bhaTTa

[Guest guest]

naga_ganesan wrote:

 

> > What is the root meaning of bhaTTha?

> > Is it IIr and/or IE?

> >

> > If not is it related to the name,

> > ambhaTTha in Dighanikaya?

 

The words bhaTa (soldier) and bhaTTa (scholar or lord) are

probably related.

 

BhaTTaaraka can mean the head of a religious institution.

It is still used for leaders of the Jain mathas. In

the past it was also used for heads of Buddhist, Shaiva

and Saura mathas. BhaTaarka was the name of the founder

of the Maitraka dynasty of Gujarat, who is assumed to

have been a general of the Guptas. Their Valabhi samvat

is same as the Gupta samvat. BhaTaarka is assumed to have

been a general of the Guptas.

 

Parama-Bhattaaraka was often used by sovereign kings

(as opposed to mandalikaas). Jains also use it to

sometimes to address Lord Mahavira.

 

AmbaTTHa in Dighanikaya is the personal name of a

proud (and rude) Brahmin. This name thus is not

likely to be related to the ambaSTha varNa-sankar

community. The stated origin of varNa-sankaras in

smritis is largely speculative and not based on any

historical information. For example, one can find

the origin of Yavanas and Romakas explained as

varna-sankaras.

 

Yashwant

[Guest guest]

INDOLOGY, ymalaiya wrote:

>

> AmbaTTHa in Dighanikaya is the personal name of a

> proud (and rude) Brahmin. This name thus is not

> likely to be related to the ambaSTha varNa-sankar

> community. The stated origin of varNa-sankaras in

> smritis is largely speculative and not based on any

> historical information. For example, one can find

> the origin of Yavanas and Romakas explained as

> varna-sankaras.

 

Note that ampaTTan2, pronounced as ambaTTan, is the

name for barbers. Compare ampaTTan2 with antaNan2/antaNaLAn2

where "am" acts as the prefix. taNan2/paTTan2 in tamil

means "the one calms/cools/quells" (of "spirits" etc.,).

 

That is why I was intrigued by the ambaTTha brahmin story

in the Dighanikaya.

 

Barbers all over South India act as priests (in weddings,

For eg., they play important role in Puri kings' weddings),

bards (the oral epics recorded from AP or TN are sung by

them), they do sorcery and magic, and animal-sacrifial specialists,

play musical instruments, (country) doctors... Their role resembles

the priests of ancient Near East in many ways. In Kerala,

(for example) Kerala Pandit Sangham is Barbers' association.

 

Compare the other name for barber in Tamil:

nAvican2/nAcuvan2. This is obviously meaning their

noble role in old society. nA = tongue,

iyan2(colloquial from is ican2) is added to

singer/musicians/performing_artistes

in sangam tamil texts all the time:

vayiriyan2, kOTiyan2, palliyan2, ceyiriyan2 - all refer

to musicians/dancers/bards in sangam poetry.

 

nAviyan2 = nAvican2 = Experts of singing = (barbers).

 

It looks when gotras like aangirasa were created, they

seem to have assimilated from the ancient bards (ampaTTan/nAviyan

....).

 

More later,

N. Ganesan