29. The heroes went downwards to SaryazAvat, to Sushoma, to Argtka, to PastyAvat.
30. When will you come hither, O Maruts, to the sage who calls you so, with your consolations to the suppliant ?
31. What then now? Where.are your friends, now that you have forsaken Indra? Who is counted in your friendship ?
32. O Ka4zvas, I praise Agni, together with our Maruts, who carry the thunderbolt in their hands, and are armed with golden daggers.
33. Might I succeed in bringing hither the strong hunters, hither with their splendid booty for the newest blessings.
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34. The hills even sink low, as if they thought ' themselves valleys, the mountains even bow themselves down,
35- The crossing (horses) bring them hither, flying through the air; they bestow strength on the man who praises them.
36. The old fire! has been born, like the shine? by the splendour of the sun, and the Maruts have spread far and wide with their lights.
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NOTES.
Ascribed to Punarvatsa Kanva. Verse 8 occurs MS. IV, 12, 5; verse 11 in TS. I, 5, 11, 4; MS. IV, Io, 4; verse 28 in AV. XIII, 1, 21. Metre, Gayatri.
Verse 1.
Note 1. Trishfibham is an adjective belonging to isham. The same expression occurs again, VIII, 69,1, as a galita, and is therefore of little help. In IX, 62, 24, the isha# are called parishfibhas, which seems to mean something like parisrut, i.e. standing round about. I therefore take trish¢ubh in our passage simply as threefold, referring probably to the morning, noon, and evening sacrifice. The sacrifice is often called trivrzt, X, 52,4; 124,1. Some scholars ascribe to stubh in trishfubh the meaning of liturgical shouting.
Verse 2.
Note 1. Besides n{ ahdsata, we find ud ahAsata, I, 9, 4, and dpa ahdsata, IX, 73, 6. On 4i, see verse 14, and V, 55; 7. It is often impossible to say whether the Vedic Aorist should be translated in English by the perfect or the imperfect. If we take the verse as describing an historical fact, it would be, ‘When you saw your way, or, as soon as you had seen your way, the clouds fell.’ If it is meant as a repeated event, it would be, ‘when, i.e. whenever you have seen your way, the clouds have fallen.’ The difficulty lies in English, and though the grammars lay down rules, usage does not conform to them. The difference in the use of tenses in English is so great that in the revised version of the Bible, a number of passages had to be translated differently for the English and for the American public. Thus in Rom. ii. 12, the English edition gives, ‘For as many as have sinned without law, shall perish without law.’ The American edition changes this into ‘As many as sinned without the law.’ Gal. iii, 22, English: ‘The scripture hath shut up;’ American: ‘The scripture shut up.’ It was on account of this and other changes of
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iii, 22, English: ‘The scripture hath shut up;’ American: ‘The scripture shut up.’ It was on account of this and other changes ofp. 395 idiom which have sprung up between English and American, that different editions of the revised version had actually to be printed for England and America. No wonder, therefore, that an American critic should in his innocence have charged me with not knowing the difference between the aorist, the imperfect, and the perfect in Vedic Sanskrit!
Verse 7.
Note 1. Aruzapsu, perhaps reddish-coloured, an epithet of the dawn, here applied to the Maruts. The Maruts are sometimes called vrzshapsu, ahrutapsu, I, 52,4; VIII, 20, 7.
Verse 8.
Note 1. The relation between the light cast forth by the Maruts and the path of the sun is not quite clear, except that in other places also the Maruts are connected with the morning. The darkness preceding a thunderstorm may be identified with the darkness of the night, preceding the sunrise. See Bergaigne, II, 379 seq.
Verse 9.
Note 1. The meaning of r#bhukshan is doubtful. It is applied to Indra and the Maruts. See Bergaigne, II, 403 ; 404 note; 412.
Verse 10.
Note 1. The Présnis in the plural fem. are the clouds, see VIII, 6, 19. Mythologically there is but one Présni, the mother of the Maruts. See also Bergaigne, II, 397.
Note 2. I am doubtful about the three lakes of Madhu, here of rain, poured from their udders by the clouds. The number three is common enough, and Ludwig has pointed out a parallel passage from the AV. X, 10, 10-12, where we read of three pAtras, filled with milk and Soma. Many similar passages have been collected by Bergaigne, I, 177, but again without a definite result. The question is whether the three words utsa, kavandha, and udrin are meant as names of the three pAtras, in our passage, of the three lakes, or whether they should be taken as an apposition,p. 396 the three lakes, namely, the well (of the sky), the skin full of water, and udrin, the watering-pot. Udrin is elsewhere an adjective only, but I think we must here translate, ‘ the well, the water-skin, the watering-pot.’
Verse 12.
Note 1. On sudanavaz as vocative, see Delbriick, Syntax, p- 106.
Verse 14.
Note 1. For adhi with genitive, one expects ati. But Delbriick doubts whether ati can govern the genitive. See Altind. Syntax, p. 440.
Verse 15.
Note 1. As 4dabhyasya can only refer to et&vata“, I have taken etAvat in the sense of gaza, followed by eshdm. But I am not certain that the rendering is right.
Verse 16.
Note 1. I have ventured to translate drapsad by torrents. Neither drops nor sparks nor banners seem to yield an appropriate simile, but I feel very doubtful. See VIII, 96, 133 IX, 73, I.
Verse 22.
But I am not certain that the rendering is right.
Verse 16.
Note 1. I have ventured to translate drapsad by torrents. Neither drops nor sparks nor banners seem to yield an appropriate simile, but I feel very doubtful. See VIII, 96, 133 IX, 73, I.
Verse 22.
Note 1. I thought at first that by sm parvasd# dadhuh was meant the mixing or confounding together of heaven and earth ; it being impossible, during a storm, to distinguish the two. But there is clearly, as Ludwig points out, an opposition between sdm dadhu/ and vi yayus. I therefore take parvasaé in verse 22 in the sense of piece by piece, as in AV. IV, 12, 7. s4m dadhat padrush4 pdrué, while in verse 23 it means in pieces.
Verse 265.
Note 1. On sipra%, see note to II, 34, 3.
Verse 26.
Note 1. Ukshva rdndhram, ‘the hollow of the bull,’ whatever that may be, is not mentioned again. If it is meant for
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the dark cloud which hides the rain, then the roar of the bull would be the thunder of the cloud, stirred by the Maruts. Aukshzorandhra, however, is the technical name of certain SAmans, so that Ukshzorandhra may have been, like Usana (later Usanas), a proper name. See TAndya Br. XIII, 9, 18; 19.
Note 2. If usdna stands for usanaya it might mean, ‘with desire,’ but it seems more likely that it refers to the Rishi, who is called Usana in the Rig-veda, and Usanas in later writings. See Lanman, p. 562, 1. 21; Bergaigne, II, 338, n. 3; Schmidt, K. Z. XXVI, 402, n. 1.
Verse 27.
Note 1. On makhdsya davane, see note to I, 6, 8, where I accepted the old explanation, ‘Come to the offering of the priest.’ But does makha mean priest? In later Sanskrit it means sacrifice,so that makhasya d4vane has been translated, ‘for the offering of the sacrifice,’ that is, ‘that we may be able to offer you sacrifice.’ If makha means glad and refers to Soma, which is doubtful, the sense would be the same. Possibly davane may here be derived from do, to divide, but this would not help us much.
Verse 28. . The AV. reads ydm tva préshatf rathe prdsh¢ir vahati rohita, subh4 yAsi rizdnn apa’, which yields no help.
Verse 29.
This verse is very difficult. First of all, nfZakraya can hardly mean ‘ without a chariot’ (B.-R.), but seems an adverb, meaning downwards. But the chief difficulty lies in this, that we must decide, once for all, whether words, such as sushoma, saryavdvat, argika, pastyavat, &c., are to be interpreted in their natural sense, as expressing localities, well known to the poet, or in their technical sense, as names of sacrificial vessels. That this decision is by no means easy, may be inferred from the fact that two scholars, Roth and Ludwig, differ completely, the former preferring the technical, the latter the geographical meaning. We must
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That this decision is by no means easy, may be inferred from the fact that two scholars, Roth and Ludwig, differ completely, the former preferring the technical, the latter the geographical meaning. We mustp. 398 remember that in the hymns to the Maruts the poets speak occasionally of the countries, far and near, visited by the storm-winds. We must also bear in mind that in our very passage the poet asks the Maruts to come to him, and not to tarry with other people. When, therefore, he says, that they went to Saryavdvat, &c., is that likely to be meant for a tank of Soma at his own or any other sacrifice ?
Saryam4vat is derived from sarya, this from sara. Sara means reed, arrow ; sarya, made of reeds, sary4, an arrow, but also reeds tied together and used at the sacrifice for carrying Soma-oblations. From it, saryana, which, accord- . ing to SAyama, means lands in Kurukshetra (RV. VIII, 6, 39), and from which Saryav4vat is derived, as the name of a lake in that neighbourhood (not a Landstrich, B.-R.). When this sarya4vat occurs in the Rig-veda, the question is, does it mean that lake, evidently a famous lake and a holy place in the early settlements of the Vedic Aryas, or does it mean, as others suppose, a sacrificial vessel made of reeds? It occurs in the Rig-veda seven times.
In I, 84, 14, Indra is said to have found the head of the horse, which had been removed among the mountains (clouds) at Saryazavat. This seems to me the lake in which the sun sets. In the 8th Mazdala saryam4vat occurs
‘three times. In VIII, 6, 39, Indra is invoked to rejoice at Saryawavat, or, according to others, in a vessel full of Soma. In our passage the Maruts went to Saryavdvat, to Sushoma, Argika, and Pasty4vat, countries, it would seem, not vessels. In VIII, 64, 11, after saying that the Soma had been prepared among the Parus, it is added that the Soma is sweetest in Saryavdvat, on the SushomA, and in Argikiya. In IX, 65, 22, we read of Somas prepared far and near, and at Saryazavat, and in the next verse we read of Somas to be found either among the Argikas, among the Pasty4s, or among the Five Tribes. In IX, 113, 1; 2, Indra is asked to drink Soma at Saryam4vat,and the Soma is asked to come from Argika. In X, 35, 2, the aid is implored of heaven and earth, of the rivers and the mountains, and these mountains are called saryandvatak.
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Argikiya, besides the three passages mentioned already, occurs X, 75, 5, where it is clearly a river as well as Sushomé, while in IX, 65, 23, the Argikas, in the plural, could only be the name of a people.
p. 399
Argikiya, besides the three passages mentioned already, occurs X, 75, 5, where it is clearly a river as well as Sushomé, while in IX, 65, 23, the Argikas, in the plural, could only be the name of a people.
Taking all this into account, it seems to me that we ought to accept the tradition that Saryam4vat was a lake and the adjoining district in Kurukshetra, that Argika was the name of a river, Argika the name of the adjoining country, Argik4A, of the inhabitants, Argikiya another name of Argika, the river, and Argikiyam another name of the country Argika. Sushoma in our passage is probably the name of the country near the Sushomé, and PastyAvat, though it might be an adjective meaning filled with hamlets, is probably another geographical name ; see, however, IX, 65, 23. Ludwig takes Saryaw4vat as a name of the Eastern Sarasvati; see Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, p. 19 ; but we should expect Saryaz4vati as the name of a river. See also Bergaigne, I, 206, who, according to his system, takes all these names as ‘ préparateurs.célestes du Soma.’
Verse 31.
See I, 38, 1, note 1.
Verse 36.
Note 1. Sayava may be right in stating that this verse was intended for an Agniméruta sacrifice, and that therefore Agni was praised first, and afterwards the Maruts. In that case pdrvya might mean first.
Note 2. Kfandas is doubtful ; see, however, I, 92, 6.
1. Come hither, do not fail, when you march forward! Do not stay away, O united friends, you who can bend even what is firm.
2. O Maruts, Azbhukshans, come hither on your flaming strong fellies?,O Rudras, come to us to-day with food, you much-desired ones, come to the sacrifice, you friends of the Sobharis *,
3. For we know indeed the terrible strength of the sons of Rudra, of the vigorous Maruts, the liberal givers? of Soma ® (rain).
4. The islands (clouds) were scattered, but the monster remained, heaven and earth were joined together. O you who are armed with bright rings, the tracts (of the sky)? expanded, whenever you stir, radiant with your own splendour.
5. Even things that cannot be thrown down resound at your race, the mountains, the lord of the forest,—the earth quivers on your marches.
6. The upper sky makes wide room, to let your violence pass, O Maruts, when these strong-armed heroes display their energies in their own bodies.
7. According to their wont these men, exceeding terrible, impetuous, with strong and unbending forms?, bring with them beautiful light *.
8. The arrow of the Sobharis is shot from the bowstrings at the golden chest on the chariot of the Maruts'. They, the kindred of the cow (Prdsni),p. 401 the well-born, should enjoy their food, the great ones should help us.
g. Bring forward, O strongly-anointed? (priests), your libations to the strong host of the Maruts, the strongly advancing.
They, the kindred of the cow (Prdsni),p. 401 the well-born, should enjoy their food, the great ones should help us.
g. Bring forward, O strongly-anointed? (priests), your libations to the strong host of the Maruts, the strongly advancing.
10. O Maruts, O heroes, come quickly hither, like winged hawks, on your chariot with strong horses, of strong shape, with strong naves, to enjoy our libations.
11. Their anointing is the same, the golden chains shine on their arms, their spears sparkle.
12. These strong, manly, strong-armed Maruts, do not strive among themselves ; firm are the bows, the weapons on your chariot, and on your faces are splendours.
13. They whose terrible name’, wide-spreading like the ocean, is the one of all that is of use, whose _ strength is like the vigour of their father,
14. Worship these Maruts, and praise them! Of these shouters, as of moving spokes}, no one is the last; this is theirs by gift, by greatness ? is it theirs.
15. Happy.is he who was under your protection, O Maruts, in former mornings, or who may be so even now.
16. Or he, O men, whose libations you went to enjoy; that mighty one, O shakers, will obtain your favours with brilliant riches and booty.
17. As the sons of Rudra, the servants of the divine Dyu?, will it, O youths, so shall it be.
18. Whatever liberal givers may worship! the Maruts, and move about together as generous? benefactors, even from them turn * towards us with a kinder heart, you youths!
19. O Sobhari, call loud with your newest song
[32] pdp. 402 the young, strong, and pure Maruts, as the plougher calls the cows.
20. Worship the Maruts with a song, they who are strong like a boxer, called in to assist those who call? for him in all fights; (worship them) the most glorious, like bright-shining bulls.
21. Yes, O united friends, kindred, O Maruts, by a common birth, the oxen lick one another’s humps’.
22. O ye dancers, with golden ornaments on your chests, even a mortal comes (to ask) for your brotherhood !; take care of us, ye Maruts, for your friendship lasts for ever.
23. O bounteous Maruts, bring us some of your Marut-medicine, you friends, and (quick, like) steeds.
24. With the favours whereby you favour the Sindhu, whereby you save, whereby you help Krivi?, with those propitious favours be our delight, O delightful ones, ye who never hate your followers *.
25. O Maruts, for whom we have prepared good altars, whatever medicine! there is on the Sindhu, on the Asiknt, in the seas, on the mountains,
26. Seeing it, you carry it all on your bodies. Bless us with it! Down to the earth, O Maruts', with what hurts our sick one,—straighten what is crooked !
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NOTES.
Ascribed to Sobhari Kaava ; metre, Kakubha pragatha. Verse 1=SV. I, 401; verse 21=SV. I, 404.
Verse 1. SV. reads sthata, and dridh4 kid yamayishaavah.
Verse 2.
Note 1. It might be better to supply rathaif, but the poet may have used pars pro toto.
p. 403
NOTES.
Ascribed to Sobhari Kaava ; metre, Kakubha pragatha. Verse 1=SV. I, 401; verse 21=SV. I, 404.
Verse 1. SV. reads sthata, and dridh4 kid yamayishaavah.
Verse 2.
Note 1. It might be better to supply rathaif, but the poet may have used pars pro toto.
Note 2. The Sobharis, who are mentioned in the 8th Mazdala only, are clearly a clan of that name, and their hymns form a small collection by itself. See Oldenberg, Prolegomena, p. 209 seq.
Verse 3.
Note 1. Mi/Avas is sometimes used by itself in the sense of patron or benefactor, VII, 86,7; 97,2. Whether it can govern a genitive is doubtful, but see VII, 58, 5, note.
Note 2. Here again, as in II, 34, 11, Vishzu esha seems to mean Soma, possibly the food, or even the seed (retas) of Vishvu. SAayaza too takes Vishvu as a name of rain. In I, 154, 5, we read that the spring of madhu is in the highest place of Vishzu. Could it mean the generous sons of Vishzu ? Verse 4.
Note 1. My translation is purely conjectural. I take dvipa for isolated or scattered clouds, different from the dukéshun, which I take for the black mass of storm-clouds, threatening destruction. Grassmann: ‘ Die Wolkeninseln stoben und das Unheil floh. Ludwig: ‘Empor stigen gewaltig die waszerinseln, still stand das ungliick.’
Note 2. The coming together of heaven and earth and their apparent widening have been ascribed to the Maruts before. It seems hardly possible to translate dhanvani here by bows. I take it for the wide expanse, as if the desert, of the sky.
pd2
p. 404
Verse 7.
Note 1. On psu in vvishapsu, see note to VIII, 7, 7. Note 2. Possibly srfyam vahante has to be taken like subham ya, see Gaedicke, Accusativ, p. 163.
Verse 8.
Note 1. In support of the translation which I proposed in I, 85, 10, note 2, all I can say is that ag is a verb used for shooting forth an arrow, see I, 112, 16, and that vana may be used in the sense of b4za, reed and arrow, and that go is used for bowstring, see B.-R. s.v. The question, however, arises, how does this verse come in here? How does the fact that the Sobharis, who are praising the stormgods, shoot their arrow at the golden chest on their chariot, agree with what precedes and follows ?
s.v. The question, however, arises, how does this verse come in here? How does the fact that the Sobharis, who are praising the stormgods, shoot their arrow at the golden chest on their chariot, agree with what precedes and follows ?
Let us look first whether a more natural translation can be found. B.-R. translate: ‘The sacrificial music of the Sobharis is furnished and therefore made more attractive by draughts of milk (or animal food).’ In order to support such a translation, it should be proved, first, that vaza ever means sacrificial music, and that such sacrificial music can be spoken of as agyate (it is furnished), gobhiZ (by milkdraughts). Grassmann translates: ‘Durch Milchtrank wird der Sobharis Musik belohnt.’ Here again it must be proved that vaza can mean sacrificial music, and agyate, it is rewarded. Ludwig translates: ‘Mit der milch wird gesalbt den Sobhari der zapfen am wagen am goldnen korbe. This is explained to mean that ‘the bolt on the chariot of the Maruts is to be greased with milk, so that the milk may stream down on the Sobharis.’ I doubt whether v4za can mean bolt, and I do‘not see that the intention of the poet, namely to ask for rain, would be conveyed by such words.
Sayaza interprets: ‘ Through the cows, i.e. the hymns, of the Sobharis the lyre of the Maruts is made evident ;’ or, ‘ by the cows, i.e. the Maruts, the lyre is manifested for the sake of the Sobharis.’
In support of my own translation I can only appeal to ap. 405 custom ascribed by Herodotus (IV, 94) to another ancient Aryan tribe, namely the Thracians, who, when there is thunder and lightning, shoot arrows against thesky. Herodotus in trying to find a motive for this says they do it to threaten the god, because they believe in no other god but their own. This may be so; the only question is whether in shooting their arrows against the sky, they hoped to drive the clouds away, or wished them to give up their treasure, namely the rain. I should feel inclined to take the latter view, but in either case we see that what the Thracians did, was exactly what the Sobharis are said to do here, namely to shoot an arrow at the golden chest or treasure on the chariot of the Maruts. This is, of course, no more than a conjecture, and I shall gladly give it up, if a more appropriate meaning can be elicited from this line. What is against it is the frequent occurrence of a%g with gobhiz in the sense of covering with milk, see IX, 45, 3; V, 3, 2, &c. As to rdthe kése hiranyaye, see VIII, 22, 9.
Verse 9.
Note 1. Vwrishad-a#gayak for vrishan-afgayah, see J. Schmidt, K. Z. XXVI, 358. It cannot mean ‘raining down ointments,’ as Grassmann supposes, because that would be varshad-a%gayaA, if it existed at all. Besides, the a#gis are never poured down, nor are they sacrificial viands. The repetition of the word vrishan is intentional, and has been discussed before.
Z. XXVI, 358. It cannot mean ‘raining down ointments,’ as Grassmann supposes, because that would be varshad-a%gayaA, if it existed at all. Besides, the a#gis are never poured down, nor are they sacrificial viands. The repetition of the word vrishan is intentional, and has been discussed before.
Verse 13. Note 1. NA4man is, of course, more than the mere name; but name can be used in much the same sense. Verse 14.
Note 1. The simile of the aras, as in V, 58, 5, seems to require another negative. Note 2. See V, 87, 2, on dan& and mahné.
Verse 17.
Note 1. On diva dsurasya vedhdsah, see von Bradke, Dyaus Asura, pp. 44 and 46. It should be remembered,
p. 406
however, that vedhas and medhas interchange. Thus in RV. IX, 102, 4, we have vedh4m, in SV. I, 101, medh4&m. On medhds, the Zend mazda, see Darmesteter, Ormazd, p. 29. I take servant in the sense of worshipper, from vidh.
Verse 18.
Note 1. Arhanti, in the sense of arhayanti, to worship, seems better than to be worthy of, or to have a right to.
Note 2. Mi/kishak can be nominative, see Lanman, p- 511; but it may also refer to the Maruts, and then be accusative.
Note 3. Instead of 4 vavridhvam, which Ludwig translates, Nemt uns fiir euch in besitz, Grassmann translates, Wendet euch zu uns her. He read therefore 4 vavriddhvam, and this, the plural corresponding to 4 vavritsva, seems to be the right reading.
Verse 20.
Note 1. Grassmann proposes to change pritsu hdtrishu into yutsd pvétsushu. But may not hdtrzshu be used here ina sense corresponding to that of havya? Havya has almost the technical meaning of an ally who is to be called for assistance. Thus IV, 24, 2. sdk vritrahdtye hadvyah; VII, 32, 24. bhare-bhare ka havyak, &c. Now a havyaé, one who is called, presupposes a hdétvz, one who calls for assistance. It is true that hotrz, from hu, to pour out, has so completely become a technical name that it seems strange to see it used here, in a new etymological sense, as caller. But the connection with havya may justify what may have been meant as a play on the words. Wilson seems to have taken the verse in a similar sense, when he translates: ‘and like a boxer who has been challenged over his challengers.’ He, like Ludwig, takes hotrz as a challenger. I prefer to take it as calling for aid. I am not satisfied, however, with either translation, nor does Grassmann or Ludwig offer anything useful.
Verse 21. Note 1. In the SV. mariutas and rihdte have the accent
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on the second syllable. Sdbandhava# was used before of the Maruts, V, 59, 5; according to its accent it would here refer to gdvak. I can see no meaning in this verse except a very naturalistic one, namely that the Maruts, who are described as friends and brothers, as never quarrelling and always of one mind, are here compared to oxen, grazing
_in the same field, and so far from fighting, actually licking the humps on each other’s backs.
Verse 22.
Verse 22.
Note 1. Grassmann, ‘ geht euch an um eure Briiderschaft ;’ possibly, ‘becomes your brother.’
Verse 24.
Note 1. It is, no doubt, very tempting to change tfirvatha into turvasam, as Ludwig proposes. The difficulty isto understand how such a change should have come about. Sindhu may mean here, not so much the river, as the people living on its shores. Krivi is said to be an old name of the Pa#kalas (Sat. Br. XIII, 5, 4, 7). But, because the Pa#kalas were called Krivis, and because in later times we often hear of Kuru-Pa#éalas, it does in no way follow that the Krivis were identical with the Kurus. It proves rather the contrary. Kuru may be derived from kar, and may have meant active, but it may also have had a very different original meaning. A derivation of krivi from kar is still more objectionable.
Note 2. Asakadvishah, which I translate by not hating your followers, is translated by Ludwig: ‘ihr, denen kein haszer folgt.’ It may also be rendered by ‘hating those who do not follow you.’
Verse 265.
Note 1. The medicines are generally brought by Rudra, and by his sons, the Maruts.
Verse 26.
Note 1. As to kshamd rdpaf, see X, 59, 8-10; AV. VI, 57, 3; as to ishkarta, VIII, 1, 12.
1. The cow, wishing for glory, the mother of the bounteous Maruts, sends forth her milk; the two horses? have been harnessed to the chariots,—
2. She in whose lap? all gods observe their duties, sun and moon (also), that they may be seen ;
3. Therefore all our friends}, the singers, invite the Maruts always, to drink (our) Soma.
4. This Soma here has been prepared, the Maruts drink of it, the Asvins also drink of the lord (Soma) }.
5. Mitra, Aryaman, Varuza drink of the Soma which is continually! clarified, dwelling in three abodes ®, procuring offspring.
6. May Indra also rejoice to his satisfaction in this pressed juice, mixed with milk, like a Hotz? at the morning-sacrifice.
7. Did the brilliant lords flare up? Endowed with pure strength they rush, like water, through their enemies,
8. Shall I now choose the favour of you, the great gods, who by yourselves shine forth marvellously,
9. The Maruts, who, when going to drink Soma, spread out the whole earth and the lights of heaven.
10. I call now them who are endowed with pure strength, you, O Maruts, from heaven, that you may drink the Soma here ;
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11. I call now those Maruts who hold heaven and earth asunder, that they may drink the Soma here ;
12. I call now that manly company of the Maruts, dwelling in the mountains, that they may drink the Soma here.
p. 410
a
NOTES.
Ascribed to Bindu or Piitadaksha. Metre, GéAyatri. Verse 1=SV. I, 149; verse 4=SV. I, 174; II, 1135; verse 5=SV. II, 1136; verse 6=SV. II, 1137. The whole hymn can easily be divided into trzkas.
Verse 1.
p. 410
a
NOTES.
Ascribed to Bindu or Piitadaksha. Metre, GéAyatri. Verse 1=SV. I, 149; verse 4=SV. I, 174; II, 1135; verse 5=SV. II, 1136; verse 6=SV. II, 1137. The whole hymn can easily be divided into trzkas.
Verse 1.
Note 1. I adopt Ludwig’s correction of the Pada, changing vahniz to vahni iti, though it interrupts somewhat the connection between the first and second verses. Still it seems as impossible to change Prvisni, the mother of the Maruts, into a cart-horse as into a sucking-calf. This we should have to do, if we took dhayati in its usual sense of sucking. Still dhayati means to suck, not to suckle. The commentary to the SV. explains vahniz as vodhri, the driver.
Verse 2.
Note 1. I should prefer to take updsthe in the sense of proximity, which, as in the case of vrikshopasthe, may be translated by shadow, or protection.
Verse 3.
Note 1. I cannot believe that we can take arya 4 in our passage as aryé 4, and translate it with Pischel (Z.D.M.G. XL, p. 125) by ‘our singers among the Aryas. With the plural kardvak we should expect aryéshu 4, not aryé 4; see also Bergaigne, III, 287; II, 218. Pada a and b are galita, see VI, 45, 33.
Verse 4. Note 1. Svara4g seems to be meant for Soma as lord, not as brilliant. . Verse 5. Note 1. Tana is generally explained by dr#4stukanirmita dasdpavitra; see also Bergaigne, I, 179. Note 2. The three abodes are either the morning, noon,
NOTES. VIII, 94, 9. 4II
and evening sacrifices, or the three Soma-vessels, the Dromakalasa, Adhavantya, and Patabhrit.
Verse 6.
Note 1. I do not see why hota-iva should not mean ‘like the priest,’ for the priest also rejoices in the libation ; see Arthasamgraha, ed. Thibaut, pp. 10 and 20. Ludwig prefers to take hota for Agni, fire.
Verse 9. Note 1. See note to I, 6, 9, and 10, note 1.
1. Let me with my voice shower! wealth like cloud-showers ?, like sacrifices of a sage, rich in oblations. I have praised the goodly host of the Maruts$, so that they may be worthy of a Brahman‘, so that they may be glorious.
2. These boys have prepared their ornaments for beauty, the goodly host of the Maruts, through many nights; the sons of Dyu struggled, like harts, they, the Adityas, grew high, like banners’.
3. They who by their own might seem to have risen above heaven and earth, like the sun above the cloud, they are glorious, like brilliant heroes, they shine forth like foe-destroying youths.
4. When you move along on the bottom of the waters, the earth seems to break and to melt!. This perfect sacrifice is meet for you, come hither together, as if enjoying our offerings.
5. You are as drivers! on the poles with their reins, and as brilliant with light at daybreak ; like hawks, you are famous destroyers of foes; like wells * springing forth, you scatter moisture.
This perfect sacrifice is meet for you, come hither together, as if enjoying our offerings.
5. You are as drivers! on the poles with their reins, and as brilliant with light at daybreak ; like hawks, you are famous destroyers of foes; like wells * springing forth, you scatter moisture.
6. When you, O Maruts, come from afar, knowing the great treasure of the hidden place, O Vasus, the treasure which has to be gained, then keep away also from afar all who hate us.
7. The man who, firm in his sacrifice, offers gifts to the Maruts to the end of the ceremony’, hep. 413 gains health and wealth, blessed with offspring ; he shall also be in the keeping of the gods.
8. They are indeed our guardians, to be worshipped at all sacrifices, most blissful by their name of Adityas; may they, swiftly driving on their chariots, protect our prayer, quick even on their march, delighting in our sacrifice.
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NOTES.
Ascribed to Syimarasmi Bhargava. On the metre, see Rig-veda, translation, Introd. p. civ; Benfey, Quantitatsversch. IV, 2; 38-39; Oldenberg, Prolegomena, 92. This hymn and the next belong closely together. They are both so artificial and obscure that a translation of them can only be tentative. None of its verses occurs in SV., VS., AV., TS., TB., MS.
Verse 1.
Note I. I take prush4 for prushazi.
Note 2. I do not think that abhraprishad# can be meant for the Maruts.
Note 8. The nd in many of the verses seems to be due to a mere trick, and untranslatable.
Note 4. Or, ‘I have praised the priestly host, so that they may be worthy of good Marut-hood.’
Verse 2.
Note 1. Akr&%, banners, Grassmann ; columns, Ludwig. The meaning is utterly unknown.
Verse 4.
Note 1. See Aurel Mayr, Beitrage aus dem Rig-Veda, p. 12. ‘The earth melted,’ see Ps. xlvi. 6.
Verse 5.
Note 1. Prayug seems to mean here a driver; pra-yug is often used of the Maruts as harnessing or driving their horses; see I, 85,5; V, 52, 8.
Note 2. Prava has been derived from pru, to float. I should prefer to derive it from pra-van, from which we have pra-vama, precipice, possibly the Latin adjective pronus, and, very irregularly, Greek pnuis. Stems in radical n frequently enter the class of stems in & and a, and pravan would become prav4Aé or pravak, as -gan becomes -g4h and -gak; cf. Lanman,
p. 415
Stems in radical n frequently enter the class of stems in & and a, and pravan would become prav4Aé or pravak, as -gan becomes -g4h and -gak; cf. Lanman,p. 415 p- 478. Others take vana for a mere suffix like vat. Prava, rushing forward, would have been a good name for a spring. This, of course, is a mere conjecture. Others derive prava-s from va, to blow. As a substantive prava as well as upava occurs AV. XII, 1, 51. vatasya pravém upavém anu vaty ar#iz. But these words mean the blowing before and the blowing after, and not blowers. . There are the verbs prava and anuvd in Tazdya Br. I, 9, 7; TS. III, 5, 2, 3; IV, 4,1, 1. They are there referred to dawn and night. These passages, however, seem too technical to allow us to fix the original meaning of prava-%. Pravda in RV. I, 34, 8, remains unexplained.
1. Full of devotion like priests with their prayers, wealthy like pious men, who please the gods with their offerings, beautiful to behold like brilliant kings, without a blemish like the youths of our hamlets—
2. They who are gold-breasted like Agni with his splendour, quick to help like self-harnessed winds, good leaders like the oldest experts, they are to the righteous man like Somas, that yield the best protection.
3. They who are roaring and hasting like winds, brilliant like the tongues of fires, powerful like mailed soldiers, full of blessings like the prayers of our fathers,
4. Who hold together like the spokes of chariotwheels, who glance forward like victorious heroes, who scatter ghvzta! like wooing youths, who chant beautifully like singers, intoning a hymn of praise,
5. Who are swift like the best of horses, who are bounteous like lords of chariots on a suit, who are hastening on like water with downward floods, who are like the manifold! Angiras with their (numerous) songs.
6. These noble sons of Sindhu? are like grindingstones, they are always like Soma-stones?, tearing everything to pieces; these sons of a good mother are like playful children, they are by their glare like a great troop on its march.
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7. Illumining the sacrifice! like the rays of the dawn, they shone forth in their ornaments like triumphant warriors; the Maruts with bright spears seem like running rivers, from afar they measure many miles.
8. O gods, make us happy and rich, prospering us, your praisers,O Maruts! Remember our praise and our friendship, for from of old there are always with you gifts of treasures.
(32) Ee
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NOTES.
Ascribed to Syimarasmi Bhargava. None of its verses occurs elsewhere. Metre, 1, 3, 4, 8 Trishtubh; 2, 5-7 Gagati.
Verse 4.
Remember our praise and our friendship, for from of old there are always with you gifts of treasures.
(32) Ee
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NOTES.
Ascribed to Syimarasmi Bhargava. None of its verses occurs elsewhere. Metre, 1, 3, 4, 8 Trishtubh; 2, 5-7 Gagati.
Verse 4.
Note 1. Ghvitaprush, Fett spriihend, Gluth austheilend, according to Grassmann; ghrita-spriihend, according to Ludwig. Sdyaza takes vareydvah as wishing to give presents, and explains that such gifts were preceded by a gift of water, so that ghy#taprisha% would mean, giving water or rain. The real meaning is difficult.
Verse 5.
Note 1. Visvartpa may have been meant in a more special and mythological sense.
Verse 6.
Note 1. Sindhu-mataraZ may be a synonym of Prisnimatara#, sindhu being used as a name of the water in the sky. It may also mean, having the river Sindhu for their mother, i.e. coming from the region of the river. Bergaigne translates (II, 397), ‘qui ont pour mére la rivitre céleste. Cette riviére peut étre une des formes de la vache qui passe aussi pour leur mere.’
Note 2. The grév4anak and adrayak are probably meant for stones used for pounding corn and squeezing Soma.
Verse 7. Note 1. On adhvarasri, see Pischel, Ved. Stud. p. 53.
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MANDALA I, HYMN 43, ASHTAKA I, ADHYAYA 8, VARGA 26-27.
To Rupra.
1. What could we say to Rudra, the wise, the most liberal, the most powerful, that is most welcome to his heart,—
2. So that Aditi? may bring Rudra’s healing to the cattle, to men, to cow, and kith,
3. So that Mitra, that Varuva, that Rudra hear us, and all the united Maruts !.
4. We implore Rudra, the lord of songs, the lord of animal sacrifices’, the possessor of healing medicines ?, for health, wealth 8, and his favour.
5. He who shines like the bright sun, and like gold, who is the best Vasu among the gods,
6. May he bring health to our horse, welfare to ram and ewe, to men, to women, and to the cow!
7. Bestow on us, O Soma, the happiness of a hundred men, great glory of strong manhood !;
8. O Soma}, let not those who harass and injure overthrow us; O Indu, help us to booty!
9. Whatever beings are thine, the immortal, in the highest place of the law, on its summit’, in its centre, O Soma, cherish them, remember them who honour thee.
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NOTES.
Ascribed to Kazva Ghaura, and addressed to Rudra (1, 2, 4-6), to Rudra and Mitra-Varuzau (3),and to Soma (7-9). Metre, Gayatri (1-8); Anushéubh (9). Verse 2 in TS. III, 4, 11,2; MS. IV, 12, 6.
The hymn may be divided into two, the first from 1-6, the second from 7-9. See, however, Bergaigne, III, 32, n. 1; and Recherches sur l’hist. de la Samhita, I, 65. He would prefer to divide the whole into three hymns.
Verse 1. See TA. X, 17, 1; Delbriick, Synt. Forsch. I, 246.
Verse 2.
Note 1. Ludwig takes Aditi here as a name of Rudra; also Hillebrandt, Uber die Gottin Aditi, p. 6.
Verse 3.
1; and Recherches sur l’hist. de la Samhita, I, 65. He would prefer to divide the whole into three hymns.
Verse 1. See TA. X, 17, 1; Delbriick, Synt. Forsch. I, 246.
Verse 2.
Note 1. Ludwig takes Aditi here as a name of Rudra; also Hillebrandt, Uber die Gottin Aditi, p. 6.
Verse 3.
Note 1. The visve sagdéshasaf, following on Rudra, can hardly be meant for any but the Maruts, who are often called sagéshasa#. But it may also have been intended for all the gods together.
Verse 4.
Note 1. Gathapatim and medhdpatim are both difficult. We expect gath4patim and medh4patim. If, as Ludwig maintains, gatha in Zend is equivalent to vztu, season, then gathapati might be ritupati, a name of Agni, X, 2,1. But this is extremely doubtful. We must derive g4thdpati from gatha, I, 167, 6, and medhdpati from medhd, animal sacrifice, till we know more on the subject.
Note 2. Galasha-bheshagam, an epithet of Rudra; see VIII, 29, 5, where Rudra is intended. In II, 33,7, the arm of Rudra is called bheshagd’ gdlashaz ; in VII, 35, 6, Rudra himself is called galashaZ. Gdlasha seems connected with gala, water. Bergaigne, III, 32, translates it by adoucissant,
Note 3. On samydh, see note 2 to I, 165, 4.
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Verse 7.
Note 1. Tuvi-nvzmza would seem more appropriate as a vocative. In verse 8, too, I should prefer to take Soma as a vocative, like Benfey and Grassmann.
Verse 8.
Note 1. I read Soma, paribadhak. See Delbriick, Synt. Forsch. p. 116. Verse 9.
Note 1. Unless we can take mirdhd for a locative, attracted by n&bha, I should propose to read mOrdhan ndbha. It can hardly be an adverbial Dvandva, mdrdha-nabha, nor do I see how it can be applied as a nominative to Rudra. The whole verse is difficult, possibly a later addition. On ritasya amrttasya dhdman, see IX, 97, 32 ; 110, 4 (dhdrman).
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MANDALA I, HYMN 114. ASHTAKA I, ADHYAYA 8, VARGA 5-6.
To Rupra.
1. We offer these prayers! to Rudra, the strong, whose hair is braided 2, who rules over heroes 3, that he may be a blessing to man and beast, that everything in this our village may be prosperous and free from disease.
2. Be gracious to us, O Rudra, and give us joy, and we shall honour thee, the ruler of heroes, with worship. What health and wealth father Manu acquired by his sacrifices, may we obtain the same, O Rudra, under thy guidance.
3. O bounteous Rudra, may we by sacrifice obtain the goodwill of thee, the ruler of heroes; come to our clans, well-disposed, and, with unharmed men, we shall offer our libation to thee.
4. We call down for our help the fierce Rudra, who fulfils our sacrifice, the swift, the wise; may he drive far away from us the anger of the gods; we desire his goodwill only.
5. We call down with worship the red boar of the sky, the god with braided hair, the blazing form ; may he who carries in his hand the best medicines grant us protection, shield, and shelter !
5. We call down with worship the red boar of the sky, the god with braided hair, the blazing form ; may he who carries in his hand the best medicines grant us protection, shield, and shelter !
6. This speech is spoken for the father of the Maruts, sweeter than sweet, a joy! to Rudra; grant to us also, O immortal, the food of mortals, be gracious to us and to our kith and kin!
7. Do not slay our great or our small ones, ourp. 423 growing or our grown ones, our father or our mother, and do not hurt our own? bodies, O Rudra!
8. O Rudra, hurt us not in our kith and kin, nor in our own life, not in our cows, nor in our horses! Do not slay our men in thy wrath: carrying libations, we call on thee always.
g. Like a shepherd’, I have driven these praises near to thee; O father of the Maruts, grant us thy favour! For thy goodwill is auspicious, and most gracious, hence we desire thy protection alone.
10. Let thy cow-slaying and thy man-slaying be far away ', and let thy favour be with us, O ruler of heroes! Be gracious to us, and bless us, O god, and then give us twofold protection 3.
11. We have uttered our supplication to him, desiring his help; may Rudra with the Maruts hear our call. May Mitra, Varusa, Aditi, the River, Earth, and the Sky grant us this !
p. 424
NOTES.
Ascribed to Kutsa Angirasa. Metre, 1-9 Gagatt; 10, 11 Trishtubh. Verse 1=VS. XVI, 48; TS. IV, 5, 10, 1; MS. II, 9, 9 (yatha na& sdm); verse 2=TS. IV, 5, 10, 2; verse 7=VS. XVI, 15; TS. IV, 5, 10, 2; verse 8=VS. XVI, 16; TS. III, 4, 11, 2; IV, 5, 10, 3; MS. IV, 12, 6 (4yushi ; havishmanto namas4 vidhema te); verse 10o=TS. IV, 5, 10, 3.
Verse 1.
Note 1. TS. reads im&ém matim, and yatha nak sdm.
Note 2. Kapardin is an epithet not only of Rudra, but also of Pashan (VI, 55, 2; IX, 67,11), and of a Vedic clan, the Tritsus (VII, 83, 8) or Vasishthas; see Roth, Zur Literatur und Geschichte des Weda, pp. 94 seq. ; Oldenberg, Z.D.M.G. XLII, p. 207. Kaparda is the name of a shell, and the hair twisted together in the form of a shell seems to have suggested the name of kapardin.
Note 8. Kshaydd-vira means ‘ruling over heroes, just as mandad-vira (VIII, 69, 1) means ‘delighting heroes.’ This meaning is applicable to all passages where kshayadvira occurs, and there is no reason why we should translate it by ‘destroyer of heroes,’ which can hardly be considered as an epitheton ornans. No doubt, a god who rules and protects can also be conceived as punishing and destroying, and this is particularly the case with Rudra. Hence in certain passages Rudra may well be invoked as nvthan (IV 3, 6), just as we read of the Maruts (VII, 56, 17): ‘ May that bolt of yours which kills cattle and men be far from us! Incline to us,O Vasu, with your favours!’ See Muir, S.T. IV, p. 301, note.
Verse 2.
TS. reads 4yagé and prds#itau. See Ludwig, Notes, p. 265. Verse 6.
Note 1. On the meaning of vardhana and vridh in Zend, see Darmesteter, Ormazd, pp. 41, 6; 92, I.
Incline to us,O Vasu, with your favours!’ See Muir, S.T. IV, p. 301, note.
Verse 2.
TS. reads 4yagé and prds#itau. See Ludwig, Notes, p. 265. Verse 6.
Note 1. On the meaning of vardhana and vridh in Zend, see Darmesteter, Ormazd, pp. 41, 6; 92, I.
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Verse 7.
Note 1. TS. reads priyd m4 nas tantvas rudra ririshak. Priya, dear, used like ¢(Aos, in the sense of our own. See Bergaigne, III, 152.
Verse 8.
_ See Colebrooke, Misc. Ess. I, p. 141 (ed. 1837); and
Svetdsvat. Up. in S.B.E. XV, p. 254, note. Ayushi for 4yau is supported by VS. and TS. I propose to read 4yau for 4yai. Bh4mitdsé is supported by TS. and Svet. Up., while VS. reads bhamina#, which Mahidhara refers to virdn. The last line is the same in RV. and VS., but the TS. reads havishmanto ndmas4 vidhema te, while the Svet. Up. reads havishmantad sadasi tva havamahe.
Verse 9.
Note 1. As to the simile, see RV. X, 127, 8, and Muir S.T. IV, p. 304, note. Verse 10.
Note 1. TS. reads 4rdt te, goghna (°€), purushaghné, kshayadviraya, rdksh4 for mrz/4, deva brahi.
Note 2. I take dvibdrh4Z, which stands for dvibdrhaZ, as an adjective to sarma, or possibly as an adverb, see Lanman, p. 560. It can hardly refer to Rudra, as Grassmann supposes. See J. Schmidt, Pluralbildungen der Neutra, pp. 132 seq.
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MANDALA II, HYMN 33. ASH7AKA II, ADHYAYA 7, VARGA 16-18.
To Rupra, THE FATHER OF THE MARUTS (THE SToRM-Gops).
1. O father of the Maruts, let thy favour come near, and do not deprive us of the sight of the sun ; may the hero (Rudra) be gracious to our horse’, and may we increase in offspring, O Rudra !
2. May I attain to a hundred winters through the most blissful medicines which thou hast given! Put away far! from us all hatred, put away anguish, put away sicknesses in all directions !
3. In beauty thou art the most beautiful of all that exists, O Rudra, the strongest of the strong, thou wielder of the thunderbolt! Carry us happily to the other shore of our anguish, and ward off all assaults of mischief !.
4. Let us not incense thee, O Rudra, by our worship, not by bad praise, O hero, and not by divided praise! Raise up our men by thy medicines, for I hear thou art the best of all physicians.
5. He who is invoked? by invocations and libations, may I pay off? that Rudra with my hymns of praise. Let not him who is kind-hearted *, who readily hears our call, the tawny, with beautiful cheeks, deliver us to this wrath !
6. The manly hero with the Maruts has gladdened me, the suppliant, with more vigorous health. May I without mischief find shade, as if from sunshine ', may I gain the favour of Rudra!
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7. O Rudra, where is thy softly stroking hand which cures and relieves!? Thou, the remover of all heaven-sent mischief, wilt thou, O strong hero, bear with me?
8. I send forth a great, great hymn of praise to the bright tawny bull. Let me reverence? the fiery god* with prostrations; we celebrate the flaring name ° of Rudra.
Thou, the remover of all heaven-sent mischief, wilt thou, O strong hero, bear with me?
8. I send forth a great, great hymn of praise to the bright tawny bull. Let me reverence? the fiery god* with prostrations; we celebrate the flaring name ° of Rudra.
9. He, the fierce god, with strong limbs, assuming many forms, the tawny Rudra, decked himself with brilliant golden ornaments. From Rudra, who is lord of this wide world, divine power ! will never depart.
10. Worthily thou bearest arrows and _ bow, worthily, O worshipful?, the golden, variegated chain; worthily thou cuttest every fiend? here to pieces, for there is nothing indeed stronger than thou, O Rudra.
11. Praise him, the famous, sitting in his chariot’, the youthful, who is fierce and attacks like a terrible wild beast? (the lion). And when thou hast been praised, O Rudra, be gracious to him who magnifies thee, and let thy armies ? mow down others than us!
12. O Rudra, a boy indeed makes obeisance to his father who comes to greet him’: I praise the lord of brave men, the giver of many gifts, and thou, when thou hast been praised, wilt give us thy medicines.
13. O Maruts, those pure medicines of yours, the most beneficent and delightful, O heroes, those which Manu’, our father, chose, those I crave from Rudra, as health and wealth.
14. May the weapon of Rudra avoid us!, may the great anger of the flaring one pass us by.
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Unstring thy strong bows? for the sake of our liberal lords, O bounteous Rudra, be gracious to our kith and kin.
15. Thus, O tawny and manly god, showing thyself!, so as neither to be angry nor to kill, be mindful of our invocations 2, and, rich in brave sons, we shall magnify thee in the congregation.
NOTES. Il, 33, 2. 429
NOTES.
Ascribed to Gritsamada. Metre, Trishtubh. See Muir, S.T. IV, 309; Geldner and Kaegi, p. 90. Bergaigne, III, 153; Leop. v. Schroeder, Indiens Literatur und Cultur, 343. Verse 1=TB. II, 8, 6,9; verse 2=TB. II, 8, 6, 8; verse 10=TA. IV, 5, 7; verse 11=TS. IV, 5, 10,3; AV. XVIII, 1, 40; verse 14=VS. XVI, 50; TS. IV, 5, 10, 4; verse 15= TB. II, 8, 6, 9.
Verse 1L.
90. Bergaigne, III, 153; Leop. v. Schroeder, Indiens Literatur und Cultur,
343. Verse 1=TB. II, 8, 6,9; verse 2=TB. II, 8, 6, 8; verse 10=TA. IV, 5, 7; verse 11=TS. IV, 5, 10,3; AV. XVIII, 1, 40; verse 14=VS. XVI, 50; TS. IV, 5, 10, 4; verse 15= TB. II, 8, 6, 9.
Verse 1L.
Note 1. The words abh{ na& virdé arvati kshameta admit of different interpretation. Grassmann has: ‘Der Held sei huldreich unsren schnellen Rossen ;’ Muir: ‘May the hero spare our horses ;’ Ludwig: ‘ Unser held mége tiichtig zu Rosse sein.’ The passages quoted by Ludwig from the Sat. Br. III, 7, 3, 1, and IV, 3, 4, 14,do not bear out the meaning of tiichtig sein, to be strong, they rather mean, to suffer, to submit to, with a dative. Yet vird# by itself may mean son or offspring (III, 4,9; VII, 1, 21; 56, 24), and if abhi-ksham in our passage could mean to be capable and strong, Ludwig’s translation would be justified. But if we take vird, hero, as intended for Rudra, as Indra also is often called simply vira, abhi kshameta would lend itself to the translation of ‘ to be gracious,’ or ‘to spare,’ and I therefore translate: ‘May the hero (Rudra) be gracious to our horse.’ It should be understood in the same sense in verse 7, at least I see no reason to vary the translation as Geldner does, and also Ludwig, while Muir is right and consistent. Our poet uses the verb abhiksham frequently, II, 28, 3; 29, 2 (abhikshantaraf ?). It seems confined to the second Mandala.
Verse 2.
Note 1. Vitardm, wherever it occurs, is always joined with vi in the Rig-veda.
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Verse 3.
Note 1. If rdpas is derived from rap, to whisper, it would have meant originally what is whispered, that is, slander, accusation, and then only crime. Latin crimen also meant originally what is heard, Leumund. Crimen is not connected with the Greek xpfvw. The f in crimen has to be accounted for like the tin liber, from lubh (libh). The r is irregular, unless we find an analogy in increpare.
Verse 5.
Note 1. Havate, we expect hiydte. Ludwig’s explanation has not solved the difficulty, and suhava% points back to yo havate. Oldenberg suggests an anacoluthon, He who invokes—may I.
Note 2. I formerly took ava dishtya in the sense of ‘to unloose,’ used originally with reference to tethered horses. As horses are unloosed before they can do their work, so the gods are, as it were, unloosed by prayer, or set off, so that they may fulfil what they are asked to do; see RV. I, 25,3. Inthe passage quoted by Ludwig from the TS. I, 8, 6, 2, the same meaning seemed quite appropriate: 4va Rudr4m adimahi—yatha nah sréyasah karat, ‘We unloosed Rudra, that he might make us happier.’ Ludwig takes it to mean, ‘We have bound, tied, or obliged Rudra, so that he make us happy,’ but the preposition ava is against this interpretation. Muir proposes ‘to avert’ or ‘to propitiate,’ the latter being adopted by Geldner.
Muir proposes ‘to avert’ or ‘to propitiate,’ the latter being adopted by Geldner.
However, in an article lately published by Roth on Wergeld in the Veda (Z.D.M.G. XLI, 672), ava-day has been recognised as an almost technical legal term, meaning ‘to pay off, to compound.’ Thus, Tazdya Br. XVI, 1, 12, we read yah satam vairam tad devan avadayate, ‘ He portions off, i.e. he satisfies, or pacifies, the gods who were offended, by giving a hundred cows.’ With ni, we find TB. I, 6, 10, 1. pragd rudrdn nir 4va dayate; the same occurs in Maitr. S. I, 10, 20, where we also read, gvzheshv eva Rudram nir ava dayata esha te Rudra bh4gas. Seealso Ait. Br.II,7,1. There is a verse quoted, 4vimba Rudrdm adimahi, in TS. I, 8, 6, 2;
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and again in MS. I, 10, 4; Kash. 1X, 7; Kap. S. VIII, 10; VS. ITI, 58, and this gives us the right key to our verse, namely, ‘ May I pay off, may I pacify, Rudra with my songs of praise,’ dishiya being the optat. of the aorist, adimahi the aor. ind.
Note 8. On rididarat, see Benfey, Quantitatsversch.V, 1; p. 25; Geldner, K.Z. XXVIII, 201; Ludwig, Siisses in seinem bauche habend; Bergaigne, miséricordieux. The meaning is doubtful.
Verse 6.
Note 1. Ghrfniva, divided into ghrfni-iva, is a difficult form. Various attempts have been made to explain it. Grassmann translates: ‘Wie Schatten von der Gluth még unversehrt ich des Rudra Huld erreichen,’ preferring to write ghviner va. Ludwig, in his notes: ‘Bei hitze,’ taking ghrixi as a locative. Muir: ‘Shade in the heat.’ Geldner: ‘ Vor Sonnengluth den Schatten,’ taking ghvzmt asan instrumental. Lanman (p. 379) takes the same view, though he admits that this would be the only example of an instrumental in the masculine, contracted to i. He translates: ‘ As by the heat unharmed, to shelter bring me.’ He adds: ‘ It may be ablative with elision and crasis,’ and this is likewise Roth’s view. Weber thinks that we may retain ghriziva in the Samhit4 text, but should divide it into ghvzmt-iva, ‘like a man suffering from heat’ (Ind. Stud. XIII, p. 58). I think we must take into account a parallel passage, VI, 16, 38. ipa 44ydm iva ghréneh dganma sarma te vaydm, see M.M., Preface to translation of Rig-veda, p. cxliii. Probably the apparent irregularity of the metre led to the change of ghriner iva to ghréniva, but ghriner iva can be scanned u—vw; see M.M,, l.c., p. cxlviii.
Verse 7.
Note 1. Galasha by itself occurs but once more as an epithet of Rudra, VII, 35, 6, and twice in composition, galashabheshaga; see I, 43, 4. The second pada begins with hasta’.
p. 432
Verse 8.
Note 1. Namasyd is difficult, but we can hardly take it for namasyAmasi, masi being supplied from gvz#imasi. Nor do we gain by taking namasy4 for an instrumental. Perhaps it is best to take it as a 1st pers. of the imperative.
Note 2. The meaning of kalmalikin is unknown.
Verse 8.
Note 1. Namasyd is difficult, but we can hardly take it for namasyAmasi, masi being supplied from gvz#imasi. Nor do we gain by taking namasy4 for an instrumental. Perhaps it is best to take it as a 1st pers. of the imperative.
Note 2. The meaning of kalmalikin is unknown.
Note 8. I think it is best to translate ndma by name, though, no doubt, it implies more than the mere name. Geldner’s ‘ majestiatisch Wesen’ is right, but it is only one side of ndma. See VIII, 20, 13, note 1.
Verse 9.
Note 1. On vai, see Delbriick, Syntax, p. 483. On asurya, see von Bradke, Dyaus Asura, pp. 29, 34.
Verse 10.
Note 1. I have changed yagatdm into yagata.
Note 2. Arhan iddm dayase visvam dbhvam has been rendered in different ways. Grassmann: ‘ Du theilst alle diese Macht aus.’ Ludwig: ‘ Du besitzest all dise gewalt.’ Geldner.: ‘Du besitzest héchste Macht.’ Muir: ‘Thou possessest all this vast world.’ Dayase is used, no doubt, in the sense of cutting and distributing, but never in the sense of possessing. In several places, however, it has been translated by to cut and to destroy, e.g. X, 80, 2. agniz vritréni dayate purtizi, ‘Agni cuts up many enemies.’ VI, 22, 9. visvak agurya dayase vi may4A, ‘thou destroyest all deceits.’ See also IV, 7,10; VI, 6,5. As to dbhva in the sense of fiend, we had it before in I, 39, 8. 4 yak nak abhvat ishate, vi tam yuyota. In other places it assumes a more neutral character, meaning monster, or monstrous power; see B.-R. s.v. ‘To distribute power’ is not a Vedic conception, nor does 4bhva ever mean power in the sense of ‘ungeheure Macht, or Urkraft’ (Delbriick, Chrest. p. 49).
Verse 11,
Note 1. AV. XVIII, 1, 40, has gartasddam gdndndm raéganam, and anydm asméat te. Garta-sad, literally, sittingp. 433 in the hole, probably the place of the chariot where the king sat, separated from the driver. These divided chariots can be seen in the ancient monuments of Assyria and Babylon. The king seems to stand in a box of his own, fighting, while the charioteer holds the reins, so as not to interfere with the king. See, however, Bergaigne, ITI, 122 seq.; Z.D. M.G. XL, 681.
Note 2. The mrigd bhimd is probably meant for the lion, cf. I, 154, 2, and Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, p. 78.
Note 8. As to the sends of Rudra, see TS. IV, 5, 2,1, senfni; AV. XI, 2, 31; Par. Gvthy. III, 8,11.
Verse 12.
Note L The sense would be better if vindam4nam could be changed to vandamanas.
Verse 13.
Note 1. That father Manu obtained health and wealth from Rudra was mentioned before, I, 114, 2, and it is curious that the Vedic authority of Manu’s Smriti should be based on the well-known sentence, yat kima Manur abravit tad bheshagam, Taitt. Samh. II, 2, 10,2; cf. M. M., Hist. of Anc. Sansk. Lit. p. 89,
Verse 14.
Note 1. The VS. reads pari no rudrdsya hetir vrizaktu, pari tveshdsya durmatir aghayék. Vrigy4h is the 3rd pers. sing. in s of the aor. opt.