Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v1.c3.s17.133

v1.c3.s17.133

Taskara occurs in the Rigveda¹ and frequently later,² denoting ‘thief’ or ‘robber.’ It appears to be practically synonymous with Stena, in connexion with which it is often mentioned.³ The Stena and the Taskara are contrasted in the Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā⁴ with the Malimlu, who is a burglar or house-breaker, while they are highwaymen, or, as the Rigveda⁵ puts it, ‘men who haunt the woods and risk their lives’ (*tanū-tyajā vanar-gū*). In another passage of the Rigveda,⁶ however, the dog is told to bark at the Taskara or the Stena, which clearly points to an attempt at house-breaking. The thief goes about at night,⁷ and knows the pâths⁸ on which he attacks his victim. In one passage of the Rigveda⁹ the use of cords is mentioned, but whether to bind the thieves when captured, or to bind the victim, is not clear.¹⁰ The Atharvaveda¹¹ refers to the Stena and the Taskara as cattle and horse thieves.¹²