Re: This Saravati Business

Speaking purely in linguistic terms, if the word saras meant
"strong, fast flowing", it would be an adjective and adding a
possessive affix after an adjective is not a normal practice. On
the other hand, if saras meant a pool, the possessive affix
makes sense. That is why the ancient parallel river name
d.r.sadvatii is important where the word d.r.sad means "rocks."
The word saras has continued in the classical Sanskrit in the
sense of a pool of water, the words sarasija and saroja referring
to the lotus flowers that grow only in stagnant water and not in
fast flowing rivers. Besides the word saras occurs dozens of
times in early Vedic, for example in the famous frog-hymn (RV
7.103), where the context makes it clear that the frogs suddenly
pop up in rain-caused pools of water that had dried up in
summer.
Madhav Deshpande

--- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, "Ravi Chaudhary <ravi9@...>"
<ravi9@...> wrote:

> --- In cybalist@yahoogroups.com, x99lynx@... wrote:
> > > Piotr, how do you feel about translating Sarasvati as "a lot

of

> water" or
> > "big river"?
> >
> > Steve L.
>
>
> *******
>
> Somewhere along the line common sense will prevail.
>
> Saras- vati.
>
> the suufix - vati, denotes commonly of. it is a common suffic.
>
> Vijayvati-- one who"' wins, victory" or to who, victory comes.
>
> There are many examples of this.
>
> The river is depicted as mighty, strong flowing,
>
> when it dries up, there are pools, and then it disappears, dries

up.

>
> For saras- srong flowing.
>
> If "strong flowing, rushing" is available, why then the anxiety to
> find a dried up river, in total contradiction to what the Rg says

???

>
> Somewhere in these archives this 'strong flowing" and "pool

thing"

> has been discussed.
>
> If you insist on finding pools you will find them or you can

simply

> follow the evidence
>
>
> Ravi