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232 RAM KARAN SHARMA

Rgvedic poetry as highlighted by him in his scholarly presentation, ‘Word Economy and Rgvedic Intcrprelalions.’ He further States that “both the words WJR: and 3^: are signilleant; they suggest the eagemess of approach of the cow to her calf."

Father and Son

“Such as you are, O Agni, be easy of approach to us, as a father is to his son (fl *    ^ 1.1.9).

The MahSbhSrata⁵ abounds in such ‘Emotional Similes’. A good reputation nourishes a person in the world as a mother nourishes her child    ^

hkj^ 3.284.32). Duhsanta sees the Malin! river as a mother of all creatures    rT^    fqf«niH, 1.64.20). “Kunt! wilh a view to

allcviating the trouble of the Brahmin, hurriedly enlers his inner apartment like a cow entering the cowpen where her cali' is tied up

1.145.18). Arujna implores Lord Krsna to pardon his faults as a father pardons those of a son, a friend those of a friend and a lover those of a beloved (ftfo    fiPT: f&4i4l ^    6.33.44).

Attcntion may also be invited to an arlicle cntitlcd “The Sanctity of the Cow in Hinduism”⁶ by W. Norman Brown in the contcxt of Velankar’s emotional simile, based on ‘Mother Cow and Calf. Brown summarises his vicwpoint as follows:

“No symbol    of fecundity or matemity or    source of nourishmcnt compares

in    the Vcda to    the cow Any fcmale al    all, whclhcr a deity    like Usas,

or a cosmic element like the walcrs (Spaś) or a human queen or just a beautiful young woman (RV 10.95.6) scems flattcred, if she is ealled a cow or comparcd to a cow or is characterized as a mother of cows (RV 4.52.2).....”.

It is quitc in the fitness of things that    Dr. S.G. Moghe has    bcen able

to    bring out his    illustrious volume entitlcd    “Profcssor Velankar    and Vedic

Intcrpretation of AlarhkSrika Interpretation of the Rgveda'’⁷ (Prof. Velankar and Vedic Indology) as part of Prof. Velankar Centenary Celebration or as a mark of his sincere devotion to his Guruji. (He was, in fact, a revered Guruji of all of us). The book gives a vivid account of Prof. Velankar’s scholarly contribulions, with special refercnce to his distinct contribution to the art of Aesthelics behind Vedic composition. We are all grateful to Dr. Moghe for this presentation, despile our reservations for some of his personal remarks.

But we shall be failing in our dutics as his successors, if we do not make an earncst elTort to consolidate all that we have been able to receive from our Great Guruji’s multidimensional scholarly personality and we lag behind in utilising the vast amount of innovative research materiał received from him in furtherance of Vedic research. The only way in which we can