History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.6

v6.c81.6

My own view is that both Whitney and Prof Apte are wrong in deriving the word *vrata* from '*vṛt*'. I further hold that passages in which '*vṛt*' occurs with *upasargas* such as *abhi*, *ā*, *ni*, *pari*, *pra* or *vi*, would not be helpful in determining the original meaning of '*vṛt*' by itself, since *upasargas* often totally change the meaning of the root¹, that it is doubtful whether the root '*vṛt*' standing by itself means in the Ṛgveda 'to proceed' (as Whitney thought) and I deny that '*vṛt*' occurring by itself without *upasargas* in the Ṛgveda ever means 'to turn round, move on' (as Prof Apte asserts) In my opinion the root '*vṛt*' by itself (and not used in a causal or frequentative sense) means simply 'to be, to remain, to abide' Occurrences of the root '*vṛt*' without any upasarga before or after it are few in the Ṛgveda. Some typical examples may be given 'When, O Indra, thou didst strike down the wiles of Svarbhānu (the demon Rāhu) that remained below the sky²' (Ṛg V 40. 6), 'the wheel does not affect (jolt) your chariot (O Aśvins!) that is followed by songs one after another and that remains possessed of food' (Ṛg VIII. 5. 34); 'they (the dice) remain downwards (lie down on the board or ground) but they throb or strike above (i. e they shake or terrify the hearts of gamblers), though they have no hands yet they defeat those that are endowed with hands' (Ṛg X. 34 9). Vide also Ṛg X. 27 19, X 107 11 for other verses where '*vṛt*' occurs without an upasarga and means 'to remain or abide'. Even with an upasarga like '*sam*' *vṛt* means simply 'to be or to abide' and not 'revolve or turn' or 'move on'. Vide Ṛg. VI. 41. 2, X. 90. 14, X. 121. 1 and 7, X. 129. 4, in which '*sam-vartatām*' or '*samavartata*' simply means 'let it remain' or 'it was or existed'. Simply because '*vṛt*' with '*abhi*' means 'to turn towards or attack' (as in Ṛg. IV. 43. 5 or V. 31. 5) or with '*ni*' means 'come down or return' (as in Ṛg X. 19. 1, 3, 5, X. 95. 17) or with '*pari*' means 'roam over or round' (as in Ṛg. I. 164. 11 and IV. 36. 1), or with '*pra*' means 'to proceed' (as in Ṛg. V. 30. 8 or X. 89. 12), or with *vi* means 'roll or revolve' (as in Ṛg I. 185. 1, V. 30. 8, V. 53 7, VI 9. 1) it does not at all follow that the original sense of '*vṛt*' is, as Prof Apte asserts (p. 411 end), 'to revolve or roll on'. Besides, the last two senses are somewhat contradictory.