Iv, 15
*
"Vedic Hymns, Part Ii (sbe46)\", by Hermann Oldenberg [1897],
p. 360
Ma\"N"D"Ala Iv, Hymn 15.
Ash\"T"Aka Iii, Adhyya 5, Varga 15-16.
1. Agni, the Hot"ri", he who is a strong horse, is led around at our sacrifice, the god worshipful among the gods.
2. Agni goes thrice 1 around the sacrifice, like a charioteer, conveying the enjoyment 2 to the gods.
3. Agni, the lord of booty, the sage, has circumambulated the oblations, bestowing treasures on the worshipper.
4. This (is the Agni) who is kindled in the front for Devavta's son, the S"ri"g"aya 1, the brilliant (god), the deceiver of foes.
5. May the strong mortal be the master of this (god), of an Agni like this, with sharp teeth and bountiful.
6 1. Him they clean day by day like a racer that wins (booty), like (Soma), the red young child of Heaven 2.
7. When Sahadeva's son, the prince, thought of me with two bay horses 1, I rose up like one who is called.
8. And immediately I accepted from Sahadeva's son, the prince, those adorable two bay horses which he offered me.
9. May this prince Somaka, Sahadeva's son, live long, for your sake, O divine A"s"vins!
10. Give long life, O divine A"s"vins, to this son of Sahadeva, the prince!
p. 361
Notes.
The same "Ri"shi. Metre, Gyatr.--Verses 1-3 = Tb. Iii, 6, 4, 1; Ms. Iv, 13, 4. Verse 3 = Sv. I, 30; Vs. Xi, 25; Ts. Iv, 1, 2, 5; Ms. I, 1, 9.
The first three verses are characterised by the constant allusions to Agni's being carried around, and, in connection therewith, by the frequent repetition of the preposition pari. Probably these verses formed an independent T"ri"k"a-hymn, the position of which would be according to the laws of arrangement of the Sa"m"hit; this T"ri"k"a seems, consequently, to belong to the original collection of hymns. The verses 4-10, on the other hand, or at least the verses 7-10, would seem to be a later addition; the verses 4-6 can be considered as a T"ri"k"a belonging to the original Sa"m"hit, though in this case it is difficult to explain why the verses 7-10, which do not contain any reference to Agni, have been inserted here at the end of the series of Agni hymns. Another argument against the separation of the verses 4-6 from the rest of the Skta is the mention of the prince S"ri"g"aya in verse 4: verses 7-10 refer to a prince Somaka Shadevya, and we know from the Aitareya Brhma"n"a (vii, 34, cf. "S"atapatha Brhma"n"a Ii, 4, 4, 4) that this prince also belonged to the S"ri"g"aya tribe.
Verse 2.
Note 1. Cf. above, Iv, 6, 4.
Note 2. I. e. the offering which the gods enjoy.
Verse 4.
Note 1. This S"ri"g"aya Daivavta is mentioned also in Vi, 27, 7.
Verse 6.
Note 1. The first Pda of this verse is identical with the first Pda of Viii, 102, 12.
p. 362
Note 2. The red young child of Heaven seems to be the Soma. The Soma frequently is called arush ('red'), and is said to be cleansed by men; in Ix, 33, 5; 38, 5, the expression div"h s"s"u"h" ('the young child of Heaven') is used with regard to him.
Verse 7.
Note 1. I. e. when he thought of presenting me with the two horses.
"Vedic Hymns, Part Ii (sbe46)\", by Hermann Oldenberg [1897],
p. 360
Ma\"N"D"Ala Iv, Hymn 15.
Ash\"T"Aka Iii, Adhyya 5, Varga 15-16.
1. Agni, the Hot"ri", he who is a strong horse, is led around at our sacrifice, the god worshipful among the gods.
2. Agni goes thrice 1 around the sacrifice, like a charioteer, conveying the enjoyment 2 to the gods.
3. Agni, the lord of booty, the sage, has circumambulated the oblations, bestowing treasures on the worshipper.
4. This (is the Agni) who is kindled in the front for Devavta's son, the S"ri"g"aya 1, the brilliant (god), the deceiver of foes.
5. May the strong mortal be the master of this (god), of an Agni like this, with sharp teeth and bountiful.
6 1. Him they clean day by day like a racer that wins (booty), like (Soma), the red young child of Heaven 2.
7. When Sahadeva's son, the prince, thought of me with two bay horses 1, I rose up like one who is called.
8. And immediately I accepted from Sahadeva's son, the prince, those adorable two bay horses which he offered me.
9. May this prince Somaka, Sahadeva's son, live long, for your sake, O divine A"s"vins!
10. Give long life, O divine A"s"vins, to this son of Sahadeva, the prince!
p. 361
Notes.
The same "Ri"shi. Metre, Gyatr.--Verses 1-3 = Tb. Iii, 6, 4, 1; Ms. Iv, 13, 4. Verse 3 = Sv. I, 30; Vs. Xi, 25; Ts. Iv, 1, 2, 5; Ms. I, 1, 9.
The first three verses are characterised by the constant allusions to Agni's being carried around, and, in connection therewith, by the frequent repetition of the preposition pari. Probably these verses formed an independent T"ri"k"a-hymn, the position of which would be according to the laws of arrangement of the Sa"m"hit; this T"ri"k"a seems, consequently, to belong to the original collection of hymns. The verses 4-10, on the other hand, or at least the verses 7-10, would seem to be a later addition; the verses 4-6 can be considered as a T"ri"k"a belonging to the original Sa"m"hit, though in this case it is difficult to explain why the verses 7-10, which do not contain any reference to Agni, have been inserted here at the end of the series of Agni hymns. Another argument against the separation of the verses 4-6 from the rest of the Skta is the mention of the prince S"ri"g"aya in verse 4: verses 7-10 refer to a prince Somaka Shadevya, and we know from the Aitareya Brhma"n"a (vii, 34, cf. "S"atapatha Brhma"n"a Ii, 4, 4, 4) that this prince also belonged to the S"ri"g"aya tribe.
Verse 2.
Note 1. Cf. above, Iv, 6, 4.
Note 2. I. e. the offering which the gods enjoy.
Verse 4.
Note 1. This S"ri"g"aya Daivavta is mentioned also in Vi, 27, 7.
Verse 6.
Note 1. The first Pda of this verse is identical with the first Pda of Viii, 102, 12.
p. 362
Note 2. The red young child of Heaven seems to be the Soma. The Soma frequently is called arush ('red'), and is said to be cleansed by men; in Ix, 33, 5; 38, 5, the expression div"h s"s"u"h" ('the young child of Heaven') is used with regard to him.
Verse 7.
Note 1. I. e. when he thought of presenting me with the two horses.
