Re: [INDOLOGY] Translation of yaṣṭihastaya

[Harry Spier]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Corinna Wessels-Mevissen <corinnawessels at yahoo.de>
Date: Sat, Oct 29, 2016 at 12:31 AM
Subject: Re: [INDOLOGY] Translation of yaṣṭihastaya
To: Harry Spier <hspier.muktabodha at gmail.com>




Hello Harry Spier,

I did my PhD on the early iconography of the aṣṭadikpālas (book is
available on Academia: https://www.academia.edu/3029535/The_Gods_of_the_
Directions_in_Ancient_India_Origin_and_Early_Development_
in_Art_and_Literature_until_c._1000_A.D._), and Vāyu is very often seen as
holding a flagstaff. This is in fact his most prominent attribute. As far
as I remember, *yaṣṭi* was not mentioned in those texts, but only dhvaja or
patākā, and the respective images show the god with a banner – mostly with
the flag portion being a long streamer.

Hope this helps somehow.

Corinna Wessels-Mevissen
------------------------------
*Von:* Harry Spier <hspier.muktabodha at gmail.com>
*An:* Indology <indology at list.indology.info>
*Gesendet:* 2:22 Samstag, 29.Oktober 2016
*Betreff:* [INDOLOGY] Translation of yaṣṭihastaya

Dear list members:

A gāyatrī mantra mantra to Vāyu is:
sarvaprāṇāya vidmahe
yaṣṭihastāya dhīmahi
tan no vāyuḥ pracodayāt
I've seen a translation of yaṣṭihastāya as "holding the mace" but are
statues or pictoral representations of Vāyu, and if so  with a mace?
but Monier-Williams also  has a meaning of yaṣṭi as "sacrificing" which he
says comes from a commentator on Panini 3-3-110 .
 By any chance could someone point out the commentator and point me to the
passage MW refers to.
Also based on that definition of yaṣṭi does a translation of yaṣṭihastāya
as "to the one who sacrifices with his hands" make sense. refering to the
wind fanning the flames of the sacrifice.
Thanks,
Harry Spier

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