Vedic Hymns, Part II: Hymns to Agni (Mandalas I–V) — SBE Vol. 46 (trans. Hermann Oldenberg, 1897)

I should translate : ' The strengthbegotten immortal strikes down or breaks forth (vi) quickly, whenever the Hotrz (Agni) becomes the messenger of the sacrificer (?).'

Note 2. I cannot follow Aufrecht in his translation
(zum boten des opfernden., Comp. on Agni as the
messenger of Vivasvat, Bergaigne, Rel. Vedique, I, 87 ;
H. O., Religion des Veda, 122, 275.

Verse 2.

Note 1. Literally, his back shines like a racer. On this
kind of comparison, see Bergaigne, Melanges Renier, 86 ;
Pischel, Vedische Studien, I, 107.

Verse 3.

Note 1. Kra^a : comp. von Bradke, Dyaus Asura, Ahura
Mazda und die Asuras, p. 36 ; Pischel, Vedische Studien,

I,7o.

Note 2. Bergaigne, Rel. Vedique, I, 59 seq.

Verse 4.

Note 1. On w/tha, see Geldner, Vedische Studien, 1, 116 ;
Neisser, Bezzenberger's Beitrage, XIX, 148 seq.

Note 2. The meaning is : with his flames which are sharp like a sickle. Sr/ni is written here as a paroxytonon ; in several other passages it is an oxytonon. Such differences are not quite rare, and there is no reason for taking on this account srinyk as an instr. plur. fern, of the adjective sr/zzya, ' mit verkiirzter Endung ' (Geldner, loc. cit). ' His sickle is the sharp edge of Agni.5 M. M. — On ^uhubhi^, comp. Pischel, Vedische Studien, II, 1x1.

p. 48

Note 3. As to vmhayase with the accusative, comp. Gaedicke, 74. RV. X, 44, 4. xxrgâh skambham . . . vrishayase.

Note 4. With the last Pada comp. IV, 7, 9. krishnâm te ema rii.yata/z pura^ bhsik

Verse 5.

Note 1. That is, among the fuel.

Note 2. I think that we have here probably — (though, of course, this explanation can be avoided) — an anacoluthon. The poet began with the nominative (abhivra^an), and then he changed the construction and went on as if he had begun with the ablative, taking sthatu^ ^aratham (comp. Lanman, 422) as the subject instead of Agni. — Patatrfea/z seems to be nom. pi. ; comp. I, 94, 11 (see below).

Verse 7.

Note 1. The translation of arati is only approximative and conjectural.

Note 2. Comp. Pischel, Ved. Studien, II, 113.

Note 3. Comp. Ill, 54, 3. saparyami prayasa yami ratnam.

Verse 9.

Note 1. The last Pada is the standing conclusion of the
Nodhas hymns.

MAiVtfALA I, HYMN 59. 49

p. 59p. 25i. The other Agnis (the other fires) are verily thy branches, O Agni. In thee all the immortals enjoy themselves1. VaLrvanara ! Thou art the centre2 of human settlements ; like a supporting column thou holdest men 3.

2. The head of heaven, the navel of the earth is Agni; he has become the steward1 of both worlds. Thee, a god, the gods have engendered, O Vaisvanara, to be a light for the Arya.

3. As in the sun the rays are firmly fixed, thus in Agni VaLrvanara all treasures have been laid down1. (The treasures) which dwell in the mountains, in the herbs, the waters, and among men — of all that thou art the king.

3. As in the sun the rays are firmly fixed, thus in Agni VaLrvanara all treasures have been laid down1. (The treasures) which dwell in the mountains, in the herbs, the waters, and among men — of all that thou art the king.

4. As the two great worlds to their son1, like a Hotrzy like a skilful man, (we bring) praises — manifold (praises) to him who is united with the sun, to the truly strong one, new (praises) to Vaisvanara, the manliest god.

5. Thy greatness, O G^tavedas, Vaiwanara, has exceeded even the great heaven. Thou art the king of the human tribes ; thou hast by fighting gained wide space for the gods.

6. Let me now proclaim the greatness of the bull whom the Purus worship as the destroyer of enemies1. Agni Vai^vanara, having slain the Dasyu, shook the (aerial) arena and cut down .Sambara.

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p. 50

7. Agni Vaisvanara, extending by his greatness over all dominions, who is to be worshipped, the bright one, rich in loveliness, is awake (or, is praised) among the Bharadvcyfas, in the homestead of Puru/zitha .Satavaneya, with his hundredfold blessings.

NOTES.

The same Rishi as in I, 58. Metre, Trish/ubh. None of the verses of this hymn occurs in the other Sa^hitâs.

Verse 1.

Note 1. Comp. VII, 11, 1. na rite tvat amr/ta/z madayante, ' the immortals do not enjoy themselves without thee/

Note 2. Literally, ' the navel.' Comp. Muir, V, 214.

Note 3. Comp. IV, 5, 1 (see below), lipa stabhayat upamit na r6dha>£.

Verse 2.

Note 1. Comp. the remark on I, 58, 7 (note 1).

Verse 3.

Note 1. I cannot follow Prof, von Roth (Zeitschrift der D. Morgenl. Gesellschaft, XLVIII, 116), who explains dadhire as a third person sing, of dhrt.

Verse 4.

Note 1. The incompleteness both of the construction and of the metre shows that the text of the first Pada is corrupt. I doubt whether it ever will be possible to restore the correct reading with full certainty, but I shall be glad if others succeed better than I did — and I may add, better than Prof, von Roth (Zeitschrift der D. Morg. Gesellschaft, XLVIII, 117 seq.) seems to me to have succeeded — in correcting and in interpreting the text. I think that after sunaveMANDALA I, HYMN 59. 5 I rodasi clearly one syllable is wanted to complete the Pada : possibly we should read therefore sunave rodasyo^ (comp. verse 3, Pada 2, arati^ rodasyo^, which words form the end of the Pada). Agni, as is well known, is the son of the two worlds, the sunu/z rodasyo^. In the beginning of the Pada brzliati must either refer to the two worlds : in this case we have to read brzhatyoA (instead of br zhati iva) ; or brzhati may refer, as this adjective frequently does, to the gira^, and we shall possibly have to read brihsXik vak (as to va^, comp. Delbriick, Altindische Syntax, 206). But of course all these are mere guesses. In every case the verb on which the accusative gira^ depends (* we bring,' or something like that) must be supplied.

Verse 6.

Delbriick, Altindische Syntax, 206). But of course all these are mere guesses. In every case the verb on which the accusative gira^ depends (* we bring,' or something like that) must be supplied.

Verse 6.

Note 1. Or, as the killer of Vrz'tra. See H. O., Religion des Veda, 135, note 2.

E 2

p. 52

p. 60p. 26i. Mâtamvan brought (Agni) to Bhrzgu as a gift precious like wealth, of double birth1, the carrier, the famous, the beacon of the sacrifice 2, the ready and immediately successful messenger.

2. Both follow his command, the Usigs1 offering sacrificial food, and the mortals. The Hotrt (Agni) has sat down before daybreak among the clans, the lord of the clans, whose leave should be asked, the performer of worship.

3. May our new, beautiful praise, born1 from our heart, reach him the honey-tongued (Agni), whom the human priests in our settlement2, the Ayus, offering enjoyment have engendered.

4. The Usig\ the purifier, the Vasu has been established among men, the best Hotrz among the clans, the domestic2 master of the house in the house : Agni has become the treasure-lord of treasures.

5. Thus we, the Gotamas, praise thee, O Agni, the lord of treasures, with our (pious) thoughts, rubbing thee as (they rub down) a swift racer that wins the prize. May he who gives wealth for our prayer, come quickly in the morning \

NOTES.

Rishi and metre are the same. No verse occurs in the other Sa/^hitas.

Verse 1.

Note 1. The celestial and the terrestrial birth of Agni.
Comp. Bergaigne, Rel. Ved., II, 53.

MAiTOALA I, HYMN 60. 53

Note 2. The text has viddthasya. Comp. I, 31, 6, note 2.

Verse 2.

Note 1. On usig ('the willing one'), as denoting the mythical priests who have first established Agni and have sacrificed as the first, comp. Bergaigne, I, 57 seq. The ubhayâsa^ seem to be these mythical ancestors and the actual sacrificers.

Verse 3.

Note 1. I propose to read ^ayamana. Comp. I, 171, 2. stomal . . . hrzda tash/a^ ; II, 3$, 2. hridih a sutash/am mantram; VIII, 43, 2. agne ^anami sushAitim ; V, 42, 13. giram . . . ^ayamanam, &c. — Comp. Lanman, 356.

Note 2. On the meaning of vr^-ana, see Max Miiller, vol. xxxii, pp. xx, 208, 304 ; Geldner, Vedische Studien, I, 139 seq., with my remarks, Gottinger Gelehrte Anzeigen, 1890, 410 seq.; Ludwig, Ueber Methode bei Interpretation des i?zg-veda, 27 seq. ; Colinet, Les Principes de l'Ex^gese Vedique d'apr£s MM. Pischel et Geldner, 28 seq.; von Bradke, Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morg. Gesellschaft, XLVIII, 500 ; Bechtel, Nachrichten der Gottinger Gesellschaft der Wiss., 1894, 392 seq.

Verse 4.

Note 1. See verse 2, note 1.

Note 2. Bartholomae's theory (Bezzenberger's Beitrage, XV, 194) that the stem damunas has been developed out of the phrase damu na^, ' in our house/ does not carry conviction.

Verse 5.

Note 1. See I, 58, 9, note 1.

p. 54

MAM0ALA I, HYMN 65.p. 9