Sanskrit mā- ‘to approach, meet, join; (trans.) to bring to’

Extract

A recent article (BSOAS, XLIII, 2, 1980, 311–28) was devoted to distinguishing the Sanskrit root mā- ‘to make, produce, create’ from mā- ‘to measure’. By this the number of homonymous roots mā- was not exhausted. A survey of the passages in the Ṛgveda in which this root is found soon makes it evident that these two meanings account for only a portion of the usages. There are many passages in which neither of these meanings applies. Most notable are those passages in which the poet asks the gods to bring riches, etc., and uses the root mā- to express this action. Examples are as follows:

nū no rayíṃ puruvīraṃ bṛhántaṃ

dásrā mímāthām ubháyeṣu asmé

‘0 you two skilful gods, bring to both of us people (poets and patrons) great wealth associated with many men.’