History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.223

v6.c81.223

¹⁴⁵ It should not, however, be supposed that I agree with all the propositions in the above two, for example, the meaning which Mr. S R. Das assigns to Lakṣmī in Rg X 71. 2 (viz. beauty) is not acceptable to me. I hold that 'Lakṣmī' there also is the opposite of alakṣmī as the word 'bhadrā' applied to Lakṣmī suggests and as in Rg. X. 155 1 the idea of alakṣmī is clearly conveyed. I do not subscribe to the view that the idea of a malignant spirit was unknown to the poets of Rgveda times and that they had to go to the aboriginal people for that idea. Note the verses अत्रा सखायः सख्यानि जानते भद्रैषां लक्ष्मीर्निहिताधि वाचि ॥ ऋ X 71 2. अराथि काणे विकटे गिरि गच्छ सदान्वे । शिरिम्बिटस्य सत्वभिस्तोभिष्ठा चातयामस ॥ ऋ X. 155 1. The निरुक्त (VI 30) explains this verse at length and states that Bhāradvāja destroyed Alakṣmī and the Bṛhad-devatā (VIII.. 60) says that Rg X. 71 removes Alakṣmī.