From: fournet.arnaud
Message: 56654
Date: 2008-04-04
----- Original Message -----
From: Patrick Ryan
>
> Varuna is not attested in Avestic.
> The assumption he (or it as a concept) might have existed
> long before the Vedas is unsupported.
>
> Arnaud
> ===========
***
Au contraire.
It is supported by Ouranos.
Patrick
***
The connection between Ouranos and Varuna
has been rejected for about 70 years by
competent linguists and by Dumezil himself.
Dumezil
Mythes et Dieux des Indo-Européens p.114
First function : Mitra and Varuna
Mitra : contrat, ami
Varuna : dieu du rta (ordre, vérité, etc)
Waters belong to the third function
with riches, food, health, well-being, etc.
P157 I translate :
Mitra is the master of day
and Varuna that of the night
Mitra is friendly, soft, reassuring, close to mankind
Varuna is ruthless, violent, kind of develish.
P156
The word Varuna remains obscure : it has been
explained with roots meaning "cover", "link" "declare"
The word Mitra is clear (Cf. Meillet 1907)
it means "contract".
Arnaud
===========