Graha's epithets

[Dominique.Thillaud]

At 8:01 +0100 6/12/97, Yaroslav V. Vassilkov wrote:
>        One more case when it would be safer before pushing the button and
>asserting one's own opinion as a general rule to check with texts, indexes
>and even most popular dictionaries. TArakA is a very well known variant of
>the name TArA as the wife of BRhaspati: see, e.g., the widespread formula
>tArakAmayayuddham 'the war which arose in conscequence of Soma having carried
>off TArA, the wife of BRhaspati'. As for dictionaries, see Goesta Liebert
>and even Dowson.

        I agree for the button's technic, but

1) are other attestations of -kA used with Goddess's names ? I don't found
any *durgakA, *laksSmikA, *srikA, &c. And reNukA is so named because she is
the DAUGHTER of reNu, ambikA and ambalikA are SISTERS of ambA.
2) using the MMW and restraining to the meanigs 'wife of bRhaspati', tArA
and tArakAmaya seem a bit older (MBh) than tArakA (VP), if we must follow
the Indian tradition giving parAzara as the son of vyAsa.
3) in the same MMW, kAmayA is given as a formula 'for the love'.

        Hence, it's not strictly impossible that tArakA would be born from
a false cut of a *tAra-kAmaya-yuddha 'the fight for the love of tArA'.
Going further would need a fine study of the texts (is the word 'kAma' used
significatively in some versions of the story ?) but the Sarma's remark was
perhaps not so stupid ;-)

        Regards,
Dominique

PS: many thanks to all who send me very interresting answers about the
tIrthAbhiSeka and other subjects. I've don't forget you but I need time to
obtain and read the references you gave me.

Dominique THILLAUD
Universite' de Nice Sophia-Antipolis, France