Indian lexemes related to death

[S.Kalyanaraman]

"Yaroslav V. Vassilkov" <yavass at YV1041.SPB.EDU> wrote:
> For the etymology of zmazAna and related words see: H.W.Bailey. A problem of
> the Indo-Iranian vocabulary. - "Rocznik Orientalistyczny", vol. 21 (1957), >
pp. 66-69. By the way, the earliest meaning of the word was 'a tomb under > a
barrow' (see its description in the Zatapatha BrAhmaNa XIII.8.1-2).

Dr. Yaroslav, thanks a lot for the guidance.

If smas'a_na was a compound (asma s'ayana or stone bed), and in relation to
*stUpa (IA/IE?), the following URL may provide some leads and vedic citations:
http://pears2.lib.ohio-state.edu/FULLTEXT/JR-ENG/bar1.htm 
Stuupa, and Tomb By B. M. Barua The Indian Historical Quarterly           vol
2:1, 1926.03, p. 16-27
"There are clear evidences showing that certain sections of the Aryan
community began to make solid brick structures instead of heaps of earth, or
of stones covered with earth (White Yajurveda, xxxv. 15), and that the urn
(asthikumbha), containing the bones and ashes and covered by a lid, came to be
buried after the dead body had been burnt(As'valaayana G.rhya-Suutra, IV. 5;
Saaya.na on the .Rg-Veda hymn (X, 18)."

A remarkable find is reported by Prof. Bisht at Dholavira, a brick masonry
tumulus or circular grave (?)with TEN radial lines of mud-bricks, like spokes
of a wheel...(http://sarasvati.simplenet.com/peacock.html)

Could there be any connection with 'tumba' as the navel of a wheel?

Regards,
Kalyanaraman



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