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An Early Indian Interpretive Puzzle: Vedic Etymologies as a Tool for Thinking

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Abstract

Etymologies are often encountered in Vedic prose, in Brāhmaṇas and early Upaniṣads. Though they have received a fair amount of scholarly attention, Vedic etymologies still present a challenge to interpreters. To respond to it, I critically review previous interpretations, and focus on three case studies, Aitareya Brāhmaṇa 1.1.2, Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.3, and Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.8. In my interpretation, I emphasize the need for a contextual reading, foreground Vedic etymologies’ complexity and sophistication, and call attention to the variety of purposes they serve to achieve as well as to Vedic etymologists’ agency. Supplementing conventional interpretations concentrating mostly on their religious-magical aspects, I describe Vedic etymologies as discursive devices used by Vedic authors to further their thoughts and agendas.

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Acknowledgements

I wish to thank the journal’s editor and the anonymous reviewer for several helpful comments.

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  1. Shanghai Normal University, Humanities and Communication College, Shanghai, China

    Paolo Visigalli

  2. New York University, Shanghai, China

    Paolo Visigalli

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Visigalli, P. An Early Indian Interpretive Puzzle: Vedic Etymologies as a Tool for Thinking. J Indian Philos 46, 983–1007 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10781-018-9372-4

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