Iv, 3
*
"Vedic Hymns, Part Ii (sbe46)\", by Hermann Oldenberg [1897],
p. 325
Ma\"N"D"Ala Iv, Hymn 3.
Ash\"T"Aka Iii, Adhyya 4, Varga 20-22.
1. Draw Rudra hither for your protection 1, the king of sacrifice, the truly sacrificing Hot"ri" of the two worlds 2, the golden-coloured Agni, before the unseen thunderbolt (strikes you).
2. This is the home which we have prepared for thee as a well-dressed, loving wife (prepares the marriage-bed) for her husband 1. Directed hitherward, dressed (in offerings and prayers?) 2 sit down. These (sacrificial ladles or prayers?) are turned towards thee, O most skilful one 3!
3. To him who hears us, who is not proud, who beholds men, to the merciful, immortal god recite a prayer, O worshipper, a hymn--(to Agni) whom the presser (of Soma), the Madhu-presser, magnifies like the pressing-stone 1.
4. Thou who art well-intentioned, give heed to this our toiling 1, to this "Ri"ta 2, O observer of "Ri"ta! When will our hymns share in thy rejoicings? When will our friendship dwell in thy house?
5. How wilt thou, O Agni, before Varu"n"a, and how wilt thou, and which sin of ours wilt thou blame before Dyaus? How wilt thou speak to bountiful Mitra, to the Earth? What (wilt thou say) to Aryaman, to Bhaga?
6. What wilt thou say, O Agni, when thou hast grown strong on the Dhish"n"ya altars 1? What to strong Vta who goes forward in triumph 2? To the Nsatya 3 who goes round the earth 4, to 5? What, O Agni, to Rudra, the man-killer?
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7. How (wilt thou speak) to great Pshan who brings prosperity? What (wilt thou say) to martial Rudra, the giver of offerings 1? What sin 2 wilt thou announce to wide-ruling Vish"n"u, what, O Agni, to the mighty weapon (of the gods)?
8. How wilt thou answer, when thou art asked, to the righteous 1 host of the Maruts? How to the mighty Sun, to the quick Aditi 2? Accomplish thy work, O "G"tavedas, thou who knowest the Heaven!
9. I magnify 1 the "Ri"ta of the cow 2 ruled by "Ri"ta and also by the raw one 3, the honey-sweet, ripe (milk), O Agni. Though being black this (cow) swells of bright drink, of 4 milk.
10. With "Ri"ta indeed, with the milk of the back 1, the bull has been anointed, Agni the man. Without trembling he moved on bestowing his vigour. The speckled bull has poured out his bright udder 2.
11 1. By the "Ri"ta the Agiras have broken the rock and cleft it asunder; they have shouted together with the cows. Prosperously the men have surrounded 2 the Dawn. The Sun appeared when Agni (the fire) had been born 3.
12. By the "Ri"ta the immortal, uninjured 1 goddesses, the Waters, O Agni, with their honey-sweet waves have sped forward 2 for ever to flow (along their course), like a racer incited by shouting when (the race-horses) are let loose.
13. Go never on thy crooked way to the spirit (which avenges the guilt) of anybody 1, of a vassal who has trespassed, or of a friend. Require not (of us),a sinful brother's debt 2. May we not have to suffer under the spirit which avenges a friend's or a (hostile) deceiver's guilt 3.
p. 327
14. Protect us, O Agni, with all thy protection, thou who art protected, O martial one 1, and art gladdened (by us). Sparkle forth, and destroy even strong evil! Slay the Rakshas even though it has grown large.
15. Be gracious, O Agni, through these our hymns. Touch, O hero, this wealth moved by our prayers. And accept, O Agiras, our sacred words. May the praise, beloved by the gods, resound to thee 1.
16. I, the priest, have rehearsed to thee the omniscient one, O Agni, worshipper (of the gods), all these songs, these inmost words, these recitations and words of wisdom, to thee the wise one, with prayers and hymns.
Notes.
The same "Ri"shi and metre.--Verse 1 = Sv. I, 69; Ts. I, 3, 14, 1; Tb. Ii, 8, 6, 9; Ms. Iv, 11, 4. Verse 6 = Ms. Iv, 11, 4.
Verse 1.
Note 1. On the identification of Agni with Rudra, comp. Bergaigne, Rel. Vdique, Iii, 36; von Bradke, Dyus Asura, p. 54 (Rig-veda I, 27, 10; Iii, 2, 5; Viii, 72, 3).
Note 2. The second Pda of this verse is identical with Vi, 16, 46.
Verse 2.
Note 1. Cf. Hirzel, Gleichnisse and Metaphern im Rigveda, p. 69.
Note 2. On privta"h" Sya"n"a remarks, yash"t"avyadevais te"g"obhir v parivta"h". In the commentary on I, 128, 1, on the other hand, he says, "ri"tvigbhi"h" paridhibhir v parito vesh"t"ita"h".
p. 328
Note 3. I take su-apka as a compound of su and a-pka (comp. V"g". Sa"m"h. Xx, 44 = Taitt. Br. Ii, 6, 8, 4 = Maitr. Sa"m"h. Iii, 11, 1, where Tvash"t"ri" is called apk"h"). In Rig-veda Vi, 11, 4 we read: didyutat s pka"h" vibhv; in Vi, 12, 2. ysmin tv s pke ya"g"atra, &c. Should we not correct in both passages suapka"h", suapke?
Verse 3.
Note 1. The pressing-stone (grvan) is frequently considered as speaking, as praising the gods. Cf. Hillebrandt, Vedische Mythologie, I, p. 152 sq.
Verse 4.
Note 1. The Padap"th"a has "s"myai. I think it should be "s"my"h".
Note 2. I. e. to this sacrifice, which is considered as one of the chief manifestations of "Ri"ta. See H. O., Religion des Veda, p. 197.
Verse 6.
Note 1. At the Soma sacrifice fire burns on eight altars called Dhish"n"ya; see Weber, Indische Studien, X, pp. 366, 375.
Note 2. See vol. xxxii, p. 164.
Note 3. This is the only passage in the Rig-veda in which nsatya occurs in the singular.
Note 4. On pri"g"man, cf. above, I, 79, 3 note.
Note 5. Ksh (cf. Lanman, pp. 440, 448, 534) is evidently corrupt. But neither Bollensen's conjecture, uksh"n", nor those of Ludwig ("k"akshe, yakshe), carry conviction.
Verse 7.
Note 1. It is very strange to find Rudra here designated as 'giver of offerings.' But it seems too bold to explain havi"h"-d as a dative of havi"h"-d ('eater of offerings').
Note 2. I read with Grassmann rpa"h" ('sin') for rta"h" ('sperm').
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Verse 8.
Note 1. The text has "ri"tya, used as an adjective (see Bergaigne, Rel. Vdique, Iii, 216).
Note 2. Aditi is masculine and seems to be an epithet ('unrestrained, free') of the Sun. Cf. vol. xxxii, p. 262; Bergaigne, Iii, 92. Probably at the same time the word is intended to allude to the goddess Aditi.
Verse 9.
Note 1. The text has "l"e, on which Ludwig says, 'so viel wie n"l"e.' "l"e of course cannot be the same as n"l"e, but should we not conjecture n"l"? Cf. above, Iv, 1, 11. v"ri"shabhsya n"l", and Iv, 1, 12. \"ri"tsya yn v"ri"shabhsya n"l". The translation would be, 'By "Ri"ta the "Ri"ta is restrained in the nest of the cow.'
Note 2. The '"Ri"ta of the cow,' if the reading is correct (see note 1), seems to be the milk.
Note 3. The 'raw one' is the cow as opposed to the ripe milk.
Note 4. The meaning of "g"marya ( ) is unknown. Cf. Bergaigne. Ii, 398, note 1. Sya"n"a reads "g" amarye"n"a. 'I should prefer "g" amartyena.' M. M.
Verse 10.
Note 1. Does this mean, with the milk that comes from the ridge of heaven? Cf. Iv, 20, 4. sm ndhas mamada"h" p"ri"sh"th"yena.
Note 2. This Pda seems to be an imitation of Vi, 66, 1, where P"ri"s"ni ('the speckled one') is the mother of the Maruts: sak"r"t "s"ukrm duduhe p"ri"s"ni"h" dha"h". See vol. xxxii, p. 368.
Verse 11.
Note 1. Here we have again the same myth of the Agiras and the cows, to which so many allusions are found in the preceding hymns.
Note 2. The red cows of the myth are the dawns; the
p. 330
[paragraph continues] Agiras besiege the stronghold in which these cows are imprisoned.
Note 3. On the kindling of the fire as a charm by which the sun is made to rise, see H. O., Religion des Veda, p. 109 seq. The Agiras kindle the fire for performing their sacrifice; thereby they make the sun rise.
Verse 12.
Note 1. The same epithet is applied to the waters also in X, 104, 8.
Note 2. The optative dadhanyu"h" is very strange. Probably we ought to read dadhanvu"h".
Verse 13.
Note 1. The meaning seems to be that Agni is requested not to turn against the sacrificer a spirit which has to avenge the guilt committed by a third person. 'Why not read ya"g"am? Go not secretly to anybody's sacrifice, not of a hostile house, not of a friend. Do not require (of us) a sinful brother's debt. May we not feel the might of friend or foe.' M. M.
Note 2. Geldner (Ved. Studien II, 157) translates and interprets: 'tilge nicht, O Agni, die Schuld eines falschen Bruders,' nmlich die Schuld an die Manen, also dem Sinn nach 'mache ihn kinderlos.' This is quite unacceptable.
Note 3. The text is evidently corrupt. I propose to read: m skhyu"h" yakshm m rip"h" bhu"g"ema. Comp. V, 70, 4. m ksya adbhutakrat yakshm bhu"g"ema tanbhi"h".
Verse 14.
Note 1. I cannot adopt Bergaigne's opinion on smakha (Quarante Hymnes, p. 75).
Verse 15.
Note 1. Or, awake for thee.
"Vedic Hymns, Part Ii (sbe46)\", by Hermann Oldenberg [1897],
p. 325
Ma\"N"D"Ala Iv, Hymn 3.
Ash\"T"Aka Iii, Adhyya 4, Varga 20-22.
1. Draw Rudra hither for your protection 1, the king of sacrifice, the truly sacrificing Hot"ri" of the two worlds 2, the golden-coloured Agni, before the unseen thunderbolt (strikes you).
2. This is the home which we have prepared for thee as a well-dressed, loving wife (prepares the marriage-bed) for her husband 1. Directed hitherward, dressed (in offerings and prayers?) 2 sit down. These (sacrificial ladles or prayers?) are turned towards thee, O most skilful one 3!
3. To him who hears us, who is not proud, who beholds men, to the merciful, immortal god recite a prayer, O worshipper, a hymn--(to Agni) whom the presser (of Soma), the Madhu-presser, magnifies like the pressing-stone 1.
4. Thou who art well-intentioned, give heed to this our toiling 1, to this "Ri"ta 2, O observer of "Ri"ta! When will our hymns share in thy rejoicings? When will our friendship dwell in thy house?
5. How wilt thou, O Agni, before Varu"n"a, and how wilt thou, and which sin of ours wilt thou blame before Dyaus? How wilt thou speak to bountiful Mitra, to the Earth? What (wilt thou say) to Aryaman, to Bhaga?
6. What wilt thou say, O Agni, when thou hast grown strong on the Dhish"n"ya altars 1? What to strong Vta who goes forward in triumph 2? To the Nsatya 3 who goes round the earth 4, to 5? What, O Agni, to Rudra, the man-killer?
p. 326
7. How (wilt thou speak) to great Pshan who brings prosperity? What (wilt thou say) to martial Rudra, the giver of offerings 1? What sin 2 wilt thou announce to wide-ruling Vish"n"u, what, O Agni, to the mighty weapon (of the gods)?
8. How wilt thou answer, when thou art asked, to the righteous 1 host of the Maruts? How to the mighty Sun, to the quick Aditi 2? Accomplish thy work, O "G"tavedas, thou who knowest the Heaven!
9. I magnify 1 the "Ri"ta of the cow 2 ruled by "Ri"ta and also by the raw one 3, the honey-sweet, ripe (milk), O Agni. Though being black this (cow) swells of bright drink, of 4 milk.
10. With "Ri"ta indeed, with the milk of the back 1, the bull has been anointed, Agni the man. Without trembling he moved on bestowing his vigour. The speckled bull has poured out his bright udder 2.
11 1. By the "Ri"ta the Agiras have broken the rock and cleft it asunder; they have shouted together with the cows. Prosperously the men have surrounded 2 the Dawn. The Sun appeared when Agni (the fire) had been born 3.
12. By the "Ri"ta the immortal, uninjured 1 goddesses, the Waters, O Agni, with their honey-sweet waves have sped forward 2 for ever to flow (along their course), like a racer incited by shouting when (the race-horses) are let loose.
13. Go never on thy crooked way to the spirit (which avenges the guilt) of anybody 1, of a vassal who has trespassed, or of a friend. Require not (of us),a sinful brother's debt 2. May we not have to suffer under the spirit which avenges a friend's or a (hostile) deceiver's guilt 3.
p. 327
14. Protect us, O Agni, with all thy protection, thou who art protected, O martial one 1, and art gladdened (by us). Sparkle forth, and destroy even strong evil! Slay the Rakshas even though it has grown large.
15. Be gracious, O Agni, through these our hymns. Touch, O hero, this wealth moved by our prayers. And accept, O Agiras, our sacred words. May the praise, beloved by the gods, resound to thee 1.
16. I, the priest, have rehearsed to thee the omniscient one, O Agni, worshipper (of the gods), all these songs, these inmost words, these recitations and words of wisdom, to thee the wise one, with prayers and hymns.
Notes.
The same "Ri"shi and metre.--Verse 1 = Sv. I, 69; Ts. I, 3, 14, 1; Tb. Ii, 8, 6, 9; Ms. Iv, 11, 4. Verse 6 = Ms. Iv, 11, 4.
Verse 1.
Note 1. On the identification of Agni with Rudra, comp. Bergaigne, Rel. Vdique, Iii, 36; von Bradke, Dyus Asura, p. 54 (Rig-veda I, 27, 10; Iii, 2, 5; Viii, 72, 3).
Note 2. The second Pda of this verse is identical with Vi, 16, 46.
Verse 2.
Note 1. Cf. Hirzel, Gleichnisse and Metaphern im Rigveda, p. 69.
Note 2. On privta"h" Sya"n"a remarks, yash"t"avyadevais te"g"obhir v parivta"h". In the commentary on I, 128, 1, on the other hand, he says, "ri"tvigbhi"h" paridhibhir v parito vesh"t"ita"h".
p. 328
Note 3. I take su-apka as a compound of su and a-pka (comp. V"g". Sa"m"h. Xx, 44 = Taitt. Br. Ii, 6, 8, 4 = Maitr. Sa"m"h. Iii, 11, 1, where Tvash"t"ri" is called apk"h"). In Rig-veda Vi, 11, 4 we read: didyutat s pka"h" vibhv; in Vi, 12, 2. ysmin tv s pke ya"g"atra, &c. Should we not correct in both passages suapka"h", suapke?
Verse 3.
Note 1. The pressing-stone (grvan) is frequently considered as speaking, as praising the gods. Cf. Hillebrandt, Vedische Mythologie, I, p. 152 sq.
Verse 4.
Note 1. The Padap"th"a has "s"myai. I think it should be "s"my"h".
Note 2. I. e. to this sacrifice, which is considered as one of the chief manifestations of "Ri"ta. See H. O., Religion des Veda, p. 197.
Verse 6.
Note 1. At the Soma sacrifice fire burns on eight altars called Dhish"n"ya; see Weber, Indische Studien, X, pp. 366, 375.
Note 2. See vol. xxxii, p. 164.
Note 3. This is the only passage in the Rig-veda in which nsatya occurs in the singular.
Note 4. On pri"g"man, cf. above, I, 79, 3 note.
Note 5. Ksh (cf. Lanman, pp. 440, 448, 534) is evidently corrupt. But neither Bollensen's conjecture, uksh"n", nor those of Ludwig ("k"akshe, yakshe), carry conviction.
Verse 7.
Note 1. It is very strange to find Rudra here designated as 'giver of offerings.' But it seems too bold to explain havi"h"-d as a dative of havi"h"-d ('eater of offerings').
Note 2. I read with Grassmann rpa"h" ('sin') for rta"h" ('sperm').
p. 329
Verse 8.
Note 1. The text has "ri"tya, used as an adjective (see Bergaigne, Rel. Vdique, Iii, 216).
Note 2. Aditi is masculine and seems to be an epithet ('unrestrained, free') of the Sun. Cf. vol. xxxii, p. 262; Bergaigne, Iii, 92. Probably at the same time the word is intended to allude to the goddess Aditi.
Verse 9.
Note 1. The text has "l"e, on which Ludwig says, 'so viel wie n"l"e.' "l"e of course cannot be the same as n"l"e, but should we not conjecture n"l"? Cf. above, Iv, 1, 11. v"ri"shabhsya n"l", and Iv, 1, 12. \"ri"tsya yn v"ri"shabhsya n"l". The translation would be, 'By "Ri"ta the "Ri"ta is restrained in the nest of the cow.'
Note 2. The '"Ri"ta of the cow,' if the reading is correct (see note 1), seems to be the milk.
Note 3. The 'raw one' is the cow as opposed to the ripe milk.
Note 4. The meaning of "g"marya ( ) is unknown. Cf. Bergaigne. Ii, 398, note 1. Sya"n"a reads "g" amarye"n"a. 'I should prefer "g" amartyena.' M. M.
Verse 10.
Note 1. Does this mean, with the milk that comes from the ridge of heaven? Cf. Iv, 20, 4. sm ndhas mamada"h" p"ri"sh"th"yena.
Note 2. This Pda seems to be an imitation of Vi, 66, 1, where P"ri"s"ni ('the speckled one') is the mother of the Maruts: sak"r"t "s"ukrm duduhe p"ri"s"ni"h" dha"h". See vol. xxxii, p. 368.
Verse 11.
Note 1. Here we have again the same myth of the Agiras and the cows, to which so many allusions are found in the preceding hymns.
Note 2. The red cows of the myth are the dawns; the
p. 330
[paragraph continues] Agiras besiege the stronghold in which these cows are imprisoned.
Note 3. On the kindling of the fire as a charm by which the sun is made to rise, see H. O., Religion des Veda, p. 109 seq. The Agiras kindle the fire for performing their sacrifice; thereby they make the sun rise.
Verse 12.
Note 1. The same epithet is applied to the waters also in X, 104, 8.
Note 2. The optative dadhanyu"h" is very strange. Probably we ought to read dadhanvu"h".
Verse 13.
Note 1. The meaning seems to be that Agni is requested not to turn against the sacrificer a spirit which has to avenge the guilt committed by a third person. 'Why not read ya"g"am? Go not secretly to anybody's sacrifice, not of a hostile house, not of a friend. Do not require (of us) a sinful brother's debt. May we not feel the might of friend or foe.' M. M.
Note 2. Geldner (Ved. Studien II, 157) translates and interprets: 'tilge nicht, O Agni, die Schuld eines falschen Bruders,' nmlich die Schuld an die Manen, also dem Sinn nach 'mache ihn kinderlos.' This is quite unacceptable.
Note 3. The text is evidently corrupt. I propose to read: m skhyu"h" yakshm m rip"h" bhu"g"ema. Comp. V, 70, 4. m ksya adbhutakrat yakshm bhu"g"ema tanbhi"h".
Verse 14.
Note 1. I cannot adopt Bergaigne's opinion on smakha (Quarante Hymnes, p. 75).
Verse 15.
Note 1. Or, awake for thee.
