n śyena 'falcon' from frozen Himalaya rebus aśani 'thunderbolt'آهن ګر āhan gar, کار کنده kār-kunda 'blacksmith, turner, director' and lo overflowing kāṇḍa pot, rebus lokhãḍ, 'copper tools, pots and pans'

Two vivid ancient imageries are gleaned from R̥gveda śyena and Ancient Near east Anzu (cognate ancu'iron' (Tocharian) and amśu'soma', aśani 'thunderbolt' rebus آهن ګر āhan gar, 'thunderbolt maker smith' metaphors; and 2) from overflowing pot on Indus Script hypertext and Ancient Near East hieroglyphs on cylinder seals and artifacts such as Gudea statue holding an overflowing pot. Evidencs for these two sets of abiding metaphors are presented in this monograph and metaphors deciphered in the context of metalwork wealth-accounting ledgers of artisans and seafaring merchants.

Overflow pot on Jasper cylinder seal, ANE (MetMuseum); overflow pot on m1656 Mohenjodaro pectoral

-- R̥gveda śyena (suparṇātmā brahma) aśani'thunderbolt'; aśaniḥ अशनिः m., f. [अश्नुते संहति, अश् अनि Uṇ 2.11] 1 Indra's thunderbolt; शक्रस्य महाशनिध्वजम् R.3.56. -2 Flash of lightning; अनुवनमशनिर्गतः Sk.; अशनिः कल्पित एष वेधसा R.8.47; अशनेरमृतस्य चोभयोर्वशिनश्चाम्बुधराश्च योनयः Ku.4.43. -3 A missile. अष्टचक्रां महाघोरामशनिं रुद्रनिर्मिताम् Mb.7.175.96. -4 The tip of a missile. -5 A sacrificial rite (अनुयाज) to kill an enemy. -6 A master. -Comp. -दण्डः The thunderbolt. निर्भिद्याशनिदण्डचण्डतरया चञ्चूवाधुना वक्षसि Nāg.4.27. -नि m. 1 Indra. -2 Fire. -3 Fire produced from lightning aśman अश्मन् 1 A stone; नाराचक्षेपणी- याश्मनिष्पेषोत्पतितानलम् R.4.77. -2 A hard stone, rock. -3 Flint. ततो$श्मसहिता धाराः संवृण्वन्त्यः समन्ततः Mb.3.143.19. -4 A cloud. -5 A thunderbolt. -6A mountain.-हन्मन् n. 1 a weapon of iron; Rv.7.14.5. -2 a stroke of the thunderbolt. (Apte). śyēnḥ श्येनः [श्यै-इनन् Uṇ.2.45] A hawk, falcon. śyai श्यै 1 Ā. (श्यायते, श्यान, शीत or शीन) To be congealed or coagulated. (Apte) cl.1 P. श्यायति , to cause to congeal or freeze S3Br. ; (A1.) श्यायते (Gr. also pf. शश्ये ; aor. अश्यास्त ;

fut. श्याता , श्यास्यते) , to go , move Dha1tup. xxii , 67 : Pass. शीयते , to congeal , freeze , be cold TS. TBr. : Caus. श्यापयति Gr.: Desid. शिश्यासते ib. : Intens.

शाश्यायते , शाश्येति , शाश्याति ib.(Monier-Williams) Hence, śyena 'falcon' is from frozen Himalaya mountain.

-- Hieroglyph:lo'overflow', kāṇḍa'sacred water'.rebus: lokhãḍ, 'copper tools, pots and pans'

-- Hieroglyph: fish-fin; hypertext: shoulder (from which waves, water overflows are shown on ANE artifacts) *skambha2 ʻ shoulder -- blade, wing, plumage ʼ. [Cf. *skapa -- s.v. *khavaka -- ]S. khambhu, ˚bho m. ʻ plumage ʼ, khambhuṛi f. ʻ wing ʼ; L. khabbh m., mult. khambh m. ʻ shoulder -- blade, wing, feather ʼ, khet. khamb ʻ wing ʼ, mult. khambhaṛā m. ʻ fin ʼ; P. khambh m. ʻ wing, feather ʼ; G. khā̆m f., khabhɔ m. ʻ shoulder ʼ.(CDIAL 13640) Rebus: Ta. kampaṭṭam

coinage, coin. Ma. kammaṭṭam, kammiṭṭam coinage, mint. Ka. kammaṭa id.;

kammaṭi a coiner. (DEDR 1236)

Hittite, seal, hare and two eagles, Boğazköy,, 1800 BC, Museum of Anatolian Civilisations, Ankara.
Hittite, seal, hare and two eagles, Boğazköy,, 1800 BC, Museum of Anatolian Civilisations, Ankara kharā 'hare' rebus: khār 'blacksmith' asani, syena ‘falcon’ rebus: aśani 'thunderbolt' آهن ګر āhan gar, کار کنده kār-kunda 'blacksmith, turner’.
kambha'wing' rebus: kammaṭa 'mint'.dula ‘pair’ rebus: dul ‘metal casting’

-- کار کند kār-kund (corrup. of Pکار کن) adj. Adroit, clever, experienced. 2. A director, a manager; (Fem.) کار کنده kār-kundaʿh. کار کول kār kawul, verb trans. To work, to labor, to trade; P کارستان kār-istān, s.m. (2nd) A place of work, a manufactory, an arsenal. Pl. کارستانونه kār-istānūnah. (Pashto) khāra खार 'blacksmith,iron worker' (Kashmiri) kāṇḍḥ ṇḍam काण्डः ण्डम् Water. निवृत्ताः काण्डचित्राणि क्रियन्ते दाशबन्धुभिः Rām.2.89.18. (Apte)

-- सु--पर्ण mf(/ई)n. having beautiful wings RV.; m. any large bird of prey (as a vulture , eagle ; also applicable to the sun or moon as " having beautiful rays " , and to सोमand clouds ; du. " sun and moon ") ib.; m. any mythical or supernatural bird (often identified with गरुड , and sometimes personified as a ऋषि , a देव-गन्धर्व , and an असुर) RV. TS. Ka1t2h. MBh.; m. a ray Naigh.; m. N. of the mother of गरुड or of the प्राजापत्य आरुणि सुपर्णेय BhP. Na1rUp.; m. = गरुडी MBh.;

m. the mother of सु-पर्ण Suparn2.; m. N. of one of the seven tongues of fire Gr2ihya1s. (Monie-Williams) sauparṇam सौपर्णम् Emerald. a. Relating to सुपर्ण bird or Garuḍa; सौपर्णमस्त्रं प्रतिसंजहार R.16.8 (Apte). सुपर्णकेतुः, पुं, (सुपर्णः केतौ यस्य ।) विष्णुः ।इति हलायुधः

https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/शब्दकल्पद्रुमः

Eagle, श्येन sēṇa, کار کنده kār-kunda, آهن ګر āhan gar, 'blacksmith' are Indus Script metalwork wealth मेधा 'yajña, धन' hypertexts

See: https://tinyurl.com/y8qnj9gu

Eagle, श्येन sēṇa, کار کنده kār-kunda are Indus Script metalwork wealth मेधा 'yajña, धन' hypertexts, signify آهن ګر āhan gar, 'blacksmith', maker of asaṇi, vajrāśani thunderbolt weapon, manager of kiln

The sacred double-headed temple has a temple in Sirkap, Takṣaśila. The double-headed eagle is an Indus Script hypertext to signify kār-kunda, 'manager of kiln', āhan gar, 'blacksmith', maker of asaṇi, vajrāśani 'Indra's thunderbolt' signified by श्येन 'm. a hawk , falcon , eagle , any bird of prey (esp. the eagle that brings down सोम to man)' RV. &c. It is veneration of the thunderbolt maker, blacksmith, āhan gar -- an expression derived from श्येन 'hawk' 1) attested in R̥gveda. .श्येन is name of a ऋषि (having the patr. आग्नेय and author of RV. x , 188; and 2) double eagles celebrated in Rāmāyaṇa: सम्-पाति m. N. of a fabulous bird (the eldest son of अरुण or गरुड and brother of जटायु) MBh. R. &c and जटायु m. N. of the king of vultures (son of अरुण and श्येनी MBh. ; son of गरुड R. ; younger brother of सम्पाति ; promising his aid to राम , out of regard for his father दश-रथ , but defeated and mortally wounded by रावण on attempting to rescue सीता) MBh. i , 2634 ; iii , 16043ff. and 16242ff R. i , iii f. Image result for meister shrine of eagle taxila

Image result for meister shrine of eagle taxila

Shrine of the Double Headed Eagle, Buddhist ruins of Sirkap in Punjab Province, Pakistan Stock Photo

Shrine of Two Headed Eagle, 2nd cent.BCE

Double-Headed Eagle Stupa, Sirkap, Taxila (UNESCO World Heritage List, 1980), Punjab, Pakistan, 2nd century BC : Stock Photo

Double-Headed Eagle Stupa, Sirkap, Taxila (UNESCO World Heritage List, 1980), Punjab, Pakistan, 2nd century BCE

http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo/pakistan-punjab-taxila-sirkap-shrine.html.

R̥gveda ākhyāna of śyena by Gautama, son of Rāhugaṇa who migrated to Karatoya, Ganga-Brahmaputra basin. Soma and the Eagle (Agni as śyena 'thunderbolt' ) -- Maurice Bloomfield (1892)

https://tinyurl.com/ycpf85x2

The devatā of r̥ca RV 4.26.4-7 is śyena (suparṇātmā brahma) and of r̥ca RV 4.27.1-5 is śyena. In some r̥ca-s of the two sukta-s, Indra and ātmā are the devatā.

Bloomfield tries to show that gāyatri, the eagle, is the sacerdotal name of Agni, the heavenly Agni (the lightning) who is the eagle. (See embedded: Contributions to the Interpretation of the Veda Maurice Bloomfield in: Journal of the American Oriental Society Vol. 16 (1896), pp. 1-42 Published by: American Oriental Society DOI: 10.2307/592485 Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/592485). This opinion of Bloomfield is consistent with the semantics: aśani‘thunderbolt’ cognate śyena‘falcon’, sena‘thunderbolt’. The semantics of aśani‘thunderbolt’ leads to the expression āhangar‘blacksmith’. (Pashto. Kashmiri)

Bloomfield also notes that divah śyena is a reference to Agni and that Agni is frequently spoken of as a bird (e.g., RV I.164.52). Thus, ‘the descent of the lightning is viewed as the cause of the descent of the ambrosial fluid, the Soma. VS VI.34: somo rājā ‘mr̥tam sutah‘king Soma when pressed becomes amr̥ta’. This means that the Soma (amsu) is guarded by the metallic iron castles. (A clear intimation of Soma as a reference to metal or mineral). The adjective somabhr̥t repeatedly used in Yajus-samhita and the Brahmana-s is a standing epithet of the eagle: ‘he who brings the soma’.

Griffith: RV VI.20.6: 6 As the Hawk rent for him the stalk that gladdens, he wrenched the head from Namuci the Dasa.

He guarded Nam, Sayyas' son, in slumber, and sated him with food, success, and riches.

Sayana/Wilson: RV 6.020.06 And the hawk bore to Indra the exhilarating Soma, when, bruising the head of the oppressor Namuci, and protecting the slumbering Nami, the son of Sapya, he provided, for the weeell-being (of the sage), riches and food.

Bloomfield translates this as: “churning for him the head of the demon Namuci, as did the eagle the intoxicating plant (from the cloud, or the heavens.)”

This r̥ca refers to śyena tearing away the amśu [a synonym of Soma-- the filament that gladdens --, a cognate of ancu 'iron' (Tocharian)]

The epithet सु-पर्ण applied to śyena evokes reference to m. any mythical or supernatural bird (often identified with गरुड , and sometimes personified as a ऋषि , a देव-गन्धर्व , and an असुर) RV. TS. Ka1t2h. MBh.;
m. N. of the mother of गरुड or of the प्राजापत्य आरुणि सुपर्णेय BhP. Na1rUp.; m. N. of one of the seven tongues of fire (गृह्यासंग्रह)(Monier-Williams)

Rsi of both sukta RV 4.26 and 4.27 is Vāmadeva Gautama. "Gautama is the son of Rāhugaṇa, belonging to the lineage of Angirasa. Gautama is the progenitor of the paternal Gautama gotra lineage. Gautama and Bharadvaja share a common ancestry, as they are both descended from Angirasa, and sometimes they are both bracketed together under the name Angirasa." A monograph has demonstrated that Videgha Māthava, and Gotama Rahugaṇa *(Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa) moved eastwards from Sarasvati River Basin towards করতোয়ানদী Karatoya river which is Sadānīra (Amara) and close to the tinbelt of the globe to unleash Tin-Bronze revolution (ca.4th m.BCE).

Amara Kośa asserts Sadānīra to be synonym of Karatoya River. See: सदानीरा स्त्री सदा नीरं पेयमस्याः । करतोयानद्याम् अमरः । “अथादौ कर्कटे देवी त्र्यहं गङ्गा रजस्वला । सर्वा रक्तवहा नद्यः करतोयाम्बुवाहिनी” स्मृत्युक्तेःतन्नदीजलस्य सदापेयत्वात् तस्यास्तथात्वम् । Source: https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/वाचस्पत्यम्

I suggest that Vāmadeva Gautama who is the son of Gotama Rahugaṇa of Angirasa gotra is in the lineage of the purve, 'ancient' yajñika who moved to the Ganga basin to acquire wealth through metallurgical processing of the iron ore and othermineral resources of the Ganga-Brahmaputra (Karatoya or Sadānīra) river basins. The prayers offered in RV 4.26 and 4.27 to śyena (suparṇātmā brahma) is a celebration of the wealth acquired by processing the iron ore and other mineral resources of the Ganga river basin through bahusuvarṇaka soma samsthā yajña-

The ākhyāna, itihāsa narrative in RV 4.27 refers to a गन्धर्व, called कृशानु"m. (fr. √कृश् for कृष्?) , " bending the bow " , N. applied to a good archer (connected with /अस्तृ , " an archer " , though sometimes used alone ; कृशानु , according to some , is a divine being , in character like रुद्र or identified with him ; armed with the lightning he defends the " heavenly " सोम from the hawk , who tries to steal and bear it from heaven to earth) RV. VS. iv , 27 AitBr. iii , 26.";'N. of अग्नि or fire वाजसनेयि-संहिता v , 32; शाङ्खायन-श्रौत-सूत्र vi , 12 , 3)'; (hence) fire (Sus3r. Ragh. Kum. Bhartr2.). This narrative of कृशानु as a gandharva reinforces the functions performed by gandharva as 'guardians' of Soma. See: Gāndharvī गान्धर्वी is Meluhha speech, 'musician'गान्धार 'guradians of Soma' metaphor explained on Indus Script are kharada 'daybook' chroniclers of metalwork wealth

https://tinyurl.com/ybzdx2f8

Griffith translation RV 4.26:

1. I WAS aforetime Manu, I was Surya: I am the sage Kaksivan, holy singer.
Kutsa the son of Arjuni I master. I am the sapient Usana behold me.
2 I have bestowed the earth upon the Arya, and rain upon the man who brings oblation.
I guided forth the loudlyroaring- waters, and the Gods moved according to my pleasure.
3 In the wild joy of Soma I demolished Sambaras' forts, ninety and nine—, together;
And, utterly, the hundredth habitation, when helping Divodasa Atithigva.
4 Before all birds be ranked this Bird, O Maruts; supreme of falcons be this fleetwinged- Falcon,
Because, strong- pinioned, with no car to bear him, he brought to Manu the Godloved oblation.
5 When the Bird brought it, hence in rapid motion sent on the wide path fleet as thought he
hurried.
Swift he returned with sweetness of the Soma, and hence the Falcon hath acquired his glory.
6 Bearing the stalk, the Falcon speeding onward, Bird bringing from afar the draught that gladdens,
Friend of the Gods, brought, grasping fast, the Soma which be bad taken from yon loftiest heaven.
7 The Falcon took and brought the Soma, bearing thousand libations with him, yea, ten thousand.
The Bold One left Malignities behind him, wise, in wild joy of Soma, left the foolish.

Translation of Sayana/Wilson: RV 4.26

4.026.01 I have been Manu and Su_rya; I am the wise r.s.i: Kaks.i_vat; I have befriended Kutsa, the son of Arjuni; I am the far-seeing Us'ana_s; so behold me. [Attributed to Va_madeva: the sage uttered the verse and the following two verses, while yet in the womb, knowledge of truth being generated in him, and enabling him to identify himself with universal existence; through the eye of supreme truth I am everything, parama_rtha dr.s.t.ya_ kr.tsnam aham asmityarthah, we have, thus, the statement of the pantheistic basis for Veda_nta].
4.026.02 I gave the earth to the venerable (Manu); I have bestowed rain upon the mortal who presents (oblations); I have let forth the sounding waters; the gods obey my will. [To the venerable Manu: the text has only a_ryaya; Ma_nave is added].
4.026.03 Exhilarated (by the Soma beverage) I have destroyed the ninety and nine cities of S'ambara, the hundredth I gave to be occupied by Divoda_sa when I protected him, Atithigva, at his sacrifice.
4.026.04 May this bird, Maruts, be pre-eminent over (other) hawks, since with a wheelless car the swift-winged bore the Soma, accepted by the gods, to Manu. [With a wheelless car: acakraya_ vadhaya_ = cakrarahitena rathena, with a car without wheels; the text has havyam, this is a metonymy for the Soma, which is said to have been brought from heaven by the ga_yatri_, in the form of a hawk; by the hawk, we are to understand the supreme spirit, parabrahma].
4.026.05 When the bird, intimidating (its guardians), carried off from hence (the Soma) it was at large; (flying) swift as thought along the vast path (of the firmament), it went rapidly with the sweet Soma, and the hawks thence acquired the celebrity in this world.
4.026.06 The straight-flying hawk, conveying the Soma from afar; the bird, attended by the gods, brought, resolute of purpose, the adorable exhilarating Soma, having taken it from that lofty heaven.
4.026.07 Having taken it, the hawk brought the Soma with him to a thousand and ten thousand sacrifices, and this being provided, the performer of many (great) deeds, the unbewildered (Indra) destroyed, in the exhilaration of the Soma, (his) bewildered foes.

Griffith translation RV 4.27: 1. I, As I lay within the womb, considered all generations of these Gods in order.

A hundred iron fortresses confined me but forth I flew with rapid speed a Falcon.
2 Not at his own free pleasure did he bear me: he conquered with his strength and manly courage.
Straightway the Bold One left the fiends behind him and passed the winds as he grew yet more
mighty.
3 When with loud cry from heaven down sped the Falcon, thence hasting like the wind he bore the
Bold One.
Then, wildly raging in his mind, the archer Krsanu aimed and loosed the string to strike him.
4 The Falcon bore him from heavens' lofty summit as the swift car of Indras' Friend bore Bhujyu.
Then downward hither fell a flying feather of the Bird hasting forward in his journey.
5 And now let Maghavan accept the beaker, white, filled with milk, filled with the shining liquid;
The best of sweet meath which the priests have offered: that Indra to his joy may drink, the Hero,
that he may take and drink it to his rapture.

Translation by Sayana/Wilson RV 4.27:

4.027.01 Being still in the germ, I have known all the births of these divinities in their order; a hundred bodies of metal confined me, but as a hawk I came forth with speed. [i.e., until the sage comprehended the differences between the body and soul, and learned that soul was unconfined, he was subject to repeated births; but in this stage he acquired divine knowledge, and burst through the bonds with the force and celeriy of a hawk from its nest; va_madeva s'yena ru_pam a_stha_ya garbha_d yogena nihsr.tah = Va_madeva, having assumed the form of a hawk, came forth from the womb by the power of Yoga (Ni_timan~jari)].

4.027.02 That embryo did not beguile me into satisfaction, but by the keen energy (of divine wisdom), I triumphed over it; the impeller of all, the sustainer of many, abandoned the foes (of knowledge), and, expanding, passed beyond the winds (of worldly troubles). [The impeller of all: the parama_tma_, or supreme spirit; beyond the winds: the vital airs, or life, the cause of worldly existence, which is pain].
4.027.03 When the hawk screamed (with exultation) on his descent from heaven, and (the guardians of the Soma) perceived that the Soma was (carried away) by it then, the archer of Kr.s'a_nu, pursuing with the speed of thought, and stringing his bow, let fly an arrow against it.
4.027.04 The straight-flying hawk carried off the Soma from above the vast heaven, as (the As'vins carried off) Bhujyu from the region of Indra, and a falling feather from the middle of the bird dropped from him wounded in the conflict. [antah parn.am tan madhye sthitam; one nail of the left foot and the shaft was broken by the collision, the fragments of the nail became the quills of the fretful porcupine, those of the arrow, water-snakes, flying foxes, and worms].
4.027.05 Now may Maghavan accept the pure nutritious (sacrificial) food in a white pitcher, mixed with milk and curds, offered by the priests; the upper part of the sweet (beverage) to drink for his exhilaration; may the hero accept (it) to drink for (his) exhilaration.

Contributions to the Interpretation of the Veda Maurice Bloomfield in: Journal of the American Oriental Society Vol. 16 (1896), pp. 1-42 Published by: American Oriental Society DOI: 10.2307/592485 Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/592485

According to Louis Renou, the immense Rigvedic collection is present in nuce in the themes related toSoma. Rigveda mentions amśu as a synonym of soma. The possibility of a link with Indus writing corpora which is essentially a catalog of stone-, mineral-, metalware, cannot be ruled out.

George Pinault has found a cognate word in Tocharian, ancu which means 'iron'. I have argued in my book, Indian alchemy, soma in the Veda, that Soma was an allegory, 'electrum' (gold-silver compound). See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2011/10/itihasa-and-eagle-narratives.html for Pinault's views on ancu, amśu concordance.

The link with the Tocharian word is intriguing because Soma was supposed to come from Mt. Mujavant. A cognate of Mujavant is Mustagh Ata of the Himalayan ranges in Kyrgystan.

Is it possible that the ancu of Tocharian from this mountain was indeed Soma?

The referemces to Anzu in ancient Mesopotamian tradition parallels the legends of śyena 'falcon' which is used in Vedic tradition of Soma yajña attested archaeologically in Uttarakhand with a śyenaciti, 'falcon-shaped' fire-altar.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2011/11/syena-orthography.html śyena, orthography, Sasanian iconography. Continued use of Indus Script hieroglyphs.

Comparing the allegory of soma and the legend of Anzu, the bird which stole the tablets of destiny, I posit a hypothesis that the tablets of destiny are paralleled by the Indus writing corpora which constitute a veritable catalog of stone-, mineral- and metal-ware in the bronze age evolving from the chalcolithic phase of what constituted an 'industrial' revolution of ancient times creating ingots of metal alloys and weapons and tools using metal alloys which transformed the relation of communities with nature and resulted in the life-activities of lapidaries transforming into miners, smiths and traders of metal artefacts.

Syena-citi: A Monument of Uttarkashi The first layer of one kind of śyenaciti or falcon altar described in the Śulbasūtras, made of 200 bricks of six shapes or sizes, all of them adding up to a specified total area.

Distt.EXCAVATED SITE -PUROLA Geo-Coordinates-Lat. 30° 52’54” N Long. 77° 05’33” E Notification No& Date;2742/-/16-09/1996The ancient site at Purola is located on the left bank of river Kamal. The excavation yielded the remains of Painted Grey Ware (PGW) from the earliest level alongwith other associated materials include terracotta figurines, beads, potter-stamp, the dental and femur portions of domesticated horse (Equas Cabalus Linn). The most important finding from the site is a brick alter identified as Syenachiti by the excavator. The structure is in the shape of a flying eagle Garuda, head facing east with outstretched wings. In the center of the structure is the chiti is a square chamber yielded remains of pottery assignable to circa first century B.C. to second century AD. In addition copper coin of Kuninda and other material i.e. ash, bone pieces etc and a thin gold leaf impressed with a human figure tentatively identified as Agni have also been recovered from the central chamber.http://asidehraduncircle.in/uttarkashi.html

KV Sarma mentions:

“Pravara Sena I, who is placed around at 275 AD to 335 AD by the authors Ramesh Chandra Majumdar and Anant Sadashiv Altekar in this book, is said to have conducted all Yajnams successfully including the most difficult Vajapeya Yajnam, after which he was given the title “Samrat”, which can be loosely translated to Emperor in English.

Pravarasena I (275 - 335 AD) performed Athirathra Yajnam

While dates of Pravarasena I, Vakatakas and Gupta dynasty is a topic of huge controversy and discussion, one cannot disprove the argument that Pravarasena conducted Athirathram and other Yajnams.

See: https://vivekitam.wordpress.com/2011/04/19/athirathram-a-perspective-2/

Battles of śyena, 'eagle' to obtain Soma, wherein ayojālāni 'nets of iron' are pierced through and won over by गरुडी सुपर्णी to recover ambrosia, amr̥tam (metaphor for Soma).

There are two rebus readings of śyena, 'eagle' rebus 1) śeṇvi 'general', 2) sena 'thunderbolt'.

These semantics of thunderbolt weapon and commanding an army, may explain the later-day association of gaṇḍa bheruṇḍa'double-eagle' hypertext to signify royalty and sovereignty.(as for e.g.on the Karnataka state emblem). gaṇḍa 'hero' PLUS भेरुण्ड mf(आ)n. (often v.l. भेरण्ड) terrible , formidable , awful MBh.; m. a species of bird MBh. Hcar.भेरुण्डा f. N. of a goddess (= काली) (Monier-Williams)

kambha'wing' rebus: kammaṭa'mint' PLUS kola'tiger' rebus; kol 'working in iron' PLUS baḍhia = a castrated boar, a hog; rebus: baḍhi 'artisans who work both in iron and wood' PLUS śyena, 'eagle' rebus 1) śeṇvi 'general', 2) sena 'thunderbolt'. (i.e. gaṇḍa 'hero' PLUS भेरुण्ड 'formidable').

"Bronze Ax Head from Bactria, ca. 2000 BCE.....Bird-headed , boar and dragon, c.2300-1900 BCE.....A Magnificent and Highly Important Bactrian Silver and Gold Foil Shaft.....This shaft-hole axhead is a masterpiece of three-dimensional and relief sculpture. Expertly cast in silver and gilded with gold foil, it depicts a bird-headed hero grappling with a wild boar and a winged dragon. The idea of the heroic bird-headed creature probably came from western Iran, where it is first documented on a cylinder seal impression. The hero's muscular body is human except for the bird talons that replace the hands and feet. He is represented twice, once on each side of the ax, and consequently appears to have two heads. On one side, he grasps the boar by the belly and on the other, by the tusks. The posture of the boar is contorted so that its bristly back forms the shape of the blade. With his other talon, the bird-headed hero grasps the winged dragon by the neck. The dragon, probably originating in Mesopotamia or Iran, is represented with folded wings, a feline body, and the talons of a bird of prey.......Source: Shaft-hole axhead with a bird-headed demon, boar, and dragon [Central Asia (Bactria-Margiana)] (1982.5) | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art"

http://balkhandshambhala.blogspot.in/2012/12/bactrian-seals.html

Image result for shaft-hole axe bharatkalyan97

On this artifact, eagle,

sēṇa, کار کنده kār-kunda are Indus Script hypertexts,signify āhan gar, b'lacksmith', maker of asaṇi,vajrāśani thunderbolt weapon, manager of kiln. The pair of eagle-heads signify dula'pair' rebus:dul'metal casting'. Thus,metal casting blacksmith. The winged tiger: kola'tiger' rebus: kol 'working in iron'kolhe'smelter' PLUS kambha'wing' rebus: kammata'mint'. baḍhia 'a castrated boar, a hog'(Santali) বরাহ barāha 'boar' Rebus: baḍhi 'worker in wood and iron' (Santali) bāṛaï 'carpenter' (Bengali) bari 'merchant' barea 'merchant' (Santali) vāḍhī, 'one who helps a merchant. Thus, the hypertexts on the silver gold foil shaft-hole axe constitute metalwork catalogues.

Shaft-hole axhead with a double-headed eagle ligatured to a human body, boar,and winged tiger, late 3rd–early 2nd millennium BCE Central Asia (Bactria-Margiana) Silver, gold foil; 5 7/8 in. (15 cm) “Western Central Asia, now known as Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and northern Afghanistan, has yielded objects attesting to a highly developed civilization in the late third and early second millennium B.C. Artifacts from the region indicate that there were contacts with Iran to the southwest. Tools and weapons, especially axes, comprise a large portion of the metal objects from this region. This shaft-hole axhead is a masterpiece of three-dimensional and relief sculpture. Expertly cast in silver and gilded with gold foil, it depicts a bird-headed hero grappling with a wild boar and a winged dragon. The idea of the heroic bird-headed creature probably came from western Iran, where it is first documented on a cylinder seal impression. The hero's muscular body is human except for the bird talons that replace the hands and feet. He is represented twice, once on each side of the ax, and consequently appears to have two heads. On one side, he grasps the boar by the belly and on the other, by the tusks. The posture of the boar is contorted so that its bristly back forms the shape of the blade. With his other talon, the bird-headed hero grasps the winged dragon by the neck. The dragon, probably originating in Mesopotamia or Iran, is represented with folded wings, a feline body, and the talons of a bird of prey.”

baḍhia 'a castrated boar, a hog'(Santali) বরাহ barāha 'boar' Rebus: baḍhi 'worker in wood and iron' (Santali) bāṛaï 'carpenter' (Bengali) bari 'merchant' barea 'merchant' (Santali) vāḍhī, 'one who helps a merchant (Hemacandra Desinamamamala).

bārakaśa 'seafaring vessel'.
The pronunciation variants in the semantics related to 'boar' are explained by:
ஓடாவி ōṭāvi, n. prob. ஓடம்¹ + ஆள்வி. 1. Shipwright, boat builder; மரக்கலஞ் செய்வோன். (W.) 2. Carpenter; தச்சன்.ōṭam, n. < ஓடு-. cf. hōḍa. [T. K. Tu. oḍa, M. ōḍam.] 1. Boat, ferry-boat; தோணி. (திவா.) 2. Raft, float, vessel of any kind; மிதவை. (W.) 3. The tenth nakṣatra; மகநாள். (இராசவைத்) 4. Weavers' shuttle; நெசவுநாடா. (யாழ். அக.) 5. A song in the boatman's tune; ஓடப்பாட்டு.ōṭa-p-pāṭṭu , n. < ஓடம்¹ +. Boat song; கப்பற்பாட்டு. Ta. ōṭam boat, raft, float, vessel; ōṭāvi shipwright, boatbuilder. Ma. ōṭam boat; ōṭāyi shipbuilders; ōṭi a large seaboat (long and narrow, chiefly from the Laccadives). Ka. ōḍa boat. Tu. ōḍa id. Te. ōḍa ship, vessel. Pa. ōḍa boat, trough. Go. (M.) ōḍa, (Ko. S.) ōṛa boat (Voc. 437); (Pat.) oda (i.e. ōḍa) donga. / Cf. Skt. hoḍa- boat, raft; Turner, CDIAL, no. 14174. The IA words are probably < Dr.; Parpola 1977-78, pp. 243 ff. (DEDR 1039) hōḍa m. ʻ raft, boat ʼ lex. [← Drav., Kan. ōḍa., &c. DED 876]H. hoṛī f., holā m. ʻ canoe, raft ʼ; G. hoṛī f. ʻ boat ʼ; M. hoḍī f. ʻ canoe made of hollowed log ʼ. -- See uḍupa -- .Addenda: hōḍa -- : Md. oḍi ʻ large kind of boat ʼ ← Drav.(CDIAL 14174) ōḍra1 m. ʻ a tribe of Śūdras ʼ Mn., ʻ name of a people ʼ MBh., uḍra -- , auḍ°. 2. auḍrika -- ʻ of that people ʼ. [S. Lévi JA 1923, 20 ff., EWA i 132]1. Pk. oḍḍa* -- , uḍ° m. ʻ the land of Utkala ʼ, uḍḍa -- m. ʻ a caste of well -- diggers ʼ; S. oḍru m. ʻ a caste that make mud walls, blockhead ʼ, L. oḍ̠ m.; P. oḍ m. ʻ a tribe that clear out watercourses or build houses ʼ; Ku. oṛ, woṛ ʻ mason ʼ, N. oṛ; Or. oṛa ʻ an aboriginal inhabitant of Orissa ʼ; G. oḍ m. ʻ a caste of Hindus who dig and carry earth and build mud houses ʼ.2. oḍḍia -- ʻ pertaining to Utkala ʼ; B. oṛiyā, uṛ° ʻ an inhabitant of Orissa ʼ, Or. oṛiā, Bhoj. oṛiyā; EH. (Chattisgarh) oṛiyā m. ʻ navvy ʼ.ōḍradēśa -- .Addenda: ōḍra -- 1 ʻ a tribe of Śūdras ʼ Mn.: WPak.kṭg. ōḍ m. ʻ carpenter, name of a caste ʼ; Garh. oḍ ʻ mason ʼ.(CDIAL 2549) ōḍradēśa ʻ land of the Oḍras ʼ MW. [ōḍra -- 1, dēśá --] Or. oṛisā ʻ Orissa ʼ, H. uṛīsā m.(CDIAL 2551) [Note: the seafaring Bharatam Janam of ōḍradēśa are the seafarers who celebrate Baliyatra every year on Karthik Purnima day in memory of their contributions to Hinduised states of the Far East (pace George Coedes' wok in French Les états hindouisés d'Extrême-Orient. These are the ancient dharma-dhamma savants who spread Bauddham in Sri Lanka and in the Ancient Far East.]

Gold sheet and silver, Late 3rd/early 2nd millennium B.C.E.

L. 12.68 cm. Ceremonial Axe Baktria,Northern Afghanistan http://www.lessingimages.com/search.asp?a=L&lc=202020207EE6&ln=Collection+George+Ortiz%2C+Geneva%2C+Switzerland&p=1 "The whole cast by the lost wax process. The boar covered with a sheet of gold annealed and hammered on, some 3/10-6/10 mm in thickness, almost all the joins covered up with silver. At the base of the mane between the shoulders an oval motif with irregular indents. The lion and the boar hammered, elaborately chased and polished. A shaft opening - 22 holes around its edge laced with gold wire some 7/10-8/10 mm in diameter - centred under the lion's shoulder; between these a hole (diam: some 6.5 mm) front and back for insertion of a dowel to hold the shaft in place, both now missing.

Condition: a flattening blow to the boar's backside where the tail curled out and another to the hair between the front of his ears, his spine worn with traces of slight hatching still visible, a slight flattening and wear to his left tusk and lower left hind leg. A flattening and wear to the left side of the lion's face, ear, cheek, eye, nose and jaw and a flattening blow to the whole right forepaw and paw. Nicks to the lion's tail. The surface with traces of silver chloride under the lion's stomach and around the shaft opening." https://www.flickr.com/photos/antiquitiesproject/4616778973

This note suggests that the place names in India of Dharwad and Ib are related to nearby iron ore regions and lived in by iron workers. The names are derived from two etyma streams: 1 dhāū, dhāv m.f. ʻa partic. soft red stoneʼ.

This suggestion is premised on a Marathi gloss (Prakritam, Meluhha pronunciation) cognate withdhātu: dhāū, dhāv m.f. ʻa partic. soft red stoneʼ (Marathi) dhāˊtu n. ʻ substance ʼ RV., m. ʻ element ʼ MBh., ʻ metal, mineral, ore (esp. of a red colour) ʼ Mn., ʻ ashes of the dead ʼ lex., ʻ *strand of rope ʼ (cf. tridhāˊtu -- ʻ threefold ʼ RV., ayugdhātu -- ʻ having an uneven number of strands ʼ KātyŚr.). [√dhā]Pa. dhātu -- m. ʻ element, ashes of the dead, relic ʼ; KharI. dhatu ʻ relic ʼ; Pk. dhāu -- m. ʻ metal, red chalk ʼ; N. dhāu ʻ ore (esp. of copper) ʼ; Or. ḍhāu ʻ red chalk, red ochre ʼ (whence ḍhāuā ʻ reddish ʼ; M. dhāū, dhāv m.f. ʻ a partic. soft red stone ʼ (whence dhā̆vaḍ m. ʻ a caste of iron -- smelters ʼ, dhāvḍī ʻ composed of or relating to iron ʼ); -- Si. dā ʻ relic ʼ; -- S. dhāī f. ʻ wisp of fibres added from time to time to a rope that is being twisted ʼ, L. dhāī˜ f.(CDIAL 6773) whence dhā̆vaḍ m. ʻa caste of iron -- smeltersʼ, dhāvḍī ʻ composed of or relating to iron ʼ); dhātu n. ʻ substance ʼ RV., m. ʻ element ʼ 2. ib 'iron' kara +iba, karba 'iron'. For example, the place name Dharwad is relatable to dhāvaḍ 'iron-smelters'. Archaeological explorations near Dharwad and Ib may indicate evidences for iron smelting.

This etymon indicates the possible reading of the tall flagpost carried by kneeling persons with six locks of hair: baTa 'six' Rebus: bhaTa 'furnace'. Associated with nAga 'serpent' Rebus: nAga 'lead'

"

Emblem in Mysuru palace.

Roof sculpture, Rameśvara temple,

Decorative motif in the ceiling of Br̥hadīśvara temple

Base for a ritual offering, carved with animals Elamite period, mid-3rd millennium BCE
Tell of the Acropolis, Susa, Iran Bituminous rock H. 19 cm; Diam. 11 cm Jacques de Morgan excavations, 1908 Lions and gazelles passant; eagles protecting their young Sb 2725
This base for a ritual offering is made of bitumen. This material was plentiful throughout the Middle East, but only in Susa was it used in sculpture. The object is carved with big cats, gazelles, and eagles. The theme of the eagle spreading its wings to protect its young was found only in Iran and also features on painted ceramics of the same period.
Bitumen: a plentiful material used in an unusual manner
This object in the form of a truncated cone is a base for a ritual offering. It is carved from bituminous rock, found throughout the region but used in sculpture only in Susa. It was used to make vases similar to this object (Louvre, Sb2726), and later, in the early years of the 2nd millennium BC, vases carved with bas-relief decorations and an animal's head in high relief (Louvre, Sb2740). The shape of this object - a truncated cone - is similar to other pieces made of chlorite and dating from the same period. The mortise at the top of the cone and the unfinished lip suggest that the object originally had a second part that fitted on top of the cone. However, the precise purpose of the object remains a mystery.
The animal carvings
The cone is carved with two registers separated by a narrow strip. The upper register is decorated with two gazelles calmly grazing on vegetation, represented by stalks between each animal. Alongside the two gazelles are two big cats, almost certainly lions, with their backs to each other. Their stylized manes are shown as vertical strips, reminiscent of those of the woolen Mesopotamian garments known as kaunakes. Their tails are raised horizontally over their backs, similar to depictions of lions on cylinders from Uruk or Susa. Their heads are depicted in geometrical form. All four animals are shown in profile. The artistic desire to create a scene and a landscape imbued with life is also evident in two cylinders from Uruk and Khafaje.
The lower register shows two highly stylized eagles, upright, as if resting on their tail feathers. Their wings and talons are spread to protect the chicks beneath them. These eagles differ somewhat from the usual representation of eagles as the attribute of the Sumerian god Ningirsu, where the birds are depicted with a lion's head, holding two lion cubs, which are shown face on.
Mythological creatures or carvings of local wildlife?
Eagles were a major theme in Susian and Mesopotamian art. This depiction of an eagle resting on its tail feathers is also found in ceramics, glyptics, and perforated plaques dating from the 3rd millennium BC. However, unlike Mesopotamian eagles, Susian eagles never resembled composite animals. Likewise, Mesopotamian eagles had a mythological dimension, which was absent from Susian portrayals of the bird. In Susa, eagles were simply considered ordinary birds of prey.
Bibliography
Amiet Pierre, Élam, Auvers-sur-Oise, Archée, 1966, p. 166, fig. 119.
Les quatre grandes civilisations mondiales. La Mésopotamie entre le Tigre
et l'Euphrate, cat. exp., Setagaya, musée d'Art, 5 août-3 décembre 2000, Fukuoka, musée d'Art asiatique, 16 décembre 2000-4 mars 2001, Tokyo, NHK, 2000, pp. 214-215.

http://www.louvre.fr/en/oeuvre-notices/base-ritual-offering-carved-animals

Sumer of Anzu, the eagle is compared with śyena-amśu (soma) of Rigveda. Similarities are striking indeed and should provide a pause to an understanding of the bronze-age recorded in the many metaphors and hieroglyphs (such as the overflowing vase of Gudea, discussed in http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/06/ancient-near-east-indus-writing-lokhad.html Ancient near East Gudea statue hieroglyph (Indus writing): lokhãḍ, 'copper tools, pots and pans' Rebus: lo 'overflow', kāṇḍa 'sacred water'.

The parallels of metaphors/imageries are so vivid that a relationships between the people who narrated the exploits of heroes of Sumer and the exploits of Indra narrated in the Rigveda have to be deep indeed and cannot be explained away as mere coincidences.

Anzu stole the tablet of destinies. Śyena of Rigveda brought the amśu (soma) from the heavens. Anzu is derived from An "heaven" and Zu "to know", in Sumerian language.

See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2011/09/decipherment-of-soma-and-ancient-indo.htmlSoma-haoma, *sauma ? somnakay ! samanom ! *haeusom-

French scholar, Prof. Pinault identifies amśu of Rigveda with anzu of Tocharian. In Tocharian it means 'iron'. Tocharin language as an Indo-European language has revealed a word anzu in Tocharian which meant 'iron'. It is likely that this is the word used for soma in Rigveda. The imagery of an eagle stealing soma also occurs in ancient Indian texts. There is a hymn to śyena in Atharvaveda (7.41).

A synonym of soma is amśu. śyena, the hawk has brought the soma from the heaven.

श्येन आसां अदितिः कक्ष्यो मदों विज्वारस्य याजतस्य मायिनः
सं अन्यं अन्यं अर्थयन्थ्येतवे विदुर्विष्आणं परिपानं RV 5.44.11

5.044.11 Swift is the excessive and girth-distending inebriation of Viśvavārā, Yajata and Māyin; (by partaking) of these (juices) they urge one another to drink; they find the copious draught the prompt giver of intoxication. [Swift is...inebriation: śyena āsām aditih kakṣyo madah: śyena = śīghra, quick; aditi = atisamṛddhah; āsām = of these, Soma juices; mada = intoxication, is the devata_ of the verse].

उत स्मास्य द्रवतस्तुरण्यतः पर्णं न वेरनु वाति प्रगर्धिनः श्येनस्येव ध्रजतो अङ्कसम्परि दधिक्राव्णः सहोर्जा तरित्रतः RV 4.40.3

4.40.03 And after him who is quick-going, hastening, eager (to arrive at his gold, men) follow (as other birds pursue) the flight of a swift (bird) striving together to keep up by the side of Dadhikrāvaṇ the transporter (of others) as swift as a hawk. [Yajus. 9.15; after him who is: asya dravatas turaṇyatah parṇam nādādhāram urah pradeśam vā of Dadhikrāvaṇ, together with strength, or for the sake of strength together, enabling to cross; an:kasam pari = a horse's trappings, the cloth, tail, vastracamarādikam, over all his body, which fly open as the horse gallops, like the wings of a bird, the horse has the speed of a hawk].

Vāmadevagautama sings the following rca-s for śyena:

प्र सु श विभ्यो मरुतो विरस्तु प्र श्येनः श्येनेभ्य आशुपत्वा अचक्रया यात स्वधया सुपर्णो हव्यं भरन्मनवे देवजुष्टं (RV 4.26.4)

4.26.4 May this bird, Maruts, be pre-eminent over (other) hawks, since with a wheelless car the swift-winged bore the Soma, accepted by the gods, to Manu. [With a wheelless car: acakrayā vadhayā = cakrarahitena rathena, with a car without wheels; the text has havyam, this is a metonymy for the Soma, which is said to have been brought from heaven by the gāyatrī, in the form of a hawk; by the hawk, we are to understand the supreme spirit, parabrahma].

Alternative: Before you measure this falcon, O Maruts, supreme is this swift-winged Shyena, strongly self-possessed with no one to bear him, That One brought to Manu the wholesome offerings.Explanation: It is impossible to measure the comprehensive energy existing in That One, who as swift-moving falcon envelops and pervades far distant places. In earlier days Manu, who was effulgent with Bliss, the essence of That One, was provided with wholesome offerings. Seer seems to suggest that even as Manu earlier, with whom he has established companionship, he too now should be the beneficiary of the choice offerings.

भरद्यदि विरतो वेविजानः पथोरुणा मनोजवा असर्जि तूयं ययौ मधुना सोम्येनोत श्रवो विविदे श्येनो RV 4.26.5

4.26.5 When the bird, intimidating (its guardians), carried off from hence (the Soma) it was at large; (flying) swift as thought along the vast path (of the firmament), it went rapidly with the sweet Soma, and the hawks thence acquired the celebrity in this world.

Alternative: When the bird brought in rapid movements and sent the swift thoughts on widespread Path, the same were returned with sweetness of Bliss, the Falcon in that process attaining brilliance. Explanation: Bird is the energy that elevates the thought fastest moving in universe, with swiftness of a falcon, unless it is with difficulty restrained. The thoughts imbibe the bliss of That One, the falcon, in that process shining with resplendence.

ऋजीपी श्येनो ददमानो अम्शुम्परावतः शकुनो मन्द्रं मदं सोमं भरद्दादृहाणो देवावान्दिवो अमुश्मा दुद्दरादआदाय RV 4.26.6

4.26.6 The straight-flying hawk, conveying the Soma from afar; the bird, attended by the gods, brought, resolute of purpose, the adorable exhilarating Soma, having taken it from that lofty heaven.

Alternative: Climbing above holding the thought and the bird bringing the draught that gladdens, the Falcon spreads upward. Comrade of the luminous beings clutching Soma which the birds had brought it rises to the loftiest heavens.
Explanation: Noble thoughts elevate the soul upward and ignoble ones relegate it downward. As the thoughts become energetic with bliss brought by birds from the heavens, the falcon takes elevates them thus enriched with the Bliss of Beatitude, the loftiest of heavens.

आदाय श्येनो अभारत्सोमं सहस्रं सवा अयुतं च साकं अत्रा पुरन्धिरजहाद अरातीर मदे सोमस्य मूरा अमूरः RV 4.26.7

4.26.7 Having taken it, the hawk brought the Soma with him to a thousand and ten thousand sacrifices, and this being provided, the performer of many (great) deeds, the unbewildered (Indra) destroyed, in the exhilaration of the Soma, (his) bewildered foes.

Alternative: Providing Soma bearing thousand libations, yes, ten thousand libations Shyena the falcon bringing it from above offers it down here on earth. Therein, the courageous ones leave all the malignant ones behind, the wise with wild ecstasy, leaving the unwise far behind.Explanation: That One, the falcon brings luminous libations from above and offers them here down below to those who deserve. The enlightened bold ones leave the malignant ones far behind, wise becomes wild with abundance and the timid sinking in scarcity. [Source for the alternative renderings of 4.26.4 to 7: http://nageshsonde.com/Rigveda_A_Study_on_Forty_Hymns.pdf]

Vāmadevagautama continues the prayer to śyena in the next Sūkta:

गर्भे नु सन्नन्वेषां अवेदं अहं देवानां जनिमानि विश्वा शतं मा पूर आयासीराराक्षन्नध श्येनो जवसा निरदीयं RV 4.27.1

4.27.1 Being still in the germ, I have known all the births of these divinities in their order; a hundred bodies of metal confined me, but as a hawk I came forth with speed. [i.e., until the sage comprehended the differences between the body and soul, and learned that soul was unconfined, he was subject to repeated births; but in this stage he acquired divine knowledge, and burst through the bonds with the force and celerity of a hawk from its nest; Vāmadevaśyena rūpam āsthāya garbhād yogena nihsṛtah = Vāmadeva, having assumed the form of a hawk, came forth from the womb by the power of Yoga (Nītimañjari)].

न घा स मां अप जोषं जभाराभीं आस त्वक्षसा वीर्येण ईर्मा पुरंधिरआजहादरातीरुत वाता अतरच्छू शुवानः RV 4.27.2

4.27.2 That embryo did not beguile me into satisfaction, but by the keen energy (of divine wisdom), I triumphed over it; the impeller of all, the sustainer of many, abandoned the foes (of knowledge), and, expanding, passed beyond the winds (of worldly troubles). [The impeller of all: the paramātmā, or supreme spirit; beyond the winds: the vital airs, or life, the cause of worldly existence, which is pain].

अव यच्छ्येनो अस्वनीदध द्योर्वि यद् यदि वात ऊहुः पुरन्धिं सुजद्यदस्मा अव हा क्षिपज्ज्यां कुशानुरस्ता मनसा भरण्यन् RV 4.27.3

4.27.3 When the hawk screamed (with exultation) on his descent from heaven, and (the guardians of the Soma) perceived that the Soma was (carried away) by it then, the archer of Kṛśānu, pursuing with the speed of thought, and stringing his bow, let fly an arrow against it. [Note: śankha Kṛśānu is a conch-shell cutter.]

ऋजिप्य ईं इन्द्रावतो न भुज्युम श्येनो जभार बृहतो अधि ष्णोः अन्तः पतत्पतत्र्यस्य पर्णं अध यामनि प्रसितस्य तद्वेः RV 4.27.4

4.27.4 The straight-flying hawk carried off the Soma from above the vast heaven, as (the Aśvins carried off) Bhujyu from the region of Indra, and a falling feather from the middle of the bird dropped from him wounded in the conflict. [antah parṇam tan madhye sthitam; one nail of the left foot and the shaft was broken by the collision, the fragments of the nail became the quills of the fretful porcupine, those of the arrow, water-snakes, flying foxes, and worms].

अध श्वेतं कलशं गोभिरं आपिप्यानं मघवा शुक्रमन्धः अध्वर्युभिः प्रयातं मध्वो अग्रम इन्द्रो मदाय प्रत्पिबध्यै शूरो मदाय प्रति धत्पिबध्यै RV 4.27.5

4.027.05 Now may Maghavan accept the pure nutritious (sacrificial) food in a white pitcher, mixed with milk and curds, offered by the priests; the upper part of the sweet (beverage) to drink for his exhilaration; may the hero accept (it) to drink for (his) exhilaration.

आवर्त्या शुन आन्त्राणि पेचे न देवेषु विविदे मर्डितारं अपश्यं जायां अमहॆयमानां अधा मे श्येनो मध्वाजभरि RV 4.18.13

4.18.13 In extreme destitution I have cooked the entrails of a dog; I have not found a comforter among the gods; I have beheld my wife disrsepected; then the falcon, (Indra), has brought to me sweet water. [In extreme destitutuin: So Manu has, Vāmadeva, who well knew right and wrong, was by no means rendered impure, though desirous when oppressed with hunger, of eating the flesh of dogs for the preservation of his life; icchan attum, wishing to eat; the text has śuno āntrāṇi pece, I cooked the entrails of a dog; the falcon: i.e., as swift as a hawk, śyena vat śīghragāmīndrah]. [Sūkta 18: Ṛṣi vāmadeva, while yet in the womb, was reluctant to be born and chose to come into the world through his mother's side; aware of his purpose, the mother prayed to Aditi, who thereupon came, with her son Indra, to expostulate with the Ṛṣi; this is the subject of the Sūkta].

The Sūkta's of Ṛṣi vāmadeva are brilliant evocations of the deeds of Indra, the thunder-bolt wielder and repeatedly evoke the memories enshrined in the Sumerian relief sculptures.

Enmetena silver vase

Tripod silver vase of Enmetena, dedicated to the war god Ningirsu. The legs are made of copper. The vase features an image of Anzud, the lion-headed eagle, grasping two lions with his talons.

The image of Anzud shows up better in this old photograph. Anzud (also known as Imdugud) was the symbolic animal of Ningirsu. The image of Anzud with the two lions seems to be symbolic of the city of Lagash.

Another view of the silver vase of Enmetena

Enlarge.

The dedicatory inscriptions wrap around the neck of the vase:

Enlarge.

Translation of the inscriptions from the CDLI (P222539):

For Ningirsu, the hero of Enlil,
Enmetena, ruler of Lagash,
chosen by the heart of Nanshe,
chief ruler of Ningirsu,
son of Enannatum, ruler of Lagash,
for the king who loved him, Ningirsu,
(this) gurgur-vessel of refined silver,
from which Ningirsu will consume the monthly oil (offering),
he had fashioned for him.
For his life, before Ningirsu of the Eninnu (temple)
he had it set up.
At that time Dudu

was the temple administrator of Ningirsu. http://sumerianshakespeare.com/70701/74901.html

It is the rock from which the eagle brought Soma (RV 4.26, 27). श्येन [p= 1095,2] m. a hawk , falcon , eagle , any bird of prey (esp. the eagle that brings down सोम to human beings on the terrestrial domain) RV. &c; firewood laid in the shape of an eagle S3ulbas. The eagle is like a lightning flash (thunderbolt) from the castle of iron. Yes, Soma from the castle of iron, embedded in the filament-filled pyrite or a bed of transparent quartz needles -- amśu.

The references to Saēna’ in Avestan cognate śyēna mr̥ga (Samskr̥tam) find many representations on Indus Script hypertexts, at times referring to the bird as Anzu (a memory-recall of amśu 'Soma' > ancu 'iron' (Tocharian).

Indus Script hypertexts and meanings in Meluhha speech, in reference to the following images:

pañja 'feline paw' rebus: pañja 'kiln, furnace'

kola 'tiger' rebus: kol 'working in iron' kolhe 'smelter'

pajhar 'eagle' rebus: pasra 'smithy'

eraka 'wing' rebus: eraka 'moltencast, copper' arka 'gold'

dhangar 'bull' Rebus: dhangar 'blacksmith'

arye 'lion' rebus: āra 'brass'

Image result for eagle bull man tell-al-ubaid

Limestone

H. 14 cm; W. 14 cm

Tell al-Ubaid (Iraq)

Early Dynastic III

B15606 (T.O. 288)

dāmra, damrā ʻ young bull (a.)(CDIAL 6184). K. ḍangur m. ʻbullockʼ (CDIAL 5526).

Rebus: Ḍhangar ‘blacksmith’ (H.) dang 'mountain range' rebus: dhangar 'blacksmith'kol ‘tiger’; rebus: kol ‘smithy’. eṟaka ‘wing’ (Telugu) Rebus: eraka ‘copper’. Thus, the ligatured glyph denotes: copper smithy -- pasra. cf. pajhar 'eagle' (Santali)

Limestone plaque with relief-carved depiction of a human-faced bison, with its front hooves on a plant sprouting from a rocky outcropping or mountain. A lion-headed (eagle-like) bird of prey on the bison’s back--the mythical anzû--bites its haunch.

[quote] The bison’s body is in profile, its face forward. The stylization of the animal’s shoulder as an undulating band and the inward-curving tufts of hair on the fetlocks are typical of the late Early Dynastic period. The three overlapping semi-circles that form the rocky outcropping or mountain are reminiscent of the cuneiform sign signifying both mountain and foreign land and suggestive of a natural setting for the action depicted in the distant highlands. The lion-headed bird of prey’s folded wings, neck and tail are rendered with a grid of incised lines.

The square plaque described here is from Woolley’s 1923-24 excavations in front of Tell al-Ubaid’s late Early Dynastic temple platform (see INTRODUCTION: Tell al-Ubaid). Woolley focused his efforts on the northwest side of the central stair ramp. The plaque was relatively high in the mudbrick debris from the collapse of the platform’s superstructure and in close proximity to an inlay panel depicting milking scenes and rows of cattle. In fact, B15606 was just under and against a section of the frieze with shell figures of five bulls facing right and may have originally been attached to it. With the plaque (but detached from it), were the remains of a copper border similar to that of the inlay panels. The background of the plaque had been painted black to match the dark color of the bituminous limestone background of the inlay panels.

The human-faced bison, Sumerian (gud) alim or Akkadian kusarikku, is associated with the sun-god Utu/Shamash, perhaps in part because it inhabited the eastern mountains from which the sun rose. An Akkadian cylinder seal from Susa in fact depicts the sun god rising above two addorsed recumbent human-faced bisons in place of the stylized mountains that normally mark his abode. And in a hymn the sun god is likened to a bison, “ Lord, bison, striding over the mountain, Utu, bison, striding over the mountain.”

The mythical anzû, who nests in the high mountains, is a seemingly benevolent creature, at least in early texts and imagery. For example, in the mythical narrative Lugalbanda and the Anzû -bird, composed in the late 3rd millennium BCE, when the anzû-bird returned from hunting to find his nest embellished like a god’s dwelling, with his chick adorned and fed, the anzû exulted in his own role as intermediary to Enlil

I am the prince who decides the destiny of rolling rivers. I keep on the straight and narrow path the righteous who follow Enlil's counsel. My father Enlil brought me here. He let me bar the entrance to the mountains as if with a great door. If I fix a fate, who shall alter it? If I but say the word, who shall change it? Whoever has done this to my nest, if you are a god, I will speak with you, indeed I will befriend you. If you are a man, I will fix your fate. I shall not let you have any opponents in the mountains. You shall be 'Hero-fortified-by-Anzû'.

Anzû was Enlil’s symbol, and depictions of the anzû with wings outstretched over antithetical animals symbolic of other deities probably reflects Enlil’s all-encompassing power. The anzû -relief from Tell al-Ubaid, then, would depict Enlil over the stags associated with Ninhursag. Anzû’s close association with Ningirsu, Enlil’s son and warrior and Lagash’s tutelary deity, is evident at Tello (Girsu), both in texts and imagery in Early Dynastic-Ur III periods. On Eannatum’s Stele of the Vultures, for example, Ningirsu’s battle net is held closed by the anzû and antithetical lions, Ningursu’s animals, while a macehead, currently in the British Museum (BM 23287), dedicated to Ningirsu for the life of Enannatum shows the anzû grasping lions. In Gudea’s Cylinders Ningirsu’s temple Eninnu had the epithet “white anzû,” perhaps a reference to some significant architectural embellishment such as Urnamma affixed to the gates of Enlil’s Ekur.

But the anzû was a complex creature and one portrayed as more troublesome in later literary compositions. The Epic of Anzû, which exists in copies dating to the early 2nd millennium BCE, tells the tale of a malevolent anzû who steals the “tablet of destinies” and is eventually slain by Ninurta. Though Akkadian seals, showing a bird-man brought before Enki, may depict excerpts from this story, suggesting that at least in certain traditions the anzû was thought of as a creature with a dual—benevolent and malevolent--character already at the end of the 3rd millennium BCE, their reading remains a matter of controversy.

Whatever the complexity of the mythology regarding the anzû, the imagery of B15606, on which the anzû is shown in overtly aggressive behavior toward an animal of the mountains, associated with the sun god, remains perplexing. Similar scenes occur on shell inlays from Tello and Ur, as well as Tell Mardikh (Ebla) in western Syria. For example, one end panel of the Royal Standard of Ur shows the anzû attacking recumbent human-faced bisons on each side of a mountain from which a plant grows. Such scenes may reflect the menacing behavior of the anzû to men and gods, but more likely depict the anzû’s normal behavior in its natural habitat. B15606’s juxtaposition with scenes of herding and milking cattle, then, could be read as contrasting the settled conditions of a “civilized” floodplain with life in the mountains, where, as Lugalanda and the Anzû describes, bulls ran wild and the anzû hunted to feed its offspring. [unquote]

Richard L. Zettler

http://www.worldartmuseum.cn/content/918/4095_1.shtml

Carved horn cup showing Anzud, the lion-headed eagle, attacking a bull/man

http://sumerianshakespeare.com/106901.html

The archer who shot at the falcon is कृशानु [p= 306,1] m. (fr. √कृश् for कृष्?) , " bending the bow " , N. applied to a good archer (connected with /अस्तृ , " an archer " , though sometimes used alone ; कृशानु , according to some , is a divine being , in character like रुद्र or identified with him ; armed with the lightning he defends the " heavenly " सोम from the hawk , who tries to steal and bear it from heaven to earth) RV. VS. iv , 27 AitBr. iii , 26; N. of अग्नि or fire VS. v , 32 S3a1n3khS3r. vi , 12 3; (hence) fire Sus3r.

Ragh. Kum. Bhartr2.; N. of विष्णु VarBr2S. xliii , 54; of a गन्धर्व (Monier-Williams) कृशानुः kṛśānuḥ कृशानुः [कृश् आनुक्; Uṇ.4.2] Fire; गुरोः कृशानुप्रति- माद्बिभेषि R.2.49;7.24;1.74; Ku.1.51; Bh.2.17. -Comp. -यन्त्रम् (= अग्नियन्त्रम्) a cannon; अथ सपदि कृशा- नुयन्त्रगोलैः ......Śiva. B.28.85. -रेतस् m.an epithet of Śiva. (Apte)

A कृशानु is a conch-cutter who makes conch bangles.

Image result for conch bangle maker bharatkalyan97

A bangle-maker from Bengal, cutting turbinella pyrum. The heavy bronze ‘shell-cutter’s saw’ is shaped like a bow of an archer. The cutter is śankha-kr̥śānu.

Marduk, sun god of Babylon, with his thunderbolts pursues Anzu after Anzu stole the Tablets of Destiny. (cf. Marut in Rigveda associated with storms and winds comparable to Anzu or Imdugud associated with storms). Battle between Marduk (Bel) and the Dragon. Drawn from a bas-relief from the Palace of Ashur-nasir-pal, King of Assyria, 885-860 B.C., at Nimrûd. [Nimrûd Gallery, Nos. 28 and 29.]

Marduk is a remembered memory of Indra. Anzu, the eagle is the remembered protector,śyena, the hawk, who brought amśu (anzu) from the heavens to the people working with fire-altars in yajña-s.

नवं नु स्तोमं अग्नये दिवः श्येनाय जीजनं वस्वः क विद वनाति नः RV 7.15.4
7.15.4 May Agni, to whom as to a (swift) hawk in heaven, I address this new hymn, bestow upon us ample wealth. Alternative: 1 have begotten this new hymn for Agni, falcon of the Sky: will he not give us of his wealth? (Griffith trans.)(Note: "As mediator between the realms of men and of the gods, the characteristics of flight are often Agni's. As divine eagle or falcon (śyena) he is depicted in the Agnicayana (Yajur Veda), the ritual construction of a 10,800 brick fire-altar in the form of a flying bird. The iron fort with a hundred walls in stanza 14 below perhaps recalls the eagle's soma-theft in Rig Veda, IV, 26 and 27."

Griffith translation: RV 7.15:
1. OFFER oblations in his mouth, the bounteous Gods' whom we must serve.

His who is nearest kin to us:
2 Who for the Fivefold Peoples' take hath seated him in every home
Wise, Youthful, Master of the house.3 On all sides may that Agni guard our household folk and property;May he deliver us from woe.4 I have begotten this new hymn for Agni, Falcon of the sky:Will he not give us of his wealth?5 Whose lories when he glows in front of sacrite are fair to see,Like wealth of one with hero sons.6 May he enjoy this hallowed gift, Agni accept our songs, who bears
Oblations, best of worshippers.

7 Lord of the house, whom men must seek, we set thee down, O Worshipped One!
Bright, rich in heroes, Agni! God
8 Shine forth at night and morn: through thee with fires are we provided well.Thou, rich in heroes, art our Friend.9 The men come near thee for their gain, the singers with their songs of praise:
Speech, thousandfold, comes near to thee.

10 Bright, Purifier, meet for praise, Immortal with refulgent glow,
Agni drives Raksasas away.

11 As such, bring us abundant wealth, young Child of Strength, for this thou canst
May Bhaga give us what is choice.
12 Thou, Agni, givest hero fame: Bhaga and Savitar the God,And Did give us what is good.13 Agni, preserve us from distress: consume our enemies, O God,Eternal, with the hottest flames.14 And, irresistible, be thou a mighty iron fort to us,With hundred walls for mans' defence.15 Do thou preserve us, eve and morn, from sorrow, from the wicked men,Infallible! by day and night.

Translation: Sayana/Wilson:RV VII.15.14:7.015.14 Do you, who are irresistibel, be to us, for the protection of our posterity, like the vast spacious, metal-walled cities (of the ra_ks.asas).

I suggest that RV 7.15.14 is explained in Rāmāyaṇa araṇya kāṇḍa 3.35.35 in reference to ayojālāni, which are pierced through by

गरुड to obtain ambrosia (Soma) from palace of Indra.

sa tena tu praharSeNa dviguNii kR^ita vikramaH |
amr̥ta aanayanaartham vai cakaara matimaan matim || 3-35-34
When his valour has become twice as much with that happiness that heedful Garuḍa indeed resolved to bring ambrosia from heaven. [3-35-34]
ayo jaalaani nirmathya bhittvaa ratna gr̥ham varam |
mahendra bhavanaat guptam aajahaara amrtam tataH || 3-35-35
Smashing the guard of iron-grid completely and crashing the unbreakable diamond -like strongroom in which the ambrosia is safeguarded, then Garuḍa carried off ambrosia from the palace of Indra. [3-35-35] (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, araṇya kāṇḍa)

http://www.valmikiramayan.net/aranya/sarga35/aranya_35_frame.htm

[quote]Zu, also known as Anzu and Imdugud, in Sumerian, (from An "heaven" and Zu "to know", in the Sumerian language) is a lesser divinity of Akkadian mythology, and the son of the bird goddess Siris. He was conceived by the pure waters of the Apsu and the wide Earth.[1] Both Zu and Siris are seen as massive birds who can breathe fire and water, although Zu is alternately seen as a lion-headed eagle (cf: The Griffin). Zu as a lion-headed eagle, ca. 2550–2500 BC, Louvre Anzu was a servant of the chief sky god Enlil, guard of the throne in Enlil's sanctuary, (possibly previously a symbol of Anu), from whom Anzu stole the Tablet of Destinies, so hoping to determine the fate of all things. In one version of the legend, the gods sent Lugalbanda to retrieve the tablets, who in turn, killed Anzu. In another, Ea and Belet-Ili conceived Ninurta for the purpose of retrieving the tablets. In a third legend, found in The Hymn of Ashurbanipal, Marduk is said to have killed Anzu. [unquote] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zu_(mythology) See: http://www.sacred-texts.com/ane/blc/blc08.htm

[quote] In Mesopotamian mythology, the Tablet of Destinies - Dup Shimati in Sumerian - (not, as frequently misquoted in general works, the 'Tablets of Destinies') was envisaged as a clay tablet inscribed with cuneiform writing, also impressed with cylinder seals, which, as a permanent legal document, conferred upon the god Enlil his supreme authority as ruler of the universe. In the Sumerian poem 'Ninurta and the Turtle' it is the god Enki, rather than Enlil, who holds the tablet. Both this poem and the Akkadian Anzû poem share concern of the theft of the tablet by the bird Imdugud (Sumerian) or Anzû (Akkadian). Supposedly, whoever possessed the tablet ruled the universe.In the Babylonian Enuma Elish, Tiamat bestows this tablet on Qingu (in some instances spelled "Kingu") and gives him command of her army. Marduk, the chosen champion of the gods, then fights and destroys Tiamat and her army. Marduk reclaims the Tablet of Destinies for himself, thereby strengthening his rule among the gods.The tablet can be compared with the concept of the Me, divine decrees.
[unquote] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tablet_of_Destiny

Sennacherib and the Tablet of Destinies
Author(s): A. R. George
Source: Iraq, Vol. 48 (1986), pp. 133-146
Published by: British Institute for the Study of Iraq
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4200258 .
http://www.scribd.com/doc/149113821/Senna-Cherib-Tablet-of-Destinies-A-R-George-1986

Senna Cherib & Tablet of Destinies : A. R. George (1986)

Legend of Anzu which stole the tablets of destiny and allegory of soma

Senth century BCE cylinder seal found in Israel depicting the battle of Ninurta and Anzu. Nili Wazana, in a brilliant exposition on Anzu and Ziz asks and tentatively answers the question: "Were the Israelites acquainted with the Epic of Anzu?" She cites this rendering of a seventh century BCE cylinder seal portraying the battle of Ninurta and Anzu, discovered in Israel.http://www.jtsa.edu/documents/pagedocs/janes/2009/wazana_janes31.pdf

Alternative: Ninurta with his thunderbolts pursues Anzû stealing the Tablet of Destinies from Enlil's sanctuary (Austen Henry Layard Monuments of Nineveh, 2nd Series, 1853). AN.ZU could mean "heavenly eagle" derived from गरुडी सुपर्णी which carries off ambrosia from the palace of Indra.(Rāmāyaṇa araṇya kāṇḍa 3.35.35).

“On the mountainside Anzu and Ninurta met … Clouds of death rained down, an arrow flashed lightning. Whizzed the battle force roared between them.“ Anzu Epic, tablet 2,in S. Dalley, Myths from Mesopotamia (Oxford - New York, 1989), p. 21. One narration reads: Marduk, sun god of Babylon, with his thunderbolts pursues Anzu after Anzu stole the Tablets of Destiny. Note: The tablets of destiny may be a reference to Indus writing corpora which were veritable stone-, mineral-, metal-ware catalogs.

इन्दु m. ( √ उन्द् Un2. i , 13 ; probably fr. इन्द् = √ उन्द् , " to drop " [see [p= 165,3] , and cf. /इन्द्र] ; perhaps connected with बिन्दु , which last is unknown in the ऋग्-वेद BRD. ), Ved. a drop (especially of सोम) , सोम RV. AV. VS.; the point on a die AV. vii , 109 , 6; a coin L. (In the ब्राह्मणs , इन्दु is used only for the moon ; but the connexion between the meanings " सोम juice " and " moon " in the word इन्दु has led to the same two ideas being transferred in classical Sanskrit to the word सोम , although the latter has properly only the sense " सोम juice.") (Monier-Williams). I suggest that this word 'indu' and semantics 'juice' for 'molten metal''drop''point on a die' is the root for the Sumerian IM.dugud. "The name of the mythological being usually called Anzû was actually written in the oldest Sumerian cuneiform texts as 𒀭𒉎𒈪𒄷 (AN.IM.MI^mušen; the cuneiform sign 𒄷, or mušen, in context is an ideogram for "bird"). In texts of the Old Babylonian period, the name is more often found as AN.IM.DUGUD^mušen. In 1961, Landsberger argued that this name should be read as "Anzu", and most researchers have followed suit. In 1989, Thokild Jacobsen noted that the original reading of the cuneiform signs as written (giving the name "^dIM.dugud") is also valid, and was probably the original pronunciation of the name, with Anzu derived from an early phonetic variant. Similar phonetic changes happened to parallel terms, such as imdugud (meaning "heavy clay") becoming ansuk. Changes like these occurred by evolution of the im to an (a common phonetic change) and the blending of the new n with the following d, which was aspirated as dh, a sound which was borrowed into Akkadian as z or s." (Jacobsen, T. (1989). God or Worshipper. Pp. 125-130 in Holland, T.H. (ed.), Studies In Ancient Oriental Civilization no. 47. The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago.).

गरुड m. ( √2. गॄ Un2. iv , 155 , " devourer " , because गरुड was perhaps originally identified with the all-consuming fire of the sun's rays) , N. of a mythical bird (chief of the feathered race , enemy of the serpent-race [cf. RTL. p.321] , vehicle of विष्णु [cf. RTL. pp. 65 ; 104 ; 288] , son of कश्यप and विनता ; shortly after his birth he frightened the gods by his brilliant lustre ; they supposed him to be अग्नि , and requested his protection ; when they discovered that he was गरुड , they praised him as the highest being , and called him fire and sun MBh. i , 1239 ff. ; अरुण , the charioteer of the sun or the personified dawn , is said to be the elder [or younger cf. RTL. p.104] brother of गरुड ; स्वाहा , the wife of अग्नि , takes the shape of a female गरुडी =सुपर्णी MBh. iii , 14307 and 14343) (सुवर्णप्रभास Taittirīya āraṇyaka x , 1 , 6 MBh. &c)

Mulavarman's yupa inscription of East Borneo notes: बहुसुवर्णक, bahusuvarṇaka 'yielding plenty of gold', Soma Samsthā yāga.

Stone mace head, front and back: A votive offering to a temple; it is too large to have been used as a weapon. Anzud is also known as Imdugud.

http://sumerianshakespeare.com/106901.html

British Museum. Stone mace head Kingdom of Lagash, about 2400-2300 BCE Possibly from Tello (ancient Girsu), southern Iraq

Inscribed head of a mace with Imdugud (Anzu) and Enannatum, the British Museum, London.
Image result for anzu ancient near east

Sumer. Sculptural friezes.

Copper friezeImdugud (also Zu or Anzu), the lion-headed eagle, grasping a pair of deer; Sumerian metalwork (sheets of copper), Temple of Ninhursag at Tell al-'Ubaid; ca. 2500 BCE http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Imdugud.jpg.

From the temple of Ninhursag, Tell al-'Ubaid, southern Iraq

About 2600-2400 BCE A rare metalwork survival

[quote] This relief was one of a group of objects found at the small site of Tell al-'Ubaid, close to the remains of the city of Ur. It was discovered at the base of a mud-brick platform on which had been built a temple dedicated to the goddess Ninhursag.

The frieze may have originally stood above the door of the temple, and if so, is the most striking element of what survives of the temple façade. The frieze was badly damaged when it was found. Only one stag's head was recovered intact and the head of the eagle had to be restored. This restoration, based on images of similar date, shows the lion-headed eagle Imdugud, the symbol of the god Ningirsu. The artist has allowed the lion head to break out of the confines of the framework, suggesting Imdugud's great power.

The relief is formed from sheets of copper alloy beaten into shape and fastened, with pins and twisted lengths of copper, to a wooden core coated with bitumen. The survival of such a large piece of metalwork from this period is exceptional. Though copper, probably from the regions of modern Oman and Iran, was the most widely-used metal at this time, most metal objects have either disintegrated or the metal was melted down and re-used. [unquote]

H.W.F. Saggs, Babylonians (London, The British Museum Press, 1995)

D. Collon, Ancient Near Eastern art (London, The British Museum Press, 1995)

M. Roaf, Cultural atlas of Mesopotamia (New York, 1990)

H.R. Hall and C.L. Woolley, Ur Excavations, vol. I: Al-Uba(London, Oxford University Press, 1927) http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/me/c/copper_frieze.aspx

Stone mace head, front and back: A votive offering to a temple; it is too large to have been used as a weapon. Anzud is also known as Imdugud.

http://sumerianshakespeare.com/106901.html

Fragment of an Iranian Chlorite Vase decorated with the lion headed eagle (Imdugud) found in the temple of Ishtar during the 1933 - 1934 fieldwork by Parrot. Dated 2500 - 2400 BC. Louvre Museum collection AO 17553.

Zu or Anzu (from An 'heaven' and Zu 'to know' in Sumerian language), as a lion-headed eagle, ca. 2550–2500 BCE, Louvre. Votive relief of Ur-Nanshe, king of Lagash, representing the bird-god Anzu (or Im-dugud) as a lion-headed eagle. Alabaster, Early Dynastic III (2550–2500 BCE). Found in Telloh, ancient city of Girsu. H. 21.6 cm (8 ½ in.), W. 15.1 cm (5 ¾ in.), D. 3.5 cm (1 ¼ in.)

(Anzu bird's wings ligatured to a tiger's face, flanked by two strident lions).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Relief_Im-dugud_Louvre_AO2783.jpg .

Ta. eruvai a kind of kite whose head is white and whose body is brown; eagle. Ma. eruva eagle, kite.(DEDR 818). Rebus: eruvai ‘copper’ (Tamil) PLUS kambha 'wing' rebus: kammata 'mint' PLUS kola 'tiger' rebus: kol 'working in iron' kolhe 'smelter' PLUS arye 'lion'āra 'brass'.

Sculptural frieze. stūpa of Sanchi, second half of 2nd century BCE (Kramrisch,1954, pic13)

m0451A

m0451B

Text 3235

m0451A,B Text3235 h166A,B Harappa Seal; Vats 1940, II: Pl. XCI.255. http://www.metmuseum.org

eṟaka ‘wing’ (Telugu) Rebus: erako ‘molten cast’ (Tulu) loa ‘ficus’; rebus: loh ‘copper’. pajhar ‘eagle’; rebus: pasra ‘smithy’. पाजिकः A falcon (Skt.)

ḍato = claws of crab (Santali) ḍato ‘claws or pincers (chelae) of crabs’; ḍaṭom, ḍiṭom to seize with the claws or pincers, as crabs, scorpions; ḍaṭkop = to pinch, nip (only of crabs) (Santali) Rebus: dhātu = mineral (Skt.) kamaṭha crab (Skt.) Rebus: kammaṭa = portable furnace (Te.) kampaṭṭam coiner, mint (Ta.)

Peg ‘khuṇṭa’; rebus: kūṭa ‘workshop’ khũṭi = pin (M.) kuṭi= smelter furnace (Santali) konḍu मूलिकादिघर्षणवस्तु m. a washerman's dressing iron (El. kunḍh); a scraper or grater for grating radishes, or the like; usually ˚ -- , the second member being the article to be grated, as in the following: -- kȧnḍi-mujü घर्षिता मूलिका f. grated radish, but mujĕ-konḍu, a radish-grater (cf. mujü). (Kashmiri) *khuṭṭa1 ʻ peg, post ʼ. 2. *khuṇṭa -- 1. [Same as *khuṭṭa -- 2? -- See also kṣōḍa -- .]1. Ku. khuṭī ʻ peg ʼ; N. khuṭnu ʻ to stitch ʼ (der. *khuṭ ʻ pin ʼ as khilnu from khil s.v. khīˊla -- ); Mth. khuṭā ʻ peg, post ʼ; H. khūṭā m. ʻ peg, stump ʼ; Marw. khuṭī f. ʻ peg ʼ; M. khuṭā m. ʻ post ʼ.2. Pk. khuṁṭa -- , khoṁṭaya -- m. ʻ peg, post ʼ; Dm. kuṇḍa ʻ peg for fastening yoke to plough -- pole ʼ; L. khū̃ḍī f. ʻ drum -- stick ʼ; P. khuṇḍ, ḍā m. ʻ peg, stump ʼ; WPah. rudh. khuṇḍ ʻ tethering peg or post ʼ; A. khũṭā ʻ post ʼ, ṭi ʻ peg ʼ; B. khũṭā, ṭi ʻ wooden post, stake, pin, wedge ʼ; Or. khuṇṭa, ṭāʻ pillar, post ʼ; Bi. (with -- ḍa -- ) khũṭrā, rī ʻ posts about one foot high rising from body of cart ʼ; H. khū̃ṭā m. ʻ stump, log ʼ, ṭī f. ʻ small peg ʼ (→ P.khū̃ṭā m., ṭī f. ʻ stake, peg ʼ); G. khū̃ṭ f. ʻ landmark ʼ, khũṭɔ m., ṭī f. ʻ peg ʼ, ṭũ n. ʻ stump ʼ, ṭiyũ n. ʻ upright support in frame of wagon ʼ, khū̃ṭṛũn. ʻ half -- burnt piece of fuel ʼ; M. khũṭ m. ʻ stump of tree, pile in river, grume on teat ʼ (semant. cf. kīla -- 1 s.v. *khila -- 2), khũṭā m. ʻ stake ʼ, ṭī f. ʻ wooden pin ʼ, khũṭaḷṇẽ ʻ to dibble ʼ.Addenda: *khuṭṭa -- 1. 2. *khuṇṭa -- 1: WPah.kṭg. khv́ndɔ ʻ pole for fencing or piling grass round ʼ (Him.I 35 nd poss. wrong for ṇḍ); J. khuṇḍā m. ʻ peg to fasten cattle to ʼ. (CDIAL 3893) Vikalpa: pacar = a wedge driven ino a wooden pin, wedge etc. to tighten it (Santali.lex.) pasra = a smithy, place where a black-smith works, to work as a blacksmith; kamar pasra = a smithy; pasrao lagao akata se ban:? Has the blacksmith begun to work? pasraedae = the blacksmith is at his work (Santali.lex.)

khareḍo = a currycomb (G.) Rebus: kharādī ‘ turner’ (G.)

sēṇa 'eagle' Indus script hieroglyph, senmurv (Ancient Persian) are Ancient Near East intimations of (army) weapon-making, smelting ores.

Field symbol 1: पोळा [ pōḷā ] 'zebu, bos indicus taurus' rebus: पोळा [ pōḷā ] 'magnetite, ferrite ore: Fe3O4'

Field symbol 2: seṇa 'falcon' rebus: seṇa, aśani 'thunderbolt', āhan gar 'blacksmith' PLUS kambha 'wing' rebus: kammaṭa 'mint, coiner, coinage[Metwork catalogues: ferrite ore, blacksmith mint] Alternate titles: sēnāpati m. ʻ leader of an army ʼ AitBr. [sḗnā -- , páti -- ]Pa. sēnāpati -- , °ika -- m. ʻ general ʼ, Pk. sēṇāvaï -- m.; M. śeṇvaī, °vī, śeṇai m. ʻ a class of Brahmans ʼ, Ko. śeṇvi; Si. senevi ʻgeneralʼ.(CDIAL 13589) Vikalpa: eruvai ‘eagle’ rebus: eruvai ‘copper’

Text 3235

loa 'ficus glomerata' Rebus: loha 'copper, iron'. PLUS karṇī  ‘ears’ rebus: karṇī 'supercargo, scribe' [supercargo in charge of copper, iron ores]

kuṭila ‘bent’ CDIAL 3230 kuṭi— in cmpd. ‘curve’, kuṭika— ‘bent’ MBh. Rebus: kuṭila, katthīl = bronze (8 parts copper and 2 parts tin) cf. āra-kūṭa, 'brass'  Old English ār 'brass, copper, bronze' Old Norse eir 'brass, copper', German ehern 'brassy, bronzen'. kastīra n. ʻ tin ʼ lex. 2. kastilla -- .1. H. kathīr* m. ʻ tin, pewter ʼ; G. kathīr n. ʻ pewter ʼ.2. H. (Bhoj.?) kathīl, °lā m. ʻ tin, pewter ʼ; M. kathīl n. ʻ tin ʼ, kathlẽ n. ʻ large tin vessel ʼ(CDIAL 2984) कौटिलिकः kauṭilikḥकौटिलिकः 1 A hunter.-2 A blacksmith PLUS dula ‘duplicated’ rebus: dul ‘metal casting’. Thus, bronze castings. [bronze castings]

khaṇḍa 'division'. rebus: kaṇḍa 'implements' PLUS dula 'two' rebus: dul 'metal casting' [metal implement castings]

dhāḷ 'slanted stroke' rebus: dhāḷako 'ingot' PLUS खांडा khāṇḍā A jag, notch, or indentation (as upon the edge of a tool or weapon).  khaṇḍa 'implements'. Thus, ingots and implements [ingots, implements]

ayo, aya 'fish' rebus: aya 'iron' ayas 'metal alloy' (Rigveda) PLUS khambhaṛā 'fish-fin rebus: kammaṭa 'mint, coiner, coinage'.PLUS sal ‘splinter’ rebus: sal ‘workshop’ [alloy metal mint workshop]

Thus, the Mohenjodaro tablet is a metalwork catalogue of: 1.ferrite ore; 2.blacksmith mint, army general.

Accounted sub-categories:

[supercargo in charge of copper, iron ores]
[bronze castings]
[metal implement castings]
[ingots, implements]
[alloy metal mint workshop]

Harappa seal. Eagle in flight.

m1390Bt Text 2868 Pict-74: Bird in flight.

The link of eagle and smelting of the early Bronze Age is evidenced by a Bogazkoy seal with Indus Script inscription.

श्येन [p= 1095,2] m. a hawk , falcon , eagle , any bird of prey (esp. the eagle that brings down सोम to man) RV. &c; firewood laid in the shape of an eagle Śulbas. (Monier-Williams) śyēná m. ʻ hawk, falcon, eagle ʼ RV. Pa. sēna -- , °aka -- m. ʻ hawk ʼ, Pk. sēṇa -- m.; WPah.bhad. śeṇ ʻ kite ʼ; A. xen ʻ falcon, hawk ʼ, Or. seṇā, H. sen, sẽ m., M. śen m., śenī f. (< MIA. *senna -- ); Si. sen ʻ falcon, eagle, kite ʼ.(CDIAL 12674) Rebus: sena 'thunderbolt' (Sinhala):

aśáni f. ʻ thunderbolt ʼ RV., °nī -- f. ŚBr. [Cf. áśan -- m. ʻ sling -- stone ʼ RV.] Pa. asanī -- f. ʻ thunderbolt, lightning ʼ, asana -- n. ʻ stone ʼ; Pk. asaṇi -- m.f. ʻ thunderbolt ʼ; Ash. ašĩˊ ʻ hail ʼ, Wg. ašē˜ˊ, Pr. īšĩ, Bashg. "azhir", Dm. ašin, Paš. ášen, Shum. äˊšin, Gaw. išín, Bshk. ašun, Savi išin, Phal. ã̄šun, L. (Jukes) ahin, awāṇ. &circmacrepsilon;n (both with n, not ṇ), P. āhiṇ, f., āhaṇ, aihaṇ m.f., WPah. bhad. ã̄ṇ, hiṇi f., N. asino, pl. °nā; Si. sena, heṇa ʻ thunderbolt ʼ Geiger GS 34, but the expected form would be **ā̤n;* -- Sh. aĩyĕˊr f. ʻ hail ʼ (X ?). -- For ʻ stone ʼ > ʻ hailstone ʼ cf. upala -- and A. xil s.v.śilāˊ -- . (CDIAL 910) vajrāśani m. ʻ Indra's thunderbolt ʼ R. [vájra -- , aśáni -- ] Aw. bajāsani m. ʻ thunderbolt ʼ prob. ← Sk.(CDIAL 11207)

eraka ‘wing’ Rebus: eraka ‘moltencast’ garuDa ‘eagle’ Rebus: karaDa ‘hard alloy’; garuDa ‘gold’ (Samskritam)
Hieroglyph: eruvai ‘eagle’; synonym: गरुड ‘eagle’ eraka ‘wing’. Rebus: eruvai ‘copper’ (Tamil. Malayalam)+ करडा [ karaḍā ] Hard from alloy–iron, silver &c. erako ‘moltencast’
Two seals from Gonur 1 in thee Murghab delta; dark brown stone ((Sarianidi 1981 b: 232-233, Fig. 7, 8) eagle engraved on one face. paṛge, (Mu.) baṛak, (Ma.) baṛki, (F-H.) biṛki hood of serpent (Voc. 2154). / Turner, CDIAL, no. 9040, Skt. (s)phaṭa-, sphaṭā- a serpent's expanded hood, Pkt. phaḍā- id. For IE etymology, see Burrow, The Problem of Shwa in Sanskrit, p. 45.(DEDR 47) Rebus: phaḍa फड'manufactory, company, guild' PLUS seṇa'falcon' rebus: seṇa, aśani 'thunderbolt', āhan gar 'blacksmith' PLUS
मेढा [ mēḍhā ] meṇḍa A twist or tangle arising in thread or cord, a curl or snarl. (Marathi) (CDIAL 10312) rebus: meḍ 'iron, copper' (Munda. Slavic) mẽṛhẽt, meḍ 'iron' (Munda). Rebus: medhā 'yajna, dhanam'

Image result for homa amsu syena anzu bird

Persepolis stone homa birds, double protome column capital See: https://web.stanford.edu/dept/archaeology/cgi-bin/archaeolog/?p=225 "The preeminent discussion of Persepolis sculpture remains that of Michael Roaf’s entire 1983 issue of Iran XXI (4)...The brilliant 2005 London exhibition, Forgotten Empire: The World of Ancient Persia: at the British Museum, in part the vision of Dr. John Curtis, Keeper of the Middle Eastern Department and primary author of the companion exhibition volume, showcased some of the glories of Achaemenid art. There this Persepolis “griffin” (as John Curtis identifies it) protome capital is described as a “homa bird” and one of the “four different types of column capital at Persepolis…arranged back to back to carry the gigantic cedar beams that supported the roof“ as mentioned. Both Stronach and Curtis have suggested the intended location of this griffin capital as the Unfinished Gate at Persepolis...there is also the eagle-headed griffin image from Susa noted in Jantzen (Ulf Jantzen. Griechische Greifenkessel. Berlin: Gebr. Mann Verlag, 1955; Carol Mattusch. Greek Bronze Statuary: From the Beginnings Through the Fifth Century B.C.. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1989, 27) as catalog number no. 142, and the horned griffin glazed bricks at Susa (see E. Schmidt, Persepolis I, 1953, 32) but also the gold eagle-headed griffin from Kurdistan of the so-called “Ziwiye Treasure”, and the griffin-headed gold bracteate jewelry from the Achaemenid “Chicago Treasure” at the Oriental Institute among others. Some of the origins of Achaemenid pieces could also be Scythian. For griffin motifs at Persepolis, see Schmidt, Persepolis I (1953) 72, 85, 174, 189 and 257. That griffin motifs also appear at least as early as the Iron Age in Iran is evidenced by Luristan bronze finds at the Oriental Institute, Chicago, including griffin-decorated pin heads."

See: The Standard Babylonian Epic of Anzu Introduction, Cuneiform Text, Transliteration, Score, Glossary, Indices and Sign List

by Amar Annus State Archives of Assyria Cuneiform Texts - SAACT 3 Neo-Assyrian Text Corpus Project - NATCP, 2001

Elamite bird (eagle?) with spread wings on an axe-head from Tepe Yahya (Lamberg-Karlovsky, C.C. and D.T. Potts. 2001. Excavations at Tepe Yahya, Iran, 1967-1975: The Third Millennium. Cambridge: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, p.216)Ceremonial axe head made of chlorite, with eagle design from Tepe Yahya Per. IVB (Kohl 2001: 216, fig. 9.6). (Potts 2001: Figure 9.6).

A Steatite vessel, 16 cm. square, from Tepe Yahya
Harappa seal h166A, h166B. Vats, 1940, Excavations in Harappa, Vol. II, Calcutta: Pl. XCI. 255

फडा (p. 313) phaḍā f (फटा S) The hood of Coluber Nága &c. Ta. patam cobra's hood. Ma. paṭam id. Ka. peḍe id. Te. paḍaga id. Go. (S.) paṛge, (Mu.) baṛak, (Ma.) baṛki, (F-H.) biṛki hood of serpent (Voc. 2154). / Turner, CDIAL, no. 9040, Skt. (s)phaṭa-, sphaṭā- a serpent's expanded hood, Pkt. phaḍā- id. For IE etymology, see Burrow, The Problem of Shwa in Sanskrit, p. 45.(DEDR 47) Rebus: phaḍa फड ‘manufactory, company, guild, public office’, keeper of all accounts, registers.

dhanga 'mountain range' Rebus: dhangar 'blacksmith'

Ta. eruvai a kind of kite whose head is white and whose body is brown; eagle. Ma. eruva eagle, kite.(DEDR 818). Rebus: eruvai ‘copper’ (Tamil).

eṟaka ‘wing’ (Telugu) Rebus: erako ‘molten cast’ (Tulu) loa ‘ficus’; rebus: loh ‘copper’. Pajhar ‘eagle’; rebus: pasra ‘smithy’.

kanda.’fire-altar’.khamba ‘wing’ rebus: kammaTa ‘mint’. gaṇḍa ‘four’ Rebus: khaṇḍa ‘metal implements. Together with cognate ancu ‘iron’ the message is: native metal implements mint.

श्येन [p= 1095,2] m. a hawk , falcon , eagle , any bird of prey (esp. the eagle that brings down सोम to man) RV. &c; firewood laid in the shape of an eagle Śulbas. (Monier-Williams) śyēná m. ʻ hawk, falcon, eagle ʼ RV. Pa. sēna -- , °aka -- m. ʻ hawk ʼ, Pk. sēṇa -- m.; WPah.bhad. śeṇ ʻ kite ʼ; A. xen ʻ falcon, hawk ʼ, Or. seṇā, H. sen, sẽ m., M. śen m., śenī f. (< MIA. **senna* -- ); Si. sen ʻ falcon, eagle, kite ʼ.(CDIAL 12674) Rebus: sena 'thunderbolt' (Sinhala):

aśáni f. ʻ thunderbolt ʼ RV., °nī -- f. ŚBr. [Cf. áśan -- m. ʻ sling -- stone ʼ RV.] Pa. asanī -- f. ʻ thunderbolt, lightning ʼ, asana -- n. ʻ stone ʼ; Pk. asaṇi -- m.f. ʻ thunderbolt ʼ; Ash. ašĩˊ ʻ hail ʼ, Wg. ašē˜ˊ, Pr. īšĩ, Bashg. "azhir", Dm. ašin, Paš. ášen, Shum. äˊšin, Gaw. išín, Bshk. ašun, Savi išin, Phal. ã̄šun, L. (Jukes) ahin, awāṇ. &circmacrepsilon;n (both with n, not ṇ), P. āhiṇ, f., āhaṇ, aihaṇ m.f., WPah. bhad. ã̄ṇ, hiṇi f., N. asino, pl. °nā; Si. sena, heṇa ʻ thunderbolt ʼ Geiger GS 34, but the expected form would be **ā̤n;* -- Sh. aĩyĕˊr f. ʻ hail ʼ (X ?). -- For ʻ stone ʼ > ʻ hailstone ʼ cf. upala -- and A. xil s.v.śilāˊ -- . (CDIAL 910) vajrāśani m. ʻ Indra's thunderbolt ʼ R. [vájra -- , aśáni -- ]Aw. bajāsani m. ʻ thunderbolt ʼ prob. ← Sk.(CDIAL 11207)

Alternative:

वेदि [p= 1017,2] f. (later also वेदी ; for 1. 2. » col.2) an elevated (or according to some excavated) piece of ground serving for a sacrificial altar (generally strewed with कुश grass , and having receptacles for the sacrificial fire ; it is more or less raised and of various shapes , but usually narrow in the middle , on which account the female waist is often compared to it) RV. &cthe space between the supposed spokes of a wheel-shaped altar , S3ulbas.a stand , basis , pedestal , bench MBh. Ka1v. &c

Hieroglyph/Rebus: kaṇḍ ‘fire-altar’ (Santali) kāṇḍa ‘tools, pots and pans and metal-ware’ (Marathi)

वेदि f. knowledge , science (» अ-व्°)

नाग nāga [p= 532,3] m. (prob. neither fr. न-ग nor fr. नग्न) a snake , (esp.) Coluber Naga S3Br. MBh. &c

नाग nāga n. (m. L. ) tin , lead Bhpr. n. a kind of coitus L.

गरुड [p= 348,3] m. ( √2. गॄ Un2. iv , 155 , ” devourer ” , because गरुड was perhaps originally identified with the all-consuming fire of the sun’s rays) , N. of a mythical bird (chief of the feathered race , enemy of the serpent-race [cf. RTL. p.321] , vehicle ofविष्णु [cf. RTL. pp. 65 ; 104 ; 288] , son of कश्यप and विनता ; shortly after his birth he frightened the gods by his brilliant lustre ; they supposed him to be अग्नि , and requested his protection ; when they discovered that he was गरुड , they praised him as the highest being , and called him fire and sun MBh. i , 1239 ff. ; अरुण , the charioteer of the sun or the personified dawn , is said to be the elder [or younger cf. RTL. p.104] brother of गरुड ; स्वाहा , the wife of अग्नि , takes the shape of a female गरुडी = सुपर्णी MBh. iii , 14307 and 14343) Suparn2. TA1r. x , 1 , 6 MBh. &ca building shaped like गरुड R. VarBr2S.

gāruḍa गारुड a. (–डी f.) [गरुडस्येदं अण्] 1 Shaped like Ga- ruḍa. -2 Coming from or relating to Garuḍa. –डः, –डम् 1 An emerald; राशिर्मणीनामिव गारुडानां सपद्मरागः फलितो विभाति R.13.53. -2 A charm against (snake) poison; संगृहीतगारुडेन K.51 (where it has sense 1 also). -3 A missile presided over by Garuḍa. -4 A military array (व्यूह) of the shape of Garuḍa. -5 Gold.

Ta. eruvai a kind of kite whose head is white and whose body is brown; eagle. Ma. eruva eagle, kite.(DEDR 818). Rebus: eruvai ‘copper’ (Tamil).

eṟaka ‘wing’ (Telugu) Rebus: erako ‘molten cast’ (Tulu) loa ‘ficus’; rebus: loh ‘copper’. Pajhar ‘eagle’; rebus: pasra ‘smithy’.

Hieroglyph: वज्र[p= 913,1] mfn. shaped like a kind of cross (cf. above ) , forked , zigzag ib. [cf. Zd. vazra , ” a club. “]

Rebus: वज्र[p= 913,1] mn. n. a kind of hard iron or steel L. mfn. adamantine , hard , impenetrable W.” the hard or mighty one ” , a thunderbolt (esp. that of इन्द्र , said to have been formed out of the bones of the ऋषिदधीच or दधीचि [q.v.] , and shaped like a circular discus , or in later times regarded as having the form of two transverse bolts crossing each other thus x ; sometimes also applied to similar weapons used by various gods or superhuman beings , or to any mythical weapon destructive of spells or charms , also to मन्यु , ” wrath ” RV. or [with अपाम्] to a jet of water AV. &c ; also applied to a thunderbolt in general or to the lightning evolved from the centrifugal energy of the circular thunderbolt of इन्द्र when launched at a foe ; in Northern Buddhist countries it is shaped like a dumb-bell and called Dorje ; » MWB. 201 ; 322 &c ) RV. &ca diamond (thought to be as hard as the thunderbolt or of the same substance with it) , Shad2vBr. Mn. MBh. &cm. a form of military array , Mn. MBh. &c (cf. -व्यूह)a kind of hard mortar or cement (कल्क) VarBr2S. (cf. -लेप)

Sculptural frieze. stūpa of Sanchi, second half of 2nd century BCE (Kramrisch,1954, pic13)

Sanchi. Winged composite animal: tiger, eagle. The last two letters to the right of this inscription in Brahmi form the word "danam" (donation). This hypothesis permitted the decipherment of the Brahmi script by James Prinsep in 1837. The Indus Script hypertext of the composite animal:

Hierogoyph: hawk: śyēná m. ʻ hawk, falcon, eagle ʼ RV. Pa. sēna -- , °aka -- m. ʻ hawk ʼ, Pk. sēṇa -- m.; WPah.bhad. śeṇ ʻ kite ʼ; A. xen ʻ falcon, hawk ʼ, Or. seṇā, H. sen, sẽ m., M. śen m., śenī f. (< MIA. *senna -- ); Si. sen ʻ falcon, eagle, kite ʼ.(CDIAL 12674) Rebus: sena 'thunderbolt' (Sinhala)Two possible rebus readings: 1. pajhaṛ ‘kite’. Rebus: pasra ‘smithy, forge’ (Santali)
2. śyēná m. ʻhawk, falcon, eagleʼ RV.Pa. sēna -- , °aka -- m. ʻhawk ʼ, Pk. sēṇa -- m.; WPah.bhad. śeṇ ʻkiteʼ; A. xen ʻ falcon, hawk ʼ, Or. seṇā, H. sen, sẽ m., M. śen m., śenī f. (< MIA. *senna -- ); Si. sen ʻfalcon, eagle, kiteʼ. (CDIAL 12674) Rebus: Senaka a carter ThA 271 (=sākaṭika of Th 2, 443) (Pali) sēnāpati m. ʻ leader of an army ʼ AitBr. [sḗnā -- , páti -- ] Pa. sēnāpati -- , °ika -- m. ʻgeneralʼ, Pk. sēṇāvaï -- m.; M. śeṇvaī, °vī, śeṇai m. ʻa class of Brahmansʼ, Ko. śeṇvi; Si. senevi ʻgeneralʼ (CDIAL 13589).

Two seals from Gonur 1 in thee Murghab delta; dark brown stone ((Sarianidi 1981 b: 232-233, Fig. 7, 8) eagle engraved on one face.

Image result for Hittite, seal, KÃ¼ltepe- KaniÅ 1800-1730 BCE

Hittite, seal, Kültepe- Kaniş 1800-1730 BCE

Hettiter, seal, Acem Höyük (Kurt Bittel) (Erdinç Bakla archive)
Image result for Hittite, seal, KÃ¼ltepe- KaniÅ 1800-1730 BCE

Hittite, two bird man, Kargamış, Museum of Anatolian Civilization, Ankara (Ekrem Akurgal) (Erdinç Bakla archive)

Late Hittite, bird man, Museum of Anatolian Civilisations, Ankara

Hittite, seal of two-headed eagle BoÄazkÃ¶y C.1800 BC, Museum of Anatolian civilizations, Ankara

Hittite, seal of two-headed eagle Boğazköy C.1800 BC, Museum of Anatolian civilizations, Ankara
Bogazkoy Seal impression: Two-headed eagle, a twisted cord below. From Bogazköy . 18th c. BCE (Museum Ankara).

See:

Ancient Near east Anzu, falcon-shaped fire-altar Uttarakhand, turning aṁśú (Rigveda), ancu (Tocharian) in smithy.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2013/06/tablet-of-destinies.html

खोंड khōṇḍa m A young bull, a bullcalf (Marathi) rebus: kō̃da'fire-altar' (Kashmiri)

Seen on the cylinder seal of Adda, scribe.

See:

Abiding ANE Indus Script hypertexts of eagle, goat-fish, overflowing pot. Adda, scribe Seal deciphered as metalwork and thunderbolt iron weapon https://tinyurl.com/yd58zadk

Water flowing from the shoulders of a person with a step on the mountain range also shows swimming fishes. The Meluhha words to signify the hypertexts are: aya'fish' PLUS काण्ड kāṇḍa 'water'; the rebus plain text is ayaskāṇḍa'excellent iron' Together with the young bull, the reading is: ayaskāṇḍa 'excellent iron' PLUS खोंड khōṇḍa m A young bull, a bullcalf (Marathi) rebus: kō̃da 'fire-altar' . The word for the shoulder is kambha'shoulder' rebus: kammaṭa'mint'. Thus, the message of this register on the seal is: mint with excellent iron, fire-altar. śyena in flight hovers above the flowing water. sena 'falcon' rebus: senvi 'general', sena 'thunderbolt', āhangar 'blacksmith'.This semantics of a synonym ḍhangar'blacksmith' is reinforced by the mountain-range: H. dã̄g f. ʻ hill, precipice ʼ, dã̄gī ʻ belonging to hill country ʼ.(CDIAL 5423) ḍāṅro 'blacksmith' (Nepali) dhã̄gaṛ, °ar m. ʻin the Vindhyas, digger of wells and tanksʼ (Hindi)(CDIAL 5524)

A variant narrative describes the plain text lokhaṇḍ 'ironware' with the use of hieroglyphs/hypertexts of a pot with overflowing water.

m1656 Mohenjo-daro pectoral. खोंड khōṇḍa m A young bull, a bullcalf (Marathi) rebus: kō̃da 'fire-altar' (Kashmiri) PLUS kunda 'lathe' rebus: kundar 'turner' PLUS kammaṭa 'portable furnace' rebus: kammaṭa 'mint'; the joined parts (lathe + portable furnace) is called sangaḍa 'jointed parts or components' rebus: sangar'trade'samgaha'catalogue,list'

kāṇḍam காண்டம்² kāṇṭam, n. < kāṇḍa. 1. Water; sacred water; நீர். துருத்திவா யதுக்கிய குங்குமக் காண் டமும் (கல்லா. 49, 16). Rebus: khāṇḍā ‘metal tools, pots and pans’ (Marathi)

<lo->(B) {V} ``(pot, etc.) to ^overflow''. See <lo-> `to be left over'. @B24310. #20851. Re<lo->(B) {V} ``(pot, etc.) to ^overflow''. See <lo-> `to be left over'. (Munda ) Rebus: loh ‘copper’ (Hindi) The hieroglyph clearly refers to the metal tools, pots and pans of copper.

काण्ड kāṇḍa 'water'; an arrow MBh. xiii , 265 Hit.; a kind of square measure Pa1n2. 4-1 , 23 Vop. vii , 55; a stalk , stem , branch , switch MBh. R. Mn. i , 46 , 48 Kaus3. Sus3r.; mn. ([or काण्ड्/अ TS. vii]) (ifc. f(आ or ई).) ([cf. खण्ड , with which in some of its senses काण्ड is confounded]) a single joint of the stalk or stem of a plant , such as a bamboo or reed or cane (i.e. the portion from one knot to another cf. त्रि-क्°) , any part or portion , section , chapter , division of a work or book (cf. त्रि-क्°) , any distinct portion or division of an action or of a sacrificial rite (as that belonging to the gods or to the manes) AV. TS. VS.; a cluster , bundle; काण्डी f. a little stalk or stem Ra1jat. vii , 117. (Monier-Williams)

अयस्-काण्ड m. n. " a quantity of iron " or " excellent iron " , (g. कस्का*दि q.v.); अयस्--काम m. a blacksmith (Pāṇini 8-3 , 46 Sch.) अयस् n. iron , metal RV. &c;an iron weapon (as an axe , &c ) RV. vi , 3 ,5 and 47 , 10; gold; steel L. ; ([cf. Lat. aes , aer-is for as-is ; Goth. ais , Thema aisa ; Old Germ. e7r , iron ; Goth. eisarn ; Mod.Germ. Eisen.])(Monier-Williams) ayas अयस् Iron (एति चलति अयस्कान्तसंनिकर्षं इति तथात्वम्; नायसोल्लिख्यते रत्नम् Śukra 4.169. अभितप्तमयो$पि मार्दवं भजते कैव कथा शरीरिषु R.8.43. -2 Steel. -3 Gold. -4 A metal in general. -5 Aloe wood. -6 An iron instrument; यदयोनिधनं याति सो$स्य धर्मः सनातनः Mb.6.17.11.Fire. [cf. L. aes, aeris; Goth. ais, eisarn; Ger. eisin].अयस् -काण्डः 1 an iron-arrow. -2 excellent iron. -3 a large quantity of iron. -कान्तः (अयस्कान्तः) 1 'beloved of iron', a magnet, load-stone; शम्भोर्यतध्वमाक्रष्टुमयस्कान्तेन लोहवत् Ku.2.59; स चकर्ष परस्मा- त्तदयस्कान्त इवायसम् R.17.63; U.4.21. अयस्कान्तमयः संक्रामति M. Bh. on P.III.1.7. -2 a precious stone; ˚मणिः a loadstone; अयस्कान्तमणिशलाकेव लोहधातुमन्तः- करणमाकृष्टवती Māl.1. -कारः 1 an iron-smith, blacksmith. अयस्मय (अयोमय) a. (-यी f.) Ved. Made of iron or of any metal. -यी N. of one of the three habita- tions of Asuras. āyasa आयस a. (सी f.) [अयसो विकारः अण्] 1 Made of iron, iron, metallic; शतं मा पुर आयसीररक्षन् Ait. Up.4.5. आयसं दण्डमेव वा Ms.8.315; सखि मा जल्प तवायसी रसज्ञा Bv.2.59. -2 Armed with an iron weapon. -सी A coat of mail, an armour for the body. -सम् 1 Iron; मूढं वुद्धमिवात्मानं हैमीभूतमिवायसम् Ku.6.55; स चकर्ष परस्मात्त- दयस्कान्त इवायसम् R.17.63. -3 Anything made of iron. -3 A weapon. -4 A wind instrument. (Apte)

H. lokhaṇḍ m. ʻ iron tools, pots and pans ʼ; G. lokhãḍ n. ʻ tools, iron, ironware ʼ; M. lokhãḍ n. ʻ iron ʼ (LM 400 < -- khaṇḍa -- ); Ku. lokhaṛ ʻ iron tools ʼ; *lōhōpaskara ʻ iron tools ʼ. [lōhá -- , upaskara -- 1]N. lokhar ʻ bag in which a barber keeps his tools ʼ; H. lokhar m. ʻ iron tools, pots and pans ʼ; -- X lauhabhāṇḍa --.(CDIAL 11171) lōhá ʻ red, copper -- coloured ʼ ŚrS., ʻ made of copper ʼ ŚBr., m.n. ʻ copper ʼ VS., ʻ iron ʼ MBh. [*rudh -- ]Pa. lōha -- m. ʻ metal, esp. copper or bronze ʼ; Pk. lōha -- m. ʻ iron ʼ, Gy. pal. li°, lihi, obl. elhás, as. loa JGLS new ser. ii 258; Wg. (Lumsden) "loa"ʻ steel ʼ; Kho. loh ʻ copper ʼ; S. lohu m. ʻ iron ʼ, L. lohā m., awāṇ. lōˋā, P. lohā m. (→ K.rām. ḍoḍ. lohā), WPah.bhad. lɔ̃u n., bhal. lòtilde; n., pāḍ. jaun. lōh, paṅ. luhā, cur. cam. lohā, Ku. luwā, N. lohu, °hā, A. lo, B. lo, no, Or. lohā, luhā, Mth. loh, Bhoj. lohā, Aw.lakh. lōh, H. loh, lohā m., G. M. loh n.; Si. loho, lō ʻ metal, ore, iron ʼ; Md. ratu -- lō ʻ copper ʼ.Addenda: lōhá -- : WPah.kṭg. (kc.) lóɔ ʻ iron ʼ, J. lohā m., Garh. loho; Md. lō ʻ metal ʼ(CDIAL 11158) lōhakāra m. ʻ iron -- worker ʼ, °rī -- f., °raka -- m. lex., lauhakāra -- m. Hit. [lōhá -- , kāra -- 1]Pa. lōhakāra -- m. ʻ coppersmith, ironsmith ʼ; Pk. lōhāra -- m. ʻ blacksmith ʼ, S. luhā̆ru m., L. lohār m., °rī f., awāṇ. luhār, P. WPah.khaś. bhal. luhār m., Ku. lwār, N. B. lohār, Or. lohaḷa, Bi.Bhoj. Aw.lakh. lohār, H. lohār, luh° m., G. lavār m., M. lohār m.; Si. lōvaru ʻ coppersmith ʼ.
Addenda: lōhakāra -- : WPah.kṭg. (kc.) lhwāˋr m. ʻ blacksmith ʼ, lhwàri f. ʻ his wife ʼ, Garh. lwār m.(CDIAL 11159) *lōhaśālā ʻ smithy ʼ. [lōhá -- , śāˊlā -- ]Bi. lohsārī ʻ smithy ʼ.(CDIAL 11162) *lōhahaṭṭika ʻ ironmonger ʼ. [lōhá -- , haṭṭa -- ] P.ludh. lōhṭiyā m. ʻ ironmonger (CDIAL 11163) lōhī f. ʻ any object made of iron ʼ Kāv., ʻ pot ʼ Divyāv., lōhikā -- f. ʻ large shallow wooden bowl bound with iron ʼ, lauhā -- f. ʻ iron pot ʼ lex. [lōhá -- ]Pk. lōhī -- f. ʻ iron pot ʼ; P. loh f. ʻ large baking iron ʼ; A. luhiyā ʻ iron pan ʼ; Bi. lohiyā ʻ iron or brass shallow pan with handles ʼ; G. lohiyũ n. ʻ frying pan ʼ.(CDIAL 11170) laúha -- ʻ made of copper or iron ʼ Gr̥Śr., ʻ red ʼ MBh., n. ʻ iron, metal ʼ Bhaṭṭ. [lōhá -- ]Pk. lōha -- ʻ made of iron ʼ; L. lohā ʻ iron -- coloured, reddish ʼ; P. lohā ʻ reddish -- brown (of cattle) ʼ.lauhabhāṇḍa -- , *lauhāṅga -- .lauhakāra -- see lōhakāra -- .Addenda: laúha -- [Dial. au ~ ō (in lōhá -- ) < IE. ou T. Burrow BSOAS xxxviii 74] (CDIAL 11172) lauhabhāṇḍa n. ʻ iron pot, iron mortar ʼ lex. [laúha -- , bhāṇḍa -- 1]Pa. lōhabhaṇḍa -- n. ʻ copper or brass ware ʼ; S. luhã̄ḍ̠iṛī f. ʻ iron pot ʼ, L.awāṇ. luhã̄ḍā; P. luhã̄ḍā, lohṇḍā, ludh. lō̃hḍā m. ʻ frying pan ʼ; N. luhũṛe ʻ iron cooking pot ʼ; A. lohorā ʻ iron pan ʼ; Bi. lohãṛā ʻ iron vessel for drawing water for irrigation ʼ; H. lohaṇḍā, luh° m. ʻ iron pot ʼ; G. loḍhũ n. ʻ iron, razor ʼ, pl. ʻ car<-> penter's tools ʼ, loḍhīf. ʻ iron pan ʼ. -- X *lōhōpaskara<-> q.v.(CDIAL 11173)*lauhāṅgika ʻ iron -- bodied ʼ. [láuha -- , áṅga -- 1]P. luhã̄gī f. ʻ staff set with iron rings ʼ, H. lohã̄gī f., M. lohã̄gī, lavh°, lohãgī f.; -- Bi. lohãgā, lahaũgā ʻ cobbler's iron pounder ʼ, Mth. lehõgā. (CDIAL 11174)

Variant, water flowing out from shoulders:

A person with a vase with overflowing water; sun (?), star sign. C. 18th cent. BCE. [E. Porada,1971, Remarks on seals found in the Gulf states, Artibus Asiae, 33, 31-7].

Santali glosses. Lexis.

meḍha 'polar star' (Marathi). meḍ 'iron' (Ho.Mu.) Thus, meḍ or mẽṛhet khaṇḍa 'iron metal implements'. (See the Santali gloss with semantics: iron implements).

lo ‘pot to overflow’ Rebus: loh ‘copper’. Hypertext: lokhãḍ, kāṇḍ ‘flowing water’ ‘overflowing pot’ Rebus: lokhãḍ, kāṇḍā ‘metalware, tools, pots and pans’(Gujarati)

The conclusive evidence that ayo was an early sememe in Indian sprachbund denoting 'metals, metal alloy of gold' occurs in Pali texts. Meluhha hieroglyph to denote ayo is 'fish'.

According to the Pali lexicon, the nom. ayo is found only in set of 5 metals forming an alloy of gold (jātarūpa), viz. ayo, loha (copper), tipu (tin), sīsa (lead), sajjha (silver) A iii.16 = S v.92; of obl. cases only the instr. ayasā occurs Dh 240 (= ayato DhA iii.344); Pv i.1013 (paṭikujjita, of Niraya). -- Iron is the material used in the outfit & construction of Purgatory or Niraya (see niraya & Avīci & cp. Vism 56 sq.). -- In compn. both ayo˚ & aya˚occur as bases.

2. खांडा [ khāṇḍā ] m A jag, notch, or indentation (as upon the edge of a tool or weapon). (Marathi) Rebus: kāṇḍā 'metalware, tools'.

3. dang 'mountain' Rebus: dhangar 'blacksmith'.

4. Hypertext: water PLUS fish: ayo 'fish' rebus: ayas 'metal alloy' aya 'iron' (Gujarati) PLUS kāṇḍā 'water', rebus: 'metalware, tools'. Thus, ayaskāṇḍa ‘a quantity of iron, excellent iron’ (Pāṇ.gaṇ)

A number of cylinder seals, artifacts with the hypertexts, 'overflowing pot', composite 'fish-goat'

2605 (#KJ Roach's thesis). Sealed tablet. Susa. Illituram, son of Il-mishar, servant of Pala-isshan

#KJ Roach M9 Mesopotamia

#Roach 2168 Cream limestone. Susa.

The seal of Gudea: Gudea, with shaven head, is accompanied by a minor female diety. He is led by his personal god, Ningishzida, into the presence of Enlil, the chief Sumerian god. Wind pours forth from of the jars held by Enlil, signifying that he is the god of the winds. The winged leopard (griffin) is a mythological creature associated with Ningishzida, The horned helmets, worn even by the griffins, indicates divine status (the more horns the higher the rank). The writing in the background translates as: "Gudea, Ensi [ruler], of Lagash". lōī f., lo m.2. Pr. ẓūwī ʻfoxʼ (Western Pahari)(CDIAL 11140-2). Rebus: loh ‘copper’ (Hindi). Te. eṟaka, ṟekka, rekka, neṟaka, neṟi id. (DEDR 2591). Rebus: eraka, eṟaka = any metal infusion (Ka.Tu.); urukku (Ta.); urukka melting; urukku what is melted; fused metal (Ma.); urukku (Ta.Ma.); eragu = to melt; molten state, fusion; erakaddu = any cast thng; erake hoyi = to pour meltted metal into a mould, to cast (Kannada)

The streams of water flowing the naked, bearded person are the signature tune of the times in Ancient Near East. This glyptic or overflowing pot held by Gudea, appears on hundreds of cylinder seals and friezes of many sites.

Overflowing water from a pot is a recurrent motif in Sumer-Elam-Mesopotamian contact areas – a motif demonstrated to be of semantic significance in the context of lapidary-metallurgy life activity of the artisans.

The seated person wears a crown of layered bulls' horns. Behind him, a lion. A goat-fish at his feet. He holds a pot with streaming waters and fish. Source of seal impression: Kramer, Samuel Noah & John Maier, Myths of Enki, the crafty god, New York, Oxford University Presws, 1989, p. 123 'The enthroned Enki'.


God Ea at far lef, wears horned headdress, with water coursing from his shoulders. Two fish-apkallu. The overflowing pot held by the divinity on the left is a hieroglyph: lokhanDa 'pot overflowing water'

Rebus: lokhaNDA 'metal pots and pans, metalware, weapons'. The overflowing pots are imageries on a cuneiform seals (unprovenanced).

lokhãḍ ‘overflowing pot’ Rebus: ʻtools, iron, ironwareʼ (Gujarati)

Source: http://eden-saga.com/en/sumer-mythology-anunnaki-oannes-nommo-viracocha-serpent-people-enki.html

lokhãḍ ‘overflowing pot’ Rebus: ʻtools, iron, ironwareʼ (Gujarati)

Overflowing pot. A cylinder seal of Enki (Ea) holding a pot with two streams of freshwater seated in his Abzu/Apsu shrine guarded by two naked men (Lakhmu?) holding stylized gate posts (?). Before him is his two-faced sukkal or vizier Izimud (cf. p. 98. "Ea." Piotr Bienkowski & Alan Millard. Dictionary of the Ancient Near East. Philadelphia. University of Pennsylvania Press. 2000).

lokhãḍ ‘overflowing pot’ Rebus: ʻtools, iron, ironwareʼ (Gujarati)

Gudea. Overflowing pot. Sumer. lokhãḍ ‘overflowing pot’ Rebus: ʻtools, iron, ironwareʼ (Gujarati)

Ur Nammu stela, principal over-flowing pot narrative

Fig. 33 Urnamma stela.
Borker-Klahn's reconstruction.

On the Urmamma Stela, she is hovering over the offering of flowing water to the ruler by the enthroned deity. In this scene the goddess underlines the gift bestowed on the ruler, and figures as a personification of it, while on the seal she may have implied and guaranteed that the petitioner who offers an antelope (?) is pleading for and will receive blessings of abundance in return. The basin of Gudea is dedicated to Ningirsu, and may be understood as a plea for prosperity as well as a boast of its successful outcome."(Claudia E. Suter, 2000, Gudea's Temple Building: the representation of an early Mesopotamian Ruler in text and image, BRILL., II.c.i.d, pp. 62-63).

Duplicated hieroglyph shown on the central register of Ur-Nammu stela.
The two hieroglyphs show an identical palm frond with two hanging twigs or fronds as the centerpiece of an altar in front of both the male and female divinities. The male divinity is a builder holding a staff and bob plumb bob as perceptively noted by Jenny Vorys Canby whose painstaking researches resulted in a reasonable reconstruction of missing fragments of the stela. A major missing part unearthed by Canby is another hieroglyph: overflowing pots pouring into the center-piece altars with the palm fronds.

The decipherment of the three hieroglyphs: 1. duplicated frond, 2. palm frond and 3. overflowing pot will provide a framework for unraveling the central message of the Ur-Nammu stela which is a monumental 10 feet high stela which surely shows builders at work in the bottom registe. The central message is the material resources with which the builders were working -- as conveyed by a rebus reading of the three hieroglyphs: metalcastings, metalware.

1. duplicated frond: dula 'pair' Rebus: dul 'metal casting, to cast metal in a mould (Santali)'

2. palm frond: ḍāla -- n. ʻ branch ʼtāla -- 2 m. ʻ Borassus flabelliformis ʼ, palm (CDIAL 5750)Rebus: ḍhālako = a large metal ingot (Gujarati) ḍhālakī = a metal ingot. Vikalpa: Ka. (Hav.) aḍaru twig; (Bark.) aḍïrï small and thin branch of a tree; (Gowda) aḍəri small branches. Tu. aḍaru twig.(DEDR 67) Rebus: aduru gan.iyinda tegadu karagade iruva aduru = ore taken from the mine and not subjected to melting in a furnace (Ka. Siddhānti Subrahmaṇya’ Śastri’s new interpretation of the AmarakoŚa, Bangalore, Vicaradarpana Press, 1872, p.330).

3. overflowing pot: lo 'overflowing' PLUS kand 'pot' Rebus: lōkhaṇḍa लोहोलोखंड 'copper tools, pots and pans' (Marathi) N. lokhar ʻ bag in which a barber keeps his tools ʼ; H. lokhar m. ʻ iron tools, pots and pans ʼ; -- X lauhabhāṇḍa -- : Ku. lokhaṛ ʻ iron tools ʼ; H. lokhaṇḍ m. ʻ iron tools, pots and pans ʼ; G. lokhãḍ n. ʻ tools, iron, ironware ʼ; M. lokhãḍ n. ʻ iron ʼ (LM 400 < -- khaṇḍa -- )(CDIAL 11171).

Both faces of a large fragment from the curved top edge of the stela. The upper body of the king appears on each side, with a female deity overhead pouring out streams of water.
Artist's rendition of the proposed restoration of the 'front' of the Ur-Nammu stela (Drawing by Kathleen Galligan). Source: Jeanny Vorys Canby, A monumental puzzle, reconstructing the Ur-Nammu stela in:Expedition, Vol. 29 No. 1 http://penn.museum/documents/publications/expedition/PDFs/29-1/Monumental1.pdf

Jeanny Vorys Canby has demonstrated the depiction of 'overflowing pots' hieroglyphs on the Ur-Nammu stela. This insight reinforces the purport of the stela: to record the Bronze Age metals and materials used in the building activity directed by Ur-Nammu.

Indus Script unravels announcement of metals caravensarai, evidence of 11 ft. tall copper plated flagpost from Girsu (Telloh), Ancient Near East http://tinyurl.com/oflxfcq

Girsu (Tlloh) archaeological find. 11 ft. tall copper plated flagpost. This may relate to a period when

Girsu (ca. 2900-2335 BCE) was the capital of Lagash at the time of Gudea.

Such a flagpost is seen on a Gudea cup, held by Mus-hussu (dragon):

It was constructed of a tubular wooden core with copper plate around that and bitumen acting as a sealant and adhesive, they seen to have laid the upper length alongside the lower to include all in frame, but also lain what looks like a metallic strip alongside which would seemingly have been related, there may also be copper cable emerging from the base.

So it was a fantastic discovery and i don't know where they've hidden it since, but anyway it sort of begs the question what was it for, like i mentioned i think it would have stood alongside the Abzu shrine because that's were i've seen examples.

The one who holds it i think is Lahmu the gatekeeper of the Abzu who being associated with that threshold was understood as the muddy one, the intermediate state between liquid and solid, it has then associations with water.

Because of it's association with passageway through the Abzu it might have been understood as in some way conducive to facilitating such transition, if any practical usage could have been made of it.

Other examples of it's usage can be intriguing such as here were the half serpent Deity Istaran touches the tip of his serpentine tail against the semi circular appendage, that suggests some form of magical power associated with it;

Here a very curious example of a shrine probably seen representing the Southerly gateway into the Heavens with the arc across the horizons perhaps representing the transit of Venus represented by the floret

So there we are they discovered the magical standard of the God Lahmu that facilitated entrance into the Abzu and then mislaid it somewhere or turned it in for scrap, weird... http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread1079637/pg1

On this cylinder seal, the flagposts with rings are shown together with hieroglyphs of: a person carrying an antelope (like the hioeroglyph shown on Shu-ilishu Meluhha translator cylinder seal), overflowing water, fishes, crucible, mountain range, sun (Source: http://enenuru.net/html/gal/urukprocexpl.htm)

The context of metalwork is seen from the 'scarf' hieroglyph: dhatu 'scarf' Rebus: dhatu 'mineral'.

The context of a smithy/forge is seen from the 'ring' hieroglyph: koṭiyum [koṭ, koṭī neck] a wooden circle put round the neck of an animal (Gujarati) Rebus: ācāri koṭṭya = forge, kammārasāle (Tulu)

Two types of flagposts are seen in some Ancient Near East artifacts in the context of metalwork: 1. reedpost with scarf; and 2. reedpost with ring.

Hieroglyph: Ta. eruvai European bamboo reed; a species of Cyperus; straight sedge tuber. Ma. eruva a kind of grass.(DEDR 819) Rebus: Ta. eruvai blood, (?) copper. Ka. ere a dark-red or dark-brown colour, a dark or dusky colour (DEDR 817)

The reedpost with scarf occurs in a pair: dula 'pair' Rebus: dul 'cast metal' and denotes the warehouse which receives ingots of cast metal.

The reedpost with ring occurs on a jasper cylinder seal with four holders of four reedposts. The holders have six locks of hair as semantic determinatives. Hieroglyph: पेंडें [ pēṇḍēṃ ] n (पेड) A loop or ring.Rebus: पेठ or पेंठ (p. 527) [ pēṭha or pēṇṭha ] f ( H) A manufacturing or trading town, an emporium, a mart: also a markettown. pēṭhpēṭaka 'caravanserai'. The hieroglyph multiplexed signify a caravensarai from a trading emporium or trading town of copper, metal implements and products from smithy/forge.

Hieroglyph: bata 'six' Rebus: bhata 'furnace'.

Hieroglyph: मेढा (p. 665) [ mēḍhā ] A twist or tangle arising in thread or cord, a curl or snarl.(Marathi. Molesworth)Rebus: mẽṛhẽt, meḍ 'iron' (Mu.Ho.). Thus the hieroglyph multiplex signifies iron furnace. मेधा =yajña, धन (नैघण्टुक , commented on by यास्क. ii , 10.)

On the jasper cylinder seal the four reedpost holders (with six hair curls) are signified by semantic determinatives of four hieroglyphs: 1. crucible PLUS storage pot of ingots, 2. sun, 3. narrow-necked pot with overflowing water, 4. fish

A hooded snake is on the edge of the composition. (The dark red color of jasper reinforces the semantics: eruvai 'dark red, copper' Hieroglyph: eruvai 'reed'; see four reedposts held.

1. Hieroglyph: OP. koṭhārī f. ʻ crucible ʼ(CDIAL 3546) Rebus: koṭhār 'treasury, warehouse'
2. Hieroglyph: arka 'sun' (Kannada) Rebus: arka, eraka 'copper'
3. Hieroglyph: overflowing pot: lokhaNDa 'overflowing pot' Rebus: lokhANDa 'metalware, pots and pans of metal, metal implements'
4. Hieroglyph: aya 'fish' Rebus: aya 'iron' ayas 'metal' (Rigveda)

Thus, the four holders of four reedposts with attached ring display metalwork of a smithy/forge announcing metal imlements, iron, copper and iron.

On many hierolyph multiplexes, water-buffalo (rã̄go) is associated with kANDa 'overflowing water'. The rebus renderings are: rāṅgā khaNDA 'zinc alloy implements'. The semantics of khaNDa 'implements' is attested in Santali: me~r.he~t khaNDa 'iron implements'.

Santali glosses

A lexicon suggests the semantics of Panini's compound अयस्--काण्ड [p= 85,1] m. n. " a quantity of iron " or " excellent iron " , (g. कस्का*दि q.v.)( Pa1n2. 8-3 , 48)(Monier-Williams).

From the example of a compound gloss in Santali, I suggest that the suffix -kANDa in Samskritam should have referred to 'implements'. Indus Script hieroglyphs as hypertext components to signify kANDa 'implements' are: kANTa, 'overflowing water' kANDa, 'arrow' gaNDa, 'four short circumscript strokes'.

See: http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/08/ancient-near-east-cylinder-seal.html A few Ancient Near East cylinder seals of Metropolitan Museum are presented in this note identifying Indus Script hieroglyphs used on the artefacts.

http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.in/2015/08/ancient-near-east-jasper-cylinder-seal.html

Red jasper H. 1 1/8 in. (2.8 cm), Diam. 5/8 in. (1.6 cm) cylinder Seal with four hieroglyphs and four kneeling persons (with six curls on their hair) holding flagposts, c. 2220-2159 B.C.E., Akkadian (Metropolitan Museum of Art) Cylinder Seal (with modern impression). The four hieroglyphs are: from l. to r. 1. crucible PLUS storage pot of ingots, 2. sun, 3. narrow-necked pot with overflowing water, 4. fish A hooded snake is on the edge of the composition. (The dark red color of jasper reinforces the semantics: eruvai 'dark red, copper' Hieroglyph: eruvai 'reed'; see four reedposts held.

The four posts held on this jasper cylinder seal compares with similar posts shown on some other cylinder seals. They may signify: पेंढें ‘rings’ Rebus: पेढी ‘shop’.

The leftmost hieroglyph shows ingots in a conical-bottom storage jar (similar to the jar shown on Warka vase, delivering the ingots to the temple of Inanna). Third from left, the overflowing pot is similar to the hieroglyph shown on Gudea statues. Fourth from left, the fish hieroglyph is similar to the one shown on a Susa pot containing metal tools and weapons. (See Susa pot hieroglyphs of bird and fish: Louvre Museum) Hieroglyph: meṇḍā ʻlump, clotʼ (Oriya) med 'copper' (Slavic languages).

Images from Warka vase.

The leftmost hieroglyph shows ingots in a conical-bottom storage jar (similar to the jar shown on Warka vase (See Annex: Warka vase), delivering the ingots to the temple of Inanna). Third from left, the overflowing pot is similar to the hieroglyph shown. .

Shrine of Two Headed Eagle, 2nd cent.BCE

Translation by Sayana/Wilson RV 4.27:

Contributions to the Interpretation of the Veda Maurice Bloomfield in: Journal of the American Oriental Society Vol. 16 (1896), pp. 1-42 Published by: American Oriental Society DOI: 10.2307/592485 Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/592485

Syena-citi: A Monument of Uttarkashi The first layer of one kind of śyenaciti or falcon altar described in the Śulbasūtras, made of 200 bricks of six shapes or sizes, all of them adding up to a specified total area.

Battles of śyena, 'eagle' to obtain Soma, wherein ayojālāni 'nets of iron' are pierced through and won over by गरुडी सुपर्णी to recover ambrosia, amr̥tam (metaphor for Soma).

There are two rebus readings of śyena, 'eagle' rebus 1) śeṇvi 'general', 2) sena 'thunderbolt'.

http://balkhandshambhala.blogspot.in/2012/12/bactrian-seals.html

Gold sheet and silver, Late 3rd/early 2nd millennium B.C.E.

"

गरुड to obtain ambrosia (Soma) from palace of Indra.

Ta. eruvai a kind of kite whose head is white and whose body is brown; eagle. Ma. eruva eagle, kite.(DEDR 818). Rebus: eruvai ‘copper’ (Tamil) PLUS kambha 'wing' rebus: kammata 'mint' PLUS kola 'tiger' rebus: kol 'working in iron' kolhe 'smelter' PLUS arye 'lion'āra 'brass'.

sēṇa 'eagle' Indus script hieroglyph, senmurv (Ancient Persian) are Ancient Near East intimations of (army) weapon-making, smelting ores.

The link of eagle and smelting of the early Bronze Age is evidenced by a Bogazkoy seal with Indus Script inscription.

A Steatite vessel, 16 cm. square, from Tepe YahyaHarappa seal h166A, h166B. Vats, 1940, Excavations in Harappa, Vol. II, Calcutta: Pl. XCI. 255

Sculptural frieze. stūpa of Sanchi, second half of 2nd century BCE (Kramrisch,1954, pic13)

Sanchi. Winged composite animal: tiger, eagle. The last two letters to the right of this inscription in Brahmi form the word "danam" (donation). This hypothesis permitted the decipherment of the Brahmi script by James Prinsep in 1837. The Indus Script hypertext of the composite animal:

Two seals from Gonur 1 in thee Murghab delta; dark brown stone ((Sarianidi 1981 b: 232-233, Fig. 7, 8) eagle engraved on one face.

Jeanny Vorys Canby has demonstrated the depiction of 'overflowing pots' hieroglyphs on the Ur-Nammu stela. This insight reinforces the purport of the stela: to record the Bronze Age metals and materials used in the building activity directed by Ur-Nammu.

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A Steatite vessel, 16 cm. square, from Tepe Yahya
Harappa seal h166A, h166B. Vats, 1940, Excavations in Harappa, Vol. II, Calcutta: Pl. XCI. 255