VAIZAMBA_LYA_ and "vAn2i"

[Periannan Chandrasekaran]

>
>
> Date:         Tue, 2 Nov 1999 05:12:30 PST
> Reply-To:     Indology <INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK>
> Sender:       Indology <INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK>
> From:         "N. Ganesan" <naga_ganesan at HOTMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: VAIZAMBA_LYA_
> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
>
> <<<
> Prof. Witzel noted that the Sarasvati River was also called vais'amba_lya_.
> Some thoughts and queries:
> 1. What are the textual references where this synonym
> is used? (I couldn't get access to Witzel 1999)
> >>>
>
> Dear Dr. Kalyanaraman,
>
> Greetings.
>
> Witzel, Substrate languages in OIA, EJVS, 1999, p. 11
> "and note that the SarasvatI still has a similar name, Vai'sambhalyA
> (with many variants, always a sign of foreign origin, in the
> Brahmana texts: TB 2.5.8.6, -bhAlyA, -pAlyA, -bAlyA Ap'SS 4.14.4,
> -bhAlyA BhAr'sikSA; cf. also RV vi'spAla?), which is to be derived
> from something like *visambAz/*visambAL, ..."
>
> We know that ta. vicumpu, pronounced as visumbu, means the "sky".
> The river could be "vicumpAL" ("sky river", spoken out as
> "visumbAL"). This gets support from the place name on the banks of
> Sarasvati river, bhavAnipura where  Sarasvati re-emerges from sand
> (B. C. Law, 1968, Mountains and Rivers of India). Note tamil "vAn2"
> is "sky". This Dr. "vAn" is in the "bhavAnipura" on the Sarasvati.
> Compare this info with the river, vAn2i ("sky  river") in Erode
> district which is referred to in Sangam texts. This "vAn2i" river in
> Tamil Nadu is sanskritized as "bhavAni", and now there is an
> irrigation dam called bhavAnisAgar.

The calssical tamil text patiRRuppattu refers to an actual river
called "vAn2i" in the Cheral empire:

"cAntu varu vAn2i nIrin2um
tIm taN cAyalan2 man2Ra tAn2E"  (pat:86:12-14)

meaning "[the Cheral king poRaiyan2] is much more pleasant than the sweet
waters of the vAn2i river which comes down carrying sandal woods".


>> Regards,
> N. Ganesan
>
>
Regards,
P.Chandrasekaran.


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