, childern of Devaka, and so very poorly attested, but -raksita is common on the Barhut inscriptions, found also as author of ThG 79. For -gupta we have a somewhat doubtful BHADRAGUPTA of c 1060 (to be translated as Well-protected?. cf. Gk. sphodra, rather than Protected by prosperity), UPAGUPTA Vaideha c 560, also not theophoric, CANDRAGUPTA Maurya 320, BRHASPATIGUPTA, brahmana Sayasthi of c 280. MilP. adds Asvagupta, but the type of name is common in inscriptions The suggestion would be that the rise of such names coincides with the decline of the sacrifice and faith in the brahmanic ritual, and therefore also with the trend to theism. We were surprized to find how uncommon theophoric names were in Skt. ; the proportion seemed to be about 1/20, and of these, in many a title or epithet rather than the name of the deity is involved. The proportion of brahmana to ksatriya is about 2: 1. Aryaman is guaranteed as a name element by Panini 5/3. 84, and by his contemporaries ARYAMARADHA (460) & ARYAMABHUTI (390) Gobhila, but it might be asked if Aryaman is not negligeable as a deity by this time, and the names mean Gratifying his friends (rather than gift/favour of Aryaman), Having friends for his wealth. But Aryaman does give easy childbirth, AV 1/11.1. With Agni it is often hard to say whether we have the god or the factual (ritual and domestic) fire. And we might note that

July, 1964] NOTES ON SOME EARLY INDIAN NAMES 427 while in the usual theophoric man is rather in dependence on the god, this need not be so in brahmanic India; e, g. in the Atreya line we have AGNISTUT c 1180; he is Praising the fire, Agni, which will have inevitable magical effect or AGNIVESA is not so likely Vassal, dependent of Agni as Settling Agni, having Agni for his dependent. This pride of man is again seen in the usurpation of the divine name in AGNI (Aurva) of c 1310. Truly theophoric are AGNIDATTA, given by Agni c 600 and AGNIMITRA having Agni as his friend, also a brahmana, if a king, 140. AGNIBHU Kasyapa c 1020 by later analogy would be Having his becoming origin in Agni the sacred fire, but he might be Agniessence. AGNIMATHARA one suspects of being a nickname, Fire-Mathara. Considering the prominence of Agni in RV, this is but a small number of names from him. We have the priest BRHASPATI c 1290, but nothing more of this god till the Maurya of the Divyavadana, who may not be historical, or may be a hypocoristic (c 220), BR HASPATIGUPTA Sayasthi of 280, and the Sunga (?) BRHASPATIMITRA, also 2nd century. Then the name might be astrological. BHAGAVITTA might name the Aditya Bhaga, Known to found by Bhaga, but it might be a class-name as Deva-in names, but it could equally mean Found/ won in sexual pleasure (also RV meaning of bhaga). The Brahma-names are very unlikely to be theophorics, but translate well otherwise; e. g. BRAHMADATTA 1090, 840, 800, given by the magic spell creative word (only the second a brahmana); BRAHMABALA Having the brahma as his strength, BRAHMATITHI, having brahmana(s) as guest(s), or possibly Having the magic word as his guest; BRAHMAVRDDHI, having his increase by in Brahma/ the magic word (220, also a brahmana). Brahmadatta reappears in the Buddhist ThG 446. When we come to Indra, it is surprizing to find a majority of brahmanas; INDRABHU, Indra-becoming, having the nature of Indra, (1030), INDRABHUTI, Having the superhuman power of Indra (Gautama, 500); INDRADYUMNA, having the brightness of Indra, INDRAPRAMATI, Having Indra as protector,

428 puranam - PURANA [Vol. VI., No. 2 c 950; INDROTA, Helped by Indra; this last name (900) is borne also by a son of Divodasa of Pancala, but this line seems to be of ksatriyan brahmana status,as well as occurring among the Mitanni. There also seems to be a brahmana Indra Vaikuntha, an RV author, and MAHENDRA in an Agastya pravara. Ksatriyas are Indrabha Kaurava (poorly attested), Indrasena, Indradhanvan, grandson of Bali Vairocana (who may just be Rainbow), and Indrajit whose attestation as son of Ravana is certainly not of the best. KRSNADHRTI of 390 may be translated Having Krsna as his support; KRSNADATTA also Lauhitya of 350, KRSNARATA of the same family c 300 & 240 guarantee both the presence and the lateness of the Krsna cult, attested by Panini under Vasudeva c 420. ThG 180 is by Kanhadinna (Krsnadinna, cf. the Jain Indradinna of probably the 2nd cent. BC), It is surprizing perhaps to find Krsna later attested than KUBERA (Varakya of c 570), a name which seems to continue living as it is borne by the author Bana's great-grandfather c. AD 570. With Mitra, we again have difficulty distinguishing between the god and the contract; we have however the god-name of the biahmana MITRAVARUNA Vasistha c 1330, M 11 RABHU 1050, having his origin in, or becoming Mitra, MITRABHUTI 330 having the power of, having his prosperity in Mitra, cf. MITRAVARCAS of 240, having the brilliance of Mitra. The only well attested ksatriya name where Mitra seems to be the god is MITRATITHI, (known in Iranian and among the Mitanni) c 1150, The Maruts disappear from names early; we have MARUTTA, given by the Marut(s) at 1430, 1290 & 1280, ksatriyas, but no others, unless MARU, MARUDEVA (also kings, 950, 740) are for Maiut- but their name might mean dark, to be connected with Gk, amauros, morukhos (W-P 3 mer-), PRAJAPATI would seem to be a brahmana name c 1190. It is perhaps surprizing to find Pusan in PUSAMITRA. again a brahmana, c 460; Nala Candanoda kadundhubhi may have been PUSANARA, a suitable name for a nomad chief who may have to find strayed

July, 1964] NOTES ON SOME EARLY INDIAN NAMES 429 herds. The first sign of Rudra is in the patronymic (? one would expect bhuteya) RAUDRABHUTI, again a brahmana, only at 150; we have Rudradaman etc. AD 140. He appears equally late under his epithet of identification Sarva in SARVADATTA, 125, br., and Siva in SIVASVATI only AD 86, (Sivaka ThG. 184) though we have the patronymic from UPASIVA, still brahmanic, 430. Skanda may be as early as 150 in SKANDASVATI, but it is perhaps better only to find that name in 16 BC. Soma is a most popular priestly god, but again it is difficult to separate the god and the drink in names. SOMA himself is a ksatriyan brahmana (grandson of Divodasa) c 1130, and twice a brahmana, 1130, 890; SOMADATTA is thrice a ksatriya, perhaps 4 times if SOMA KA of 1050 is his hypocoristic. SOMAPI might be Having Soma as a friend, but VS may be right, Causing to obtain Soma; SOMARAJA/-IN Having Soma as king sounds reasonable as a teacher of Sama-Veda, but in is also a plant, (a common source of brahmana names),-an might be the proper form, while-raja means rather King of Soma, which might be meaningless to a brahmana. SOMASRAVAS appears in the Bharad. GS, in the tarpana, (cf. Gk. Herakles, Diokles) may be misread for Sama-, and in MBh. ; SOMAHUTI, also a brahmana, may be either Offering an oblation of or to Soma. SOMAMITRA is in ThG 148. Varuna may appear in the Atreya genealogy; VARUNAMITRA Gobhila, having Varuna for friend 500. Visnu I can only find in VISNUVRDDHA, which as Brough says, is probably a modernization of Vrsnivrddha. YAMA is perhaps to be inferred from the brahmana YAMAYANA; YAMADUTA (Vaisvamitras) might be just a crow (MW), or Sent by Yama might imply that the mother died in childbirth, which need cause no surprize. From the Mitanni area we have in addition INDROTA (in tar u ta), INDRATITHI (in ta ra at ti), MITRATITHI (mi it tar (a) at ti), SURYATITHI (su ri a at ti). 22

430 puranam - PURANA [Vol. VI., No. 2 To sum up; the unaltered god name is brahmana, and not found after 800, (admitting exceptions, as Kubera Varakya, and Maurya Brhaspati if that is his full name). It would also seem that after that time, the theophorics are less equivocal, i. e. the distinction between the object and the god, (fire and Agni, Mitra and the contract) has been fully made, and the names must be translated as theophorics. Also in the last centuries BC names implying the dependence of man become commoner than those implying equality, the type Krsnadatta, Devaraksita commoner than the type Indradyumna, Aryamabhuti, (Given by Krsna, as against Having the brilliance of Indra), Here a linguistic note might be of interest; the earliest form for Given should be tta, and it is found in Marutta, 1400-1290: rata seems to supersede it, e. g. Satyarata, Devarata, Krtirata c 1300-1160; -datta (other than Datta Atreya of 1340) does not appear till Somadatta c 1120. The gods found then are; before 800: Agni, Brhaspati, Indra, Marut (?, by patronymic), Matarisvan, Mitra, Prajapati, Soma, Surya (?, by patronymic, Sauryayanin), Yama (similarly) and Varuna, by their own names, and in compound, Visnu and Pusan perhaps, in compound only. After 800 only Kubera and maybe Brhaspati appear alone, while Agni, Brahma (?), Indra, Krsna, Mitra, Aryaman (?), Pusan, Rudra, Sarva, Siva, Skanda, Surya (Suryadatta, Sankh. Ar., Varuna, Visnu, in compound only; Soma (f), and Somamitta speak in ThG; this may be a distressing irregularity, but Soma here may now be the moon, though popular fiction or folklore should not be overlooked as a source of names. Aryaman does occur at Barbut (Luders' list 813); otherwise one would think of him with Pusan and Mitra as archaisms. Quite as important as the gods' public names are their titles or epithets, equally powerful, but perhaps less exposed to s danger magically. One might expect therefore more ksatriyas, but the names do not bear this out. The gods concerned are Agni, Indra, Surya, Savity, Visnu, the Asvins, the Rbhus, Mitra (?), and Sarva. For Agni we have: Bhuva (VS) (from Bhauvayana),

July, 1964] NOTES ON SOME EARLY INDIAN NAMES 431 Hiranyadant (RV), Samkasuka (AV) Yamayana of RV, Vahni (from Vahneya, 920 & 830), all these before 800, and Hiranyakesa (RV) of 480; Svetaketu looks a good epithet for Agni, but I cannot so find it, and he may just have to record a comet. Indra has the title Rcisama in RV, which must underlie Rcika Bhargava c 1350; his title of Vasava is attested from MBh. and so is suitable for Vasavadatta of 480. Surya, the sun, is Divakara (AV), a royal name c 830; Diviratha, having his car in the sky, should be an epithet, but the compound, though in good archaic form, does not occur in RV, or with Vedic reference in MW. MW gives the epithet Prabhakara (brahmana, 1560) only witn MBh, and pra bha (si) only occurs in RV in 1/121.7. Savitar might be the Bhaga of Bhagavitta, but is recognizable in Hiranyaksa c 1200?. Is Mitra to be seen in Uksnorandhra (JB) comparing the Iranian myth of the slaying of the primeval bull (denied to him by Gersevitch), or was this Yama's misdeed in the oldest legend? All these are brahmanas, before 800, as are those with the RV epithets of Visnu, Sindhu (by patronymic Saindhavayana of 870), Maruta in KS, and Giriksit c. 870, but also a ksatriya c. 1220. So too the Rbhu (RV Vajaratna) is found in the brahmana Vajaratnayana c. 900, and the Asvins in Matavacas (RV) of c. 1180, brahmana. Siva was in our gods after 800, and so are his synonyms, Trinetra (MBh) king c. 670, Gonarda (MBh) by patronymic Gonardiya c. 200, brahmana. As he is only Ugra in MBh, it would not be safe to see him in Ugradeva Rajani of 880, or Ugradeva of RV 1/36. Such names might be expected also among the Mitanni, but while Uruditi (u ru ti id ti) & Suditi (su di ti, su ti it ti) look good epithets for Agni or Surya, they are not so used in RV. We may have the type in Yamastu(t), (ia ma as tu), praising the twins, Asvins (for why praise Yama?) or perhaps in Maryatithi (ma ri a at ti), having the young man par excellence (Indra?) as guest. These names then, seem to have been commoner, before. than after 800; perhaps the decline in the ritual explains this, but we may have a wrong impression. However, they commit their owner to one god, whose power or attention may be limited.

432 puranam - PURANA [Vol. VI., No. 2 Better insurance therefore is a class name, which will cancel errors and not arouse jealousy between gods. Again, the direct name is brahmana, ASURA & GANDHARVA, both deduced from patronymics, Asuri 800 & 820?, Gandharvayana Agnivesya c. 870. Maruta of KS. might be a patronymic of Marut. The decline of the asura may be seen in the fact that the only other name containing one is Rtuparna's father, c. 1400, BHANGASURA (v. 1. Bhangasvara), which is not easy to render ; breaking the asuras is not good at this time, Lord of destruction might be possible. But among the Mitanni/asura names seem common, Asuratithi (as su ra at ti), Yuvasura? (i wa as su ra), Kalamasura Karmasura (kal ma as su ra, gal-, qa al-)?, Ksaimasura (sa i ma as su ra), Samiasura (sa mi as su ra), Bhedasura (be ta as su ra; cf. Skt Bheda rather than Veda), Virasura/ Prasura (bi ra as su ra), Bhadrasura (pa an tar(a) as su ra RV bhandana, praise), Sunasura (sun as su ra), Avasura (a u a as Su ra), Tapaasura (ta pa a su ra). It will be seen that the first elements need study. However Bhangasura may be supported by Bhedasura. ra; cf. Bhaga as we have said may appear in Bhagavitta, and perhaps in the patronymic Bhagala, and king Bhagala (Gk. Phegelas) of 330, which would be a hypocoristic become a separate name. Easily the commonest term is deva. Where it forms the 2nd element, in the early period-and we have only Marudeva, 745, Janadeva Janaka 700?, and Vasudeva Sunga after 800-the first element is not a proper name; with the rise of bhakti, or superstition in the classical period, it is, even though the deity be minor or astrological, e.g. at Barhut we have PHALGUDEVI, INDRADEVI, SAKATA/SAMKATADEVI, NAGADEVI, CHAPADEVI, PUSYADEVI, NAGADEVA, and the Sunga prince VRSA/VISVADEVA (Visadeva). Some of the women are nuns, though not Chapadevi, and so should not be queens; I cannot find a deity for Chapadevi, (Pali chapa = young of an animal).

July, 1964] NOTES ON SOME EARLY INDIAN NAMES 433 One wants the right kind of god, good, strong, pleasant, e.g. SUDEVA (3 ks. 1 br. TA), VASUDEVA (1260 & 1018, 75 br.), UGRADEVA (ks. 880),-ADEVA (1190? ks.) VAMADEVA (1180 br.). One may be with or equal to a god, e.g. SAHADEVA (1440 to 810 ksatriya 8 times, once brahmana, Varsagira 1190?, which might suggest a pratiloma marriage); ANTIDEVA (not Ranti-), cf. Gk. Antitheos, 1140; SRIDEVA god in splendour, royal dignity 1010, in glory YASODEVI 930. MARUDEVA is Having the Marut? 'dark one i. e. Krsna? for god. JANADEVA is hardly theophoric; he is a god among his people, just as was the ideal of the homeric king, to be looked on as a god, theos hos, aimed at also by Darbha Satanika. The majority of these-deva names are definitely ksatriya, but with Deva-names much less clearly so. Late names in Deva are DEVADHARMAN Maurya 200, Having the form (nature/duty) of a god (possibly Upholding the gods), which might well emphasize his royal status; and DEVABHUMI 80, having the status of a god. Otherwise all the names I have are before 800, but Buddha's notorious cousin DEVADATTA, should warn that the intervening years are probably not blank, while we have DEVASENA & DEVARAKSITA at Barhut, and DEVASABHA in ThG 89 & 100. We have DEVAPI, DEVAMITRA, DEVATIIHI, Having a god as friend, guest; DEVABHAGA, DEVAMIDHA, having the portion, wage of a god. DEVARATA, DEVAVATA, given, loved by a god; DEVASRAVAS, cf. Gk. Theokles, having glory of a god/among the gods; DEVANIKA having the face/appearance of a god; DEVAKSATRA Having the authority of a god, DEVASENA (1120), having the weapon of the god, possibly to be read/SURA, hero among the gods. The early equality is perhaps asserted in DEVARHA, equal to a god, DEVAVRDHA increasing the gods, DEVATARATHA overcoming gods; DEVATARAS having the strength/saving?, overcoming? of gods. More humble is DEVAVANT, having gods. There are also the hypocoristics Devaka & Devala. Devapi, Devabhaga, Devarata, Devatithi are shared by brahmanas and ksatriyas, as well as the

434 puranam - PURANA [Vol. VI., No. 2 hypocoristics Devaka and Devala; add Deva sravas. One might here add that while sravas names, like Deva, are about equally brahmana and ksatriya, they do not seem to bear a god as first element; the only exception I have is the not certain Somasravas of Bharad. GS tarpana, which could be paralled with Havihsravas; nor is the type so common in Greece as might be thought, Hermokles, Athenokles, Heliokles Dionysiokles, Herakles can be found, but are not common; only Diokles is. KINNARASVA, king c. 720 is an isolated name; I do not know what advantage might be expected from having a kinnara as one's horse, perhaps something connected with sexual vigour. Bhutas and Siddhas do not appear in these names, nor do Ganas or Yaksas; the Jains have Ganadeva c. 150, (not before 230), but Ganadhara is a title; they also have Siddhasena Divakara, connected with Vikramaditya, which is at least enough to show the name is late. The Vasus might appear in VASUMITRA and VASUJYESTHA, Sungas c. 140, VASUDEVA of 1260, 1010 & 75, VASUSRUTA, heard by the Vasu (s), VASUKRA, approaching the Vasu (s), both RV; all are brahmanas except the first two Vasudevas. I can not find them in Mitanni, but there is perhaps the hypocoristic DEVYA (te wi ia), and DEVATITHI (te u at ti). Finally we may add an antiquated theophoric in DIVODASA, servant of Zeus. We find the name in 1410 & 1330, and in Paijavana of 1170; but the worship of Dyaus is negligable in RV; Indra seems early to have usurped his feats. Of about 95 names above, 75 belong to brahmanas, and 30 to ksatriyas, (of whom one or two are brahmana ksatriyas); about 10% therefore are shared. Names connected with the ritual are much commoner than theophoric; they may belong to ksatriyas or brahmanas; the householder had religious duties, and indeed, kingship was also a ritual. So, when a king is ABHAYA(DA), giving freedom from fear, he is performing a part of the ritual perfection of

July, 1964] NOTES ON SOME EARLY INDIAN NAMES kingship, and there is a disturbance of rta if he fails. 435 (Does this root bhi explain Artemis' title in Aegina, Aphaia ?) Or, as among the Celts Cathmor was famous for his hospitality, and would perform the rites of hospitality to all who came, so the king had a ritual duty of hospitality, and this is reflected in names like ATITHIGU, to whom guests come, and perhaps also DEVATITHI, one remembers to Homer too, a guest may be a god, or PURUATITHI, having many guests. The importance of the guest declines with the heroic world, and the elementatithi is not attested after the great battle of MBh./Truth, as in Ireland, is part of the king's ritual duty, and so we have DHRUVASANDHI, having firm agreement, 1040, or SATYADHRTI, upholding truth, 1280, 1020? & brahmana c. 1060, SATYAJIT, winning by truth, 600 in Magadha. However, the ksatriya has his duties in household ritual; KRTAGNI, KRTAYAJNA, 1370 & 1200, having an established fire, a completed sacrifice. He will need soma stalks, AMSUMANT, 1120, or be in front of the Soma PRAMSU 1460 (derivation here might be from the root (W-P) enek, and the meaning be of acquisition; alternatively connection with Lat. Ancus (Martius) might be conceivable; Amsu is also a priestly name). He may rise to 10 Soma cups (uni) DASONI 1180, in pressing Soma ABHISVANT, SUNVANT, pouring the oblation, AHUTI (hypocoristic AHUKA ?) 1220, 1040, He may be bearing curds for the offering, DADHIVAHANA 1190, after piling up the sacrificial altar, CAYAMANA (Atm. ci when the sacrificer builds it for himself, MW) 1190, perhaps with a ritual brick (TS) VIKARNA (Anava 780? This name may just be descriptive, he had big ears, AV). He may be offering Pusan's oatcake, KARAMBHA 1030, or just ghee, GHRTA 1560, 1440, from the sacrificial ladle DARVA 1350? or the bowl of the spoon, (RV) PUSKARA 1370. (Darva may be re-formation from Darva, the tribe, the tree (totem) people, or the people from the wood, cf. Gk. Dori-eus). He may have been pouring out UDDHAVA 1200 & 850, in a Soma-receptacle SOMADHI 950, at the VAJRA 940 kind of Soma ceremony ($vB), or perhaps

436 puranam - PURANA [Vol. VI., No. 2 just making an offering, BALI 1250. He may have had sacrificial fires (Say. explaining CATURANGA, (1070) in RV 10/62.11), which he would produce by rotating MATHU (1280) the firestick, kindling it against PRATINDHAKA 1260 an other. For sacrifice, he would have Palasa wood, (parna, which is also purifying), in the right season, RTUPARNA 1370 and would have had a good proper place of sacrifice, SUSADMAN 840, with plenty KUSA 1380, 1170, 1040, grass, or tips of it, KUSAGRA 1150, or DARBHA 1220, 890. But to do the sacrifice, he must be a ritual singer, GATHIN/GADHI 1340, with a powerful hymn, a getting-big hymn, BRHADUKTHA 1400, 1300, perhaps having a long hymn DIRGHANITHA (RV), (he may merely have long cunning), near the Soma stones? UPAGRAVANT (possibly for gravavant, but the text is corrupt, and -vims ca may be right reading) (1090). He will certainly have been making the sacrifice thoroughly ready, SANKRTI 1150, cf. TS., TB., so he will certainly be inviting the gods to a feast VITIHOTRA 1300 (possibly reflecting the ritual duty of royal hospitality), and will have his offering come to VITAHAVYA, 1300. But the sacrifice needs preparation of one's self as well as the materials; and the requirement of ritual purity are reflect in such names as: BRHADDIKSA having a great consecration (cf. Hesterman's viatya); ANENAS, ANAGHA (1250 ?, perhaps found in Iraq as a na ka), without guilt; PUTAKRATU, having a purified mind 1150, DHRTAVRATA, DEVAVRATA, SUVRATA, SATYAVRATA, having an observed vow, a religious vow, (to the gods), a good vow, a true vow, vow to truth: (Satyavrata may reflect the royal ritual requirement of truth, while Bhisma Devavrata was under something very like the old Irish geasa, bonds, in his case evidently a bond of chastity). Of general piety, or at least religiosity, we have SUDAS 1330, 1200, 1090, SRADDHADEVA (trusting in the deity TS.) 1130 ?, MANDHATR 1490, RNAMCAYA 1170, paying his religious debts, DEVAMILHUSA, liberal to the gods, 1280, 1170, DEVAVRDHA, 1190, nourishing the gods, The king is clearly religiously qualified if he is KAVI, MUNI, YATI, (shaman/brahmanas? all names early), or perhaps

July, 1964] NOTES ON SOME EARLY INDIAN NAMES 437 also KUTSA, which we would connect with Lat. quatio, concussus, desiring to shake, as a vipra, brahmana does in trance or religious experience (cf. our Quakers). These names, to which we might add the rajarsi HOTRAVAHANA bearing the burnt offering, 1050 should suffice to show that at one time the ksatriya had religious duties, which he performed himself. He might even go the length of putting together invocation, or praise, JARASANDHA 1000. But even if he did not do his own sacrificing, he should have an interest in it, and the following names do not say who does the actual sacrificing: BRHANMEDHAS, BRHATKARMAN, having a great sacrifice, ritual act, 1040, 860, 870; SATTRAJIT 880, winning in the sacrificial session; SATTRASAHA (SPB) similarly; SATYAKARMAN having a correct sacrificial act (1450 & 1020); SATAYAJNA 800, SARVAKARMAN, having a complete ritual act (cf. Gk. holFos) (1290); SUNAHOTRA, offering auspicious sacrifices 1580, 1200, is perhaps rather doing it himself; but KRATUJIT, 880, winning by the sacrificial will, and MEDHAVIN, having (ritual?) intelligence may be added here, and YAJNASENA 1000, having the sacrifice as weapon. The ritual names fall off after 1000, and certainly after 800; the only clear ritual name I can find after is VISAKHAYUPA (456-06), having a forked sacrificial pole, though it is possible that he is only having a (victory) pillar set up under the constellation Visakha, presumably auspicious protection. His greatgrandfather is given as MUNIKA as well as Punika ; but if he was so, he may have been a brahmana, which would rule him out here, or we could not say what class of meaning the full name of a hypocoristic has. Vikarna, even at his date of 780 is not certain, UPAGU of the Janaka family might have ritual duty Beside a cow (Pan.), but has var. lect. UPAGURU, and Beside his brahmanical teacher, or following his such teacher is more suitable for the Janaka family (his date 660); Vitihotra of that family 440 probably has his mother's family name, and Trinetra of 670 is not too convincing as having 3 strings for his arani, churning stick for fire. The natural explanation of the falling-off of ksatriya ritual 23

438 puranam - PURANA [Vol. VI., No. 2 names is at first the greater usurpation of the ritual by brahmanas, but afterwards certainly the decline in prestige of the ritual. Some names could be explained as being taken from sacrifices or samans, and of these a few are ksatriya: Adhrigu, Tridhatu, Bharga, Sannati, but one would prefer other explanations; eg. a 3-layer shield is acceptable to a warrior, and the name TRIDHATU may have been shortened; but it seems guaranteed by the patronymic Traidhatava in PvB, though it is not easy to fit it into the genealogy of Tryaruna Traivrsna Trasadasyu. An explanation may be that it is a sobriquet, he was not descended from Tridhatu, but was very keen on the tridhatu sacrifice, just as Hariscandra is called Vaidhasa in ABbut Vaidhas is not among his Aiksvaku ancestors, and he may just have been connected with the pious. However, ASVAMEDHA is a name guaranteed by RV c. 1150, and presumably was credited as its result, just as much as Asvamedhadatta, who should be born as a result of Janamejaya's asvamedha c. 890. And there is Bali. SUTAPAS Anava of 1280 may be of some interest: the classical Sanskritist might expect him to be having good austerity, but it may be that he has (or rather, by the name is hoped to have) the heroic tapas, heat, met with in the Irish tales of Cuchulain, where the hero had so much heroic heat that he boiled 3 vats of cold water when immersed, and his dead head split a rock when set on it. So far our names have recorded the performing of the ritual. Some indicate that it was performed: e.g. in Kaus. U.2.11, BrU (Madh) 6/4.26 the father says to the baby "Be a stone, be an axe." This may explain ASMAKA, and the frequent ASMAKI fem., and PARASU, PARSU (or even the common PARSVA), (which may remind one too much of Iranian) ). The baby is also told to be hiranyam astrtam/asrutam; what happens to the gold ⚫ is clearly no longer understood, but perhaps the original meant unstolen, cf. Gk. stereo, sterisko; this might account for KANAKA 1400, 1100, KANCANA 1520. Kaus. U gives these orders to

July, 1964] NOTES ON SOME EARLY INDIAN NAMES 439 the father prosya ayan, coming back after being away; which Hume & Radhakrishnan seem to take as referring to e.g. a business journey; but perhaps it only was originally that father was expelled from the house while the birth was taking place-he is not magically safe for birth. Having addressed the child he addresses the mother (Madh. order, Br U.) then giving the child to the mother puts it to her breast, i.e. he has taken, borne the child up, and in Kaus. U. after the formulae (originally birth formulae) he embraces him; i.e. again, he had to lift him up. This acknowledging the child by taking him in one's fatherly arms is prominent in the Roman birth rites, and might well account for the origin of the name BHARATA. PUNYAKESA, having ritually pure hair tells us that his hair received proper ritual treatment (his date should be c. 800; he is mentioned in JB). Is Venuhotra of 1060, offering bamboo (seeds) in the Agrayana isti ?. Naturally it is much easier to find brahmana names from the ritual; about 4/5ths of ritual names belong to them, e.g. ABHISNATA, having had the ritual bath, ANABHIMLATA, who has not been gone down upon, i. e. caught sleeping, by the setting or rising sun, ANUVAKTR, reciter of sacred formalae, 750, or as late as 180, NIGADA, with the same meaning. GATR, ritual singer 630. A study of the brahmana ritual names would take more space than we have here, and will be presented subsequently; but it appears changes in brahmanic thought leave traces, e. g., KAMA/KARMAHANI, abandoning desire/ritual, 878, KAMADAMA C 750 taming desire ?, SATYAKAMA, desirious of truth 900 & 750, compared with BHUJYU, desirous of enjoyment. Grammar may show in GANAKARA who need not be before 600, and SPHOTA, patronymic Sphotayana c 450. So the search for enlightenment pratibodha, must be reflected in PRATIBODHI. PUTRA of 565, while the basis that brahmanas must know, pratistha in BrU. alambana in Kath U, may account for ALAMBAYANIPUTRA, of 550. We might however complete this essay with a look at ritual names from the Mitanni area. There is GUPTAGNI, having a

440 puranam- PURANA [Vol. VI,, No. 2 protected fire (ku up ta ak ni); I must say in view of the late appearance of gupta- in India, I would be happier if the u was a Syrian attempt to transcribe vowel 1, and we had then KLPTAGNI, having a prepared fire. Also CANDRAMYASTA (za an tar(a) mi as ta) having brilliant sacrifice; JITATNA (zi ta at na), having a won year; winning the year, whatever it means, is a very brahmanic notion; for the word used, it is Lat. annus. PRIYASOMA (bi ri ia sa u ma), having soma dear, so, fond of Soma. SOMADHI ? (sa a u ma ti) for Somadhi one would prefer ma a ti, but we may have his patronymic or patronymic from Sumata/i, or Sumada (who would be nicely drumk with Soma): sa u ma di is Fem. If KARMASURA, lord of the ritual act is recognized in Kal/Gal ma as su ra, we might have a synonym in SAMIASURA, sa mi as su ra, (sami, toil), since sam in RV is especially to toil and exert one's self in ritual acts. Candramyasta should have been transliterated as -myazdha (Mayrhofer), Av. myazda; with it must go also zi ir ta mi as da, JRTAMEDHA (to give it the classical form), having his sacrifice come to (2jr MW). Similar in meaning might be a itu ga ma, a i tak ka ma, Idagama, or perhaps Idakama, going to or desiring ritual food; our form would be patronymic, and besides Saumadhijti above, the patronymic Dasarathi certainly occurs, ta a sar(a) ti. Sukriya, having good rites is possible, suk ri ia, but he has no I-E relatives clear, nor has pu u ta, Puta (cf. Putakratu or Bhuta). One is encouraged to make ia as da ta Skt., but yajdatta would be a very strange formation, and while Av. has the form yasta, one would expect -krt rather than -da; not yosdatta since ia as. as we would like, the We may have the If these forms are not as convincing as religious element Rta is not so hard to find. religious need for truth in APARIDHRUK, a pa ri du ru uk, not injuring deceitfully, or even honesty in ARJAVYA, ar za u ia, ritual cleanliness in PUNYA ? pu (un) ni ia, ANAGHA a na ka, liberality in SUDATRA? granting good gifts (RV) su ta ta ra; from rta we have RTASENA by patronymic ar ta se en ni, whose son is worthy, have ARHAMANA, ar (i) ha ma an na ; RTADHAMA (n), whose abode is truth (VS) ar ta ta a ma; Rtasmara, Rtamanya are not

July, 1964] NOTES ON SOME EARLY INDIAN NAMES 441 as free from difficulty as they look; we might for the last two have a form from rdh, prosper (Atm), participial, ar ta am na, and patronymic? Artamnya, ar ta ma an ia. For ritual names we might seek parallels in Greece ; but priesthood's tend to be aristocratic there, and "brahmana" and "ksatriya" have fallen together. Hiero-is common, Hierokles (originally rather Getting a hearing, sravas, with the sacred, than Having sacred fame ?), Hieromnemon, Hierophon, remembering, showing the sacred; Theokolos, servant of (the) god is found as a priest's personal name (Pape 1/492); but names directly referring to the sacrifice are hard to find, e. g. Hagnotheos (=yajnadeva), Hagnoteles having holy/sacrificial rites, Hagnothemis having sanctified law, perhaps originally having, observing the law of the sacrifice; Thuon sacrificing is found in Attica, Thues, Thueskhotos, Thuephoros appear once each in Pape; all of which shows the comparative rarity of ritual names in Greece. A comparison of Gk. and Skt. ritual and theophoric names would be instructive, and should illustrate the differences of approach between the peoples; it would probably be found the Greek emphasized the relationship of persons, and the early Indian (till the rise of bhakti) emphasized the mechanical ritual far oftener. We will hope to trace the type more fully and widely when we deal with the priestly ritual names of India. Meanwhile we hope that even the above will have been found to provide some interest or stimulus.

442 puranam - PURANA [Vol. VI., No. 2 ABBREVIATIONS AB Aitareya Brahmana Av. Avestan AV Atharva Veda Bharad. GS. Bharadvaja Grhya Sutra br. brahmana BrU (Madh.) Brhadaranyaka Upanisad (Madhyandina) ChU Chandogya Upanisad f feminine Gk. Greek IE Indo-European JB Jaiminiya Brahmana KS Kathaka Samhita ks. ksatriya Lat. Latin lex. in Lexicographers, (according to MW) Lith. Lithuanian Luders' List of Brahmi Inscriptions, (Epigraphia Indica X) MBh. Mahabharata MilP Milindapanho MW Sanskrit-English Dictionary of Monier-Williams OSI. Old Slavonic Pan. Panini Pape Pape's Worterbuch der Griechischen Eigennamen (Greek Personal Names) PvB Pancavimsa Brahmana RV Rig Veda SvB Sadvimsa Brahmana TB Taittiriya Brahmana (TA Taittiriya Aranyaka) ThG Theragatha/Therigatha TS Taittiriya Samhita VB Vamsa Brahmana VS Vajasaneya Samhita W-P Julius POKORNY: Indo-Germanisches Etymologische Worterbuch (Indo-European Etymological Dictionary) (3 mer means the third root mer as given in that work)