WILSON: The circumstationed (inhabitants of the three worlds) associate with (Indra), the mighty (Sun), the indestructive (fire), the moving (wind), and the lights that shine in the sky.
BENFEY: Die rothe Sonne schirr’n sie an, die wandelt um die stehenden, Strahlen strahlen am Himmel auf.
Lupwic: Sie spannen an den hellen, den roten, den vom feststehenden hinwegwandelnden; heller glanz erstralt am Himmel.
Note 1. The poet begins with a somewhat abrupt description of a sunrise. Indra is taken as the god of the bright day, whose steed is the sun, and whose companions the Maruts, or the storm-gods. Arusha, meaning originally red, is used as a proper name of the horse or of the rising sun, though it occurs more frequently as the name of the red horses or flames of Agni, the god of fire, and also of the morning light. In our passage, Arusha, a substantive, meaning the red of the morning, has taken bradhna as anp. 17 adjective,—bradhnd meaning, as far as can be made out, bright in general, though, as it is especially applied to the Soma-juice, perhaps bright-brown or yellow. Names of colour are difficult to translate from one language into another, for their shades vary, and withdraw themselves from sharp definition. We shall meet with this difficulty again and again in the Veda; see RV. X, 20, 9.
As it has actually been doubted whether bradhnd arusha can be meant for the sun, and whether the Vedic poets ever looked upon the sun as a horse, I may quote Vag. Samh. XXIII, 4, where the same verse occurs and is declared to be addressed to the sun; and Satap. Br. XIII, 2, 6, 1, where we read, yufiganti bradhnam arusham arantam iti, asau va 4dityo bradhno:rushosmum evdsma adityam yunakti svargasya lokasya samashfyai. Ludwig remarks justly that the sun has been conceived as a chariot also, and that bradhnd arushd may have been thus understood here. Delbriick translates quite boldly: Sie schirren die rothe Sonne an. See also Tait. Br. III, 7,7,4; Tandya Br. XXIII, 3, 5; Sankh. Br. II, 17, 3; Ludwig, Comm. ii. p- 173. M. Bergaigne (Rél. Ved. iii. p. 324) remarks very truly: ‘Le soleil est tantét une roue, tant6t un char, tantét un cheval, trainant le char, tantét un héros monté sur le char et dirigeant les chevaux.’
The following passages will illustrate the principal meaning of arusha, and justify the translation here adopted.
ARUSHA, AS AN ADJECTIVE.
Arusha is used as an adjective in the sense of red:
VII, 97, 6. tam sagmasak arushasahk asvahs brthaspatim saha-véha% vahanti,—ndbha/ na rOpdm arusham vadsanah.
Powerful red horses, drawing together draw him, Br#haspati: horses clothed in red colour, like the sky.
III, 1, 4. svetdm gagfandm arushdm mahi-tva.
tam sagmasak arushasahk asvahs brthaspatim saha-véha% vahanti,—ndbha/ na rOpdm arusham vadsanah.
Powerful red horses, drawing together draw him, Br#haspati: horses clothed in red colour, like the sky.
IX, 111, 1. arusha# hariZ. See also IX, 25, 5; 61, 21. In IX, 72, 1, arushé seems used as a substantive in the sense of red-horse.
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Professor Spiegel, in his important review of my translation (Heidelberger Jahrbiicher, 1870, p. 104), points out that aurusha in Zend means white, so that it would seem as if the original meaning of arusha had been bright, bright like fire, and thus red.
ARUSHA, AS AN APPELLATIVE.
Arusha is used as an appellative, and in the following senses :
1. The one red-horse of the Sun, the two or more redhorses of Agni.
I, 6, 1. yuagdnti bradhndm arushdm.
They yoke the bright red-horse (the Sun).
I, 94, 10. ydt dyukth4% arushé rohita rathe.
When thou (Agni) hadst yoked the two red-horses and the two ruddy horses to the chariot. I, 146, 2.
Here arusha may be the subject, and the rest adjectives ; but it is also possible to take all the words as adjectives, referring them to 4st in the next verse. The fact that rigrd likewise expresses a peculiar red colour, is no objection, as may be seen from I, 6, 1; 94, 10.
VII, 42, 2. yuikshva—harita’ rohitak ka yé v4 sddman arusha,
‘Cc 2
p. 20
Yoke (O Agni) the bays, and the ruddy horses, or the red-horses which are in thy stable. VII, 16, 2.
2. The cloud, represented as one of the horses of the Maruts.
I, 85, 5. uta arushdsya vi syanti dharad.
(When you go to the battle, O Maruts), the streams of the red (horse) flow off.
V, 56, 7. utd sydk vagt arushaz.
This strong red-horse,—meant for one of the horses of the Maruts, but, at the same time, as sending rain.
ARUSHA, AS THE PROPER NAME OF A SOLAR DEITY.
Besides the passages in which arusha is used either as an adjective, in the sense of red, or as an appellative, meaning some kind of horse, there are others in which, as I pointed out in my Essay on Comparative Mythology *, Arusha occurs as a proper name, as the name of a solar deity, as the bright deity of the morning (Morgenroth). My interpretation of some of these passages has been contested, nor shall I deny that in some of them a different interpretation is possible, and that in looking for traces of Arusha, as a Vedic deity, representing the morning or the rising sun, and containing, as I endeavoured to show, the first germs of the Greek name of Eros, I may have seen more indications of the presence of that deity in the Veda than others would feel inclined to acknowledge. Yet in going over the same ground again, I think that even verses which for a time I felt inclined to surrender, yield a better sense, if we take the word arusha, which occurs in them as a substantive, as the name of a matutinal deity, than if we look upon it as an adjective or a mere appellative. It might be said that wherever this arushd occurs, apparently as the name of a deity, we ought to supply Agni or Indra or Sdrya. This is true to a certain extent, for the sun, or the light of the morning, or the bright sky form no doubt the substance and
® Chips from a German Workshop, 2nd ed., vol. ii, p. 137 seq: Selected Essays, vol. i, p. 444.
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This is true to a certain extent, for the sun, or the light of the morning, or the bright sky form no doubt the substance and
® Chips from a German Workshop, 2nd ed., vol. ii, p. 137 seq: Selected Essays, vol. i, p. 444.
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subject-matter of this deity. But the same applies to many other names originally intended for these conceptions, but which, nevertheless, in the course of time, became independent names of independent deities. In our passage I, 6, 1, yuf#ganti bradhndm arushdm, we may retain for arusha the appellative power of steed or red-steed, but if we could ask the poet what he meant by this red-steed, or if we ask ourselves what we can possibly understand by it, the answer would be, the morning sun, or the light of the morning. In other passages, however, this meaning of redsteed is really no longer applicable, and we can only translate Arusha by the Red, understanding by this name the deity of the morning or of the morning sun, the later Aruaa.
The Night retires from her sister, the Dawn; the Dark one yields the path to the Red one, i.e. the red morning.
Here Arusha shares the same half-mythological character as Ushas. Where we should speak of dawn and morning as mete periods of time, the Vedic poet speaks of them as living and intelligent beings, half human, half divine, as powers of nature capable of understanding his prayers, and powerful enough to reward his praises. I do not think therefore that we need hesitate to take Arusha in this passage as a proper name of the morning, or of the morning sun, to whom the dark goddess, the Night, yields the path when he rises in the East.
To worship the child of Dyu, the son of strength, Agni, the light of the sacrifice, the Red one (Arusha).
In this verse, where the name of Agni actually occurs, it would be easier than in the preceding verse to translate arusha as an adjective, referring it either to Agni, the god of fire, or to yagfdsya ketim, the light of the sacrifice. I had myself yielded * so far to these considerations that I
® Chips from a German Workshop, vol. ii, p. 139.
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I had myself yielded * so far to these considerations that I
® Chips from a German Workshop, vol. ii, p. 139.
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gave up my former translation, and rendered this verse by ‘to worship Agni, the child of the sky, the son of strength, the red light of the sacrifice*.’ But I return to my original translation, and I prefer to see in Arusha an independent name, intended, no doubt, for Agni, as the representative of the rising sun and, at the same time, of the sacrificial fire of the morning, but nevertheless as having in the mind of the poet a personality of his own. He is the child of Dyu, originally the offspring of heaven. He is the son of strength, originally generated by the strong rubbing of the aramis, i. e. the wood for kindling fire. He is the light of the sacrifice, whether as reminding man that the time for the morning sacrifice has come, or as himself lighting the sacrifice on the Eastern altar of the sky. He is Arushé, originally as clothed in bright red colour, but gradually changed into the representative of the morning. We see at once, if examining these various expressions, how some of them, like the child of Dyu, are easily carried away into mythology, while others, such as the son of strength, or the light of the sacrifice, resist that unconscious metamorphosis. That Arusha was infected by mythology, that it had approached at least that point where nomina become changed into numina, we see by the verse immediately following :
There are two different daughters of Arusha; the one is clad in stars, the other belongs to the sun, or is the wife of Svar,
Here Arusha is clearly a mythological being, like Agni or Savitar or Vaisvanara; and if Day and Night are called his daughters, he, too, can hardly have been conceived otherwise than as endowed with human attributes, as the child of Dyu, as the father of Day and Night, and not as a mere period of time, not as a mere cause or effect.
IV, 15, 6. tam arvantam nd sAnasim arushdm nd divah sisum marmvrigydnte divé-dive.
® Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1867, p. 204.
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They trim the fire day by day, like a strong horse, like Arusha, the child of Dyu.
Here, too, Arusha, the child of Dyu, has to be taken as a personal character, and, if the nd after arushdm is right, a distinction is clearly made between Agni, the sacrificial fire, to whom the hymn is addressed, and Arushd, the child of heaven, the pure and bright morning, here used as a simile for the cleaning or trimming of the fire on the altar.
V, 47, 3. arushaé su-parnzah.
Arusha, the morning sun, with beautiful wings.
THE FEMININE ARUSH!, AS AN ADJECTIVE.
Arushi, like arushd, is used as an adjective, in the same sense as arushi, i. e. red :
ITI, 55, 11. syavi Ra yat arusht fa svadsdrau.
As the dark and the red are sisters.
I, 92, 1 and 2. g&vak drushif and drushiz gaz.
The red cows of the dawn.
THE FEMININE ARUSH!, AS AN ADJECTIVE.
Arushi, like arushd, is used as an adjective, in the same sense as arushi, i. e. red :
ITI, 55, 11. syavi Ra yat arusht fa svadsdrau.
As the dark and the red are sisters.
I, 92, 1 and 2. g&vak drushif and drushiz gaz.
The red cows of the dawn.
I, 92, 2. risantam bhanim drushiz asisrayuh.
The red dawns obtained bright splendour.
Here ushdsak, the dawns, occur in the same line, so that we may take drushi# either as an adjective, referring to the dawns, or as a substantive, as a name of the dawn or of her cows,
I, 30, 21. asve na itre arushi.
Thou beautiful red dawn, thou, like a mare.
Here, too, the vocative arushi is probably to be taken as an adjective, particularly if we consider the next following verse :
The dawn, beautiful and red, like a mare, the mother of the cows (days), the never-failing, she became the friend of the Asvins.
X, 5, 5. saptd svdsrt% drushiz.
The seven red sisters.
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THE FEMININE Arusui, AS A SUBSTANTIVE.
If used as a substantive, 4rushi seems to mean the dawn. It is likewise used as a name of the horses of Agni, Indra, and Soma; also as a name for mare in general.
It means dawn in X, 8, 3, though the text points here so clearly to the dawn, and the very name of dawn is mentioned so immediately after, that this one passage seems hardly sufficient to establish the use of drushi as a recognised name of the dawn. Other passages, however, would likewise gain in perspicuity, if we took drushi by itself as a name of the dawn, just as we had to admit in several ’ passages arusha by itself as a name of the morning. Cf. I,
71,1.
Arushi means the horses of Agni, in I, 14, 12:
yukshva hi drushiZ rdthe harita# deva rohitas.
Yoke, O god (Agni), the red-horses to the chariot, the . bays, the ruddy.
I, 72, 10. pra ni&t# agne drushi# aganan.
They knew the red-horses, Agni, coming down. VIII, 69, 5.
Soma, as we saw, was frequently spoken of as arushad hari.
In IX, 111, 2, tridh&tubhiZ drushibhiZ seems to refer to the same red-horses of Soma, though this is not quite clear.
The passages where drushi means simply a mare, without any reference to colour, are VIII, 68, 18, and VIII, 55, 3.
It is curious that Arusha, which in the Veda means red, should, as pointed out before, in its Zend form aurusha, mean white. That in the Veda it means red, and not white, is shown, for instance, by X, 20, 9, where sveta, the name for white, is mentioned by the side of arushd. Most likely
.arushd meant originally brilliant, and became fixed with different shades of brilliancy in Sanskrit and Persian. Arusha presupposes a form ar-vas, and is derived from a root ar in the sense of running or rushing. See Chips from a German Workshop, vol. ii, pp. 135, 137.
p. 25
Arusha presupposes a form ar-vas, and is derived from a root ar in the sense of running or rushing. See Chips from a German Workshop, vol. ii, pp. 135, 137.
p. 25
Having thus explained the different meanings of arusha and drushi in the Rig-veda, I feel it incumbent, at least for once, to explain the reasons why I differ from the classification of Vedic passages as given in the Dictionary published by Boehtlingk and Roth. Here, too, the passages in which arushd is used as an adjective are very properly separated from those in which it appears as a substantive. To begin with the first, it is said that ‘arush4 means ruddy, the colour of Agniand his horses; he (Agni) himself appears as a red-horse.’ In support of this, the following passages are quoted :
III, 1, 4. dvardhayan su-bh4gam sapta yahviZ svetam gagiaindm arushim mahi-tva, slsum nd gata4m abhi 4rus asvak. Here, however, it is only said that Agni was born brilliant-white*, and grew red, that the horses came to him as they come to a new-born foal. Agni himself is not called a red-horse.
III, 7, 5. Here, again, vr/shnak arushdsya is no doubt meant for Agni. But vréshan by itself does not mean horse, though it is added to different names of horses to qualify them as male horses; cf. VII, 69, 1, & vam rathah vrishabhiZ y&tu asvaik, may your chariot come near with powerful horses, i.e. with stallions. See note to I, 85, 12. We are therefore not justified in translating arusha vrishan by red-horse, but only by the red male, or the red hero.
In ITT, 31, 3, agnih gagte guhva régam4nak maha putréin arushasya pra-yakshe, I do not venture to say who is meant by the mahaé putran arushdsya, whether Adityas or Maruts, but hardly the sons of Agni, as Agni himself is mentioned as only born. But, even if it were so, the father of these sons (putra) could hardly be intended here for a horse.
IV, 6, 9. tava tyé agne harftak ghrita-snih rdhitasak rigu-ainkah su-dikak, arushésak vrfshanahk rigu-mushk&Z. Here, so far from Agni being represented as a red-horse, his different horses, the Harits or bays, the Réhitas or
® See V, 1, 4. svet4h vael gayate gre 4hnim. X, 1, 6. arushdh gatak padé fiy4h.
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ruddy, and the arushfsah vr/shanad, the red stallions, are distinctly mentioned. Here vv/shan may be translated by stallion, instead of simply by male, because arusha i is herea substantive, the name of a horse.
V, 1,5. ganishéa hi gényak agre ahn4m hitd/ hitéshu arusha# vaneshu. Here arushaé is simply an adjective, red, referring to Agni, who is understood throughout the hymn to be the object of praise. He is said to be kind to those who are kind to him, and to be red in the woods, i.e. brilliant in the wood which he consumes; cf. III, 29, 6 Nothing is said about his equine nature.
In V, 12, 2 and 6, VI, 48, 6, we have again simply arusha vrtshan, which does not mean the red-horse, but the red male, the red hero, i.e. Agni.
brilliant in the wood which he consumes; cf. III, 29, 6 Nothing is said about his equine nature.
In V, 12, 2 and 6, VI, 48, 6, we have again simply arusha vrtshan, which does not mean the red-horse, but the red male, the red hero, i.e. Agni.
In VI, 49, 2, diva# sfsum sdhasaf sinim agnim yagfidsya ketum arusham ydgadhyai, there is no trace of Agni being conceived asa horse. He is called the child of the sky or of Dyu, the son of strength (who is produced by strong rubbing of wood), the light or the beacon of the sacrifice, and lastly Arusha, which, for reasons stated above, I take to be used here as a name.
Next follow the passages in which, according to Professor Roth, arusha, as an adjective, is said to be applied to the horses, cows, and other teams of the gods, particularly of the dawn, the Asvins, and Brzhaspati.
I, 118, 5. pari vam dsvas vdpushadk patangahk vayak vahantu arush&/ abhike. Here we find the vayah arushék of the Asvins, which it is better to translate by red birds, as immediately before the winged horses are mentioned. In fact, whenever arushd is applied to the vehicle of the Asvins, it is to be understood of these red birds, IV, 43, 6.
In I, 92, 1 and 2 (not 20), drushi occurs three times, referring twice to the cows of the dawn, once to the dawn herself.
In IV, 15, 6, tam drvantam nd sAnas{m arushdm na divak sisum marmvigyante divé-dive, arushd does not refer to the horse or any other animal of Agni. The verse speaks of a horse by way of comparison only, and says that the sacrificers clean or trim Agni, the fire, as people clean a horse. Wep. 27 cannot join arusham in the next p4da with arvantam in the preceding pada, for the second nd would then be without any construction. The construction is certainly not easy, but I think it is safer to translate: they trim him (Agni), day by day, as they clean a strong horse, as they clean Arushé, the child of Dyu. In fact, as far as I know, arusha is never used as the name of the one single horse belonging to Agni, but always of two or more.
In III, 31, 21, antdr (iti) krishan arushais dhaéma bhih gat, dhama bhiz is said to mean flames of lightning. But dhéman in the Rig-veda does not mean flames, and it seems better to translate, with thy red companies, scil. the Maruts.
That arusha in one or two passages means the red cloud, is true. But in X, 43, 9, arusha refers to the thunderbolt mentioned in the same verse; and in I, 114, 5, everything refers to Rudra, and not to a red cloud, in the proper sense of the word.
the Maruts.
That arusha in one or two passages means the red cloud, is true. But in X, 43, 9, arusha refers to the thunderbolt mentioned in the same verse; and in I, 114, 5, everything refers to Rudra, and not to a red cloud, in the proper sense of the word.
Further on, where the meanings attributable to 4rushi in the Veda are collected, it is said that 4rushi means a red mare, also the teams of Agni and Ushas. Now, here, surely, a distinction should have been made between those passages in which drushi means a real horse, and those where it expresses the imaginary steeds of Agni. The former, it should be observed, occur in one Mazdala only, and in places of somewhat doubtful authority, in VIII, 55, 3, a Valakhilya hymn, and in VIII, 68, 18, a danastuti or panegyric. Besides, no passage is given where arushi means the horses of the dawn, and I doubt whether such a passage exists, while the one verse where arushi is really used for the horses of Indra, is not mentioned at all. Lastly, two passages are set apart where drushi is supposed to mean flames. Now, it may be perfectly true that the red-horses of Agni are meant for flames, just as the red-horses of Indra may be the rays of the sun. But, in that case, the redhorses of Agni should always have been thus translated, or rather interpreted, and not in one passage only. In IX, 111, 2, drushi is said to mean flames, but no further light is thrown upon that very difficult passage.
p. 28
But, in that case, the redhorses of Agni should always have been thus translated, or rather interpreted, and not in one passage only. In IX, 111, 2, drushi is said to mean flames, but no further light is thrown upon that very difficult passage.
p. 28
Note 2, Pari tasthisha#. I take this form as a nominative plural like dbibhyusha/, I, 11, 5, tvam dev&h abibhyushadé tugydm4nasah Avishuk, ‘the gods, stirred up, came to thee, not fearing ;’ and like dadusha&, I, 54, 8, yé te indra dadusha# vardhayanti mahi kshatram, ‘ who giving or by their gifts increase thy great power, O Indra.’ Here we might possibly take it as a gen. sing. referring to te, but dadivan is far more appropriate as an epithet of the sacrificer than of the god. (See Benfey, Vocativ, p. 24; and Hermes, p-16.) It is well known among Sanskrit scholars that Professor Whitney, in reviewing my translation, declared that the participial form tasthusha’ had no right to be anything but an accusative plural or a genitive or ablative singular. (See Chips from a German Workshop, vol. iv, p. 508.) Dr. Kern, however, in his translation of the Brzhat-Samhita had shown long before that nom. plur. such as vidushad are by no means rare, even in the Mahabharata and kindred works. Dr. Lanman (Journ. Americ. Or. Soc. X, p. 513) has now entered abibhyushaZ as a nom. plur., but he prefers to take tasthusha as an acc. plural, so that we should have to translate £d4rantam péri tasthishas by ‘walking round those who stand.’ This may be grammatically possible ; but who could be meant by tasthushas, standing ones? And, secondly, is it usual in Vedic Sanskrit to say arati pari tam, ‘he walks round him?’ We find pari tam yAti, or tam pari yti, but hardly y4ti pari tam, ‘he goes round him,’ except when pari stands independent of the verb and means ‘around,’ e.g. IX, 72, 8, pavasva pari parthivam ragah. It is more difficult to decide whether we should adopt Ludwig’s interpretation, who takes pari tasthusha# in the sense of ‘ away from what is firm.’ This is correct grammatically, and tasthivat, as opposed to gagat, is often used in the sense of what is immovable. But is it ever used in that sense by itself? 1 doubt it, though I may add in support of it such a passage as I, 191, 9, Ut apaptat asau sfiryak....Adityds parvatebhyak, a verse where the expression visvadrishtahk adrishzaha is analogous to our ketim krizvan aketave. I therefore retain pari tasthusha/ as a nom. plural in the sense of standing around, circumstantes, possibly of parifara,p. 29 attendants. Parishthana or sthana comes to mean an abode, and paritasthivantas would be bystanders, attendants, the people, in fact, who are supposed to harness the horse.
plural in the sense of standing around, circumstantes, possibly of parifara,p. 29 attendants. Parishthana or sthana comes to mean an abode, and paritasthivantas would be bystanders, attendants, the people, in fact, who are supposed to harness the horse.
Though I do not assign great weight to interpretations of hymns, as given by the Brahmazas, I may mention that in the Taitt. Br. III, 9, 4, 1, paritasthushad is explained as a nom. plur., ime vai lok&’ paritasthushaZ, while Sayaza in his commentary (S4ma-veda II, 6, 3, 12, 1) has paritovasthita lokatrayavartinak prasinah.
Note 3. Rékante rokana. A similar expression occurs III, 61, 5, where it is said of Ushas, the dawn, that she lighted the lights in the sky, pra rokan& ruruke ranvasandrtk,
Verse 2.
WILson: They (the charioteers) harness to his car his two desirable coursers, placed on either hand, baycoloured, high-spirited, chief-bearing.
BENFEY: Die lieben Falben schirren sie zu beiden Seiten des Wagens an, braune, kiihne, held-tragende.
LupwWIG: Sie spannen seine lieblichen falben an den wagen mit auseinandergehenden seiten, die blutroten, mutigen, helden-bringenden.
Note 1. Although no name is given, the pronoun asya clearly refers to Indra, for it is he to whom the two bays belong. The next verse, therefore, must likewise be taken as addressed to Indra, and not to the sun or the morningred, spoken of as a horse or a chariot in the first verse.
Vipakshasa is well explained by Sayama, vividhe pakshast rathasya parsvau yayos tau vipakshasau, rathasya dvayok parsvayor yogitav ity arthakZ. The only doubt is whether it refers to the two sides of the chariot, or of the principal horse. That horses were sometimes yoked so that one should act as leader, and two should be harnessed on each side, we see in I, 39, 6, note.
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Verse 3.
WILSON: Mortals, you owe your (daily) birth (to such an Indra), who, with the rays of the morning, gives sense to the senseless, and to the formless, form.
BENFEY: Licht machend—Manner !—das Dunkele und kenntlich das Unkenntliche, entsprangst du mit dem Morgenroth.
Lupwic: Sichtbarkeit schaffend dem_ unsichtbaren, gestalt o schmuckreiche (Marut) dem gestaltlosen, wurdet ihr mit den Ushas zusammen geboren.
BENFEY: Licht machend—Manner !—das Dunkele und kenntlich das Unkenntliche, entsprangst du mit dem Morgenroth.
Lupwic: Sichtbarkeit schaffend dem_ unsichtbaren, gestalt o schmuckreiche (Marut) dem gestaltlosen, wurdet ihr mit den Ushas zusammen geboren.
Note 1, In the TB. III, 9, 4, several of these mantras are enjoined for the Asvamedha. When the banner (dhvaga) is fastened, this verse is to be used, because ketu was supposed to mean a banner. The vocative maryah, which I have translated by O men, had evidently become a mere exclamation at a very early time. Even in our passage it is clear that the poet does not address any men in particular, for he addresses Indra, nor is marya used in the general sense of men. It means males, or male offspring. It sounds more like some kind of asseveration or oath, like the Latin mehercle, or like the English O ye powers, and it is therefore quoted as a nipata or particle in the Vag. Pratis. II, 16. It can hardly be taken here as addressed to the Maruts, though the Maruts are the subject of the next verse. Kluge in Kuhn’s Zeitschrift, vol. xxv, p. 309, points out that mary4A as an interjection does not occur again in the Rig-veda. But the Rig-veda contains many words which occur once only, and the author of Vag. Pratisakhya is no mean authority. See also Tazdya Brahm. VII, 6, 5. If Dr. Kluge proposes to read marydi as a dative (like Avx@) he knows, of course, that such a form does not only never occur again in the Rig-veda, but never in the whole of Sanskrit literature. Grassmann and Lanman (N. I., p. 339) both seem to imagine that the Pada text has marya, but it has mary4%, and noaccent. If maryak had the accent, we might possibly translate, ‘ the youths, i.e. the Maruts, made,’ taking krizvan for akrizvan, or the more usual akurvan ; but in that case the transition to agayathaz would be very sudden. See, however, I, 6, 7.
p. 31
Sayaza explains it mary4#, manushy4s! idam 4skaryam pasyata. Another explanation of this verse, which evidently troubled the ancient commentators as much as us, is, ‘O mortal, i.e. O sun (dying daily), thou hast been born with the dawn.’
See, however, I, 6, 7.
p. 31
Sayaza explains it mary4#, manushy4s! idam 4skaryam pasyata. Another explanation of this verse, which evidently troubled the ancient commentators as much as us, is, ‘O mortal, i.e. O sun (dying daily), thou hast been born with the dawn.’
Note 2. Ushadbhid, an instrumental plural which attracted the attention of the author of the Varttika to Paz. VII, 4, 48. It occurs but, once, but the regular form, ushobhiA, does not occur at all in the Rig-veda. The same grammarian mentions mas, month, as changing the final s of its base into d before bhis. This, too, is confirmed by RV. II, 24, 5, where madbhiz occurs. Two other words, svavas, offering good protection, and svatavas, of independent strength, mentioned together as liable to the same change, do not occur with bhi in the Rig-veda, but the forms svavadbhiz and svatavadbhif probably occurred in some other Vedic writings. SvatavadbhyaZ has been pointed out by Professor Aufrecht in the Vagasan. Samhita XXIV, 16, and svatavobhya&in Satap. Br. II, 5,1,14. That the nom. svavan, which is always trisyllabic, is not to be divided into sva-v4n, as proposed by Sakalya, but into su-avan, is implied by Varttika to Paz. VIII, 4, 48, and distinctly stated in the Siddhanta-Kaumudi. That the final n of the nom. su-avan disappeared before semi-vowels is confirmed by the S4kalapratisAkhya, Stra 287; see also Vagasan. Pratis. ITI, Sdtra 135 (Weber, Ind. Stud. vol. iv, p. 206). On the proper division of su-avas, see Aufrecht, Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenlandischen Gesellschaft, vol. xiii, p. 499.
Verse 4.
WILSON: Thereafter, verily, those who bear names invoked in holy rites (the Maruts), having seen the rain about to be engendered, instigated him to resume his embryo condition (in the clouds).
BENFEY: Sodann von freien Stiicken gleich erregen wieder Schwangerschaft die heilgen Namen tragenden.
LupwiG: Da haben namlich in ihrer gottlichen weise dise der Prisni leibesfrucht gebracht, opfer verdienenden namen erwerbend.
p. 32
Note 1, At must here take vyfha and be pronounced as an iambus. This is exceptional with 4t, but there are at least two other passages where the same pronunciation is necessary. I, 148, 4, &t rokate vane @ vi-bha-va, though in the line immediately following it is monosyllabic. Also in V, 7, 10, a agne aprizatak.
This is exceptional with 4t, but there are at least two other passages where the same pronunciation is necessary. I, 148, 4, &t rokate vane @ vi-bha-va, though in the line immediately following it is monosyllabic. Also in V, 7, 10, a agne aprizatak.
Note 2. Svadh§, literally one’s own place, afterwards, one’s own nature. It was a great triumph for the science of Comparative Philology that, long before the existence of such a word as svadha in Sanskrit was known, it should have been postulated by Professor Benfey in his Griechisches Wurzellexicon, published in 1839, and in the appendix of 1842. Svadh& was known, it is true, in the ordinary Sanskrit, but there it only occurred as an exclamation used on presenting an oblation to the manes. It was also explained to mean food offered to deceased ancestors, or to be the name of a personification of Maya or worldly illusion, or of anymph. But Professor Benfey, with great ingenuity, postulated for Sanskrit a noun svadhf, as corresponding to the . Greek os and the German. sitte, O. H.G. sit-u, Gothic sid-u. The noun svadhé has since been discovered in the Veda, where it occurs very frequently ; and its true meaning in many passages where native tradition had entirely ‘misunderstood it, has really been restored by means of its etymological identification with the Greek 00s or #00s. See Kuhn’s Zeitschrift, vol. ii, p. 134; vol. xii, p. 158.
The expressions 4nu svadhém and svadh&m 4nu are of frequent occurrence. They mean, according to the nature or character of the persons spoken of, and may be translated by as usual, or according to a person’s wont. Thus in our passage we may translate, The Maruts are born again, i.e. as soon as Indra appeared with the dawn, according to their wont ; they are always born as soon as Indra appears, for such is their nature.
I, 165, 5. indra svadh&m dnu hi nad babhitha.
For, Indra, according to thy wont, thou art with us.
VIII, 20, 7. svadh@m dnu sriyam narah—vahante.
According to their wont, the men (the Maruts) carry splendour.
p. 33
Thou hast grown (Indra) according to thy nature.
IV, 33, 6. 4nu svadhém ribhavahk gagmud etéim.
According to their nature, the X¢bhus went to her, scil. the cow; or, according to this their nature, they came.
p. 11
p. 33
Thou hast grown (Indra) according to thy nature.
IV, 33, 6. 4nu svadhém ribhavahk gagmud etéim.
According to their nature, the X¢bhus went to her, scil. the cow; or, according to this their nature, they came.
p. 11
In all these passages svadh& may be rendered by manner, habit, usage, and anu svadhfim would seem to correspond to the Greek é£ @ovs. Yet the history of these words in Sanskrit and Greek has not been exactly the same. First of all we observe in Greek a division between 260s and 00s, and whereas the former comes very near in meaning to the Sanskrit svadhf, the latter shows in Homer a much more primitive and material sense. It means in Homer, not a person’s own nature, but the own place, for instance, of animals, the haunts of horses, lions, fish ; in Hesiod, also of men. Hom. Il. XV, 268, perd 7 7Oea xat voudy trmwy, loca consueta et pascua. Svadhd in the Veda does not occur in that sense, although etymologically it might take the meaning of one’s own place: cf. dha-man, familia, &c. Whether in Greek 60s, from meaning lair, haunt, home, came, like vouds and vépos, to mean habit, manner, character, which would be quite possible, or whether 700s in that meaning represents a second start from the same point, which in Sanskrit was fixed in svadha, is impossible to determine. In Sanskrit svadh& clearly shows the meaning of one’s own nature, power, disposition. It does not mean power or nature in general, but always the power of some one, the peculiarity, the individuality of a person. This will appear from the following passages :
May the three goddesses protect by their power the sacred pile unbroken.
IV, 13, 5. kay4 yati svadhdya.
By what inherent power does he (the Sun) move on?
IV, 26, 4. akakray4 svadhaya.
By a power which requires no chariot, i.e. by himself without a chariot.
The same expression occurs again X, 27, 19.
(32] D
p. 34
In some places the verb mad, to delight, joined with svadhaya, seems to mean to revel in his strength, to be proud of his might.
V, 32, 4. svadhaya madantam.
Vritra who delights in his strength.
VII, 47, 3. svadhaya madanttz.
The waters who delight in their strength. See X, 124, 8.
In other passages, however, as we shall see, the same phrase (and this is rather unusual) requires to be taken in a different sense, so as to mean to rejoice in food.
p. 5
III, 35, 10. indra pfba svadhaya Ait sutdsya agnés va pahi gihvay4 yagatra.
Indra drink of the libation by thyself (by thy own power), _ or with the tongue of Agni, O worshipful.
To drink with the tongue of Agni is a bold but not unusual expression. V, 51,2. agné& pibata gihvaya. X, 15, 3-
I, 165, 6. kva syavak marutak svadhd dsit yat mam ékam sam-ddhatta ahi-hatye. ,
Where was that custom of yours, O Maruts, when you Jeft me alone in the killing of Ahi?
To drink with the tongue of Agni is a bold but not unusual expression. V, 51,2. agné& pibata gihvaya. X, 15, 3-
I, 165, 6. kva syavak marutak svadhd dsit yat mam ékam sam-ddhatta ahi-hatye. ,
Where was that custom of yours, O Maruts, when you Jeft me alone in the killing of Ahi?
VII, 8, 3. kaya nad agne vi vasah su-vrikt{m kim Om (iti) svadham rinavah sasyamanak.
In what character dost thou light up our work, and what character dost thou assume, when thou art praised ?
I, 64, 4. sakdm gagfiire svadhdyé.
They (the Maruts) were born together, according to their nature; very much like 4nu svadhém, I, 6, 4. One can hardly render it here by ‘they were born by their own strength,’ or ‘by spontaneous generation.’
In other passages, however, svadhay4, meaning originally by its own power, or nature, comes to mean, by itself, sponte sua.
VII, 78, 4. & asthat raétham svadhaya yugydm4nam.
She, the dawn, mounted the chariot which was harnessed by itself, by its own power, without requiring the assistance of people to put the horses to.
p. 35
X,129, 2. &nit avatam svadhdyé tat ékam.
That only One breathed breathlessly (or freely) by its own strength, i.e. by itself.
In the same sense svadhabhiz is used in several passages :
I, 113,13. amv¢ta Aarati svadh&bhiz.
The immortal Dawn moves along by her own strength, i.e. by herself.
Or whether ye mount your chariot by your own strength, ye Asvins.
I, 164, 30. givak mritasya Rarati svadhabhiz amartyah martyena sd-yonikh.
The living moves by the powers of the dead, the immortal is the brother of the mortal. III, 26,8; V, 60, 4.
There are doubtful passages, such as I, 180, 6, in which the meaning of svadhabhiZ, too, is doubtful. In VI, 2, 8, svadhé looks like an adverb, instead of svadhdyé, and would then refer to parigma. The same applies to VIII, 32, 6.
But svadh& means also food, lit. one’s own portion, the sacrificial offering due to each god, and lastly, food in general.
I, 108, 12. yat indrAgni (iti) ut-ita sfiryasya madhye divas svadhay4 madayethe (iti).
Whether you, Indra and Agni, delight in your food at the rising of the sun or at midday.
X, 15,12. tva4m agne i/itak gata-vedak ava? havyani surabhizi kritvi, pra ad4k pitr/-bhyak svadhayé té akshan addhi tvam deva pra-yat4 havimshi. 13. yé ka iha pitdrahk yé ka na ihd yan ka vidma yan Om (iti) Aa nd pra-vidma, tvam vettha yati té gdata-vedak svadhdbhik yagfidm stkvitam gushasva. 14. yé agni-dagdh&d yé anagni-dagdhak madhye divak svadhay4 mAadayante, tébhi# sva-r¢ dsunitim etim yatha-vasdm tanvim kalpayasva.
12. Thou, O Agni G§tavedas, hast carried, when implored, the offerings which thou hast rendered sweet: thou hast given them to the fathers, they fed on their share. Eat thou, O god, the proffered oblations. 13. Our fathers who are here, and those who are not here, our fathers whom we know and those whom we do not know, thou knowest
D2
p. 36
Eat thou, O god, the proffered oblations. 13. Our fathers who are here, and those who are not here, our fathers whom we know and those whom we do not know, thou knowest
D2
p. 36
how many they are, O G&tavedas, accept the well-made sacrifice with the sacrificial portions. 14. They who, whether burnt by fire or not burnt by fire, rejoice in their offering in the midst of heaven, give to them, O king, that life, and thy (their) own body, according to thy will.
III, 4,7. sapta prikshasak svadhay4 madanti.
The seven horses delight in their food.
X, 14,7. ubha rigdnd svadhdyé madanta.
The two kings delighting in their food.
IX, 113, 10. yatra kima4& ni-kama&& ka, yatra bradhndsya vish¢dpam, svadha ka yatra tréptid fa tatra mim amr/tam kridhi.
Where wishes and desires are, where the cup of the bright Soma is (or, where the highest place of the sun is), where there is food and rejoicing, there make me immortal.
He (Vishzu) whose three places, full of sweet, imperishable, delight or abound in food.
p. 2
In the tenth book svadha is used very much as it occurs in the later Sanskrit, as the name of a peculiar sacrificial rite.
X, 14, 3. yan ka devak vavridhié yé ka devan svaha anyé svadhayA anyé madanti.
Those whom the gods cherish, and those who cherish the gods, the one delight in Svaha, the others in Svadha; or, in praise and food.
Note 3. The expression garbha-tvam 4-iriré is matched by that of III, 60, 3, saudhanvan&sak amrita-tvam 4 frire, the Saudhanvanas (the Xzbhus) obtained immortality, or became immortal. I do not think that punar erire can mean, as Ludwig supposes, they pushed away their state of garbha. The idea that the Maruts assumed the form of a garbha, lit. of an embryo or a new-born child, is only meant to express that they were born, or that the storms burst forth from the womb of the sky as soon as Indra arises to do battle against the demon of darkness. Thus we read, I, 134, 4, 4ganayak maritak vaksha#4bhya/, Thou, Vayu, hast produced the Maruts from the bowels (of the sky).
p. 37
As assisting Indra in this battle, the Maruts, whose name retained for a long time its purely appellative meaning of storms, attained their rank as deities by the side of Indra, or, as the poet expresses it, they assumed their sacred name. This seems to be the whole meaning of the later legend that the Maruts, like the Ribhus, were not originally gods, but became deified for their works. See also Kern, Translation of Brzhat-samhita, p. 117, note.
Other explanations are: they made that which was born within the cloud into a garbha or embryo; or, they arose with Aditya, proceeded with Savitar, and when Savitar set, they became again garbhas; see SAma-veda IT, 2,7, 2,comm.
VAHNIL Verse 5.
117, note.
Other explanations are: they made that which was born within the cloud into a garbha or embryo; or, they arose with Aditya, proceeded with Savitar, and when Savitar set, they became again garbhas; see SAma-veda IT, 2,7, 2,comm.
VAHNIL Verse 5.
WILSON: Associated with the conveying Maruts, the traversers of places difficult of access, thou, Indra, hast discovered the cows hidden in the cave.
BENFEY: Mit den die Festen brechenden, den Stiirmenden fandst, Indra, du die Kiihe in der Grotte gar.
LupDwIG: Und mit denen, die das feste sogar anbrechen, selbst im versteck, o Indra, mit den priesterlichen, fandest du die morgenstralen auf.
Note 1. Sdyavza explains vahnibhiZ in the sense of Martdbhiz, and he tells the oft-repeated story how the cows were carried off by the Pais from the world of the gods, and thrown into darkness, and how Indra with the Maruts conquered them and brought them back. Everybody seems to have accepted this explanation of Sayaza, and I myself do not venture to depart from it. Yet it should be stated that the use of vahni as a name of the Maruts is by no means well established. V4ahni is in fact a most difficult word in the Veda. In later Sanskrit it means fire, and is quoted also as a name of Agni, the god of fire, but we do not learn why a word which etymologically means carrier, from vah, to carry, should have assumed the meaning of fire. It may be that vah, which in Sanskrit, Greek, and Latin means chiefly to carry, expressed originp. 38ally the idea of moving about (the German be-wegen), in which case vah-ni, fire, would have been formed with the same purpose as ag-n{, ig-nis, fire, from Sk. ag, dy-w,ag-o. In Alvis-mal, V, 94, we read, kalla Vag Vanir, the Wanes call fire Vag, i.e. wavy. But in Sanskrit Agni is so constantly represented as the carrier of the sacrificial oblation, that something may also be said in favour of the Indian scholastic interpreters who take vahni, as applied to Agni, in the sense of carrier. However that may be, it admits of no doubt that vahni, in the Veda, is distinctly applied to the bright fire or light. In some passages it looks very much like a proper name of Agni, in his various characters of terrestrial and celestial light. It is used for the sacrificial fire:
The chosen light came nigh, and sat down, Agni, the priest.
Here Agni is, as usual, represented as a priest, chosen like a priest, for the performance of the sacrifice. But, for that very reason, vahni may here have the meaning of priest, which, as we shall see, it has in many places, and the translation would then be more natural : He, the chosen minister, came near and sat down, Agni, the priest.
VIII, 23, 3. vahniz vindate vasu.
Agni finds wealth (for those who offer sacrifices ?).
VIII, 23, 3. vahniz vindate vasu.
Agni finds wealth (for those who offer sacrifices ?).
More frequently vahni is applied to the celestial Agni, or other solar deities, where it is difficult to translate it in English except by an adjective :
III, 5,1. Apa dvdra tamasah vahnih avar (ity Ava).
That light, the son of the two parents, full of brightness, the wise, brightens the world by his power.
Agni is even called vahni-tama (IV, 1, 4), which hardly means more than the brightest.
p. 39
II, 17, 4. &t rédasi (iti) gydétisha vahniz & atanot.
Then the bright (Indra) stretched out or filled heaven and earth with his light.
II, 38, 1. ut tm (iti) sy4# devah savita—vahnik asthat.
The divine Savitar, the luminous, arose.
Besides this meaning of light or fire, however, there are clearly two other meanings of vahni which must be admitted in the Veda, first that of a carrier, vehicle, and, it may be, horse; secondly that of minister or priest.
VI, 57, 3. ag&k anydsya vahnayak hari (iti) anydsya sAmbhrita.
The bearers of the one (Pashan) are goats, the bays are yoked for the other (Indra).
I, 14, 6. ghritd-prishthahk manak-yigahk yé tv4 vahanti vahnayad.
The horses with shining backs, obedient to thy will, which carry thee (Agni).
VIII, 3, 23. yasmai anyé dasa prati dhuram vahanti vahnayah.
A horse against whom other ten horses carry a weight ; i.e. it requires ten horses to carry the weight which this one horse carries. (See X, 11, 7. vahamanad Asvaih.)
II, 37, 3. médyantu te vahnayak yébhik fyase.
May thy horses be fat on which thou goest. II, 24, 13.
I, 44, 13. srudh{ srut-karaa vahni-bhiZ.
Agni, who hast ears to hear, hear, on thy horses. Unless vahni-bhi# is joined with the words that follow, devath sayava-bhi£,
III, 6, 2. vakydntam te vahnayak sapta-gihvak
May thy seven-tongued horses be called. Here vahnayak is clearly meant for the flames of Agni, yet I doubt whether we should be justified in dropping the simile, as the plural of vahni is nowhere used in the bald sense of flames.
In one passage vahni is supposed to be used as a feminine, or at all events applied to a feminine subject:
VIII, 94, 1. yukta vahnié rathanam.
8 Cf. I, 58, 7. sapté guhvas.
p. 40
She is yoked as the drawer of the chariots. Probably, however, va4hniz should here be changed into vahni.
The passages in which vahni is applied to Soma in the ninth and tenth Mawdalas throw little light on the subject. (IX, 9,6; 20, 5; 6; 36,23 64,19; 89,1; X, 101, 10.)
Instead of viséim vispatiz, lord of men (VII, 7, 4), we find IX, 108, 10. visdm vdhnix na vispatizZ. One feels inclined to translate here vahniz by leader, but it is more likely that vahni is here again the common name of Soma, and that it is inserted between visim na vispatiZ, which is meant to form one phrase.
visdm vdhnix na vispatizZ. One feels inclined to translate here vahniz by leader, but it is more likely that vahni is here again the common name of Soma, and that it is inserted between visim na vispatiZ, which is meant to form one phrase.
In IX, 97, 34, tisrdk vakak trayati pra vahnizZ, we may take vadhni as the common appellation of Soma. But it may also mean minister or priest, as in the passages which we have now to examine. Cf. X, 11, 6.
For besides these passages in which vahni clearly means vector, carrier, drawer, horse, there is a large class of verses in which it can only be translated by minister, i.e. officiating minister, and, as it would seem, chiefly singer or reciter®*.
The verb vah was used in Sanskrit in the sense of carrying out (ud-vah, ausfiihren), or performing a rite, particularly as applied to the reciting of hymns. Hence such compounds as ukthd-vahas or stéma-vahas, offering hymns of praise, and yagfa-vahas. Thus we read:
® See Taitt. Brahm. I, 1, 6, ro. vahnir va anadv4n, vahnir adhvaryul.
NOTES. 1, 6, 5. 4!
We, as ministers, invoke you only in fights and battles ; we, as suppliants, (invoke) you for the granting of treasure ; we, as poets, (invoke) you, the lords of twofold wealth, you, Indra and Varuma, who listen to our call.
He (Indra) was victorious often among the cows, always with celebrating and suppliant ministers.
I have placed these two passages together because they seem to me to illustrate each other, and to show that although in the second passage the celebrating and suppliant ministers may be intended for the Maruts, yet no argument could be drawn from this verse in favour of vahni by itself meaning the Maruts. See also VIII, 6, 2; 12,15; X, 114, 2.
IV, 21, 6. héta yd# nak mahdn sam-vdrameshu vahnih.
The Hotar who is our great priest in the sanctuaries.
I, 128, 4. vahnik vedh&s agayata.
Because the wise priest (Agni) was born.
The same name which in these passages is applied to Agni, is in others, and, as it will be seen, in the same sense, applied to Indra.
II, 21, 2. tuvi-graye vahnaye.
To the strong-voiced priest or leader.
The fact that vahni is followed in several passages by ukthaiZ would seem to show that the office of the vahni was chiefly that of recitation or of addressing prayers to the gods.
III, 20,1. agnim ushdsam asvina dadhi-kram vi-ush¢ishu havate vahni# ukthatz.
The fact that vahni is followed in several passages by ukthaiZ would seem to show that the office of the vahni was chiefly that of recitation or of addressing prayers to the gods.
III, 20,1. agnim ushdsam asvina dadhi-kram vi-ush¢ishu havate vahni# ukthatz.
The priest at the break of day calls with his hymns Agni, Ushas, the Asvins, and Dadhikra.
I, 184, 1. t# vim adyd tad apardm huvema usssdntyam ushdsi vahniZ ukthats.
Let us invoke the two Asvins to-day and to-morrow, the priest with his hymns is there when the dawn appears.
In a similar sense, it would seem, as vahnif uktha{Z, the Vedic poets frequently use the words vahnii 4s@. This asa is the instrumental singular of 4s, mouth, and it is usedp. 42 in other phrases also of the mouth as the instrument of praise.
VI, 32, 1. vagrine sdm-tam4ni vdkamsi Asi sthdvirdya taksham.
I have shaped with my mouth blessed words to the wielder of the thunderbolt, the strong Indra.
X, 115, 3. 4sé vahnim na sofisha vi-rapsinam.
He who sings with his flame as the poet with his mouth. See also I, 38,14. mimih{ sldkam Asyé, make a song in thy mouth.
Thus we find vahnif 4s@ in the same place in the sixth and seventh Mandalas (VI, 16, 9; VII, 16, 9), in the phrase vahnih 4s& vidus-tarah, applied to Agni in the sense of the priest wise with his mouth, or taking vdhnif 4s& as it were one word, the wise poet.
I, 129, 5. vahniz Asa, vahnih nak 4kkha.
Indra, as a priest by his lips, as a priest coming towards us.
From the parallelism of this passage it would seem that Professor Roth concluded the meaning of As&* to be near,
a As, mouth, the Latin os, oris, has been derived from a root as, to breathe, preserved in the Sanskrit as-u, spirit, asu-ra, endowed with spirit, living, the living god. Though I agree with Curtius in admitting a primitive root as, to breathe, from which as-u, breath, must have sprung, I have always hesitated about the derivation of 4s and Asya, mouth, from the same root. I do not think, however, that the lengthening of the vowel in 4s is so great a difficulty as has been supposed (Kuhn, Zeitschrift, vol. xvii, p. 145). Several roots lengthen their vowel a, when used as substantives without derivative suffixes. In some cases this lengthening is restricted to the Anga base, as in anadvaéh; in others to the Anga and Pada base, as in visvavas, visvavadbhik, &c.; in others again it pervades the whole declension, as in turash4/: (see Sanskrit Grammar, §§ 210, 208, 175.) Among ordinary words v4é offers a clear instance of a lengthened vowel. In the Veda we find rztish4ham, VI, 14, 4, and ritishdham (Samhit4), I, 64,15. In X, 71, 10 the Samhita has sabhasdhéna, the Pada sabhasahéna. We find v4h in apsu-vah (Sam. Ved.), indra-vah, havya-vah. Sah atthe end of compounds, such as nri-sah, pritan4-sah, bhfri-sah, satra-sah, vibha-sah, sad4-sah, varies between a long and short &: (see Regnier, Etude sur l’idiome du
p. 43
We find v4h in apsu-vah (Sam. Ved.), indra-vah, havya-vah. Sah atthe end of compounds, such as nri-sah, pritan4-sah, bhfri-sah, satra-sah, vibha-sah, sad4-sah, varies between a long and short &: (see Regnier, Etude sur l’idiome dup. 43 or coram. In the Nighazztu, II, 16, the right reading is evidently 4sat, not 4s4; see Nirukta, ed. Satyavrata Samasrami, vol. i, p. 264. As&, however, is an old variant, as may be seen from Rig-veda-bhashya I, 127, 8; X,115, 3.
I, 76, 4. pragd-vata vakasA vdhnifZ 4s& & ka huvé ni ka satsi iha devaid.
With words in which my people join, I, the poet, invoke, and thou (Agni) sittest down with the gods.
VI, 11, 2. pavakaya guhvd vdhnih Asa.
Thou, a poet with a bright tongue, O Agni!
Grassmann thinks that vahnir 4s4 can always be translated by ‘vor das Angesicht bringend,’ but this does not appear to be the case in his translation.
The question now arises in what sense vahni is used when applied without further definition to certain deities. Most deities in the Veda are represented as driving or driven, and many as poets or priests. When the Asvins are called vahni, VIII, 8, 12; VII, 73, 4, it may mean riders. But when the Visve Devas are so called, I, 3, 9, or the Rzbhus, the exact meaning is more doubtful. The Maruts are certainly riders, and whatever other scholars may say to the contrary, it can be proved that they were supposed to sit astride on horseback, and to have the bridle through the horse’s nostrils (V, 61,2). But if in our verse I, 6, 5, we translate vahni as an epithet, rider, and not only as an epithet, but as aname of the Maruts, we cannot support our translation by independent evidence, but must rely partly on the authority of Sayaza, partly on the general tenor of the text before us, where the Maruts are mentioned in the preceding verse, and, if I am right, in the verse following also. On the other hand, if vahni can thus be used as a name of
Védas, p. 11.) At all events no instance has yet been pointed out in Sanskrit, showing the same contraction which we should have to admit if, as has been proposed, we derived 4s from av-as, or from an-as. From ‘an’ we have in the Veda 4n4, mouth or face, I, 52,15. From as, to breathe, the Latin omen, originally os-men, a whisper, might likewise be derived. See Bopp, Comp. Gr. par. 909; Kuhn in Ind. Stud. I, 333.
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the Maruts, there is at least one other passage which would gain in clearness by the admission of that meaning, viz.