Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
14. You who have stirred' up the clouds with might, your horses rushed * forth, self-guided. All beings who dwell in houses ® are afraid of you, your march is brilliant with your spears thrust forth. 5. When they whose march is terrible have caused the rocks to tremble, or when the manly Maruts have shaken the back of heaven, then every lord of the forest fears at your racing, each shrub flies out of your way 3, whirling like chariot-wheels *. 6. You, O terrible Maruts, whose ranks are never broken, favourably! fulfil our prayer?! Wherever your gory-toothed® lightning bites‘, it crunches’ cattle, like a well-aimed bolt *. (32) P 210 VEDIC HYMNS. 7. The Maruts whose gifts are firm, whose bounties are never ceasing, who do not revile?, and who are highly praised at the sacrifices, they sing their song? for to drink the sweet juice: they know the first manly deeds of the hero (Indra). 8. The man whom you have guarded, O Maruts, shield him with hundredfold strongholds from injury? and mischief,—the man whom you, O fearful, powerful singers, protect from reproach in the prosperity of his children. g. On your chariots, O Maruts, there are all good things, strong weapons’ are piled up clashing against each other. When you are on your journeys, you carry the rings? on your shoulders, and your axle turns the two wheels at once’. 10. In their manly arms there are many good things, on their chests golden chains’, flaring * ornaments, on their shoulders speckled deer-skins §, on their fellies sharp edges‘; as birds spread their wings, they spread out splendours behind. 11. They, mighty by might, all-powerful powers’, visible from afar like the heavens? with the stars, sweet-toned, soft-tongued singers with their mouths*, the Maruts, united with Indra, shout all around. 12. This is your greatness’, O well-born Maruts!— your bounty® extends far, as the sway? of Aditi‘. Not even® Indra in his scorn® can injure that bounty, on whatever man you have bestowed it for his good deeds. 13. This is your kinship (with us), O Maruts, that you, immortals, in former years have often protected the singer’. Having through this prayer granted a hearing to man, all these heroes together have become well-known by their valiant deeds. MANDALA I, HYMN 166. 211 14. That we may long flourish, O Maruts, with your wealth, O ye racers, that our men may spread in the camp, therefore let me achieve the rite with these offerings. 15. May this praise, O Maruts, this song of MAndarya, the son of M4na, the poet, ask you with food for offspring for ourselves! May we have an invigorating autumn, with quickening rain! P 2 212 VEDIC HYMNS. NOTES. This hymn is ascribed to Agastya, the reputed son of Mitravarumau, and brother of Vasish¢#a. The metre in verses I-13 is Gagati, in 14,15 Trishtubh. No verse of this hymn occurs in SV., VS., AV., TS., TB. Verse 1.
2P 2 212 VEDIC HYMNS. NOTES. This hymn is ascribed to Agastya, the reputed son of Mitravarumau, and brother of Vasish¢#a. The metre in verses I-13 is Gagati, in 14,15 Trishtubh. No verse of this hymn occurs in SV., VS., AV., TS., TB. Verse 1. Note 1. Rabhasd, an adjective of rdbhas, and this again from the root rabh, to rush upon a thing, 4-rabh, to begin a thing. From this root rabh we have the Latin robur, in the general sense of strength, while in rabies the original meaning of impetuous motion has been more clearly preserved, The Greek Ad@pos, too, as pointed out by Cowell, comes from this root. In the Vedic Sanskrit, derivatives from the root rabh convey the meaning both of quickness and of strength. Quickness in ancient languages frequently implies strength, and strength implies quickness, as we see, for instance, from the German sn él, which, from meaning originally strong, comes to mean in modern German quick, and quick only. The German bald again, meaning soon, comes from the Gothic balths, the English bold. Thus we read: 1,145, 3. sisuk & adatta sim rdbhak. The child (Agni) acquired vigour. Indra is called rabhak-d4, giver of strength; and rabhasd, vigorous, is applied not only to the Maruts, who in V, 58, 5, are called rdbhishzs4/, the most vigorous, but also to Agni, II, 10, 4, and to Indra, ITI, 31, 12. In the sense of rabid, furious, it occurs in X, 95,14. ddha enam v7tkah rabhasisak adyuh. May rabid wolves eat him! In the next verse rabhasd, the epithet of the wolves, is replaced by dsiva, which means unlucky, uncanny. In our hymn rabhasd occurs once more, and is applied there, in verse 10, to the agi or glittering ornaments of the Maruts. Here Sayama translates it by lovely, and it was most likely intended to convey the idea of lively or brilliant splendour, though it may mean also strong. See also IX, 96, 1. NOTES. I, 166, I. 213 Note 2. Ketu, derived from an old root ki, in Sanskrit Ri, to perceive, from which also Aitra, conspicuous, kenspeckled, beautiful, means originally that by which a thing is perceived or known, whether a sign, or a flag, or a herald. It is the Gothic haidu, species. It then takes the more general sense of light and splendour. In our passage, herald seems to me the most appropriate rendering, though B. and R. prefer the sense of banner. The Maruts come before Indra, they announce the arrival of Indra, they are the first of his army.
3It then takes the more general sense of light and splendour. In our passage, herald seems to me the most appropriate rendering, though B. and R. prefer the sense of banner. The Maruts come before Indra, they announce the arrival of Indra, they are the first of his army. Note 3. The real difficulty of our verse lies in the two comparisons aidha-iva and yudhé-iva. Neither of them occurs again in the Rig-veda. B. and R. explain aidhé as an instrumental of afdh, flaming, or flame, and derive it from the root idh, to kindle, with the preposition 4. Professor Bollensen in his excellent article Zur Herstellung des Veda (Orient und Occident, vol. iii, p. 473) says: ‘The analysis of the text given in the Pada, viz. aidha-iva and yudhf-iva, is contrary to all sense. The common predicate is tavish&”i kartana, exercise your power, you roarers, i.e. blow as if you meant to kindle the fire on the altar, show your power as if you went to battle. We ought therefore to read aidhé | va and yudhé | va. Both are infinitives, aidh is nothing but the root idh+4, to kindle, to light.’ Now this is certainly a very ingenious explanation, but it rests on a supposition which I cannot consider as proved, viz. that in the Veda, as in Pali, the comparative particle iva may be changed, as shown in the preface to the first edition, to va. It must be admitted that the two short syllables of iva are occasionally counted in the Veda as one, but yudhé-iva, though it might become yudha iva, would never in the Veda become yudhéva. As yudha occurs frequently in the Veda, we may begin by admitting that the parallel form aidh& must be explained in analogy to yudh& Now yiudh is a verbal noun and means fighting. We have the accusative yidham, I, 53,7; the genitive yudhaZ, VIII, 27,17; the dative yudhé, I, 61, 13; the locative yudhf, I, 8, 3; the instrumental yudhé, I, 53, 7, &c.; loc. plur. yut-su, I, 91, 21. As long as yudh 214 VEDIC HYMNS. retains the general predicative meaning of fighting, some of these cases may be called infinitives. But yidh soon assumes not only the meaning of battle, battle-ground, but also of instrument of fighting, weapon. In another passage, X, 103, 2, yidhah# may be taken as a vocative plural, meaning fighters. Passages in which yidh means clearly weapon, are, for instance, V, 52,6. drukmath & yudhé ndrak rishvah rishfthasrikshata. With their bright chains, with their weapon, the tall men have stretched forth the spears. X, 55, 8. pitvi sémasya divak & vridh4nds sflrak nik yudh& adhamat ddsyfn. The hero, growing, after drinking the Soma, blew away from the sky the enemies with his weapon. See also X, 103, 4.
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.
14. You who have stirred' up the clouds with might, your horses rushed * forth, self-guided. All beings who dwell in houses ® are afraid of you, your march is brilliant with your spears thrust forth. 5. When they whose march is terrible have caused the rocks to tremble, or when the manly Maruts have shaken the back of heaven, then every lord of the forest fears at your racing, each shrub flies out of your way 3, whirling like chariot-wheels *. 6. You, O terrible Maruts, whose ranks are never broken, favourably! fulfil our prayer?! Wherever your gory-toothed® lightning bites‘, it crunches’ cattle, like a well-aimed bolt *. (32) P 210 VEDIC HYMNS. 7. The Maruts whose gifts are firm, whose bounties are never ceasing, who do not revile?, and who are highly praised at the sacrifices, they sing their song? for to drink the sweet juice: they know the first manly deeds of the hero (Indra). 8. The man whom you have guarded, O Maruts, shield him with hundredfold strongholds from injury? and mischief,—the man whom you, O fearful, powerful singers, protect from reproach in the prosperity of his children. g. On your chariots, O Maruts, there are all good things, strong weapons’ are piled up clashing against each other. When you are on your journeys, you carry the rings? on your shoulders, and your axle turns the two wheels at once’. 10. In their manly arms there are many good things, on their chests golden chains’, flaring * ornaments, on their shoulders speckled deer-skins §, on their fellies sharp edges‘; as birds spread their wings, they spread out splendours behind. 11. They, mighty by might, all-powerful powers’, visible from afar like the heavens? with the stars, sweet-toned, soft-tongued singers with their mouths*, the Maruts, united with Indra, shout all around. 12. This is your greatness’, O well-born Maruts!— your bounty® extends far, as the sway? of Aditi‘. Not even® Indra in his scorn® can injure that bounty, on whatever man you have bestowed it for his good deeds. 13. This is your kinship (with us), O Maruts, that you, immortals, in former years have often protected the singer’. Having through this prayer granted a hearing to man, all these heroes together have become well-known by their valiant deeds. MANDALA I, HYMN 166. 211 14. That we may long flourish, O Maruts, with your wealth, O ye racers, that our men may spread in the camp, therefore let me achieve the rite with these offerings. 15. May this praise, O Maruts, this song of MAndarya, the son of M4na, the poet, ask you with food for offspring for ourselves! May we have an invigorating autumn, with quickening rain! P 2 212 VEDIC HYMNS. NOTES. This hymn is ascribed to Agastya, the reputed son of Mitravarumau, and brother of Vasish¢#a. The metre in verses I-13 is Gagati, in 14,15 Trishtubh. No verse of this hymn occurs in SV., VS., AV., TS., TB. Verse 1.
2P 2 212 VEDIC HYMNS. NOTES. This hymn is ascribed to Agastya, the reputed son of Mitravarumau, and brother of Vasish¢#a. The metre in verses I-13 is Gagati, in 14,15 Trishtubh. No verse of this hymn occurs in SV., VS., AV., TS., TB. Verse 1. Note 1. Rabhasd, an adjective of rdbhas, and this again from the root rabh, to rush upon a thing, 4-rabh, to begin a thing. From this root rabh we have the Latin robur, in the general sense of strength, while in rabies the original meaning of impetuous motion has been more clearly preserved, The Greek Ad@pos, too, as pointed out by Cowell, comes from this root. In the Vedic Sanskrit, derivatives from the root rabh convey the meaning both of quickness and of strength. Quickness in ancient languages frequently implies strength, and strength implies quickness, as we see, for instance, from the German sn él, which, from meaning originally strong, comes to mean in modern German quick, and quick only. The German bald again, meaning soon, comes from the Gothic balths, the English bold. Thus we read: 1,145, 3. sisuk & adatta sim rdbhak. The child (Agni) acquired vigour. Indra is called rabhak-d4, giver of strength; and rabhasd, vigorous, is applied not only to the Maruts, who in V, 58, 5, are called rdbhishzs4/, the most vigorous, but also to Agni, II, 10, 4, and to Indra, ITI, 31, 12. In the sense of rabid, furious, it occurs in X, 95,14. ddha enam v7tkah rabhasisak adyuh. May rabid wolves eat him! In the next verse rabhasd, the epithet of the wolves, is replaced by dsiva, which means unlucky, uncanny. In our hymn rabhasd occurs once more, and is applied there, in verse 10, to the agi or glittering ornaments of the Maruts. Here Sayama translates it by lovely, and it was most likely intended to convey the idea of lively or brilliant splendour, though it may mean also strong. See also IX, 96, 1. NOTES. I, 166, I. 213 Note 2. Ketu, derived from an old root ki, in Sanskrit Ri, to perceive, from which also Aitra, conspicuous, kenspeckled, beautiful, means originally that by which a thing is perceived or known, whether a sign, or a flag, or a herald. It is the Gothic haidu, species. It then takes the more general sense of light and splendour. In our passage, herald seems to me the most appropriate rendering, though B. and R. prefer the sense of banner. The Maruts come before Indra, they announce the arrival of Indra, they are the first of his army.
3It then takes the more general sense of light and splendour. In our passage, herald seems to me the most appropriate rendering, though B. and R. prefer the sense of banner. The Maruts come before Indra, they announce the arrival of Indra, they are the first of his army. Note 3. The real difficulty of our verse lies in the two comparisons aidha-iva and yudhé-iva. Neither of them occurs again in the Rig-veda. B. and R. explain aidhé as an instrumental of afdh, flaming, or flame, and derive it from the root idh, to kindle, with the preposition 4. Professor Bollensen in his excellent article Zur Herstellung des Veda (Orient und Occident, vol. iii, p. 473) says: ‘The analysis of the text given in the Pada, viz. aidha-iva and yudhf-iva, is contrary to all sense. The common predicate is tavish&”i kartana, exercise your power, you roarers, i.e. blow as if you meant to kindle the fire on the altar, show your power as if you went to battle. We ought therefore to read aidhé | va and yudhé | va. Both are infinitives, aidh is nothing but the root idh+4, to kindle, to light.’ Now this is certainly a very ingenious explanation, but it rests on a supposition which I cannot consider as proved, viz. that in the Veda, as in Pali, the comparative particle iva may be changed, as shown in the preface to the first edition, to va. It must be admitted that the two short syllables of iva are occasionally counted in the Veda as one, but yudhé-iva, though it might become yudha iva, would never in the Veda become yudhéva. As yudha occurs frequently in the Veda, we may begin by admitting that the parallel form aidh& must be explained in analogy to yudh& Now yiudh is a verbal noun and means fighting. We have the accusative yidham, I, 53,7; the genitive yudhaZ, VIII, 27,17; the dative yudhé, I, 61, 13; the locative yudhf, I, 8, 3; the instrumental yudhé, I, 53, 7, &c.; loc. plur. yut-su, I, 91, 21. As long as yudh 214 VEDIC HYMNS. retains the general predicative meaning of fighting, some of these cases may be called infinitives. But yidh soon assumes not only the meaning of battle, battle-ground, but also of instrument of fighting, weapon. In another passage, X, 103, 2, yidhah# may be taken as a vocative plural, meaning fighters. Passages in which yidh means clearly weapon, are, for instance, V, 52,6. drukmath & yudhé ndrak rishvah rishfthasrikshata. With their bright chains, with their weapon, the tall men have stretched forth the spears. X, 55, 8. pitvi sémasya divak & vridh4nds sflrak nik yudh& adhamat ddsyfn. The hero, growing, after drinking the Soma, blew away from the sky the enemies with his weapon. See also X, 103, 4.
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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