Samkarsana's connection with liquor

[Asko Parpola]

On Saṃkarṣaṇa and his connection with liquor see pp. 365-6 and 369 in:

Parpola, Asko, 2002. Pandaíē and Sītā: On the historical background of  
the Sanskrit epics. Journal of the American Oriental Society 122 (2):  
361-373.

In the above paper, I am arguing that Saṃkarṣaṇa/Balarāma partly goes  
back to one of the Aśvins/Nāsatyas; his original Indo-Iranian drink  
was honey-beer, see pp. 39-41 in:

Parpola, Asko, 2005. The Nāsatyas, the chariot and Proto-Aryan  
religion. Journal of Indological Studies 16 & 17 (2004-2005): 1-63.  
Kyoto.

In a publication that is just coming out, I am discussing at length  
Bālarama/Saṃkarṣaṇa as the divine drinker of palm wine, who in this  
role has replaced the wild ass (as recorded in the Dhenukavadha myth  
of Harivaṃśa 57), the thirsty wild ass as the drinker par excellence,  
his connection with the wine palm, with the mare-headed demon who  
drinks so much ocean water as to cause the ebb of tide, and his  
Harappan-Dravidian background:

Parpola, Asko, and Juha Janhunen, 2011. On the Asiatic wild asses  
(Equus hemionus & Equus kiang) and their vernacular names: New revised  
version. Pp. 59-124 in: Toshiki Osada and Hiroshi Endo (eds.),  
Linguistics, archaeology and the human past: Occasional paper 12.  
Kyoto: Indus Project, Research Institute for Humanity and Nature.

With best regards, Asko Parpola

Quoting JKirkpatrick <jkirk at SPRO.NET>:

>
> Please post any replies to list.
>
> Thanks,
> Joanna Kirkpatrick
>
>
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: [INDOLOGY] Query
> Date: Sat, 23 Jul 2011 13:57:34 -0500
> From: Patrick Olivelle <jpo at UTS.CC.UTEXAS.EDU>
> To: INDOLOGY at liverpool.ac.uk
>
> Could the paṇḍitasabhā enlighten me on Saṃkarṣaṇa and his possible  
> association with tribals, robbers, and liquor? He is mentioned  
> within this kind of context in the Arthaśāstra, 13.3.54. Thanks.
>
> Patrick Olivelle
>
>