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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1the course of the literature is designated as Ushas, Surya, Surya Savitri, or Dyu1, are primarily in the mind of the poet. Rohita accordingly is identified with Agni (stanzas 1, 1 1. 12), Surya (stanzas 1, 32. 45 ; 2, 1) and other manifestations of the sun 2. But there is also another equally obvious side to the composition : it represents an allegorical exaltation of a king (rags.) and his queen (mahisht). The heavenly Rohita and his female are called upon to protect and exalt the king and queen ; the names of the divinities, rohita and rohizn, are felt by the Atharvan poet to furnish especially good ground for calling upon them to undertake this pro- tection, since they afford an inexhaustible mine for puns with words that mean 'rise, ascend' (cf. st. 4a), In the royal ceremonies (ra^akarma/zi) the king frequently ascends (a ruh, or a kram), a throne, or skin, or horse ; the act, of course, symbolises every time the moral ascendency of the potentate. Cf. Vait. Su. 36, 7 ; Kaas\ 17, 3. 9. 13. 22 ; Ait. Br. VIII, 6, 12 ; and the ra^asuya at Vag. S. X, 1 ff., 1 Cf. Contributions, Third Series, Journ. Amer. Or. Soc. XV, 186. 2 The word ' identified ' is perhaps too strong. The composition of this book is by no means a unit ; it is indeed at times very difficult to see upon what ground the various stanzas have been compiled evidently with the main purpose of glorifying Rohita. But at any rate the compiler finds it especially natural to adapt stanzas in praise of other sun-divinities, and to glide over into the diction familiar to them. At Kaui\ 24, 42 rohita is explained directly as the sun (aditya). Another relation of Rohita is Agni with two red steeds (rohitabhyam), La/y. Sr. I, 4, 2 if. 662 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. where the verb a ruh occurs with especial frequency. In general the relationship of many stanzas of the present hymn with those in vogue at the ra^asuya, the ceremonies at the consecration of a king, is very close ; they have been collected and discussed in our remarks on the Rohita-book ; see the article cited below. In the Tait. Br. II, 5, 2, 1-3 a considerable number of the stanzas at the beginning of this hymn recur with variants which betray the fact that the Taittiriya-version is older and better than that of the Atharvan 1. The com- mentator (p. 600) explains the rohita as the horse employed at the a^vamedha, the horse-sacrifice, and we may regard it as possible that certain stanzas in this compilation were originally composed for this purpose (cf. the note on st. 22).
2Atharvan 1. The com- mentator (p. 600) explains the rohita as the horse employed at the a^vamedha, the horse-sacrifice, and we may regard it as possible that certain stanzas in this compilation were originally composed for this purpose (cf. the note on st. 22). The hymns of book XIII are designated at AV. XIX, 23, 23 2, and Ka.us. 99, 4 as rohitani (sc. suktani). Neither the Kauj-ika, nor the Vaitana, each of which rubricates individual stanzas, contributes anything of consequence towards the elucidation of the hymn 3. In Ath. Pam. 13, 2 (Hira^yagarbhavidhi) the first two hymns of the book are employed. This is distinctly a royal rite, intended to ward off all evil (sarvapapanodana). Stanzas i, 12 ; 2, 36. 37 are employed in another ra^akarma, called the Ghrztaveksha/zam, Ath. Fans. 8, 1. Nowhere is there anything calculated to define these hymns more narrowly. The present hymn has been rendered by Ludwig, Der Rigveda, III, 536 ff. ; cf. also Muir, Original Sanskrit Texts, V, 395 ff. The entire Rohita-book has been translated and expounded by Henry, Les Hymnes Rohitas (Paris, 1891); cf. Contributions, Fourth Series, Amer. Journ. Phil. XII, 1 AV. XIII, 1, 1 in Tait. Br. II, 5, 2, 1 ; AV. 3 in Tait. 3; A V. 4 in Tait. 1 ; AV. 5 in Tait. 1 ; AV. 6 in Tait. 3 ; AV. 7 in Tait. 3 ; AV. 8 in Tait. 2 ; AV. 10 in Tait. 2. 2 Cf. Indische Studien, IV, 433. 3 At Kaiu. 99, 4 the rohita- hymns are addressed to the sun during an eclipse. XIII, I. COMMENTARY. 663 429 ff. ; Regnaud, Le Rig- Veda et les Origines de la Mytho- logie Indo-Europeenne, p. 315 ff. Stanza 1. In Pada d the Tait. Br. reads na^ for tva ; the latter seems due to secondary adaptation. The stanza in its Atharvan form clearly bespeaks protection for a king from Rohita. Its first hemistich is addressed, very secondarily, at Kaiu. 49, 18, in a witchcraft-practice to a sinking ship. Stanza 3. The appearance here of a stanza that deals with Indra and the Maruts is not as arbitrary as it may seem to be at first sight. In a certain sense Pada 3 a is in catenary construction with 2 b. The Maruts are the vis, the people ; Indra is the typical king. And, with a quick turn in the second hemistich of the present stanza, Rohita again sug- gests the king, who listens to the people (the vis, the Maruts) : the word svadusa7//muda^ conveys between the lines the prayer, ' so that they (the people) shall be de- lighted with the sweet gifts of royalty.' Stanza 4. Cf. XIII, 3, 26 d, and the introduction, for the allitera- tions in Pada a.
3eople (the vis, the Maruts) : the word svadusa7//muda^ conveys between the lines the prayer, ' so that they (the people) shall be de- lighted with the sweet gifts of royalty.' Stanza 4. Cf. XIII, 3, 26 d, and the introduction, for the allitera- tions in Pada a. The Taittiriya version of Pada c, tabhi^ sa#zrabdho avidat shad urvi'/z, has correct metre, and the aorist third singular avidat is in accord with the tenses and numbers of the verbs immediately following. Ludwig evades the syllepsis in the plural avindan, rendering, ' von disen (frauen) erfasst haben die sechs weiten ihn aufgefunden.' Stanza 5. The present stanza, together with 4 a, b, exhibits a very pronounced allusion to practices akin to the ra^asuya ; cf. the dig-vyasthapana-mantrM, Tait. S. I, 8, 13, 1-2, and see for details our article cited above, p. 432. For the form asthan (asthat), ib. 438 ff. Cf. the first abhayaga;/a of the Ga/^amala, Ath. Pari?. 32, 12 (Kaiu. 16, 8, note). 664 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. Stanza 6. The Taittiriya version again has the mark of priority (a^a ekapad for a^a ekapada/z). The a^a ekapad is cer- tainly the sun; cf. Tait. Br. Ill, i, 2, 8, 'the one-footed goat (with double entente, "driver," and again, "non-born"1) has risen in the east, delighting all gods ; at his urging all the gods go.' Cf. the note at XI, 4, 21. Stanza 10. The gayatri, the rhythmic measure of Agni, is his repre- sentative upon earth (cf. RV. I, 61, 8 ; Journ. Amer. Or. Soc. XVI, 9). The assimilation of Rohita and Agni, which appears frequently in the sequel, begins here. Note the variants, Tait. Br. II, 2, 5, 2. Stanza 11. d. Repeated at RV. X, 123, 8 d, where the Pada appears to be secondary, since the word rupam, supplied here from Pada b, is there wanting. Cf. similarly the inferiority of RV. VI, 58, 1 a to Tait. Ar. I, 10, 1 (3 a). Stanza 12. c. tva is metrically superfluous, and hardens the sense. Without it, ' he shall not abandon me, lest I abandon (him).' Our rendering of nathito, ' when implored/ is uncertain : ordinarily (e.g. Ill, 1, 2) it means 'in distress/ The sense would then be, ' may I not in distress abandon thee.' Stanza 14. c. Repeated in st. 37 d. The rendering is conjectural owing to the obscurity of the word ma^mani, which occurs here only. Cf. RV. I, 143, 4. Stanza 15. c. I am inclined to think that Ludwig is correct in emending the air. Aey. ush/zihaksharo to ushmhaksharo = ushm'ha aksharo, and in rendering aksharo by om (the pra^ava) ; cf. 5ankh. Sr. I, 1, 36 (pra^avo ye ya^-amahe vasha^kara^). For other suggestions, cf.
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.
1the course of the literature is designated as Ushas, Surya, Surya Savitri, or Dyu1, are primarily in the mind of the poet. Rohita accordingly is identified with Agni (stanzas 1, 1 1. 12), Surya (stanzas 1, 32. 45 ; 2, 1) and other manifestations of the sun 2. But there is also another equally obvious side to the composition : it represents an allegorical exaltation of a king (rags.) and his queen (mahisht). The heavenly Rohita and his female are called upon to protect and exalt the king and queen ; the names of the divinities, rohita and rohizn, are felt by the Atharvan poet to furnish especially good ground for calling upon them to undertake this pro- tection, since they afford an inexhaustible mine for puns with words that mean 'rise, ascend' (cf. st. 4a), In the royal ceremonies (ra^akarma/zi) the king frequently ascends (a ruh, or a kram), a throne, or skin, or horse ; the act, of course, symbolises every time the moral ascendency of the potentate. Cf. Vait. Su. 36, 7 ; Kaas\ 17, 3. 9. 13. 22 ; Ait. Br. VIII, 6, 12 ; and the ra^asuya at Vag. S. X, 1 ff., 1 Cf. Contributions, Third Series, Journ. Amer. Or. Soc. XV, 186. 2 The word ' identified ' is perhaps too strong. The composition of this book is by no means a unit ; it is indeed at times very difficult to see upon what ground the various stanzas have been compiled evidently with the main purpose of glorifying Rohita. But at any rate the compiler finds it especially natural to adapt stanzas in praise of other sun-divinities, and to glide over into the diction familiar to them. At Kaui\ 24, 42 rohita is explained directly as the sun (aditya). Another relation of Rohita is Agni with two red steeds (rohitabhyam), La/y. Sr. I, 4, 2 if. 662 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. where the verb a ruh occurs with especial frequency. In general the relationship of many stanzas of the present hymn with those in vogue at the ra^asuya, the ceremonies at the consecration of a king, is very close ; they have been collected and discussed in our remarks on the Rohita-book ; see the article cited below. In the Tait. Br. II, 5, 2, 1-3 a considerable number of the stanzas at the beginning of this hymn recur with variants which betray the fact that the Taittiriya-version is older and better than that of the Atharvan 1. The com- mentator (p. 600) explains the rohita as the horse employed at the a^vamedha, the horse-sacrifice, and we may regard it as possible that certain stanzas in this compilation were originally composed for this purpose (cf. the note on st. 22).
2Atharvan 1. The com- mentator (p. 600) explains the rohita as the horse employed at the a^vamedha, the horse-sacrifice, and we may regard it as possible that certain stanzas in this compilation were originally composed for this purpose (cf. the note on st. 22). The hymns of book XIII are designated at AV. XIX, 23, 23 2, and Ka.us. 99, 4 as rohitani (sc. suktani). Neither the Kauj-ika, nor the Vaitana, each of which rubricates individual stanzas, contributes anything of consequence towards the elucidation of the hymn 3. In Ath. Pam. 13, 2 (Hira^yagarbhavidhi) the first two hymns of the book are employed. This is distinctly a royal rite, intended to ward off all evil (sarvapapanodana). Stanzas i, 12 ; 2, 36. 37 are employed in another ra^akarma, called the Ghrztaveksha/zam, Ath. Fans. 8, 1. Nowhere is there anything calculated to define these hymns more narrowly. The present hymn has been rendered by Ludwig, Der Rigveda, III, 536 ff. ; cf. also Muir, Original Sanskrit Texts, V, 395 ff. The entire Rohita-book has been translated and expounded by Henry, Les Hymnes Rohitas (Paris, 1891); cf. Contributions, Fourth Series, Amer. Journ. Phil. XII, 1 AV. XIII, 1, 1 in Tait. Br. II, 5, 2, 1 ; AV. 3 in Tait. 3; A V. 4 in Tait. 1 ; AV. 5 in Tait. 1 ; AV. 6 in Tait. 3 ; AV. 7 in Tait. 3 ; AV. 8 in Tait. 2 ; AV. 10 in Tait. 2. 2 Cf. Indische Studien, IV, 433. 3 At Kaiu. 99, 4 the rohita- hymns are addressed to the sun during an eclipse. XIII, I. COMMENTARY. 663 429 ff. ; Regnaud, Le Rig- Veda et les Origines de la Mytho- logie Indo-Europeenne, p. 315 ff. Stanza 1. In Pada d the Tait. Br. reads na^ for tva ; the latter seems due to secondary adaptation. The stanza in its Atharvan form clearly bespeaks protection for a king from Rohita. Its first hemistich is addressed, very secondarily, at Kaiu. 49, 18, in a witchcraft-practice to a sinking ship. Stanza 3. The appearance here of a stanza that deals with Indra and the Maruts is not as arbitrary as it may seem to be at first sight. In a certain sense Pada 3 a is in catenary construction with 2 b. The Maruts are the vis, the people ; Indra is the typical king. And, with a quick turn in the second hemistich of the present stanza, Rohita again sug- gests the king, who listens to the people (the vis, the Maruts) : the word svadusa7//muda^ conveys between the lines the prayer, ' so that they (the people) shall be de- lighted with the sweet gifts of royalty.' Stanza 4. Cf. XIII, 3, 26 d, and the introduction, for the allitera- tions in Pada a.
3eople (the vis, the Maruts) : the word svadusa7//muda^ conveys between the lines the prayer, ' so that they (the people) shall be de- lighted with the sweet gifts of royalty.' Stanza 4. Cf. XIII, 3, 26 d, and the introduction, for the allitera- tions in Pada a. The Taittiriya version of Pada c, tabhi^ sa#zrabdho avidat shad urvi'/z, has correct metre, and the aorist third singular avidat is in accord with the tenses and numbers of the verbs immediately following. Ludwig evades the syllepsis in the plural avindan, rendering, ' von disen (frauen) erfasst haben die sechs weiten ihn aufgefunden.' Stanza 5. The present stanza, together with 4 a, b, exhibits a very pronounced allusion to practices akin to the ra^asuya ; cf. the dig-vyasthapana-mantrM, Tait. S. I, 8, 13, 1-2, and see for details our article cited above, p. 432. For the form asthan (asthat), ib. 438 ff. Cf. the first abhayaga;/a of the Ga/^amala, Ath. Pari?. 32, 12 (Kaiu. 16, 8, note). 664 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. Stanza 6. The Taittiriya version again has the mark of priority (a^a ekapad for a^a ekapada/z). The a^a ekapad is cer- tainly the sun; cf. Tait. Br. Ill, i, 2, 8, 'the one-footed goat (with double entente, "driver," and again, "non-born"1) has risen in the east, delighting all gods ; at his urging all the gods go.' Cf. the note at XI, 4, 21. Stanza 10. The gayatri, the rhythmic measure of Agni, is his repre- sentative upon earth (cf. RV. I, 61, 8 ; Journ. Amer. Or. Soc. XVI, 9). The assimilation of Rohita and Agni, which appears frequently in the sequel, begins here. Note the variants, Tait. Br. II, 2, 5, 2. Stanza 11. d. Repeated at RV. X, 123, 8 d, where the Pada appears to be secondary, since the word rupam, supplied here from Pada b, is there wanting. Cf. similarly the inferiority of RV. VI, 58, 1 a to Tait. Ar. I, 10, 1 (3 a). Stanza 12. c. tva is metrically superfluous, and hardens the sense. Without it, ' he shall not abandon me, lest I abandon (him).' Our rendering of nathito, ' when implored/ is uncertain : ordinarily (e.g. Ill, 1, 2) it means 'in distress/ The sense would then be, ' may I not in distress abandon thee.' Stanza 14. c. Repeated in st. 37 d. The rendering is conjectural owing to the obscurity of the word ma^mani, which occurs here only. Cf. RV. I, 143, 4. Stanza 15. c. I am inclined to think that Ludwig is correct in emending the air. Aey. ush/zihaksharo to ushmhaksharo = ushm'ha aksharo, and in rendering aksharo by om (the pra^ava) ; cf. 5ankh. Sr. I, 1, 36 (pra^avo ye ya^-amahe vasha^kara^). For other suggestions, cf.
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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