Rig Veda, ta'ntra, nUl, and sUtra

[jpo at uts.cc.utexas.edu]

We really do not know the type of loom that forms the basis of the
metaphor. It appears that the weaver was located not behind the warp (as in
modern hand-looms) but on the side where she (and it is mostly women!) can
pass the shuttle back and forth. I have seen one reference that speaks of a
pair of women weaving (can't think of the source); if so there may have
been two women on either side of the loom passing the shuttle back and
forth
Patrick


>If I am not mistaken, in the looms I have seen in Tamilnadu, the movement  of
>the shuttle is sideways with respect to the weaver, and not towards and away
>from the weaver. The width of the cloth is fixed by the size of the loom and
>it is the length of the cloth which is variable. In fact, it is because of
>this nature of looms, all the words for cloth in Tamil/Dravidian are derived
>from words meaning 'to cut'. Cf. words 'tuNi', 'tuNTu', 'kURai', 'aRuvai',
>etc. Is the Indo-European loom conceptually different?
>
>Regards.
>
>S. Palaniappan

***********************************
Patrick Olivelle
Director, Center for Asian Studies
Chair, Department of Asian Studies
WCH 4.134 (Mail Code G9300)
University of Texas
Austin, TX 78712-1194
USA
***********************************