As per यास्काचार्य in निघंटु, word ‘अरि:’ means इश्वर and अमित्र. So while reading Rigveda, one should understand meaning of the word as per theme of the sukta and should not generalize meaning to either इश्वर or अमित्र.
Most European orientalists translated Rigveda with generalize meanings, albeit considering negative meaning of the word i.e. अमित्र A greedy rich patron of enemy state.
To me, it looks like this tunneled translation, ‘A greedy patron of enemy state’ worked as stem cell for devising Aryan invasion Theory. Arya – आर्य – Sons of अरि – the rich patrons mentioned in battle themes of Rigveda.
For example:
1) In verses where अरि is placed with विश्व, it means Isvara and Humans and not Enemy and native tribes (As European translates).
2) भूरि चिदर्यः सुदास्तरायेषा – Here meaning इश्वर suits.
The traditional Bharatiya interpretation of the word is different.Nighantu (2.22)takes aryah to be one of the four terms denoting God (Chatvari Isvaranamani).According to Yaska,ari also means Isvara, that is, God (Isvaropi arih, Nirukta5.7) and Arya, therefore, means Isvaraputrah, son of Isvara. Right from the Vedas down toglossaries like Sabdakalpadruma and Vachaspativrihadabhidhana,the Bharatiyatradition defines Arya as one who is noble and refined in ideas and actions.
Purport of this post is , how to study scriptures?
Do not just learn for the sake of intellectual inquiry or don’t fall for mechanical cramming but let it be guided by spirit of an honest search after truth.
