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V, 15

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

p. 399

Ma
\"N"D"Ala V, Hymn 15.

Ash
\"T"Aka Iv, Adhyya 1, Varga 7.

1. I
bring a prayer to the worshipper, the renowned sage, the glorious, ancient one. Agni is the highly gracious Asura, taking his seat in gh"ri"ta, the holder of wealth, supporting goods.

2.
By "Ri"ta they have supported the supporting "Ri"ta, near the powerful (performer) 1 of sacrifice, in highest heaven, the men who sit 2 on the supporting support of the sky, and who with born (men) attained to the unborn.

3.
Dispelling anguish 1 they spread out for the ancient one 2 his bodies 3, mighty vital power, difficult to overcome. May he, the new-born, traverse the spaces. They have stood round him as round an angry lion.

4.
When thou carriest, spreading out, man after man like a mother, for their nourishment and for their sight, when thou growest old 1 assuming life after life, thou goest around by thyself in manifold shapes.

5.
May gain protect now the boundaries of thy strength, the wide, firmly supporting milkstream 1 of wealth, O god! Putting down thy foot in secret like a thief 2, thou hast enlightened and freed Atri for the sake of wealth mightily 3.

p. 400

Notes.

The "Ri"shi is Dharu"n"a girasa (cf. dhar"n"a"h" vsva"h" agn"h", verse 1; "ri"tm dhar"n"am, div"h" dhrman dhar"n"e, verse 2; dgham dhar"n"am, verse 5); the metre, Trish"t"ubh.--No verse of this hymn occurs in the other Sa"m"hits.

Verse 2.

Note 1. It may be asked whether "s"k, beside its meaning 'the powerful (helper),' may also mean 'the power.' This would suit very well, V, 30, 10. sm t"h" (scil. g"h") ndra"h" as"ri"g"at asya "s"ka"h"; Vi, 19, 4. tm va"h" ndram "k"atnam asya "s"ka"h" ih nnm v"g"aynta"h" huvema. The translation then would be: 'by the power of sacrifice.' Bhtlingk-Roth conjecture "s"ke.

Note 2. I believe that sedsha"h" stands for the nominative, cf. dev"h" bibhyusha"h", I, 11, 5; S. B. E. Xxxii, p. 28. This sedsha"h" led on to a second accusative standing for the nominative, n"r"n.--The men sitting on the support of the sky seem to be the forefathers who have established the universal laws, the Agiras.

Verse 3.

Note 1. I consider a"m"hoyva"h" as nom. plur. masc., but it may also be gen. sing. masc., or acc. plur. fem., as an epithet either of Agni or of his tanva"h".

Note 2. The ancient one (prvy) seems to be Agni (cf. verse i).

Note 3. Cf. Vi, 46, 12. ytra "s"rsa"h" tanva"h" vitanvat.

Verse 4.

Note 1. I think, like Ludwig, that "g"arase should be accented.

Verse 5.

Note 1. These are accusatives.--Cf. on this passage, Pischel, Vedische Studien, I, 39 seq.

Note 2. Cf. H. O., Prolegomena, p. 73.

Note 3. Cf. Vi, 1, 2. mah"h" ry "k"ityanta"h".--See Geldner, Ved. Studien, I, 268.
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