Toh 1001 notes.13

notes.13

13. As noted above, tārā is a causative derivation from the Skt. root √tṝ, “to cross,” thus meaning “to cause to cross,” that is, “to deliver” or “rescue.” It can be argued that the term tuttāre consists of tārā prefixed with ud (ud + √tṝ = uttārā), which is then further prefixed with the consonant t- to avoid a morphological fusion of final vowel of tāre and the initial vowel in uttārā. The addition of the prefix ud conveys a sense of “pulling up,” and thus “saving.” In the translation below, the vocative forms tāre and tuttāre are respectively translated as “deliverer” and “savior.”