Let us be together with you, O Maruts, after health, wealth, water, and medicine have been showered down in the morning.
VIII, 39, 4. sm ka yok ka mayak dadhe.
He gave health, wealth, and happiness.
VIII, 71,15. agnim sdm yok ka datave.
We ask Agni to give us health and wealth.
X, 9, 4. s4m yo# abhi sravantu nak,
May the waters come to us, as health and wealth, or may they run towards us auspiciously.
Note 3. If we retain the reading of the MSS. sishmak iyarti, we must take it as an independent phrase, and translate it by ‘my strength rises.’ For sishma, though in this and other places it is frequently explained as an adjective, meaning powerful, is, as far as I can see, always a substantive, and means breath, strength. There may be a few passages in which, as there occur several words for strength, it mightp. 195 be possible to translate sishma by strong. But even there it is better to keep to the general meaning of sishma, and translate it as a substantive.
Iyarti means to rise and to raise. It is particularly applied to prayers raised by the poet in honour of the gods, and the similes used in connection with this, show clearly what the action implied by iyarti really is. For instance,
I stir up sweet praise, as if I rowed a ship on the river with hymns.
In the sense of rising it occurs,
X, 140, 2. pAvakd-varkah sukrd-varkak Andna-varkah ut iyarshi bhanuna.
Thou risest up with splendour, Agni, thou of bright, resplendent, undiminished majesty.
We might therefore safely translate in our verse ‘my strength rises,’ although it is true that such a phrase does not occur again, and that in other passages where iyarti and sishma occur together, the former governs the latter in the accusative. Cf. IV, 17,12; X, 75, 3
Mahidhara translates, ‘my held-up thunderbolt moves on destroying everything,’ but he admits another rendering in which adri would mean the stone used for pressing the Soma.
Verse 5.
Cf. IV, 17,12; X, 75, 3
Mahidhara translates, ‘my held-up thunderbolt moves on destroying everything,’ but he admits another rendering in which adri would mean the stone used for pressing the Soma.
Verse 5.
Note 1. If, as we can hardly avoid, we ascribe this verse to the Maruts, we must recognise in it the usual offer of help to Indra on the part of the Maruts. The question then only is, who are the strong friends in whose company they appear? It would be well if one could render antamébhiz by horses, as SAyana does, but there is no authority for it. Sva-kshatra is an adjective, meaning endowed with independent strength, synonymous with svd-tavas, I, 166, 2. It is applied to the mind of Indra, I, 54,3; V, 35,4; to the Maruts, V, 48,1, but never to horses. As it stands, we can only suppose that a distinction is made between the Maruts and their followers,
O02
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and that after calling together their followers, and adorning themselves for battle, they proceed to harness their chariots. Cf. I, 107, 2.
Note 2. Etdn, in all MSS. which I consulted, has here the accent on the first syllable, and Professor Aufrecht ought not to have altered the word into etién. Ifthe accent had not been preserved by the tradition of the schools, the later interpreters would certainly have taken et4n for the demonstrative pronoun. As it is, in spite of accent and termination, Sayaza in I, 166, 10, seems to take étA% for eté. In other passages, however, Sdyavea, too, has perceived the difference, and in I, 169, 6, he explains the word very fully as prishadvarva gantdro va asva va. In this passage the Etas are clearly the deer of the Maruts, the Prishatis:
I, 169, 6. Adha ydt eshdm przthu-budhnasak été.
In the next verse, however, éta seems applied to the Maruts themselves:
I, 169, 7. prati ghoriz4m étén4m ay&sAm marutam srinve 4-yatém upabdih. ,
The sound of the terrible, speckled, indefatigable Maruts is heard, as they approach; unless we translate :
The noise of the terrible deer of the indefatigable Maruts is heard, as they approach.
In I, 166, 10, amseshu été, I adopt Professor Roth’s conjecture, that ét4Z means the skins of the fallow deer, so that we should have to translate: On their shoulders are the deer-skins.
In the other passages where éta occurs it is used as a simile only, and therefore throws no light on the relation of the Etas to the Maruts. In both passages, however (V, 54, 53; X, 77, 2), the simile refers to the Maruts, though to their speed only, and not to their colour.
Note 3. Mahah-bhiZ, which I have translated ‘with all our might,’ seems to be used almost as an adverb, mightily or quickly (makshu), although the original meaning, with our powers, through our might, is likewise applicable. The original meaning is quite perceptible in passages like
With those immeasurable powers, O Agni, protect us, with a hundred iron strongholds,
I, 90, 2. té—mdhak-bhid, vrata rakshante visvaha.
They always protect the laws by their powers.
VII, 71, 1. tvam nak agne mdha/-bhif pahi,
Protect us, Agni, with thy power.
In other passages, however, we see mdhak-bhif used of the light or of the flames of Agni and of the dawn:
IV, 14, 1. devas rékamAnahk mdhah-bhi,
Agni, the god, brilliant with his powers.
VI, 64, 2. devi r6zam4na maha/-bhi&.
O goddess, brilliant with thy powers.
The powers of the Maruts are referred to by the same name in the following passages :
V, 58, 5. prd-pra gdyante—mdahah-bhik.
The Maruts are born with their powers.
VII, 58, 2. pré yé mdhah-bhih dgasa uta sdnti.
The Maruts who excel in power and strength. Cf. III, 4, 6.
Verse 6.
Note 1. Indra in this dialogue is evidently represented as claiming everything for himself alone. He affects contempt for the help proffered by the Maruts, and seems to deny that he was at any time beholden to their assistance. By asking, Where was that custom that I should be with you and you with me in battle? he implies that it was not always their custom, and that he can dispense with their succour now. He wants to be alone, as in his former battle with Ahi, and does not wish that they should join him (cf. I, 33, 4). Professor Roth takes sam-ddhatta in the sense of implicating, but it can hardly be said that the Maruts ever implicated Indra in his fight against Ahi. Certainly this is not in keeping with the general tenor of this dialogue where, on the contrary, Indra shuns thep. 198 company of the Maruts. But while on this point I differ from Professor Roth, I think he has rightly interpreted the meaning of dnamam. Out of the four passages in which badhasnaff occurs, it is three times joined with nam, and every time has the sense of to bend away from, to escape from. See also Sonne, in Kuhn’s Zeitschrift, vol. xii, p. 348.
Verse 7.
Note 1. See VII, 39, 6. sakshimdhi yigyebhiz nu devaih.
Note 2. The last words leave no doubt as to their meaning, for the phrase is one of frequent occurrence. The only difficulty is the vocative maruta#, where we should expect the nominative. It is quite possible, however, that the Maruts should here address themselves, though, no doubt, it would be easy to alter the accent. As to the phrase itself, see
VIII, 61, 4. tatha it asat Indra krdtva ydth4 vasa,
May it be so, O Indra,as thou mayest desire by thy mind.
May Indra with the thunderbolt act as he may desire in his mind. Cf. VIII, 20,17; 28, 4, &c.
Verse 8.
Note 1. Here again Indra claims everything for himself, denying that the Maruts in any way assisted him while performing his great deeds. These deeds are the killing of Vritra, who withholds the waters, i.e. the rain from the earth, and the consequent liberation of the waters, so that they flow down freely for the benefit of Manu, that is, of man. .
When Indra says that he slew Vritra indriyéa, he evidently chooses that word with a purpose, and we must therefore translate it here, not only by might, but by Indra’s peculiar might. Indriyd, as derived from {indra, means originally Indra-hood, then power in general, just as verethraghna in Zend means victory in general, though originally it meant the slaying of Vritra.
On badhim, see Bollensen, Z. D. M. G. XXII, p. 594.
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He takes badhim for a contraction of badhisham, in analogy with badhis and badhit. He refers to akramim, X, 166, 5, and badhim, X, 28, 7.
Verse 9.
Note 1. Anutta, in the sense of ‘not shaken,’ not shakeable, inébranlable, is strange; likewise the genitive, where we expect the instrumental. Still, nud, by itself, occurs in similar phrases, e.g. VI, 17, 5, nutthd# déyutam, thou shookest what is unshakeable, which might have been expressed by déufyavak dnuttam, and I cannot bring myself to believe that in our passage Aufrecht’s conjectural emendation is called for. He (K. Z. XXVI, 611) takes dnutta for 4nudatta, like pratta for pradatta, &c., and proposes to omit the negative particle, translating the verse: ‘ Certainly it is conceded to thee, there is none among the gods like unto thee.’
But though I cannot adopt this emendation here, I think that in other passages Aufrecht’s rendering of dnutta is far more appropriate than to take it for a-nutta; for instance, I, 80, 7; III, 31, 13; VII, 34, 11.
There remains one verse in which anutta seems to mean not shaken, not overcome, namely, VIII, 90, 5, tvam vritriini hamsi apratini ékaé {t dnutta Aarshai-dhr?ta, thou, being alone, killest the irresistible enemies with the thunderbolt (?). However, anuda, in the sense of conceding, yielding, nachgeben, is certainly a very familiar idea in Vedic poetry.
II, 12, 10. yds sdrdhate nd anu-dddati sridhy4m, who does not forgive the hurter his hurt.
I, 53, 8; II, 21, 4; 23, 11; X, 38, 5, Indra is called ananuda/, not yielding, not surrendering.
We must therefore admit two anuttas, one 4-nutta, the other dnu(da)tta. In dnutta-manyu I prefer the former, ‘of irresistible fury,’ while Aufrecht prefers the latter, ‘ of recognised, or universally-admitted fury.’
We must therefore admit two anuttas, one 4-nutta, the other dnu(da)tta. In dnutta-manyu I prefer the former, ‘of irresistible fury,’ while Aufrecht prefers the latter, ‘ of recognised, or universally-admitted fury.’
Note 2. Devadta in the ordinary sense of a deity never occurs in the Rig-veda. The word, in fact, as a feminine substantive occurs but twice, and in the tenth Mazdalap. 200 only. But even there it does not mean deity. In X, 24,6, devak devdtayaé means, O gods, by your godhead, i.e. by your divine power. In X, 98, 1, br¢haspate prati me devdt4m ihi, I take devdta in the same sense as devatati, and translate, O Brihaspati, come to my sacrifice.
In all other places where devata occurs in the Rig-veda it is a local adverb, and means among the gods. [I shall only quote those passages in which Professor Roth assigns to devata a different meaning :
I, 55, 3- pra viryéna devata ati £ekite.
He is pre-eminent among the gods by his strength.
I, 22, 5. saz kétta devdta paddm.
He knows the place among the gods.
I, 100, 15. n4 ydsya devaz devata nd martak &pahk kana savasah dntam Apu.
He, the end of whose power neither the gods among the gods, nor mortals, nor even the waters have reached.
Here the translation of devdta in the sense of ‘by their godhead,’ would be equally applicable, yet nothing would be gained as, in either case, devdta is a weak repetition.
The best among men celebrate thee, O Agni, as like unto Indra in strength among the gods, as like unto Vayu in liberality. See also devatati, VIII, 74, 3; X, 8, 2.
Note 8. The juxta-position of gayamAnas and gatah would seem to show that, if the latter had a past, the former had a future meaning. To us, ‘No one who will be born and no one who has been born,’ would certainly sound more natural. The Hindu, however, is familiar with -the idea as here expressed, and in order to comprehend all beings, he speaks of those who are born and those who are being born. Thus in a Padasish¢a of the Pavamanis (IX, 67) we read:
yan me garbhe vasata/# papam ugram, yag gayamanasya ka kimkid anyat, gatasya ka yak kapi vardhato me, tat pavamanibhir aham punami.
Note 4. Karishy& is written in all the MSS. without a
NOTES. tf, 165, II. 201
Visarga, and unless we add the Visarga on our own authority, we should have to take it as an entirely anomalous acc. plur. neut. of a passive participle of the future, karishya4m standing for karyém, faciendum. It. is much easier, however, to explain this form if we add the Visarga, and read karishy4Z, which would then be a second person singular of a Vedic conjunctive of the future. This form occurs at least once more in the Veda:
IV, 30, 23. utd nfindm ydt indriyd4m karishy&% indra paumsyam, adya nakif tat & minat.
O Indra, let no man destroy to-day whatever manly feat thou art now going to achieve.
Verse 10.
This form occurs at least once more in the Veda:
IV, 30, 23. utd nfindm ydt indriyd4m karishy&% indra paumsyam, adya nakif tat & minat.
O Indra, let no man destroy to-day whatever manly feat thou art now going to achieve.
Verse 10.
Note 1. As I have translated these words, they sound rather abrupt. The meaning, however, would be clear enough, viz. almighty power belongs to me, therefore I can dare and do. If this abrupt expression should offend, it may be avoided, by taking the participle dadhyishvan as a finite verb, and translating, Whatever I have been daring, I shall do according to my will.
Verse 11.
Note 1. In this verse Indra, after having declined with no uncertain sound the friendship of the Maruts, seems to repent himself of his unkindness towards his old friends. The words of praise which they addressed to him in verse 9, in spite of the rebuff they had received from Indra, have touched his heart, and we may suppose that, after this, their reconciliation was complete. The words of Indra are clear enough, the only difficulty occurs in the last words; which are so idiomatic that it is impossible to render them in English. In tanvé tantbhi%, literally for the body by the bodies, tan is used like the pronoun self. Both must therefore refer to the same subject. We cannot translate ‘for myself made by yourselves,’ but must take the two words together, so that they should mean, ‘the hymn which you have made for your own benefit and by your own exertions,’
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Verse 13.
Note 1. Spiegel, in his review, called my attention to the Zend api-vat, which Burnouf discussed in his ‘ Etudes,’ p. 328. Burnouf tries to show that vat in Zend has the meaning of knowing, and that it occurs with the preposition api, in apivatahé and apivataiti. If this is the same word as in Sanskrit, then apivatayati would be a causative, meaning to make known. The meaning of vat, however, is doubtful in Zend, and hardly appropriate in the few passages where it occurs in the Veda. Roth, in the Dictionary, explains vat by verstehn, begreifen, the causative by begreiflich machen; but in our passage he translates it by belebend, Ludwig by aufspiirend. Till we get more light, I shall feel content to translate apivat by to approach, to obtain, and the causative by to make approach, to invite, to welcome.
The following are the passages in which api-vat occurs :
VII, 3, 10. api krdtum su-#étasam vatema.
May we obtain an excellent understanding ; not, Awaken in us a good sense.
VII, 60, 6. dpi krdtum su-#étasam vatantak.
They (Mitra and Varuna) obtaining an excellent understanding.
I, 128,2. tam yagfa-sidham dpi vataydmasi.
Him, Agni, the performer of the sacrifice, we make approach, we invite.
Bring to us, i.e. give us, a good mind, and a strong understanding.
X, 13, 5. pitré putrdsak dpi avivatan vitam.
The sons obtained the right for the father (an obscure verse).
As to svapivata, VII, 46, 3, I should derive it from van, in the sense of implored, desired; see, however, Muir, Sanskrit Texts, IV, p. 314, note; Nirukta, ed. Roth, p. 135.
Note 2. On navedad, see IV, 23, 4.
Verse 14, Note 1. This is a verse which, without some conjectural
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alterations, it seems impossible to translate. Sayama, of course, has a translation ready for it, so has M. Langlois, but both of them offend against the simplest rules of grammar and logic. The first question is, who is meant by asm&n (which is here used as an amphimacer), the sacrificers or the Maruts? The verb & #akré would well apply to the medh& m4nyasya, the hymn of MAnya, which is intended to bring the Maruts to the sacrifice, this bringing to the sacrifice being the very meaning of 4 kar. But then we have the vocative maruta/ in the next line, and even if we changed the vocative into the accusative, we should not gain much, as the Maruts could hardly call upon anybody to turn them towards the sage.
If, on the contrary, we admit that asm&n refers to those who offer the sacrifice, then we must make a distinction, which, it is true, is not an unusual one, between those who here speak of themselves in the first person, and who provide the sacrifice, and the poet Mandarya Manya, who was employed by them to compose or to recite this hymn.
But even if we adopt this alternative, many difficulties still remain. First of all, we have to change the accent of kakré into £akre, which may seem a slight change, but is not the less objectionable when we consider that in our emendations of the Vedic hymns we must think rather of accidents that might happen in oral traditions than of the lapsus calami of later scribes. Secondly, we must suppose that the hymn of Mandarya Manya ends with verse 13, and that the last verses were supplied by the sacrificers themselves. Possibly the dialogue only, from verse 3 to verse 12, was the work of Manya, and the rest added at some solemn occasion.
Other difficulties, however, remain. Duvasyét is taken by Sdyaza as an ablative of duvasyd, worthy of duvas, i. e. of worship, of sacrifice. Unfortunately this duvasyd does not occur again, though it would be formed quite regularly, like namasya, worthy of worship, from ndmas, worship.
If we take duvasy&t as the 3rd pers. sing. of the present in the Vedic conjunctive, we must also confess that this conjunctive does not occur again. But the verb duvasyati
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If we take duvasy&t as the 3rd pers. sing. of the present in the Vedic conjunctive, we must also confess that this conjunctive does not occur again. But the verb duvasyatip. 204 occurs frequently. It seems to have two meanings. It is derived from duvas, which in the Vedic language means worship or sacrifice, just as karma, work, has assumed the special sense of sacrifice. Derived from duvas in this sense, duvasyati means to worship. But divas meant originally any opus operatum. The root from which divas is derived, is lost in Sanskrit, but it exists in other languages. It must have been du or dd in the sense of acting, or sedulously working. It exists in Zend as du, to do, in Gothic as tdujan, gataujan, Old High-German zawjan, Modern German zauen (Grimm, Gram. i?. p. 1041). The Gothic tavi, opus, Old High-German zouwi, Middle High- German gezéuwe (Grimm, Gram. iii. p. 499), come from the same source; and it is possible, too, that the Old Norse taufr, modern téfrar, incantamenta, the Old High- German zoupar, Middle High-German zouber, both neuter, and the modern Zauber, may find their explanation in the Sanskrit divas. Derived from divas, in the sense of work, we have duvasyati in the sense of helping, providing, the German schaffen and verschaffen.
In the sense of worshipping, duvasyati occurs,
III, 2, 8. duvasydta—gatd-vedasam.
Worship GAtavedas.
V, 28,6. & guhota duvasydta agnim.
Invoke, worship Agni. Cf. III, 13, 3; 1, 13.
ITI, 3,1. agniz hi devén—duvasyati.
Agni performs the worship of the gods. Cf. VII, 82, 5.
I, 167, 6. sutd-soma’ duvasyan.
He who has poured out Soma and worships.
In many passages duvasyati is joined with an instrumental :
V, 42, 11. ndmak-bhiZ devam—duvasya.
Worship the god with praises.
I, 78, 2. tam u tva gétamas girf—duvasyati.
Gotama worships thee with a song.
V, 49, 2. su-uktafZ devim—duvasya.
Worship the god with hymns. .
VI, 16, 46. viti y4s devim—duvasyét.
He who worships the god with a feast.
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X, 14, 1. yamdm—havisha duvasya.
Worship Yama with an oblation.
VI, 15, 6. agn{m-agnim vad sam{dha duvasyata,
Worship Agni with your log of wood. Cf. VIII, 44, 1.
III, 1, 2. samft-bhiZ agnfm ndmas4 duvasyan.
They worshipped Agni with logs of wood, with praise.
In the more general and, I suppose, more original sense of caring for, attending, we find duvasyati :
III, 51, 3. anehdsaf stubha# {ndrak duvasyati.
Indra provides for the matchless worshippers.
I, 112,15. kalfm yabhiz—duvasyathad.
By the succours with which you help Kali. Cf.I, 112,21.
I, 62, 10. duvasydnti svdsdra/ dhray4azam.
The sisters attend the proud (Agni).
I, 119, 10. yuvam peddve—svetam—duvasyathad.
You provide for Pedu the white horse.
I, 112,15. kalfm yabhiz—duvasyathad.
By the succours with which you help Kali. Cf.I, 112,21.
I, 62, 10. duvasydnti svdsdra/ dhray4azam.
The sisters attend the proud (Agni).
I, 119, 10. yuvam peddve—svetam—duvasyathad.
You provide for Pedu the white horse.
If, then, we take duvasyati in the sense of working for, assisting, it may be with the special sense of assisting at a sacred act, like d:axovetv ; and if we take duvas, as it has the accent on the last syllable, as the performer of a sacrifice, we may venture to translate, ‘that he should help, as the singer helps the performer of the sacrifice*.’ The singer or the poet may be called the assistant at a sacrifice, for his presence was not necessary at all sacrifices, the songs constituting an ornament rather than an essential part in most sacred acts. But though I think it right to offer this conjectural interpretation, I am far from supposing that it gives us the real sense of this difficult verse. Duvasy&t may be, as Sayama suggests, an ablative of duvasyd; and duvasyd, like namasyd, if we change the accent, may mean he who is to be worshipped, or worshipping. In this way a different interpretation might suggest itself, though I confess I do not see that any other interpretation as yet suggested is satisfactory. Some happy thought may some day or other clear up this difficulty, when those who have
® Kar in the sense of officiating at a sacrifice is equally construed with a dative, X, 97, 22. y4smai krindéti brahma#4h, he for whom a Braéhmaaa performs a sacrifice.
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toiled, but toiled in a wrong direction, will receive scant thanks for the trouble they have taken. See Bollensen,
Z.D.M.G. XVIII, p. 606.
- Note 2. In the second line, the words 6 su varta remind us of similar phrases in the Veda, but we want an accusative, governed by varta; whereas marutak, to judge from its accent, can only be a vocative. Thus we read:
I, 138, 4. 6 (iti) su tva vavritimahi stémebhidz.
May we turn thee quickly hither by our praises!
VIII, 7, 33. 6 (iti) sa vetshnak—vavrityém.
May I turn the heroes quickly hither!
Compare also passages like III, 33, 8:
6 (iti) su svasdrahk kardve srinota.
Listen quickly, O sisters, to the poet.
I, 139, 7. 6 (iti) sd nad agne srénuhi.
Hear us quickly, O Agni.
Cf. I, 182, 1; II, 34,15; VII, 59,5; VIII, 2,19; X, 179, 2.
Unless we change the accent, we must translate, ‘ Bring hither quickly !’ and we must take these words as addressed to the k4ru, the poet, whose hymn is supposed to attract the gods to the sacrifice. Bya quick transition, the next words, marutah vipram 4kkAa, would then have to be taken as addressed to the gods, ‘ Maruts, on to the sage!’ and the last words would become intelligible by laying stress on the vah, ‘for you, and not for Indra or any other god, has the singer recited these hymns.’ See, however, Preface, p. xxi.
Verse 15.
xxi.
Verse 15.
Note 1. I translate MAnya, the son of Mana, because the poet, so called in I, 189, 8, is in all probability the same as our M4ndarya M4nya. But it may also be MA4nya, the descendant of Mandari. The Manas are mentioned I, 172, 5; 182, 8.
Note 3. Vag. S. XXXIV, 48. The second line is difficult, owing to the uncertain meaning of vayam.
A ish&* y4sishta has been rendered, ‘Come hither with
® There was a misprint in the Samhita text/esh4 instead of ésh4, which was afterwards repeated whenever the same verse occurred again.
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water or drink or rain, y4sishfa being the aorist without the augment and with the intermediate vowel lengthened. The indicative occurs in
V, 58, 6. yat pra 4y4sishéa pr/shatibhiz dsvaik.
When you Maruts came forth with your fallow deer and your horses.
But what is the meaning of vayam? Vaya means a germ, a sprout, an offshoot, a branch, as may be seen from the following passages :
II, 5, 4. vidvan asya vrat& dhruvé vay&A-iva 4nu rohate.
He who knows his eternal laws, springs up like young sprouts. (Better vay4-iva.)
VIII, 19, 33. yasya te agne anyé agnayas upa-kshitas vay&k-iva.
Agni, of whom the other fires are like parasitical shoots.
I, 59, 1. vayaA it agne agnayaz te anyé.
O Agni, the other fires are indeed offshoots of thee.
II, 35, 8. vaya {t any& bhivanani asya.
The other worlds are indeed his (the rising sun’s) offshoots.
VI, 13, 1. tvat visvi—saubhagani dgne vi yanti van{nak na vay&h.
From thee, O Agni, spring all happinesses, as the sprouts of a tree.
VI, 24, 3. vrtkshdsya nu (nd?) te—vay&& vi dtayak ruruhud.
Succours sprang from thee, like the branches of a tree.
V,1,1. yahvaéh-iva prd vayém ut-gfhan4/ pra bhanavah sisrate nikam akkha.
Like birds(?) flying up to a branch, the flames of Agni went up to heaven; (or like strong men reaching up to.)
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VI, 57, 5. tém pdshzdh su-matim vaydm vrikshdsya pra vayém-iva {ndrasya ka & rabhamahe.
Let us reach this favour of Pishan and of Indra, as one reaches forth to the branch of a tree.
There remain some doubtful passages in which vaya occurs, VII, 40, 5, and X, 92, 3; 134, 6. In the first passage, as in our own, vayad is trisyllabic.
Let us reach this favour of Pishan and of Indra, as one reaches forth to the branch of a tree.
There remain some doubtful passages in which vaya occurs, VII, 40, 5, and X, 92, 3; 134, 6. In the first passage, as in our own, vayad is trisyllabic.
If vayé can be used in the sense of offshoot or sprout, we may conclude that the same word, used in the singular, might mean offspring, particularly when joined with tanvé. ‘Give a branch to our body,’ would be understood even in languages less metaphorical than that of the Vedas; and as the prayer for ‘olive branches’ is a constant theme of the Vedic poets, the very absence of that prayer here, might justify us in assigning this sense to vayam. In VI, 2, 5, the expression vayaévantam kshdyam, a house with branches, means the same as nrzvdntam, a house with children and men. See M.M., On Bios and vayas, in Kuhn’s Zeitschrift, vol. xv, p. 215. Benfey (Endungen in fans, p. 37) takes vayam as a genitive plural, referring it to the Maruts, as closely connected with each other, like branches of a tree. This is much the same interpretation as that of Mahidhara (VS. XXXIV, 48), who translates ‘come near for the body, i.e. for the bodily strength of the fellows, the Maruts.’ Ludwig takes it as a possible instrumental of vayam.
It is preferable, however, to take ydsish¢a as a precative Atm., in order to account for the long #, and to accept it as a third person singular, referring to stémad.
Note 3. Vvigdna means an enclosure, a vouds, whether it be derived from vvig, to ward off, like arx from arcere, or from vrig, in the sense of clearing, as in vvzkta-barhis, barh{£ pra vrifige,I,116,1. In either case the meaning remains much the same, viz. a field, cleared for pasture or agriculture,—a clearing, as it is called in America, or a camp,— enclosed with hurdles or walls, so as to be capable of defence against wild animals or against enemies. In this sense, however, vvigana is a neuter, while as a masculine it means powerful, invigorating. See Preface, p. xx.
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MANDALA I, HYMN 166, ASHTAKA II, ADHYAYA 4, VARGA 1-3.
To THE Marvuts (THE STORM-GODS).
1. Let us now proclaim for the robust? host, for the herald* of the powerful (Indra), their ancient greatness! O ye strong-voiced Maruts, you heroes, prove your powers on your march, as with a torch, as with a sword ®!
2. Like parents bringing a dainty to? their own * son, the wild (Maruts) play playfully at the sacrifices. The Rudras reach the worshipper with their protection, strong in themselves, they do not fail the sacrificer.
3. For him to whom the immortal guardians have given fulness of wealth, and who is himself a giver of oblations, the Maruts, who gladden men with the milk (of rain), pour out, like friends, many clouds.
4. You who have stirred' up the clouds with might, your horses rushed * forth, self-guided. All beings who dwell in houses ® are afraid of you, your march is brilliant with your spears thrust forth.
4. You who have stirred' up the clouds with might, your horses rushed * forth, self-guided. All beings who dwell in houses ® are afraid of you, your march is brilliant with your spears thrust forth.
5. When they whose march is terrible have caused the rocks to tremble, or when the manly Maruts have shaken the back of heaven, then every lord of the forest fears at your racing, each shrub flies out of your way 3, whirling like chariot-wheels *.
6. You, O terrible Maruts, whose ranks are never broken, favourably! fulfil our prayer?! Wherever your gory-toothed® lightning bites‘, it crunches’ cattle, like a well-aimed bolt *.
(32) P
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7. The Maruts whose gifts are firm, whose bounties are never ceasing, who do not revile?, and who are highly praised at the sacrifices, they sing their song? for to drink the sweet juice: they know the first manly deeds of the hero (Indra).
8. The man whom you have guarded, O Maruts, shield him with hundredfold strongholds from injury? and mischief,—the man whom you, O fearful, powerful singers, protect from reproach in the prosperity of his children.
g. On your chariots, O Maruts, there are all good things, strong weapons’ are piled up clashing against each other. When you are on your journeys, you carry the rings? on your shoulders, and your axle turns the two wheels at once’.
10. In their manly arms there are many good things, on their chests golden chains’, flaring * ornaments, on their shoulders speckled deer-skins §, on their fellies sharp edges‘; as birds spread their wings, they spread out splendours behind.
11. They, mighty by might, all-powerful powers’, visible from afar like the heavens? with the stars, sweet-toned, soft-tongued singers with their mouths*, the Maruts, united with Indra, shout all around.
12. This is your greatness’, O well-born Maruts!— your bounty® extends far, as the sway? of Aditi‘. Not even® Indra in his scorn® can injure that bounty, on whatever man you have bestowed it for his good deeds.
13. This is your kinship (with us), O Maruts, that you, immortals, in former years have often protected the singer’. Having through this prayer granted a hearing to man, all these heroes together have become well-known by their valiant deeds.
p. 211
14. That we may long flourish, O Maruts, with your wealth, O ye racers, that our men may spread in the camp, therefore let me achieve the rite with these offerings.
15. May this praise, O Maruts, this song of MAndarya, the son of M4na, the poet, ask you with food for offspring for ourselves! May we have an invigorating autumn, with quickening rain!
P 2
p. 212
NOTES.
This hymn is ascribed to Agastya, the reputed son of Mitravarumau, and brother of Vasish¢#a. The metre in verses I-13 is Gagati, in 14,15 Trishtubh. No verse of this hymn occurs in SV., VS., AV., TS., TB.
Verse 1.
P 2
p. 212
NOTES.
This hymn is ascribed to Agastya, the reputed son of Mitravarumau, and brother of Vasish¢#a. The metre in verses I-13 is Gagati, in 14,15 Trishtubh. No verse of this hymn occurs in SV., VS., AV., TS., TB.
Verse 1.
Note 1. Rabhasd, an adjective of rdbhas, and this again from the root rabh, to rush upon a thing, 4-rabh, to begin a thing. From this root rabh we have the Latin robur, in the general sense of strength, while in rabies the original meaning of impetuous motion has been more clearly preserved, The Greek Ad@pos, too, as pointed out by Cowell, comes from this root. In the Vedic Sanskrit, derivatives from the root rabh convey the meaning both of quickness and of strength. Quickness in ancient languages frequently implies strength, and strength implies quickness, as we see, for instance, from the German sn él, which, from meaning originally strong, comes to mean in modern German quick, and quick only. The German bald again, meaning soon, comes from the Gothic balths, the English bold. Thus we read:
1,145, 3. sisuk & adatta sim rdbhak.
The child (Agni) acquired vigour.
Indra is called rabhak-d4, giver of strength; and rabhasd, vigorous, is applied not only to the Maruts, who in V, 58, 5, are called rdbhishzs4/, the most vigorous, but also to Agni, II, 10, 4, and to Indra, ITI, 31, 12.
In the sense of rabid, furious, it occurs in
X, 95,14. ddha enam v7tkah rabhasisak adyuh.
May rabid wolves eat him!
In the next verse rabhasd, the epithet of the wolves, is replaced by dsiva, which means unlucky, uncanny.
In our hymn rabhasd occurs once more, and is applied there, in verse 10, to the agi or glittering ornaments of the Maruts. Here Sayama translates it by lovely, and it was most likely intended to convey the idea of lively or brilliant splendour, though it may mean also strong. See also IX, 96, 1.
p. 213
Note 2. Ketu, derived from an old root ki, in Sanskrit Ri, to perceive, from which also Aitra, conspicuous, kenspeckled, beautiful, means originally that by which a thing is perceived or known, whether a sign, or a flag, or a herald. It is the Gothic haidu, species. It then takes the more general sense of light and splendour. In our passage, herald seems to me the most appropriate rendering, though B. and R. prefer the sense of banner. The Maruts come before Indra, they announce the arrival of Indra, they are the first of his army.
It then takes the more general sense of light and splendour. In our passage, herald seems to me the most appropriate rendering, though B. and R. prefer the sense of banner. The Maruts come before Indra, they announce the arrival of Indra, they are the first of his army.
Note 3. The real difficulty of our verse lies in the two comparisons aidha-iva and yudhé-iva. Neither of them occurs again in the Rig-veda. B. and R. explain aidhé as an instrumental of afdh, flaming, or flame, and derive it from the root idh, to kindle, with the preposition 4. Professor Bollensen in his excellent article Zur Herstellung des Veda (Orient und Occident, vol. iii, p. 473) says: ‘The analysis of the text given in the Pada, viz. aidha-iva and yudhf-iva, is contrary to all sense. The common predicate is tavish&”i kartana, exercise your power, you roarers, i.e. blow as if you meant to kindle the fire on the altar, show your power as if you went to battle. We ought therefore to read aidhé | va and yudhé | va. Both are infinitives, aidh is nothing but the root idh+4, to kindle, to light.’ Now this is certainly a very ingenious explanation, but it rests on a supposition which I cannot consider as proved, viz. that in the Veda, as in Pali, the comparative particle iva may be changed, as shown in the preface to the first edition, to va. It must be admitted that the two short syllables of iva are occasionally counted in the Veda as one, but yudhé-iva, though it might become yudha iva, would never in the Veda become yudhéva.
As yudha occurs frequently in the Veda, we may begin by admitting that the parallel form aidh& must be explained in analogy to yudh& Now yiudh is a verbal noun and means fighting. We have the accusative yidham, I, 53,7; the genitive yudhaZ, VIII, 27,17; the dative yudhé, I, 61, 13; the locative yudhf, I, 8, 3; the instrumental yudhé, I, 53, 7, &c.; loc. plur. yut-su, I, 91, 21. As long as yudhp. 214 retains the general predicative meaning of fighting, some of these cases may be called infinitives. But yidh soon assumes not only the meaning of battle, battle-ground, but also of instrument of fighting, weapon. In another passage, X, 103, 2, yidhah# may be taken as a vocative plural, meaning fighters. Passages in which yidh means clearly weapon, are, for instance,
The hero, growing, after drinking the Soma, blew away from the sky the enemies with his weapon. See also X, 103, 4.
I therefore take yidh in our passage also in the sense of weapon or sword, and, in accordance with this, I assign to afdh the meaning of torch. Whether afdh comes from idh with the preposition 4, which, after all, would only give edh, or whether we have in the Sanskrit afdh the same peculiar strengthening which this very root shows in Greek and Latin*, would be difficult to decide. The torch of the Maruts is the lightning, the weapon the thunderbolt, and by both they manifest their strength; ferro et igne, as Ludwig remarks.
WILSON: We proclaim eagerly, Maruts, your ancient greatness, for (the sake of inducing) your prompt appearance, as the indication of (the approach of) the showerer (of benefits). Loud-roaring and mighty Maruts, you exert your vigorous energies for the advance (to the sacrifice), as if it was to battle.
Verse 2.
Note 1. That ipa can be construed with the accusative is clear from many passages :
Note 2. Nitya, from ni+tya*, means originally what is inside, internus, then what is one’s own; and is opposed to nishtya, from nis+tya, what is outside, strange, or hostile. Nitya has been well compared with nigd, literally eingeboren, then, like nitya, one’s own. What is inside, or in a thing or place, is its own, is peculiar to it, does not move or change, and hence the secondary meanings of nitya, one’s own, unchanging, eternal. Thus we find nitya used in the sense of internal or domestic :
I, 73, 4. tam tva ndrak ddme & nityam iddhdm dgne sd4zanta kshitfshu dhruvasu.
Our men worshipped thee, O Agni, lighted within the house in safe places.
This I believe to be a more appropriate rendering than if we take nitya in the sense of always, continuously lighted, or, as some propose, in the sense of eternal, everlasting.
VII, 1, 2. dakshfyyas yah dame sa nityah.
Agni who is to be pleased within the house, i. e. as belonging to the house, and, in that sense, who is to be pleased always. Cf. I,140,7; 141, 2; X, 12, 2, and III, 25, 5, where nityak, however, may have been intended as an adjective belonging to the vocative sfino.
Most frequently nftya occurs with sin, I, 66,1; 185, 2; tdnaya, III, 15,2; X, 39, 14; toka, II, 2,11; Apf, VII, 88, 6; pati, I, 71,1, and has always the meaning of one’s own, very much like the later Sanskrit niga, which never occurs in the Rig-veda, though it makes its appearance in the Atharvaaa.
Nishtya, extraneus, occurs three times in the Rig-veda :
Nishtya, extraneus, occurs three times in the Rig-veda :
VI, 75,19. yak nak svah dranah yah ka nishtyah gighamsati.
Whoever wishes to hurt us, our own friend or a stranger from without.
Let us not be like outsiders, O Indra, not like strangers to thee.
WILson: Ever accepting the sweet (libation), as (they would) a son, they sport playfully at sacrifices, demolishing (all intruders).
Lupwic: Wie einen nicht absterbenden Sohn das Madhu bringend.
Verse 4.
Note 1. Avyata, a Vedic second aorist of vi (ag), to stir up, to excite. From it pravayama, a goad, pra-vetar, a driver. The Greek ot-o-rpos, gad-fly, has been referred to the same root. See Fick, Worterbuch, p. 170.
Roth (Wenzel, Instrumental, p. 54) translates : ‘While you quickly throw yourselves into the mists ;’ from a verb vyé.
Note 2. Adhragan, from dhrag, a root which, by metathesis of aspiration, would assume the form of dragh or dragh. In Greek, the final medial aspirate being hardened, reacts on the initial media, and changes it to t, as bahu becomes aijxvs, budh 2v6, bandh wev6. This would give us tpex, the Greek root for running, Goth. thrag-jan.
Note 3. Harmyd is used here as an adjective of bhivana, and can only mean living in houses. It does not, however, occur again in the same sense, though it occurs several times as a substantive, meaning house. Its original meaning is fire-pit, then hearth, then house, a transition of meaning analogous to that of aedes. Most of the ancient nations begin their kitchen with a fire-pit. ‘They dig a hole in the ground, take a piece of the animal’s raw hide, and press it down with their hands close to the sides of the hole, which thus becomes a sort of pot or basin. This they fill with water, and they make a number of stones red-hot in a fire close by. The meat is put into the water, and the stones dropped in till the meat is boiled. Catlin describes the process as awkward and tedious, and says that since the Assinaboins had learnt from the Mandans to make pottery, and had been supplied with vessels by the traders, they had entirely done away the .custom, “excepting at public festivals; where they seem, like all others of the human family, to take pleasure in cherishing and perpetuatingp. 217 their ancient customs*.”’ This pit was called harmyd?> or gharma, which is the Latin formus. Thus we read:
VII, 56,16. té harmye-stha/ sfsavak nd subhr@A.
The Maruts bright like boys standing by the hearth.
From meaning fire-pit, or hearth, harmyé afterwards takes the more general sense of house :
We shut their eyes as we shut this house (possibly, this oven).
VII, 76, 2. prati#f 4 ag4t ddhi harmyébhyad.
The dawn comes near, over the house-tops.
X, 46, 3. gatak 4 harmyéshu.
Agni, born in the houses.
X, 73, 10. manyés iya4ya harmyéshu tasthaue
He came from Manyu, he remained in the houses.
In some of these passages harmyd might be taken in the sense of householder; but as harmyé in VII, 55, 6, has clearly the meaning of a building, it seems better not to assign to it unnecessarily any new significations.
If harmya or *harma meant originally a fire-pit, then a hearth, a house, we see the close connection between harma and gharma, harmya and gharmya. Thus by the side of harmyesh¢/a we find gharmyesh¢ha (RV. X, 106, 5). We find gharma meaning, not only heat in general, but fire-pit, hearth; and we find the same word used for what we should call the pit, a place of torture and punishment from which the gods save their worshippers, or into which they throw the evil-doers.
V, 32,5. yuyutsantam tdmasi harmyé dh&&.
® Tylor, Early History of Mankind, p. 262.
b Spiegel, who had formerly identified harmy4 with the Zend zairimya in zairimyanura, has afterwards recalled this identification; see Spiegel, Av. Ubers. I, p. 190; Commentar tiber den Avesta, I, p. 297; Justi, Handbuch, p. 119; Haug, Pahlavi Glossary, p. 22. According to the Parsis, the Hairimyamura, a daéva animal which appears at the rising of the sun, is the turtle, and Darmesteter (Ormazd et Ahriman, p. 283) identifies zair in zair-imya with the Greek yeA-vs, Sanskrit har-mu/a.
p. 218
When thou, Indra, hadst placed Sushva, who was anxious to fight, in the darkness of the pit.
You, Nasatyas, always grant your aid to Kasva when thrown into the pit.
This fiery pit into which Atri is thrown, and whence he, too, was saved by the Asvins, is likewise called gharma, I, 112, 7; 119, 6; VIII, 73, 3; X, 80, 3.
Lastly we find :
X,114,10. yad&# yamdé bhavati harmyé hitaz.
When Yama is seated in the house, or in the nether world.
When the Pitars, too, the spirits of the departed, the Manes, are called gharma-sad, this is probably intended to mean, dwelling on the hearth (X, 15, 9 and 10), and not dwelling in the abode of Yama.
Kuhn, Zeitschrift, vol. ii, p. 234: ‘Die ihr die Luft erfiillt mit eurer Kraft, hervorstiirmt ihr selbst-gelenkten Laufes.’ Verse 5.
Kuhn, Zeitschrift, vol. ii, p. 234: ‘Die ihr die Luft erfiillt mit eurer Kraft, hervorstiirmt ihr selbst-gelenkten Laufes.’ Verse 5.
Note 1. Nad certainly means to sound, and the causative might be translated by ‘to make cry or shriek.’ If we took parvata in the sense of cloud, we might translate, ‘When you make the clouds roar;’ if we took pdrvata for mountain, we might, with Professor Wilson, render the passage by ‘ When your brilliant coursers make the mountains echo.’ But nad, like other roots which afterwards take the meaning of sounding, means originally to vibrate, to shake; and if we compare analogous passages where nad occurs, we shall see that in our verse, too, the Vedic poet undoubtedly meant nad to be taken in that sense:
At your racing even things that are immovable vibrate, the rocks, the lord of the forest; the earth quivers on your ways. (See I, 37, 7, note 1.) Grassmann here translates naddyanta by erschiittern,but in VIII, 20, 5 byerdrohnt.
Note 2. See I, 37, 7, note 1.
p. 219
Note 3. Rathiydnti-iva does not occur again. Sdyana explains it, like a woman who wishes for a chariot, or who rides in a chariot. I join it with éshadhi, and take it in the sense of upamandd 4édre (Paz. III, 1, 10), i.e. to behave like or to be like a chariot, whether the comparison is meant to express simply the quickness of chariots or the whirling of their wheels. The Pada has rathiydnti, whereas the more regular form is that of the Samhit4, rathiydnti. Cf. PratisAkhya, 587.
Verse 6.
Note 1. Su-#etund, the instrumental of su-#etu, kindness, good-mindedness, favour. This word occurs in the instrumental only, and always refers to the kindness of the gods; not, like sumat{, to the kindness of the worshipper also :
Give to us, O Dy4v4prithivi, by your favour, wealth, consisting of treasures and many flocks.
V, 51, 11. svast{ dyAvaprithivi (iti) su-Aetuna.
Give us, O DyAvaprithivi, happiness through your favour!
V, 64, 2. t& bahdva su-éetun4 pra yantam asmai dréate.
Stretch out your arms with kindness to this worshipper !
In one passage of the ninth Mandala (IX, 65, 30) we meet with su-Zetinam, as an accusative, referring to Soma, the gracious, and this would pre-suppose a substantive éetuna, which, however, does not exist.
Stretch out your arms with kindness to this worshipper !
In one passage of the ninth Mandala (IX, 65, 30) we meet with su-Zetinam, as an accusative, referring to Soma, the gracious, and this would pre-suppose a substantive éetuna, which, however, does not exist.
Note 2. Sumati{ has, no doubt, in most passages in the Rig-veda, the meaning of favour, the favour of the gods. ‘Let us obtain your favour, Jet us be in your favour,’ are familiar expressions of the Vedic poets. But there are also numerous passages where that meaning is inapplicable, andp. 220 where, as in our passage, we must translate sumat{ by prayer or desire.
In the following passages sumat{ is clearly used in its original sense of favour, blessing, or even gift :
I, 73, 6 (7). su-matim bhikshamana.
Begging for thy favour.
I, 171, 1. su-ukténa bhikshe su-matim tura#4m.
With a hymn I beg for the favour of the quick Maruts.
I, 114, 3. asydma te su-matim.
May we obtain thy favour! Cf. I, 114, 9.
I, 114, 4. su-matim {t vaydm asya & vrimimahe.
We choose his favour. Cf. III, 33, 11.
I, 117, 23. sadd kavi (iti) su-matim & dake vam.
I always desire your favour, O ye wise Asvins.
I, 156, 3. mahdak te vishzo (iti) su-matim bhagdmahe.
May we, O Vishzu, enjoy the favour of thee, the mighty!
Bhiksh, to beg, used above, is an old desiderative form of bhag, and means to wish to enjoy.
III, 4, 1. su-matim rasi vasvak.
Thou grantest the favour of wealth.
VII, 39, 1. drdhvds agnif# su-matim vasvah asret.
The lighted fire went up for the favour of wealth. Cf. VII, 60,11; 1X, 97, 26.
May your favour, O Asvins, hasten towards us, like acow!
But this meaning is by no means the invariable meaning of sumati, and it will easily be seen that, in the followingp. 221 passages, the word must be translated by prayer. Thus when Sarasvati is called (I, 3, 11) #étantt su-matin&ém, this can only mean she who knows of the prayers, as before she is called £odayitri sOnv/tandm, she who excites songs of praise:
I, 151,7. akkha girak su-matim gantam asma-yd (iti).
Come towards the songs, towards the prayer, you who are longing for us. Cf. X, 20, 10.
II, 43, 3. tdshvim a&sinak su-mati{m #ikiddhi nak.
Sitting quiet, listen, O Sakuni (bird), to our prayer!
V,1, 10. & bhdndish¢asya su-matim Aikiddhi.
Take notice of the prayer of thy best praiser! Cf. V, 33, 1.
Cf. X, 20, 10.
II, 43, 3. tdshvim a&sinak su-mati{m #ikiddhi nak.
Sitting quiet, listen, O Sakuni (bird), to our prayer!
V,1, 10. & bhdndish¢asya su-matim Aikiddhi.
Take notice of the prayer of thy best praiser! Cf. V, 33, 1.
VII, 18, 4. & naX {ndra# su-matim gantu dkkha.
May Indra come to our prayer!
VII, 31, 10. prd-etase pra su-matim krézudhvam.
Make a prayer for the wise god!
IX, 96, 2. su-matim yati 4é2ha.
He (Soma) goes near to the prayer.
X, 148, 3. réshizam viprak su-matim dakandh.
Thou, the wise, desiring the prayer of the Aishis.
VIII, 22, 6. t& vam adyd sumati-bhi# subhaé pati (iti) asvina pra stuvimahi.
Let us praise to-day the glorious Asvins with our prayers.
IX, 74, 1. tém tmahe su-matf.
We implore him with prayer.
In our passage the verb pipartana, fill or fulfil, indicates in what sense sumat{ ought to be taken. Su-matim pipartana is no more than kémam pipartana, fulfil our desire! See VII, 62, 3. & nak kfimam pdpurantu ; I, 158, 2. kamapréma-iva manas4. On sumna, see Burnouf, Etudes, Pp. 91, and Aufrecht, in Kuhn’s Zeitschrift, vol. iv, p. 274.
Note 38. Krivi4-datt has been a crux to ancient and modern interpreters. It is mentioned as a difficult word in the Nighaztu, and all that Yaska has to say is that it means possessed of cutting teeth (Nir. VI, 30. krivirdati vikartanadanti). Professor Roth, in his note to this passage, says that krivi can never have the meaning of well, which is ascribed to it in the Nighamtu III, 23, but seems rather to mean an animal, perhaps the wild boar, xampos, with metathesis of y andr. He translates our passage: ‘Wherep. 222 your lightning with boar-teeth tears.’ In his Dictionary, however, he only says, ‘krivis, perhaps the name of an animal, and dant, tooth.’ SAyavza contents himself with explaining krivirdatt by vikshepazasiladanti, having teeth that scatter about.
My own translation is founded on the supposition that krivis, the first portion of krivirdatt, has nothing to do with krivi, but is a dialectic variety of kravis, raw flesh, the Greek xpéas, Latin caro, cruor. It means what is raw, bloody, or gory. From it the adjective krdra, horrible, cruentus (Curtius, Grundziige, p.142; Kuhn, Zeitschrift, vol. ii, p. 235). A name of the goddess Durg4 in later Sanskrit is krdradanti, and with a similar conception the lightning, I believe, is here called krivirdati, with gory teeth.
Note 4. It should be observed that in rddati the simile of the teeth of the lightning is carried on. For rddati may be supposed to have had in the Veda, too, the original meaning of radere and rédere, to scratch, to gnaw. Rada and radana in the later Sanskrit mean tooth. It is curious, however, that there is no other passage in the Rig-veda where rad clearly means to bite. It means to cut, in
I, 61,12. gdéé nd parva vi rada tiraskd.
Cut his joint through, as the joint of an ox.
Rada and radana in the later Sanskrit mean tooth. It is curious, however, that there is no other passage in the Rig-veda where rad clearly means to bite. It means to cut, in
I, 61,12. gdéé nd parva vi rada tiraskd.
Cut his joint through, as the joint of an ox.
But in most passages where rad occurs in the Veda, it has the meaning of giving. It is not the same which we have in the Zend rad, to give, and which Justi rightly identifies with the root radh. But rad, to divide, may, like the German theilen in zutheilen, have taken the meaning ofgiving. Greek 8alw means to divide, but yields dals, portion, meal, just as Sanskrit day, to divide, yields d4yas, share, i.e. inheritance.
This meaning is evident in the following passages :
Grant us, Ushas, so much wealth as thou hast given to the singers, when praised.
I, 116, 7. kakshfvate aradatam puram-dhim.
You gave wisdom to Kakshivat.
I, 169, 8. rdda marut-bhi# suridhas gé-agrak.
p. 223
Give to the Maruts gifts, rich in cattle.
VII, 62, 3. vi na% sahdsram suridhas radantu.
May they (the gods) give to us a thousand gifts!
1,117, 11. vagam vipraya—radanta.
Giving spoil to the sage!
VI, 61, 6. rdda pdsh4-iva naX san{m.
Give us, Sarasvati, wealth, like Pishan!
IX, 93, 4. rada indo (iti) rayim.
Give us, O Indra, wealth !
VII, 32,18. rada-vaso (iti).
Indra, thou who givest wealth!
In many passages, however, this verb rad is connected with words meaning way or path, and it then becomes a question whether it simply means to grant a way, or to cut a way open for some one. In Zend, too, the same idiom occurs, and Professor Justi explains it by ‘prepare a way.’ I subjoin the principal passages :
VI, 30, 3. yat 4bhyas dradah% gatim indra.
That thou hast cut a way for them (the rivers). Cf. VII, 74, 4.
IV, 19, 2. pré vartants aradak visva-dhenah,
Thou (Indra) hast cut open the paths for all the cows.
X, 75, 2. pra te aradat vdruvahk ydtave pathas.
Varuna cut the paths for thee to go.
VII, 87,1. radat pathd’ varunah sfirydya.
Varuaa cut paths for Sdrya.
V, 80, 3. patha% rddanti suvitdya devi.
She, the dawn, cutting open the paths for welfare.
VII, 60, 4. ydsmai Adity&a# ddhvanas radanti.
For whom the Adityas cut roads.
II, 30, 2. pathdé rddantiz—dhunayaz yanti artham.
Cutting their paths, the rivers go to their goal.
This last verse seems to show that the cutting open of a road is really the idea expressed by rad in all these passages. And thus we find the rivers themselves saying that Indra cut them out or delivered them :
Note 5. Rimidti, like the preceding expressions krivirdati and rddati, is not chosen at random, for though it has thep. 224 general meaning of crushing or destroying, it is used by the Vedic poets with special reference to the chewing or crunching by means of the teeth. For instance,