I, 147
*
"Vedic Hymns, Part Ii (sbe46)\", by Hermann Oldenberg [1897],
p. 170
Ma\"N"D"Ala I, Hymn 147.
Ash\"T"Aka Ii, Adhyya 2, Varga 16.
1. How, O Agni, have the resplendent ones worshipped thee, aspiring through the powers of the yu 1, when 2 the gods, obtaining kith and kin of both races 3 (human and divine?), rejoiced in the song of "Ri"ta (or Right) 4?
2. Give heed to this my proffered hymn, O youngest one, which is most rich in liberal gifts 1, O self-dependent one! The one abuses thee, the other praises thee: I thy reverer revere thy body, O Agni 2!
3. Thy guardians, O Agni, who saw and saved the blind son of Mamat from distress 1--he the possessor of all wealth has saved them who have done good deeds 2. The impostors, trying to deceive, have not deceived.
4. The niggard, O Agni, the harmful and malicious who injures us by falsehood: may the heavy spell recoil on him; may he injure his own body by his evil words 1.
5. And, O strong one, whatever mortal knowingly injures another mortal by falsehood: from such a one, O praised Agni, protect him who praises thee. Agni! Do not deliver us to distress.
Notes.
The same "Ri"shi and metre.--Verse 2 = Vs. Xii, 42; Ts. Iv, 2, 3, 4; Ms. Ii, 7, 10. Verse 3 = Rv. Iv, 4, 13; Ts. I, 2, 14, 5; Ms. Iv, 11, 5.
p. 171
Verse 1.
Note 1. The yu seems to be Agni himself. Or is it admissible to interpret y"h" as standing "metri caus" for yva"h"? Then the hemistich would refer to the mythical sacerdotal tribe of the yus, the ancient worshippers of Agni. Comp., for instance, X, 7, 5; 46, 8. The translation would be, 'How, O Agni, have the resplendent yus worshipped thee, aspiring with their powers?'
Note 2. 'Because.' M. M.
Note 3. Comp. Viii, 103, 7. ubh tok tnaye dasma vi"s"pate prshi rdha"h" maghnm.
Note 4. As to "ri"tsya sman, comp. V"g". Sa"m"h. Xxii, 2, and "ri"tsya "s"lka"h", Rig-veda Iv, 23, 8. Our Pda recurs IV, 7, 7 with the reading "ri"tsya dhman.
Verse 2.
Note 1. With v"k"asa"h" m"m"hish"th"asya compare m"m"hish"th"bhi"h" matbhi"h", Viii, 23, 23.
Note 2. Cf. Aufrecht, Kuhn's Zeitschrift, Iii, 200.
Verse 3.
Note 1. Drghatamas the son of Mamat is the reputed author of this section of the first Ma"n"d"ala which belongs indeed to a family of priests claiming descent from him. The story of the blindness of Drghatamas and of the distress into which he fell is told in the Mahbhrata I, 4179 seq., ed. Calc.; comp. also Geldner, Vedische Studien, Ii, 145.
Note 2. Considering the construction of the whole verse from the grammatical point of view only, one will scarcely be tempted to translate otherwise than we have done. But it is rather strange that Agni is represented here as saving those very guardians by the aid of whom he has saved Mmateya. The meaning which one should expect to find expressed, is rather that Agni, as he has saved Mmateya by his guardians, has saved also, and will save, all pious worshippers. This meaning may be established
p. 172
if we consider the construction of the verse as similar, for instance, to that of I, 37, 12 (vol. xxxii, p. 64): mruta"h" yt ha va"h" blam "g"nn a"k"u"k"yavtana, 'O Maruts, with such strength as yours, you have caused men to tremble.' Thus we may, I believe, translate here, 'Agni! With such guardians as thine who have seen and saved the blind son of Mamat from distress, he, the possessor of all wealth (i. e. Agni), has saved all those who have done good deeds.' Bergaigne (iii, 191) understands the verse in the same way.
Verse 4.
Note 1. The Vedic idea of the evil deeds recoiling on the evil-doer himself has been treated of by Bergaigne, Iii, 190 seq.
"Vedic Hymns, Part Ii (sbe46)\", by Hermann Oldenberg [1897],
p. 170
Ma\"N"D"Ala I, Hymn 147.
Ash\"T"Aka Ii, Adhyya 2, Varga 16.
1. How, O Agni, have the resplendent ones worshipped thee, aspiring through the powers of the yu 1, when 2 the gods, obtaining kith and kin of both races 3 (human and divine?), rejoiced in the song of "Ri"ta (or Right) 4?
2. Give heed to this my proffered hymn, O youngest one, which is most rich in liberal gifts 1, O self-dependent one! The one abuses thee, the other praises thee: I thy reverer revere thy body, O Agni 2!
3. Thy guardians, O Agni, who saw and saved the blind son of Mamat from distress 1--he the possessor of all wealth has saved them who have done good deeds 2. The impostors, trying to deceive, have not deceived.
4. The niggard, O Agni, the harmful and malicious who injures us by falsehood: may the heavy spell recoil on him; may he injure his own body by his evil words 1.
5. And, O strong one, whatever mortal knowingly injures another mortal by falsehood: from such a one, O praised Agni, protect him who praises thee. Agni! Do not deliver us to distress.
Notes.
The same "Ri"shi and metre.--Verse 2 = Vs. Xii, 42; Ts. Iv, 2, 3, 4; Ms. Ii, 7, 10. Verse 3 = Rv. Iv, 4, 13; Ts. I, 2, 14, 5; Ms. Iv, 11, 5.
p. 171
Verse 1.
Note 1. The yu seems to be Agni himself. Or is it admissible to interpret y"h" as standing "metri caus" for yva"h"? Then the hemistich would refer to the mythical sacerdotal tribe of the yus, the ancient worshippers of Agni. Comp., for instance, X, 7, 5; 46, 8. The translation would be, 'How, O Agni, have the resplendent yus worshipped thee, aspiring with their powers?'
Note 2. 'Because.' M. M.
Note 3. Comp. Viii, 103, 7. ubh tok tnaye dasma vi"s"pate prshi rdha"h" maghnm.
Note 4. As to "ri"tsya sman, comp. V"g". Sa"m"h. Xxii, 2, and "ri"tsya "s"lka"h", Rig-veda Iv, 23, 8. Our Pda recurs IV, 7, 7 with the reading "ri"tsya dhman.
Verse 2.
Note 1. With v"k"asa"h" m"m"hish"th"asya compare m"m"hish"th"bhi"h" matbhi"h", Viii, 23, 23.
Note 2. Cf. Aufrecht, Kuhn's Zeitschrift, Iii, 200.
Verse 3.
Note 1. Drghatamas the son of Mamat is the reputed author of this section of the first Ma"n"d"ala which belongs indeed to a family of priests claiming descent from him. The story of the blindness of Drghatamas and of the distress into which he fell is told in the Mahbhrata I, 4179 seq., ed. Calc.; comp. also Geldner, Vedische Studien, Ii, 145.
Note 2. Considering the construction of the whole verse from the grammatical point of view only, one will scarcely be tempted to translate otherwise than we have done. But it is rather strange that Agni is represented here as saving those very guardians by the aid of whom he has saved Mmateya. The meaning which one should expect to find expressed, is rather that Agni, as he has saved Mmateya by his guardians, has saved also, and will save, all pious worshippers. This meaning may be established
p. 172
if we consider the construction of the verse as similar, for instance, to that of I, 37, 12 (vol. xxxii, p. 64): mruta"h" yt ha va"h" blam "g"nn a"k"u"k"yavtana, 'O Maruts, with such strength as yours, you have caused men to tremble.' Thus we may, I believe, translate here, 'Agni! With such guardians as thine who have seen and saved the blind son of Mamat from distress, he, the possessor of all wealth (i. e. Agni), has saved all those who have done good deeds.' Bergaigne (iii, 191) understands the verse in the same way.
Verse 4.
Note 1. The Vedic idea of the evil deeds recoiling on the evil-doer himself has been treated of by Bergaigne, Iii, 190 seq.
