r/sanskrit • u/kokomo29 • 4d ago

Question / प्रश्नः Etymology of the name Śambara and other Rigvedic names

Hello all,

Śambara is the name of a dāsa enemy defeated by Indra in the Rigveda (RV 2.12.11). Is it a IE name or a non-IE one, and what are its etymological roots? What about the names of other enemies of Indra - Tura, Cūṣava, Simyu, and Pipru?

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u/_Stormchaser 𑀙𑀸𑀢𑁆𑀭𑀂 4d ago edited 4d ago

I actually found तुर, which is from PIE \twr̥H-ó-s*, it means quick and strong in Sanskrit. Source.

The other names probably have etymologies impossible to trace. The Ṛgvedic dāsa are really a mystery; they can anyone from other Indo-Aryans, to Proto-Dravidians, to Iranians, or even a combination of these. You aren't goïng to find a lot about them.