Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v1.c3.s2.70

v1.c3.s2.70

1. Ibha is a word of somewhat doubtful sense and interpretation. It is found only in the Saṃhitās,¹ and especially in the Rigveda.² According to Roth³ and Ludwig⁴ the sense is ‘retainer,’ and Zimmer⁵ thinks that it includes not only dependants and servants, but also the royal family and the youthful cadets of the chief families. In the opinion of Pischel and Geldner⁶ it denotes ‘elephant.’ This view is supported by the authority of the commentators Sāyaṇa⁷ and Mahīdhara,⁸ the Nirukta,⁹ too, gives ‘elephant’ as one of the senses of the word. Megasthenes¹⁰ and Nearchos¹¹ tell us that elephants were a royal prerogative, and the derivative word Ibhya may thus be naturally explained as denoting merely ‘rich’ (lit., ‘possessor of elephants’).¹²