The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c22.s1.14

v1.c22.s1.14

Other priests mentioned in conjunction with each other and usually allied either with the Aṅgirases or in the performance of the winning of the cows, which is the special deed of the Aṅgirases, are the Daçagvas and the Navagvas. The latter are the more often mentioned, and their name contains as first element the sacred number nine, so that the Daçagvas are probably a later invention. They seem to be a group of nine and ten priestly ancestors: possibly the second element in their name suggests, however, according to Bloomfield,⁵ the idea that they are persons who win nine or ten cows apiece: usually, however, the latter part of the word is interpreted as from the root denoting to go, and the compound then means going in sets of nine or ten respectively, unless indeed Navagva is *nuntius*.⁶