aṣṭakarṇī

aṣṭa—karṇī́ (ī́), f. a cow branded on the ear, RV. x, 62, 7.

aṣṭakarṇī́ (wie eben) m. N. pr. ṚV. 10, 62, 7 : sàhasrâṃ mè dadâto aṣṭakàrṇya1^\ḥ śravô dèveṣvâkrata .

Aṣṭa-karṇī is an expression which occurs in one passage of

the Ṛigveda,¹ and which Roth² was at first inclined to interpret

as a proper name. There can, however, be no doubt that

it means a cow, not a man, as suggested by Grassmann. The

exact reason why a cow should be so described is uncertain.

Roth³ was later inclined to see in it the sense ‘having pierced

ears,’ similar epithets being at a later period known to Pāṇini⁴

(bhinna-karṇa, chinna-karṇa). Grassmann's more obvious

rendering, ‘having the sign for (the number) 8 marked on the ear,’

is supported by the similar epithets, ‘having the mark of a lute on

the ear’ (karkari-karṇyaḥ), ‘having the mark of a sickle on the ear’

(dātra-karṇyaḥ), ‘having the mark of a stake on the ear’ (sthūṇā-

karṇyaḥ), ‘having the ears bored’ (chidra-karṇyaḥ), and viṣtya-

karṇyaḥ, given in the Maitrāyaṇī Saṃhitā.⁵ The simple mean-

ing, ‘with marked ears,’ is, however, supported by the same

passage of the Maitrāyaṇī, where the verb akṣ occurs in the

sense ‘to mark.’ In the Atharvaveda the mark used is the

Mithuna, no doubt as a magical device to secure fertility.

The marking of ears was apparently a regular practice. It is

twice referred to in the Atharvaveda.⁶ The mark is termed

lakṣman,⁷ and was made with a copper-knife⁸ (lohita). The

Maitrayaṇī Saṃhitā⁹ forbids the use of an arrow-shaft (tejana),

or of iron, but permits that of a stem of sugar-cane (ikṣu-kāṇḍa)

or copper. [Footnote] 1) x. 62, 7. [Footnote] 2) St. Petersburg Dictionary, s.v. [Footnote] 3) Cf. Böhtlingk, Dictionary, s.v. [Footnote] 4) vi. 3, 115. [Footnote] 5) iv. 2, 9. [Footnote] 6) vi. 141, 1. 2; xii. 4, 6. [Footnote] 7) Av. vi. 141, 2; Maitrāyaṇī Saṃhitā,

loc. cit. [Footnote] 8) Av., loc. cit. [Footnote] 9) Loc. cit.

Cf. Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, 234,

348; Delbrück, Gurupūjākaumudī, 48,

49; Weber, Indische Studien, 13, 466;

Whitney, Translation of the Atharva-

veda, 387.