Dear List Members,

Can anyone point me to any studies dealing with the uses/meanings of the term 'vipra'? While it is usually glossed as 'brāhmaṇa', I'm wondering if there were any semantic changes in this term, particularly in the 16th/17th centuries.

Keith and MacDonnell's 'Vedic Index' (page 302, vol. 2) provides some very early glosses such as "inspired singer" but then it is noted that "[i]n the epic style it comes to mean no more than 'Brahmin.'"

Yet, Medhatithi comments on Manusmrti 3.199:

vipragrahaṇam anuvādatvāt kṣatriyādipradarśanārtham |

I'm also aware of Staal's very brief remarks in his article 'Sanskrit and Sanskritization' (pg. 267).

Any suggestions would be appreciate on why the word 'vipra' might be used as opposed to 'dvija' or 'brāhmaṇa' as well as which studies on the word are available, if any.

Many thanks,

Sam