Lo scambio fra padre e figlio e la sua connessione con la profezia di Urváśī sul destino nell’aldilà di Purūrávas in Rigveda X, 95

ABSTRACT This article provides a new interpretation of the famous rigvedic dialogue (samvada) between Urvási and Pururávas (X, 95). The a. points out many passages in the dialogue where the audience – the very audience of the original performance(s), not only the interpreters of today – is faced with the problem if the text is making reference each time to the father (Pururávas) or his son (or another son of Urvási). This sort of exchange of roles is functional to the conclusion of the dialogue, where Urvási foretells the fate of Pururávas in the afterworld: here, his survival will be secured by the sacrifices of his son, who therefore will become, in accordance with a pattern of Indo-European origin, ‘the father of his father’. L'articolo nasce da una relazione presentata, su invito, alle Giornate di studio su: "Le parole dei morti: profezie, enigmi e conoscenza nella tradizione germanica e altrove", Padova, 29-30 maggio 2013.