Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v1.c3.s18.475

v1.c3.s18.475

Dundubhi, apparently an onomatopoetic word, means ‘drum,’ as used in both war and peace. It is often mentioned from the Rigveda¹ onwards.² A special sort of drum was the ‘earth drum,’ made by digging a hole in the ground and covering it with a hide. This was employed in the Mahāvrata, a rite performed at the winter solstice, for the purpose of driving away influences hostile to the return of the sun.³ A ‘drum-beater’ is included in the list of sacrificial victims at the Puruṣamedha or ‘human sacrifice.’⁴