* At Kaus. 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-Européenne, p. 315 ff.
Stanza l.
In Pada d the Tait. Br. reads nak 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 Kaus. 49, 18, in a witchcraft-practice to a sinking ship.
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 2b. 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 svadusaszmudak conveys between the lines the prayer, ‘so that they (the people) shall be de- lighted with the sweet gifts of royalty.’
Cf. XIIi, 3, 26 d, and the introduction, for the allitera- tions in Pada a. The Taittiriya version of Pada c, tabhi* samrabdho avidat shad urvi#, 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.’
The present stanza, together with 4 a, b, exhibits a very pronounced allusion to practices akin to the ragastya ; cf. the dig-vydsthapana-mantraZ, 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 abhayagava of the Ganamala, Ath. Paris. 32, 12 (Kaus. 16, 8, note).
664 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
The Taittirtya version again has the mark of priority (aga ékapad for aga ékapddah). The aga ékapad is cer- tainly the sun; cf. Tait. Br. III, 1, 2, 8, ‘the one-footed goat (with double entente, “driver,” and again, “non-born ”?) has risen in the east, delighting all gods; at his urging all the gods go.’ Cf. the note at XI, 4, 21.
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
vatiants, Tait bry 11/2;.5, 2,
d. Repeated at RV. X, 123, 8d, where the Pada appears to be secondary, since the word rip&zi, supplied here from Pada b, is there wanting. Cf. similarly the inferiority of RV. VI,.58; 1-2 to Tait, Arch 10,1 (a).
ec. tva is metrically superfluous, and hardens the sense. Without it, ‘he shall not abandon me, lest I abandon (him).’ Our rendering of nathitd, ‘when implored,’ is uncertain: ordinarily (e.g. III, 1, 2) it means ‘in distress.” The sense would then be, ‘may I not in distress abandon thee.’
ce. Repeated in st. 37d. The rendering is conjectural
owing to the obscurity of the word magmani, which occurs
here only. Cf. RV. I, 143, 4.
e. I am inclined to think that Ludwig is correct in
emending the dz. Aey. ushvihakshardé to ushzihaksharo =
ushviha aksharo, and in rendering aksharo by om (the
prazava); cf. Sankh. Sr. I, 1, 36 (prazavo ye yagdmahe
vasha¢karah). For other suggestions, cf. Henry’s careful
discussion in his note (l.c., p. 27 ff.).
+ Cf. Bergaigne, La Religion Védique, III, 23.
Xi, I. Commentary. 665
The five stanzas beginning here are rubricated at the godana-ceremony, the trimming of the youth’s beard at the time of puberty, Kaus. 54, 10. Their connection with the rest of the hymn is problematic. In stanza 18d Rohita, as a variant of Agni in 17d, is mentioned, and this alone may have induced the diaskeuasts to place the entire series here.
This and the next two stanzas exhibit the word vaaspati. They, along with other stanzas containing the same word, are known in the ritual (Kaus. 41, 15) as vakaspatilinga/ (sc. szkah), and are employed at practices designed to ensure gain in business, while addressing the rising sun.
d. The word paramesh/Zin seems to refer for the nonce to the young man, who, during the moment of his consecra- tion, assumes in the exorbitant language of his environment the rdle of the lord on high.
According to the Index Verborum the MSS. read nau for no (both times ?).
Here begin the stanzas devoted to Rohizi. Cf. RV. I, 39,6; VIII, 7,28. Both these passages have the nomi- native rohitaz, so that he himself appears as the side horse, the speckled mares or cows of the sky being the main draught-animals. The Atharvan form smacks of adapta- tion, decidedly. For, apparently, Rohita is here in the car, and the speckled female is the side-horse. The gloss on this stanza, Kaus. 24, 42. 43, which states distinctly that rohita is the sun, pr¢shati the sky (dyu), conceives of the latter as a cow’, rather than a mare, as one would expect in the case of the female of the red steed. This is quite
' The stanza is cited by the Ath. Paddhau (haus. 19, 1, note), as one of the push/ika mantra/.
666 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
in accord with the usual description of the dawn; cf. RV. | Pee Be Fee oa RsP ey Bea 5 6 ey
The word sari, very common as a masculine, is here, and here alone, feminine’ It seems chosen, with conscious straining, for the purpose of alluding to Saryda, the female of the sun. We should not forget in this connection the fact that there is another Rohizi, the constellation of that name, corresponding to another male divinity of light, the moon 3. see: Tait..5.1])-3, 5, 138 Dait. Br FL, 15120 eee also Tait.S.1I,1,7,7). It is not unlikely that the existence of one of these pairs stimulated the completion of the other. These notions are plastic, and elusive in their multiplicity.
Cf. the similar mantra, Vait. Sa. 36, 27. For a possible relation of this stanza and the rohivi-episode of the hymn to a certain part of the ceremonies at the horse-sacrifice, see our above-cited essay, p. 435 ff.
This and the next stanza are recited at the /itrakarma,
a rite designed to procure prosperity, during the full moon
of the month faitra ; see Kaus. 18, 25.
Addressed at the 4gyatantra, Kaus. 137, 10, to him that constructs the fire-altar (vedi). The adjectives payasvatiwz,
&c., refer doubtless primarily to the earth, the cosmic altar (ely Stay,
b. For utptpanam, cf. our discussion, l.c., 441 ff.
ce. The Paippalada reads rasmibhizZ for dasmana; this
suggests rasmina, ‘with his ray, but the singular instru-
mental is rare, and in this connection doubtful.
Xiii, I. Commentary. 667
The Virag is another personification of the shining female heaven (dawn), and the male sun is viewed here as her calf rather than her husband. The ‘bull of prayers’ again must refer to the sun: it seems to mean ‘he to whom prayers are chiefly directed,’ a conception which is fortified imme- diately by the epithet sukraprzshzha, which I take to be an equivalent of sémaprzshtha (st. 12). In Padac it would seem natural to read ghrzténaktam, ‘anointed with ghee, for ghvzténarkam, establishing thus a certain balance be- tween this expression and brahma sdntam in Pada d. But the construction of abhi ark with two accusatives is secure, Sev Vil, 14,1 5 72,1; and at Tait. Br. 115°8,°8, 9c -we have, tam arkair abhy arfantivatsam. Each reading seems equally good under the circumstances.
Stanza 39.
d. The Paippalada reads vipasyantam for vipaskitam ;
the reading is not favoured by the metre, and:seems in
every way inferior.
Stanza 40.
a. The text as it stands can hardly be sustained. The
Paippalada reads, devo devam arfayasi. Henry, without
a knowledge of this, emends to devo devan arkayasi; cf.
our remarks, l.c., p. 437. We have finally accepted this in
our rendering: the extant Saunakiya reading must have
arisen on the basis of the reading devéd devammmarkayasi
with anticipatory anusvara.
A cosmic charade (brahmodyam)=AV. IX, 9, 17, and RV. I, 164,17 (with the variant antd/ for asmin in Pada d). The subject of the riddle is the dawn. Her calf is the sun, as in st. 33. The disappearance of the dawn at sunrise is depicted prettily, though rather mystically in the second hemistich. The meaning of Pada d is that though a cow she does not beget her calf in this earthly herd: her calf
668 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
is heavenly. Cf. Haug, Vedische Rathselfragen und Rath-
selspriiche, p. 24, for other explanations that seem to us
decidedly strained.
Another, profoundly mystic, charade, essentially identical with IX, 10, 21 and RV. I, 164, 41. Whatever the inde- pendent solution may be (cf. Haug, l.c., p. 47 ff.), the presence of the stanza here seems to be in some way due to the word pada in 41 b. There the word indicates the part of the body; here, with characteristic jugglery, the metrical ‘foot.’ The varying light or rays (feet) of the dawn may have suggested the metres with their varying feet, even if the brahmodyam was not really constructed primarily with a view to the answer ‘dawn. It has at any rate no direct bearing upon Rohita, and seems to appear here by way of expanding the laudation of the female divinity of the preceding stanza.
Stanza 45.
Beginning here Stirya appears in the rdle of a cosmic sacrificer, and the elements of the sacrifice familiar in the liturgies are boldly projected into the visible universe. With all the extravagance of the fancies they are on the whole intelligible, and at times not wanting in beauty.
Stanza 56.
Employed at Kaus. 49, 26 in a conjuration against an
enemy. Pada b, pi apds tov iAov durxetv, Hes. "Epya xat
NMepar 725,
XIX, 26. COMMENTARY TO PAGE 63.
The hymn is not employed in the Kausika!. It is quoted
by Sayava from the Santikalpa 177, as follows: agnes
pragatam iti suktena agneyim agnibhaye sarvakamasya fa.
This Sayava expounds, iti vihitayam agneyyakhyayam
' Cf. Kausika, Introduction, p. xl. * Sayama regularly substitutes Nakshatrakalpa for Santikalpa.
Xix, 34. Commentary. 669
mahasantau hirazyanirmitasz kuzdaladikam abhimantrya badhniyat. According to this he who is afraid of fire, or desires everything in general, performs ‘the great rite of con- secration for Agni, and puts on earrings and so forth, made of gold.’ For mahdasanti, see Kaus. 39, 273 43,53 44, 6: 46, 7, and the note on Kaus. 9, 5. Sadyavza further quotes Santikalpa 19, in which the hymn is again rubricated : agned pragatam pari yad dhiravyam iti hirazvyam agney- yam, and comments, karvzamadhye /idravad dhirazya- kuzdalam ity arthaz. Once more the hymn is rubricated in the Tulapurusha, Ath. Paris. 11, 1, along with other mantras: agne gobhi/, agnesbhyavartin (Kaus. 72, 13). agne/ pragatam iti saszpatan udapatra aniya sbhishekakala- seshu ninayet. The performances are secondary throughout. © The hymn has been translated by Grill*, pp. 49, 192; the Anukramavi designates it as Agneyam hairazyam.
avipastBr:3, 4; 7, 4: Apast. Sf. Al Vyit, 2. In Padact
enam refers either to mavzi or some other masculine designa-
tion of a jewel. Sayava, hiravyartipam padartham arhati.
For pragdvanto manava/, see Bhagavadgita X, 6. The majority of the MSS. read ishiré for ishiré, and Whitney, Index Verborum, and Roots of the Sanskrit Language, seems to derive the word from ish, ‘send.’ Sdyama, ishire pra- ptavantat.
XIX, 34. COMMENTARY TO PAGE 38.
The hymns, AV. XIX, 34 and 35, are not rubricated in either of the Sadtras, Kausika or Vaitana, and this is in accordance with the general character of the nineteenth book as a paralipomenon in the text of the Saunaka school ; see Kausika. Introduction, p. xl ff. According to the Santi- kalpa 17 and 1g, both hymns are employed in a mahasanti, ‘great consecration’ (cf. Kaus. 9, 6, note), pertaining to Vayu, the wind. In reference to this Sdyawa has the fol-
670 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. lowing: pa#kamesnuvake dvadasa siktani, tatra ‘ gangido ssi’ iti prathamadvitiyabhyas stiktabhyam ‘vayavyam vatavatyAydm ’! iti (Santikalpa 17°) vihitayam vayavya- khyAyd4m mahasantau gangidavrikshanirmitas mazim ba- dhniyat, tatha nakshatrakalpe (! for santikalpe) sitritam, ‘“vatage gatahk” (IV, Io) iti sankhaw varuzyd4m, “gangido ssi gangido rakshitassi” (XIX, 34) iti gangidam vayavy- Ayam’ iti (Santikalpa 19). A number of stanzas have been commented upon by Zimmer, Altindisches Leben: see the
index, p. 457. Stanza l.