Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1Petersburg Dict.s.v. According to A. Kuhn, the two myths of the descent of Fire and of the divine Liquor spring from one and the same conception, whence the spark of fire is conceived as a drop. ‘ Herabkunft,’ p. 161. > Kuhn’s Zeitsch. f. Vergl. Spr. XVI, p. 183 seq. xiv SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA, Iguvian tablets. M. Bergaigne has also carefully collected the passages of the Xzk in which Soma appears either compared or identified with the sun. Although a mere comparison of Indu-Soma with the sun can scarcely be considered sufficient evidence on this point, since such a comparison might naturally enough suggest itself even to one who had the identity of Soma and the moon in his mind, there still remain not a few passages where no such ambiguity seems possible. Somewhat peculiar are the relations between Soma and Sfrya’s daughter (probably the Dawn), alluded to several times! in the Rik. In one passage (IX, 1, 6) she is said to pass Sfrya through the perpetual filter (sasvat vara); whilst in another (IX, 113, 8) ‘Sdrya’s daughter brought the bull (Soma?), reared by Parganya (the cloud); the Gandharvas seized him and put him, as sap, into the Soma (plant?).’ A combination of this female bearer of Soma with the eagle (or falcon) who carried off Soma (IV, 27, &c.) seems to have supplied the form of the myth, current in the Brahmaaas, according to which Gayatri fetched Soma from heaven. The hymn X, 85?, on the other hand, celebrates the marriage ceremony of Soma and Saryé, at which the two Asvins act as bride’smen, and Agni as the leader of the bridal procession to the bridegroom’s home. There are, however, other passages in the Rig-veda, in which Soma, so far from being identified with the sun, seems to be regarded as some sovereign power which originates or controls that luminary, as well as the other lights of heaven. Thus in Rig-veda IX, 61, 16 Soma is represented as producing (ganayan) the bright light belonging to all men; in IX, 97, 41 as producing the light in the sun (aganayat sfirye gyotir indud); in IX, 28, 5; 37, 4 as causing the sun to shine (rokayan); in IX, 86, 22; 107, 7 as making him rise (4-rohayan) in the sky; in IX, 63, 6 1 M. Bergaigne, II, p. 249, identifies with Sfirya’s daughter the girl (? Apal&) who, going to the water, found Soma, and took him home, saying, ‘I'll press thee for Indra!’ On this hymn see Prof. Aufrecht, Ind. Stud. IV, 1 seq. 2 On this hymn see A. Weber, Ind. Stud. V, 178 seq. ; J. Ehni, Zeitsch. der D.M.G. XXXIII, p. 166 seq. INTRODUCTION, XV
2Apal&) who, going to the water, found Soma, and took him home, saying, ‘I'll press thee for Indra!’ On this hymn see Prof. Aufrecht, Ind. Stud. IV, 1 seq. 2 On this hymn see A. Weber, Ind. Stud. V, 178 seq. ; J. Ehni, Zeitsch. der D.M.G. XXXIII, p. 166 seq. INTRODUCTION, XV as harnessing Svar’s Etasa ; in IX, 36, 3; 49, 5 as causing the lights to shine (gyotimshi vi-rokayan; pratnavad rokayan rukah); in IX, 42,1 as producing the lights of the sky (and) the sun in the (heavenly) waters; in IX, 41, 5 as filling the two wide worlds (rodast), even as the dawn, as the sun, with his rays. Nay, the poet of IX, 86, 29,‘Thou art the (heavenly) ocean (samudra)... thine are the lights (gyotimshi), O Pavamana, thine the sun,’ seems to conceive Soma as the bright ether, the azure ‘sea of light’ generally ; and a similar conception is perhaps implied when, in IX, 107, 20, the bard sings, ‘Thine I am, O Soma, both by night and by day, for friendship’s sake, O tawny one, in the bosom (of the sky"): like birds have we flown far beyond the sun scorching with heat.’ On the other hand, it must not be forgotten that similar functions to those here referred to are ascribed to other deities besides Soma, without there being any cogent reason for assuming an intentional rapprochement, still less identification of these deities with Soma; and, in point of fact, the allusions in the hymns are too vague to enable us to determine the exact relations between Soma and the heavenly light. Indeed, it may be questioned whether there was any very clear apprehension of these relations; or whether, prior to the ultimate identification of Soma with the moon, we have not to deal with a body of floating ideas rather than with a settled mythological conception of the divine Soma. During his brief term of existence on earth—from his mountain birth to his final consummation as ‘the supreme offering’ (uttamam havis)—the outward form of Soma passes through a succession of changes from which the poet would draw many a feature wherewith to endow the divine object of his fancy. He might thus represent Soma now as a shining tree springing from the mountains of the sky; now as a luminous drop or spark moving through the heavens, and shedding light all around; or as innumerable drops of light scattered over the wide aerial 1 Odhani, lit. in, or on, the udder (whence Soma is milked, i.e. the sky). xvi SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA. expanse; now as a glittering stream, or again, as a vast sea of liquid light.
3in, or on, the udder (whence Soma is milked, i.e. the sky). xvi SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA. expanse; now as a glittering stream, or again, as a vast sea of liquid light. The references of the Avesta to the divine Haoma are even less definite and explicit than those of the Vedic hymns. His connection with the heavenly light, though not perhaps so close as that of Mithra and other deities, is unmistakable enough’; but we look in vain for any clear indication as to what the exact relations are. It is certain, however, that nowhere in the Avesta is there any passage which could warrant us to assume an identification of Haoma with either the Sun or the Moon. In Yasna IX, 81-82, we are told that Haoma was the first to be invested by Ahura-Mazda with the zone, spangled with stars, and made in heaven, in accordance with the good Mazda-yasnic law ; and that girt therewith he dwells upon the heights of the mountain to uphold the sacred ordinances. It is difficult to see what else the star-spangled zone (the heavenly counterpart of the ordinary Kusti of the orthodox P4rsi) could here refer to, except the milky way, or perhaps the starry sky generally ;—unless, indeed, as is scarcely likely, some special constellation be implied ;—but neither this nor any other passage enables us in any way to define the divine personality of Haoma. Soma’s descent to the earth, as pictured in the Vedic hymns, is attended with violent disturbances in the regions of the sky, in which Indra generally plays the principal part. It is admitted on all hands that we have to look upon these supernal struggles as mythic impressions of ordinary atmospheric phenomena, especially those of the Indian monsoon and rainy season, and the violent thunderstorms by which they are usually accompanied. According to the needs and anxieties by which he was swayed at the moment, these atmospheric occurrences presented themselves to the poet’s mind chiefly in two different lights. Either, the approaching masses of clouds brought with them the long-desired rain, and the prospect of abundant food for man and beast: in that case the gods were doing battle for the possession of 1 Cf. Spiegel, Eranische Alterthumskunde, II, p. 114. INTRODUCTION. XVil the celestial waters, or the heavenly cows, too long confined by malicious demons in their mountain strongholds ; or, after a time of tempest and gloom, one longed to see again the bright sky and the golden sunlight, to cheer life and ripen the crops: in which case it was a struggle for the recovery of the heavenly light.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1Petersburg Dict.s.v. According to A. Kuhn, the two myths of the descent of Fire and of the divine Liquor spring from one and the same conception, whence the spark of fire is conceived as a drop. ‘ Herabkunft,’ p. 161. > Kuhn’s Zeitsch. f. Vergl. Spr. XVI, p. 183 seq. xiv SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA, Iguvian tablets. M. Bergaigne has also carefully collected the passages of the Xzk in which Soma appears either compared or identified with the sun. Although a mere comparison of Indu-Soma with the sun can scarcely be considered sufficient evidence on this point, since such a comparison might naturally enough suggest itself even to one who had the identity of Soma and the moon in his mind, there still remain not a few passages where no such ambiguity seems possible. Somewhat peculiar are the relations between Soma and Sfrya’s daughter (probably the Dawn), alluded to several times! in the Rik. In one passage (IX, 1, 6) she is said to pass Sfrya through the perpetual filter (sasvat vara); whilst in another (IX, 113, 8) ‘Sdrya’s daughter brought the bull (Soma?), reared by Parganya (the cloud); the Gandharvas seized him and put him, as sap, into the Soma (plant?).’ A combination of this female bearer of Soma with the eagle (or falcon) who carried off Soma (IV, 27, &c.) seems to have supplied the form of the myth, current in the Brahmaaas, according to which Gayatri fetched Soma from heaven. The hymn X, 85?, on the other hand, celebrates the marriage ceremony of Soma and Saryé, at which the two Asvins act as bride’smen, and Agni as the leader of the bridal procession to the bridegroom’s home. There are, however, other passages in the Rig-veda, in which Soma, so far from being identified with the sun, seems to be regarded as some sovereign power which originates or controls that luminary, as well as the other lights of heaven. Thus in Rig-veda IX, 61, 16 Soma is represented as producing (ganayan) the bright light belonging to all men; in IX, 97, 41 as producing the light in the sun (aganayat sfirye gyotir indud); in IX, 28, 5; 37, 4 as causing the sun to shine (rokayan); in IX, 86, 22; 107, 7 as making him rise (4-rohayan) in the sky; in IX, 63, 6 1 M. Bergaigne, II, p. 249, identifies with Sfirya’s daughter the girl (? Apal&) who, going to the water, found Soma, and took him home, saying, ‘I'll press thee for Indra!’ On this hymn see Prof. Aufrecht, Ind. Stud. IV, 1 seq. 2 On this hymn see A. Weber, Ind. Stud. V, 178 seq. ; J. Ehni, Zeitsch. der D.M.G. XXXIII, p. 166 seq. INTRODUCTION, XV
2Apal&) who, going to the water, found Soma, and took him home, saying, ‘I'll press thee for Indra!’ On this hymn see Prof. Aufrecht, Ind. Stud. IV, 1 seq. 2 On this hymn see A. Weber, Ind. Stud. V, 178 seq. ; J. Ehni, Zeitsch. der D.M.G. XXXIII, p. 166 seq. INTRODUCTION, XV as harnessing Svar’s Etasa ; in IX, 36, 3; 49, 5 as causing the lights to shine (gyotimshi vi-rokayan; pratnavad rokayan rukah); in IX, 42,1 as producing the lights of the sky (and) the sun in the (heavenly) waters; in IX, 41, 5 as filling the two wide worlds (rodast), even as the dawn, as the sun, with his rays. Nay, the poet of IX, 86, 29,‘Thou art the (heavenly) ocean (samudra)... thine are the lights (gyotimshi), O Pavamana, thine the sun,’ seems to conceive Soma as the bright ether, the azure ‘sea of light’ generally ; and a similar conception is perhaps implied when, in IX, 107, 20, the bard sings, ‘Thine I am, O Soma, both by night and by day, for friendship’s sake, O tawny one, in the bosom (of the sky"): like birds have we flown far beyond the sun scorching with heat.’ On the other hand, it must not be forgotten that similar functions to those here referred to are ascribed to other deities besides Soma, without there being any cogent reason for assuming an intentional rapprochement, still less identification of these deities with Soma; and, in point of fact, the allusions in the hymns are too vague to enable us to determine the exact relations between Soma and the heavenly light. Indeed, it may be questioned whether there was any very clear apprehension of these relations; or whether, prior to the ultimate identification of Soma with the moon, we have not to deal with a body of floating ideas rather than with a settled mythological conception of the divine Soma. During his brief term of existence on earth—from his mountain birth to his final consummation as ‘the supreme offering’ (uttamam havis)—the outward form of Soma passes through a succession of changes from which the poet would draw many a feature wherewith to endow the divine object of his fancy. He might thus represent Soma now as a shining tree springing from the mountains of the sky; now as a luminous drop or spark moving through the heavens, and shedding light all around; or as innumerable drops of light scattered over the wide aerial 1 Odhani, lit. in, or on, the udder (whence Soma is milked, i.e. the sky). xvi SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA. expanse; now as a glittering stream, or again, as a vast sea of liquid light.
3in, or on, the udder (whence Soma is milked, i.e. the sky). xvi SATAPATHA-BRAHMANA. expanse; now as a glittering stream, or again, as a vast sea of liquid light. The references of the Avesta to the divine Haoma are even less definite and explicit than those of the Vedic hymns. His connection with the heavenly light, though not perhaps so close as that of Mithra and other deities, is unmistakable enough’; but we look in vain for any clear indication as to what the exact relations are. It is certain, however, that nowhere in the Avesta is there any passage which could warrant us to assume an identification of Haoma with either the Sun or the Moon. In Yasna IX, 81-82, we are told that Haoma was the first to be invested by Ahura-Mazda with the zone, spangled with stars, and made in heaven, in accordance with the good Mazda-yasnic law ; and that girt therewith he dwells upon the heights of the mountain to uphold the sacred ordinances. It is difficult to see what else the star-spangled zone (the heavenly counterpart of the ordinary Kusti of the orthodox P4rsi) could here refer to, except the milky way, or perhaps the starry sky generally ;—unless, indeed, as is scarcely likely, some special constellation be implied ;—but neither this nor any other passage enables us in any way to define the divine personality of Haoma. Soma’s descent to the earth, as pictured in the Vedic hymns, is attended with violent disturbances in the regions of the sky, in which Indra generally plays the principal part. It is admitted on all hands that we have to look upon these supernal struggles as mythic impressions of ordinary atmospheric phenomena, especially those of the Indian monsoon and rainy season, and the violent thunderstorms by which they are usually accompanied. According to the needs and anxieties by which he was swayed at the moment, these atmospheric occurrences presented themselves to the poet’s mind chiefly in two different lights. Either, the approaching masses of clouds brought with them the long-desired rain, and the prospect of abundant food for man and beast: in that case the gods were doing battle for the possession of 1 Cf. Spiegel, Eranische Alterthumskunde, II, p. 114. INTRODUCTION. XVil the celestial waters, or the heavenly cows, too long confined by malicious demons in their mountain strongholds ; or, after a time of tempest and gloom, one longed to see again the bright sky and the golden sunlight, to cheer life and ripen the crops: in which case it was a struggle for the recovery of the heavenly light.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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