The Orion, or Researches into the Antiquity of the Vedas c10.51

c10.51

∗ Dr. Schrader in his Preh. Ant. Ary. Peop., Part iv., Chap viii., concludes that the primitive dress consisted of a piece of woolen or linen cloth thrown round the shoulders like a mantle, and a girdle. The history of *yajnopavîta*, the way of wearing it as described in Taitt. Arn. ii. 1., and Orion's dress, as conceived by the Greeks, point to the same conclusion. I have already alluded to the difficulty of explaining how *upavîta*, which literally means a cloth, came to denote a thread. If *yajnopavîta* be taken to have originally meant *yajna* and *upavîta*, and *yajna* be further supposed to have once denoted a girdle this difficulty is removed. Av. *yasto* Gk. *zostos* Lith. *justas*, meaning "girded" point to an original root *jos*, Av. *yangh*, from which Gk *zonu*, Av. *aiv yâonghana* may be derived (S. Ficks' Indo Germ. Wort). If we suppose that the root appeared as *yaj* in Sanskrit and derive *yajna* from it, like Gk, *zonu*, we may take *yajna* to mean a girdle and translate अयज्ञोपवीती कथं ब्राह्मण (Jâbâl. Upa. 5.) by "how can a Brâman be without a girdle and cloth?" If this suggestion be correct, then *yajnopavîta* must be