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V, 12

*
"Vedic Hymns, Part Ii (sbe46)\", by Hermann Oldenberg [1897],

p. 393

Ma
\"N"D"Ala V, Hymn 12.

Ash
\"T"Aka Iv, Adhyya 1, Varga 4.

1.
To the mighty, sacrificial Agni, to the bull of "Ri"ta 1, the Asura, I bring this prayer and this song, which is turned towards him, to (him) the bull, as well-clarified gh"ri"ta (is poured) into his mouth at the sacrifice.

2. O
knower of "Ri"ta, know the "Ri"ta! Bore for many streams of "Ri"ta. I (do) not (serve) a Ytu 1 by violence nor by falsehood; I serve the "Ri"ta of the red bull 2.

3.
How, O Agni, performing the "Ri"ta through "Ri"ta, mayst thou become a witness of our newest 1 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 1 the "Ri"ta of the red bull: may a large, good dwelling come to him, to the offspring of the advancing Nahusha.

p. 394

Notes.

The same "Ri"shi; the metre is Trish"t"ubh.--No verse of this hymn occurs in the other Sa"m"hits.

Verse 1.

Note 1. The genitive "ri"tsya seems to depend on v"r"sh"n"e, not on mnma. On the connection of Agni with the "Ri"ta, 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 nvya"h" stands for nvyasa"h". Thus Ludwig translates: 'des neuen liedes.' It seems evident that it is not the nominative of nvya, 'praiseworthy' (Bhtlingk-Roth, Grassmann).

Note 2. Probably we ought to read "ri"tap "ri"tnm. Cf. Iv, 23, 4. dev"h" bhuvat nved"h" me ritnm, and see Iii, 20, 4, note 1 (above, p. 282). The translation will be: 'The god, the protector of "Ri"ta, knows of my (deeds of) "Ri"ta.'

Verse 4.

Note 1. Or ripva"h"? 'Who, O Agni, are the impostors who fetter thee?'

Verse 5.

Note 1. On vshu"n"h", compare V, 34, 6: sunvata"h" vshu"n"a"h" sunvat"h" v"ri"dh"h".

Verse 6.

Note 1. The second verse ("ri"tm sapmi arushsya v"r"sh"n"a"h") shows with evidence that for s pti we ought to read spti (see Roth, Kuhn's Zeitschrift, Xxvi, 49, and compare on the expression "ri"tam sap, Geldner, Vedische Studien, Ii, 135).
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