Query

[Patrick Olivelle]

Dear All:

I wonder whether anyone has encountered the term "prajāraṇi" -- which, as far as I can tell, consists of prajā + araṇi, the latter in the send of mother, a recorded meaning. I find this in the Smṛticandrikā (Mysore ed., Saṃskāra, p. 31). The best I can do is to take it to mean some sort of a surrogate mother. This is in the context of kaliyugavarjya, and the verse runs:

prajārthaṃ tu dvijāgryāṇāṃ prajāraṇiparigrahaḥ.

Thanks.

Patrick