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Origin of the name of Venus

Started by Aupmanyav, August 21, 2015, 11:22:13 AM

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Aupmanyav

In the tenth Mandala we have a hymn (123) dedicated to Vena which according to Yaska denotes a deity of the middle region. Yaska (Nirukta 10. 38) derives the word from ven ' to love/ f to desire, ' and explains it as denoting, as his commentator Durgacharya says, " loved by all” while the hymn itself contains such expressions as the "son of the sun,” “on the top of rita," "comes out of the ocean like a wave," which have been variously interpreted by the commentators. But from all these facts I think we have herein the original Aryan name of Venus.

The word, or rather the meaning I have here proposed, is entirely lost in the Sanskrit literature, but considering the fact that the Latins named the planet as Venus,t while the word cannot be satisfactorily derived from any Latin root, there can be no objection to identify Venus with the Vena (nom. sin, Venas) in the Vedic works. In the Latin mythology Venus is the goddess of love, and this we can now easily account for, as the name of the Vedic deity is derived from a root which means "to desire," "to love." I may again point out that the hymn of Vena in the Rigveda is used In sacrifices at the time, when the priest takes tip the Vessel of Shukra (current Sanskrit/Hindi name for the planet) in the sacrificial ceremonies.

Katyayana, indeed, mentions the optional use of the hymn for taking up the vessel of Manthin. But that does not much alter the position, for, when the meaning of the word was utterly forgotten the hymn might come to be used for a different purpose in addition to the previous one. The fact, that the Vena hymn was used in taking up the Shukra vessel is, therefore, an important indication of its old meaning, and when we find the name actually preserved till now indicating the planet Venus, and that this name cannot be satisfactorily derived in any other way, we might fairly infer that Vena of the Rigveda is Venus of the Latin Mythology. As regards the change of gender we need not consider it to be a serious objection inasmuch as not only Venus, but also the moon has changed in gender in its passage to Europe.
Source "Arctic Home in Vedas", Bal Gangadhar Tilak, available at www.archives.org, page 163
"Brahma Satyam Jagan-mithya" (Brahman is the truth, the observed is an illusion)
"Sarve Khalu Idam Brahma" (All this here is Brahman)

Baruch

That is part of the commonality of Indo-European heritage.  Though perhaps choices of particular regions regarding gender of particular words, or choice of words, may reflect the substrate culture that existed prior to the advent of the Indo-Europeans.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Solitary

WHAT? No shit Red Ryder! Anymore obvious declarations can you come up with?
There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action.

Baruch

Would you like to give us an example?  Say a Euskara (Basque) word that migrated into Spanish or French?  And not just a lone word, it has to changed the gender or something else significant about the Proto-Indo-European it replaced?  Thanks.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Aupmanyav

Shukra, the word mentioned earlier means 'white' or 'bright' in Sanskrit. And then, an interesting myth about Shukra:

In Vedic myth the Asuras are the demonic aspect of the divine and, like many of the ancient creation myths, are locked in eternal battle with the Devas, the auspicious aspect of the Divine. In one episodic myth the Devas are particularly concerned in their battle with Asuras because Venus knows the mantra of immortality to raise the dead. This of course gave the Asuras an unfair advantage in their battle with the Devas. So Jupiter, or Brihaspati, the guru to the Devas, sends his son Kaca (brightness) to study under Sukra, ather of the Vedic Venus, Devayani..

Sukra has a beautiful daughter Devayani, and she is quite taken with Kaca. Now, the Asuras know what Kaca is up to, so like all good demons they kill him. Devayani, of course, grieves for him and tells father, so Sukra repeats the mantra and Kaca comes back to life. Then the demons kill Kaca again.

Once again Devayani complains, and once again Sukra repeats the mantra and Kaca come back to life. Undeterred, the demons go about killing Kaca and Sukra keeps resurrecting him. So the demons get a particularly demonic idea and this time they kill Kaca and grind him up into a fine powder and put him in Sukra's wine. Sukra drinks the wine, Devayani begins her grieving, and in response Sukra repeats the mantra, but this time he has a stomachache as Kaca speaks from inside him. At last the demons appear to be happy.

But, they ironically bring about the very thing they were trying to prevent, for Sukra reveals the mantra of immortality to Kaca, so when Kaca tears himself out of Sukra's body he will repeat the mantra and raise Sukra from the dead. This myth explains why all Brahmins committed to spiritual life are not allowed to drink wine, and one of the epithets of Venus is: the one who "produces stomach problems".

Sukra bestows long life, wealth, happiness, children, and property and good education. He is the Guru for Asuras. Well learned in Neeti Sastras follower of such sastras and one who dispenses justice, Sukra is considered a beneficial Devata. He blesses the devotees with power to control one's Indriyas (Sense organs) and enables the devotee to obtain fame and name.

In the Zodiac, he is the Lord of Tula (Libra). Sukra takes one year to complete the Zodiac cycle living one month in each Rasi. Fridays are considered to be effective for the worship of Sukra.
http://www.crystalinks.com/venusmyth.html

Kaca (Brightness) refers to sun. In the story the sun dies and rises again. This is a reference to day and night.
Simply told, The son of the priest of Gods is sent to study under the priest of Demons, he falls in love with the daughter of the priest of Demons, and comes to know the mantra for immortality.
"Brahma Satyam Jagan-mithya" (Brahman is the truth, the observed is an illusion)
"Sarve Khalu Idam Brahma" (All this here is Brahman)

Aupmanyav

Celtic Goddesses (similar to Venus or Vena):
Aine (Irish) â€" Goddess of love, growth, cattle and light. Her name means bright as she lights up the dark. Celebrations for this goddess were held on midsummer’s eve.
Henwen (English) â€" A fertility goddess who ,whilst in the form of a magical sow, birthed strange litters. Her name translates as “old white.”
Olwen (Welsh) â€" The golden sun goddess who survived thirteen different trials to win her true love.

Nordic mythology:
The Vanir are the Gods and Goddesses of the wild forests, the plants and animals of the natural world. They are concerned with fertility, the power of the land, sea and the hidden realms. They represent passion and our instinctive and animal selves.
Nanna â€" Goddess of joy and peace. Her name is a general old Norse word for woman or mother.

Armenian mythology:
Nanna â€" Goddess of joy and peace. Her name is a general old Norse word for woman or mother.
"Brahma Satyam Jagan-mithya" (Brahman is the truth, the observed is an illusion)
"Sarve Khalu Idam Brahma" (All this here is Brahman)

Baruch

Thanks for sharing. Is Sanskrit "Shukra" related to Arabic "Sukr" ... aka English "Sugar"?  Granulated sugar was invented in Persia by 500 CE.

Connections between Johannine Christianity and Hinduism ... Purusha and Vac of the Vedic hymns.  There were sadhus and sramanas in the E Roman Empire ... 2250 years ago.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Aupmanyav

#7
The Sanskrit word for sugar is 'sharkara'. Sharkara also means granular, gravel. With sugarcane and coconut, Indians may have reached there earlier. But our choice was jaggery. Tastes excellent with corn tortilla and clarified butter. Even now, most of India uses jaggery instead of sugar. Since sugar is whitened with bones or powder (I do not know the exact process, but I have seen wagons of bones near sugar factories), the religious do not consider it kosher. Native dishes require the use of jaggery. Even the Aryan Soma was sweetened.

Yes, there may have been some shramanas farther west than Afghanistan. Alexander Cunningham's book "The Ancient Geography of India" mentions that Xuanzang talks of a place west of which there were no Buddhists. I can't get the name of the place right now, but may informyou later.
"Brahma Satyam Jagan-mithya" (Brahman is the truth, the observed is an illusion)
"Sarve Khalu Idam Brahma" (All this here is Brahman)