Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1I, 112,15. kalfm yabhiz—duvasyathad. By the succours with which you help Kali. Cf.I, 112,21. I, 62, 10. duvasydnti svdsdra/ dhray4azam. The sisters attend the proud (Agni). I, 119, 10. yuvam peddve—svetam—duvasyathad. You provide for Pedu the white horse. If, then, we take duvasyati in the sense of working for, assisting, it may be with the special sense of assisting at a sacred act, like d:axovetv ; and if we take duvas, as it has the accent on the last syllable, as the performer of a sacrifice, we may venture to translate, ‘that he should help, as the singer helps the performer of the sacrifice*.’ The singer or the poet may be called the assistant at a sacrifice, for his presence was not necessary at all sacrifices, the songs constituting an ornament rather than an essential part in most sacred acts. But though I think it right to offer this conjectural interpretation, I am far from supposing that it gives us the real sense of this difficult verse. Duvasy&t may be, as Sayama suggests, an ablative of duvasyd; and duvasyd, like namasyd, if we change the accent, may mean he who is to be worshipped, or worshipping. In this way a different interpretation might suggest itself, though I confess I do not see that any other interpretation as yet suggested is satisfactory. Some happy thought may some day or other clear up this difficulty, when those who have ® Kar in the sense of officiating at a sacrifice is equally construed with a dative, X, 97, 22. y4smai krindéti brahma#4h, he for whom a Braéhmaaa performs a sacrifice. 206 VEDIC HYMNS. toiled, but toiled in a wrong direction, will receive scant thanks for the trouble they have taken. See Bollensen, Z.D.M.G. XVIII, p. 606. - Note 2. In the second line, the words 6 su varta remind us of similar phrases in the Veda, but we want an accusative, governed by varta; whereas marutak, to judge from its accent, can only be a vocative. Thus we read: I, 138, 4. 6 (iti) su tva vavritimahi stémebhidz. May we turn thee quickly hither by our praises! VIII, 7, 33. 6 (iti) sa vetshnak—vavrityém. May I turn the heroes quickly hither! Compare also passages like III, 33, 8: 6 (iti) su svasdrahk kardve srinota. Listen quickly, O sisters, to the poet. I, 139, 7. 6 (iti) sd nad agne srénuhi. Hear us quickly, O Agni. Cf. I, 182, 1; II, 34,15; VII, 59,5; VIII, 2,19; X, 179, 2. Unless we change the accent, we must translate, ‘ Bring hither quickly !’ and we must take these words as addressed to the k4ru, the poet, whose hymn is supposed to attract the gods to the sacrifice. Bya quick transition, the next words, marutah vipram 4kkAa, would then have to be taken as addressed to the gods, ‘ Maruts, on to the sage!’ and the last words would become intelligible by laying stress on the vah, ‘for you, and not for Indra or any other god, has the singer recited these hymns.’ See, however, Preface, p. xxi. Verse 15.
2xxi. Verse 15. Note 1. I translate MAnya, the son of Mana, because the poet, so called in I, 189, 8, is in all probability the same as our M4ndarya M4nya. But it may also be MA4nya, the descendant of Mandari. The Manas are mentioned I, 172, 5; 182, 8. Note 3. Vag. S. XXXIV, 48. The second line is difficult, owing to the uncertain meaning of vayam. A ish&* y4sishta has been rendered, ‘Come hither with ® There was a misprint in the Samhita text/esh4 instead of ésh4, which was afterwards repeated whenever the same verse occurred again. NOTES. I, 165, 15. 207 water or drink or rain, y4sishfa being the aorist without the augment and with the intermediate vowel lengthened. The indicative occurs in V, 58, 6. yat pra 4y4sishéa pr/shatibhiz dsvaik. When you Maruts came forth with your fallow deer and your horses. But what is the meaning of vayam? Vaya means a germ, a sprout, an offshoot, a branch, as may be seen from the following passages : II, 5, 4. vidvan asya vrat& dhruvé vay&A-iva 4nu rohate. He who knows his eternal laws, springs up like young sprouts. (Better vay4-iva.) VI, 7, 6. tdsya ft ds ({ti) visva bhuvané ddhi mdrdhani vay&h-iva ruruhud. From above the head of Vaisvanara all worlds have grown, like young sprouts. VIII, 13,6. stoti—vayiA-iva Anu rohate. (Better vay4-iva.) The worshipper grows up like young sprouts. VIII, 13, 17. {ndram ksho#i# avardhayan vayas-iva. The people made Indra to grow like young sprouts. VIII, 19, 33. yasya te agne anyé agnayas upa-kshitas vay&k-iva. Agni, of whom the other fires are like parasitical shoots. I, 59, 1. vayaA it agne agnayaz te anyé. O Agni, the other fires are indeed offshoots of thee. II, 35, 8. vaya {t any& bhivanani asya. The other worlds are indeed his (the rising sun’s) offshoots. VI, 13, 1. tvat visvi—saubhagani dgne vi yanti van{nak na vay&h. From thee, O Agni, spring all happinesses, as the sprouts of a tree. VI, 24, 3. vrtkshdsya nu (nd?) te—vay&& vi dtayak ruruhud. Succours sprang from thee, like the branches of a tree. V,1,1. yahvaéh-iva prd vayém ut-gfhan4/ pra bhanavah sisrate nikam akkha. Like birds(?) flying up to a branch, the flames of Agni went up to heaven; (or like strong men reaching up to.) 208 VEDIC HYMNS. VI, 57, 5. tém pdshzdh su-matim vaydm vrikshdsya pra vayém-iva {ndrasya ka & rabhamahe. Let us reach this favour of Pishan and of Indra, as one reaches forth to the branch of a tree. There remain some doubtful passages in which vaya occurs, VII, 40, 5, and X, 92, 3; 134, 6. In the first passage, as in our own, vayad is trisyllabic.
3Let us reach this favour of Pishan and of Indra, as one reaches forth to the branch of a tree. There remain some doubtful passages in which vaya occurs, VII, 40, 5, and X, 92, 3; 134, 6. In the first passage, as in our own, vayad is trisyllabic. If vayé can be used in the sense of offshoot or sprout, we may conclude that the same word, used in the singular, might mean offspring, particularly when joined with tanvé. ‘Give a branch to our body,’ would be understood even in languages less metaphorical than that of the Vedas; and as the prayer for ‘olive branches’ is a constant theme of the Vedic poets, the very absence of that prayer here, might justify us in assigning this sense to vayam. In VI, 2, 5, the expression vayaévantam kshdyam, a house with branches, means the same as nrzvdntam, a house with children and men. See M.M., On Bios and vayas, in Kuhn’s Zeitschrift, vol. xv, p. 215. Benfey (Endungen in fans, p. 37) takes vayam as a genitive plural, referring it to the Maruts, as closely connected with each other, like branches of a tree. This is much the same interpretation as that of Mahidhara (VS. XXXIV, 48), who translates ‘come near for the body, i.e. for the bodily strength of the fellows, the Maruts.’ Ludwig takes it as a possible instrumental of vayam. It is preferable, however, to take ydsish¢a as a precative Atm., in order to account for the long #, and to accept it as a third person singular, referring to stémad. Note 3. Vvigdna means an enclosure, a vouds, whether it be derived from vvig, to ward off, like arx from arcere, or from vrig, in the sense of clearing, as in vvzkta-barhis, barh{£ pra vrifige,I,116,1. In either case the meaning remains much the same, viz. a field, cleared for pasture or agriculture,—a clearing, as it is called in America, or a camp,— enclosed with hurdles or walls, so as to be capable of defence against wild animals or against enemies. In this sense, however, vvigana is a neuter, while as a masculine it means powerful, invigorating. See Preface, p. xx. MANDALA I, HYMN 166. 209 MANDALA I, HYMN 166, ASHTAKA II, ADHYAYA 4, VARGA 1-3. To THE Marvuts (THE STORM-GODS). 1. Let us now proclaim for the robust? host, for the herald* of the powerful (Indra), their ancient greatness! O ye strong-voiced Maruts, you heroes, prove your powers on your march, as with a torch, as with a sword ®! 2. Like parents bringing a dainty to? their own * son, the wild (Maruts) play playfully at the sacrifices. The Rudras reach the worshipper with their protection, strong in themselves, they do not fail the sacrificer. 3. For him to whom the immortal guardians have given fulness of wealth, and who is himself a giver of oblations, the Maruts, who gladden men with the milk (of rain), pour out, like friends, many clouds. 4. You who have stirred' up the clouds with might, your horses rushed * forth, self-guided. All beings who dwell in houses ® are afraid of you, your march is brilliant with your spears thrust forth.
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.
1I, 112,15. kalfm yabhiz—duvasyathad. By the succours with which you help Kali. Cf.I, 112,21. I, 62, 10. duvasydnti svdsdra/ dhray4azam. The sisters attend the proud (Agni). I, 119, 10. yuvam peddve—svetam—duvasyathad. You provide for Pedu the white horse. If, then, we take duvasyati in the sense of working for, assisting, it may be with the special sense of assisting at a sacred act, like d:axovetv ; and if we take duvas, as it has the accent on the last syllable, as the performer of a sacrifice, we may venture to translate, ‘that he should help, as the singer helps the performer of the sacrifice*.’ The singer or the poet may be called the assistant at a sacrifice, for his presence was not necessary at all sacrifices, the songs constituting an ornament rather than an essential part in most sacred acts. But though I think it right to offer this conjectural interpretation, I am far from supposing that it gives us the real sense of this difficult verse. Duvasy&t may be, as Sayama suggests, an ablative of duvasyd; and duvasyd, like namasyd, if we change the accent, may mean he who is to be worshipped, or worshipping. In this way a different interpretation might suggest itself, though I confess I do not see that any other interpretation as yet suggested is satisfactory. Some happy thought may some day or other clear up this difficulty, when those who have ® Kar in the sense of officiating at a sacrifice is equally construed with a dative, X, 97, 22. y4smai krindéti brahma#4h, he for whom a Braéhmaaa performs a sacrifice. 206 VEDIC HYMNS. toiled, but toiled in a wrong direction, will receive scant thanks for the trouble they have taken. See Bollensen, Z.D.M.G. XVIII, p. 606. - Note 2. In the second line, the words 6 su varta remind us of similar phrases in the Veda, but we want an accusative, governed by varta; whereas marutak, to judge from its accent, can only be a vocative. Thus we read: I, 138, 4. 6 (iti) su tva vavritimahi stémebhidz. May we turn thee quickly hither by our praises! VIII, 7, 33. 6 (iti) sa vetshnak—vavrityém. May I turn the heroes quickly hither! Compare also passages like III, 33, 8: 6 (iti) su svasdrahk kardve srinota. Listen quickly, O sisters, to the poet. I, 139, 7. 6 (iti) sd nad agne srénuhi. Hear us quickly, O Agni. Cf. I, 182, 1; II, 34,15; VII, 59,5; VIII, 2,19; X, 179, 2. Unless we change the accent, we must translate, ‘ Bring hither quickly !’ and we must take these words as addressed to the k4ru, the poet, whose hymn is supposed to attract the gods to the sacrifice. Bya quick transition, the next words, marutah vipram 4kkAa, would then have to be taken as addressed to the gods, ‘ Maruts, on to the sage!’ and the last words would become intelligible by laying stress on the vah, ‘for you, and not for Indra or any other god, has the singer recited these hymns.’ See, however, Preface, p. xxi. Verse 15.
2xxi. Verse 15. Note 1. I translate MAnya, the son of Mana, because the poet, so called in I, 189, 8, is in all probability the same as our M4ndarya M4nya. But it may also be MA4nya, the descendant of Mandari. The Manas are mentioned I, 172, 5; 182, 8. Note 3. Vag. S. XXXIV, 48. The second line is difficult, owing to the uncertain meaning of vayam. A ish&* y4sishta has been rendered, ‘Come hither with ® There was a misprint in the Samhita text/esh4 instead of ésh4, which was afterwards repeated whenever the same verse occurred again. NOTES. I, 165, 15. 207 water or drink or rain, y4sishfa being the aorist without the augment and with the intermediate vowel lengthened. The indicative occurs in V, 58, 6. yat pra 4y4sishéa pr/shatibhiz dsvaik. When you Maruts came forth with your fallow deer and your horses. But what is the meaning of vayam? Vaya means a germ, a sprout, an offshoot, a branch, as may be seen from the following passages : II, 5, 4. vidvan asya vrat& dhruvé vay&A-iva 4nu rohate. He who knows his eternal laws, springs up like young sprouts. (Better vay4-iva.) VI, 7, 6. tdsya ft ds ({ti) visva bhuvané ddhi mdrdhani vay&h-iva ruruhud. From above the head of Vaisvanara all worlds have grown, like young sprouts. VIII, 13,6. stoti—vayiA-iva Anu rohate. (Better vay4-iva.) The worshipper grows up like young sprouts. VIII, 13, 17. {ndram ksho#i# avardhayan vayas-iva. The people made Indra to grow like young sprouts. VIII, 19, 33. yasya te agne anyé agnayas upa-kshitas vay&k-iva. Agni, of whom the other fires are like parasitical shoots. I, 59, 1. vayaA it agne agnayaz te anyé. O Agni, the other fires are indeed offshoots of thee. II, 35, 8. vaya {t any& bhivanani asya. The other worlds are indeed his (the rising sun’s) offshoots. VI, 13, 1. tvat visvi—saubhagani dgne vi yanti van{nak na vay&h. From thee, O Agni, spring all happinesses, as the sprouts of a tree. VI, 24, 3. vrtkshdsya nu (nd?) te—vay&& vi dtayak ruruhud. Succours sprang from thee, like the branches of a tree. V,1,1. yahvaéh-iva prd vayém ut-gfhan4/ pra bhanavah sisrate nikam akkha. Like birds(?) flying up to a branch, the flames of Agni went up to heaven; (or like strong men reaching up to.) 208 VEDIC HYMNS. VI, 57, 5. tém pdshzdh su-matim vaydm vrikshdsya pra vayém-iva {ndrasya ka & rabhamahe. Let us reach this favour of Pishan and of Indra, as one reaches forth to the branch of a tree. There remain some doubtful passages in which vaya occurs, VII, 40, 5, and X, 92, 3; 134, 6. In the first passage, as in our own, vayad is trisyllabic.
3Let us reach this favour of Pishan and of Indra, as one reaches forth to the branch of a tree. There remain some doubtful passages in which vaya occurs, VII, 40, 5, and X, 92, 3; 134, 6. In the first passage, as in our own, vayad is trisyllabic. If vayé can be used in the sense of offshoot or sprout, we may conclude that the same word, used in the singular, might mean offspring, particularly when joined with tanvé. ‘Give a branch to our body,’ would be understood even in languages less metaphorical than that of the Vedas; and as the prayer for ‘olive branches’ is a constant theme of the Vedic poets, the very absence of that prayer here, might justify us in assigning this sense to vayam. In VI, 2, 5, the expression vayaévantam kshdyam, a house with branches, means the same as nrzvdntam, a house with children and men. See M.M., On Bios and vayas, in Kuhn’s Zeitschrift, vol. xv, p. 215. Benfey (Endungen in fans, p. 37) takes vayam as a genitive plural, referring it to the Maruts, as closely connected with each other, like branches of a tree. This is much the same interpretation as that of Mahidhara (VS. XXXIV, 48), who translates ‘come near for the body, i.e. for the bodily strength of the fellows, the Maruts.’ Ludwig takes it as a possible instrumental of vayam. It is preferable, however, to take ydsish¢a as a precative Atm., in order to account for the long #, and to accept it as a third person singular, referring to stémad. Note 3. Vvigdna means an enclosure, a vouds, whether it be derived from vvig, to ward off, like arx from arcere, or from vrig, in the sense of clearing, as in vvzkta-barhis, barh{£ pra vrifige,I,116,1. In either case the meaning remains much the same, viz. a field, cleared for pasture or agriculture,—a clearing, as it is called in America, or a camp,— enclosed with hurdles or walls, so as to be capable of defence against wild animals or against enemies. In this sense, however, vvigana is a neuter, while as a masculine it means powerful, invigorating. See Preface, p. xx. MANDALA I, HYMN 166. 209 MANDALA I, HYMN 166, ASHTAKA II, ADHYAYA 4, VARGA 1-3. To THE Marvuts (THE STORM-GODS). 1. Let us now proclaim for the robust? host, for the herald* of the powerful (Indra), their ancient greatness! O ye strong-voiced Maruts, you heroes, prove your powers on your march, as with a torch, as with a sword ®! 2. Like parents bringing a dainty to? their own * son, the wild (Maruts) play playfully at the sacrifices. The Rudras reach the worshipper with their protection, strong in themselves, they do not fail the sacrificer. 3. For him to whom the immortal guardians have given fulness of wealth, and who is himself a giver of oblations, the Maruts, who gladden men with the milk (of rain), pour out, like friends, many clouds. 4. You who have stirred' up the clouds with might, your horses rushed * forth, self-guided. All beings who dwell in houses ® are afraid of you, your march is brilliant with your spears thrust forth.
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.
No commentary for this page.