抄録
The Av. haδanaepata-, correctly haδanaepata-, is identified as a pomegranate, as traditionally so considered by the Parsees.
This compound noun, originally meaning “drunk-with-seeds”, has as its elements four proto-Ir. morphemes: *ha-/*hada-, *danaia-, *pata- and *a-. The *danaia-, derived from the root *da- “to create, provide”, can be considered to mean “seed”, compared with O. Ind. dhanýa-/dhanía- and with Av. *dana- from Av. dano. karš-. The *pata- can be regarded as a past passive participle of *pa- “to drink”, although O. Ind. has pitá-. Because the stem vispo. pitay-, which is the only example that contains either a primitive or a derivative of the root *pa- “to drink”, appears in the text actually in the form of vispo. paitiš. And the Avestan orthography suggests us to read it not vispo. paitiš but vispo.paitiš.
The Avesta informs us that the haδanaepata- is used to purify the filthiness of death and menses and mixed into zaoθra- for divinities with haoma- and milk. And various myths, legends and folklores from various countries tell us that the pomegranate, as a symbol of fertility because of its exuberant seeds, is offered to divinities as an offering and libation and is taken in rites of passage.
