Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v2.c4.s4.48

v2.c4.s4.48

Maṭacī occurs in a passage of the Chāndogya Upaniṣad,¹ where reference is made to the Kurus being overwhelmed by Maṭacīs.² Śaṅkara interprets the word by ‘thunderbolts’ (aśanayaḥ), while Ānandatīrtha in his commentary gives, as an alternative rendering, pāṣāṇa-vṛṣṭayaḥ—i.e., ‘hailstones,’ which may be the sense. The Śabdakalpadruma,³ agreeing with Ānandatīrtha,⁴ says that Maṭacī means ‘a kind of small red bird’ (rakta-varṇa-kṣudra-pakṣi-viśeṣa, reading -pakṣi-), and Jacob⁵ suggests that the ‘locust’ is meant.