Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v1.c3.s17.79

v1.c3.s17.79

Tantu appears properly to mean ‘thread,’ and in particular the ‘warp’ of a piece of weaving, as opposed to Otu, the ‘woof.’ Both senses are found in the Atharvaveda.¹ In the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa² the ‘warp’ is called *anuchāda*, the ‘woof’ *paryāsa*, the *tantavaḥ* being the ‘threads.’ In the Taittirīya Saṃhitā,³ on the other hand, the ‘warp’ is prācīna-tāna, the ‘woof’ otu. The threads or cords of the throne (Paryaṅka) are referred to in the Kauṣītaki Upaniṣad.⁴