arma-, armaka 'ruined site'

[Vaidix]

> > Dear list members,
>>
> > I remember having read a verse in RGveda (page 583 in Indian edition by
> > Griffith, I believe it is 10th mandala) which says 'O Agni, you
successfuly
> > quelled the hateful dASas and AryAs'. (Or look for AryAs in index to find
the
> > verse, that is how I found it.)
> >
> > Doesn't this mean the vedic tribes were other than both dAsAs and AryAs?
> >

I rechecked all references to AryAs/dAsAs/dAsyus in Rgveda.  At number of
places I see preference to AryAs, but there are other combinations as well.
At one place it says 'Increase hate of AryAs and dAsAs'.  For me, the whole
AryA/dAsA/dAsyu conflict looks sham.  The references to these tribes looks
qualitatively or quantitatively no different from the references to other
mysterious peoples/tribes like Rbhus or angirasas &c with the exception that
AryAs and dAsAs fight out, while others dont. I also do not rule out Vedic
authors' liberal use of names of existing tribes to explain some of their 'pet
theories' just as they use Sun, Moon &c.  I would not give any weightage to
either Rgveda or GriffithpurANa unless there is other historic evidence. This
is my last letter on AryA/Dasyus.

> Another perplexing matter is that in the Rgveda , the Supreme
> Deity is called an Asura, and the latter are held in a favorable
> light.  Eventually, Asuras become demons opposed to the Devas. In
> Iran, it is the Daevas who are demons opposed to the Ahura.  In my
> view, the texts preceeding the polarization of Asuras and Devas
> represent the earliest period and these appear only in India (as far
> as I'm aware).
> Regards,
> Paul Kekai Manansala

I also read about Asuri (or long tongue) a Vedic seer.

There is also some new literature about Japanese Rgveda which has a character
Ashura who is a lady, or sometimes a person of uncertain sex.  Check out
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/7201/rgv1.htm. Any scholars from Japan could
confirm these stories please?

Regards
Bhadraiah Mallampalli

Regards
Bhadraiah Mallampalli