World
languages seem related to some extent. It is to be seen or understood by virtue
of words in them. Vindication of this statement surfaces suddenly in the course
of our knowledge-gathering. We have had
touched this aspect in some of our articles elsewhere in this Blog, say on place
name stems ‘Al or Ala’, ‘kuppe’, etc.
Here is one
more example.
Peculate
“Word of the
Day” in Dictionary.com of 5th March has sprung a surprise to
me. The word is ‘peculate’. It means: (1) to steal or take dishonestly
(money, especially public funds or properties entrusted to one’s care), (2)
embezzle. Other synonyms are:
misappropriate, forge, loot, defalcate, misuse and so on.
The word
‘peculate’ is derived from ‘peculatus’, which is, in turn, is derived from ‘peculatium’. It means ‘wealth in cattle’. The root noun is ‘pecu’. It is pronounced as ‘peku’ (‘c’ is pronounced
as ‘k’), meaning cattle and large cattle, domestic animals. The word entered English in 18th Century,
sometime in 1740-50.
Pecu versus
Pashu
A thought
has crept into my mind that this word has connection to Indian languages.
From this
‘pecu’, we get words, like:
Pecus:
Mindless group of people, cattle, sheep, rabble, mob
Pecuarius
= Sheep, Cattle
Pecunia = movable
property, riches, wealth, money.
Pecuniary = relating
to money, monetary
Peculiar = particular,
strange, abnormal, atypical, private (property)
‘Pecu’
Cognates in world languages
Latin ‘Pecu’
comes all but unchanged from Proto-Indo-European ‘Pek’, ‘peku’, having the
meaning of wealth, livestock, and movable property. It cognates with:
Sanskrit: Pashu (पशु) (Meaning Dhan = Wealth)
Lithuanian: Pekus
Proto-Germanic: Fehu or fehe
Germanic:
Vieh (In German ’V’ has the sound of ‘F’
(Valve is pronounced as Falfe – as understood from German technicians who came
for start-up of Plant of the company where I was working some time in 1969-70
and from some initial learning of German in late 1970s but not kept up).
Low German:
Veeh
Dutch: Vee
Old Norse
and Danish: Fae
Swedish: Faa
Armenian: ‘wunl’ (Asa) = fleece, wool
Old
English: Feoh (meaning cattle, goods,
money)
English: Fee
[Source: Dictionary.com, Collins English Dictionary,
Pecu – Wiktinary, quoting from sources, like Charles T. Lewis & Charles Short (1879) – A Latin Dictionary, Oxford, Claredon
Press & Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York, Harper & Brothers, pecu from Gaffiot, Felix (1934)]
Prakrit:
Pasu and Basu from Vasu = Treasure of
wealth
Kannada: Pashu, Pasu (Old Kannada), Hasu (new Kannada),
Dana (Compare dana (cow) with dhana (cash, wealth)
Tulu: Pasu (ಪಸು), Petta (ಪೆತ್ತ – ‘Pe’as in ‘Pen’,
‘tta’ in Sanskrit ‘vitta’ (वित्ता = Finance, Money). Cow or Petta is normally used for female cow. ‘’Pasu’ also means a docile and calm person
or a great or respected person.
Tamil: Perram
Telugu: ?
Malayalam: ?
Assamese: Pohu
Cow as symbol of wealth
Cow has been a symbol of wealth and holiness, even before the Vedic
age. Cowherds became kings because of
their cow-wealth. One who fought and won
battle for ownership of cows was called a ‘Dhananjaya’.
There were groups of traders, known as ‘Phanis’. They were mentioned as enemies of Devas in
Sanskrit scriptures (say Rig-Veda) as they were stealing cows of Brahmins.
Donation of cow with calves is considered as a donation of the highest
order. Kings used to donate cows to
hermitages of rishis.
In the Epic Mahabharata, we have the story of ‘gograhana yuddha’ (गोग्राहण युद्धा). By the ruse of ‘gograhana’,
Kauravas wanted to find out the place of hiding of Pandavas during the last one
year of their living in incognito as one of the conditions of punishment for
losing the Game of Dice with Kauravas.
On the last day of their secret stay in the Kingdom of Virata, Arjuna, remaining
incognito in the guise of Brihannala (a eunuch who taught art of dancing to
Uttara Kumari), fought the Kauravas and won the battle for Uttara Kumar, son of
Virata. This highlights significance of a cattle
wealth in a kingdom.
Story of Madhavi in Udyoga Parva of Mahabharata also highlights the
significance of domesticated horses as ‘property’. She was the beautiful daughter
of Yayati, King of Lunar clan, from Urvashi, an Apsara (Celestial woman). Madhavi was blessed by a sage that she would
always remain virgin and sacred even after giving birth to powerful sons. How she was traded by Galava, the disciple of
Sage Vishwamitra, a King turned ascetic in search of ‘Brahmajnana’, is a
strange story (morality of which is to be judged from the customs of those days). Hence Vishwamitra is called a ‘Mahabrahmana’. On insistence of Galava, Vishwamitra ordered
him to give 800 snow-white horses, each one having one black-coloured ear, as
Guru Dakshina (Fee given to Guru at the end of studies). Galava approached (on
the advice of Garuda) King Yayati, who did not have horses, fitting the
description. So, King offered his daughter with divine power of regaining
virginity after bearing sons only, to be pledged for collecting horses from
other kings. Galava got 200 horses from Ayodhya
King Haryaswa of Ikshuvaaku Dynasty, who was not having a son. Madhavi advised Galava to offer her to the
King for 200 horses and take her back after she bore a son (Vasuprada or
Vasumanas) for the King. This way,
Galava took further 200 horses each from Devodasa, King of Kashi, who got a son
named Pratadana) and King Ushinara of Bhojanagari. Living with him for a year she gave birth to
a son, who was named Shibi. Shibi was a
generous King and was famous for his steadfastness in upholding truth and
justice. Unable to procure remaining 200
horses of special kind, he returned to Vishwamitra and begged him to take
Madhavi in lieu of the remaining horses.
From Madhavi, Vishwamitra got a powerful son Ashtaka. When Madhavi was free after fulfilling the
wish of her father of helping Galava, she chose to remain an ascetic, living
in woods like a deer.
Conclusion
Is such word-comparison
at random a truth or a myth? Or is it a mere coincidence? We feel that such likeness or image is an
essential truth, masked by time and distance.
Harmony
between man and Nature with animals is the corner-stone of ecological balance. Nature is evergreen, as the story of Madhavi
symbolises. Madhavi means Lakshmi, the
Goddess of Wealth and spouse of Lord Vishnu and ever-beautiful like a creeper
with fragrant flower having honey. Cattle wealth is replaced by artificial
goods now. Man’s unbridled greed has
spoiled the atmosphere and water sources, threatening all types of lives of
this world.
Hosabettu
Vishwanath, Pune
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