I have suggested that the expression aham somamāhanasam (RV 10.125) relates to āhan 'iron' (Pashto.Kashmiri); āhangār 'blacksmith' (Pashto). See:
Book announcement. Wealth Accounting for a Nation -- Indus Writing (S. Kalyanaraman 2019) https://tinyurl.com/y48d5mar
The reason for my linking with the Pashto/Kashmiri lexeme is discussed below consistent with the explanation of semantics and pragmatics provided by Vācaspatyam:
She uses the expression somamāhanasam in the context of prayer to tvaṣṭr̥ etc. and draviṇam. tvaṣṭr̥ is cognate with![]()
தட்டான்¹ taṭṭāṉ தட்டு- . [M. taṭṭān.] Gold or silver smith, one of 18 kuṭimakkaḷ, q. v.; பொற்கொல்லன். (திவா.) உருக்கு² urukku உருக்கு- . [T. ukku, K. urku, M. urukku.] 1. Steel; எஃகு. (சூடா.) 2. Anything melted, product of liquefaction; உருக்குத்தட்டார் urukku-t-taṭṭār பொற்கொல்லர் . (சிலப் . 5, 31, உரை .)உருக் கினபொருள். செப்புருக் கனைய (கம்பரா. கார்கா . 91).தட்டார்பாட்டம் taṭṭār-pāṭṭam தட் டான்¹ +. Profession tax on goldsmiths; தட்டார் இறுக்கும் அரசிறைவகை . (S. I. I . ii, 117.) त्वष्टिः tvaṣṭiḥ त्वष्टिः f. Carpentry; Ms.1.48.
त्वष्टृ tvaṣṭṛ त्वष्टृ m. [त्वक्ष्-तृच्] 1 A carpenter, builder, workman, त्वष्ट्रेव विहितं यन्त्रम् Mb.12.33.22. -2 Viśvakarman, the architect of the gods. [Tvaṣtṛi is the Vulcan of the Hindu mythology. He had a son named Triśiras and a daughter called संज्ञा, who was given in marriage to the sun. But she was unable to bear the severe light of her husband, and therefore Tvaṣtṛi mounted the sun upon his lathe, and carefully trimmed off a part of his bright disc; cf. आरोप्य चक्रभ्रमिमुष्णतेजास्त्वष्ट्रेव यत्नो- ल्लिखितो विभाति R.6.32. The part trimmed off is said to have been used by him in forming the discus of Viṣṇu, the Triśūla of Śiva, and some other weapons of the gods.] पर्वतं चापि जग्राह क्रुद्धस्त्वष्टा महाबलः Mb.1.227. 34. -3 Prajāpati (the creator); यां चकार स्वयं त्वष्टा रामस्य महिषीं प्रियाम् Mb.3.274.9. -4 Āditya, a form of the sun; निर्भिन्ने अक्षिणी त्वष्टा लोकपालो$विशद्विभोः Bhāg.3.6.15.(Apte) *ṭhaṭṭh ʻ strike ʼ. [Onom.?]N. ṭhaṭāunu ʻ to strike, beat ʼ, ṭhaṭāi ʻ striking ʼ, ṭhaṭāk -- ṭhuṭuk ʻ noise of beating ʼ; H. ṭhaṭhānā ʻ to beat ʼ, ṭhaṭhāī f. ʻ noise of beating ʼ.*ṭhaṭṭha -- 1 , *ṭhaṭṭha -- 2 ?*ṭhaṭṭha1 ʻ brass ʼ. [Onom. from noise of hammering brass? -- *ṭhaṭṭh -- ]N. ṭhaṭṭar ʻ an alloy of copper and bell metal ʼ.*ṭhaṭṭhakara -- , *ṭhaṭṭhakāra -- .*ṭhaṭṭha2 ʻ joke ʼ. [From noise of laughing? Cf. Eng. ʻ to crack jokes ʼ. -- *ṭhaṭṭh -- ]K. ṭhaṭha m. ʻ joke, ridicule ʼ, S. ṭhaṭho m., P. ṭhaṭṭhā m., Ku. N. ṭhaṭṭā; A. ṭhāṭā ʻ joke, taunt ʼ; B. ṭhāṭṭā ʻ joke ʼ, Or. ṭhaṭā, thaṭā, thaṭṭā, H. ṭhaṭṭhā m., G. ṭhaṭṭhɔ m., M. ṭhaṭṭhā, thaṭṭā. -- Phal. ṭhāṭḗki ʻ ogress, witch ʼ NOPhal 51 (or deformation of *ḍākka -- 2 ?).*ṭhaṭṭhakāra ʻ brass worker ʼ. 2. *ṭhaṭṭhakara -- . [*ṭhaṭṭha -- 1 , kāra -- 1 ]1. Pk. ṭhaṭṭhāra -- m., K. ṭhö̃ṭhur m., S. ṭhã̄ṭhāro m., P. ṭhaṭhiār, ˚rā m.
2. P. ludh. ṭhaṭherā m., Ku. ṭhaṭhero m., N. ṭhaṭero, Bi. ṭhaṭherā, Mth. ṭhaṭheri, H. ṭhaṭherā m.(CDIAL 5490 to 5493) Koḍ. taṭṭ- (taṭṭi-) to touch, pat, ward off, strike off, (curse) effects; taṭṭë goldsmith; fem. taṭṭati (Shanmugam).
Tu. taṭṭāvuni to cause to hit, strike. Te. taṭṭu to strike, beat, knock, pat, clap, slap; n. stripe, welt; taṭravã̄ḍu goldsmith or silversmith.To. toṭ a slap; toṭ- (toṭy-) to strike (with hammer), pat, (sin) strikes; toṛ- (toṭ-) to bump foot; toṭxn, toṭxïn goldsmith (DEDR 3039)
Leads provided by वाचस्पत्यम् and शब्दकल्पद्
आहनस् त्रि० आ + हन--असुन् । १ आहननीये २ निष्पीड्ये सौमादौ । “तदाहना अभवत् पिप्युषी” ऋ० २, २३,१ । आहनाः आहननीयः सोमादिः” भा० आहनसे साधुयत् । “आहनस्यं तत्साधने त्रि० । “आहनस्याद्वै रेतःसिच्यते” ऐत० व्रा० । https://sa.wikisource.org/
आहतः, त्रि, (आ + हन् + क्तः ।) गुणितः । ता-डितः । इति मेदिनी ॥ (“प्रति दिवसं याति लयंवसन्तवाताहतेव शिशिरश्रीः” । इति पञ्चतन्त्रम् ।ज्ञातः । मिथ्योक्तः । इत्यजयः ॥ निहतः । “द्व्यूना विं-शतिराहताक्षौहिणीनाम्” । इति महाभारतम् ।) https://sa.wikisource.org/
RV 10.125.1-3 (Griffith)
1. I TRAVEL with the Rudras and the Vasus, with the Adityas and AllGods- I wander.
I hold aloft both Varuna and Mitra, Indra and Agni, and the Pair of Asvins.2 I cherish and sustain highswelling- Soma, and Tvastar I support, Pusan, and Bhaga.
I load with wealth the zealous sdcrificer who pours the juice and offers his oblation
3 I am the Queen, the gathererup- of treasures, most thoughtful, first of those who merit worship.
Thus Gods have stablished me in many places with many homes to enter and abide in.
Is the translation 'highswelling Soma' provided by Griffith a pragmatic rendering? For this enquiry, all references in the text using the expressions āhanas आहनस् and āhan आहन् are reviewed in the framework of semantics and pragmatics provided by शब्दकल्पद्रुमः and वाचस्पत्यम्.
In my view, the elucidation of वाचस्पत्यम् matches the meanings provided to the word āhan as 'iron' in Pashto and Kashmiri and the metallurgical description of 'hot metal (liqyuid) iron.
[quote] HOT METAL (LIQUID IRON):
It is the hot, liquid, metallic iron product obtained upon reduction of iron ore (normally in Blast Furnace or in Corex Furnace). It contains about 93-94% Iron (Fe) and other elements/impurities like Carbon (4%), Silicon (~1%), Manganese (+1%) Sulphur, Phosphorus etc. Hot metal is the primary input for production of steel in the Integrated Steel Plants.[unquote] https://
Further etymological reinforcements occur in words of Indo-Aryan languages:
In addition to these etyma, there is a remarkable usage in Kashmir of a cognate expression as an address of respect: āhan आहन् interj. of respect (Gr.Gr. 101) and adv. of assent, employed in the following compounds:--āhanō आहनो । आमिति adv. yes, used when addressing a male of equal or lower rank; it is an expression of doubtful assent. āhanū आहनू । आमि/?/ adv. yes, addressed to a junior male of rank equal to the speaker. -bā -बा । अस्ति भोः adv. yes, addressed to an equal or superior male. -biñü -बॢञू॒ । आं भगिनि adv. yes, addressed to an equal or superior female. -möjü -मा॑जू॒ । आं मातः adv. yes, addressed to a superior or very senior female. -sö -सा॑ । आं भोः adv. yes, used by a male to a superior or senior male, as in -sö karān ha-sö chuh -सा॑ करान् हसा॑ छुह् । आं भोः करोति भोः yes, sir, he is doing it. āhanuv आहनुव् । आमिति adv. yes, addressed to a male equal or inferior in rank. āhaniy आहनिय् । आमिति adv. yes, addressed to a woman inferior or equal in rank.
This is comparable to the expression aham somamāhanasam in RV 10.125 which can be interpreted to mean: I am Soma, pressed liquid hot iron -- āhan which is the explanation of a hot liquid form of Soma to become āhanasam as endorsed in वाचस्पत्यम्: “तदाहना अभवत् पिप्युषी” ऋ० २, २३,१ । आहनाः आहननीयः सोमादिः” https://sa.wikisource.org/
RV 2.13.1
RV 2.13.1 (Griffith)
THE Season was the parent, and when born therefrom it entered rapidly the floods wherein it grows.
Thence was it full of sap, streaming with milky juice: the milk of the plants' stalk is chief and meet for lauds.
In my view, this sap referred to in RV 2.13.1 is a transformed form of Soma into a liquid (watery) form, ready for आहनस् āhanas आहनस् a. [आ-हन्-असुन्] 1 To be beaten or pressed out (as Soma).
I suggest that this is a reference to hot liquid form of iron is alluded to in the Expression aham somamāhanasam in RV 10.125.
The transformation signified on RV 2.13.1 is explained in Wilson's translation of RV 2.13.1 which specifies the 'watery (liquid) form 'fit for expression, as concentrating (the essence of the) water and the juice of Soma.':
RV 2.13.1 The season (of the rains) is the parent (of the Soma), which, as soon as born of her, enters into the waters in which it grows; thence it is fit for expression, as concentrating (the essence of the) water, and the juice of the Soma is especially to be praised (as the libation proper for Indra).
RV 5.42.13 (Griffith) My newest song, thought that now springs within me, I offer to the Great, the Sure Protector,
Who made for us this All, in fond love laying each varied form within his Daughters' bosom.
RV 6.75.13 He lays his blows upon their backs, he deals his blows upon their thighs.
Thou, Whip, who urgest horses, drive sagacious horses in the fray.
Thou, Whip, who urgest horses, drive sagacious horses in the fray.
RV 10.10.6 Who knows that earliest day whereof thou speakest? Who hatb beheld it? Who can here declare it?
Great is the Law of Varuna and Mitra. What, wanton! wilt thou say to men to tempt them?RV 10.10.8 They stand not still, they never close their eyelids, those sentinels of Gods who wander round
us.Not mego- quickly, wanton, with another, and hasten like a chariot wheel to meet him.
आ-हनस् mfn. to be beaten or pressed out (as सोम); to be skimmed (as milk) RV.; obscene , lascivious , profligate RV. v , 42 , 13 ; x , 10 , 6. 8. (Monier-Williams)
āhanas आहनस् a. [आ-हन्-असुन्] 1 To be beaten or pressed out (as Soma). -2 Unchaste, wanton, profligate; य आहना दुहितुर्वक्षणासु Rv.5.42.13.(Apte)
āhan आहन् 2 P. 1 To strike, hit, beat; कुट्टिममाजघान K. 1; परस्य शिर आहन्ति Sk; Ś.7.17; दुर्जयान् करिणः ... आहन्यात् Kām.19.6; said to be Ātm. when the object is some limb of one's own body; आहते शिरः; but cf. आजघ्ने विषमविलोचनस्य वक्षः Ki.17.63; so आहध्वं मा रघूत्तमम्; Bk.8.15,5.12 (see Sk. on P.I.3.28 also). -2 To strike, ring, beat (as a bell, drum &c.) तुमुलकलनिनादं तूर्यमाजध्नुरन्ये Bk.1.27,17.7; Me.68; R.17.11. -3 To kill, slaughter. (Apte)
आ-√ हन् P. -हन्ति (Impv. /आ-जहि AV. &c ; pf. /आ-जघान RV. &c ) A1. -हते (only if no object follows Pa1n2. 1-3 , 28, or if the object is a part of one's own body Ka1ty. ; Pot. 1.sg. -घ्नीय Pat. on Pa1n2. 1-1 , 62 Das3. ) to strike at , hit , beat ; to attack , assault RV. TS. A1s3vGr2. MBh. Katha1s. &c : (A1.) to strike one's self (or any part of one's body) BhP. Pa1n2. and Comm. Bhat2t2. ; to make away with one's self Das3. 91 , 15 ; to fasten AV. S3Br. ; to beat or cause to sound (a drum &c ) TS. S3Br. Katha1s. Bhat2t2. &c : Intens. /आ-जङ्घन्ति RV. vi , 75 , 13 , to strike at or beat violently.(Monier-Williams) āghātḥ आघातः [आ-हन्-घञ्] 1 Striking, striking against; अभ्यस्यन्ति तटाघातम् Ku.2.5; U.5.9. -2 A blow, stroke; तीव्राघातप्रतिहततरुस्कन्धलग्नैकदन्तः Ś.1.32; कठिन- कुचतट˚ Amaru.55; पवन˚, पाद˚ &c. -3 A wound. -4 Killing; प्राणाघातान्निवृत्तिः Bh.2.26; Y.3.275. -5 One who beats or strikes. (Apte)