The mother also called after the bull, these gods forsake thee, O son; then, when going to kill Vritra, Indra said, Friend, Vishzu, step forward !
This stepping of Vishzu is emblematic of the rising, the culminating, and setting of the sun; and in VIII, 12, 27,
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Vishzu is said to perform it through the power of Indra. In VI, 20, 2, Indra is said to have killed Vritra, assisted by Vishzu (vishvuna sakanah). Vishzu is therefore invoked together with Indra, VI, 69, 8; VII, 99; with the Maruts, V, 87; VII, 36, 9. In VII, 93, 8, Indra, Vishvu, and the Maruts are called upon together. Nay, mf@ruta, belonging to the Maruts, becomes actually an epithet of Vishzu, V, 46, 2. m@ruta utd vishvo ({ti); and in I, 156, 4. marutasya vedhdsa# has been pointed out by Roth as an appellation of Vishzu. The mention of Vishzu in our hymn is therefore by no means exceptional, but the whole purport of this verse is nevertheless very doubtful, chiefly owing to the fact that several of the words occurring in it lend themselves to different interpretations.
The translations of Wilson, Benfey, and others have not rendered the sense which the poet intends to describe at all clear. Wilson says: ‘May they for whom Vishzu defends (the sacrifice), that bestows all desires and confers delight, come (quickly) like birds, and sit down upon the pleasant and sacred grass.’ Benfey: ‘Wenn Vishzu schiitzt den rauschtriefenden tropfenden (Soma), sitzen wie Végel sie auf der geliebten Streu.’ Langlois: ‘Quand Vichmou vient prendre sa part de nos enivrantes libations, eux, comme des oiseaux, arrivent aussi sur le cousa qui leur est cher.’ Ludwig: ‘Als Vishzu half dem zum rauschtrank eilenden stiere, setzten sie sich wie végel aufs liebe barhis.’
Whence all these varieties? First, because &vat may mean, he defended or protected, but likewise, it is supposed, he descried, became aware. Secondly, because vréshan is one of the most vague and hence most difficult words in the Veda, and may mean Indra, Soma, or the cloud : (see the note on Vréshan, p.138.) Thirdly, because the adjective belonging to vrfshan, which generally helps us to determine which vr/shan is meant, is here itself of doubtful import, and certainly applicable to Indra as well as to Soma and the Asvins, possibly even to the cloud. Mada-fyut is readily explained by the commentators as bringing down pride, a meaning which the word might well have in modern Sanskrif, but which it clearly has not inp. 135 the Veda. Even where the thunderbolt of Indra is called madafyut, and where the meaning of ‘ bringing down pride’ would seem most appropriate, we ought to translate ‘ wildly rushing down.’
When thou tookest the wildly rushing thunderbolt in thy arms in order to slay Ahi.
When applied to the gods, the meaning of madafyit is by no means certain. It might mean rushing about fiercely, reeling with delight, this delight being produced by the Soma, but it may also mean sending down delight, i.e. rain or Soma. The root Ayu is particularly applicable to the sending down of rain; cf. Taitt. Samh. II, 4, 9, 23 10, 3; III, 3, 4,1; and Indra and his horses, to whom this epithet is chiefly applied, are frequently asked to send down rain. However, madafyut is also applied to real horses (I, 126, 4) where givers of rain would be an inappropriate epithet. I should therefore translate madafyut, when applied to Indra, to his horses, to the Asvins, or to horses in general by furiously or wildly moving about, as if ‘made or madena éyavate,’ he moves in a state of delight, or in a state of intoxication, such as was not incompatible with the character of the ancient gods. Here again the difficulty of rendering Vedic thought in English, or any other modern language, becomes apparent, for we have no poetical word to express a high state of mental excitement produced by drinking the intoxicating juice of the Soma or other plants, which has not something opprobrious mixed up with it, while in ancient times that state of excitement was celebrated as a blessing of. the gods, as not unworthy of the gods themselves, nay, as a state in which both the warrior and the poet would perform their highest achievements. The German Rausch is the nearest approach to the Sanskrit mada.
VIII, 1, 21. visvesham tarut#ram mada-Ayitam made hi sma dadati nak.
Indra, the conqueror of all, who rushes about in rapture, for in rapture he bestows gifts upon us. Cf. I, 51, 2.
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The horses of Indra are called madafyut, I, 81, 3; VIII, 33,18; 34,9. Ordinary horses, I, 126, 4.
It is more surprising to see this epithet applied to the Asvins, who are generally represented as moving about with exemplary steadiness. However we read:
VIII, 22,16. mdanaf-gavas4 vrishaz4 mada-syuta.
Ye two Asvins, quick as thought, powerful, wildly moving ; or, as SAyana proposes, liberal givers, humblers of your enemies. See also VIII, 35, 19.
Most frequently madafyut is applied to Soma, X, 30, 9; IX, 32,1; 53, 43 79, 23 108, 11; where particularly the last passage deserves attention, in which Soma is called madaekyitam sahdsra-dh4ram vrishabham.
Lastly, even the wealth itself which the Maruts are asked to send down from heaven, most likely rain, is called, VIII, 7,13, rayim mada-Zyutam puru-kshim visvadhayasam. .
In all these passages we must translate mada-kyut by bringing delight, showering down delight.
Lastly, even the wealth itself which the Maruts are asked to send down from heaven, most likely rain, is called, VIII, 7,13, rayim mada-Zyutam puru-kshim visvadhayasam. .
In all these passages we must translate mada-kyut by bringing delight, showering down delight.
We have thus arrived at the conclusion that vr/shazam mada-éyitam, as used in our passage I, 85, 7, might be meant either for Indra or for Soma. If the Asvins can be called vréshazau mada-kyuta, the same expression would be even more applicable to Indra. On the other hand, if Soma is called vrishabha# mada-kyiut, the same Soma may legitimately be called vv/sh4 mada-#yut. In deciding whether Indra or Soma be meant, we must now have recourse to other hymns, in which the relations of the Maruts with Vishzu, Soma, and Indra are alluded to.
If Indra were intended, and if the first words meant ‘When Vishzu perceived the approach of Indra,’ we should expect, not that the Maruts sat down on the sacrificial pile, but that they rushed to the battle. The idea that the Maruts come to the sacrifice, like birds, is common enough:
Come ye Maruts together, to eat our offerings, on yourp. 137 strong-horsed, strong-shaped, strong-naved chariot, like winged hawks!
But when the Maruts thus come to a sacrifice it is to participate in it, and particularly in the Soma that is offered by the sacrificer. This Soma, it is said in other hymns, was prepared by Vishu for Indra (II, 22, 1), and Vishvu is said to have brought the Soma for Indra (X, 113, 2). If we keep these and similar passages in mind, and consider that in the preceding verse the Maruts have been invited to sit down on the sacrificial pile and to rejoice in the sweet food, we shall see that the same train of thought is carried on in our verse, the only new idea being that the saving or, possibly, the descrying of the Soma is ascribed to Vishnu. See, however, Bergaigne, Journ. Asiat.
1884, p. 472. Verse 8.
Note 1. On na and iva together, see Bollensen, Orient und
Occident, II, 470. Verse 9.
Note 1, Tvdshfar, the workman of the gods, frequently also the fashioner and creator.
See, however, Bergaigne, Journ. Asiat.
1884, p. 472. Verse 8.
Note 1. On na and iva together, see Bollensen, Orient und
Occident, II, 470. Verse 9.
Note 1, Tvdshfar, the workman of the gods, frequently also the fashioner and creator.
Note 2. Nari, the loc. sing. of nvri, but, if so, with a wrong accent, occurs only in this phrase as used here, and as repeated in VIII, 96, 19. nari dpamsi kartA sah vritraha. Its meaning is not clear. It can hardly mean ‘on man, without some more definite application. If nr¢ could be used as a name of Vritra or any other enemy, it would mean, to do his deeds against the man, on the enemy. Nri, however, is ordinarily an honorific term, chiefly applied to Indra, IV, 25, 4. ndre ndryaya nvf-tamaya nrizim, and hence its application to Vritra would be objectionable. Sayama explains it in the sense of battle. I believe that nari stands for ndry4, the acc. plur. neut. of ndrya, manly, and the frequent epithet of dpas, and I have translated accordingly. Indra is called ndrya-apas, VIII, 93, 1. See also Kuhn’s Zeitschrift, vol. xxv, p. 601.
Verse 10.
Note 1. Avatd, a well, here meant for cloud, like utsa, I, 64, 6.
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Note 2. Dhamanta’ vaadm is translated by Sdyaza as playing on the lyre, by Benfey as blowing the flute. Such a rendering, particularly the latter, would be very appropriate, but there is no authority for vind meaning either lyre or flute in the Veda. V4md occurs five times only. In one passage, VIII, 20, 8. gébhiz vandh agyate, it means arrow ; the arrow is sent-forth from the bow-strings. The same meaning seems applicable to IX, 50, 1. va#dsya kodaya pavim. In another passage, IX, 97, 8. pra vadanti vamam, they send forth their voice, is applied to the Maruts, as in our passage; in IV, 24, 9, the sense is doubtful, but here too va#zd clearly does not mean a musical instrument. See III, 30, 10. Spiegel compares the Huzvaresh and Armenian vang (Pers. banig), voice. M. Senart (Journal Asiatique, 1874, p. 281) is in favour of taking vaza for flute.
Verse 12.
Note 1. In the Taitt. S. I, 5, 11, we have sasamanaya, and in the Taitt. Br. II, 8, 5, 6, samsamandya, but Sayaza explains sasam4naya, samsanam kurvate. He explains tridhatdni by asanam, panam, kh4danam.
Vréshan.
281) is in favour of taking vaza for flute.
Verse 12.
Note 1. In the Taitt. S. I, 5, 11, we have sasamanaya, and in the Taitt. Br. II, 8, 5, 6, samsamandya, but Sayaza explains sasam4naya, samsanam kurvate. He explains tridhatdni by asanam, panam, kh4danam.
Vréshan.
Note 2. In vvéshan we have one of those words which it is almost impossible to translate accurately. It occurs over and over again in the Vedic hymns, and if we once know the various ideas which it either expresses or implies, we have little difficulty in understanding its import in a vague and general way, though we look in vain for corresponding terms in any modern language. In the Veda, and in ancient languages generally, one and the same word is frequently made to do service for many. Words retain their general meaning, though at the same time they are evidently used with a definite purpose. This is not only a peculiar phase of language, but a peculiar phase of thought, and as to us this phase has become strange and unreal, it is very difficult to transport ourselves back into it, still more to translate the pregnant terms of the Vedic poets into the definite languages which we have to use. Let us imagine a state ofp. 139 thought and speech in which virtus still meant manliness, though it might also be applied to the virtue of a woman ; or let us try to speak and think a language which expressed the bright and the divine, the brilliant and the beautiful, the straight and the right, the bull and the hero, the shepherd and the king by the same terms, and we shall see how difficult it would be to translate such terms without losing either the key-note that was still sounding, or the harmonics which were set vibrating by it in the minds of the poets and their listeners,
I. Vr¢shan, male.
Vréshan, being derived from a root vvésh, spargere, meant no doubt originally the male, whether applied to animals or men. In this sense vrfshan occurs frequently in the Veda, either as determining the sex of the animal which is mentioned, or as standing by itself and meaning the male. In either case, however, it implies the idea of strength and eminence, which we lose whether we translate it by man or male.
Thus dsva is horse, but VII, 69, 1, we read:
@ vam rathah—vrtsha-bhik yatu dsvaih.
May your chariot come near with powerful horses, i. e. with stallions,
The Haris, the horses of Indra, are frequently called vrishaxa :
I, 177, 1. yuktv@ hart (iti) vréshana.
Having yoked the bay stallions.
Vrishabha, though itself originally meaning the male animal, had become fixed as the name of the bull, and in this process it had lost so much of its etymological import that the Vedic poet did not hesitate to define vréshabha itself by the addition of vy/shan. Thus we find:
VIII, 93, 7. sd& vrtsha vrishabha/ bhuvat.
May he (Indra) be a strong bull.
I, 54, 2. vrfsha vrisha-tvaé vrishabha&.
Indra by his strength a strong bull; but, literally, Indra by his manliness a male bull.
Thus we find:
VIII, 93, 7. sd& vrtsha vrishabha/ bhuvat.
May he (Indra) be a strong bull.
I, 54, 2. vrfsha vrisha-tvaé vrishabha&.
Indra by his strength a strong bull; but, literally, Indra by his manliness a male bull.
Even vrishabha loses again its definite meaning ; and asp. 140 bull in bull-calf means simply male, or in bull-trout, large, so vrishabha is added to dtya, horse, to convey the meaning of large or powerful :
I, 177, 2. yé te vréshanak vrishabhésak indra—atyas.
Thy strong and powerful horses; literally, thy male bullhorses.
When vr/shan and vrishabha are used as adjectives, for instance with sushma, strength, they hardly differ in meaning :
VI, 19, 8. & nak bhara vréshanam sishmam indra.
Bring us thy manly strength, O Indra.
And in the next verse:
VI, 19, 9. & te sishmak vrishabhas etu.
May thy manly strength come near.
Vamsaga, too, which is clearly the name for bull, is defined by vr/shan, I, 7, 8:
vrisha ydtha-iva vamsagah.
As the strong bull scares the herds.
The same applies to varéha, which, though by itself meaning boar, is determined again by vréshan :
X, 67, 7. vrtsha-bhik varghaih.
With strong boars.
In III, 2, 11, we read :
vrishi—nfnadat na simhah.
Like a roaring lion.
If used by itself, vvéshan, at least in the Rig-veda, can hardly be said to be the name of any special animal, though in later Sanskrit it may mean bull or horse. Thus if we read, X, 43, 8, vrésha na kruddhad, we can only translate like an angry male, though, no doubt, like a wild bull, would seem more appropriate.
That we may excite the sqn of the water (Agni), whom the males, quick as thought, carry along.
Here the males are no doubt the horses or stallions of Agni. But, though this follows from the context, it would be wrong to say that vréshan by itself means horse.
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If used by itself, vrfshan most frequently means man, and chiefly in his sexual character. Thus:
I, 140, 6. vrésha-iva patni# abhi eti réruvat.
Agni comes roaring like a husband to his wives.
I, 179, 1. Api dm (iti) nd patniz vrishanahk gagamyuh.
Will the husbands now come to their wives?
II, 16, 8. sakr¢t su te sumati-bhis—sdm pdatnibhiZ na vrishanah nasimahi.
May we for once cling firmly to thy blessings, as husbands cling to their wives.
The exulting men come for the embrace on the path of heaven towards their wives.
In one or two passages vréshan would seem to have a still more definite meaning, particularly in the formula sirak drfsike vr/shanah ka paimsye, which occurs IV, 41, 6; X, 92, 7. Seealso I, 179, 1.
In all the passages which we have hitherto examined vrishan clearly retained its etymological meaning, though even then it was not always possible to translate it by male.
Seealso I, 179, 1.
In all the passages which we have hitherto examined vrishan clearly retained its etymological meaning, though even then it was not always possible to translate it by male.
The same meaning has been retained in other languages in which this word can be traced. Thus, in Zend, arshan (the later gushan) is used to express the sex of animals in such expressions as aspahé arshné, gen. a male horse; varazahe arshné, gen. a male boar; géus arshndé, gen. a male ox ; but likewise in the sense of man or hero, as arsha husrava, the hero Husrava. In Greek we find dponv and &ppnv used in the same way to distinguish the sex of animals, as dpoeves Uno, Body dpceva. In Latin the same word may be recognised in the proper name Varro, and in v4ro and b4ro.
We now come to another class of passages in which vrishan is clearly intended to express more than merely the masculine gender. In some of them the etymological meaning of spargere, to pour forth, seems to come out again, and it is well known that Indian commentators are very fond of explaining vréshan by giver of rain, giver ofp. 142 good gifts, bounteous. The first of these meanings may indeed be admitted in certain passages, but in others it is more than doubtful.
II. Vréshan, fertilising.
I, 181, 8. veéshA vam meghds may be translated, your raining cloud.
I, 129, 3. dasma’ hi sma vréshazam pinvasi tvakam.
Thou art strong, thou fillest the rainy skin, i. e. the cloud.
See also IV, 22, 6; and possibly V, 83, 6.
It may be that, when applied to Soma too, vréshan retained something of its etymological meaning, that it meant gushing forth, poured out, though in many places it is impossible to render vréshan, as applied to Soma, by anything but strong. All we can admit is that vréshan, if translated by strong, means also strengthening and invigorating, an idea not entirely absent even in our expression, a strong drink.
III. Vré¢shan, strong.
I, 80, 2. sdk tva amadat vr/shi mddak, s6mak—sutah.
This strong draught inspirited thee, the poured out Soma-juice.
I, 91, 2. tvdm vrtsh4 vrisha-tvébhiz.
Thou, Soma, art strong by strength.
I, 175, 1. vrésha te vréshve induk vagi sahasra-sftamah.
For thee, the strong one, there is strong drink, powerful, omnipotent.
In the ninth Mazdala, specially dedicated to the praises of Soma, the inspiriting beverage of gods and men, the repetition of vréshan, as applied to the juice and to the god who drinks it, is constant. Indo vr/sha or vrtfsh4 indo are incessant invocations, and become at last perfectly meaningless.
IV. Vréshan, epitheton ornans.
There can be no doubt, in fact, that already in the hymns of the Veda, v7/shan had dwindled away to a mere epitheton ornans, and that in order to understand it correctly, we must, as much as possible, forget its etymological
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IV. Vréshan, epitheton ornans.
There can be no doubt, in fact, that already in the hymns of the Veda, v7/shan had dwindled away to a mere epitheton ornans, and that in order to understand it correctly, we must, as much as possible, forget its etymologicalp. 143 colouring, and render it by hero or strong. Indra, Agni, the Asvins, Vishzu, the Ribhus (IV, 35, 6), all are vr¢shan, which means no longer male, but manly, strong.
In the following passages vr/shan is thus applied to Indra :
He who is strong, wedded to strength, who is the king of the great sky and the earth, of mighty might, to be invoked in battles,—may Indra with the Maruts come to our help!
Growing up by day, the hero with the thunderbolt has roared, the Vritra-killer, the great Soma-drinker.
V, 35,4. vrésha hi asi ridhase gagnishé vrtshai te savah.
Thou (Indra) art a hero, thou wast born to be bounteous ; in thee, the hero, there is might.
V. Varshish¢ha, strongest, best, oldest.
It is curious to watch the last stage of the meaning of vrishan in the comparative and superlative varshiyas and varshish¢ha. In the Veda, varshish¢fa still means excellent, but in later Sanskrit it is considered as the superlative of vriddha, old, so that we see v7¢shan, from meaning originally manly, vigorous, young, assuming in the end the meaning of old. (M.M., Sanskrit Grammar, § 252.)
Yet even thus, when vzéshan means simply strong or hero, its sexual sense is not always forgotten, and it breaks out, for instance, in such passages as,
Yet even thus, when vzéshan means simply strong or hero, its sexual sense is not always forgotten, and it breaks out, for instance, in such passages as,
When Rudra, the strong man, begat you, O Maruts withp. 145 bright ornaments on your chests, in the bright lap of Prisni.
That the Maruts, the sons of Rudra, are called v7/shan, we have seen before, and shall see frequently again (I, 165, 1; II, 33,13; VII, 56, 20; 21; 58,6). The whole company of the Maruts is called vrésha gawah, the strong or manly host, i.e. the host of the Maruts, without any further qualification.
VI. Vr¢shan, name of various deities.
Here lies, indeed, the chief difficulty which is raised by the common use of vr/shan in the Veda, that when it occurs by itself, it often remains doubtful who is meant by it, Indra, or Soma, or the Maruts, or some other deity. We shall examine a few of these passages, and first some where vréshan refers to Indra:
IV, 30, 10. dpa ushé& dnasak sarat sdm-pish“at dha bibhyushi, nf ydt stm sisnathat v/sha.
Ushas went away from her broken chariot, fearing lest the hero should do her violence.
Here vr/shan is clearly meant for Indra, who, as we learn from the preceding verse, was trying to conquer Ushas, as Apollo did Daphne; and it should be observed that the word itself, by which Indra is here designated, is particularly appropriate to the circumstances.
Let us pour out the Soma for the strong bull, the performer of many exploits, whose strength is true, the hero who, watching like a footpad, comes to us dividing the wealth of the infidel.
Here it is clear again from the context that Indra only can be meant.
The hero in the depth of the heaven, yearning for the dawns, has entered the great sky and the earth.
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The hero who yearns for the dawns, is generally Indra; here, however, considering that Agni is mentioned in the preceding verse, it is more likely that this god, as the light of the morning, may have been meant by the poet. That Agni, too, may be called vv/shan, without any other epithet to show that he is meant rather than any other god, is clear from such passages as,
VI, 3, 7. vrésha rukshad dshadhishu ndnot.
He the wild hero shouted among the plants.
In VII, 60, 9, vrishazau, the dual, is meant for Mitra and Varuza ; in the next verse, vrishamaA, the plural, must mean the same gods and their companions.
That Soma is called simply vv/shan, not only in the ninth Mandala, but elsewhere, too, we see from such passages as,
III, 43, 7. Indra pfba vv¢sha-dhatasya vréshnak (& ydm te syenah usaté gabhfra), ydsya made Ayavayasi pra krishatk ydsya made dpa gotra vavdrtha.
Indra drink of the male (the strong Soma), bruised by the males (the heavy stones), inspirited by whom thou makest the people fall down, inspirited by whom thou hast opened the stables.
Here Sayaaa, too, sees rightly that ‘the male bruised by the males’ is the Soma-plant, which, in order to yield the intoxicating juice, has to be bruised by stones, which stones are again likened to two males. But unless the words, enclosed in brackets, had stood in the text, words which clearly point to Soma, I doubt whether SAyaza would have so readily admitted the definite meaning of v7/shan as Soma.
We pray, let us not break the cords (which, by means of the sacrifices offered by each generation of our forefathers, unite us with the gods); we strive after the powers of our fathers. The Somas rejoice for Indra and Agni; for the two stones are in the lap of the vessel.
First, as to the construction, the fact that participles are thus used as finite verbs, and particularly when the subject changes in the next sentence, is proved by other passages,p. 147 such as II, 11, 4. The sense is that the new generation does not break the sacrificial succession, but offers Soma, like their fathers. The Soma-plants are ready, and, when pressed by two stones, their juice flows into the Somavessel. There may be a double entendre in dhishawayak upd-sthe, which Sanskrit scholars will easily perceive.
When vr/shan is thus used by itself, we must be chiefly guided by the adjectives or other indications before we determine on the most plausible translation. Thus we read :
There may be a double entendre in dhishawayak upd-sthe, which Sanskrit scholars will easily perceive.
When vr/shan is thus used by itself, we must be chiefly guided by the adjectives or other indications before we determine on the most plausible translation. Thus we read :
In the first verse the subject may be Indra or Soma: ‘He alone is praised by worshippers in the forest (or in the wooden vessel), he who shows forth among men his fair power.’ But who is meant to be the subject of the next verse? Even Sayama is doubtful. He translates first: ‘The bounteous excites the man who wishes to sacrifice ; when the sacrificer, the rich, by the protection of Indra, stirs up his voice.’ But he allows an optional translation for the last sentences: ‘when the powerful male, Indra, by his enduring mind reaches the praise offered by the sacrificer.’
According to these suggestions, WILSON translated: He (Indra) is the granter of their wishes (to those who solicit him) ; he is the encourager of those who desire to worship (him), when the wealthy offerer of oblations, enjoying his protection, recites his praise.
BENFEY: The bull becomes friendly, the bull becomes desirable, when the sacrificer kindly advances praise.
LANGLOIS: When the noble Maghavan receives the homage of our hymns, his heart is flattered, and he responds to the wishes of his servant by his gifts.
As far as I know, the adjective #Adndu does not occur again, and can therefore give us no hint. But haryatd, which is applied to vv/shan in our verse, is the standing epithet of Soma. It means delicious, and occurs very frequently in the ninth Mazdala. It is likewise applied to Agni, Paishan, the Haris, the thunderbolt, but wherever
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it occurs our first thought is of Soma. Thus, without quoting from the Soma-Mandala, we read, X, 96, 1, haryatam madam, the delicious draught, i.e. Soma.
X, 96, 9. pitvd mddasya haryatdsya dndhasa#, means having drunk of the draught of the delicious Soma.
VIII, 72, 18. paddm haryatasya ni-dhanyam, means the place where the delicious Soma resides.
III, 44, 1. haryata# sémak.
Delicious Soma.
II, 21, 1. bhara {indraya s6mam yagataya haryatdm.
Bring delicious Soma for the holy Indra.
I, 130, 2. mddaya haryataya te tuvi4-tamAya dhayase.
That thou mayest drink the delicious and most powerful draught, i. e. the Soma.
III, 44, 1. haryata# sémak.
Delicious Soma.
II, 21, 1. bhara {indraya s6mam yagataya haryatdm.
Bring delicious Soma for the holy Indra.
I, 130, 2. mddaya haryataya te tuvi4-tamAya dhayase.
That thou mayest drink the delicious and most powerful draught, i. e. the Soma.
‘If, then, we know that vréshan by itself is used in the sense of Soma, haryata vrvéshan can hardly be anything else. Vakasyate also is peculiar to Soma in the sense of murmuring, or as it were talking, and never occurs as a passive. I therefore should prefer to assign the whole verse to Soma, and translate: He indeed, when in the wooden vessel, talks with his worshippers, proclaiming his fair power among men ; the strong Soma is pleasing, the strong Soma is delicious, when the sacrificer safely brings the cow, i.e. the milk to be mixed with the Soma.
That Indra was thirsting for Soma had. been said in the second verse, and he is again called the Soma-drinker in the seventh verse. A verse dedicated to Soma therefore scems to come in quite naturally, though the Anukramazt does not sanction it.
That the Maruts are called v7/shan, without further explanations, will appear from the following: passages :
I, 85, 12. rayim nad dhatta vrishanah su-viram.
Give us wealth, ye heroes, consisting of good offspring.
I wish for you, heroes (Maruts), fight in the race!
In all the passages which we have hitherto examined, vrishan was always applied to living beings, whether animals, men, or gods. But as, in Greek, dponvy means at last simply strong, and is applied, for instance, to thep. 149 crash of the sea, xrézos dpony névrov, so in the Veda vrishan is applied to the roaring of the storms and similar objects.
V, 87, 5. svand& vrisha.
Your powerful sound (O Maruts).
X, 47, I. gagvtbhma te dakshivam indra hdstam vasuyavak vasu-pate vasindm, vidmd hi tvAa gé-patim sdra gén4m asmabhyam 4itradm vr/shazam ray{m daA.
We have taken thy right hand, O Indra, wishing for treasures, treasurer of treasures, for we know thee, O hero, to be the lord of cattle; give us bright and strong wealth.
Should &itrd here refer to treasures, and vv¢shan to cattle ?
Whet, O hero, the heavy strong red weapon against the enemies.
The long 4 in vréshazam is certainly startling, but it occurs once more, IX, 34, 3, where there can be no doubt that it is the accusative of vv/shan. Professor Roth takes vrtshan here in the sense of bull (s. v. tumra), but he does not translate the whole passage.
III, 29, 9. krindta dhQmdm vr/shanam sakhayat.
Make a mighty smoke, O friends!
Strength itself is called vv/shan, if I am right in translating the phrase vv/shazam sishmam by manly strength. It occurs,
IV, 24, 7. tasmin dadhat vr/shazam sishmam {ndrak.
Indra may give to him manly strength.
VI, 19, 8. & na# bhara vr/shavam stishmam indra.
Make a mighty smoke, O friends!
Strength itself is called vv/shan, if I am right in translating the phrase vv/shazam sishmam by manly strength. It occurs,
IV, 24, 7. tasmin dadhat vr/shazam sishmam {ndrak.
See also VI, 19, 9, sishma# vrishabha/, used in the same sense.
VII. Vréshan, general and empty term of praise.
This constant play on the word vr/shan, which we have observed in the passages hitherto examined, and which give by no means a full idea of the real frequency of itsp. 150 occurrence in the Veda, has evidently had its influence on the Vedic Rishis, who occasionally seem to delight in the most silly and unmeaning repetitions of this word, and its compounds and derivatives. Here no language can supply any adequate translation; for though we may translate words which express thoughts, it is useless to attempt to render mere idle play with words. I shall give a few instances :
Mount the strong car, the strong Soma is poured out for thee, sweets are sprinkled round ; come down towards us, thou bull of men, with the strong bays, having yoked them.
But this is nothing yet compared to other passages, when the poet cannot get enough of vv/shan and vrishabha.
II, 16, 6. vrésha te vagrah uta te vrésh4 rathak vrtshana hart ({ti) vrishabhawi &yudha, vréshnak madasya vrishabha tvam isishe {ndra sémasya vrishabhasya tripzuhi.
Thy thunderbolt is strong, and thy car is strong, strong are the bays, the weapons are powerful, thou, bull, art lord of the strong draught, Indra rejoice in the powerful Soma!
May the strong sky increase thee, the strong; a strong one thou art, carried by two strong bays; do thou who art strong, with a strong car, O thou of strong might, strong holder of the thunderbolt, keep us in battle!
The stone is strong, the draught is strong, this Soma that has been poured out is strong, O thou strong Indra, who killest Vritra with the strong ones (the Maruts), I, the strong, call thee, the strong.
VIII, 13, 31-33. vrfsha aydm indra te ratha/ utd (iti) te
This thy car is strong, O Indra, and thy bays are strong; thou art strong, O omnipotent, our call is strong. The stone is strong, the draught is strong, the Soma is strong, which is here poured out; the sacrifice which thou orderest is strong, our call is strong. I, the strong, call thee, the strong, thou holder of the thunderbolt, with manifold blessings ; for thou hast desired our praise ; our call is strong.
There are other passages of the same kind, but they are too tedious to be here repeated. The commentator, throughout, gives to each vréshan its full meaning either of showering down or bounteous, or male or bull ; but a word which can thus be used at random has clearly lost its definite power, and cannot call forth any definite ideas in the mind of the listener. It cannot be denied that here and there the original meaning of vr/shan would be appropriate even where the poet is only pouring out a stream of majestic sound, but we are not called upon to impart sense to what are verba et praeterquam nihil. When we read, I, 122, 3, vatak apém vrisham-v4n, we are justified, no doubt, in translating, ‘the wind who pours forth water;’ and X, 93, 5, apm vvishaz-vas0 ({ti) siry4masa, means ‘Sun and Moon, givers of water.’ But even in some passages where vréshan is followed by the word vrish, it is curious to observe that vvésh is not necessarily used in the sense of raining or pouring forth, but rather in the sense of drinking.
® The dual vrishanau occurs only when the next word begins with a vowel. Before an initial a, 4, i, the au is always changed into 4v in the Samhita (I, 108, 7-12; 116, 21; 117,19; 153, 23 157,53 158, 1; 180, 7; VII, 61, 5). Before u the preceding au becomes 4 in the Samhit4, but the Pada gives au, in order to show that no Sandhi can take place between the two vowels (VII, 60, 9;
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Indra and Varuza, you strong ones, may you drink of the sweetest strong Soma.
That 4-vrish means to drink or to eat, was known to Sayaza and to the author of the Satapatha-brahmama, who paraphrases 4 vrzsha4yadhvam by asnita, eat.
The same phrase occurs I, 108, 3.
I, 104, 9. uru-vydkah gathare & vrishasva.
Thou of vast extent, drink (the Soma) in thy stomach.
The same phrase occurs X, 96, 13.
VIII, 61, 3. & vrishasva—sutdsya indra dndhasa.
Drink, Indra, of the Soma that is poured. out.
In conclusion, a few passages may be pointed out in which vr/shan seems to be the proper name of a pious worshipper :
Thee, O Agni, whom the gods placed here for man, the most worthy of worship, O carrier of oblations, thee whom Kazva, thee whom Medhyatithi placed, as the giver of wealth, thee whom Vrishan placed and Upastuta.
Here the commentator takes Vrvishan as Indra, but this would break the symmetry of the sentence. That Upastutd’ is here to be taken as a proper name, as Upastuta, the son of Vrishzihavya, is clear from verse 17:
agni# pra Avat mitré utd médhya-atithim agnif sat& upastutam.
Agni protected also the two friends, MedhyAtithi and Upastuta, in battle.
The fact is that whenever upastutd has the accent on the last syllable, it is intended as a proper name, while, if used as a participle, in the sense of praised, it has the accent on the first.
X, 66, 7). Before consonants the dual always ends in 4, both in the Samhita and Pada. But there are a few passages where the final 4 occurs before initial vowels, and where the two vowels are allowed to form one syllable. In four passages this happens before an initial 4 (I, 108, 3; VI, 68, 11; I, 177, 1; II, 16, 5). Once, and once only, it happens before u, in VIII, 22, 12. -
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VIII, 5, 25. yaétha Ait kazvam dvatam priyd-medham upa-stutam.
As you have protected Kazva, Priyamedha, Upastuta. Cf. I, 112, 15.
VIII, 103, 8. prd mdmhishthaya gayata—upa-stut4sah agndaye (accent of the vocative).
Thee, O Agni, did Dadhyaé kindle, the Rishi, the son of Atharvan, thee the killer of Vritra, the destroyer of towns ;
Thee, O Agni, did Vvishan Pathya kindle, thee the best killer of enemies, the conqueror of wealth in every battle.
Thee, O Agni, did Dadhyaé kindle, the Rishi, the son of Atharvan, thee the killer of Vritra, the destroyer of towns ;
Thee, O Agni, did Vvishan Pathya kindle, thee the best killer of enemies, the conqueror of wealth in every battle.
Here the context can leave no doubt that. Dadhyaé and Vrishan were both intended as proper names. Yet as early as the composition of the Satapatha-brahmaaa, this was entirely misunderstood. Dadhyaé, the son of Atharvan, is explained as speech, Vrishan Pathya as mind (Sat. Br. VI, 3, 3, 4)» On this Mahidhara, in his remarks on Vag. Samh. XI, 34, improves still further. For though he allows his personality to Dadhyaé, the son. of Atharvan, he says that Pathya comes from pathin, path, and means he who moves on the right path; or it comes from pathas, which means sky, and is here used in the sense of the sky of the heart. He then takes vvishan as mind, and translates the mind of the heart. Such is a small chapter in the history of the rise and fall of the Indian mind!
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MANDALA I, HYMN 86, ASH7AKA I, ADHYAYA 6, VARGA 11-12.
To THE Maruts (THE SToRM-Gops).
1. O Maruts, that man in whose dwelling you drink (the Soma), ye mighty (sons) of heaven, he indeed has the best guardians '.
2. You who are propitiated? either by sacrifices or from the prayers of the sage, hear the call, O Maruts !
3. Aye, the powerful man to whom you have granted a sage, he will live in a stable rich in cattle’.
4. On the altar of this strong man (here)! Soma is poured out in daily sacrifices; praise and joy are sung.
5. To him let the mighty! Maruts listen, to him who surpasses all men, as the flowing rain-clouds ? pass over the sun.
6. For we, O Maruts, have sacrificed at many harvests, through the mercies! of the swift gods (the storm-gods).
7. May that mortal be blessed, O chasing Maruts, whose offerings you carry off.
8. You take notice either of the sweat of him who praises you, ye men of true strength, or of the desire of the suppliant!.
9. O ye of true strength, make this manifest with might! strike the fiend! with your lightning!
10. Hide the hideous darkness, destroy! every tusky? fiend. Make the light which we long for!
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NOTES.
This hymn is ascribed to Gotama.
Verse 1=VS. VIII, 31; AV. XX, 1,2; TS. IV, 2,11, 1. Verse 2=TS. IV, 2, 11, 2.
Verse 6=TS. IV, 3, 13, 5-
Verse 8=SV. II, 944.
Verse 1.
Note 1. Vimahas occurs only once more as an epithet of the Maruts, V, 87, 4. Being an adjective derived from mahas, strength, it means very strong. The strong ones of heaven is an expression analogous to I, 64, 2. divah rishvasahk ukshanah ; I, 64,4. divas ndrak. The Ait. Brahmana VI, 10, takes gopa, guardian, as Indra.
Verse 2.
Note 1. The construction of this verse is not clear. Yaga-vahas has two meanings in the Veda. It is applied to the priest who carries or performs the sacrifice:
III, 8, 3, and 24, 1. varkak dhak yagiid-vahase.
Grant splendour to the sacrificer !
Verse 2.
Note 1. The construction of this verse is not clear. Yaga-vahas has two meanings in the Veda. It is applied to the priest who carries or performs the sacrifice:
III, 8, 3, and 24, 1. varkak dhak yagiid-vahase.
Grant splendour to the sacrificer !
But it is also used of the gods who carry off the sacrifice, and in that case it means hardly more than worshipped or propitiated ; I, 15, 11 (Asvinau); IV, 47, 4 (Indra and Vayu); VIII, 12, 20 (Indra). In our verse it is used in the latter sense, and it is properly construed with the instrumental yagiiaik. The difficulty is the gen. plur. matinam, instead of matibhi4. The sense, however, seems to allow of but one construction, and we may suppose that the genitive depends on the yagiia in yagidvahas, ‘ accepting the worship of the prayers of the priest.’ Benfey refers yagiiath to the preceding verse, and joins hdvam to viprasya matiném : ‘Durch Opfer—Opferfordrer ihr !—oder ihr hort —Maruts—den Ruf der Lieder, die der Priester schuf.’
The SamhitA text lengthens the last syllable of srizuta, as suggested by the metre.
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If the accent allowed yagfavahasak to be taken as a genitive, the translation, as suggested by Ludwig, might be, ‘Either for the sake of the sacrifices of the sacrificer, or because of the prayers of the sage, O Maruts, hear the call’
Verse 38.
Note 1. The genitive ydsya vaginak depends on vipra. Anu-taksh, like anu-grah, anu-giia, seems to convey the meaning of doing in behalf or for the benefit of a person. Gant4 might also be translated in a hostile sense, he will go into, he will conquer many a stable full of cows.
Verse 4.
Note 1. Ludwig has pointed out that asy4 may refer to the present. sacrificer.
Verse 5.
Note 1. I have altered @ bhuva into Abhivas, for I do not think that bhuvad, the second pers. sing., even if it were bhuvat, the third pers., could be joined with the relative pronoun yd# in the second pada. The phrase visvak yah karshanihk abhi occurs more than once, and is never preceded by the verb bhuvaé or bhuvat. Abhuva/, on the contrary, is applied to the Maruts, I, 64, 6, viddtheshu Abhuvas ; and as there can be no doubt who are the deities invoked, A4bhtva’, the strong ones, is as appropriate an epithet as vimahas in the first verse.
Note 2. Sasrishi# {shah, as connected with sfira, the sun, can only be meant for the flowing waters, the rain-clouds, the givers of ish or vigour. They are called divya/ {shah :
You rain down on us the heavenly waters and the rivers.
WILSON translates: May the Maruts, victorious over all men, hear (the praises) of this (their worshipper); and may (abundant) food be obtained by him who praises them.
BENFEY: Ihn, der ob allen Menschen ragt, sollen héren die Labungen, und nahn, die irgend Weisen nahn.
LupDwic: Hoéren sollen von ihm, der iiber allen menschen ist, die erden, seine bis zur sonne gelangten krafte. In his
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BENFEY: Ihn, der ob allen Menschen ragt, sollen héren die Labungen, und nahn, die irgend Weisen nahn.
LupDwic: Hoéren sollen von ihm, der iiber allen menschen ist, die erden, seine bis zur sonne gelangten krafte. In hisp. 157 notes he would prefer: Von ihm sollen sie gegenwartig héren, von ihm der alle menschen iibertrift (und die in die sonne wegegangenen), die darbringungen.
Sroshantu does not occur again; but we find sréshan, I, 68, 5; sréshamaza, III, 8, 10; VII, 51,1; VII, 7, 6.
Verse 6, |
Note 1. The expression dvobhiz, with the help, the blessings, the mercies, is generally used with reference to divine assistance ; (I, 117, 19; 167, 2; 185, 10; 11; IV, 22,7; 41,6; V, 74,6; VI, 47,12; VII, 20,1; 35,1, &c.) It seems best therefore to take Aarsham{ as a name or epithet of the Maruts, although, after the invocation of the Maruts by name, this repetition is somewhat unusual. I should have preferred, ‘ with the help of our men, of our active and busy companions,’ for darsha#{ is used in that sense also. Only dvobhi# would not be in its right place then. The same applies to the various reading in TS. IV, 3, 13, 5, where instead of dvobhiz we find mahobhifZ. This too is used with reference to gods, and particularly to the Maruts ; see I, 165, 5, note.
Verse 7.
Note 1. Par, with ati, means to carry over (I, 97, 8; 99, 1; 174,93 III, 15, 3; 20, 4; IV, 39,13; V, 25, 95 73, 8; VII, 40, 4; 97, 4; VIII, 26, 5; 67, 2, &c.); with apa, to .remove (I, 129, 5); with ni#, to throw down. Hence, if used by itself, unless it means to overrun, as frequently, it can only have the general sense of carrying, taking, accepting, or accomplishing.
Verse 8.
Note 1. Vidd as second pers. plur. perf. is frequent, generally with the final ‘a’ long in the Samhita, I, 156, 3; V, 41,133; 55, 2. .
Verse 9.
Note 1. Observe the long penultimate in raksha, instead of the usual short syllable. Cf. I, 12, 5, and see Kuhn, Beitrige, vol. iii, p. 456.
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Verse 10.
Note 1. See note 1 to I, 39, 3.
Note 2. Atrin, which stands for attrin, is one of the many names assigned to the powers of darkness and mischief. It is derived from atrd, which means tooth or jaw, and therefore meant originally an ogre with large teeth or jaws, a devourer. Besides atra, we also find in- the Veda dtra, with the accent on the first syllable, and meaning what serves for eating, or food :
X, 79, 2. atrani asmai pat-bhiA sm bharanti.
They bring together food for him (Agni) with their feet.
With the accent on the last syllable, atra in one passage means an eater or an ogre, like atrin :
V, 32, 8. apidam atram—m~ridhrd-vakam.
Indra killed the footless ogre, the babbler.
It means tooth or jaw:
I, 129, 8. svaydm s@ rishayddhyai y& na# upa-ishé atrat{h.
May she herself go to destruction who attacks us with her teeth.
apidam atram—m~ridhrd-vakam.
Indra killed the footless ogre, the babbler.
It means tooth or jaw:
I, 129, 8. svaydm s@ rishayddhyai y& na# upa-ishé atrat{h.
May she herself go to destruction who attacks us with her teeth.
It is probably from atra in the sense of tooth (cf. d3évres= éd3dvres) that atrin is derived, meaning ogre or a devouring devil. In the later Sanskrit, too, the Asuras are represented as having large tusks, Mahabh. V, 3572, damshérizo bhimavegas fa.
Thus we read I, 21, 5, that Indra and Agni destroy the Rakshas, and the poet continues :
Kill, O Soma, all the tusky Rakshas. Cf. 1X,104,6; 105, 6.
VI, 51, 14. gahf nf atrizam pamim.
Kill, O Soma, the tusky Pazi.
I, 94, 9. vadhafZ duk-sdmsan dpa duk-dhyas gahi daré va yé anti va ké Ait atrinak.
Strike with thy blows, O Agni, the evil-spoken, evilminded (spirits), the ogres, those who are far or who are near.
See also I, 36, 14; 20; VI, 16, 28; VII, 104, 1; 53 VIII, 12, 1; 19,153 X, 36,4; 118, 1.
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MANDALA I, HYMN 87. ASHTAKA I, ADHYAYA 6, VARGA 13.
To THE Maruts (THE STORM-GODS).
1. Endowed with exceeding vigour and power, the singers, the never flinching, the immovable, the impetuous, the most beloved and most manly, have decked themselves with their glittering ornaments, a few only’, like the heavens with the stars,
2. When you have seen your way through the clefts, like birds, O Maruts, on whatever road it be!, then the casks (clouds) on your chariots trickle everywhere, and you pour out the honey-like fatness (the rain) for him who praises you.
3. At their racings the earth shakes, as if broken?, when on the (heavenly) paths they harness (their deer) for victory?. They the sportive, the roaring, with bright spears, the shakers (of the clouds) have themselves glorified their greatness.
4. That youthful company (of the Maruts), with their spotted horses}, moves by itself; hence? it exercises lordship, invested with powers. Thou indeed art true, thou searchest out sin’, thou art without blemish. Therefore the manly host will help this prayer.
5. We speak after the kind of our old father, our tongue goes forth at the sight! of the Soma: when the singers (the Maruts) had joined’ Indra in deed 3, then only they took their holy names ;—
6. These Maruts, armed with beautiful rings, obtained splendours for their glory!, they obtained? rays, and men to celebrate them; nay, armed with daggers, speeding along, and fearless, they found the beloved domain of the Maruts ’,
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NOTES.
This hymn is ascribed to Gotama. No verse in SV., VS., AV.
Verse 2=TS. IV, 3, 13, 7.
Verse 3=TS. IV, 3, 13, 7.
Verse 6=TS. II, 1, 11, 2; IV, 2, 11, 2.
Verse 1.
NOTES.
This hymn is ascribed to Gotama. No verse in SV., VS., AV.
Verse 2=TS. IV, 3, 13, 7.
Verse 3=TS. IV, 3, 13, 7.
Verse 6=TS. II, 1, 11, 2; IV, 2, 11, 2.
Verse 1.
Note 1, Ké Zit refers to the Maruts, who are represented as gradually rising or just showing themselves, as yet only few in number, like the first stars in the sky. Ké it, some, is opposed to sarve, all. The same expression occurs again, V, 52, 12, where the Maruts are compared to a few thieves. B. and R., and those who follow them, translate usra iva st7t-bhii by ‘like cows marked with stars on their foreheads.’ Such cows no doubt exist, but they can hardly be said to become visible by these frontal stars, as the Maruts by their ornaments. We must take usr&/ here in the same sense as dyfvaz ; II, 34, 2, it is said that the Maruts were perceived dy&vah na strd-bhif, like the heavens with the stars.
I, 166, 11. ddre-drtsah yé divy&h-iva str¢-bhik.
Who are visible far away, like the heavens (or heavenly beings) by the stars.
And the same is said of Agni, II, 2, 5. dyau# na strtbhiz Aitayat rédast (iti) d4nu. St/¢bhi# occurs I, 68, 5; IV, 7, 33 VI, 49, 3; 12. It always means stars, and the meaning of rays (strahl) rests, as yet, on etymological authority only. The evening sky would, no doubt, be more appropriate than usr&4, which applies chiefly to the dawn. But in the Indian mind, the two dawns, i. e. the dawn and the gloaming, are so closely united and identified, that their names, too, are frequently interchangeable.
Verse 2. Note 1. I translate yay{ not by a goer, a traveller, i.e. the
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cloud (this is the explanation proposed by Sdyama, and adopted by Professor Benfey), but by path. Sdyaza (TS. IV, 3, 13, 7) renders yayim by gatim. Etymologically yay{ may mean either, and in some passages I feel doubtful as to which is the more appropriate meaning. But in parallel passages yay/ is clearly replaced by yima. Thus:
VIII, 7, 2. yAt—y&mam subhrak dkidhvam.
When you, bright Maruts, have seen your way.
See also VIII, 7, 4. yat yamam yanti vayu-bhit.
When they (the Maruts) go on their path with the winds.
When you, bright Maruts, had seen your way, as it were, from above the mountains.
The same phrase occurs, even without yama or yay{, in
V, 55. 7. na& parvaték na nadya# varanta vahk yatra akidhvam marutas gdkkhata {t u tat.
Not mountains, not rivers, keep you back; where you have seen (your way), there you go.
Though yay{ does not occur frequently in the Rig-veda, the meaning of path seems throughout more applicable than that of traveller.
V, 87, 5. tveshdk yayth.
Your path, O Maruts, is blazing.
V, 73, 7. ugrak vam kakuhas yayih.
Fearful is your pass on high.
I, 51, 11. ugradk yay{m nik apah srotasa asrigat.
The fearful Indra sent the waters forth on their way streaming.
X, 92, 5. pra—yayina yanti sindhavas.
The waters go forth on their path.
Your path, O Maruts, is blazing.
V, 73, 7. ugrak vam kakuhas yayih.
Fearful is your pass on high.
I, 51, 11. ugradk yay{m nik apah srotasa asrigat.
The fearful Indra sent the waters forth on their way streaming.
X, 92, 5. pra—yayina yanti sindhavas.
The waters go forth on their path.
Ludwig takes késa as buckets on the chariots of the Maruts, which seems right.
Verse 3.
Note 1. Cf. I, 37, 8, page 75. There is no authority for SAyana’s explanation of vithur4-iva, the earth trembles like a widow. Vithur& occurs several times in the Rig-veda, but never in the sense of widow. Thus:
(32] M
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I, 168, 6. yat &yavayatha vithurd-iva sdm-hitam.
When you, Maruts, throw down what is compact, like brittle things.
I, 186, 2; VI, 25, 3; 46, 6; VIII, 96, 2; X, 77, 4 (vithuryati). The Maruts themselves are called dvithura in verse 1. Spiegel compares the Zend aiwithura. As to 4gma and y&ma, see I, 37, 8, page 75.
Note 2. Subh is one of those words to which it is very difficult always to assign a definite special meaning. Being derived from subh, to shine, the commentator has no difficulty in explaining it by splendour, beauty ; sometimes by water. But although sibh means originally splendour, and is used in that sense in many passages, yet there are others where so vague a meaning seems very inappropriate. In our verse Sayava proposes two translations, either, ‘ When the Maruts harness the clouds,’ or, ‘When the Maruts harness their chariots, for the bright rain-water.’ Now the idea that the Maruts harness their chariots in order to make the clouds yield their rain, can hardly be expressed by the simple word subhé, i. e. for brightness’ sake. As the Maruts are frequently praised for their glittering ornaments, their splendour might be intended in this passage, as it certainly is in others. Thus:
I, 85, 3. ydt subhdyante avgi-bhi# tan{shu subhrak dadhire virikmatat.
When the Maruts adorn themselves with glittering ornaments, the brilliant ones put bright weapons on their bodies.
The most brilliant by their brilliancy, united with beauty, terrible by terrors.
In I, 64, 4, I have translated vadkshaAd-su rukm&n ddhi yetire subhé by ‘they fix gold (chains) on their chests for beauty.’ And the same meaning is applicable to I, 117, 5, subhé rukmdm nd darsatdm n{-khatam, and other passages : IV, 51, 6; VI, 63, 6.
But in our verse and others which we shall examine, beauty and brilliancy would be very weak renderings forp. 163 subhé. ‘When they hamessed their chariots or their deer for the sake of beauty, means nothing, or, at least, very little. I take, therefore, subhé in this and similar phrases in the sense of triumph or glory or victory. ‘When they harness their chariots for to conquer, implies brilliancy, glory, victory, but it conveys at the same time a tangible meaning. Let us now see whether the same meaning is appropriate in other passages :