Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v1.c3.s21.1062

v1.c3.s21.1062

Putra is, with Sūnu, the usual name for ‘son’ from the Rigveda onwards.¹ The original sense of the word was apparently ‘small,’ or something analogous.² The form Putraka³ is often used with the distinct intention of an affectionate address to a younger man, not merely a son proper. Reference is frequently made to the desire for a son.⁴ Cf. Pati.