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

13. The Adityas have made thee, O Agni, their mouth ; the bright ones have made thee their tongue, O Sage. The Rati-sa/£ gods (i.e. the 'bounteous' gods) accompany thee at the sacrifices. In thee the gods eat the offering which is offered to them.

14. In thee, O Agni, with (thy) mouth1 all the guileless2 immortal gods eat the offering which is offered to them. Through thee the mortals taste their drink. Thou hast been born, the bright one, as the child of the plants.

1 5 1. Thou art united with them and equal to them in strength, O well-born Agni, nay, thou surpassest them, O god, when thy power 2 has expanded here in its greatness over Heaven and Earth, over both worlds.

16. The liberal lords who pour out, O Agni, over thy praisers gifts at the head of which there are cows \ the ornament of which are horses : lead both ourselves and them to welfare. May we speak loud in the assembly 2, rich in valiant men.

NOTES.

The Rtshi is Grztsamada, the metre Cagatt. — Verse 1 =
VS. XI, 27 ; TS. IV, 1, 2, 5 ; TA. X, 76, 1 ; MS. II, 7, 2.
Verse 2 = RV. X, 91, 10. Verse 6 = TS. I, 3, 14, 1 ; TB.
Ill, 11, 2, 1. Verse i3 = TB. II, 7, 12, 6.

MAiVDALA II, HYMN I. 1 89

Verse 1.

Note 1. Among the numerous texts which treat of the different origins of Agni (see Bergaigne, I, 20 seq.), especially the following two verses may be compared with this passage : VI, 48, 5. yam apa/£ adraya^ vana garbham ritâsya. piprati sahasa yak mathita^ ^"ayate nribhxk przthivya/z adhi sanavi ; X, 45, 1. divik pari prathamam gâgne agnik asmat dvitiyam pari ^ataveda^ trztiyam apsu nrzmana^ ag*asram fndhctna enam ^arate svkdhift.

Note 2. The text (dyubhiy^ tvam asusukshânik) seems to be corrupt. I believe that tvam, which is so frequently repeated through this verse and through the next verses, has been put here in the wrong place, and that we should read, dyubhya^ a susukshânik.

Note 3. With the last words of this verse, comp. the conclusion of verse 14.

Verse 2.

Note 1. This whole verse is repeated, X, 91, 10.

Note 2. In my opinion there is no doubt that instead of the traditional reading, agnit, the correct form is agmt. The word is a compound of agni and idh and means ' the inflamer of the fire.' Cf. M. M., Hist, of A. S. L., 1859,

PP. 45°> 469.

Note 3. This is the most ancient list of the ' seven priests/ by the side of whom the gr/ha-pati or ' master of the house ' is mentioned as the eighth. Comp. the formula in which the Adhvaryu names the officiating priests, Katyayana IX, 8, 8 seq., and see the remarks of Weber, Indische Studien, X, 141, 376, and my own exposition, Religion des Veda, 383 seq., 396. The 'Brahman' mentioned in our verse is the Brahma/za^Ma^sin of the later ritual. Comp. Katyayana IX, 8, 11 ; 5atapatha Brahma//a IV, 6, 6, 5.

Verse 3.

Note 1. On verses 3-6, see von Bradke, Dyaus Asura, p. 53 seq.

I90 VEDIC HYMNS.

The 'Brahman' mentioned in our verse is the Brahma/za^Ma^sin of the later ritual. Comp. Katyayana IX, 8, 11 ; 5atapatha Brahma//a IV, 6, 6, 5.

Verse 3.

Note 1. On verses 3-6, see von Bradke, Dyaus Asura, p. 53 seq.

I90 VEDIC HYMNS.

Note 2. Brzhaspati or Brahma/zaspati is the Brahman among the gods. But it is doubtful whether the title of Brahman in this connection should be understood in the later technical sense of the word, as the Ritv\g who has to superintend the whole sacrifice. Comp. H. O., Religion des Veda, 396, note 1.

Note 3. Vidhartrz seems to be here another name of Bhaga ; comp. VII, 41, 2. bhagam huvema . . . yâk vidharta). It is known that no god is so frequently mentioned in connection with Pura^dhi as Bhaga. The passages have been collected by Grassmann in his Dictionary, s. v. pura/^-dhi.

Verse 4.

Note 1. Prof, von Bradke (Dyaus Asura, 53) believes that the text is corrupt ; he thinks that the fourth Pada may have occupied the place of a lost continuation of the relative clause, yasya sam-bhu^-am. I cannot but share the feeling on which Prof, von Bradke's remark rests, though I do not believe that the solution of the difficulty which he proposes is very probable. Could not the correct reading be yasi (instead of yasya) sam-bhu^am, ' thou goest to the enjoyment (of goods) ? ' Comp. VI, 7 1 , 6, where the traditional text has vamasya hf kshayasya deva bhure/z, and kshayasya doubtless should be changed into kshayasi.

Note 2. On Amssl, as one of the Adityas, comp. Bergaigne, III, 39, 99.

Note 3. Vidathe: comp. the note on I, 31, 6. It is tempting to conjecture vidhate* (comp. verse 5), but there is no necessity for such a conjecture. Comp., for instance, VI, 24> 2- vidathe dati va^am.

Verse 5.

Note 1. Gnava^ should be read without accent, as Grassmann, Prof. Weber, and M. Henry (Revue Critique, Jan. 12, 1891, p. 23) have seen. Cf. Lanman, 518, 519.

Note 2. The meaning probably is, ' Thou art related to
the other gods and to men/ or ' Thou art related to us.'
Comp. VIII, 27, 10; 73, 12.

MAiVDALA II, HYMN I. I9I

Note 3. Agni seems to be identified here with Apam napat, who frequently is called aiu-heman. Comp. Windisch, Festgruss an Roth, 143 seq.

Note 4. The men, of course, are the Maruts, as is shown by the well-known use of sardha/i (cf. vol. xxxii, p. 67 seq.).

Verse 6.
Note 1. Comp. von Bradke, Dyaus Asura, 53 seq.

Verse 7.

Note 1. As to ara/^kr/te, cf. VIII, 67, 3.

Note 2. Or, thou art a protector to him who has worshipped thee in his house. — Among the various ways for explaining or removing the metrical deficiency of the last Pada the correction dame a' (for dame) is recommended by verse 8.

Verse 9.

Note 1. Ish/ibhi/^, standing by the side of .ramya, seems to be derived from the root ya^. Thus i^e, i^ana stand by the side of sa.ss.m6, .ya^amana. — Cf. ishtlbhiA matibhi^, II, 18, 1.

Verse 10.

Verse 9.

Note 1. Ish/ibhi/^, standing by the side of .ramya, seems to be derived from the root ya^. Thus i^e, i^ana stand by the side of sa.ss.m6, .ya^amana. — Cf. ishtlbhiA matibhi^, II, 18, 1.

Verse 10.

Note 1. The names of the three i^zbhus are j^z'bhu, Va^a,
Vibhvan. The word va^a used here evidently alludes to
the second of these names.

Note 2. Bergaigne (Religion Ved., II, 406) no doubt is right in believing that the verb vi bhasi ('thou shinest') alludes to the name Vibhvan. Comp. X, 91, 1. vibhM vibhava.

Note 3. Vi-Jikshu^ again seems to convey an allusion to the i^z'bhu myth. When dividing the cup of Tvash/rz into four cups, the i^/bhus say, sakhe vi i-iksha (IV, 35, 3). This vi .riksha and the corresponding adjective vi-^ikshu should be derived from the root sas, ' to cut to pieces.'

Verse 11.

Note 1. Here we have the three goddesses of the Apri hymns, Bharati, Ida, and Sarasvati. Of the goddess

p. 192

Bharati the full name is given, Hotra Bharati, i.e. 'the
Offering of the Bharatas.' Comp. Bergaigne, I, 322 seq,

Note 2. Comp. VI, 61,7, where Sarasvati is called vWtraghm.

Verse 14.

Note 1. Or ' through (thee who art their) mouth/

Note 2. Comp. 1, 19, 3. visve devasa^ adruha/^ ; vol. xxxii,

PP. 53>55-

Verse 15.

Note 1. On this verse, compare Pischel, Vedische Studien,

1,97-

Note 2. On przksha/^, see above, I, 127, 5, note 1.

Verse 16.
Note 1. On go-agra, compare Pischel, Vedische Studien,

1,51.

Note 2. Vidathe: comp. the note on I, 31, 6.

MAiVZ)ALA II, HYMN 2. 1 93

p. 2ASH7AKA II, ADHYAYA 5, VARGA 20-21.i. Increase Gatavedas by your sacrifice1, worship Agni for ever with your offering and your prayer 2 — him who has been kindled, the receiver of good offerings, the solar hero, the heavenly Hotrz, the charioteer 3 in our settlements 4.

2. For thee Nights and Dawns have been lowing,
O Agni, as milch-cows in the folds for their calf1.
A steward2, as it were, of Heaven, thou shinest on
the human tribes, O bountiful one, on continuous
nights 3.

3. The gods have set him to work, as a steward 1 of Heaven and Earth, endowed with wonderful power, at the bottom of the air : Agni who is well known like a chariot2, brightly shining, deserving of praise like Mitra (or, like a friend) in (human) dwellings.

4. They have established him who grows in the air, in his house, the serpent 1 with beautiful splendour like gold 2, the winged (son ?) of Vrism 3 who lights up with his eyes both tribes (of gods and of men), like a guardian of the way (?) 4.

5. May he, the Hotrz, encompass the whole sacrifice. Men strive towards him with offerings and prayer. (Agni) with golden jaws 1, hurrying around in the growing (plants) 2, lighted up the two worlds like the Sky with the stars.

6. Thus mayst thou, being brightly kindled for our welfare or being exhausted (P)1, shine upon us with thy wealth. Carry hither to us the two

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