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

VII, 3, 5. nisisana/i atithim. We must read, consequently, msissLt, formed like dadhat (3rd sg. subj. pres., or possibly nom. sing. part. pres.).

Verse 8. Note 1. Bohtlingk-Roth conjecture harmyavan c im Hause, im Stall gehalten.' It is true that beasts may be kept in the harmya ; comp. VII, 56, 16 ; X, 106, 5 ; Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, p. 149. But I do not think that ' being kept in the harmya ' could be expressed by harmya-vat. Hemyavat seems to be derived from the root hi, and to have the same meaning as a^uheman ; such a word very well fits into a phrase referring to a swift horse. Hemyavat stands to heman in the same relation as omyavat to oman. All this was pointed out first by Ludwig (vol. iv, p. 22).

Verse 10.
Note 1. Literally the Hotrz's work (performed for such
a Ya^amâna).

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Verse 11.

Note 1. I read martafn (gen. plur.) ; comp. above, verse 3, note 2. It is possible, however, to leave the text unchanged ; in this case the translation would be : ' May he, the knowing one, distinguish wisdom and folly, the (wise and foolish) mortals like straight and crooked backs (of horses).'

Note 2. Comp. vitaprzsh^a, ' straight-backed/ a frequent epithet of horses.

Note 3. For Prof. Max Muller's interpretation of this passage, comp. vol. xxxii, p. 256. See also Bergaigne, Rel. Vedique, III, 97 ; Pischel, Vedische Studien, I, 297 seq. It is very strange that the poet should ask the god to keep off Aditi (comp. I, 152, 6. aditim urushyet) who must here be considered, consequently, as a malevolent deity. I think that this conception of Aditi is derived from the idea of this goddess as punishing sin ; it is the same goddess who may free the sinner from the bonds of sin and who may fetter and destroy him. Keeping off Aditi seems to mean, consequently, removing from the mortal the danger of being bound by the fetters of sin ; the idea is the same as above in IV, 1, 5, where Agni is invoked to make Varu;za, the son of Aditi, go away (comp. H. O., Religion des Veda, p. 336, note 1). In that case granting Diti would mean granting freedom from those same fetters. (On Diti, who very appropriately has been called a mere reflex of Aditi, see M. M., loc. cit. ; Bergaigne, III, 97 seq.)

Verse 12.

Note 1. On Ayu, the mythical ancestor of the human race, see Bergaigne, Religion Vedique, I, p. 59 seq.

Note 2. On pa^bhi/z, comp. Pischel, Ved. Studien, I, 228
seq. ; Bartholomae, Bezzenberger's Beitrage, XV, 3 seq. ;
Bloomfield, Contributions to the Interpretation of the Veda,
Second Series, p. 32 seq. (American Journal of Philology,
XI, 350 seq.). I believe that in our verse padbhik should
be derived from a noun par, and translated, * with thy eyes/
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while in verse 14 we ought to read padbhi^, and to translate, ' with the feet.'

32 seq. (American Journal of Philology,
XI, 350 seq.). I believe that in our verse padbhik should
be derived from a noun par, and translated, * with thy eyes/
[46] Y

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while in verse 14 we ought to read padbhi^, and to translate, ' with the feet.'

Note 3. Pischel (Ved. Studien, I, 229, note 1) believes that arya^ is nom. sing., referring to Agni. But compare VI, 51, 2. rigxx marteshu vrigmS. ka pajyan abhf £ash/e sura^ axyah evan. This verse makes it very probable that arya^ is a genitive dependent on evai//, evan (' beholding right and wrong deeds among the mortals, the Sun looks upon the Arya's ways '). On the stem ari, ' the Arya,' see Pischel, Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenlandischen Gesellschaft, XL, p. 125.

Verse 14.

Note 1. This verse has been commented upon by Pischel,
Ved. Studien, I, 229 seq.

Note 2. On padbhl/i or rather padbhi/z, comp. verse 12, note 2.

Note 3. In translating bhurf^* I have followed, though not without doubt, the theory of Pischel, Ved. Studien, I, 239 seq. — Pischel seems to be right in making ritam depend both on ytmwh (comp. IV, 23, 10) and on asushanak (comp. above, IV, 1, 13, and below, verse 16).

Verse 15.

Note 1. The seven i^zshis or Angiras, the sons of Heaven and the Dawn (cf. above 1, 16).

Note 2. nrin (or rather nri'm) is genitive plural. See
Lanman, p. 430 ; Pischel, Vedische Studien, I, p. 42.

Note 3. Here we have again the seven Rhhls breaking the mountain in which the cows were imprisoned.

Verse 16.

Note 1. The apodosis is wanting. As verse 15 shows, the meaning is : As our fathers have done their mighty deeds, aspiring after Rita., thus may we do the same.

Note 2. Sukit (Padap. suki it) possibly stands for sukim it; cf. Roth, Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenlandischen Gesellschaft, XLVIII, p. 680. Or may we correct suki it...

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didhiti (instr. sing.), ' they went along in pure devotion'?
Di'dhiti seems to be what is called in III, 31, 1 ; IX, 102,
1. 8, rztasya di'dhiti^.

Verse 17.

Note 1. See Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, p. 252.

Note 2. Evidently the pious men, not the gods, form the subject. I propose to read, therefore, devam (gen. plur.) ^anima ; cf. verse 18 devanam yat ^anima. They kindle Agni ; they strengthen Indra : in short, they treat the divine people as the smith treats the metal.

Note 3. I do not enter here upon the archaeological question as to the meaning of ayah. Comp. on this muchdiscussed question especially Max Miiller, Biographies of Words, p. 252 seq. ; Schrader, Sprachvergleichung und Urgeschichte (2nd ed.), p. 271 seq.; von Bradke, Methode der arischen Alterthumswissenschaft, p. 93 seq.

Note 4. Cf. X, 61, 13. parishadvana^ agman.

Verse 18.

Note 1. Fa.sva.Zi is genitive sing.; it depends on yutha.
Cf. V, 31, 1 ; VI, 19, 3.

252 seq. ; Schrader, Sprachvergleichung und Urgeschichte (2nd ed.), p. 271 seq.; von Bradke, Methode der arischen Alterthumswissenschaft, p. 93 seq.

Note 4. Cf. X, 61, 13. parishadvana^ agman.

Verse 18.

Note 1. Fa.sva.Zi is genitive sing.; it depends on yutha.
Cf. V, 31, 1 ; VI, 19, 3.

Note 2. There is no reason for taking, as Lanman (p. 516) does, kshumati as ace. plur. neut, which would be kshumanti. See Joh. Schmidt, Pluralbildungen der Indogermanischen Neutra, p. 237 ; Bartholomae, Kuhn's Zeitschrift, XXIX, p. 493. Bartholomae translates, ' bei einem wolhabenden.'

Note 3. Is this vocative ugra right ? It would be easy to correct, with Ludwig, ugra (' when the mighty generations of the gods were near him ') or ugra^, as suggested by Delbriick (Grassmann's Translation, vol. i, p. 573) : ' the mighty one (Agni) looked on them,' &c.

Note 4. I believe that Geldner (Ved. Studien, I, 260, note 1) is right in contending that Urva^i, wherever it occurs, is the name of an Apsaras and nothing else. The name of Ayu, occurring in the fourth Pada, confirms this ; for Ayu, as is well known, is the son of Pururavas and of the nymph Urva,n. Geldner translates, 'Selbst mit den

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Sterblichen hatten die Urva.ns Mitleid.' But I do not think that krip means * having compassion.' In my opinion we should, with Ludwig, supply ^anima to martanam, so that devanam ^anima. in the second Pada corresponds with martanam (^anima) in the third. This ^*anima is an accusative which depends on akrzpran (' they pined after . . . / cf. IX, 85, 11. nake supar/zam upapaptiva/^sam gira^ venanam akrzpanta purvi^ ; X, 74, 3. ye krzpa/zanta ratnam). Thus the meaning seems to be: When the cows had been conquered, and when Agni looked over the generations of the gods that were near him, the Urva^is, i. e. the Apsarases such as Urva^i, longed for the love of mortals such as Pururavas, and for the propagation of the human generations ; they gave birth to children such as Ayu.

Note 5. Or ' of the indigent ' ? Or is arya/£ nom. plur. fern, referring to the Urva^is ? Or nom. sing. masc. referring to Agni ?

Note 6. On Ayu, see note 4. But I cannot tell why he is called the nearer Ayu. Is this nearer Ayu opposed, as a nearer or later (upara) ancestor, to the pitara^ parasa^ pratnasa/£, the Arigiras, mentioned in. verse 16? The same nearer Ayu (lipara which stands there in opposition to ptfrvabhi^) is mentioned also in I, 104, 4, connected, as it seems, with some Apsarases. I do not pretend to be able to interpret that very difficult verse, but I am convinced that it has been misinterpreted both by Roth (Siebenzig Lieder, p. vii) and by Bergaigne (I, 60).

Verse 19.

Note 1. I. e. the dawns have sent forth their shine, which is a visible manifestation of the eternal law of Rita..

Note 2. The construction is : we have been good workers, brightening &c. The words, 'the brilliant dawns have shone out Rita,, are a parenthesis.