Phallus Worship in the Veda
By Vidhushekhara Bhattacharya
Summary
Contrary to its title, this brief note does not discuss phallic worship. It addresses a textual issue in the Pali *Saṃyutta Nikāya*. The author cites Rhys Davids’ translation of a stanza praising virtuous women and noting that a daughter may be a better offspring than a sonfile:///home/oai/share/article_pdfs/Phallus_Worship_in_the_Veda.pdf#:~:text=%E2%80%98When%20women%20virtuous%2C%20wise%20and,%E2%80%99. The Pali term *sassudeva* (husband’s mother) has been misread in some editions, and the author suggests emending it to *sasu‑deva*file:///home/oai/share/article_pdfs/Phallus_Worship_in_the_Veda.pdf#:~:text=Her%20husband%E2%80%99s%20mother%20rev%27rencing%2C%20true,the%20reading%201%3F%21%20for%20Faushidll%E2%80%99s. He argues that the Siamese reading *itthiyo* is faulty because the subsequent verse uses a singular formfile:///home/oai/share/article_pdfs/Phallus_Worship_in_the_Veda.pdf#:~:text=VIDHUSHERITARA%20DBHATTACHARYA%20itthiyo%20honti%20in,number%2C%20but%20instead. By comparing translations and the Siamese edition, the note clarifies the correct reading. The discussion underscores that the verse celebrates female virtue and does not involve phallic symbolism. The note thus exemplifies careful philological work on Buddhist texts.
Conclusion
The conclusion points out that the note dispels a mistranslation in a Pali verse about virtuous women. It emphasises the importance of textual accuracy and notes that there is no reference to phallic worship.