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

Verse 5.

Note 1. On this verse, compare Neisser, Bezzenberger's
Beitrage, XX, 40 ; Macdonell, Journal Roy. As. Soc, 1893,
p. 446.

Note 2. Dhumma^ may be gen. sing. : { he whose, the smoky (god's), flames.'

Note 3. Ludwig and Neisser (Bezz. Beitr., loc. cit.) regard dhmatart (Padap. dhmatari) as a nom. sing, masculine. I think that Geldner (Vedische Studien, 1, 146, note 1) and Bartholomae (Indogermanische Forschungen, I, 496, note 2) are right in explaining it as a locative infinitive. Compare also Johansson, Kuhn's Zeitschrift, XXX, 415; Joh. Schmidt, Pluralbildungen der Indogermanischen Neutra, p. 247. Macdonell translates, ' as in a smelting furnace/

Verse 6.

Note 1. The poet, who has begun his sentence in the first person singular (' may I '), goes on in the plural.

Verse 7.
Note 1. ' He,' i. e. Agni, or ' it,5 i. e. the wealth ?

p. 389

p. 10p. 2i. Agni, bring us the mightiest splendour, O liberal one * ! With wealth and plenty cleave a path for us to booty.

2. Thou, O wonderful Agni, (protect) us, through thy power of mind, through the bounteousness of thy strength. Upon thee mysterious power has entered. (Thou art) indeed x like worshipful Mitra.

3. Thou, O Agni, increase for our sake the dominion and the prosperity of those liberal givers, (of those) men who have accomplished liberalities (towards us) for our songs of praise.

4. They who adorn prayers for thee, O bright Agni, the givers of horses1: those men are powerful in their power, whose glory awakes by itself (shining) more mightily than even the sky 2.

5. Those shining flames of thine, Agni, go fiercely along, like lightnings (flashing) around the earth, like a thundering chariot bent on victory.

6. Now then, Agni, (come) for our protection, and for the reward of the urgent (worshipper)! May our liberal patrons pass across 1 all regions 2 !

7. Thou, O Agni, Angiras, who hast been praised and who art being praised, bring us, O Hotrz, wealth which overpowers (even) skilful men, to thy praisers, and thou shalt be praised by us. And help us to grow strong in fights \

p. 390

NOTES.

The same Rtshu Metre, Anush/ubh (verses 4, 7, Pahkti). — Verse i = SV. I, 81. The hymn seems to stand parallel with V, 9.

Verse 1.

Note 1. On adhrigo, compare above, III, 31, 4, note 1

(P. a84).

Verse 2.
Note 1. Kra#£ : see I, 58, 3, note 1 (p. 47) ; von Bradke,
Dyâus Asura, p. 35 ; Pischel, Vedische Studien, I, 71.

Verse 4.

Note 1. Sumbhanti &rva-râdhasa^ ; see X, 21, 3.

Note 2. On the ablative dependent on a positive, compare Speijer, Sanskrit Syntax, p. 78, and see also Delbruck, Grundriss der vergleichenden Grammatik (Brugmann), III, 1, 216; Pischel, Gottinger Gelehrte Anzeigen, 1884, 509.

Verse 6.

Note 1. On the use of this infinitive, see Delbruck, Altindische Syntax, p. 416.

Note 2. The last Pada is identical with IV, 37, 7.

Verse 7.

78, and see also
Delbruck, Grundriss der vergleichenden Grammatik
(Brugmann), III, 1, 216; Pischel, Gottinger Gelehrte
Anzeigen, 1884, 509.

Verse 6.

Note 1. On the use of this infinitive, see Delbruck, Altindische Syntax, p. 416.

Note 2. The last Pada is identical with IV, 37, 7.

Verse 7.

Note 1. The last words are identical with those of V, 9,
16, 17.

p. 391

p. 11p. 3i. The guardian of people, the watchful one, Agni, the highly dexterous, has been born, for the sake of new welfare. With ghrzta on his face, with his mighty, heaven-touching (light) he, the bright one, brilliantly shines for the Bharatas.

2. Agni, the beacon of sacrifice, the first Purohita1 men have kindled in the threefold abode 2. (Driving) on the same chariot with Indra and with the gods, he, the highly wise Hotrz, has sat down on the Barhis for sacrificing.

3. Though not cleansed, thou art born bright from thy two mothers1. Thou hast arisen as the joygiving sage belonging to Vivasvant 2. They have strengthened thee by ghrz'ta, O Agni, into whom oblations are poured. Smoke, reaching the sky, has become thy beacon.

4. May Agni straightway come to our sacrifice.
Men carry Agni here and there, house by house.
Agni has become the messenger, the carrier of
oblations. Choosing Agni they choose a thoughtful
(god).

5. For thee, O Agni, is this sweetest speech, for thee this prayer ; may this one do thy heart good 1 ! The prayers fill thee with power and strengthen thee, like great rivers the Sindhu.

6. Thee, O Agni, who wert hidden, dwelling here and there in every wood, the Ahgiras have discovered 1. Thus thou art born, produced by attrition, a mighty force. Thee, O Ahgiras, they call the son of strength.

p. 392

NOTES.

The Rishi is Sutambhara Atreya, the metre Ga.ga.ti. —
Verses i, 6, 2 = SV. II, 257-259; TS, IV, 4, 4, 2-3.
Verses 1, 6, 5 = MS. II, 13, 7. Verses 1, 6 = VS. XV,
27-28. Verse 3 = TB. II, 4, 3> 3-

Verse 2.

Note 1. This Pâda is identical with the first Pada of X,
122, 4.

Note 2. The three sacrificial fires are alluded to.

Verse 3.

Note 1. The two kindling-sticks.

Note 2. Vivasvata^ is genitive, not ablative, as Pischel, Vedische Studien, I, 241, believes. Agni opens his earthlycareer by doing service at the sacrifice of Vivasvant, i. e. originally, in my opinion, the first man. Comp. H. O., Religion des Veda, p. 122.

Verse 5.

Note 1. On the curious spelling manisha iyam in the Sa^hitd text, instead of manisheyam, see the Rig-veda PratLsakhya 163 ; H. O., Prolegomena, p. 386.

Verse 6.

Note 1. The ancestors of the priestly tribes, being the first priests themselves, discover Agni.

p. 393

p. 12p. 4

O., Prolegomena, p. 386.

Verse 6.

Note 1. The ancestors of the priestly tribes, being the first priests themselves, discover Agni.

p. 393

p. 12p. 4i. To the mighty, sacrificial Agni, to the bull of jRita.1, the Asura, I bring this prayer and this song, which is turned towards him, to (him) the bull, as well-clarified ghrzta. (is poured) into his mouth at the sacrifice.

2. O knower of /?2ta, know the 7?zta ! Bore for many streams of Rita., I (do) not (serve) a Yatu * by violence nor by falsehood ; I serve the 7?zta of the red bull 2.

3. How, O Agni, performing the i?zta through i?zta, mayst thou become a witness of our newest1 hymn ? The god, the protector of the seasons, knows of my seasons 2. I (do) not (know another) lord but him who attains (for us) this wealth.

4. Who, O Agni, are thy fetterers to (fetter) the impostor 1 ? What brilliant guardians were successful ? Who, O Agni, drink the drink of falsehood ? Who are the protectors of untrue speech ?

5. These friends of thine, O Agni, turning themselves from (thee) 1, they who had been kind, have become unkind. They have harmed themselves by their own speeches, uttering wrong words to the righteous.

6. He who magnifies thy sacrifice, O Agni, by adoration, and serves l the i?zta of the red bull : may a large, good dwelling come to *him, to the offspring of the advancing Nahusha.

p. 394

NOTES.

The same Rishi ; the metre is Trish/ubh. — No verse of this hymn occurs in the other Sa^hitas.

Verse 1.

Note 1. The genitive rztasya seems to depend on vrhhne, not on manma. On the connection of Agni with the Rita, see Bergaigne, III, 229 seq. ; H.O., Religion des Veda, 201.

Verse 2.
Note 1. A bad demon.
Note 2. Of Agni.

Verse 3.

Note 1. I think that navya^ stands for navyasa^. Thus Ludwig translates : ' des neuen liedes.' It seems evident that it is not the nominative of navya, 'praiseworthy' (Bohtlingk-Roth, Grassmann).

Note 2. Probably we ought to read rz'tapa ritanam.
Cf. IV, 23, 4. deva^ bhuvat navedM me rztanam, and see
III, 20, 4, note 1 (above, p. 282). The translation will be :
' The god, the protector of Rita, knows of my (deeds of)
Rite.'

Verse 4.

Note 1. Or ripava^ ? ' Who, O Agni, are the impostors who fetter thee ? '

Verse 5.

Note 1. On vfshu/za^, compare V, 34, 6 : asunvata^ vishunak sunvata^ vridhak.

Verse 6.

Note 1. The second verse (ritam sapâmi arushasya vrhYmak) shows with evidence that for sa pati we ought to read sapati (see Roth, Kuhn's Zeitschrift, XXVI, 49, and compare on the expression ritam sap, Geldner, Vedische Studien, II, 135).

p. 395

MAMPALA V, HYMN 13.
ASHTAKA IV, ADHYAYA 1, VARGA 5.

i. Praising we call 1 thee ; praising let us kindle l thee, Agni, praising, for thy help.

2. Desirous of riches, we devise to-day an effective song of praise, of Agni the heaven-touching god \