Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v1.c3.s11.1173

v1.c3.s11.1173

indicating cultivated land generally.³ In the Atharvaveda⁴ and later the sense of a separate field is clearly marked, though the more general use is also found.⁵ The deity Kṣetrasya Pati,⁶ ‘Lord of the Field,’ should probably be understood as the god presiding over each field, just as Vāstoṣ Pati presides over each dwelling.⁷ It is a fair conclusion from the evidence that the system of separate holdings already existed in early Vedic times.⁸ See also Urvarā, Khilya.