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EIG-YEDA-SANHITA. 


VOL.  I.  a 


OXFORD: 

BY  T.  COMBE,  M.A.,    E.  B.  OARDNEB,    E.  P.  HALL,    AND  H.  LATHAM.  M.A.. 
PRINTERS  TO  THE  UNIVERSITY. 


V  V  V 

I 

RIG-VEDA- SANHITA. 

Messrs.  Trubner  &  Co.  have  in  the  Press  and  will  publish  shortly, 

BUDDHAGHOSHA'S  PARABLES: 

TRANSLATED  FROM  BURMESE, 


Br 


CAPTAIN    H.    T.    EOGERS,  R.E. 

WITH  AN  INTRODUCTION 

CONTAINING 

BUDDHA'S  DIIAMMAPADAM  OR  PATH  OF  VIRTUE. 

TRANSLATED  FROM  PALI, 

BY 

F.    MAX    MULLEPv. 


F.  A.  Brockhaus,  Leipzig,  has  in  the  Press  and  will  publish  shortly, 

BIG  VEDA  PBATISAKHYA: 

AN  ANCIENT  TREATISE  ON  PHONETICS, 
SANSKRIT  TEXT, 

WITH  GERMAN  TRANSLATION  AND  NOTES. 

EDITED   BY 

F.    MAX    M  tj  L  L  E  R. 

AND   MAY   BE   HAD   OF 

TRUBNER  &  CO.,  60,  PATERNOSTER  ROW. 


LONDON: 

TRUBNER    AND    CO.,    60,    PATERNOSTER    ROW. 

1869. 


[^All  rights  reserved.'] 


;?;'>», 


\l 


\  r\  \  a 


RIG-VEDA- SANHITA. 


THE  SACRED  HYMNS  OF  THE  BRAHMANS 


TRANSLATED     AND     EXPLAINED 


BY 


F.    MAX    MULLER,    M.A.,  LL.D. 

FELLOW    OF    ALL    SOULS    COLLEGE  ; 

PROFESSOR   OF   COMPARATIVE    PHILOLOGY    AT    OXFORD; 

FOREIGN     MEMBER     OF     THE     INSTITUTE     OF     FRANCE,     ETC.,    ETC, 


VOL.  I. 

HYMNS    TO    THE    MA  HUTS    OR    THE    STORM- OODS. 


LONDON: 

TRUBNER    AND    CO.,    60,    PATERNOSTER    ROW. 

1869. 

[All  rights  reserved^ 


®0  t\t  Pemwrj 


OP 


COLEBROOKE,   EOSEN,  BURNOUF, 


THE   THREE   FOUNDERS 


OF    VEDIC   SCHOLARSHIP  IN   EUROPE. 


\ 


PREFACE. 


-♦♦- 


"XTTHEN  some  twenty  years  ago  I  decided  on 
undertaking  the  first  edition  of  the  two  texts 
and  the  commentary  of  the  Rig-veda,  I  httle  ex- 
pected that  it  would  fall  to  my  lot  to  publish  also 
what  may,  without  presumption,  be  called  the  first 
translation  of  the  ancient  sacred  hymns  of  the 
Brahmans.  Such  is  the  charm  of  deciphering  step 
by  step  the  dark  and  helpless  utterances  of  the 
early  poets  of  India,  and  discovering  from  time  to 
time  behind  words  that  for  years  seemed  imintelli- 
gible,  the  simple  though  strange  expressions  of 
primitive  thought  and  primitive  faith,  that  it  Re- 
quired no  small  amount  of  self-denial  to  decide 
in  favour  of  devoting  a  life  to  the  publishing  of 
the  materials  rather  than  to  the  drawing  of  the 
results  which  those  materials  supply  to  the  student 
of  ancient  language  and  ancient  religion.  Even 
five  and  twenty  years  ago,  and  without  waiting 
for  the  publication  of  Sayana's  commentary,  much 
might  have  been  achieved  in  the  interpretation  of 
the  hymns  of  the  Rig-veda.     With  the  MSS.  then 


Vlll  PEEFACE. 

accessible  in  the  principal  libraries  of  Europe,  a 
tolerably  correct  text  of  the  Sanhita  might  have 
been  published,  and  these  ancient  rehcs  of  a  primitive 
rehgion  might  have  been  at  least  partially  deciphered 
and  translated  in  the  same  way  in  which  ancient 
inscriptions  are  deciphered  and  translated,  viz.  by 
a  careful  collection  of  all  grammatical  forms,  and 
by  a  complete  intercomparison  of  all  passages  in 
which  the  same  words  and  the  same  phrases  occur. 
When  I  resolved  to  devote  my  leisure  to  a  critical 
edition  of  the  text  and  commentary  of  the  Rig- 
veda  rather  than  to  an  independent  study  of  that 
text,  it  was  chiefly  from  a  conviction  that  the 
traditional  interpretation  of  the  Rig-veda,  as  em- 
bodied in  the  commentary  of  Saya^^a  and  other 
works  of  a  similar  character,  could  not  be  neglected 
with  impunity,  and  that  sooner  or  later  a  complete 
edition  of  these  works  would  be  recognized  as  a 
necessity.  It  was  better  therefore  to  begin  with  the 
beginning,  though  it  seemed  hard  sometimes  to  spend 
foi-ty  years  in  the  wilderness  instead  of  rushing 
straight  into  the  promised  land. 

It  is  well  known  to  those  who  have  followed 
my  literary  publications  that  I  never  entertained 
any  exaggerated  opinion  as  to  the  value  of  the 
traditional  interpretation  of  the  Veda,  handed  down 
in  the  theological  schools  of  India,  and  preserved 
to  us  m  the  great  commentary  of  Saya^ia.  More 
than  twenty  years  ago,  when  it  required  more 
courage   to    speak    out  than   now,   I   expressed    my 


PREFACE.  IX 

opinion  on  that  subject  in  no  ambiguous  language, 
and  was  blamed  for  it  by  some  of  those  who  now 
speak  of  Sayana  as  a  mere  drag  in  the  progress 
of  Vedic  scholarship.  A  drag,  however,  is  some- 
times more  conducive  to  the  safe  advancement  of 
learning  than  a  whip  ;  and  those  who  recollect  the 
history  of  Vedic  scholarship  during  the  last  five 
and  twenty  years,  know  best  that,  with  all  its 
faults  and  weaknesses,  Saya^ias  commentary  was  a 
sine  qua  non  for  a  scholarlike  study  of  the  Rig- 
veda.  I  do  not  wonder  that  others  who  have  more 
recently  entered  on  that  study  are  inclined  to  speak 
disparagingly  of  the  scholastic  interpretations  of 
Saya^ia.  They  hardly  know  how  much  we  all  owe 
to  his  guidance  in  effecting  our  first  entrance  into 
this  fortress  of  Yedic  language  and  Vedic  religion, 
and  how  much  even  they,  without  being  aware  of 
it,  are  indebted  to  that  Indian  Eustathius.  I  do 
not  withdraw  an  opinion  which  I  expressed  many 
years  ago,  and  for  which  I  was  much  blamed  at 
the  time,  that  S^ya?ia  in  many  cases  teaches  us 
how  the  Veda  ought  not  to  be,  rather  than  how  it 
ought  to  be  understood.  But  for  all  that,  who 
does  not  know  how  much  assistance  may  be  derived 
from  a  first  translation,  even  though  it  is  imperfect, 
nay,  how  often  the  very  mistakes  of  our  predeces- 
sors help  us  in  finding  the  right  track  ?  If  we 
can  now  walk  without  Saya^ia,  we  ought  to  bear 
in  mind  that  five  and  twenty  years  ago  we  could 
not  have  made  even  our  first  steps,  we  could  never, 


X  PREFACE. 

at  least,  have  gained  a  firm  footing,  without  his 
leading  strings.  If  therefore  we  can  now  see 
further  than  he  could,  let  us  not  forget  that  we 
are  standing  on  his  shoulders. 

I  do  not  regret  in  the  least  the  time  which  I 
have  devoted  to  the  somewhat  tedious  work  of 
editing  the  commentary  of  Savana,  and  editing  it 
according  to  the  strictest  rules  of  critical  scholar- 
ship. The  Veda,  I  feel  convinced,  will  occupy 
scholars  for  centuries  to  come,  and  will  take  and 
maintain  for  ever  its  position  as  the  most  ancient 
of  books  in  the  library  of  mankind.  Such  a  book, 
and  the  commentary  of  such  a  book,  should  be 
edited  once  for  all ;  and  unless  some  unexpected 
discovery  is  made  of  more  ancient  MSS.,  I  do  not 
anticipate  that  any  future  Bekker  or  Dindorf  will 
find  much  to  glean  for  a  new  edition  of  Saya^ia, 
or  that  the  text,  as  restored  by  me  from  a  col- 
lation of  the  best  MSS.  accessible  in  Europe, 
will   ever   be   materially   shaken '''\      It    has    taken 


*  Since  the  publication  of  the  first  volume  of  the  Rig-veda, 
many  new  MSS.  have  come  before  me,  partly  co2)ied  for  me, 
partly  lent  to  me  for  a  time  by  scholars  in  India,  but  every 
one  of  them  belonged  clearly  to  one  of  the  three  families  which 
I  have  described  in  my  introduction  to  the  first  volume  of  the 
Rig-veda.  In  the  beginning  of  the  first  Ash^aka,  and  occasionally 
at  the  beginning  of  other  Ash^akas,  likewise  in  the  commentary 
on  hymns  which  were  studied  by  native  scholars  with  particular 
interest,  various  readings  occur  in  some  MSS.,  which  seem  at 
first  to  betoken  an  independent  source,  but  which  are  in  reality 
mere   marginal   notes,    due   to   more   or   less   learned    students   of 


PREFACE.  XI 

a  long  time,  I  know ;  but  those  who  find  fault 
with  me  for  the  delay,  should  remember  that  few 
scholars,  if  any,  have  worked  for  others  more  than 
I  have  done  in  copying  and  editing  Sanskrit  texts, 

these  MSS.  Thus  after  verse  3  of  the  introduction  one  MS. 
reads  :  sa  praha  nripati^^i  ra^an,  sayanaryo  mamanur/a/i,  sarva^/t 
vetty  esha  vedanawi-  vyakhyatvitvena  yu(/yatam.  The  same  MS., 
after  verse  4,  adds  :  ityukto  madhavaryena  virabukkamahipatiA, 
anvasat  saya^za^arya?^  vedarthasya  j^rakasane. 

*  I  had  for  a  time  some  hope  that  MSS.  written  in  Grantha 
or  other  South-Indian  alphabets  might  have  preserved  an  in- 
dependent text  of  Sayav^a,  but  from  some  specimens  of  a 
Grantha  MS.  collated  for  me  by  Mr.  Eggeling,  I  do  not  think 
that  even  this  hope  is  meant  to  be  realised.  The  MS.  in 
question  contains  a  few  independent  various  readings,  such  as 
are  found  in  all  MSS.,  and  owe  their  origin  clearly  to  the 
jottings  of  individual  students.  When  at  the  end  of  verse  6, 
I  found  the  independent  reading,  vyutpannas  tavata  sarva  ri/i;o 
vyakhyatum  arhati,  I  expected  that  other  various  readings  of 
the  same  character  mi^ht  follow.  But  after  a  few  additions 
in  the  beginning,  and  those  clearly  taken  from  other  parts  of 
Sayana's  commentary,  nothing  of  real  importance  could  be 
gleaned  from  that  MS.  I  may  mention  as  more  important 
specimens  of  marginal  notes  that,  before  the  first  punaA  kidrisam, 
on  page  44,  line  24,  this  MS.  reads :  athava  ya^/nasya  devam 
iti  sambandhaA,  ya^nasya  prakasakam  ityartha/i,  purohitam  iti 
p?'ithagviseshanam.  And  again,  page  44,  line  26,  before  puua/i 
kidrisam,  this  MS.  adds  :  athava  ritvi^am  ritvigvid  (vad)  yar/na- 
nirvahaka??i  hotaram  devanam  ahvataram;  tatha  ratnadhatamam. 
In  the  same  line,  after  ratnanam,  we  read  ramarayadhananam  va, 
taken  from  page  46,  line  2.  Various  readings  like  these,  however, 
occur  on  the  first  sheets  only,  soon  after  the  MS.  follows  the  usual 
and  recognized  text.  For  the  later  Ash^akas,  where  all  the  MSS. 
are  very  deficient,  and  where  an  independent  authority  would  be 
of  real  use,  no  Grantha  MS.  has  as  yet  been  discovered. 


Xll  PREFACE. 

and  that  after  all  one  cannot  give  up  the  whole 
of  one's  life  to  the  collation  of  Oriental  MSS.  and 
the  correction  of  proof-sheets.  The  two  concluding 
volumes  have  long  been  ready  for  Press,  and  as 
soon  as  I  can  find  leisure,  they  too  shall  be  printed 
and  published. 

In  now  venturing  to  publish  the  first  volume 
of  my  translation  of  the  Rig-veda,  I  am  fully 
aware  that  the  fate  which  awaits  it  will  be  very 
different  from  that  of  my  edition  of  the  text  and 
commentary.  It  is  a  mere  contribution  towards 
a  better  understanding  of  the  Vedic  hymns,  and 
though  I  hope  it  may  give  in  the  main  a  right 
rendering  of  the  sense  of  the  Vedic  poets,  I  feel  con- 
vinced that  on  many  points  my  translation  is  liable 
to  correction,  and  will  sooner  or  later  be  replaced  by 
a  more  satisfactory  one.  It  is  difficult  to  explain  to 
those  who  have  not  themselves  worked  at  the  Veda, 
how  it  is  that,  though  we  may  understand  almost 
every  word,  yet  we  find  it  so  difficult  to  lay  hold 
of  a  whole  chain  of  connected  thought,  and  to  dis- 
cover expressions  that  will  not  throw  a  wrong 
shade  on  the  original  features  of  the  ancient  words 
of  the  Veda.  We  have,  on  the  one  hand,  to  avoid 
giving  to  our  translations  too  modern  a  character, 
or  paraphrasing  instead  of  translatmg ;  while,  on 
the  other,  we  cannot  retain  expressions  which,  if 
literally  rendered  in  English  or  any  modern  tongue, 
would  have  an  air  of  quaintness  or  absiu-dity  totally 
foreign  to  the  intention  of  the  ancient  poets.     There 


PREFACE.  XI 11 

are,  as  all  Vedic  scholars  know,  whole  verses  which, 
as  yet,  yield  no  sense  whatever.  There  are  words 
the  meaning  of  wliich  we  can  only  guess.  Here, 
no  doubt,  a  continued  study  will  remove  some  of 
our  difficulties,  and  many  a  passage  that  is  now 
dark,  will  receive  light  hereafter  from  a  happy 
combination.  Much  has  already  been  achieved  by 
the  efforts  of  European  scholars,  but  much  more 
remains  to  be  done  ;  and  our  only  chance  of  seeing 
any  rapid  progress  made  lies,  I  believe,  in  com- 
municating freely  what  every  one  has  found  out 
by  himself,  and  not  minding  if  others  point  out 
to  us  that  we  have  overlooked  the  very  passage 
that  would  at  once  have  solved  our  difficulties, 
that  our  conjectures  were  unnecessary,  and  our 
emendations  wrong.  True  and  honest  scholars 
whose  conscience  tells  them  that  they  have  done 
their  best,  and  who  care  for  the  subject  on  which 
they  are  engaged  more  than  for  the  praise  of 
benevolent  or  the  blame  of  maHgnant  critics,  ought 
not^o  take  any  notice  of  merely  frivolous  censure. 
There  are  mistakes,  no  doubt,  of  which  we  ought 
to  be  ashamed,  and  for  which  the  only  amende 
honorable  we  can  make  is  to  openly  confess  and 
retract  them.  But  there  are  others,  particularly 
in  a  subject  like  Vedic  interpretation,  which  we 
should  forgive,  as  we  wish  to  be  forgiven.  This 
can  be  done  without  lowering  the  standard  of  true 
scholarship  or  vitiating  the  healthy  tone  of  scien- 
tific  morality.      Kindness   and    gentleness   are   not 


XIV  PREFACE. 


incompatible  with  earnestness, — far  from  it! — and 
where  these  elements  are  wanting,  not  only  is 
the  joy  embittered  which  is  the  inherent  reward 
of  all  ho7id  jide  work,  bnt  selfishness,  malignity, 
aye,  even  untruthfulness,  gain  the  upper  hand,  and 
the  healthy  growth  of  science  is  stunted.  While 
in  my  translation  of  the  Veda  and  in  the  remarks 
that  I  have  to  make  in  the  course  of  my  commen- 
tary, I  shall  frequently  differ  from  other  scholars, 
I  hope  I  shall  never  say  an  unkind  word  of  men 
who  have  done  their  best,  and  who  have  done 
what  they  have  done  in  a  truly  scholarlike,  that 
is,  in  a  humble  spirit.  It  would  be  unpleasant, 
even  were  it  possible  within  the  limits  assigned,  to 
criticise  every  opinion  that  has  been  put  forward 
on  the  meaning  of  certain  words  or  on  the  con- 
struction of  certain  verses  of  the  Veda.  I  prefer, 
as  much  as  possible,  to  vindicate  my  own  transla- 
tion, instead  of  examining  the  translations  of  other 
scholars,  whether  Indian  or  European.  Sdya^^a's 
translation,  as  rendered  into  English  by  Professor 
Wilson,  is  before  the  world.  Let  those  who  take 
an  interest  in  these  matters  compare  it  with  the 
translation  here  proposed.  In  order  to  give  readers 
who  do  not  possess  that  translation,  an  opportunity 
of  comparing  it  with  my  own,  I  have  for  a  few 
hymns  printed  that  as  well  as  the  translations  of 
Langlois  and  Benfey  on  the  same  page  with  my 
own.  Everybody  will  thus  be  enabled  to  judge 
of  the  peculiar  character  of  each  of  these  transla- 


PREFACE.  XV 


tions.  That  of  S^ya^ia  represents  the  tradition  of 
India ;  that  of  Langlois  is  the  ingenious,  but 
thoroughly  uncritical,  guess-work  of  a  man  of  taste ; 
that  of  Benfey  is  the  rendering  of  a  scholar,  who 
has  carefully  worked  out  the  history  of  some 
words,  but  who  assigns  to  other  words  either  the 
traditional  meaning  recorded  by  Sayan  a,  or  a  con- 
jectural meaning  which,  however,  would  not  always 
stand  the  test  of  an  intercomparison  of  all  passages 
in  which  these  words  occur.  I  may  say,  in  general, 
that  Saya7ias  translation  was  of  great  use  to  me 
in  the  beginning,  though  it  seldom  afforded  help 
for  the  really  difficult  passages.  Langlois'  trans- 
lation has  hardly  ever  yielded  real  assistance,  while 
I  sincerely  regret  that  Benfey's  rendering  does  not 
extend  beyond  the  first  MaT^ciala. 

It  may  sound  self-contradictory,  if,  after  confessing 
the  help  which  I  derived  from  these  translations, 
I  venture  to  call  my  own  the  first  translation  of 
the  Eig-veda.  The  word  translation,  however,  has 
many  meanings.  I  mean  by  translation,  not  a  mere 
rendering  of  the  hymns  of  the  Rig-veda  into 
English,  French,  or  German,  but  a  full  account  of 
the  reasons  which  justify  the  translator  in  assign- 
ing such  a  power  to  such  a  word,  and  such  a 
meaning  to  such  a  sentence.  I  mean  by  translation 
a  real  deciphering,  a  work  like  that  which  Burnouf 
performed  in  his  first  attempts  at  a  translation 
of  the  Avesta, — a  traduction  raisonnee,  if  such  an 
expression  may  be  used.     Without   such  a  process. 


XVI  PREFACE. 

without  a  running  commentary,  a  mere  translation 
of  the  ancient  hymns  of  the  Brahmans  will  never 
lead  to  any  solid  results.  Even  if  the  translator 
has  discovered  the  right  meaning  of  a  word  or 
of  a  whole  sentence,  his  mere  translation  does  not 
help  us  much,  unless  he  shows  us  the  process  by 
which  he  has  arrived  at  it,  unless  he  places  before 
us  the  pieces  justificatives  of  his  final  judgment. 
The  Yeda  teems  with  words  that  require  a  justi- 
fication ;  not  so  much  the  words  which  occur  but 
once  or  twice,  though  many  of  these  are  difficult 
enough,  but  rather  the  common  words  and  particles, 
which  occur  again  and  again,  which  we  understand 
to  a  certain  point,  and  can  render  in  a  vague  way, 
but  which  must  be  defined  before  thev  can  be  trans- 
lated,  and  before  they  can  convey  to  us  any  real 
and  tangible  meaning.  It  was  out  of  the  question 
in  a  translation  of  this  character  to  attempt  either 
an  imitation  of  the  original  rhythm  or  metre,  or  to 
introduce  the  totally  foreign  element  of  rhyming. 
Such  translations  may  follow  by  and  by  :  at  present 
a  metrical  translation  would  only  be  an  excuse  for 
an  inaccurate  translation. 

While  engaged  in  collecting  the  evidence  on 
which  the  meaning  of  every  word  and  every  sen- 
tence must  be  founded,  I  have  derived  the  most 
important  assistance  from  the  Sanskrit  Dictionary 
of  Professors  Boehtlingk  and  Eoth,  which  has  been 
in  course  of  publication  during  the  last  sixteen 
years.     The  Yedic  portion  of  that  Dictionary  may, 


I 


PREFACE.  XVll 

I  believe,  be  taken  as  the  almost  exclusive  work  of 
Professor  Eotli,  and  as  such,  for  the  sake  of  brevity, 
I  shall  treat  it  in  my  notes.  It  would  be  ungrate- 
ful were  I  not  to  acknowledge  most  fully  the  real 
benefit  which  this  publication  has  conferred  on 
every  student  of  Sanskrit,  and  my  only  regret  is 
that  its  publication  has  not  proceeded  more  rapidly, 
so  that  even  now  years  will  elapse  before  we  can 
hope  to  see  it  finished.  But  my  sincere  admiration 
for  the  work  performed  by  the  compilers  of  that 
Dictionary  does  not  prevent  me  from  differing,  in 
many  cases,  from  the  explanations  of  Vedic  words 
given  by  Professor  Roth.  If  I  do  not  always  criti- 
cise Professor  Roth's  explanations  when  I  differ  from 
him,  the  reason  is  obvious.  A  dictionary  without  a 
fuU  translation  of  each  passage,  or  without  a  justifica- 
tion of  the  meanings  assigned  to  each  word,  is  only 
a  preliminary  step  to  a  translation.  It  represents 
a  first  classification  of  the  meanings  of  the  same 
word  in  difierent  passages,  but  it  gives  us  no 
means  of  judging  how,  according  to  the  opinion 
of  the  compiler;  the  meaning  of  each  single  word 
should  be  made  to  fit  the  general  sense  of  a  whole 
sentence.  I  do  not  say  this  in  disparagement, 
for,  in  a  dictionary,  it  can  hardly  be  otherwise ; 
I  only  refer  to  it  in  order  to  explain  the  difficulty 
I  felt  whenever  I  differed  from  Professor  Eoth,  and 
was  yet  unable  to  teU  how  the  meaning  assigned 
by  him  to  certain  words  would  be  justified  by  the 
author  of  the  Dictionary  himself.  On  this  ground 
VOL.  I.  b 


XVIU  PREFACE. 

I  have  throughout  preferred  to  explain  every  step 
by  which  I  arrived  at  my  own  renderings,  rather 
than  to  write  a  running  criticism  of  Professor  E^oth^s 
Dictionary.  My  obHgations  to  him  I  like  to  express 
thus  once  for  all,  by  statmg  that  whenever  I  found 
that  I  agreed  with  him,  I  felt  greatly  assured  as 
to  the  soundness  of  my  own  rendering,  while  when- 
ever I  differed  from  him,  I  never  did  so  mthout 
careful  consideration. 

The  works,  however,  which  I  have  hitherto  men- 
.tioned,  though  the  most  important,  are  by  no  means 
the  only  ones  that  have  been  of  use  to  me  m 
preparing  my  translation  of  the  Rig-veda.  The 
numerous  articles  on  certain  hymns,  verses,  or  single 
words  occurring  in  the  Rig-veda,  published  by  Vedic 
scholars  in  Europe  and  India  during  the  last  thirty 
years,  were  read  by  me  at  the  time  of  their  publica- 
tion, and  have  helped  me  to  overcome  difficulties, 
the  very  existence  of  which  is  now  forgotten.  If  I 
go  back  still  further,  I  feel  that  in  grappling  with 
the  first  and  the  greatest  of  difficulties  in  the  study 
of  the  Veda,  I  and  many  others  are  more  deeply 
indebted  than  it  is  possible  to  say,  to  one  whose 
early  loss  has  been  one  of  the  greatest  misfortunes 
to  Sanskrit  scholarship.  It  was  in  Burnouf^s  lectures 
that  we  first  learnt  what  the  Veda  was,  and  how 
it  should  form  the  foundation  of  aU  our  studies. 
Not  only  did  he  most  liberally  communicate  to 
his  pupils  his  valuable  MSS.,  and  teach  us  how 
to    use    these    tools,    but   the    results    of    his    own 


PREFACE.  XIX 

experience  were  freely  placed  at  our  service,  we  were 
warned  against  researches  which  he  knew  to  be 
useless,  we  were  encouraged  in  undertakings  which 
he  knew  to  be  full  of  promise.  His  minute  ana- 
lysis of  long  passages  of  Sayaiia,  his  independent 
interpretations  of  the  text  of  the  hymns,  his  com- 
parisons between  the  words  and  grammatical  forms, 
the  thoughts  and  legends  of  the  Veda  and  Avesta, 
his  brilliant  divination  checked  by  an  inexorable 
sense  of  truth,  and  his  dry  logical  method  enlivened 
by  saUies  of  humour  and  sparks  of  imaginative 
genius,  though  not  easily  forgotten  and  always 
remembered  with  gratitude,  are  now  beyond  the 
reach  of  praise  or  blame.  Were  I  to  criticise  what 
he  or  other  scholars  have  said  and  written  many 
years  ago,  they  might  justly  complain  of  such 
criticism.  It  is  no  longer  necessary  to  prove  that 
Nabhanedish^^a  cannot  mean  '  new  relatives,'  or  that 
there  never  was  a  race  of  Etendhras,  or  that  the 
angels  of  the  Bible  are  in  no  way  connected  with 
the  Angiras  of  the  Vedic  hymns  ;  and  it  would, 
on  the  other  hand,  be  a  mere  waste  of  time,  were 
I  to  attempt  to  find  out  who  first  discovered  that 
in  the  Veda  deva  does  not  always  mean  divine, 
but  sometimes  means  brilliant.  In  fact,  it  could 
not  be  done.  In  a  new  subject  like  that  of  the 
interpretation  of  the  Veda,  there  are  certain  things  * 
which  everybody  discovers  who  has  eyes  to  see. 
Their  discovery  requires  so  little  research  that  it 
seems  almost  an  insult  to  say  that  they  were  dis- 

b2 


XX  PREFACE. 

covered  bv  this  or  that  scholar.  Take,  for  instance, 
the  j)ecuhar  pronunciation  of  certain  words,  rendered 
necessary  by  the  requirements  of  Vedic  metres.  I 
believe  that  my  learned  friend  Professor  Kuhn  was 
one  of  the  first  to  call  general  attention  to  the  fact 
that  semivowels  must  frequently  be  changed  into 
their  corresponding  vowels,  and  that  long  vowels 
must  sometimes  be  pronounced  as  two  syllables.  It 
is  clear,  however,  from  Rosen^s  notes  to  the  first 
Ash^aka  (i.  i,  8),  that  he,  too,  was  perfectly  aware 
of  this  fact,  and  that  he  recognized  the  prevalence 
of  this  rule,  not  only  with  regard  to  semivowels 
(see  his  note  to  Rv.  i.  2,  9)  and  long  vowels  which 
are  the  result  of  Sandhi,  but  hkewise  with  regard 
to  others  that  occur  in  the  body  of  a  word.  *Ani- 
madverte,'  he  writes,  *tres  syllabas  postremas  vocis 
adhvara7iam  dipodise  iambicse  munus  sustinentes, 
penultima  syllaba  prseter  iambi  prioris  arsin,  thesin 
quoque  sequentis  pedis  ferente.  Satis  frequentia 
sunt,  in  hac  praesertim  dipodise  iambicse  sede, 
exempla  syllabae  natura  longse  in  tres  moras  pro- 
ductae.  De  qua  re  nihil  quidem  memoratum 
invenio  apud  Pmgalam  aliosque  qui  de  arte 
metrica  scripserunt :  sed  numeros  ita,  ut  modo 
dictum  est,  computandos  esse,  taciti  agnoscere 
videntur,  quum  versus  una  syllaba  mancus  non 
eos  offendat." 

Now  this  is  exactly  the  case.  The  ancient  gram- 
marians, as  we  shall  see,  teach  distinctly  that  where 
two  vowels   have  coalesced   into  one   according   to 


PREFACE.  XXI 

the  rules  of  Sandhi,  they  may  be  pronounced  as 
two  syllables ;  and  though  they  do  not  teach  the 
same  with  regard  to  semivowels  and  long  vowels 
occurring  in  the  body  of  the  word,  yet  they  tacitly 
recognize  that  rule,  by  frequently  taking  its  effects 
for  granted.  Thus  in  Sutra  950  of  the  Pratis^khya, 
verse  ix.  iii,  i,  is  called  an  Atyash^i,  and  the  first 
pMa  is  said  to  consist  of  twelve  syllables.  In  order 
to  get  this  number,  the  author  must  have  read, 

aya  twJc^  hari7iy4  pun^naA. 

Immediately  after,  verse  iv.  i,  3,  is  called  a  Dhriti, 
and  the  first  pMa  must  again  have  twelve  syllables. 
Here  therefore  the  author  takes  it  for  granted  that 
we  should  read, 

sakhe  sakhayam  abhy  a  vavritsva  '^. 

No  one,  in  fact,  with  any  ear  for  rhythm,  whether 
/Saunaka  and  Pingala,  or  Eosen  and  Kuhn,  could 
have  helped  observing  these  rules  when  reading  the 
Veda.  But  it  is  quite  a  different  case  when  we 
come  to  the  question  as  to  which  words  admit  of 
such  protracted  pronunciation,  and  which  do  not. 
Here  one  scholar  may  differ  from  another  according 
to   the   view   he   takes   of   the   character   of  Vedic 


*  See  also  Sutra  937  seq.  I  cannot  find  any  authority  for  the 
statement  of  Professor  Kuhn  (Beitrage,  vol.  iii.  p.  114)  that  accord- 
ing to  the  Rik-pratisakhya  it  is  the  first  semivowel  that  must  be 
dissolved,  unless  he  referred  to  the  remarks  of  the  commentator 
to  Sutra  973. 


XXll  PREFACE. 

metres,  and  here  one  has  to  take  careful  account 
of  the  minute  and  ingenious  observations  contained 
in  numerous  articles  by  Professors  Kuhn,  BoUensen, 
Grassmann,  and  others.  With  regard  to  the  inter- 
pretation of  certain  words  and  sentences,  too,  it  may 
happen  that  explanations  which  have  taxed  the 
inofenuitv  of  some  scholars  to  the  utmost,  seem  to 
others  so  self-evident  that  they  would  hardly  think 
of  quoting  anybody's  name  in  support  of  them,  to 
say  nothing  of  the  endless  and  useless  work  it  would 
entail,  were  we  obliged  always  to  find  out  who  was 
the  first  to  propose  this  or  that  interpretation.  It 
is  impossible  here  to  lay  down  general  rules  : — each 
scholar  must  be  guided  by  his  own  sense  of  justice  to 
others  and  by  self-respect.  Let  us  take  one  instance. 
From  the  first  time  that  I  read  the  fourth  hymn 
of  the  E,ig-veda,  I  translated  the  fifth  and  sixth 
verses  : 
uta  bruvantu  nsih  nida/i  mh  anyata/^.  ^it  arata, 

dadhan^/i  indre  it  duvaA, 
uta  na/i  su-bhagan  ari/^  vo^eyuA  dasma  krish^dyaA, 
sy^ma  it  Indrasya  sarma^ii. 

I.  Whether  our  enemies  say,  *Move  away  else- 
where, you  who  ofier  worship  to  Indra  only,' — 

3.  Or  whether,  0  mighty  one,  all  people  call  us 
blessed  :  may  we  always  remain  in  the  keeping  of 
Indra. 

About  the  general  sense  of  this  passage  I  imagined 
there  could  be  no  doubt,  although  one  word  in  it, 
viz.  ari/i,  required  an  explanation.     Yet  the  variety 

^'1 


PREFACE.  XXm 

of  interpretations  proposed  by  different  scholars  is 
extraordinary.  First,  if  we  look  to  Saya?^a,  he 
translates  : 

1.  May  our  priests  praise  Indra!  O  enemies, 
go  away  from  this  place,  and  also  from  another 
place !  Our  priests  (may  praise  Indra),  they  who 
are  always  performing  worship  for  Indra. 

2.  0  destroyer  of  enemies !  may  the  enemy  call 
us  possessed  of  wealth ;  how  much  more,  friendly 
people !     May  we  be  in  the  happiness  of  Indra ! 

Professor  Wilson  did  not  follow  S%a7^a  closely, 
but  translated  : 

1.  Let  our  ministers,  earnestly  performing  his 
worship,  exclaim  :  Depart,  ye  revilers,  from  hence 
and  every  other  place  (where  he  is  adored). 

2.  Destroyer  of  foes,  let  our  enemies  say  we  are 
prosperous :  let  men  (congratulate  us).  May  we 
ever  abide  in  the  felicity  (derived  from  the  favour) 
of  Indra. 

Langlois  translated  : 

1.  Que  (ces  amis),  en  fetant  Indra,  puissent  dire  : 
Vous,  qui  etes  nos  adversaires,  retirez-vous  loin  d'ici. 

2.  Que  nos  ennemis  nous  appellent  des  hommes 
fortunes,  places  que  nous  sommes  sous  la  protection 
d^Indra. 

Stevenson  translated  : 

I.  Let  all  men  again  join  in  praising  Indra. 
Avaunt  ye  profane  scoffers,  remove  from  hence,  and 
from  every  other  place,  while  we  perform  the  rites 
of  Indra. 


XXIV  PREFACE. 

^.  O  foe-destroyer,  (through  thy  favour)  even  our 
enemies  speak  peaceably  to  us,  the  possessors  of 
wealth ;  what  wonder  then  if  other  men  do  so. 
Let  us  ever  enjoy  the  happiness  which  springs 
from  Indra's  blessing. 

Professor  Benfey  translated : 

1.  And  let  the  scoffers  say.  They  are  rejected  by 
every  one  else,  therefore  they  celebrate  Indra  alone. 

2.  And  may  the  enemy  and  the  country  proclaim 
us  as  happy,  0  destroyer,  if  we  are  only  in  Indra's 
keeping. 

Professor  Eoth,  s.  v.  anyd-ta/i,  took  this  word 
rightly  in  the  sense  of  '  to  a  different  place,'  and 
must  therefore  have  taken  that  sentence  *  move 
away  elsewhere'  in  the  same  sense  in  which  I  take 
it.  Later,  however,  s.  v.  ar,  he  corrected  himself, 
and  proposed  to  translate  the  same  words  by  '  you 
neglect  something  else.' 

Professor  Bollensen  (Orient  und  Occident,  vol.  ii. 
p.  462),  adopting  to  a  certain  extent  the  second 
rendering  of  Professor  Koth  in  preference  to  that 
of  Professor  Benfey,  endeavoured  to  show  that  the 
*  sometliuig  else  which  is  neglected,'  is  not  some- 
thing indefinite,  but  the  worship  of  all  the  other 
gods,  except  Indra. 

It  might,  no  doubt,  be  said  that  every  one  of 
these  translations  contains  something  that  is  right, 
though  mixed  up  with  a  great  deal  that  is  wrong ; 
but  to  attempt  for  every  verse  of  the  Veda  to  quote 
and   to   criticise   every  previous   translation,   would 


i 


PREFACE.  XXV 

be  an  invidious  and  useless  task.  In  the  case  just 
quoted,  it  might  seem  right  to  state  that  Professor 
Bollensen  was  the  first  to  see  that  avih  should  be 
joined  with  krish^ayaA,  and  that  he  therefore  pro- 
posed to  alter  it  to  ariA,  as  a  nom.  plur.  But  on 
referring  to  Rosen,  I  find  that,  to  a  certain  extent, 
he  had  anticipated  Professor  Bollensen's  remark,  for 
though,  in  his  cautious  way,  he  abstained  from  alter- 
ing the  text,  yet  he  remarked  :  Possitne  ari^  pluralis 
esse,  contracta  terminatione,  pro  araya/i  ? 

After  these  preliminary  remarks  I  have  to  say  a 
few  words  on  the  general  plan  of  my  translation. 

I  do  not  attempt  as  yet  a  translation  of  the 
whole  of  the  Rig-veda,  and  I  therefore  considered 
myself  at  liberty  to  group  the  hymns  according 
to  the  deities  to  which  they  are  addressed.  By 
this  process,  I  believe,  a  great  advantage  is  gained. 
We  see  at  one  glance  all  that  has  been  said  of  a 
certain  god,  and  we  gain  a  more  complete  insight 
into  his  nature  and  character.  Something  of  the 
same  kind  had  been  attempted  by  the  original 
collectors  of  the  ten  books,  for  it  can  hardly  be 
by  accident  that  each  of  them  begins  with  hymns 
addressed  to  Agni,  and  that  these  are  followed 
by  hymns  addressed  to  Indra.  The  only  exception 
to  this  rule  is  the  eighth  Ma?i(iala,  for  the  ninth 
being  devoted  to  one  deity,  to  Soma,  can  hardly  be 
accounted  an  exception.  But  if  we  take  the  Big- 
veda  as  a  whole,  we  find  hymns,  addressed  to  the 


XXVI  PREFACE. 

same  deities,  not  only  scattered  about  in  different 
books,  but  not  even  grouped  together  when  they 
occur  in  one  and  the  same  book.  Here,  as  we 
lose  nothing  by  giving  up  the  old  arrangement, 
we  are  surely  at  liberty,  for  our  own  purposes, 
to  put  together  such  hymns  as  have  a  common 
object,  and  to  place  before  the  reader  as  much 
material  as  possible  for  an  exhaustive  study  of  each 
individual  deity. 

I  give  for  each  hymn  the  Sanskrit  original  in 
what  is  known  as  the  Pada  text,  i.  e.  the  text  in 
which  all  words  (pada)  stand  by  themselves,  as 
they  do  in  Greek  or  Latin,  without  being  joined 
together  according  to  the  rules  of  Sandhi.  The 
text  in  which  the  words  are  thus  jomed,  as  they 
are  in- all  other  Sanskrit  texts,  is  called  the  Sanhita 
text.  Whether  the  Pada  or  the  Sanhita  text  be 
the  more  ancient,  may  seem  difficult  to  settle.  As 
far  as  I  can  judge,  they  seem  to  me,  in  their  pre- 
sent form,  the  product  of  the  same  period  of 
Yedic  scholarship.  The  Pratisakhyas,  it  is  true, 
start  from  the  Pada  text,  take  it,  as  it  were,  for 
granted,  and  devote  their  rules  to  the  explanation  of 
those  changes  which  that  text  undergoes  in  being 
changed  into  the  Sanhita  text.  But,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  Pada  text  in  some  cases  clearly  pre- 
supposes the  Sanhita  text.  It  leaves  out  passages 
which  are  repeated  more  than  once,  while  the 
Sanhita  text  always  repeats  these  passages ;  it 
abstains  from  dividing  the  termination  of  the  loca- 


PREFACE.  XXVU 

tive  plural  sii,  whenever  in  the  Sanhita  text,  i.  e. 
according  to  the  rules  of  Sandhi,  it  becomes  shu  ; 
hence  nadishu,  a^ishu,  but  ap-su  ;  and  it  gives 
short  vowels  instead  of  the  long  ones  of  the  San- 
hita, even  in  cases  where  the  long  vowels  are 
justified  by  the  rules  of  the  Vedic  language.  It 
is  certain,  in  fact,  that  neither  the  Pada  nor  the 
Sanhita  text,  as  we  now  possess  them,  represent 
the  original  text  of  the  Veda.  Both  show  clear 
traces  of  scholastic  influences.  But  if  we  try  to 
restore  the  original  form  of  the  Vedic  hymns,  we 
shall  certainly  arrive  at  some  kind  of  Pada  text 
rather  than  at  a  Sanhita  text ;  nay,  even  in  their 
present  form,  the  original  metre  and  rhythm  of 
the  ancient  hymns  of  the  i^ishis  are  far  more 
perceptible  when  the  words  are  divided,  than  when 
we  join  them  together  throughout  according  to  the 
rules  of  Sandhi.  Lastly,  for  practical  purposes, 
the  Pada  text  is  far  superior  to  the  Sanhita  text 
in  which  the  final  and  initial  letters,  that  is,  the 
most  important  letters  of  words,  are  constantly 
disguised,  and  liable  therefore  to  different  inter- 
pretations. Although  in  some  passages  we  may 
differ  from  the  interpretation  adopted  by  the 
Pada  text,  and  although  certain  Vedic  words  have, 
no  doubt,  been  wrongly  analysed  and  divided  by 
/Sakalya,  yet  such  cases  are  comparatively  few,  and 
where  they  occur,  they  are  interesting  as  carrying 
us  back  to  the  earliest  attempts  of  Vedic  scholar- 
ship.     In  the  vast  majority  of  cases  the   divided 


XXVUl  PREFACE. 

text,  with  a  few  such  rules  as  we  have  to  observe 
in  reading  Latin,  nay,  even  in  reading  Pali  verses, 
brings  us  certainly  much  nearer  to  the  original 
utterance  of  the  ancient  ^ishis  than  the  amalga- 
mated text. 

The  critical  principles  by  which  I  have  been 
guided  in  editing  for  the  first  time  the  text  of 
the  Eig-veda,  require  a  few  words  of  explanation, 
as  they  have  lately  been  challenged  on  grounds 
which,  I  think,  rest  on  a  complete  misapprehension 
of  my  previous  statements  on  this  subject. 

As  far  as  we  are  able  to  judge  at  present,  we 
can  hardly  speak  of  various  readings  in  the  Vedic 
hymns,  in  the  usual  sense  of  that  word.  Various 
readings  to  be  gathered  from  a  collation  of  dif- 
ferent MSS.,  now  accessible  to  us,  there  are  none. 
After  collating  a  considerable  number  of  MSS.,  I 
have  succeeded,  I  believe,  in  fixing  on  three  repre- 
sentative MSS.,  as  described  in  the  preface  to  the 
first  volume  of  my  edition  of  the  Eig-veda.  Even 
these  MSS.  are  not  free  from  blunders, — for  w^hat 
MS.  is  ? — but  these  blunders  have  no  claim  to  the 
title  of  various  readings.  They  are  lapsus  calami, 
and  no  more  ;  and,  what  is  important,  they  have  not 
become  traditiona^''^ 

*  Thus  X.  loi,  2,  one  of  the  Pada  MSS.  (P.  2)  reads  distinctly 
ya^iiam  pra  k?*i?2uta  sakhayaA,  but  all  the  other  MSS.  have 
nayata,  and  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  it  was  the  frequent 
repetition  of  the  verb  ki'i  in  this  verse  which  led  the  writer 
to    substitute    kri^iuta    for   nayata.     No   other  MS.,   as   far  as  I 


PREFACE. 


XXIX 


The  text,  as  deduced  from  the  best  MSS.  of  the 
Sanhita  text,  can  be  controlled  by  four  independent 
checks.  The  first  is,  of  course,  a  collation  of  the 
best  MSS.  of  the  Sanhita  text. 

The  second  check  to  be  applied  to  the  Sanhita 
text  is  a  comparison  with  the  Pada  text,  of  which, 
again,  I  possessed  at  least  one  excellent  MS.,  and 
several  more  modern  copies. 


am  aware,  rej)eats  this  blunder.  In  ix.  86,  34,  the  writer  of  the 
same  MS.  j)uts  ra^asi  instead  of  dhavasi,  because  his  eye  was  caught 
by  ra^a  in  the  preceding  line.  x.  16,  5,  the  same  MS.  reads  sam 
gaM/iasva  instead  of  gaM/^atam,  which  is  supported  by  S.  i,  S.  2, 
P,  I,  while  S.  3.  has  a  peculiar  and  more  important  reading,  ga^- 
Matat.  X.  67,  6,  the  same  MS.  P.  2.  has  vi  ^akartha  instead 
of  VI  Jakarta. 

A  number  of  various  readings  which  have  been  gleaned  from 
Pandit  Taranatha's  Tuladanadipaddhati  (see  Triibner's  American 
and  Oriental  Literary  Record,  July  31,  1868)  belong  to  the  same 
class.  They  may  be  due  either  to  the  copyists  of  the  MSS.  which 
Pandit  Taranatha  used  while  compiling  his  work,  or  they  may 
by  accident  have  crept  into  his  own  MS.  Anyhow,  not  one  of 
them  is  supported  either  by  the  best  MSS.  accessible  in  Europe, 
or  by  any  passage  in  the  Pratisakhya. 


lA.   1  1,   Z,    I  cut 

I    UCVclJU                                   ill 

stettu 

ui  K.iKi\ix,yiuo  1  . 

ix.  11,4,     „ 

ajxrCviiv3) 

arA/ate    . 

ix.  14,  2,     „ 

yadi  sabandhava^ 

yaddiptabandbava/i  f 

ix.  16,  3,     „ 

anaptam 

anujDtam  f. 

ix.  17,2,     „ 

suvanasa 

stuvanasa  f. 

ix.  21,2,     „ 

pravrizivanto 

pravri7^vato  t. 

ix.  48,  2,     „ 

samvrikta 

samyukta". 

ix.  49,  I,     „ 

no  'pam 

no  yam  f. 

ix.  54,  3,     V 

surya/i 

suryam  f. 

ix.  59,  3,     „ 

sida  ni 

sidati  f. 

t  As  printed  by  Pandit  Taranatha. 


XXX  PREFACE. 

The  third  check  was  a  comparison  of  this  text 
with  Sdyana's  commentary,  or  rather  with  the  text 
which  is  presupposed  by  that  commentary.  In  the 
few  cases  where  the  Pada  text  seemed  to  differ 
from  the  Sanhita  text,  a  note  was  added  to  that 
effect,  in  the  various  readings  of  my  edition  ;  and 
the  same  was  done,  at  least  in  all  important  cases, 
where  Sayana  clearly  followed  a  text  at  variance 
with  our  own. 

The  fourth  check  was  a  comparison  of  any  doubt- 
ful passage  with  the  numerous  passages  quoted  in 
the  Prati^akhya. 

These  were  the  principles  by  which  I  was  guided 
in  the  critical  restoration  of  the  text  of  the  Pig- 
veda,  and  I  believe  I  may  say  that  the  text  as 
printed  by  me  is  more  correct  than  any  MS.  now 
accessible,  more  trustworthy  than  the  text  followed 
by  Saya^ia,  and  in  all  important  points  identically 
the  same  with  that  text  which  the  authors  of  the 
Pratisakhya  followed  in  their  critical  researches  in 
the  fifth  or  sixth  century  before  our  era.  I  believe 
that  starting  from  that  date  our  text  of  the  Yeda  is 
better  authenticated,  and  supported  by  a  more  per- 
fect apparatus  criticus,  than  the  text  of  any  Greek  or 
Latin  author,  and  I  do  not  think  that  diplomatic  cri- 
ticism can  ever  go  beyond  what  has  been  achieved  in 
the  constitution  of  the  text  of  the  Yedic  hymns. 

Far  be  it  from  me  to  say  that  the  editio  p)rinceps 
of  the  text  thus  constituted  was  printed  without 
mistakes.     But  most  of  these  mistakes  are  mistakes 


PREFACE.  XXXI 

which  no  attentive  reader  could  fail  to  detect.  Cases 
like  ii.  ^5,  1,  where  ^o^ishat  instead  of  ^oshishat 
was  printed  three  times,  so  as  to  perplex  even 
Professor  Eoth,  or  ii.  12,  14,  where  sasamanam 
occurs  three  times  instead  of  ^asamanam,  are,  I 
beHeve,  of  rare  occurrence.  Nor  do  I  think  that, 
unless  some  quite  unexpected  discoveries  are  made, 
there  ever  will  be  a  new  critical  edition,  or,  as 
we  call  it  in  Germany,  a  new  recension  of  the 
hymns  of  the  Big-veda.  If  by  collating  new  MSS., 
or  by  a  careful  study  of  the  Pratisakhya,  or  by 
conjectural  emendations,  a  more  correct  text  could 
have  been  produced,  we  may  be  certain  that  a 
critical  scholar  like  Professor  Aufrecht  would  have 
given  us  such  a  text.  But  after  carefully  collating 
several  MSS.  of  Professor  Wilson's  collection,  and 
after  enjoying  the  advantage  of  Professor  Weber's 
assistance  in  collating  the  MSS.  of  the  Boyal 
Library  at  Berlin,  and  after  a  minute  study  of  the 
Pr^tisakhya,  he  frankly  states  that  in  the  text  of 
the  Big-veda,  transcribed  in  Eoman  letters,  which  he 
printed  at  Berlin,  he  followed  my  edition,  and  that 
he  had  to  correct  but  a  small  number  of  misprints. 
For  the  two  Man(ialas  which  I  had  not  yet  pub- 
lished, I  lent  him  the  very  MSS.  on  which  my 
edition  is  founded ;  and  there  will  be  accordingly 
but  few  passages  in  these  two  concluding  Ma^zcZalas, 
which  I  have  still  to  publish,  where  the  text  will 
materially  differ  from  that  of  his  Eomanised  tran- 
script. 


XXXU  PREFACE. 

No  one,  I  should  think,  who  is  at  all  acquainted 
with  the  rules  of  diplomatic  criticism,  would  easily 
bring  himself  to  touch  a  text  resting  on  such  authori- 
ties as  the  text  of  the  E-ig-veda.  What  would  a 
Greek  scholar  give,  if  he  could  say  of  Homer  that 
his  text  was  in  every  word,  in  every  syllable,  in 
every  vowel,  in  every  accent,  the  same  as  the  text 
used  by  Peisistratos  in  the  sixth  century  B.C.!  A 
text  thus  preserved  in  its  integrity  for  so  many 
centuries,  must  remain  for  ever  the  authoritative 
text  of  the  Yeda. 

To  remove,  for  instance,  the  hymns  49-59  in 
the  eighth  Manc^ala  from  their  proper  place,  or 
count  them  by  themselves  as  Y41akhilya*  hymns, 
seems  to  me  little  short  of  a  critical  sacrilege. 
Why  Saya7?a  does  not  explain  these  hymns,  I  con- 

*  The  earliest  interpretation  of  the  name  Valakhilya  is  found 
i  n  the  Taittiriya-ara?2yaka  i.  23.  We  are  told  that  Pra^apati 
created  the  world,  and  in  the  process  of  creation  the  following 
interlude  occurs  : 

sa  tapo  'taj)yata.  sa  tapas  taptva  sariram  adhunuta.  tasya  yan 
ma??2sam  asit  tato  'ruwa/i  ketavo  vatarasana  rishaya  udatish^Aan, 
ye  nakha/i,  te  vaikhanasaA.     ye  hdlkh,  te  balakhilya/^.. 

He  burned  with  emotion.  Having  burnt  with  emotion,  he  shook 
his  body.  From  what  was  his  flesh,  the  ^ishis,  called  Aru?ias, 
Ketus,  and  Vatarasanas,  sprang  forth.  His  nails  became  the  Vai- 
khanasas,  his  hairs  the  Balakhilyas. 

The  author  of  this  allegory  therefore  took  bala  or  vala  in  vala- 
khilya, not  in  the  sense  of  child,  but  identified  it  with  bala,  hair. 

The  commentator  remarks  with  regard  to  tapas  :  natra  tapa 
upavasadiriipam,  kimtu  srash^avyam  vastu  kidrisam  iti  parya- 
lo^anarupam. 


PREFACE.  XXXlll 

> 

fess  I  do  not  know*;  but  whatever  the  reason  was, 
it  was  not  because  they  did  not  exist  at  his  time, 
or  because  he  thought  them  spurious.  They  are 
regularly  counted  in  Katyayanas  Sarvanukrama, 
though  here  the  same  accident  has  happened.  One 
commentator,  ShacZgurusishya,  the  one  most  com- 
monly used,  does  not  explain  them ;  but  another 
commentator,  (7agannatha,  does  explain  them,  exactly 
as  they  occur  in  the  Sarvanukrama,  only  leaving  out 
hymn  58.  That  these  hymns  had  something  peculiar 
in  the  eyes  of  native  scholars,  is  clear  enough.  They 
may  for  a  time  have  formed  a  separate  collection, 
they  may  have  been  considered  of  more  modern 
origm.  I  shall  go  even  further  than  those  who 
remove  these  hymns  from  the  place  which  they 
have  occupied  for  more  than  two  thousand  years. 
I  admit  they  disturb  the  regidarity  both  of  the 
Ma?2cZala  and  the  Ash^aka  divisions,  and  I  have 
pointed  out  myself  that  they  are  not  counted  in 
the  ancient  Anukramams  ascribed  to  S^aunaka ; 
(History  of  Ancient  Sanskrit  Literature,  p.  220.) 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  verses  taken  from  these 
hymns  occur  in  all   the  other  Vedasf;    the  hymns 


*  A  similar  omission  was  pointed  out  by  Professor  Roth. 
Verses  21-24  of  ttie  53rcl  hymn  of  the  third  Mawc/ala,  which 
contain  imprecations  against  Vasish^/ia,  are  left  out  by  the  writer 
of  a  Pada  MS.,  and  by  a  copyist  of  Saya?ia's  commentary,  probably 
because  they  both  belonged  to  the  family  of  Vasish^Aa.  See  my 
edition  of  the  Rig-veda,  vol.  ii.  p.  Ivi,  Notes. 

t  This  is  a  criterion  of  some  importance,  and  it  might  have 
VOL.  I.  C 


XXXIV  PREFACE. 

themselves  are  never  included  in  the  collections  of 
Parisish^as  or  Khilas  or  apocryphal  hymns,  nor  does 
Katy^yana  ever  mention  mere  Khilas  in  his  Sarva- 
nukrama.  Eight  of  them  are  mentioned  in  the  Bri- 
haddevata,  without  any  allusion  to  their  apocryphal 
character  : 

Para?^y  ash^au  tu  stiktany  rishi?^am  tigmate^asdm, 
Aindrany  atra  tu  shac^vimsa^  pragatho  bahudaivata/^. 
Rig  antyagner  a^ety  agni/i  suryam  antyapado  ^agau. 
Praskaiivas  ka,   prishadhras   ^a   pradad   yad   vastu 

kim^ana 
Bhiirld  iti  tu  suktabhy^m  akhilam  parikirtitam. 
Aindr^Tiy  ubhayam  ity  atra  sha^  4gney4t  par^ni  tu. 

'  The  next  eight  hymns  belong  to  i^ishis  of  keen 
intellect  * ;  they  are  addressed  to  Indra,  but  the 
26th  Pragatha  (viii.  54,  3-4,  which  verses  form  the 
26th  couplet,  if  counting  from  viii.  49,  i)  is  ad- 
dressed to  many  gods.  The  last  verse  (of  these 
eight  hymns),  viii.  ^6,  5,  beginning  with  the  words 
a^ety   agniA,   is   addressed   to   Agni,    and    the    last 

been  mentioned,  for  instance,  by  Professor  Bollensen  in  his  in- 
teresting article  on  the  Dvipada  Vira^/  hymns  ascribed  to 
Parasara  (i.  65-70)  that  not  a  single  verse  of  them  occurs  in 
any  of  the  other  Vedas. 

*  Lest  AS'aunaka  be  suspected  of  having  applied  this  epithet, 
tigmate^as,  to  the  Valakhilyas  in  order  to  fill  the  verse  (pada- 
pura^iartham),  I  may  point  out  that  the  same  epithet  is  applied 
to  the  Valakhilyas  in  the  Maitry-upanishad  2,  3.  The  nom.  plur. 
which  occurs  there  is  tigmate^/asa/i,  and  the  commentator  remarks  : 
tigmate^asas  tivrate^aso  'tyur^itaprabhavaA;  te^asa  ityevamvidha 
etaMAakhasanketapa^Aas  MandasaA  sarvatra. 


PREFACE.  XXXV 

foot  celebrates  Surya.  Whatsoever  Praskanva  and 
P?^ishadhra  gave  (or,  if  we  read  prishadhraya,  what- 
ever Praska?iva  gave  to  Prishadhra),  all  that  is 
celebrated  in  the  two  hymns  beginning  with  bhurit. 
After  the  hymn  addressed  to  Agni  (viii.  (5o,  i),  there 
follow  six  hymns  addressed  to  Indra,  beginning  with 
ubhayam.' 

But  the  most  important  point  of  all  is  this,  that 
these  hymns,  which  exist  both  in  the  Pada  and 
Sanhita  texts,  are  quoted  by  the  Pr^tisakhya,  not 
only  for  general  purposes,  but  for  special  passages 
occurring  in  them,  and  nowhere  else.  Thus  in 
Sutra  154,  hetdya^  is  quoted  as  one  of  the  few 
words  which  does  not  require  the  elision  of  a  fol- 
lowing short  a.  In  order  to  appreciate  what  is 
implied  by  this  special  quotation,  it  is  necessary 
to  have  a  clear  insight  into  the  mechanism  of  the 
Pr4ti5akhya.  Its  chief  object  is  to  bring  under 
general  categories  the  changes  which  the  separate 
words  of  the  Pada  text  undergo  when  joined  to- 
gether in  the  Arshi  Sanhita,  and  to  do  this  with 
the  utmost  brevity  possible.  Now  the  Sandhi  rules, 
as  observed  in  the  Sanhita  of  the  Pig-veda,  are  by 
no  means  so  uniform  and  regular  as  they  are  in 
later  Sanskrit,  and  hence  it  is  sometimes  extremely 
difficult  to  bring  all  the  exceptional  cases  under 
more  or  less  general  rules.  In  our  passage  the 
author  of  the  Pratis^khya  endeavours  to  compre- 
hend  all   the   passages  where   an   initial  a  in   the 

Veda  is  not  elided  after  a  final  e  or  o.     In  ordinary 

c  2 


XXXVl  PREFACE. 

Sanskrit  it  would  be  always  elided,  in  the  Sanhita 
it  is  sometimes  elided,  and  sometimes  not.  Thus  the 
Pratisakliya  begins  in  Sutra  139  by  stating  that  if 
the  short  a  stands  at  the  beginning  of  a  pada  or 
foot,  it  is  always  elided.  Why  it  should  be  always 
elided  in  the  very  place  where  the  metre  most 
strongly  requires  that  it  should  be  pronounced, 
does  not  concern  the  author  of  the  Pratisakhya. 
He  is  a  statistician,  not  a  grammarian,  and  he 
therefore  simply  adds  in  Sutra  153  the  only  three 
exceptional  passages  where  the  a,  under  these  very 
circumstances,  happens  to  be  not  elided.  He  then 
proceeds  in  Sutra  139  to  state  that  a  is  elided  even  in 
the  middle  of  a  pada,  provided  it  be  hght,  followed 
by  y  or  v,  and  these,  y  or  v,  again  followed  by  a 
light  vowel.  Hence  the  Sanhita  writes  te  VS.dan, 
so  yam,  but  not  slkshanto  'vratam,  for  here  the  a 
of  avratam  is  heavy ;  nor  mitramaho  Vadyat,  for 
here  the  a  following  the  v  is  heavy. 

Then  follows  again  an  extension  of  this  rule,  viz. 
in  the  case  of  words  ending  in  avo.  After  these, 
a  short  a,  even  if  followed  by  other  consonants 
besides  y  or  v,  may  be  elided,  but  the  other  con- 
ditions must  be  fulfilled,  i.  e.  the  short  a  must  be 
light,  and  the  vowel  of  the  next  syllable  must 
again  be  light.  Thus  the  Sanliita  writes  indeed 
gavo  'hhitsihf  but  not  gavo  gman,  because  here  the  a 
is  heavy,  being  followed  by  two  consonants. 

After  this,  a  more  general  rule,  or,  more  cor- 
rectly, a  more  comprehensive  observation  is  made. 


PREFACE.  XXXVll 

viz.  that  under  all  circumstances  initial  a  is  elided, 
if  the  preceding  word  ends  in  aye,  ayaA,  ave,  or 
ava/^.  As  might  be  expected,  however,  so  large  a 
class  must  have  numerous  exceptions,  and  these 
can  only  be  collected  by  quoting  every  word  ending 
in  these  syllables,  or  every  passage  in  which  the 
exceptions  occur.  Before  these  exceptions  are 
enumerated,  some  other  more  or  less  general  obser- 
vations are  made,  providing  for  the  elision  of 
initial  a.  Initial  a,  according  to  Sutra  142,  is  to 
be  ehded  if  the  preceding  word  is  vaA,  and  if  this 
YsJi  is  preceded  by  4,  na,  pra,  kva,  kitrsih,  savit^, 
eva,  or  kaA.  There  is,  of  course,  no  intelligible 
reason  why,  if  these  words  precede  va/i,  the  next 
a  should  be  elided.  It  is  a  mere  statement  of 
facts,  and,  generally  speaking,  these  statements  are 
minutely  accurate.  There  is  probably  no  verse  in 
the  whole  of  the  Eig-veda  where  an  initial  a  after 
ysih  is  elided,  unless  these  very  words  precede,  or 
unless  some  other  observation  has  been  made  to 
provide  for  the  ehsion  of  the  a.  For  instance,  in 
V.  25,  I,  we  find  vaA  preceded  by  aMV^-a,  which  is 
not  among  the  words  just  mentioned,  and  here  the 
Sanhita  does  not  elide  the  a  of  agnim,  which  follows 
after  va/i.  After  all  these  more  or  less  general 
observations  as  to  the  elision  of  an  initial  a  are 
thus  exhausted,  the  author  of  the  Pratis^khya 
descends  into  particulars,  and  gives  Hsts,  first,  of 
words  the  initial  a  of  which  is  always  elided ; 
secondly,  of  words  which,  if  preceding,  require  under 


XXX VUl  PREFACE. 

all  circumstances  the  elision  of  the  initial  a  of  the 
next  word,  whatever  may  have  been  said  to  the  con- 
trary in  the  preceding  Sutras.  Afterwards,  he  gives 
a  number  of  passages  which  defy  all  rules,  and  must 
be  given  on  their  own  merits,  and  as  they  stand 
in  the  Sanhita.  Lastly,  follow  special  exceptions  to 
the  more  or  less  general  rules  given  before.  And 
here,  among  these  special  exceptions,  we  see  that 
the  author  of  the  Pratisakhya  finds  it  necessary  to 
quote  a  passage  from  a  Valakhilya  hymn  in  which 
hetaya/i  occurs,  i.  e.  a  word  ending  in  aya/i,  and 
where,  in  defiance  of  Sutra  149,  which  required  the 
elision  of  a  following  initial  a  under  all  circum- 
stances (sarvatha),  the  initial  a  of  asya  is  not  elided  ; 
viii.  50,  2,  Sanhita,  ^atanika  hetayo  asya.  It  might 
be  objected  that  the  Pratisakhya  only  quotes  hetdya/i. 
as  an  exceptional  word,  and  does  not  refer  directly 
to  the  verse  in  the  Valakhilya  hymn.  But  for- 
tunately hetaya/^  occurs  but  twice  in  the  whole  of 
the  Eig-veda ;  and  in  the  other  passage  where  it 
occurs,  i.  190,  4,  neither  the  rule  nor  the  exception 
as  to  the  elision  of  an  initial  a,  could  apply.  The 
author  of  the  Pratisakhya  therefore  makes  no  dis- 
tinction between  the  Valakhilya  and  any  other  hymns 
of  the  Rig-veda,  and  he  would  have  considered  his 
phonetic  statistics  equally  at  fault,  if  it  had  been 
possible  to  quote  one  single  passage  from  the  hymns 
viii.  49  to  59,  as  contravening  his  observations,  as  if 
such  passages  had  been  alleged  from  the  hymns  of 
Vasish^/^a  or  Visvamitra. 


PREFACE.  XXXIX 

It  would  lead  me  too  far,  were  I  to  enter  here 
into  similar  cases  in  support  of  the  fact  that  the 
Pratisakhya  makes  no  distinction  between  the 
Valakhilya  and  any  other  hymns  of  the  Rig-veda- 
sanhita*.  But  I  doubt  whether  the  bearing  of  this 
fact  has  ever  been  fully  realised.  Here  we  see  that 
the  absence  of  the  elision  of  a  short  a  which  follows 
after  a  word  ending  m  aya/i,  was  considered  of  suf- 
ficient importance  to  be  recorded  in  a  special  rule, 
because  in  most  cases  the  Sanhitgi  elides  an  initial 
a,  if  preceded  by  a  word  ending  in  aya^.  What 
does  this  prove  ?  It  proves,  unless  all  our  views 
on  the  chronology  of  Vedic  literature  are  wrong, 
that  in  the  fifth  century  B.  c.  at  least,  or  previously 
rather  to  the  time  when  the  Pratisakhya  was  com- 
posed, both  the  Pada  and  the  Sanhita  texts  were 
so  firmly  settled  that  it  was  impossible,  for  the 
sake  of  uniformity  or  regularity,  to  omit  one  single 
short  a ;  and  it  proves  a  fortiori,  that  the  hymn 
in  which  that  irregular  short  a  occurs,  formed  at 
that  time  part  of  the  Vedic  canon.  I  confess  I  feel 
sometimes  frightened  by  the  stringency  of  this 
argument,  and  I  should  like  to  see  a  possibility 
by  which  we  could  explain  the  addition,  not  of  the 
Valakhilya  hymns  only,  but  of  other  much  more 
modern  sounding  hymns,  at  a  later  time  than  the 
period  of  the   Pratisakhyas.     But  until  that  possi- 

*  The  Pratisakhya  takes  into  account  both  the  AS'akala  and 
Bashkala  sakhas,  as  may  be  seen  from  Sutra  1057.. 


xl  PREFACE. 

bility  is  shown,  we  must  abide  by  our  own  con- 
clusions ;  and  then  I  ask,  who  is  the  critic  who 
would  dare  to  tamper  with  a  canon  of  scripture  of 
which  every  iota  was  settled  before  the  time  of 
Cyrus,  and  which  we  possess  in  exactly  that  form 
in  which  it  is  described  to  us  by  the  authors  of 
the  Prati^akhyas '?  I  say  again,  that  I  am  not  free 
from  misgivings  on  the  subject,  and  my  critical 
conscience  would  be  far  better  satisfied  if  we  could 
ascribe  the  Prati^akhya  and  all  it  presupposes  to  a 
much  later  date.  But  until  that  is  done,  the  fact 
remains  that  the  two  divergent  texts,  the  Pada 
and  Sanhit^,  which  we  now  possess,  existed,  as  we 
now  possess  them,  previous  to  the  time  of  the 
Pratis^khya :  they  have  not  diverged  nor  varied 
since,  and  the  vertex  to  which  they  point,  starting 
from  the  distance  of  the  two  texts  as  measured 
by  the  Pratisakhya,  carries  us  back  far  beyond  the 
time  of  /Saunaka,  if  we  wish  to  determine  the  date 
of  the  first  authorised  collection  of  the  hymns,  both 
in  their  Pada  and  in  their  Sanhita  form. 

Instances  abound,  if  we  compare  the  Pada  and 
Sanhita  texts,  where,  if  uniformity  between  the  two 
texts  had  been  the  object  of  the  scholars  of  the 
ancient  Parishads,  the  lengthening  or  shortening  of 
a  vowel  would  at  once  have  removed  the  apparent 
discordance  between  the  two  traditional  texts.  Nor 
should  it  be  supposed  that  such  minute  discord- 
ances between  the  two,  as  the  length  or  shortness 
of  a  vowel,  were  always  rendered  necessary  by  the 


PREFACE.  xli 

requirements  of  the  metre,  and  that  for  that  reason 
the  ancient  students  or  the  later  copyists  of  the 
Veda  abstained  from  altering  the  peculiar  spelling 
of  words,  which  seemed  required  by  the  exigencies 
of  the  metre  in  the  Sanhita  text,  but  not  in  the  Pada 
text.  Though  this  may  be  true  in  some  cases,  it  is 
not  so  in  all.  There  are  short  vowels  in  the  Sanhita 
where,  according  to  grammar,  we  expect  long  vowels, 
and  where,  according  to  metre,  there  was  no  necessity 
for  shortening  them.  Yet  in  these  very  places  all  the 
MSS.  of  the  Sanhita  text  give  the  irregular  short, 
and  all  the  MSS.  of  the  Pada  text  the  regular  long 
vowel,  and  the  authors  of  the  Pratisakhyas  bear 
witness  that  the  same  minute  difference  existed  at 
their  own  time,  nay,  previous  to  their  own  time.  In 
vii.  60,  12,  the  Sanhita  text  gives  : 

iyam  deva  purohitir  yuvdbhyam  ya^neshu  mitra- 
varuTiav  akari. 

This  primacy,  0  (two)  gods,  was  made  for  you 
two,  0  Mitra  and  Yarur^a,  at  the  sacrifices ! 

Here  it  is  quite  clear  that  deva  is  meant  for  a 
dua],  and  ought  to  have  been  deva  or  devau.  The 
metre  does  not  require  a  short  syllable,  and  yet 
all  the  Sanhita  MSS.  read  deva,  and  all  the  Pada 
MSS.  read  deva ;  and  what  is  more  important,  the 
authors  of  the  Pratisakhya  had  to  register  this  small 
divergence  of  the  two  texts,  which  existed  in  their 
time  as  it  exists  in  our  own*'\ 

*  See  Pratisakhya,  Sutra  309  seq.,  where  several  more  instances 
of  the  same  kind  are  given. 


xlii  PREFACE 

Nor  let  it  be  supposed,  that  the  writers  of  our 
MSS.  were  so  careful  and  so  conscientious  that 
they  would,  when  copying  MSS.,  regulate  every 
consonant  or  vowel  according  to  the  rules  of  the 
Pratisakhya.  This  is  by  no  means  the  case.  The 
writers  of  Yedic  MSS.  are  on  the  whole  more 
accurate  than  the  writers  of  other  MSS.,  but  their 
learning  does  not  seem  to  extend  to  a  knowledge 
of  the  minute  rules  of  the  Pratisakhya,  and  they 
will  commit  occasionally  the  very  mistakes  against 
which  they  are  warned  by  the  Pratisakhya.  Thus 
the  Pratisakhya  (Sutra  799)  warns  the  students 
against  a  common  mistake  of  changing  vaiyasva 
into  vayyasva,  i.  e.  by  changing  ai  to  a,  and  doubling 
the  semivowel  y.  But  this  very  mistake  occurs  in 
S.  2,  and  another  MS.  gives  vaiyyasva.    See  p.  xlvh. 

If  these  arguments  are  sound,  if  nothing  can  be 
said  against  the  critical  principles  by  which  I  have 
been  guided  in  editing  the  text  of  the  E^ig-veda, 
if  the  fourfold  check,  described  above,  fulfils  every 
requirement  that  could  be  made  for  restoring 
that  text  which  was  known  to  Saya7?a,  and  which 
was  known,  probably  2000  years  earlier,  to  the 
authors  of  the  Pratisakhyas,  what  can  be  the 
motives,  it  may  fairly  be  asked,  of  those  who 
clamour  for  a  new  and  more  critical  edition,  and 
who  imagine  that  the  editio  princeps  of  the  Pig- 
veda  will  share  the  fate  of  most  of  the  editiones 
23rincipes  of  the  Greek  and  Eoman  classics,  and 
be  supplanted  by  new  editions  founded  on  the  col- 


PREFACE.  xliii 

lation  of  other  MSS. '?  No  one  could  have  rejoiced 
more  sincerely  than  I  did  at  the  publication  of  the 
Eomanised  transliteration  of  the  Kig-veda,  carried 
out  with  so  much  patience  and  accuracy  by  Pro- 
fessor Aufrecht.  It  showed  that  there  was  a  grow- 
ing interest  in  this,  the  only  true  Veda ;  it  showed 
that  even  those  who  could  not  read  Sanskrit  in 
the  original  Devanagari,  wished  to  have  access  to 
the  original  text  of  these  ancient  hymns ;  it  showed 
that  the  study  of  the  Veda  had  a  future  before  it 
like  no  other  book  of  Sanskrit  literature.  My 
learned  friend  Professor  Aufrecht  has  been  most 
unfairly  charged  with  having  printed  this  Roman- 
ised text  me  insciente  vel  invito.  My  edition  of  the 
Rig-veda  is  puhlici  juris,  like  any  edition  of  Homer 
or  Plato,  and  anybody  might  have  reprinted  it 
either  in  Eoman  or  Devan^arl  letters.  But  far 
from  keeping  me  in  ignorance  of  his  useful  enter- 
prise, Professor  Aufrecht  apphed  to  me  for  the 
loan  of  the  MSS.  of  the  two  MatzcZalas  which  I 
had  not  yet  published,  and  I  lent  them  to  him 
most  gladly  because,  by  seeing  them  printed  at 
once,  I  felt  far  less  guilty  in  delaying  the  pub- 
lication of  the  last  volumes  of  my  edition  of  the 
text  and  commentary.  Nor  could  anything  have 
been  more  honourable  than  the  way  in  which  Pro- 
fessor Aufrecht  speaks  of  the  true  relation  of  his 
Romanised  text  to  my  edition.  That  there  are 
misprints,  and  I,  speaking  for  myself,  ought  to  say 
mistakes   also,   in   my   edition   of  the   Rig-veda,   I 


xliv  PREFACE. 

know  but  too  well ;  and  if  Professor  Aufreclit,  after 
carefully  transcribing  every  word,  could  honestly  say 
that  their  number  is  small,  I  doubt  whether  other 
scholars  will  be  able  to  prove  that  their  number 
is  large.  I  believe  I  may  with  the  same  honesty 
return  Professor  Aufrecht^s  comphment,  and  con- 
sidering the  great  difficulty  of  avoiding  misprints 
in  Romanised  transcripts,  I  have  always  thought 
and  I  have  always  said  that  his  reprint  of  the 
hymns  of  the  Veda  is  remarkably  correct  and  accu- 
rate. What,  liowever,  I  must  protest  against,  and 
what,  I  feel  sure,  Professor  Aufrecht  himself  would 
equally  protest  against,  is  the  supposition,  and 
more  than  supposition  of  certain  scholars,  that 
wherever  his  Latin  transcript  varies  from  my  own 
Devanagari  text,  Professor  Aufrecht  is  right,  and 
I  am  wrong,  that  his  various  readings  rest  on  the 
authority  of  new  MSS.,  and  constitute  in  fact  a 
new  recension  of  the  Vedic  hymns.  Against  this 
suj)position  I  must  protest  most  strongly,  not  for 
my  own  sake,  but  for  the  sake  of  the  old  book, 
and,  still  more,  for  the  sake  of  the  truth.  No  doubt 
it  is  natural  to  suppose  that  where  a  later  edition 
differs  from  a  former  edition,  it  does  so  intentionally; 
and  I  do  not  complain  of  those  who,  without  being 
able  to  have  recourse  to  MSS.  in  order  to  test 
the  authority  of  various  readings,  concluded  that 
wherever  the  new  text  differed  from  the  old,  it  was 
because  the  old  text  was  at  fault.  In  order  to  satisfy 
my  own  conscience  on  this  point,  I  have  collated  a 


PREFACE.  xlv 

number  of  passages  where  Professor  Aufrecht's  text 
differs  from  my  own,  and  I  feel  satisfied  that  in 
the  vast  majority  of  cases,  I  am  right  and  he  is 
wrong,  and  that  his  variations  do  not  rest  on  the 
authority  of  MSS.  I  must  not  shrink  from  the 
duty  of  making  good  this  assertion,  and  I  therefore 
proceed  to  an  examination  of  such  passages  as  have 
occurred  to  me  on  occasionally  referring  to  his  text, 
pointing  out  the  readings  both  where  he  is  right, 
and  where  he  is  wrong.  The  differences  between 
the  two  texts  may  appear  trifling,  but  I  shall  not 
avail  myself  of  that  plea.  On  the  contrary,  I  quite 
agree  with  those  scholars  who  hold  that  in  truly 
critical  scholarship  there  is  nothing  trifling.  Besides, 
it  is  in  the  nature  of  the  case  that  what  may,  by 
a  stretch  of  the  word,  be  called  various  readings 
in  the  Veda,  must  be  confined  to  single  letters  or 
accents,  and  can  but  seldom  extend  to  whole  words, 
and  never  to  whole  sentences.  I  must  therefore 
beg  my  readers  to  have  patience  while  I  endeavour 
to  show  that  the  text  of  the  Eig-veda,  as  first 
published  by  me,  though  by  no  means  faultless,  was 
nevertheless  not  edited  in  so  perfunctory  a  manner 
as  some  learned  critics  seem  to  suppose,  and  that 
it  will  not  be  easy  to  supplant  it  either  by  a  colhi- 
tion  of  new  MSS.,  such  as  are  accessible  at  present, 
or  by  occasional  references  to  the  Pratisakhya. 

I  begin  with  some  mistakes  of  my  own,  mistakes 
which  I  might  have  avoided,  if  I  had  always  con- 
sulted the  Pratisakhya,  where  single  words  or  whole 


xlvi  PREFACE. 

passages  of  the  Veda  are  quoted.  Some  of  these 
mistakes  have  been  removed  by  Professor  Aufrecht, 
others  appear  in  his  transcript  as  they  appear  in 
my  own  edition. 

I  need  hardly  point  out  passages  where  palpable 
misprints  in  my  edition  have  been  repeated  in 
Professor  Aufrecht's  text..  I  mean  by  palpable 
misprints,  cases  where  a  glance  at  the  Pada  text 
or  at  the  Sanhit^  text  or  a  reference  to  Saya72a's 
commentary  would  show  at  once  what  was  intended. 
Thus,  for  instance,  in  vi.  15,  3,  vridhe,  as  I  had 
printed  in  the  Sanhita,  was  clearly  a  misprint  for 
vridho,  as  may  be  seen  from  the  Pada,  which  gives 
yridhih,  and  from  Sayana.  Here,  though  Professor 
Aufrecht  repeats  vridhe,  I  think  it  hardly  necessary 
to  show  that  the  authority  of  the  best  MSS.  (S.  2. 
alone  contains  a  correction  of  v?idh6  to  vridhe)  is 
in  favour  of  vridha/^,  whatever  we  may  think  of 
the  relative  value  of  these  two  readings.  One 
must  be  careful,  however,  in  a  text  hke  that  of 
the  Vedic  hymns,  where  the  presence  or  absence 
of  a  single  letter  or  accent  begins  to  become  the 
object  of  the  most  learned  and  painstaking  dis- 
cussions, not  to  claim  too  large  an  indulgence  for 
misprints.  A  misprint  in  the  Sanhita,  if  repeated 
in  the  Pada,  or  if  admitted  even  in  the  commen- 
tary of  Sayaiza,  though  it  need  not  be  put  down 
to  the  editors  deplorable  ignorance,  becomes  yet  a 
serious  matter,  and  I  willingly  take  all  the  blame 
which  is  justly  due  for  occasional  accidents  of  this 


PREFACE.  xlvii 

character.  Such  are,  for  instance,  ii.  12,  14,  5asa- 
man^m  mstead  of  sasamanam  ;  i.  124,  4,  5iiclhyuva/i, 
in  the  Pada,  instead  of  sundhyuvaA  ;  and  the  substi- 
tution in  several  places  of  a  short  u  instead  of  a 
long  u  in  such  forms  as  5U5avama,  when  occurring 
in  the  Pada ;    c£  i.  166,  14  ;   167,  9. 

It  is  clear  from  Sutra  819  and  163,  5,  that  the 
two  words  uti  indra  in  iv.  29,  i,  should  not  be 
joined  together,  but  that  in  the  Sanhita  the  hiatus 
should  remain.  Hence  utmdra,  as  printed  in  my 
edition  and  repeated  in  Professor  Aufrecht's,  should 
be  corrected,  and  the  hiatus  be  preserved,  as  it  is 
in  the  fourth  verse  of  the  same  hymn,  uti  ittha. 
MSS.  S.  I,  S.  3.  are  right;  in  S.  2.  the  words  are 
joined. 

It  follows  from  Sutra  799  that  to  double  the  y 
in  vaiyasva  is  a  mistake,  but  a  mistake  which  had 
to  be  pointed  out  and  guarded  against  as  early  as 
the  time  of  the  Pratisakhya.  In  viii.  26,  11,  there- 
fore, vaiyyasvdsya,  as  printed  in  my  edition  and 
repeated  in  Professor  Aufrecht's,  should  be  changed 
to  vaiyasvdsya.  MSS.  S.  i,  S.  3.  are  right,  likewise 
P.  I,  P.  2  ;  but  S.  2.  has  the  double  mistake  vay- 
yasvdsya,  as  described  in  the  Pratisakhya ;  another 
MS.  of  Wilson's  has  vaiyy.  The  same  applies  to 
viii.  23,  24,  and  viii.  24,  23.  P.  i.  admits  the  mis- 
taken spelling  vayyasva: 

Some  corrections  that  ought  to  be  made  in  the 
Padapa^/ia  only,  as  printed  in  my  edition,  are  pointed 
out  in  a  note  to  Sutra  738  of  the  Pratisakhya.    Thus, 


xlviii  PREFACE. 

according  to  Sutra  583,  6,  svujKh  in  the  Pada  text 
of  ii.  10,  2,  should  be  changed  to  sruysih.  MSS.  P.  i, 
P.  2.  have  the  short  u. 

In  V.  7,  8,  I  had  printed  snkih  shma,  leaving  the 
a  of  shma  short  in  accordance  with  the  Pratisakhya, 
SAtra  514,  where  a  string  of  words  is  given  before 
which  sma  must  not  be  lengthened,  and  where 
under  No.  II.  we  find  yd^smai.  Professor  Aufrecht  has 
altered  this,  and  gives  the  a  as  long,  which  is  wrong. 
The  MSS.  S.  I,  S.  2,  S.  3.  have  the  short  a. 

Another  word  before  which  sma  ought  not  to  be 
lengthened  is  mavate.  Hence,  according  to  Sutra 
514,  14,  I  ought  not  to  have  printed  in  vi.  6^,  4, 
shma  mavate,  but  shma  mavate.  Here  Professor 
Aufrecht  has  retained  the  long  k,  which  is  wrong. 
MSS.  S.  I,  S.  2,  S.  3.  have  the  short  a. 

It  follows  from  Sutra  499  that  in  i.  138,  4,  we 
should  not  lengthen  the  vowel  of  sii.  Hence,  in- 
stead of  asya  u  shti  7? a  upa  s^tdye,  as  printed  in 
my  edition  and  repeated  by  Professor  Aufrecht,  we 
should  read  asy^  u  shvi  oia  upa  s^taye.  S.  i,  S.  2, 
S.  3.  have  short  u. 

In  vii.  31,  4,  I  had  by  mistake  printed  viddhi 
instead  of  viddhi.  The  same  reading  is  adopted 
by  Professor  Aufrecht  (ii.  p.  24),  but  the  authority 
of  the  Pratis^khya,  Sutra  445,  can  hardly  be  over- 
ruled.    S.  I,  S.  2,  S.  3.  have  viddhi. 

While  in  cases  like  these,  the  Pratisakhya  is  an 
authority  which,  as  far  as  I  can  judge,  ought  to  over- 
rule the  authority  of  every  MS.,  however  ancient, 


PREFACE.  xlix 

we  must  in  other  cases  depend  either  on  the  testi- 
mony of  the  best  MSS.  or  be  guided,  in  fixing  on 
the  right  reading,  by  S^ana  and  the  rules  of 
grammar.  I  shall  therefore,  in  cases  where  I 
cannot  consider  Professor  Aufrecht's  readings  as 
authoritative  improvements,  have  to  give  my  rea- 
sons why  I  adhere  to  the  readings  which  I  had 
originally  adopted. 

In  V.  9,  4,  I  had  printed  by  mistake  puru  yo 
instead  of  puru  yd.  I  had,  however,  corrected  this 
misprint  in  my  edition  of  the  Prati^akhya,  393,  ^^2. 
Professor  Aufrecht  decides  in  favour  of  purii  with 
a  short  u,  but  against  the  authority  of  the  MSS., 
S.  I,  S.  2,  S.  3,  which  have  puru. 

It  was  certainly  a  great  mistake  of  mine,  though 
it  may  seem  more  excusable  in  a  Komanised  tran- 
script, that  I  did  not  follow  the  writers  of  the  best 
MSS.  in  their  use  of  the  Avagraha,  or,  I  should 
rather  say,  of  that  sign  which,  as  far  as  the  Yeda  is 
concerned,  is  very  wrongly  designated  by  the  name 
of  Avagraha.  Avagraha,  according  to  the  Pr4ti- 
s^khya,  never  occurs  in  the  Sanhita  text,  but  is  the 
name  given  to  that  halt,  stoppage,  or  pause  which 
in  the  Pada  text  separates  the  component  parts 
of  compound  words.  That  pause  has  the  length  of 
one  short  vowel,  i.  e.  one  matra.  Of  course,  nothing 
is  said  by  the  Pratisakhya  as  to  how  the  pause 
should  be  represented  graphically,  but  it  is  several 
times  alluded  to  as  of  importance  in  the  recitation 

and  accentuation  of  the  Yeda.     What  we  have  been 
VOL.  I.  d 


1  PREFACE. 

in  the  habit  of  calling  Avagraha  is  by  the  writers  of 
certain  MSS.  of  the  Sanhita  text  used  as  the  sign  of 
the  Vivritti  or  hiatus.  Tliis  hiatus,  however,  is  very 
different  from  the  Avagraha,  for  while  the  Avagraha 
has  the  length  of  one  matra,  the  Yivritti  or  hiatus 
has  the  length  of  ^  matra,  if  the  two  vowels  are 
short ;  of  ^  m^tra,  if  either  vowel  is  long ;  of  f  matr4, 
if  both  vowels  are  long.  Now  I  have  several  times 
called  attention  to  the  fact  that  though  this  hiatus 
is  marked  in  certain  MSS.  by  the  sign  s,  I  have 
in  my  edition  omitted  it,  because  I  thought  that 
the  hiatus  spoke  for  itself  and  did  not  require  a 
sign  to  attract  the  attention  of  European  readers  ; 
while,  on  the  contrary,  I  have  inserted  that  sign 
where  MSS.  hardly  ever  use  it,  viz.  when  a  short 
initial  a  is  ehded  after  a  final  e  or  o  ;  (see  my  re- 
marks on  pp.  ^6^  39,  of  my  edition  of  the  Pratisakhya.) 
Although  I  thought,  and  still  think,  that  this  use 
of  the  sign  s  is  more  useful  for  practical  purposes, 
yet  I  regret  that,  in  this  one  particular,  I  should  have 
deviated  from  the  authority  of  the  best  MSS.,  and 
caused  some  misunderstandings  on  the  part  of  those 
who  have  made  use  of  my  edition.  If,  for  instance, 
I  had  placed  the  sign  of  the  Vivritti,  the  s,  in  its 
proper  place,  or  if,  at  least,  I  had  not  inserted  it 
where,  as  we  say,  the  initial  a  has  been  elided  after 
e  or  o,  Professor  Bollensen  would  have  seen  at  once 
that  the  authors  of  the  Pratisakhyas  fully  agree 
with  him  in  looking  on  this  change,  not  as  an 
elision,    but    as    a    contraction.      If,    as    sometimes 

i 


PREFACE.  li 

happens,  final  o  or  e  remain  unchanged  before  ini- 
tial short  a,  this  is  called  the  PanX^ala  and  Pra^ya 
padavritti  (Slitra  137).  If,  on  the  contrary,  final  o  or 
e  become  one  (ekibhavati)  with  the  initial  short  a,  this 
is  called  the  Abhinihita  sandhi  (Sutra  138).  While 
the  former,  the  hiatus  of  the  Pan^ala  and  Eastern 
schools,  is  marked  by  the  writers  of  several  MSS. 
by  the  sign  s,  the  Abhinihita  sandhi,  being  a  sandhi, 
is  not  marked  by  any  sign*. 

i.  3,  12.  r%ati  (Aufr.  p.  2)  instead  of  r^^ati  (M.  M. 
vol.  i.  p.  "j^)  is  wrong. 

i.  7,  9.  ya  eka/i  (Aufr.  p.  5)  should  be  yd.  okaJi 
(M.  M.  vol.  i.  p.  no),  because  the  relative  pronoun  is 
never  without  an  accent.  The  relative  particle  yatha 
may  be  without  an  accent,  if  it  stands  at  the  end 
of  a  pada ;  and  though  there  are  exceptions  to  this 
rule,  yet  in  viii.  21,  5,  where  Professor  Aufrecht  gives 
yd,th^,  the  MSS.  are  unanimous  in  favour  of  yath^ 
(M.  M.  vol.  iv.  p.  480).     See  Phi^sutra,  ed.  Kielhorn, 

p.  54- 

i.  10,  II.  a  tti  (Aufr.  p.  7)  should  be  a  tti  (M.  M. 

vol.    i.    p.    139),    because    k    is    never   without    the 

accent. 

i.  10, 12.  ^lish^a/^,  which  Professor  Aufrecht  specially 

mentions  as  having  no  final  Yisarga  in  the  Pada,  has 

the  Visarga  in  all  the  MSS.,  (Aufr.  p.  7,  M.  M.  vol.  i. 

p.  140.) 

*  As  to  the  system  or  want  of  system,  according  to  which  the 
Abhinihita  sandhi  take    place  in  the  Sanhita,  see  p.  xxxv  seq. 

\  d  2 


lii  PREFACE. 

i.  II,  4.  kiviY  (Aufr.  p.  7)  should  be  kavir  (M.  M. 
vol.  i.  p.  143). 

i.  22,  8.  read  radMmsi. 

i.  40,  I  and  6.  There  is  no  excuse  for  the  accent 
either  on  tvemahe  or  on  vo^ema,  while  ^ikkn  in  i.  51, 
II,  ought  to  have  the  accent  on  the  first  syllable. 

i.  49,  3.  Rosen  was  right  in  not  eliding  the  a  in 
divo  intebhjSih.  S.  i,  S.  2,  S.  3.  preserve  the  initial 
a,  nor  does  the  Pratisakhya  anywhere  provide  for 
its  suppression. 

i.  54,  8.  kshd^tram  (Aufr.  p.  46)  is  a  mere  misprint 
for  kshatrdm. 

i-  55y  1 '  vandana^rud  (Aufr.  p.  47)  instead  of  van- 
danasrud  (M.  M.  vol.  i.  p.  514)  is  wrong. 

i.  ^'],  2.  sama^lta  instead  of  samd^ita  had  been  cor- 
rected in  my  reprint  of  the  first  Ma^^cZala,  published 
at  Leipzig.  See  Bollensen,  Zeitschrift  der  D.  M.  G., 
vol.  xxii.  p.  626. 

i.  61,  7.  read  vishtiuA;  i.  64,  2.  read  sii^aya/i  ; 
i.  64,  5.  read  dhtitaya^. 

i.  61,  16.  Rosen  had  rightly  printed  hariyo^ana 
with  a  long  a  both  in  the  Sanhita  and  Pada  texts, 
and  I  ought  not  to  have  given  the  short  a  instead. 
All  the  MSS.,  S.  i,  S.  2,  S.  3,  P.  i,  and  P.  2,  give  the 
long  a.  Professor  Aufrecht  gives  the  short  a  in 
the  Pada,  which  is  wrong. 

i.  6"],  2  (4).  viddntim  (M.  M.  vol.  i.  p.  594)  is  per- 
fectly right,  as  far  as  the  authority  of  the  MSS.  and 
of  Say  ana  is  concerned,  and  should  not  have  been 
altered  to  vinddntim  (Aufr.  p.  ^']), 


PREFACE.  liii 

i.  72,  2.  read  vatsd;m;  i.  72,  6.  read  paste;  i.  76,  3. 
read  dMkshy ;  i.  82,  i.  read  yad^i. 

i.  83,  3.  Eosen  was  right  in  giving  dsamyatta^. 
I  gave  ^samjataA  on  the  authority  of  P.  i,  but  all 
the  other  MSS.  have  tt. 

i.  84,  I.  indra  (Aufr.  p.  68)  cannot  have  the  accent 
on  the  first  syllable,  because  it  does  not  stand  at  the 
beginning  of  a  pada  (M.  M.  vol.  i.  p.  677).  The  same 
applies  to  indra,  vi.  41,  4,  (Aufr.  p.  429)  instead  of 
mdra  (M.  M.  vol.  iii.  p.  734);  to  agne,  i.  140,  12,  (Aufr. 
p.  130)  instead  of  agDe  (M.  M.  vol.  ii.  p.  133).  In 
iii.  ^6,  3,  on  the  contrary,  indra,  being  at  the  head 
of  a  p^da,  ought  to  have  the  accent  on  the  first 
syllable,  indra  (M.  M.  vol.  ii.  p.  855),  not  indra  (Aufr. 
p.  249).  The  same  mistake  occurs  again,  iii.  ^6,  10, 
(Aufr.  p.  250);  iv.  32,  7,  (Aufr.  p.  305);  iv.  32,  12, 
(Aufr.  p.  305);  viii.  3,  12,  (Aufr.  ii.  p.  86).  In  v.  61,  i, 
nsLYd^h  should  have  no  accent;  whereas  in  vii.  91,  3, 
it  should  have  the  accent  on  the  first  syllable.  In 
viii.  8,  19,  vipanyu  should  have  no  accent,  and 
Professor  Aufrecht  gives  it  correctly  in  the  notes, 
where  he  has  likewise  very  properly  removed  the 
Avagraha  which  I  had  inserted. 

i.  88,  I.  read  yata  (M.  M.  vol.  ;.  p.  708),  not  yatha 
(Aufr.  p.  72). 

i.  90,  I.  read  ri^untti;  i.  94,  11.  read  yavasado 
(M.  M.  vol.  i.  p.  766),  not  yayas£ido  (Aufr.  p.  80). 

i.  118,  9.  abhibhtitim  (Aufr.  p.  105)  instead  of  abhi- 
bhutim  (M.  M.  vol.  i.  p.  957)  camiot  be  right,  consi- 
dering that  in  all  other  passages  abhibhtiti  has  the 


liv  PREFACE. 

accent  on  the  second  syllable.     S.  i,  S.  2,  S.  3.  have 
the  accent  on  the  i. 

i.  1 28, 4.  ghritasrir  (Aufr.  p.  1 1 7)  instead  of  ghritasrir 
(M.  M.  vol.  ii.  p.  52)  is  wrong. 

i.  144,  2.  read  pariv7ita/?,  (M.  M.  vol.  ii.  p.  155)  in- 
stead of  parivritaA  (Aufr.  p.  133). 

i.  145,  5.  Professor  Aufrecht  (p.  134)  gives  upama- 
syam,  both  in  the  Sanhitgi  and  Pada  texts,  as  having 
the  accent  on  the  last  syllable.  I  had  placed  the 
accent  on  the  penultimate,  (Pada,  upa-masyam,  vol.  ii. 
p.  161,)  and  whatever  may  be  the  reading  of  other 
MSS.,  this  is  the  only  possible  accentuation.  S.  i, 
S.  2,  S.  3.  have  the  right  accent. 

i.  148,  4.  purum  (Aufr.  p.  136)  instead  of  pur<i7ii 
(M.  M.  vol.  ii.  p.  170)  does  not  rest,  as  far  as  I  know, 
on  the  authority  of  any  MSS.  S.  i,  S.  2,  S.  3.  have 
purtim. 

i-  151?  7-  gaM^atho  (Aufr.  p.  137)  should  be  ga^- 
Matho  (M.  M.  vol.  ii.  p.  181). 

i.  161,  12.  All  the  Pada  MSS.  read  prd  abravit, 
separating  the  two  words  and  accentuating  each. 
Though  the  accent  is  irregular,  yet,  considering 
the  peculiar  construction  of  the  verse,  in  which 
prd  and  pro  are  used  as  adverbs  rather  than  as 
prepositions,  I  should  not  venture  with  Professor 
Aufrecht  (p.  144)  to  write  pra  abravit. 

i.  163,  II.  dhrd^lman  (Aufr.  p.  147)  instead  of 
dhr%iman  (M.  M.  vol.  ii.  p.  245)  is  wrong. 

i.  163,  13.  gamy^  (Aufr.  p.  148)  instead  of  gamy^ 
(M.  M.  vol.  ii.  p.  246)  is  wrong. 


PHEFACE.  Iv 

i.  164,  17.  read  parena  (M.  M.  vol.  ii.  p.  259)  instead 
of  parena  (Aufr.  p.  149), 

i.  164,  ^S.  The  first  kikjuh  ought  to  have  the 
accent,  and  has  it  in  all  the  MSS.,  (Aufr.  p.  151, 
M.  M.  vol.  ii.  p.  278.) 

i.  165,  5.  A  mere  change  of  accent  may  seem  a 
small  matter,  yet  it  is  frequently  of  the  highest 
importance  in  the  interpretation  of  the  Yeda.  Thus 
in  i.  165,  5,  I  had,  in  accordance  with  the  MSS.  S.  i, 
S.  2,  S.  3,  printed  et^n  (vol.  ii.  p.  293)  with  the  accent 
on  the  first  syllable.  Professor  Aufrecht  alters  this 
into  etan  (p.  153),  which,  no  doubt,  would  be  the 
right  form,  if  it  were  intended  for  the  accusative 
plural  of  the  pronoun,  but  not  if  it  is  meant,  as  it 
is  here,  for  the  accusative  plural  of  eta,  the  speckled 
deer  of  the  Maruts. 

i.  165,  15.  yasish^a  (Aufr.  p.  154)  instead  of  yasishfa 
(M.  M.  vol.  ii.  p.  298)  is  not  supported  by  any  MSS. 

i.  169,  7,  instead  of  patayanta  (Aufr.  p.  158),  read 
patayanta  (M.  M.  vol.  ii.  p.  322). 

i.  174,  7.  kiiyav^^am  (Aufr.  p.  162)  should  be  kiiya- 
v4^am  (M.  M.  vol.  ii.  p.  340). 

i.  177,  I.  yukta,  which  I  had  adopted  from  MS. 
S.  3  (prima  manu),  is  not  supported  by  other  MSS., 
though  P.  2.  reads  yuttk^.  Professor  Aufrecht,  who 
had  retained  vukt^  in  the  text,  has  afterwards  cor- 
rected  it  to  yuktva,  and  in  this  he  was  right.  In 
i.  177,  2,  gahi  for  yahi  is  wrong. 

i.  188,  4.  astri72an  (Aufr.  p.  171)  instead  of  asti^i^ian 
(M,  M.  vol.  ii.  p.  395)  can  only  be  a  misprint. 


Ivi  PREFACE. 

ii.  29,  6.  kdrtad  (Aufr.  p.  203)  instead  of  kartad 
(M.  M.  vol.  ii.  p.  560)  is  wrong. 

ii.  40,  4.  ^akra  (Aufr.  p.  214)  instead  of  A;akra  (M.  M. 
vol.  ii.  p.  614)  is  wrong. 

iii.  7,  7.  giih  (Aufr.  p.  226)  instead  of  guh  (M.  M. 
vol.  ii.  p.  666)  is  wrong  ;  likewise  iii.  30, 10.  ga^  (Aufr. 
p.  241)  instead  of  ga/i  (M.  M.  vol.  ii.  p.  792). 

iii.  17,  I.  i^yate  (Aufr.  p.  232)  instead  of  a^yate 
(M.  M.  vol.  ii.  p,  722)  is  impossible. 

iii.  47,  I.  Professor  Aufrecht  (p.  256)  puts  the  nomi- 
native indro  instead  of  the  vocative  indra,  which  I 
had  given  (vol.  ii.  p.  902).  I  doubt  whether  any 
MSS.  support  that  change  (S.  i,  S.  2,  S.  3.  have 
indra),  but  it  is  clear  that  Sayan  a  takes  indra  as  a 
vocative,  and  likewise  the  Nirukta. 

iii.  50,  2.  Professor  Aufrecht  (p.  258)  gives  asya, 
both  in  the  Sanhita  and  Pada,  without  the  accent  on 
the  last  syllable.  But  all  the  MSS.  that  I  know  (S.  r, 
S.  2,  S.  3,  P.  I,  P.  2),  give  it  with  the  accent  on  the 
last  syllable  (M.  M.  vol.  ii.  p.  912),  and  this  no  doubt 
is  right.  The  same  mistake  occurs  again  in  iii.  51, 10, 
(Aufr.  p.  259);  iv.  5,  II,  (Aufr.  p.  281);  iv.  ^6,  2,  (Aufr. 
p.  309);  V.  12,  3,  (Aufr.  p.  ^^y);  while  in  viii.  103,  9, 
(Aufr.  ii.  p.  195)  the  MSS.  consistently  give  asya  as 
unaccented,  whereas  Professor  Aufrecht,  in  this  very 
passage,  places  the  accent  on  the  last  syllable.  On 
the  same  page  (p.  259)  amandan,  in  the  Pada,  is  a 
misprint  for  dmandan. 

iii.  ^^,  18.  asi  (Aiifr.  p.  262)  instead  of  dsi  (M.  M. 
vol .  ii.  p.  934)  is  wrong,  because  hi  requires  that  the 


PREFACE.  Ivii 

accent  should  remain  on  asi.     S.  i,  S.  2,  S.  3,  P.  i,  P.  2. 
have  asi. 

iv.  4,  7.  sva  %ushe  (Aufr.  p.  279)  instead  of  svd 
^yushi  (M.  M.  vol.  iii.  p.  37)  is  not  supported  by  any- 
good  MSS.,  nor  required  by  the  sense  of  the  passage. 
S.  I,  S.  2,  S.  3,  P.  I,  P.  2.  have  ^yushi. 

iv.  5,  7.  arupitam,  in  the  Pada,  (Aufr.  p.  280) 
instead  of  Arupitam  (M.  M.  vol  iii.  p.  45)  is  right,  as 
had  been  shown  in  the  Pratisakhya,  Sutra  179,  though 
by  a  misprint  the  long  a  of  the  Sanhita  had  been 
put  in  the  place  of  the  short  a  of  the  Pada. 

iv.  5,  9.  read  gauA  (M.  M.  vol.  iii.  p.  46)  instead  of 
goh  (Aufr.  p.  281). 

iv.  15,  2.  yati,  with  the  accent  on  the  first  syllable, 
is  supported  by  all  MSS.  against  y4ti  (Aufr.  p.  287). 
The  same  applies  to  yati  in  iv.  29,  2,  and  to  varante 
in  iv.  31,  9. 

iv.  18,  II.  ami,  without  any  accent  (Aufr.  p.  293), 
instead  of  ami  (M.  M.  vol.  iii.  p.  105)  is  wrong,  because 
ami  is  never  unaccented. 

iv.  21,  9.  no,  without  an  accent  (Aufr.  p.  296),  in- 
stead of  no  (M.  M.  vol.  iii.  p.  120)  is  wrong. 

iv.  26,  3.  dtithigvam  (Aufr.  p.  300)  instead  of  ati- 
thigvam  (M.  M.  vol.  iii.  p.  140)  and  vi.  47,  22.  d;tithig- 
vasya  (Aufr.  p.  437)  instead  of  atithigvd.sya  (M.  M. 
vol.  iii.  p.  776)  are  wrong,  for  atithigva  never  occurs 
again  except  with  the  accent  on  the  last  syllable. 
The  MSS.  do  not  vary.  Nor  do  they  vary  in  the 
accentuation  of  kiitsa  :  hence  kutsd,m  (Aufr.  p.  300) 
should  be  kiitsam  (M.  M.  vol.  iii.  p.  139). 


Iviii  PREFACE. 

iv.  36,  6.  Professor  Aufrecht  (p.  309)  has  altered  the 
accent  of  avishuA  hito  avishuA,  but  the  MSS.  are 
unanimous  in  favour  of  avishuA  (M.  M.  vol.  iii. 
p.  181). 

Again  in  iv.  41,  9,  the  MSS.  support  the  accentua- 
tion of  d.gman  (M.  M.  vol.  iii.  p.  200),  while  Professor 
Aufrecht  (p.  313)  has  altered  it  to  agman. 

iv.  42,  9.  adasat,  being  preceded  by  hi,  ought  to 
have  the  accent ;  (Aufrecht,  p.  314,  has  ad^sat  without 
the  accent.)  For  the  same  reason,  v.  29,  3,  avindat 
(M.  M.  vol.  iii.  p.  342)  ought  not  to  have  been  altered 
to  avindat  (Aufr.  p.  344). 

iv.  50,  4.  vyoman  is  a  misprint  for  vybman. 

V.  15,  5.  Professor  Aufrecht  (p.  338)  writes  dirgham 
instead  of  dogham  (M.  M.  vol.  iii.  p.  314).  This,  no 
doubt,  was  done  intentionally,  and  not  by  accident, 
as  we  see  from  the  change  of  accent.  But  dogham, 
though  it  occurs  but  once,  is  supported  in  this  place 
by  all  the  best  MSS.,  and  has  been  accepted  by 
Professor  Poth  in  his  Dictionary. 

V.  34,  4.  prdyato  (Aufr.  p.  351)  instead  of  prayata 
(M.  M.  vol.  iii.  p.  371)  is  wrong. 

V.  42,  9.  visarmanam  (Aufr.  p.  358)  instead  of  visar- 
m^7iam  (M.  M.  vol.  iii.  p.  402)  is  wrong. 

V.  44,  4.  parvatie  (Aufr.  p.  360)  instead  of  pravane 
(M.  M.  vol.  iii.  p.  415)  is  wrong. 

V.  83,  4.  vanti  (Aufr.  p.  389)  instead  of  vanti  (M.  M. 
vol.  iii.  p.  554)  is  supported  by  no  MSS. 

V.  85,  6.  asin^^anti/^  (Aufr.  p.  391)  instead  of 
asinMnti/^   (M.  M.  vol.  iii.   p.  560)  is  not  supported 


PREFACE.  lix 

either  by  MSS.  or  by  grammar,  as  sin^  belongs  to 
the  Tud-class.  On  the  same  grounds  ishdyanta/i, 
vi.  1 6,  27  (M.  M.  vol.  iii.  p.  638),  ought  not  to  have 
been  changed  to  ishayanta/Z'  (Aufr.  p.  408),  nor  vi.  24,  7, 
avakar5d,yanti  (M.  M.  vol.  iii.  p.  687)  into  avak^rsa- 
yanti  (Aufr.  p.  418). 

vi.  46,  10.  read  girva??as  (M.  M.  vol.  iii.  p.  763) 
instead  of  girvanas  (Aufr.  p.  435). 

vi.  60,  10.  k.rinoti  (Aufr.  p.  450)  instead  of  kri^oti 
(M.  M.  vol.  iii.  p.  839)  is  wrong. 

vii.  40,  4.  aryam^  apa/z.  (Aufr.  ii.  p.  ^^),  in  the 
Pada,  instead  of  aryama^  ^paA  (M.  M.  vol.  iv.  p.  81) 
is  wrong. 

vii.  51,  I.  adityanam  (Aufr.  ii.  p.  40)  instead  of 
adity^nam  (M.  M.  vol.  iv.  p.  103)  is  wrong. 

vii.  64,  2.  il^m.  (Aufr.  ii.  p.  50)  instead  of  i7am  (M.  M. 
vol.  iv.  p.  146)  is  wrong.  In  the  same  verse  gopa^  in 
the  Pada  should  be  changed  in  my  edition  to  gop^. 

vii.  66,  5.  yo  (Aufr.  ii.  p.  51)  instead  of  ye  (M.  M. 
vol.  iv.  p.  151)  is  indeed  supported  by  S.  3,  but 
evidently  untenable  on  account  of  atipiprati. 

vii.  72,  3.  In  abudhran  Professor  Aufrecht  has 
properly  altered  the  wrong  spelling  abudhnan;  and, 
as  far  as  the  authority  of  the  best  MSS.  is  concerned 
(S.  I,  S.  2,  S.  3),  he  is  also  right  in  putting  a  final  n, 
although  Professor  Bollensen  prefers  the  dental  n ; 
(Zeitschrift  der  D.  M.  G.,  vol.  xxii.  p.  599.)  The  fact 
is  that  Yedic  MSS.  use  the  Anus  vara  dot  for  final 
nasals  before  all  class-letters,  and  leave  it  to  us 
to  interpret  that  dot  according  to  the  letter  which 


Ix  PREFACE. 

follows.  Before  I  felt  quite  certain  on  this  point, 
I  have  in  several  cases  retained  the  dot,  as  given 
by  the  MSS.,  instead  of  changing  it,  as  I  ought 
to  have  done  according  to  my  system  of  writing 
Devanagari,  into  the  corresponding  nasal,  provided 
it  represents  an  original  n.  In  i.  71,  i,  S.  2,  S.  3. 
have  the  dot  in  a^ushran,  but  S.  i.  has  dental  n.  In 
ix.  87,  5,  asrigran  has  the  dot ;  i.  e.  S.  i.  has  the  dot, 
and  nM,  dental  n  joined  to  hh ;  S.  2.  has  nJch  without 
the  dot  before  the  n ;  S.  3.  has  the  dot,  and  then  kh. 
In  iv.  24,  6,  the  spelling  of  the  Sanhita  avivenam  tarn 
would  leave  it  doubtful  whether  we  ought  to  read 
d-vivenan  iim.  or  avivenam  td.m  ;  S.  i.  and  S.  3.  read 
d^vivenam  tarn,  but  S.  2.  has  avivenan  tam ;  P.  2.  has 
avi-venan  tam,  and  P.  i.  had  the  same  originally, 
though  a  later  hand  changed  it  to  avi-venam  tam. 
In  iv.  25,  3,  on  the  contrary,  S.  i.  and  S.  3.  write 
avivenam;  S.  2.  avivenam  ;  P.  i.  and  P.  2.  avi-venam. 
What  is  intended  is  clear  enough,  viz.  avi-venan  in 
iv.  24,  6;  avi-venam  in  iv.  25,  3. 

vii.  73,  I.  asvina  (Aufr.  ii.  p.  ^6)  instead  of  asvin^ 
(M.  M.  vol.  iv;  p.  176)  is  wrong.  On  the  same  page, 
dhish7^ye,  vii.  72,  3,  should  have  the  accent  on  the 
first  syllable. 

vii.  77,  I.  In  this  verse,  which  has  been  so  often 
discussed  (see  Kuhn,  Beitrage,  vol.  iii.  p.  472  ;  Boeht- 
lingk  and  Eoth,  Dictionary,  vol.  ii.  p.  968  ;  Bollensen, 
Orient  und  Occident,  vol.  ii.  p.  463),  all  the  MSS. 
which  I  know,  read  ^arayai,  and  not  either  ^arathai 
nor  ^rarayai. 


PREFACE.  Ixi 

viii.  2,  29.  ktrmam  (Aufr.  ii.  p.  84)  instead  of  karmam 
(M.  M.  vol.  iv.  p.  308)  does  not  rest  on  the  authority 
of  any  MSS.,  nor  is  it  supported  by  Saya^ia. 

viii.  9,  9.  Professor  Aufrecht  has  altered  the  very 
important  form  aZ:u^yuvimdhi  (M.  M.  vol.  iv.  p.  389) 
to  a^^u^yavimdhi  (ii.  p.  98).  The  question  is  whether 
this  was  done  intentionally  and  on  the  authority  of 
any  MSS.  My  own  MSS.  support  the  form  a^u^yu- 
vimdhi,  and  I  see  that  Professor  Eoth  accepts  this 
form. 

viii.  32,  14.  aydnt^ram  (Aufr.  ii.  p.  129)  instead  of 
ayant^ram  (M.  M.  vol.  iv.  p.  567)  is  wrong. 

viii.  47,  15.  dushvapnyam  (Aufr.  ii.  p.  150)  is  not 
so  correct  as  du/i.shvapnyam  (M.  M.  vol,  iv.  p.  660), 
or,  better,  dushshvapnyam  (Pratisakhya,  Sutras  255 
and  364),  though  it  is  perfectly  true  that  the  MSS. 
write  dushvapnyam. 

In  the  ninth  and  tenth  MaiicZalas  I  have  not  to 
defend  myself,  and  I  need  not  therefore  give  a 
list  of  the  passages  where  I  think  that  Professor 
Aufrechts  text  is  not  supported  by  the  best  MSS. 
My  own  edition  of  these  Ma^icZalas  will  soon  be 
published,  and  I  need  hardly  say  that  where  it  dif- 
fers from  Professor  Aufrecht  s  text,  I  am  prepared  to 
show  that  I  had  the  best  authorities  on  my  side. 

Having  said  so  much  in  vindication  of  the  text 
of  the  Rig-veda  as  published  by  me,  and  in  defence 
of  my  principles  of  criticism  which  seem  to  me  so 
self-evident  as  hardly  to  deserve  the  name  of  cano- 
nes  critici,  I  feel  bound  at  the  same  time  both  to 


]xii  PREFACE. 

acknowledge  some  inaccuracies  that  have  occurred  in 
the  index  at  the  end  of  each  volume,  and  to  defend 
some  entries  in  that  index  which  have  been  chal- 
lenged without  sufficient  cause. 

It  has  been  su]3posed  that  in  the  index  at  the 
end  of  my  fourth  volume,  the  seventeenth  verse  of 
the  34th  hymn  in  the  seventh  Ma?i(iala  has  been 
wrongly  assigned  to  Ahi  Budhnya,  and  that  one 
half  only  of  that  verse  should  have  been  reserved 
for  that  deity.  I  do  not  deny  that  we  should  be 
justified  in  deriving  that  sense  from  the  words  of 
the  Anukramanika,  but  I  cannot  admit  that  my 
own  interpretation  is  untenable.  As  S^ya^ia  does 
not  speak  authoritatively  on  the  subject,  I  followed 
the  authority  of  Shac/guru^ishya.  This  commentator 
of  the  Anukramamk4  says  :  atra  h^  ab^am  ukthair 
ahim  grinisha  ity  ardharA:o  'b^anamno  devasya 
stuti/i.;  ma  no  liir  budhnya  ity  ardharZ:o  ^hirbudli- 
nyanamno  devasya  *.  Another  commentator  says  : 
ab^am  ukthair  ardhar^^o  liiA ;  uttaro  m4  no  ^hir 
ity  ahir  budhnyaA.  From  this  we  learn  that  both 
commentators  looked  upon  the  Dvipadas  as  ardhar^as 
or  half-verses,  and  ascribed  the  whole  of  verse  16  to 
Ahir  abgsih,  the  whole  of  verse  17  to  Ahir  budhnyaA. 
It  will  be  seen  from  an  accurate  examination  of 
Sayaria's  commentary  on  verse  17,  that  in  the  second 
interpretation   of  the    second   half  of  verse  17,  he 


*  MS.  Wilson  379  lias,  ardhar^o  namano  daivatasya,  and  in  the 
margin  'hi.     Ahirbiidhnya  seems  to  have  been  taken  as  one  word. 


PREFACE.  Ixiii 

labours  to  show  that  in  this  portion,  too,  Ahir 
budhnya/^  may  be  considered  as  the  deity. 

It  is  perfectly  right  to  say  that  the  words  of  the 
Anukrama^zik^,  ab^am  aheA,  signify  that  the  verse 
beginning  with  ab(/4m,  belongs  to  Ahi.  But  there 
was  no  mis^Drint  in  my  index.  It  will  be  seen  that 
Shac^gurusishya  goes  even  beyond  me,  and  calls 
that  deity  simply  Ab^a,  leaving  out  Ahi  altogether, 
as  understood.  I  was  anxious  to  show  the  distinc- 
tion between  Ahgk  Ahih  and  Ahir  BudhnyaA,  as  the 
deities  of  the  two  successive  verses,  and  I  did  not 
expect  that  any  reader  could  possibly  misinterpret 
my  entry. 

With  regard  to  hymns  91  and  93  of  the  seventh 
Ma?2(iala,  it  is  true,  that  in  the  index  I  did  not 
mention  that  certain  verses  in  which  two  deities  are 
mentioned  (91,  2;  4-7;  92,  2),  must  be  considered  as 
addressed  not  to  Vayu  alone,  but  to  Vayu  and  Indra. 
It  will  be  seen  from  Saya?za^s  introduction  to  hymn 
90,  that  he,  too,  wrongly  limits  the  sentence  of  the 
Anukramanika,  aindrya^  ^a  y4  dvivaduktaA,  to  the 
fifth  and  following  verses  of  hymn  90,  and  that  he 
never  alludes  to  this  proviso  again  in  his  introductory 
remarks  to  hymns  91  and  92,  though,  of  course,  he 
explains  the  verses,  in  which  a  dual  occurs,  as 
addressed  to  two  deities,  viz.  Indra  and  V^vu.  The 
same  omission,  whether  intentional  or  unintentional, 
occurs  in  Sha(iguru5ishya's  commentary.  The  other 
commentary,  however,  assigns  the  verses  of  the  three 
hymns  rightly.     The  subject  has  evidently  been  one 


Ixiv  PREFACE. 

tliat  excited  attention  in  very  early  days,  for  in  the 
Aitareya-brahma?^a,  v.  30,  we  actually  find  that  the 
word  vam  which  occurs  m  hymn  90,  i,  and  which 
might  be  taken  as  a  dual,  though  Saya^ia  explains 
it  as  a  singular,  is  changed  into  te  *. 

In  hymn  vii.  104,  rakshoha^au  might  certainly 
be  added  as  an  epithet  of  Indra- Soman,  and  ShacZ- 
guru^ishya  clearly  takes  it  in  that  sense.  The 
Anukrama^iika  says  :  indrasoma  panA^adhikaindra- 
soma?}?  rakshoghna7?i  sapabhisapaprayam. 

In  hymn  viii.  67,  it  has  been  supposed  that  the 
readings  Samada  and  Samada  instead  of  Sammada 
and  Sammada  were  due  to  a  misprint.  This  is  not 
the  case.  That  I  was  aware  of  the  other  spelling  of 
this  name,  viz.  Sammada  and  Sammada,  I  had  shown 
in  my  History  of  Ancient  Sanskrit  Literature  (^nd 
ed.),  p.  39,  where  I  had  translated  the  passage  of  the 
/Sankhayana-sutras  in  which  Matsya  Sammada  occurs, 
and  had  also  called  attention  to  the  Asvalayana- 
sutras  X.  7,  and  the  /Satapatha-brahma^^a  xiii.  3,  i,  i, 
where  the  same  passage  is  found.     I  there  spelt  the 


*  The  iiiterpunction  of  Dr.  Haug's  edition  (p.  128)  should  be 
after  te.  Shac?gurusishya  says  :  ata  eva  brahma?^asutrayo/i  praiige 
vayavatvaya  pra  viraya  su^ayo  dadrire  vam  iti  dviva^anasthane  ta 
ity  ekava/canapai^a^  kritah,  vain  ity  uktam  ^ed  aindratva7>i  ka, 
syad  iti.  Possibly  the  same  change  should  be  made  in  Asvalayana's 
Sutras,  viii.  11,  and  it  has  been  made  by  the  Rama  Naraya92a 
Vidyaratna.  The  remark  of  the  commentator,  however,  dadrire 
ta  iti  prayogapa^/ia/i,  looks  as  if  vam  might  have  been  retained  in 
the  text.     The  MSS.  I  have  collated  are  in  favour  of  te. 


PKEFACE.  Ixv 

name  Sammada,  because  the  majority  of  the  MSS. 
were  in  favour  of  that  spelHng.  In  the  edition  of 
the  Asvalayana-siitras,  which  has  since  been  pubHshed 
by  Eama  N4rayana  Yidyarat^ya,  the  name  is  spelt 
Samada.  My  own  opinion  is  that  Sammada  is  the 
right  spelling,  but  that  does  not  prove  that  Saya7ia 
thought  so ;  and  unless  I  deviated  from  the  prin- 
ciples which  I  had  adopted  for  a  critical  restoration 
of  Saya^a's  text,  I  could  not  but  write  Samada  in 
our  passage.  B  i.  and  B  4.  omit  samada,  but  both 
give  samadakhyasya ;  Ca.  gives  likewise  samad^- 
khyasya,  and  A.  semad^khyasya.  This,  I  believe, 
was  meant  by  the  writer  for  sammad^khyasya,  for 
in  the  passage  from  the  Anukramani  both  A.  and 
Ca.  give  simmado.  I  then  consulted  the  commentary 
of  ShacZgurusishya,  and  there  again  the  same  MS. 
gave  twice  sammada,  once  samada,  which  is  explained 
by  samad4khyamah4mlnar%aputraA.  A  better  MS. 
of  ShacZgurusishya,  MS.  Wilson  379,  gives  the  read- 
ings s^mmado,  sammada,  and  sammadakhyasya.  The 
other  commentary  gives  distinctly  samanda. 

It  will  be  seen  from  these  remarks  that  many 
things  have  to  be  considered  before  one  can  form 
an  independent  judgment  as  to  the  exact  view 
adopted  by  S^ya^za  in  places  where  he  differs  from 
other  authorities,  or  as  to  the  exact  words  in 
w^hich  he  clothed  his  meaning.  Such  cases  occur 
again  and  again.  Thus  in  ix.  86,  I  find  that 
Professor  Aufrecht  ascribes  the  first  ten  verses  to 

the  Ak7dsh^as,  whereas  Sayana  calls  them  Akrishfas. 
VOL.  I.  e 


Ixvi  PEEFACE. 

It  is  perfectly  true  that  the  best  MSS.  of  the 
Anukramanika  have  Ak^dsh^a,  it  is  equally  true  that 
the  name  of  these  Ak^ish^as  is  spelt  with  a  short  a 
in  the  Hariva77i5a,  11,533,  ^^^^  ^^  editor  of  Saya^ia's 
work  is  not  to  alter  the  occasional  mistakes  of  that 
learned  commentator,  and  he  certainly  called  these 
poets  Akrish^as. 

Verses  21-30  of  the  same  hymn  are  ascribed  by 
Professor  Aufrecht  to  the  Prisniya/i.  Here,  again, 
several  MSS.  support  that  reading ;  and  in  ShacZ- 
guru6'ishya's  commentary,  the  correction  of  prisnijSih 
into  iprisnscy^h  is  made  by  a  later  hand.  But  Sayana 
clearly  took  piisnayaA  for  a  nominative  plural  of 
p^^isni,  and  in  this  case  he  certainly  was  right.  The 
Dictionary  of  Boehtlingk  and  Poth  quotes  the  Maha- 
bharata,  vii.  8728,  in  support  of  the  peculiar  reading 
of  pmniya/^,  but  the  pubhshed  text  gives  prisnaya/?.. 
Professor  Benfey,  in  his  hst  of  poets  (Ind.  Stud, 
vol.  iii.  p.  223),  gives  prisniyo^a  as  one  word,  not 
p?45niyoga,  as  stated  in  the  Dictionary  of  Boehtlingk 
and  Poth,  but  this  is  evidently  meant  for  two  words, 
viz.  prisnayo  'gkh.  However,  whether  p7d5niya/^  or 
p^^snaya/^  be  the  real  name  of  these  poets,  an  editor 
of  Say  ana  is  bound  to  give  that  reading  of  the 
name  which  Sayana  believed  to  be  the  right  one, 
i.  e.  prisnaya/^. 

Again,  in  the  same  hymn.  Professor  Aufrecht 
ascribes  verses  31-40  to  the  Atris.  He  cAddently 
read  tritiye  ^traya/i.  But  Sayaiia  read  tritiye 
traya^,  and  ascribes  verses  31-40  to  the  three  com- 


PREFACE.  Ixvii 

parties  together  of  the  i^ishis  mentioned  before.  On 
this  point  the  MSS.  admit  of  no  doubt,  for  we  read : 
^aturthasya  k^  dasar^asya  akrish^a  masha  ityadi- 
dvinamanas  trayo  gd^nk  drash^^ra/?..  I  do  not  say 
that  the  other  explanation  is  wrong ;  I  only  say 
that,  whether  right  or  wrong,  Sayaiza  certainly  read 
traya^,  not  atrayaA,  and  that  an  editor  has  no  more 
right  to  correct  the  text,  supported  by  the  best  MSS., 
in  the  first  and  second,  than  in  the  third  of  these 
passages,  all  taken  from  one  and  the  same  hymn. 

But  though  I  insist  so  strongly  on  a  strict 
observance  of  the  rules  of  diplomatic  criticism 
with  regard  to  the  text  of  the  Eig-veda,  nay,  even 
of  Saya^ia,  I  insist  equally  strongly  on  the  right 
of  independent  criticism,  which  ought  to  begin 
where  diplomatic  criticism  ends.  Considering  the 
startling  antiquity  which  we  can  claim  for  every 
letter  and  accent  of  our  MSS.  so  far  as  they  are 
authenticated  by  the  Pratisakhya,  to  say  nothing 
of  the  passages  of  the  hymns  which  are  quoted 
verbatim  in  the  Brahma?2as,  the  Kalpa-stltras,  the 
Nirukta,  the  Brihaddevata,  and  the  Anukrama^iis, 
I  should  deem  it  reckless  to  alter  one  single  letter 
or  one  single  accent  in  an  edition  of  the  hymns 
of  the  Big-veda.  As  the  text  has  been  handed 
down  to  us,  so  it  should  remain  ;  and  whatever 
alterations  and  corrections  we,  the  critical  MleM'Aas 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  have  to  propose,  should 
be  kept  distinct  from  that  time-hallowed  inherit- 
ance.    Unlikely  as  it  may  sound,  it  is  true  never- 

e  2 


Ixviii  PBEFACE.    - 

tlieless  that  we,  tlie  scholars  of  the  nmeteenth 
century,  are  able  to  point  out  mistakes  in  the 
text  of  the  Eig-veda  which  escaped  the  attention 
of  the  most  learned  among  the  native  scholars  of 
the  sixth  century  B.  c.  No  doubt,  these  scholars, 
even  if  they  had  perceived  such  mistakes,  would 
hardly  have  ventured  to  correct  the  text  of  their 
sacred  writings.  The  authors  of  the  PrMis^khya 
had  before  their  eyes  a  text  ready  made,  of  which 
they  registered  every  peculiarity,  nay,  in  which 
they  would  note  and  preserve  every  single  irregu- 
larity, even  though  it  stood  alone  amidst  hundreds 
of  analogous  cases.  With  us  the  case  is  different. 
Where  we  see  a  rule  observed  in  99  cases,  we  feel 
strongly  tempted  and  sometimes  justified  in  altering 
the  1 00th  case  in  accordance  with  what  we  con- 
sider to  be  a  general  rule.  Yet  even  then  I  feel 
convinced  we  ought  not  to  do  more  than  place 
our  conjectural  readings  below  the  textiis  receptus 
of  the  Veda, — a  text  so  ancient  and  venerable  that 
no  scholar  of  any  historical  tact  or  critical  taste 
would  venture  to  foist  into  it  a  conjectural  reading, 
however  plausible,  nay,  however  undeniable. 

There  can  be  no  clearer  case  of  corruption  in  the 
traditional  text  of  the  Eig-veda  than  if  in  i.  70,  4,  the 
Pada  text  reads  : 

v^rdh^n  y^m  ^ArYih  kshapd/^  Yi-rix^kh  sthatil/^  h^ 
rdtham  ritd-pravltam. 

All  scholars  who  have  touched  on  this  verse, 
Professors  Benfey,  BoUensen,  Eoth,  and  others,  have 


PREFACE.  Ixix 

pointed  out  that  instead  of  A;a  ratham,  the  original 
poet  must  have  said  A:aratham.  The  phrase  sthatu/^ 
^ar^tham,  what  stands  and  moves,  occurs  several 
times.  It  is  evidently  an  ancient  phrase,  and  hence 
we  can  account  for  the  preservation  in  it  of  the 
old  termination  of  the  nom.  sing,  of  neuters  in  ri, 
which  here,  as  in  the  Greek  fj-dp-rvp  or  imdp-Tu^, 
masc,  appears  as  ur  or  us,  while  in  the  ordinary 
Sanskrit  we  find  ri  only.  This  nom.  sing.  neut.  in 
us,  explains  also  the  common  genitives  and  ablatives, 
-pituh,  msitvih,  &c.,  which  stand  for  pitur-s,  matur-s. 
This  phrase  sthatuA  ^aratham  occurs  : 

i.  58,  5.  sthatiiA  ^aratham  bhayate  patatriT^a/?.. 
What  stands  and  what  moves  is  afraid  of  Agni. 
i.  68,  1.  sthatM  ^aratham  akti(j[n  vi  Arnot. 
He  lighted  up  what  stands  and  what  moves  during 
every  night. 

i.  72,  6.  pasdn  ka.  sth^trm  A;aratham  ^a  pahi. 
Protect  the  cattle,  and  what  stands  and  moves ! 
Here  it  has  been  proposed  to  read  sthatuA  instead 
of  sthatrin,  and  I  confess  that  this  emendation  is  very 
plausible.  One  does  not  see  how  pasu,  cattle,  could 
be  called  immohilia  or  fixtures,  unless  the  poet  wished 
to  make  a  distinction  between  cattle  that  are  kept 
fastened  in  stables,  and  cattle  that  are  allowed  to  roam 
about  freely  in  the  homestead.  This  distinction  is 
alluded  to,  for  instance,  in  the  ^atapatha-brahmaiia, 
xi.  8,  3,  2.  saurya  evaisha  pasu^  syad  iti,  tasmad 
etasmimi  astamite  pasavo  badhyante ;  badhnanty 
ekan  yathagosh^/^am,  eka  upasamdyanti. 


Ixx  PREFACE. 

i.  70,  2.  garbha/i  ^a  stliatam  garbha/i  l^aratham, 
(read  sthatr^m,  and  see  Bollensen,  Orient  und  Occi- 
dent, vol.  ii.  p.  462.) 

He  who  is  within  all  that  stands  and  all  that 
moves. 

The  word  /:aratha,  if  it  occurs  by  itself,  means 
flock,  movable  j)roperty  : 

iii.  31,  15.  at  it  sakhi-bhya/z.  Z:ardtham  sam  airat. 

He  brought  together,  for  his  friends,  the  flocks. 

viii.  ^^,  8.  puru-tr^  ^ard^tham  dadhe. 

He  bestowed  flocks  on  many  people. 

X.  92,  13.  pra  na/i,  pusha  ^aratham — avatu. 

May  Pushan  protect  our  flock ! 

Another  idiomatic  phrase  in  which  sthatu/^  occurs 
is  sth^tuh  ^agata/i,  and  here  sthatuA  is  really  a 
genitive  : 

i"^-  53y  ^'  g^gSiiah  sth^tuA  ubhd;yasya  ya^  vasi. 

He  who  is  lord  of  both,  of  what  is  movable  and 
what  is  immovable. 

vi.  50,  7.  vi5vasya  sthdtuA  ^dgata/^  ^anitri/i. 

They  who  created  all  that  stands  and  moves. 

vii.  60,  2.  visvasya  sthdtuA  ^agataA  Jca,  gopaA. 

The  guardians  of  all  that  stands  and  moves.  Cf 
X.  6^,  8. 

i-  1 59?  3-  sthatu^  ^a  satyam  ^agataA  ka  dharmani 
putrasya  pathaA  padam  advayavina^. 

Truly  while  you  uphold  aU  that  stands  and  moves, 
you  protect  the  home  of  the  guileless  son.     Cf.  ii. 

But  although  I  have  no  doubt  that  in  i.  yo,  4, 


PREFACE.  Ixxi 

the  original  poet  said  sthatuA  ^ard^tham,  I  should  be 
loath  to  suppress  the  evidence  of  the  mistake  and 
alter  the  Pada  text  from  ^a  ratham  to  ^aratham. 
The  very  mistake  is  instructive,  as  showing  us  the 
kind  of  misapprehension  to  which  the  collectors  of 
the  Vedic  text  were  liable,  and  enabling  us  to  judge 
how  far  the  limits  of  conjectural  criticism  may  safely 
be  extended. 

A  still  more  extraordinary  case  of  misunder- 
standing on  the  part  of  the  original  compilers  of 
the  Vedic  texts,  and  Hkewise  of  the  authors  of  the 
Pratisakhyas,  the  Niruktas,  and  other  Vedic  trea- 
tises, has  been  pointed  out  by  Professor  Kuhn.  In 
an  article  of  his,  '  Zur  altesten  Geschichte  der  Indo- 
germanischen  Volker'  (Indische  Studien,  vol.  i.  p.  351), 
he  made  the  following  observation  :  '  The  Lithuanian 
lauhas,  Lett,  lauks,  Pruss.  laukas,  all  meaning  field, 
agree  exactly  with  the  Sk.  lokas,  w^orld,  Lat.  locus, 
Low  Germ,  (in  East-Frisia  and  Oldenburg)  louch, 
loch,  village.  All  these  words  are  to  be  traced 
back  to  the  Sk.  uru,  Gr.  evpvg,  broad,  wide.  The 
initial  u  is  lost,  as  in  Goth,  rums,  O.  H.  G.  rumi, 
rumin  (Low  Germ,  riime,  an  open  uncultivated  field 
in  a  forest),  and  the  r  changed  into  1.  In  support 
of  this  derivation  it  should  be  observed  that  in 
the  Veda  loka  is  freqviently  preceded  by  the  par- 
ticle u,  which  probably  was  only  separated  from 
it  by  the  Diaskeuastae,  and  that  the  meaning  is 
that  of  open  space.'  Although  this  derivation  has 
met  with  little  favour,  I  confess  that  I  look  upon 


Ixxii  PREFACE. 

this  remark,  excepting  only  the  Latin  locus,  i.  e. 
stlocus,  as  one  of  the  most  ingenious  of  this  emi- 
nent scholar.  The  fact  is  that  this  particle  u 
before  loka  is  one  of  the  most  puzzling  occur- 
rences in  the  Veda.  Professor  Bollensen  says  that 
loka  never  occurs  without  a  preceding  u  in  the 
first  eight  Ma/icZalas,  and  this  is  perfectly  true 
with  the  exception  of  one  passage  which  he  has 
overlooked,  viii.  loo,  12.  dyauA  dehi  lokdm  vd^/raya 
vi-skdbhe,  Dyu !  give  room  for  the  lightning  to 
step  forth !  Professor  Bollensen  (I.e.  p.  603)  reads 
vritraya  instead  of  va^raya,  without  authority.  He 
is  right  in  objecting  to  dyaus  as  a  vocative,  but 
dyciuh  may  be  a  genitive  belonging  to  vd^raya,  in 
which  case  we  should  translate.  Make  room  for  the 
lightning  of  Dyu  to  step  forth  ! 

But  what  is  even  more  important,  is  the  fact 
that  the  occurrence  of  this  unaccented  u  at  the 
beginning  of  a  p^da  is  against  the  very  rules,  or, 
at  least,  runs  counter  to  the  very  observations 
which  the  authors  of  the  Pratisakhya  have  made 
on  the  inadmissibility  of  an  unaccented  word  in 
such  a  place,  so  that  they  had  to  insert  a  special 
provision  exempting  the  unaccented  u  from  this 
general  observation ;  '  anudattam  tu  p^dadau  na- 
uvar^/am  vidyate  padanV  'no  unaccented  word  is 
found  at  the  beginning  of  a  pada  except  u ! ' 
Although  I  have  frequently  insisted  on  the  fact 
that  such  statements  of  the  Pr4tisakhya  are  not 
to  be  considered  as  rules,  but  simply  as  more    or 


PREFACE.  Ixxiii 

less  general  statistical  accumulations  of  facts  actually 
occurring  in  theYeda,  I  have  also  pointed  out  that 
we  are  at  liberty  to  found  on  these  collected  facts 
inductive  observations  which  may  assume  the  cha- 
racter of  real  rules.  Thus,  in  our  case,  we  can  well 
understand  why  there  should  be  none,  or,  at  least, 
very  few  instances,  where  an  unaccented  word  begins 
a  pada.  We  should  not  begin  a  verse  with  an 
enclitic  particle  in  any  other  language  either ;  and 
as  in  Sanskrit  a  verb  at  the  beginning  of  a  pada 
receives  ipso  facto  the  accent,  and  as  the  same 
applies  to  vocatives,  no  chance  is  left  for  an  un- 
accented word  in  that  place  except  it  be  a  particle. 
But  the  one  particle  that  offends  against  this  general 
observation  is  u,  and  the  very  word  before  which 
this  u  causes  this  metrical  offence  is  loka.  Can 
any  argument  be  more  tempting  in  favour  of  ad- 
mitting an  old  form  uloka  instead  of  u  loka  1 
Lokam  is  preceded  by  u  in  i.  93,  6  ;  ii.  30,  6 ;  (asmin 
bhayd-sthe  k^^Tiutam  u  lokam,  make  room  for  us, 
grant  an  escape  to  us,  in  this  danger !)  iv.  17,  17 ;  vi. 
'^%  ?>\  7  (with  uriim) ;  47,  8  (urum  na/^  lok^m,  or 
ulokdm  X) ;  73,  2  ;  vii.  20,  2  ;  33^  5  (with  uriim) ;  60,  9 
(with  urum) ;  84,  2  (with  uriim) ;  99,  4  (with  urum) ; 
ix.  93,  5;  X.  13,  2  ;  16,  4  (sukritam  u  lok^m);  30,  7  ; 
104,  10  ;  180,  3  (with  urum).  Loke  is  preceded  by  u 
in  iii.  29,  8 ;  v.  i,  6  ;  loka-krit,  ix.  86,  21;  x.  133,  i.  In 
all  remaining  passages  u  lokd  is  found  at  the  be- 
ginning of  a  pada  :  lokdh,  iii.  37,  11;  lokam,  iii.  2,  9 
(u   lokam  u  dve  (iti)  ilpa  ^amim  iyntnh);    v.  4,  11; 


Ixxiv  PREFACE. 

loka-kritiuim,  viii.  15,  4 ;  ix.  2,  8.  The  only  pas- 
sages in  which  loka  occurs  without  being  preceded 
by  u,  are  lokam,  vi.  47,  8  (see  above);  viii.  100,  12; 
X.  14,  9  ;  85,  20  (anmtasya) ;  lokaA,  ix.  113,  9;  lokan, 
*x.  90, 14;  loke,  ix.  113,  7^;  X.  85,  24. 

Considering  all  this,  I  feel  as  convinced  as  it  is 
possible  to  be  in  such  matters,  that  in  all  the 
passages  where  u  loka  occurs  and  where  it  means 
S23ace,  carriere  02tverte,  freedom,  we  ought  to  read 
uroka ;  but  in  spite  of  this  I  could  never  bring 
myself  to  insert  this  word,  of  which  neither  the 
authors  of  the  Brahmanas  nor  the  writers  of  the 
Pr^tisakhyas  or  even  later  grammarians  had  any 
idea,  into  the  text.  On  the  contrary,  I  should 
here,  too,  consider  it  most  useful  to  leave  the  tra- 
ditional reading,  and  to  add  the  corrections  in  the 
margin,  in  order  that,  if  these  conjectural  emenda- 
tions are  in  time  considered  as  beyond  the  reach 
of  doubt,  they  may  be  used  as  evidence  in  support 
of  conjectures  which,  without  such  evidence,  might 
seem  intolerable  in  the  eyes  of  timid  critics. 

There  remains  one  difficulty  about  this  hypothe- 
tical word  uloka,  which  it  is  but  fair  to  mention. 
If  it  is  derived  from  uru,  or,  as  Professor  Bollensen 
suggests,  from  urva^  or  urvak,  the  change  of  va 
into  o  would  require  further  support.  Neither 
maghon  for  maghavan,  nor  duro^a  for  dura-va?2a 
are  strictly  analogous  cases,  because  in  each  we 
have  an  a  preceding  the  va  or  u.  Strictly  speak- 
ing, uroka  jiresupposes  uravaka,  as  sloka  presupposes 


PREFACE.  Ixxv 

sravaka,  or  oka,  house,  avaka  (from  av,  not  from 
u^).  That,  on  the  other  hand,  the  u  of  uru  is  liable 
to  disappear,  is  shown  by  passages  such  as  i.  138,3; 
vii.  39,  3,  where  the  metre  requires  uru  to  be  treated 
as  one  syllable;  and  possibly  by  ix.  96,  15,  if  the 
original  reading  was  urur  iva  instead  of  urviva. 

The  most  powerful  instrument  that  has  hitherto 
been  applied  to  the  emendation  of  Vedic  texts,  is 
the  metre.  Metre  means  measure,  and  uniform 
measure,  and  hence  its  importance  for  critical  pur- 
poses, as  second  only  to  that  of  grammar.  If  our 
knowledge  of  the  metrical  system  of  the  Vedic 
poets  rests  on  a  sound  basis,  any  deviations  from 
the  general  rule  are  rightly  objected  to  ;  and  if  by 
a  slight  alteration  they  can  be  removed,  and  the 
metre  be  restored,  we  naturally  feel  inclined  to 
adopt  such  emendations.  Two  safeguards,  how- 
ever, are  needed  in  this  kind  of  conjectural  criticism. 
We  ought  to  be  quite  certain  that  the  anomaly  is 
impossible,  and  we  ought  to  be  able  to  explain  to  a 
certain  extent  how  the  deviation  from  the  original 
correct  text  could  have  occurred.  As  this  subject 
has  of  late  years  received  considerable  attention, 
and  as  emendations  of  the  Vedic  texts,  supported 
by  metrical  arguments,  have  been  carried  on  on  a 
very  large  scale,  it  becomes  absolutely  necessary  to 
re-examine  the  grounds  on  which  these  emendations 
are  supposed  to  rest.  There  are,  in  fact,  but  few 
hymns  in  which  some  verses  or  some  words  have 
not  been  challenged  for  metrical  reasons,  and  I  feel 


Ixxvi  PREFACE. 

bound,  therefore,  at  the  very  beginning  of  my 
translation  of  the  Big-veda,  to  express  my  own 
opinion  on  this  subject,  and  to  give  my  reasons 
why  in  so  many  cases  I  allow  metrical  anomalies 
to  remain  which  by  some  of  the  most  learned  and 
ingenious  among  Yedic  scholars  would  be  pro- 
nounced intolerable. 

Even  if  the  theory  of  the  ancient  metres  had  not 
been  so  carefully  worked  out  by  the  authors  of  the 
Pratisakhyas  and  the  Anukrama^us,  an  independent 
study  of  the  Veda  would  have  enabled  us  to  dis- 
cover the  general  rules  by  which  the  Yedic  poets 
were  guided  in  the  composition  of  their  works.  Nor 
would  it  have  been  difficult  to  show  how  constantly 
these  general  principles  are  violated  by  the  intro- 
duction of  phonetic  changes  which  in  the  later 
Sanskrit  are  called  the  euphonic  changes  of  Sandhi, 
and  according  to  which  final  vowels  must  be  Joined 
with  initial  vowels,  and  final  consonants  adapted 
to  initial  consonants,  lurtil  at  last  each  sentence  be- 
comes a  continuous  chain  of  closely  linked  syllables. 
It  is  far  easier,  as  I  remarked  before,  to  discover 
the  original  and  natural  rhythm  of  the  Vedic  hymns 
by  reading  them  in  the  Pada  than  in  the  Sanhita 
text,  and  after  some  practice  oiu*  ear  becomes  suffi- 
ciently schooled  to  tell  us  at  once  how  each  Ime 
ought  to  be  pronounced.  We  find,  on  the  one  hand, 
that  the  rules  of  Sandhi,  instead  of  being  generally 
binding,  were  treated  by  the  Yedic  poets  as  poetical 
licences   only ;    and,   on    the    other,  that   a  greater 


PREFACE.  Ixxvii 

freedom  of  pronunciation  was  allowed  even  in  the 
body  of  words  than  would  be  tolerated  in  the  later 
Sanskrit.  If  a  syllable  was  wanted  to  complete  the 
metre,  a  semivowel  might  be  pronounced  as  a  vowel, 
many  a  long  vowel  might  be  protracted  so  as  to 
count  for  two  syllables,  and  short  vowels  might  be 
inserted  between  certain  consonants,  of  which  no 
trace  exists  in  the  ordinary  Sanskrit.  If,  on  the 
contrary,  there  were  too  many  syllables,  then  the 
rules  of  Sandhi  were  observed,  or  two  short  syllables 
contracted  by  rapid  pronunciation  into  one  ;  nay, 
in  a  few  cases,  a  final  m  or  s,  it  seems,  might  be 
omitted.  It  would  be  a  mistake  to  suppose  that 
the  authors  of  the  Pratisakhvas  were  not  aware  of 
this  freedom  allowed  or  required  in  the  pronunciation 
of  the  Yedic  hymns.  Though  they  abstained  from 
introducing  into  the  text  changes  of  pronunciation 
which  even  we  ourselves  would  never  tolerate,  if 
inserted  in  the  texts  of  Homer  and  Plautus,  in  the 
Pali  verses  of  Buddha,  or  even  in  modern  English 
poetry,  the  authors  of  the  Pratisakhya  were  clearly 
aware  that  in  many  places  one  syllable  had  to  be 
pronounced  as  two,  or  two  as  one.  They  were 
clearly  aware  that  certain  vowels,  generally  con- 
sidered as  long,  had  to  be  pronounced  as  short,  but 
they  did  not  change  the  text.  They  were  clearly 
aware  that  in  order  to  satisfy  the  demands  of  the 
metre,  certain  changes  of  pronunciation  were  indis- 
pensable. They  knew  it,  but  they  did  not  change 
the  text.     And  this   shows  that  the  text,  as  they 


Ixx^dii  PREFACE. 

describe  it,  enjoyed  even  in  their  time  a  high 
authority,  that  they  did  not  make  it,  but  that, 
such  as  it  is,  with  all  its  incongruities,  it  had  been 
made  before  their  time.  In  many  cases,  no  doubt, 
certain  syllables  in  the  hymns  of  the  Veda  had  been 
actually  lengthened  or  shortened  in  the  Sanhita  text 
in  accordance  with  the  metre  in  which  they  are 
composed.  But  this  was  done  by  the  poets  them- 
selves, or,  at  all  events,  it  was  not  done  by  the 
authors  of  the  Prati^ukhya.  They  simply  register 
such  changes,  but  they  do  not  enjoin  them,  and  in 
this  we,  too,  should  follow  their  example.  It  is, 
therefore,  a  point  of  some  importance  in  the  critical 
restoration  and  proper  pronunciation  of  Vedic  texts, 
that  in  the  rules  which  we  have  to  follow  in  order 
to  satisfy  the  demands  of  the  metre,  we  should 
carefuUy  distinguish  between  what  is  sanctioned  by 
ancient  authority,  and  what  is  the  result  of  our  own 
observations.     This  I  shall  now  proceed  to  do. 

First,  then,  the  authors  of  the  Prati^^akhya  distinctly 
admit  that,  in  order  to  uphold  the  rules  they  have 
themselves  laid  down,  certain  syllables  are  to  be 
pronounced  as  two  syllables.  We  read  in  Sutra  527 : 
*In  a  deficient  pada  the  right  number  is  to  be 
provided  for  by  protraction  of  semivowels  (which 
were  originally  vowels),  and  of  contracted  vowels 
(which  were  originally  two  independent  vowels).' 
It  is  only  by  this  process  that  the  short  syllable 
which  has  been  lengthened  in  the  Sanhita,  viz.  the 
sixth,   or  the    eighth,   or  the  tenth,   can  be   shown 


PREFACE.  Ixxix 

to  have  occupied  and  to  occupy  that  place  where 
alone,  according  to  a  former  rule,  a  short  syllable  is 
liable  to  be  lengthened.     Thus  we  read : 

i.  i6i,  II.  udvatsvasm^i  ak™otana  tri^zam. 

This  would  seem  to  be  a  verse  of  eleven  syllables, 
in  which  the  ninth  syllable  na  has  been  lengthened. 
This,  however,  is  against  the  system  of  the  Prati- 
5^khya.  But  if  we  protract  the  semivowel  v  in 
udvatsv,  and  change  it  back  into  u,  which  it  was 
originally,  then  we  gain  one  syllable,  the  whole 
verse  has  twelve  syllables,  na  occupies  the  tenth 
place,  and  it  now  belongs  to  that  class  of  cases 
which  is  included  in  a  former  Sutra,  523. 
The  same  applies  to  x.  103,  13,  where  we  read: 

■       —  *^  v-»       —"  V        — 

pret4  ^ayat^  nara/^. 

This  is  a  verse  of  seven  syllables,  in  which  the  fifth 
syllable  is  lengthened,  without  any  authority.  Let 
us  protract  preta  by  bringing  it  back  to  its  original 
component  elements  pra  it^,  and  we  get  a  verse  of 
eight  syllables,  the  sixth  syllable  now  falls  under 
the  general  observation,  and  is  lengthened  in  the 
Sanhita  accordingly. 

The  same  rules  are  repeated  in  a  later  portion 
of  the  Pratisakhya.  Here  rules  had  been  given  as 
to  the  number  of  syllables  of  which  certain  metres 
consist,  and  it  is  added  (Sutras  972,  973)  that  where 
that  number  is  deficient,  it  should  be  completed 
by  protracting  contracted  vowels,  and  by  sepa- 
rating   consonantal    groups    in    which    semivowels 


IxXX  PREFACE. 

(originally  vowels)  occur,  by  means  of  their  cor- 
responding vowel. 

The  rules  in  both  places  are  given  in  almost 
identically  the  same  words,  and  the  only  difference 
between  the  two  passages  is  this,  that,  according 
to  the  former,  semivowels  are  simply  changed  back 
into  their  vowels,  while,  according  to  the  latter,  the 
semivowel  remains,  but  is  separated  from  the  pre- 
ceding consonant  by  its  corresponding  vowel. 

These  rules  therefore  show  clearly  that  the  authors 
of  the  Pratisakhya,  though  they  would  have  shrunk 
from  altering  one  single  letter  of  the  authorised 
Sanhita,  recognized  the  fact  that  where  two  vowels 
had  been  contracted  into  one,  they  might  yet  be  pro- 
nounced as  two  ;  and  where  a  vowel  before  another 
vowel  had  been  changed  into  a  semivowel,  it  might 
either  be  pronounced  as  a  vowel,  or  as  a  semivowel 
preceded  by  its  corresponding  vowel.  More  than  these 
two  modifications,  however,  the  Pratisakhya  does  not 
allow,  or,  at  least,  does  not  distinctly  sanction.  The 
commentator  indeed  tries  to  show  that  by  the  word- 
ing of  the  Sutras  in  both  places,  a  third  modification 
is  sanctioned,  viz.  the  vocalisation,  in  the  body  of  a 
word,  of  semivowels  which  do  not  owe  their  origin 
to  an  original  vowel.  But  in  both  places  this  in- 
terpretation is  purely  artificial.  Some  such  rule 
ought  to  have  been  given,  but  it  was  not  given  by 
the  authors  of  the  Prati.sakhya.  It  ought  to  have 
been  given,  for  it  is  only  by  observing  such  a  rule 
that  in  i.  6 1,  12,  gor  na  parva  vi  rad^  tirasM,  we  get 


PREFACE.  Ixxxi 

a  verse  of  eleven  syllables,  and  thus  secure  for  d^ 
in  rada  the  eighth  place,  where  alone  the  short 
a  could  be  lengthened.  Yet  we  look  in  vain  for  a 
rule  sanctioning  the  change  of  semivowels  mto 
vowels,  except  where  the  semivowels  can  rightly 
be  called  kshaipra-va^7^a  (Sutra  974),  i.  e.  semivowels 
that  were  originally  vowels.  The  independent  (sva- 
bhavika)  semivowels,  as  e.  g.  the  v  in  parva,  are 
not  included ;  and  to  suppose  that  in  Sutra  537 
these  semivowels  were  indicated  by  varna  is  impos- 
sible, particularly  if  we  compare  the  similar  wording 
of  Sutra  973  *. 

We  look  in  vain,  too,  in  the  Pratisakhya  for  another 
rule  according  to  which  long  vowels,  even  if  they  do 
not  owe  their  origin  to  the  coalescence  of  two  vowels, 
are  liable  to  be  protracted.  However,  this  rule,  too, 
though  never  distinctly  sanctioned,  is  observed  in 
the  Pratisakhya,  for  unless  its  author  observed  it,  he 
could  not  have  obtained  in  the  verses  quoted  by 
the  Pratisakhya  the  number  of  syllables  which  he 
ascribes  to  them.  According  to  Stitra  937,  the  verse, 
Ev.  X.  134,  I,  is  a  Mah^pankti,  and  consists  of  six 


*  It  will  be  seen  from  my  edition  of  the  Pratisakhya,  par- 
ticularly from  the  extracts  from  Uva^a,  given  after  Sutra  973, 
that  the  idea  of  making  two  syllables  out  of  goA,  never  entered 
Uva^a's  mind.  M.  Regnier  Avas  right,  Professor  Kuhn  (Beitriige, 
vol.  iv.  p.  187)  was  wrong.  Uvato,  no  doubt,  wishes  to  show  that 
original  (svabhavika)  semivowels  are  liable  to  vyuha,  or  at  least 
to  vyavaya;  but  though  this  is  true  in  fact,  Uva^a  does  not  suc- 
ceed in  his  attempt  to  prove  that  the  rules  of  the  Pratisakhya 
sanction  it. 

VOL.  I.  f 


Ixxxii  PREFACE. 

packs,  of  eight  syllables  each.     In  order  to  obtain 
that  number,  we  must  read: 

samr%am  Z:arshaninam. 

We  may  therefore  say  that,  without  allowing  any 
actual  chano-e  in  the  received  text  of  the  Sanhit^, 
the  Prati^akliya  distinctly  allows  a  lengthened  pro- 
nunciation of  certain  syllables,  which  in  the  Pada 
text  form  two  syllables ;  and  we  may  add  that,  by 
implication,  it  allows  the  same  even  in  cases  where 
the  Pada  text  also  gives  but  one  instead  of  two 
syllables.  Having  this  authority  in  our  favour,  I 
do  not  think  that  we  use  too  much  liberty  if  we 
extend  this  modified  pronunciation,  recognized  in  so 
many  cases  by  the  ancient  scholars  of  India  them- 
selves, to  other  cases  where  it  seems  to  us  required 
as  well,  in  order  to  satisfy  the  metrical  rules  of  the 
Veda. 

Secondly,  I  beheve  it  can  be  proved  that,  if  not 
the  authors  of  the  Pratisakhya,  those  at  least  who 
constituted  the  Yedic  text  which  was  current  in  the 
ancient  schools  and  which  we  now  have  before  us, 
were  fuUy  aware  that  certain  long  vowels  and  diph- 
thongs could  be  used  as  short.  The  authors  of  the 
Pratisakhya  remark  that  certain  changes  which  can 
take  place  before  a  short  syllable  only,  take  place 
likewise  before  the  word  no,  although  the  vowel  of 
this  *no'  is  by  them  supposed  to  be  long.  After 
having  stated  in  Sutra  523  that  the  eighth  syllable 
of  hendecasyllabics  and  dodecasyllabics,  if  short,  is 
lengthened,  provided  a  short  syllable   follows,  they 


PREFACE.  Ixxxiii 

remark  that  for  this  purpose  na/z.  or  no  is  treated 
as   a  short  syllable: 

X.  59,  4.  dyu-bhi/^  hita^  ^arima  su  nah  astu,  (Sanh. 
s5  no  astu.) 

Again,  in  stating  that  the  tenth  syllable  of  hendeca- 
syllabics  and  dodecasyllabics,  if  short,  is  lengthened, 
provided  a  short  syllable  follows,  the  same  exception 
is  understood  to  be  made  in  favour  of  nsih  or  no, 
as  a  short  syllable  : 

vii.  48,  4.  nu  devasa/i  varivaA-  kartana  na/i,  (Sanh. 
kartan^  no,  bhuta  na/i,  &c.) 

With  regard  to  e  being  shortened  before  a  short 
a,  where,  according  to  rule,  the  a  should  be  elided, 
we  actually  find  that  the  Sanhita  gives  a  instead 
of  e  in  Rv.  viii.  72,  5.  veti  stotave  ambyam,  Sanh. 
veti  stotava  ambyam.    (Pr4ti5. 177,  5.) 

I  do  not  ascribe  very  much  weight  to  the  authority 
which  we  may  derive  from  these  observations  with 
regard  to  our  own  treatment  of  the  diphthongs  e 
and  o  as  either  long  or  short  in  the  Veda,  yet  in 
answer  to  those  who  are  incredulous  as  to  the 
fact  that  the  vowels  e  and  o  could  ever  be  short 
in  Sanskrit,  an  appeal  to  the  authority  of  those 
who  constituted  our  text,  and  in  constituting  it 
clearly  treated  o  as  a  short  vowel,  may  not  be 
without  weight.  We  may  also  appeal  to  the  fact 
that  in  Pali  and  Prakrit  every  final  o  and  e  can 
be  treated  as  either  long  or  short*.     Starting  from 


*  See  Lassen,  Inst.  Linguee  Pracriticse,  pp.  145, 147, 151;  Cowell, 
Vararu/i;i,  Introduction,  p.  xvii. 

f  2 


Ixxxiv  PREFACE. 

this  we  may  certainly  extend  this  observation,  as 
it  has  been  extended  by  Professor  Kuhn,  but  we 
must  not  extend  it  too  far.  It  is  quite  clear  that 
in  the  same  verse  e  and  o  can  be  used  both  as  long 
and  short.     I  give  the  Sanhit^  text : 

i.  84, 17.  ka  ishate  tu^yate  ko  bibhaya 

ko  mawsate  santam  indram  ko  anti, 
kas  tok^ya  ka  ibh^yota  r^ye 
adhi  bra  vat  tanve  ko  ^anaya. 
But  although  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  e  and 
o,  when  final,  or  at  the  end  of  the  first  member  of 
a  compound,  may  be  treated  in  the  Veda  as  anceps, 
there  is  no  evidence,   I  believe,  to   show   that  the 
same  licence  applies  to  a  medial  or  initial  e  or  o. 
In  iv.  45,  5,  we  must  scan 

usmh  ^arante  prati  vastoA  asvina, 
ending  the  verse  with  an  epitritus  tertius  instead  of 
the  usual  dij  ambus  *. 

*  See  Professor  Weber's  pertinent  remarks  in  Kuhn's  Beitrage, 
vol.  iii.  p.  394.  I  do  not  think  that  in  the  verses  adduced  by 
Professor  Kuhn,  in  which  final  o  is  considered  by  him  as  an  iambus 
or  trochee,  this  scanning  is  inevitable.  Thus  we  may  scan  the 
Sanhita  text : 

1.  88,  2.  rukmo  na  ^itraA  svadhitivan. 
1.  141,  8.  ratho  na  yata^  sikvabhi/i  krito. 

,  — -  —  ^^  ^/  ^.1      ^p/  v^ \J  _         

1.  174,  3.  smiho  na  dame  apamsi  vastoA. 

VI.  24,  3.  aksho  na  kakryoh  sura  brihan. 

X.  3,  I.  mo  ragann  arati/i  samiddho. 

This  leaves  but  one  of  Professor  Kuhn's  examples  (Beitrage, 
vol.  iv.  p.  192)  unexplained:  i.  191,  i.  kankato  na  kankato,  where 
iva  for  na  would  remove  the  difficulty. 


PREFACE.  IXXXV 

Thirdly,  the  fact  that  the  initial  short  a,  if  fol- 
lowing upon  a  word  ending  in  o  or  e,  is  frequently 
not  to  be  ehded,  is  clearly  recognized  by  the  authors 
of  the  Pratisakhya  (see  p.  xxxv).  Nay,  that  they 
wished  it  to  be  pronounced  even  in  passages  where, 
in  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  the  Prati- 
5akhya,  it  had  to  disappear  in  the  Sanhit^  text,  we 
may  conclude  from  Sutra  978.  It  is  there  stated 
that  no  pada  should  ever  begin  with  a  word  that 
has  no  accent.  The  exceptions  to  this  rule  are  few, 
and  they  are  discussed  in  Sutras  978-987.  But  if 
the  initial  a  were  not  pronounced  in  i.  i,  9,  sa/i  na^ 
pita-iva  siinave  ague  su-upayan^A  bhava,  the  second 
p4da  would  begin  with  'gne,  a  word  which,  after  the 
elision  of  the  initial  a,  would  be  a  word  without  an 
accent. 

Fourthly,  the  fact  that  other  long  vov/els,  besides 
e  and  o,  may  under  certain  circumstances  be  used  as 
short  in  the  Yeda,  is  not  merely  a  modern  theory,  but 
rests  on  no  less  an  authority  than  Pa^iini. 

Vknini  says,  vi.  i,  127,  that  i,  u,  ri  (see  Pv.  Bh.  iv. 
I,  12)  at  the  end  of  a  pada  (but  not  in  a  compound*) 

*  There  are  certain  compounds  in  which,  according  to  Professor 
Kuhn,  two  vowels  have  been  contracted  into  one  short  vowel. 
This  is  certainly  the  opinion  of  Hindu  grammarians,  also  of  the 
compiler  of  the  Pada  text.  But  most  of  them  would  admit  of 
another  explanation.  Thus  dhanvar^iasaA,  which  is  divided  into 
dhanva-ar92asa7i,  may  be  dlianu-ar^asa/i  (Rv.  v.  45,  2).  Dhanar^am, 
divided  into  dhana-ar^am,  may  have  been  dhana-rii^am  (Rv.  x. 
46,  5).  /S'atar^asam  (Rv.  vii.  100,  3)  may  be  taken  as  sata- 
?'i^asam  instead  of  satii-ar^asam. 


IxXXvi  PREFACE. 

may  remain  unchanged,  if  a  different  vowel  follows, 
and  that,  if  long,  they  may  be  shortened.  He 
ascribes  this  rule,  or,  more  correctly,  the  first  por- 
tion of  it  only,  to  >Sakalya,  Pratisakhya  155  seq.* 
Thus  Z:akri  atra  may  become  ^'akri  atra  or  X^akry 
atra.  Madhu  atra  may  become  madhti  atra  or 
madhv  atra.  In  vi.  i,  128,  Pardni  adds  that  a, 
i,  u,  ri  may  remain  unchanged  before  ri,  and,  if 
long,  may  be  shortened,  and  this  again  according 
to  the  teaching  of  ^Sakalya,  i.  e.  Prati^akhya  136. 
Hence  brahma  7nshi/^  becomes  brahma  rishih  or 
brahmarshi/i ;  kumari  7'isjSih  becomes  kumari  risysih 
or  kumary  risjsih.  This  rule  enables  us  to  explain 
a  number  of  passages  in  which  the  Sanhita  text 
either  changes  the  final  long  vowel  into  a  semi- 
vowel, or  leaves  it  unchanged,  when  the  vowel 
is  a  pragrihya  vowel.  To  the  first  class  belong 
such  passages  as  i.  163,  iz ;  iv.  38,  10.  va^i'  drv4, 
Sanh.  v%ydrv^ ;  vi.  7,  3.  va^i'  ague,  Sanh.  va^yagne; 
vi.  20, 13.  pakthi  arkai/i^,  Sanh.  pakthyarkai/i ;  iv.  22,4. 
6'ushmi  a  go/i,  Sanh.  ^ushmya  goh.  In  these  pas- 
sages i  is  the  termination  of  a  nom.  masc.  of  a 
stem  ending  in  in.  Secondly,  iv.  24,  8.  pdtni  ikhlvd, 
Sanh.  patnyd^'Ma ;  iv.  34,  i .  devi  ahnam,  Sanh.  devy- 
d.hnam;  v.  75,  4.  va?uM  a-hita,  Sanh.  v^m^yahita; 
vi.  61,  4.  avitri  avatu,   Sanh.  avitryavatu.     In  these 


*  In  the  Pratisaldiya  the  rule  which  allows  vowel  before  vowel 
to  remain  unchanged,  is  restricted  to  special  joassages,  and  in  some 
of  them  the  two  vowels  are  savarna;  cf.  Sutra  163. 


PREFACE.  Ixxxvii 

]3assages  the  i  is  the  termmation  of  feminines.  In 
X.  15,  4,  uti  arvak,  Sanh.  utyarvak,  the  final  1  of 
the  instrumental  uti  ought  not  to  have  been  changed 
into  a  semivowel,  for,  though  not  followed  by  iti, 
it  is  to  be  treated  as  prag^ihya  ;  (Pratis.  163,  5.) 
It  is,  however,  mentioned  as  an  exception  in  Sutra 
174,  9.  The  same  applies  to  ii.  3,  4.  vedi  iti  asyam, 
Sanh.  vedyasyam.  The  pragrihya  1  ought  not  to 
have  been  changed  into  a  semivowel,  but  the  fact 
that  it  had  been  changed  irregularly,  was  again  duly 
registered  in  Sutra  174,  5.  These  two  pragrihya 
1  therefore,  which  have  really  to  be  pronounced 
short,  were  irregularly  changed  in  the  Sanhita  into 
the  semivowel ;  and  as  this  semivowel,  like  all  semi- 
vowels, may  take  vyavaya,  the  same  object  was 
attained  as  if  it  had  been  written  by  a  short  vowel. 
With  regard  to  pragrihya  u,  no  such  indication  is 
given  by  the  Sanhita  text ;  but  in  such  passages 
as  i.  46,  13.  sambhti  iti  5am-bhu  a  gatam,  Sanh. 
sambhu  a  gatam ;  v.  43,  4.  bahu  iti  adrim,  Sanh. 
bahu  ddrim,  the  pragrihya  u  of  the  dual  can  be 
used  as  short,  like  the  u  of  madhu  atra,  given  as 
an  example  by  the  commentators  of  Pa/iini. 

To  Professor  Kuhn,  I  believe,  belongs  the  merit 
of  having  extended  this  rule  to  final  a.  That  the 
a  of  the  dual  may  become  short,  was  mentioned 
in  the  Pratisakhya,  Sutra  309,  though  in  none  of 
the  passages  there  mentioned  is  there  any  metrical 
necessity  for  this  shortening  (see  p.  xli).  This  being 
the  case,  it  is  impossible  to  deny  that  where  this  a 


Ixxxviii  PREFACE. 

is  followed  by  a  vowel,  and  where  Sandhi  between 
the  two  vowels  is  impossible,  the  final  k  may  be 
treated  as  short.  Whether  it  must  be  so  treated, 
depends  on  the  view  which  we  take  of  the  Yedic 
metres,  and  will  have  to  be  discussed  hereafter. 
I  agree  with  Professor  Kuhn  when  he  scans  : 

vi.  6^,  I.  kva  tya  valgti  puru-hut^  adya,  (Sanh. 
puruhutadya) ;  and  not  kva  ty4  valgu  puruhut^dya, 
although  we  might  quote  other  verses  as  ending 
with  an  epitritus  primus. 

iv.  3,  13.  ma  vesasya  pra-minata/i  ma  ape/?.,  (Sanh. 
mapeA,)  although  the  dispondeus  is  possible. 

i.  77,  I.  katha  dasema  agnaye  ka  asmai,  (Sanh. 
kasmai.) 

vi.  24,  5.  aryaA  vasasya  pari- eta  asti. 

Even  in  a  compound  like  tva-uta,  I  should  shorten 
the  first  vowel,  e.  g. 

X.  148,  I.  tmana  tana  sanuyama  tva-uta/?., 
although  the  passage  is  not  mentioned  by  the  Prati- 
sakhya  among  those  where  a  short  final  vowel  in  the 
eighth  place  is  not  lengthened  when  a  short  syllable 
foUows'"'. 

But  when  we  come  to  the  second  pada  of  a 
Gayatri,  and  find  there  a  long  a,  and  that  long 
a  not  followed  by  a  vowel,  I  cannot  agree  with 
Professor  Kuhn,  that  the  long  a,  even  under  such 


*  I  see  that  Professor  Kuhn,  vol.  iv.  p.  186,  has  anticipated  this 
observation  in  csh^au,  to  be  read  a-ish^au. 


PREFACE.  Ixxxix 

circumstances,  ought  to  be  shortened.  We  may 
scan : 

V.  5,  7.  vatasya  patman  i^ita  daivya  hotaia  manu- 
sha/^.. 

The  same  choriambic  ending  occurs  even  in  the 
last  pMa  of  a  Gayatrl,  and  is  perfectly  free  from 
objection  at  the  end  of  the  other  padas. 

So,  again,  we.  may  admit  the  shortening  of  au 
to  o  in  s4no  avye  and  s^no  avyaye,  as  quoted  in 
the  Pratisakhya,  174  and  177,  but  this  would  not 
justify  the  shortening  of  au  to  av  in  Anush^ubh 
verses,  such  as 

_  _W  __  WW  _ 

V.  86,  5.  martaya  devau  adabha, 

am.sa-iva  devau  arvate, 

while,  with  regard  to  the  Trish^ubh  and  (ragati 
verses,  our  views  on  these  metres  must  naturally 
depend  on  the  difficulties  we  meet  with  in  carry- 
ing them  out.     On  this  more  by  and  by. 

There  is  no  reason  for  shortening  ^  in 

V.  5,  10.  devanam  guhya  nam^ni. 

It  is  the  second  pada  of  a  G4yatri  here ;  and  we 
shall  see  that,  even  in  the  third  p4da,  four  long 
syllables  occur  again  and  again. 

For  the  same  reason  I  cannot  follow  Dr.  Kuhn 
in  a  number  of  other  passages  where,  for  the  sake 
of  the  metre,  he  proposes  to  change  a  long  a  into 
a  short  one.     Such  passages  are  in  the  Pada  text: 

vi.  46,  II.  didyavaA  tigma-m5rdh^naA,  not  mur- 
dhana^. 


XC  PREFACE. 

i.  15,  6.  ?^ituna  ya^/nam  asathe,  not  asathe. 

_  \j         \j      v^  —    —    —  —     **^     — 

V.  66,  2.  samyak  asuryam  ^^ate,  not  kskie. 
V.  6y,  I.  varsliish^/iam  kshatram  ^sathe,  not  a.sathe. 
See  Beitriige,  vol.  iii.  p.  122. 

i.  46,  6.   t^m  asme  r^satli^m  isham,  not  rasath^m 

isham. 

iv.  32,  23.  babhrii  yameshu  ^obliete,  not  sobbete. 

iv.  45,  3.  uta  priyam  madhune  yun^atham  ratham, 
_      \j     —       <-<     — 
not  yun^/atham  ratham. 

V.  74,  3.  kam  aJckhsi  yun^athe  ratham,  not  yun^athe 
ratham. 

iv.  ^^,  I.  dyavabhumi  (iti)  adite  tr^sitham  na/^,  not 
trasitham  nsih. 

V.  41,  I.  ritasya  v4  sadasi  trasitham  nsih,  not  tra- 
sitham na/^/. 

I  must  enter  the  same  protest  against  shortening 
other  long  vowels  in  the  following  verses  which 
Professor  Knhn  proposes  to  make  metrically  correct 
by  this  remedy  : 

i.  42,  6.  hira7?.yavasimat-tama,  not  vasimat-tama. 

Here  the  short  syllable  of  gar^asri-bhiA  in  v.  60,  8, 
cannot  be  quoted  as  a  precedent,  for  the  i  in  ganam, 
walking  in  companies,  was  never  long,  and  could 
therefore  not  be  shortened.  Still  less  can  we  quote 
nari-bhya/z,  as  an  instance  of  a  long  i  being  short- 
ened, for  nari-bhya/z.  is  derived  from  nari/?.,  not  from 
nari,  and  occurs  with  a  short  i  even  when  the  metre 
requires  a  long   syllable  ;    i.  43,  6.   nri-bhyaA  nari- 


PREFACE.  XCl 

bhya^  gave.  The  fact  is,  that  in  the  Eig-veda  the 
forms  n^rishu  and  narl-bhyaA  never  occur,  but  always 
narishu,n4ri-bhyaA;  while  from  vasi  we  never  find  any 
forms  with  short  i,  but  always  vasishu,  vasi-bhi/i. 

Nor  is  there  any  justification  for  change  in  i.  25, 16. 
gava/i  na  gavyuti^  anu,  the  second  pada  of  a  G^yatri. 
Nor  in  v.  ^6,  3.  riksha^  na  vaA  maruta/i  simi-v4n 
ama^.  In  most  of  the  passages  mentioned  by  Profes- 
sor Kuhn  on  p.  122,  this  peculiarity  may  be  observed, 
that  the  eighth  syllable  is  short,  or,  at  all  events, 
may  be  short,  when  the  ninth  is  long : 

vi.  44,  21.  vrishTie  te  indu/i  vrishabha  pipaya. 

i.  73,  I.  syona-siA  atithi/i  na  prinana/L 


wl 


vii.  13,  I.  bhare  havi/z.  na  barhishi  pri/zana/^. 
ii.  28,  7.  ena^  kri^zvantam  asura  bhrinanti. 

Before,  however,  we  can  settle  the  question 
whether  in  these  and  other  places  certain  vowels 
should  be  pronounced  as  either  long  or  short,  we 
must  settle  the  more  general  question,  what  authority 
we  have  for  requiring  a  long  or  a  short  syllable  in 
certain  places  of  the  Vedic  metres.  Now  it  has 
generally  been  supposed  that  the  Pratisakhya 
teaches  that  there  must  be  a  long  syllable  in 
the  eighth  or  tenth  place  of  Traish^ubha  and  Gk- 
gata,  and  in  the  sixth  place  of  Anush^ubha  padas. 
This  is  not  the  case.  The  Pratisakhya,  no  doubt, 
says,  that  a  short  final  vowel,  but  not  any  short 
syllable,  occupying  the  eighth  or  tenth  place  in 
a    Traish^ubha    and    G^agata    pada,    or     the    sixth 


XCll  PREFACE. 

place  in  a  G^yatra  pad  a,  is  lengthened,  but  it 
never  says  that  it  must  be  lengthened ;  on  the 
contrary,  it  gives  itself  a  number  of  cases  where 
it  is  not  so  lengthened.  But,  what  is  even  more 
important,  the  Pratisakhya  distinctly  adds  a  proviso 
which  shows  that  the  ancient  critics  of  the  Veda 
did  not  consider  the  trochee  as  the  only  possible 
foot  for  the  sixth  and  seventh  syllables  of  G^yatra, 
or  for  the  eighth  and  ninth,  or  tenth  and  eleventh 
syllables  of  Traish^ubha  and  (ragata  padas.  They 
distinctlv  admit  that  the  seventh  and  the  ninth 
and  the  eleventh  syllables  in  such  padas  may  be 
long,  and  that  in  that  case  the  preceding  short 
vowel  is  not  lengthened.  We  thus  get  the  iambus 
in  the  very  place  which  is  generally  occupied  by  the 
trochee.  According  to  the  Pratisakhya,  the  general 
scheme  for  the  Gayatra  would  be,  not  only 

6     7 

-f-   +  +  +   |+-w+, 
but  also 

6     7 

+  +  +  +  |+v^-+; 

and  for  the  Traish^ubha  and  (?agata,  not  only 

8        9 

+   +  +   +       +   +   +_|^++(  +  ), 

but  also 

8       9 

+   +   +   +    |+   +    +w|-  +   +  (  +  ). 
And  again,  for  the  same  padas,  not  only 

lO    II 

+  +  +  +  l  +  +  +  +  l+-w(  +  ), 

but  also 

lO    II 

+  +  +  +  l  +  +  +  +  l+w-(  +  ). 


PREFACE.  XClll 

Before  appealing,  however,  to  the  Pratii^akhya  for 
the  establishment  of  such  a  rule  as  that  the  sixth  syl- 
lable of  Anush^ubha  and  the  eighth  or  tenth  syllable 
of  Traish^ubha  and  (ragata  padas  must  be  lengthened, 
provided  a  short  syllable  follows,  it  is  indispensable 
that  we  should  have  a  clear  appreciation  of  the  real 
character  of  the  Pratisakhya.  If  we  carefully  follow 
the  thread  which  runs  through  these  books,  we  shall 
soon  perceive  that,  even  with  the  proviso  that  a 
short  syllable  follows,  the  Prati^akhya  never  teaches 
that  certain  final  vowels  7nitst  be  lengthened.  The 
object  of  the  Pr^tisakhya  is,  as  I  pointed  out  on 
a  former  occasion,  to  register  all  the  facts  which 
possess  a  phonetic  interest.  In  doing  this,  all 
kinds  of  plans  are  adopted  in  order  to  brmg  as 
large  a  number  of  cases  as  possible  imder  general 
categories.  These  categories  are  purely  technical 
and  external,  and  they  never  assume,  with  the 
authors  of  the  Pr^tis^khya,  the  character  of  general 
rules.  Let  us  now,  after  these  preliminary  remarks, 
return  to  the  Sutras  523  to  ^^^,  which  we  discussed 
before.  The  Pr^tisakhya  simply  says  that  certain 
syllables  which  are  short  in  the  Pada,  if  occupying 
a  certain  place  in  a  verse,  are  lengthened  in  the 
Sanhita,  provided  a  short  syllable  follows.  This 
looks,  no  doubt,  like  a  general  rule  which  should 
be  carried  out  under  all  circumstances.  But  this 
idea  never  entered  the  minds  of  the  aiithors  of  the 
Pratisakhya.  They  only  give  this  rule  as  the  most 
convenient  way    of  registering   the   lengthening  of 


XCIV  PREFACE. 

certain  syllables  which  have  actually  been  lengthened 
in  the  text  of  the  Sanhita,  while  they  remain  short 
in  the  Pada :  and  after  having  done  this,  they  pro- 
ceed to  give  a  number  of  verses  where  the  same 
rule  might  be  supposed  to  apply,  but  where  in  the 
text  of  the  Sanhit4  the  short  syllable  has  not  been 
lengthened.  After  having  given  a  long  string  of 
words  which  are  short  in  the  Pada  and  long  in 
the  Sanhita,  and  where  no  intelHgible  reason  of 
their  lengthening  can  be  given,  at  least  not  by  the 
authors  of  the  Pratisakhya,  the  Pratisakhya  adds  in 
Sutra  523,  '  The  final  vowel  of  the  eighth  syllable 
is  lengthened  in  padas  of  eleven  and  twelve  syl- 
lables, provided  a  syllable  follows  which  is  short  in 
the  Sanhit^.'  As  instances  the  commentator  gives 
(Sanhita  text) : 

i.  32,  4.  tadi'tna  satrum  na  klla  vivitse. 

-         --  -l-w-6l«-  w- 

i.  94, 1,  dgne  sakhye  ma  rishama  vayam  tava. 

Then  follows  another  rule  (Sutra  525)  that  'The 
final  vowel  of  the  tenth  syllable  in  padas  of  eleven 
and  twelve  syllables  is  lengthened,  provided  a  syl- 
lable follows  which  is  short  in  the  Sanhita.^  As 
instances  the  commentator  gives: 

m.  54,  22.  dh^  visv^  sumd^na  didihi  na/k 

,^  \^  ^  —  —    Iww—  —        |w^  vy  — 

n.  34,  9.  ava  rudra  asdso  hantana  vddha/L 

Lastly,  a  rule  is  given  (Sutra  526)  that  '  The  final 
vowel  of  the  sixth  syllable  is  lengthened  in  a  p^da 


PREFACE.  XCV 

of  eight  syllables,  provided  a  syllable  follows  which 
is  short:' 

I  A 

^  —       —  —  v^l^,/^-'  \^  — 

1.  5,  lo.  is^no  yavaya  vadham. 

If  the  seventh  syllable  is  long  no  change  takes 
place : 

IX.  6y,  30.  a  pavasva  deva  soma. 

While  we  ourselves  should  look  upon  these  rules 
as  founded  in  the  nature  of  the  metre,  which,  no 
doubt,  to  a  certain  extent  they  are,  the  authors 
of  the  Pratis^khya  use  them  simply  as  convenient 
nets  for  catching  as  many  cases  as  possible  of 
lengthened  syllables  actually  occurring  in  the  text 
of  the  Sanhit^.  For  this  purpose,  and  in  order 
to  avoid  giving  a  number  of  special  rules,  they 
add  in  this  place  an  observation,  very  important 
to  us  as  throwing  light  on  the  real  pronuncia- 
tion of  the  Vedic  hymns  at  the  time  when  our 
Sanhita  text  was  finally  settled,  but  with  them 
again  a  mere  expedient  for  enlarging  the  preceding 
rules,  and  thus  catching  more  cases  of  lengthening 
at  one  haul.  They  say  in  Sutra  527,  that  in  order 
to  get  the  right  number  of  syllables  in  such  verses, 
we  must  pronounce  sometimes  one  syllable  as  two. 
Thus  only  can  the  lengthened  syllable  be  got  into 
one  of  the  places  required  by  the  preceding  Sutra, 
viz.  the  sixth,  the  eighth,  or  the  tenth  place,  and 
thus  only  can  a  large  number  of  lengthened  syllables 
be  comprehended  under  the  same  general  rule  of 
the  Pratisakhya.     In  all  this  we  ourselves  can  easily 


XCVl  PREFACE. 

recognize  a  princij^le  which  guided  the  compilers  of 
the  Sanhita  text,  or  the  very  authors  of  the  hymns, 
in  lengthening  syllables  which  in  the  Pada  text 
are  short,  and  which  were  liable  to  be  lengthened 
because  they  occupied  certain  places  on  which  the 
stress  of  the  metre  would  naturally  fall.  We  also  see 
quite  clearly  that  these  compilers,  or  those  whose 
pronunciation  they  tried  to  perpetuate,  must  have 
pronounced  certain  syllables  as  two  syllables,  and 
we  naturally  consider  that  we  have  a  right  to  try 
the  same  expedient  m  other  cases  where  to  us, 
though  not  to  them,  the  metre  seems  deficient,  and 
where  it  could  be  rendered  perfect  by  pronouncing 
one  syllable  as  two.  Such  thoughts,  however,  never 
entered  the  minds  of  the  authors  of  the  Pr^tisakhyas, 
who  are  satisfied  with  explaining  what  is,  according 
to  the  authority  of  the  Sanhita,  and  who  never 
attempt  to  say  what  ought  to  be,  even  against  the 
authority  of  the  Sanhita.  While  in  some  cases  they 
have  ears  to  hear  and  to  appreciate  the  natural  flow 
of  the  poetical  language  of  the  i^ishis,  they  seem 
at  other  times  as  deaf  as  the  adder  to  the  voice  of 
the  charmer. 

A  general  rule,  therefore,  in  our  sense  of  the  word, 
that  the  eighth  syllable  in  hendecasyllabics  and  do- 
decasyllabics,  the  tenth  syllable  in  hendecasyllabics 
and  dodecasyllabics,  and  the  sixth  syllable  in  octo- 
syllabics should  be  lengthened,  rests  in  no  sense  on 
the  authority  of  ancient  grammarians.  Even  as  a 
mere  observation,  they  restrict  it  by  the  condition 


PREFACE.  XCvii 

that  the  next  syllable  must  be  short,  in  order  to 
provoke  the  lengthening  of  the  preceding  syllable, 
thereby  sanctioning,  of  course,  many  exceptions ;  and 
they  then  proceed  to  quote  a  number  of  cases  where, 
in  spite  of  all,  the  short  syllable  remains  short*. 
In  some  of  these  quotations  they  are  no  doubt  wrong, 
but  in  most  of  them  their  statement  cannot  be 
disputed. 

As  to  the  eighth  syllable  being  short  in  hen- 
decasyllabics  and  dodecasyllabics,  they  quote  such 
verses  as, 

VI.  66,  4.  antar  (iti)  santa/i  avady^ni  pun^na/^. 

Thus  we  see  that  in  vi.  44,  9,  varshlya^  vaya/^ 
kri?^uhi  ^aMbhiA,  hi  remains  short ;  while  in  vi.  2^,  3, 
^ahi  vrishiiy^ni  kri?iuhi  para^aA,  it  is  lengthened  in 
the  Sanhit^,  the  only  difference  being  that  in  the 
second  passage  the  accent  is  on  hi. 

As  to  the  tenth  syllable  being  short  in  a  dodeca- 
syllabic,  they  quote 

ii.  37,  14.  adite  mitra  varu?2a  uta  mriZa. 


*  'Wo  die  achtsilbigen  Reihen  mit  herbeigezogen  sind,  ist  es 
in  der  Regel  bei  solchen  Liedern  geschehen,  die  im  Ganzen  von 
der  regelmassigen  Form  weniger  abweichen,  und  fiir  solche  Falle, 
wo  audi  das  Pratisakhya  die  Langung  der  sechsten  Silbe  in 
achtsilbigen  Reihen  vorschreibt,  namlich  wo  die  siebente  von 
Natur  kurz  ist.  Die  achtsilbigen  Reihen  bedtirfen  einer  erneu- 
ten  DurchforschunjT^,  da  es  niehrfach  schwer  fallt,  den  Sanhita- 
text  mit  der  Vorschrift  der  Pratisakhya  in  Ubereinstimmung  zu 
bringen.'  Kuhn,  Beitrage,  vol.  iii.  p.  450  ;  and  still  more  strongly, 
p.  458. 

VOL.  I.  g 


XCVUl  PREFACE. 

As  to  the  tenth  syllable  being  short  in  a  hendeca- 
syllabic,  they  quote 

ii.  20,  I.  vayam  te  vaya/i  indra  viddhi  su  na/z.. 

As  to  the  sixth  syllable  being  short  in  an  octo- 
syllabic, they  quote 

viii.  23,  26.  mahaA  visvan  abhi  sata^. 

A  large  number  of  similar  exceptions  are  collected 
from  528,  3  to  534,  94,  and  this  does  not  include  any 
cases  where  the  ninth,  the  eleventh,  or  the  seventh 
syllable  is  long,  instead  of  being  short,  while  it 
does  include  cases  where  the  eighth  syllable  is 
long,  though  the  ninth  is  not  short,  or,  at  least,  is 
not  short  according  to  the  views  of  the  collectors  of 
these  passages.     See  Stitra  522,  6. 

Besides  the  cases  mentioned  by  the  Pr^tis^khya 
itself,  where  a  short  syllable,  though  occupymg  a 
place  which  would  seem  to  require  lengthening, 
remains  short,  there  are  many  others  which  the 
Pratis^khya  does  not  mention,  because,  from  its 
point  of  view,  there  was  no  necessity  for  domg  so. 
The  Pr^ti^akhya  has  been  blamed*  for  omitting 
such  cases  as  i.  93,  6.  urum  ya^naya  ^^akrathur  u 
lokam;  or  i.  96,  i.  deva  agnim  dharayan  dravinod^m. 
But  though  occupying  the  eighth  place,  and  though 
followed  by  a  short  syllable,   these   syllables  could 


*  '  Dazu  kommt,  dass  der  uns  vorliegende  Sanhitatext  vielfaltig 
gar  nicht  mit  ySaunaka's  allgemeinen  Kegel  iibereinstimmt,  in  dem 
die  Verlangerung  kurzer  Sllhen  niclit  unter  den  Bedingungen  ein- 
getreten  ist,  die  er  vorsclircibt.'     Kiilin,  Beitrage,  vol.  iii.  p.  459. 


PREFACE.  XCIX 

never  fall  under  the  general  observation  of  the 
Pratis^khya,  because  that  general  observation  refers 
to  final  voivels  only,  but  not  to  short  syllables  in 
general.  Similar  cases  are  i.  107,  i^;  122,  9;  130,  10; 
152,  6;  154,  1;  158,  5a.  163^  2;  167,  lo^;  171,  4;  173,  6; 
179,  i^;  182,  8^;  186,  6,  &c. 

If,  therefore,  we  say  that,  happen  what  may,  these 
metrical  rules  must  be  observed,  and  the  text  of 
the  Veda  altered  in  order  to  satisfy  the  requirements 
of  these  rules,  we  ought  to  know  at  all  events  that 
we  do  this  on  our  own  responsibility,  and  that  we 
cannot  shield  ourselves  behind  the  authority  of 
A^aunaka  or  K^tyayana.  Now  it  is  well  known  that 
Professor  Kuhn*  has  laid  down  the  rule  that  the 
Traish^ubha  padas  must  end  in  a  bacchius  or  amphi- 
brachys ^-  ^,  and  the  6ragata  padas  in  a  dij ambus 
or  paeon  secundus  w-w^.  With  regard  to  Anush- 
^ubha  p^das,  he  requires  the  dij  ambus  or  pseon 
secundus  w  -  w  ^  at  the  end  of  a  whole  verse  only, 
allowing  greater  freedom  in  the  formation  of  the 
preceding  padas.  In  a  later  article,  however,  the 
final  pada,  too,  in  Anush^ubha  metre  is  allowed 
greater  freedom,  and  the  rule,  as  above  given,  is 
strictly  maintained  with  regard  to  the  Traish^ubha 
and  (r^gata  padas  only. 

This  subject  is  so  important,  and  affects  so  large 
a  number  of  passages  in  the  Veda,  that  it  requires 
the   most  careful   examination.     The  Vedic   metres, 

*  Beitrage  zur  Vergleichenden  >Sprachforschung,  vol.  iii.  p.  118. 

g  2 


PREFACE. 


though  at  first  sight  very  perplexing,  are  very 
simple,  if  reduced  to  their  primary  elements.  The 
authors  of  the  Pratisakhyas  have  elaborated  a  most 
complicated  system.  Counting  the  syllables  in  the 
most  mechanical  manner,  they  have  assigned  nearly 
a  hundred  names  to  every  variety  which  they  disco- 
vered in  the  hymns  of  the  Eig-veda*.  But  they  also 
observed  that  the  constituent  elements  of  all  these 
metres  were  really  but  four,  (Sutras  988,  989) : 

1.  The  G^yatra  p^da,  of  eight  syllables,  ending  in  ^  -. 

2.  The  Yair%a  p4da,  of  ten  syllables,  ending  in  --. 

3.  The  Traish^ibha  pada,  of  eleven  syllables,  ending 

in 

4.  The  (ragata  pada,  of  twelve  syllables,  ending  in  w  -. 

Then  follows  an  important  rule,  Stitra  990 :  '  The 
penultimate  syllable/  he  says,  'in  a  G^yatra  and 
(ragata  pada  is  light  (laghu),  in  a  Vair^^a  and 
Traish^ubha  pada  heavy  (guru).'  This  is  called 
their  v^itta. 

This  word  vritta,  which  is  generally  translated 
by  metre,  had  evidently  originally  a  more  special 
meaning.  It  meant  the  final  rhythm,  or  if  we 
take  it  literally,  the  turn  of  a  line,  for  it  is  derived 
from  v7-it,  to  turn.  Hence  v^itta  is  the  same  word 
as  the  Latin  versus,  verse  ;  but  I  do  not  wish  to 
decide  whether  the  connection  between  the  two 
words  is  historical,  or  simply  etymological.  In 
Latiii,   versus   is    always    supposed   to    have   meant 

*   See  Apjwndix  to  my  edition  of  the  Pratisakhya,  p.  ccclvi. 


PREFACE.  CI 

originally  a  furrow,  then  a  line,  then  a  verse.  In 
Sanskrit  the  metaphor  that  led  to  the  formation 
of  viitta,  in  the  sense  of  final  rhythm,  has  nothing 
to  do  with  ploughing.  If,  as  I  have  tried  to  prove 
(Chips  from  a  German  Workshop,  vol.  i.  p.  84),  the 
names  assigned  to  metres  and  metrical  language 
were  derived  from  words  originally  referring  to 
choregic  movements,  vritta  must  have  meant  the 
turn,  i.  e.  the  last  step  of  any  given  movement ; 
and  this  turn,  as  determining  the  general  character 
of  the  whole  movement,  would  naturally  be  regulated 
by  more  severe  rules,  while  greater  freedom  would 
be  allowed  for  the  rest. 

Having  touched  on  this  subject,  I  may  add  another 
fact  in  support  of  my  view.  The  words  Trish^ubh 
and  Anush^ubh,  names  for  the  most  common  metres, 
are  generally  derived  from  a  root  stubh,  to  praise. 
I  believe  they  should  be  derived  from  a  root 
stubh,  which  is  preserved  in  Greek,  not  only  in 
<TTu(pe\6?,  hard,  a-TvcpeXl^o),  to  strike  hard,  but  in 
the  root.  a-rejuLcp,  from  which  arTejmcpvXou,  stamped  or 
pressed  olives  or  grapes,  and  aa-reiuLcptj^,  untrodden 
(grapes),  then  unshaken ;  and  in  a-rejuilBa),  to  shake, 
(Tropew,  to  scold,  &c.  In  Sanskrit  this  root  exists 
in  a  parallel  form  as  stambh,  lit.  to  stamp  down, 
then  to  ^:s.,  to  make  firm,  with  which  Bopp  has 
compared  the  German  stampfen,  to  stamp  ;  (Glossa- 
rium,  s.  v.  stambh.)  I  therefore  look  upon  Tiish^ubh 
as  meaning  originally  tripudiu7n,  (supposing  this 
word  to  be  derived  from  ^r^  and  pes,  according  to 


Cll  PREFACE. 

the  expression  in  Horace,  pepulisse  ter  pede  terram, 
Hor.  Od.  iii.  18,)  and  I  explain  its  name  '  Three- 
step/  by  the  fact  that  the  three  last  syllables  ^  -  w, 
which  form  the  characteristic  feature  of  that  metre, 
and  may  be  called  its  real  vHtta  or  turn,  were 
audibly  stamped  at  the  end  of  each  turn  or  strophe. 
I  explain  Anush^ubh,  which  consists  of  four  equal 
padas,  each  of  eight  syllables,  as  the  '  After-step,' 
because  each  line  was  stamped  regularly  after  the 
other,  possibly  by  two  choruses,  each  side  taking 
its  turn.  There  is  one  passage  in  the  Veda  where 
Anush^ubh  seems  to  have  preserved  this  meaning  : 

X.  124,  9.  anu-stubham  anu  Z:arZ;uryamayzam  indram 
ni  kikjuh  kavaya/?.  manisha. 

Poets  by  their  wisdom  discovered  Indra  dancing 
to  an  Anush^ubh. 

Other  names  of  metres  which  point  to  a  similar 
origin,  i.  e.  to  their  original  connection  with  dances, 
are  Padapankti,  *  Step-row  ;'  Nyanku-sarira,  '  Koe- 
step  ;'  Abhisari^ii,  '  Contre-danse,'  &c. 

If  now  we  return  to  the  statement  of  the  Prati- 
sakhya  in  reference  to  the  vrittas,  we  should  observe 
how  careful  its  author  is  in  his  language.  He  does 
not  say  that  the  penultimate  is  long  or  short,  but 
he  simply  states,  that,  from  a  metrical  point  of 
view,  it  must  be  considered  as  light  or  heavy, 
which  need  not  mean  more  than  that  it  must  be 
pronounced  with  or  without  stress.  The  fact  that 
the  author  of  the  Prati^akhya  uses  these  terms,  laghu 
and  guru,  instead  of  hrasva,  short,  and  dirgha,  long, 


PREFACE.  cm 


shows  in  fact  that  lie  was  aware  that  the  penul- 
timate in  these  p^das  is  not  invariably  long  or 
short,  though,  from  a  metrical  point  of  view,  it  is 
always  heavy  or  light. 

It  is  perfectly  true  that  if  we  keep  to  these 
four  pMas,  (to  which  one  more  pMa,  viz.  the  half 
Vair%a,  consisting  of  five  syllables,  might  be  added,) 
we  can  reduce  nearly  all  the  hymns  of  the  Eig-veda 
to  their  simple  elements  which  the  ancient  poets  com- 
bined together,  in  general  in  a  very  simple  way,  but 
occasionally  with  greater  freedom.  The  most  im- 
portant strophes,  formed  out  of  these  p^das,  are, 

1.  Three  Gayatra  padas  =  the  G^yatri,  (34  syllables.) 

2.  Four  Gayatra  padas  =  the  Anush^ubh,  (32  syllables.) 

3.  Four  Vair%a  padas  =  the  Yirig,  (40  syllables.) 

4.  Four  Traish^ubha  padas  =  the  Trish^ubh,  (44  syl- 

lables.) 

5.  Four  G^agata  padas  =  the  (9agati,  (48  syllables.) 

Between  the  Gayatri  and  Anush^ubh  strophes, 
another  strophe  may  be  formed,  by  mixture  of 
Gayatra  and  (xagata  padas,  consisting  of  28  syl- 
lables, and  commonly  called  Ush?iih ;  likewise 
between  the  Anush^ubh  and  the  Yirkg,  a  strophe 
may  be  formed,  consisting  of  ^6  syllables,  and  com- 
monly called  Brihati. 

In  a  collection  of  hymns,  however,  Hke  that  of 
the  Eig-veda,  where  poems  of  different  ages,  dif- 
ferent places,  and  different  famihes  have  been  put 
together,  we  must  be  prepared  for  exceptions  to 
many  rules.     Thus,  although  the   final  turn  of  the 


civ  PREFACE. 

hendecasyllabic  Traish^ubha  is,  as  a  rule,  the  bacchius, 
^  — ,  yet  if  we  take,  for  instance,  the  77  th  hymn 
of  the  tenth  Ma?^c/ala,  we  clearly  perceive  another 
hendecasyllabic  pada  of  a  totally  diSerent  structure, 
and  worked  up  into  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
strophes  by  an  ancient  poet.  Each  line  is  divided 
into  two  halves,  the  first  consisting  of  seven  syl- 
lables, being  an  exact  counterpart  of  the  first 
member  of  a  Saturnian  verse  (fato  Romee  Metelli); 
the  second  a  dij  ambus,  answering  boldly  to  the 
broken  rhythm  of  the  first  member""'.  We  have,  in 
fact,  a  Trishifubh  where  the  turn  or  the  three-step, 
^ — ,  instead  of  being  at  the  end,  stands  in  the 
middle  of  the  line. 

X.  77,  1-5,  in  the  Pada  text: 
I.  abhra-prusha/?/  na  vaM  prusha  vasu, 
havishmantaA  na  ya^naA  vi-^^nushaA  1 


*  Professor  Kuhu  (vol.  iii.  p.  450)  is  inclined  to  admit  the  same 

metre   as  varying    in    certain    hymns   with    ordinary   Traish^ubha 

padas,   but   the   evidence  he   brings   forward   is    hardly  sufficient. 

Even    if   we  object  to  the  endings  u  -  u  -   and o  - ,  v.  33,  4, 

may  be  a  6^agata,  with  vyuha  of  dasa,  the  remark  quoted  from 

the   Prati^akhya  being  of  no   consequence  on   such  points ;    and 

the  same  remedy  would   apply  to  v.  41,  5,  with  vyuha  of  eshe. 

In  vi.  47,  31,  vyuha  of  asvapar?m7i/    in  i.  33,  9,  vyuha  of  indra 

and   rodasi;    in  ii.  24,  5,  vyilha  of  madbhiA  would  produce  the 

same  effect;    while  in  i.  121,  8,  we  must  either  admit  the  Traish- 

^ubha  vritta   -  u  -    or   scan    dhukshan.      In   iii.  58,  6,  I    should 

admit  vyuha  for  nara ;    in  iv.  26,  6,  for  mandram  ;   in  i.  100,  8, 
-         «—  — 

for  ^yotiA,  always  supposing  that  we  consider  the  ending ^  - 

incompatible  with  a  Trish^ubh  verse. 


PREFACE.  CV 


_       \^        _ 


su-marutam  na  brahmaTiam  arnase, 

WW  __w_—  Iw  —  «       — 

ga7^am  astoshi  esham  na  sobnase  ii 

w_  _  —        w  _  _!w  —  Vi'        — 

1.  5riye  maryasa^  an^in  akri?ivata, 
su-marutam  na  purvi/Z'  ati  kshapaA  i 
diva/^.  putrasaA  eta^  na  yetire, 

—      —  —     —  ^       —  —       '         *-'  *^  '*'n~7 

^dity^sa^  te  akra/i  na  vavridhu/?.  ii 

3.  pra  ye  divaA  piithivya/^  na  barha?ia, 
tman^  riri^re  abhrat  na  surya^  \ 

—  _  —  _  w  __lw_  ^/_ 

pa^asvanta/i  na  vira/?-  panasyava/?., 
risadasa/^  na  marya/z.  abhi-dyava^  11 

4.  yushmakam  budhne  ap^m  na  yamani, 
vithuryati  na  mahi  sratharyati  1 

_         _  »»^  lv/_  \^  __ 

visva-psuA  ya^na^  arvak  ayam  su  va^, 
prayasvanta/z.  na  satra^a/i  a  gata  w 

5.  yuyam  dhu/z.-su  pra-yu^a^  na  ra^mi-bhiA, 
^yotishmantaA  na  bhas^  vi-ushdshu  1 
syen^saA  na  sva-yasasaA  risadasaA, 
prav^sa/i  na  pra-sitasaA  pari-prusha^  11 

Another  strophe,  the  nature  of  which  has  been 
totally  misapprehended  by  native  metricians,  occurs 
in  iv.  10.  It  is  there  called  Padapankti  and  Maha- 
padapankti ;  nay,  attempts  have  been  made  to 
treat  it  even  as  an  UsliT^ih,  or  as  a  kind  of  Gayatri. 
The  real  character  of  that  strophe  is  so  palpable 
that  it  is  difficult  to  understand  how  it  could  have 
been  mistaken.     It  consists  of  two  lines,  the  first 


CVl  PREFACE. 

embracing  three  or  four  feet  of  ^ve  syllables  each, 
havmg  the  ictus  on  the  first  and  the  fourth  syl- 
lables, and  resembhng  the  last  line  of  a  Sapphic 
verse.  The  second  line  is  simply  a  Trish^ubh.  It 
is  what  we  should  call  an  asynartete  strophe,  and 
the  contrast  of  the  rhythm  in  the  first  and  second 
lines  is  very  effective.  I  am  not  certain  whether 
Professor  Bollensen,  who  has  touched  on  this  metre 
in  an  article  just  published  (Zeitschrift  der  D.  M.  G., 
vol.  xxii.  p.  572),  shares  this  opinion.  He  has  clearly 
seen  that  the  division  of  the  lines,  as  given  in  the 
MSS.  of  the  Sanhita  text,  is  wrong ;  but  he  seems 
inclined  to  admit  the  same  rhythm  throughout,  and 
to  treat  the  strophe  as  consisting  of  four  lines  of 
five  syllables  each,  and  one  of  six  syllables,  which 
last  line  is  to  submit  to  the  prevailing  rhythm 
of  the  preceding  lines.  If  we  differ,  however,  as 
to  the  internal  architecture  of  this  strophe,  we 
agree  in  condemning  the  interpretation  proposed 
by  the  Pratis^khja ;  and  I  should,  in  connection 
with  this,  hke  to  call  attention  to  two  important 
facts :  first,  that  the  Sanhita  text,  in  not  changing, 
for  instance,  the  final  t  of  martat,  betrays  itself  as 
clearly  later  than  the  elaboration  of  the  ancient 
theory  of  metres,  later  than  the  invention  of  such 
a  metre  as  the  Padapankti  ;  and  secondly,  that 
the  accentuation,  too,  of  the  Sanhita  is  thus 
proved  to  be  posterior  to  the  establishment  of 
these  fanciful  metrical  divisions,  and  hence  cannot 
throughout    claim    so   irrefragable    an    authority    as 


PREFACE.  evil 


certainly  belongs  to  it  in  many  cases.     I  give  the 
SanhitA,  text : 


—        \^ 


J.  Agne  tarn  adya  i  asvam  na  stomai/i  \  kratum  na  bhadram, 
li7idisprisam  ridhyaina  ta  ohaiA. 

2.  Adha  hy  agne  i  krator  bliadrasya  i  dakshasya  sadhoA, 

rathir  ritasya  b^dhato  babbutha. 

3.  Ebhir  no  arkair  1  bliava  no  arvan  1  svar  /la  gjotih, 

agne  visvebhiA  sumana  anikaiA. 

4.  Abliish  te  adya  1  girbbir  gri^anto  1  agne  dasema, 

X/  W  \mf  \^  \J  —  \^  -^  — * 

pra  te  divo  na  stanayanti  5ushmaA. 

5.  Tava  svadishf^a  1  agne  sa7?idrishdr, 

*-*  V^  ._  —  \-/         \J  _  ■_ 

ida  ^id  ahna  1  id^  kid  akto/z-, 
srije  rukmo  na  ro^^ata  upake. 

6.  Ghrita^r^  na  putam  1  tanur  arepM  1  5u^i  hira^^yam, 

—  —  \J  \^  \^  \m>  — 

tat  te  rukmo  na  ro^ata  svadh^va^. 

1^  —.  _  ,  \m/  —^  \^  _  WW-_  — 

7.  Kritam  kid  dhi  shma  1  sanemi  dvesho  i  agna  inoshi, 

martad  ittha  ya^amanad  rit^va^. 

8.  A^iv^  na^  sakhya  1  santu  bhratragne  1  devesbu  yushme, 

—  —  —  —  V-^V^  \^  —  .. 

sa  no  nabhiA  sadane  sasmin  udhan. 

Now  it  is  perfectly  true  that,  as  a  general  rule, 
the  syllables  composing  the  vritta  or  turn  of  the 
different  metres,  and  described  by  the  Prati^akhya 
as  heavy  or  light,  are  in  reality  long  or  short. 
The  question,  however,  is  this,  have  we  a  right, 
or  are  we  obliged,  in  cases  where  that  syllable  is 
not  either  long  or  short,  as  it  ought  to  be,  so  to 
alter  the  text,   or  so  to   change  the   rules  of  pro- 


CVUl  PREFACE. 

nunciation,  that  the  penultimate  may  again  be  what 
we  wish  it  to  be  1 

If  we  begin  with  the  Gayatra  pada,  we  have 
not  to  read  long  before  we  find  that  it  would  be 
hopeless  to  try  to  crush  the  Gayatri  verses  of  the 
Vedic  i^ishis  on  this  Procrustean  bed.  Even  Pro- 
fessor Kuhn  very  soon  perceived  that  this  was 
impossible.  He  had  to  admit  that  in  the  Gayatri 
the  two  first  padas,  at  all  events,  were  free  from 
this  rule,  and  though  he  tiled  to  retain  it  for  the 
third  or  final  pada,  he  was  obHged  after  a  time  to 
give  it  up  even  there.  Again,  it  is  perfectly  true, 
that  in  the  third  pada  of  the  Gayatri,  and  in  tlie 
second  and  fourth  padas  of  the  Anush^ubh  strophe, 
greater  care  is  taken  by  the  poets  to  secure  a  short 
syllable  for  the  penultimate,  but  here,  too,  excep- 
tions cannot  be  entirely  removed.  We  have  only 
to  take  such  a  single  hymn  as  i.  27,  and  we  shall 
see  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  reduce  it  to 
the  uniform  standard  of  Gayatri  padas,  all  ending 
in  a  dij ambus.  But  what  confirms  me  even  more 
in  my  view  that  such  strict  uniformity  must  not 
be  looked  for  in  the  ancient  hymns  of  the  jRishis, 
is  the  fact  that  in  many  cases  it  would  be  so  very 
easy  to  replace  the  irregular  by  a  regular  dipodia. 
Supposmg  that  the  original  poets  had  restricted 
themselves  to  the  dij  ambus,  who  could  have  put 
in  the  place  of  that  regular  dij  ambus  an  irregular 
dipodia '?  Certainly  not  the  authors  of  the  Prati- 
sakhya,    for    their   ears   had    clearly  discovered    the 


PREFACE.  CIX 

general  rhythm  of  the  ancient  metres  ;  nor  their 
predecessors,  for  they  had  in  many  instances  pre- 
served the  tradition  of  syllables  lengthened  in 
accordance  with  the  requirements  of  the  metre. 
I  do  not  mean  to  insist  too  strongly  on  this  argu- 
ment, or  to  represent  those  who  handed  down  the 
tradition  of  the  Veda  as  endowed  with  anything  Hke 
apaurusheyatva.  Strange  accidents  have  happened 
in  the  text  of  the  Veda,  but  they  have  generally 
happened  when  the  sense  of  the  hymns  had  ceased 
to  be  understood  ;  and  if  anything  helped  to  pre- 
serve the  Veda  from  greater  accidents,  it  was  due, 
I  believe,  to  the  very  fact  that  the  metre  continued 
to  be  understood,  and  that  oral  tradition,  however 
much  it  might  fail  in  other  respects,  had  at  all 
events  to  satisfy  the  ears  of  the  hearers.  I  should 
have  been  much  less  surprised  if  all  irregularities 
in  the  metre  had  been  smoothed  down  by  the  flux 
and  reflux  of  oral  tradition,  a  fact  which  is  so 
apparent  in  the  text  of  Homer,  where  the  gaps 
occasioned  by  the  loss  of  the  digamma,  were  made 
good  by  the  insertion  of  unmeaning  particles ;  but 
I  find  it  difficult  to  imagine  by  what  class  of  men, 
who  must  have  lived  between  the  origmal  poets 
and  the  age  of  the  Pr^ti^akhyas,  the  simple  rhythm 
of  the  Vedic  metres  should  have  been  disregarded, 
and  the  sense  of  rhythm,  which  ancient  people 
possess  in  a  far  higher  degree  than  we  ourselves, 
been  violated  through  crude  and  purposeless  altera- 
tions.    I   shall   give  a  few  specimens   only.     What 


ex  PREFACE. 

but  a  regard  for  real  antiquity  could  have  induced 
jDeople  in  viii.  2,  8,  to  preserve  the  defective  foot 
of  a  Gayatri  verse,  samane  adhi  bharman  ?  Any 
one  acquainted  with  Sanskrit  would  naturally  read 
samane  adhi  bh^rma^i.  But  who  would  have 
changed  bharma7ii,  if  that  had  been  there  originally, 
to  bharman  ?  I  believe  we  must  scan  samane  adhi 
bharman,  or  samane  adhi  bharman,  the  pseon  ter- 
tius  being  a  perfectly  legitimate  foot  at  the  end 
of  a  Gayatri  verse.  In  x.  158,  i,  we  can  under- 
stand how  an  accident  happened.  The  original 
poet  may  have  said  :  Suryo  no  divas  patu  patu 
vato  antarikshat,  agnir  naA  parthivebhya/z..  Here 
one  of  the  two  patu  was  lost.  But  if  in  the  same 
hymn  we  find  in  the  second  verse  two  feet  of  nine 
instead  of  eight  syllables  each,  I  should  not  venture 
to  alter  this  except  in  pronunciation,  because  no 
reason  can  be  imagined  why  any  one  should  have 
put  these  irregular  lines  in  the  place  of  regular 
ones. 

In  V.  41,  10,  grinite  agnir  etari  na  sushaiA,  soJci- 
shkeso  ni  ri^iati  van^,  every  modern  Pandit  would 
naturally  read  vanani  instead  of  vana,  in  order  to 
get  the  regular  Trish^ubh  metre.  But  this  being 
the  case,  how  can  we  imagine  that  even  the  most 
ignorant  member  of  an  ancient  Parishad  should 
wilfully  have  altered  vanani  into  vana '?  What 
surprises  one  is,  that  vana  should  have  been  spared, 
in  spite  of  every  temptation  to  change  it  into 
vanani :    for   I   cannot  doubt  for  one  moment  that 


PREFACE.  CXI 

vana  is  the  right  reading,  only  that  the  ancient 
poets  pronounced  it  vana.  Wherever  we  alter  the 
text  of  the  Rig-veda  by  conjecture,  we  ought  to 
be  able,  if  possible,  to  give  some  explanation  how 
the  mistake  which  we  wish  to  remove  came  to  be 
committed.  If  a  passage  is  obscure,  difficult  to 
construe,  if  it  contains  words  which  occur  in  no 
other  place,  then  we  can  understand  how,  during 
a  long  process  of  oral  tradition,  accidents  may  have 
happened.  But  when  everything  is  smooth  and 
easy,  when  the  intention  of  the  poet  is  not  to  be 
mistaken,  when  the  same  phrase  has  occurred  many 
times  before,  then  to  suppose  that  a  simple  and 
perspicuous  sentence  was  changed  into  a  compli- 
cated and  obscure  string  of  words  is  more  difficult 
to  understand.  I  know  there  are  passages  where 
we  cannot  as  yet  account  for  the  manner  in  which 
an  evidently  faulty  reading  found  its  way  into 
both  the  Pada  and  Sanhit^  texts,  but  in  those  very 
passages  we  cannot  be  too  circumspect.  If  we  read 
viii.  40,  9,  purvish  ta.  indropamataya/i'  purvlr  uta 
prasastayaA,  nothing  seems  more  tempting  than  to 
omit  indra,  and  to  read  purvish  ^a  upamatayaA. 
Nor  would  it  be  difficult  to  account  for  the  inser- 
tion of  indra ;  for  though  one  would  hardly  venture 
to  call  it  a  marginal  gloss  that  crept  into  the  text — 
a  case  which,  as  far  as  I  can  see,  has  never  hap- 
pened in  the  hymns  of  the  Rig-veda — it  might  be 
taken  for  an  explanation  given  by  an  A^^arya  to  his 
pupils,  in  order  to  inform  them  that  the  ninth  verse, 


CXU  PREFACE. 

different  from  the  eighth,  was  addressed  to  Indra. 
But  however  plausible  this  may  sound,  the  question 
remains  whether  the  traditional  reading  could  not 
be  maintained,  by  admitting  synizesis  of  opa,  and 
reading  ptarvish  ts,  indropamatayaA.  For  a  similar 
synizesis  of  -  w ,  see  iii.  6,  lo.  prMi  adhvareva  ta- 
sthatu/i,  unless  we  read  pra^y  adhvareva. 

Another    and    more    difficult    case    of    synizesis 
occurs  in 

vu.  86,  4.  ava  tv^nen^  namas^  t\\rsi{h)  iyam. 
It  would  be  easy  to  conjectiure  tvarey^m  instead 
of  tura  iyam,  but  tvarey^m,  in  the  sense  of  'let 
me  hasten,'  is  not  Vedic.  The  choriambic  ending, 
however,  of  Trish^ubha  can  be  proved  to  be  legi- 
timate, and  if  that  is  the  case,  then  even  the 
synizesis  of  tura,  though  hard,  ought  not  to  be 
regarded  as  impossible. 

In  ii.  18,  5,  k  vim5aty§,  trimsat^  J^liJ  arvan, 
4  ^atvari^}i5at4  haribhir  yu^ana^, 
k  panA;a5at4  surathebhir  indra, 

—  —  \^  —         —         ^         _  _        %-f       _       — 

4  shashty4  saptaty^  somapeyam. 
Professor  Kuhn  proposes  to  omit  the  a  at  the 
beginning  of  the  second  line,  in  order  to  have 
eleven  instead  of  twelve  syllables.  By  doing  so 
he  loses  the  uniformity  of  the  four  pMas,  which 
all  begin  with  a,  while  by  admitting  synizesis  of 
haribhiA  all  necessity  for  conjectural  emendation 
disappears. 

If  the  poets  of  the  Veda  had  objected  to  a  pseon 


PREFACE.  CXlll 

quartus  (^  w  ^  -)  at  tlie  end  of  a  Gayatrl,  what  could 
have  been  easier  than  to  change  iv.  53,  i,  divo  adarsi 
duhita,  into  adarsi  duhita  divaA  ?  or  x.  118,  6,  ada- 
bhya?>i  grihapatim,  into  grihapatim  ad^bhyam'? 

If  an  epitritus  secundus  (-w — )  had  been  objec- 
tionable in  the  same  place,  why  not  say  vi.  61,  10, 
stomya  bhut  sarasvati,  instead  of  sarasvati  stomya 
bhtit  ?  Why  not  viii.  2,  11,  revantam  hi  srinomi 
tva,  instead  of  revantam  hi  tva  srinonii'i 
■  If  an  ionicus  a  minore  (^  ^  — )  had  been  excluded 
from  that  place,  why  not  say  i.  30,  10,  ^aritribhyaA 
sakhe  vaso,  instead  of  sakhe  vaso  ^arit^ibhya/i  ?  or 
i.  41,  7,  varuTiasya  mahi  psara/z^,  instead  of  mahi 
psaro  varuT^asyal 

If  a  dispondeus  ( )  was  to  be  avoided,  then 

v.  68,  3,  mahi  wkm  kshatram  deveshu,  might  easily 
have  been  replaced  by  deveshu  vam  kshatram  mahi, 

and  viii.  2,  10,  sukra  asiram  y^A'ante,  by  sukra  ya- 

w   _  w  _ 

A;anta  asiram. 

If  no  epitritus  primus  (^ )  was  allowed,  why 

not  say  vi.  61,  11,  nidas  patu  sarasvati,  mstead  01 
sarasvati  nidas  patu,  or  viii.  79,  4,  dvesho  yavir 
aghasya  ^it,  instead  of  y^vir  aghasya  kid  dvesha/^^ 

Even  the  epitritus  tertius  ( — v^ -)  might  easily 
have  been  avoided  by  dropping  the  augment  of  apam 
in  X.  119,  T-13,  kuvit  somasyapam  iti.  It  is,  in  fact, 
a  variety  of  less  frequent  occurrence  than  the  rest, 
and  might  possibly  be  eliminated  with  some  chance 
of  success. 

Lastly,  the  choriambus  (-  w  ^  -)  could  have  been 

VOL.  I.  h 


CXIV  PKEFACE. 

removed  in  iii.  24,  5,  sisihi  naA  sunumata/?^,  by  reading 
sunumata/z.  sisihi  naA,  and  in  viii.  2,  31,  sanad  amrikto 
dayate,  by  reading  amrikto  dayate  san^t. 

But  I  am  afraid  the  idea  that  regularity  is  better 
than  irregularity,  and  that  in  the  Veda,  where  there 
is  a  possibihty,  the  regular  metre  is  to  be  restored  by 
means  of  conjectural  emendations,  has  been  so  ably 
advocated  by  some  of  the  most  eminent  scholars, 
that  a  merely  general  argument  would  now  be  of 
no  avail.  I  must  therefore  give  as  much  evidence- 
as  I  can  bring  together  in  support  of  the  contrary 
opinion ;  and  though  the  process  is  a  tedious  one, 
the  importance  of  the  consequences  with  regard  to 
Yedic  criticism  leaves  me  no  alternative.  With 
regard,  then,  to  the  final  dipodia  of  Gayatri  verses, 
I  still  hold  and  maintain,  that,  although  the  dij  am- 
bus is  by  far  the  most  general  metre,  the  following 
seven  varieties  have  to  be  recognized  in  the  poetry 
of  the  Veda : 

I.     W  —  V^  — ,      2,.    ^   \J   \^  —J     3.     —   <J J     4.     KJ    ^ J      ^. J 

6.  v^ J  y. v^ —^  8.  _  v^  v^  _. 

I  do  not  pretend  to  give  every  passage  in  which 
these  varieties  occur,  but  I  hope  I  shall  give  a 
sufficient  number  in  support  of  every  one  of  them. 
I  have  confined  myself  almost  entirely  to  the  final 
dipodia  of  Gayatri  verses,  as  the  Anushi^ubha  verses 
would  have  swelled  the  lists  too  much;  and  in 
order  to  avoid  every  possible  objection,  I  have 
given  the  verses,  not  in  their  Pada,  but  in  their 
Sanhita  form. 


PREFACE.  CXV 


v^    v^    v^    —  , 


§  2. 

1.  iri,  9.    tasmai    p4vaka    m^i^aya.       (Instead    of 
mriZaya,  it  has  been  proposed  to  read  mar(iaya.) 

1.  18,  9.  divo  na  sadmamakliasam. 

.  w  ^  w  -~ 

1.  42,  4.  padabhi  tish^Aa   tapushim. 

i.  46,  :i.    dliiy4   deva   vasuvida.      (It   would   have 
been  easy  to  read  vasuvida.) 

1.  97,  1-8.  apa  nsih  505u^at  agham. 

^f        ^      ^      ^ 

iii.  II,  3.  artham  hy  asya  taram. 
iii.  27,  10.  agne  suditim  usi^am. 
IV.  15,  7.  dJcklik  na  hlita  ud  aram. 
iv.  32,  4.  asm^n-asman  id  ud  ava. 

IV.  52,  I.  divo  adarsi  duhit^. 

WW  w  

V.  5,  9.  ya^ne-ya^e  na  ud  ava. 

\^         y^j         \^       .^ 

V.  7,  4.  pra  sm£i  min^ty  a^araA. 

\^  W  ^p'  — 

V.  7,  5.  bhtima  prish^/^eva  ruruhu/i. 

\^     \j     ^i^        — . 

V.  7,  7.  anibhrish^atavishiA. 
V.  9,  4.  agne  pasur  na  yavase. 
V.  53,  12.  en^  yamena  maruta/^. 

w  w  ^  — 

V.  61,  3.  putrak^ithe  na  ^anaya/^.. 

^.Z  \.^  ^.i/  _ 

V.  61,  II.  atra  srav^msi  dadhire. 
V.  64,  5.  sakhin^m  ^a  vridhase. 

\j  V^  ^■i'  ^ 

V.  6^,  4.  sumatir  asti  vidhata^. 
V.  82,  9.  pra  ^a  suv^ti  savit^. 

^^        w         %■/       — 

vi.  16,  17.  tatra  sadaA  kri^iavase. 

\J  \^  SJ         .^ 

vi.  16,  18.  ath4  duvo  vanavase. 

h  2 


CXVl  PREFACE. 

^ff  w  V         ^ 

vi.  1 6,  45.  5oM  vi  bliahy  a^ara. 
vi.  45,  17.  sa  tvam  na  indra  mri/aya. 
vi.  61,  4.  dhinam  avitry  avatu. 
vii.  15,  14.  ptir  bhav^i  satabliu^i/^.. 
vii.  66,  2.  asuryaya  pramahas^. 
viii.  6,  35.  anuttamanyum  a^aram. 

v^  v^       v./         _ 

viii.  6,  42.  5atam  vahantu  haraya^. 
viii.  32,  10.  sadliu  kritivantam  avase. 

•  •  •  www         — 

viu.  44,  28.  tasmai  pavaka  mri^aya. 
viii.  45,  31.  m^  tat  kar  indra  m^i^aya. 

\^  w  w       — 

viii.  72,  6.  d^m^  rathasya  dad^ise. 
viii.  72,  13.  ras^  dadhita  vrishabham. 
viii.  80,  I  and  2.  tvam  na  indra  mri^aya. 

^         ^^  *v*  .1 

viii.  83,  3.  yliyam  ritasya  rathya/^. 
viii.  93,  27.  stotribhya  indra  mi^iZaya. 
ix.  61,  5.  tebhir  naA  soma  m^^Zaya. 
ix.  64,  I.  vrisha  dharmani  dadhishe. 
X.  118,  6.  ad^bhyam  grihapatim. 

§  3-  -  ^ • 

i.  22,11.  aM/iinnapatra/z-  sa^antam. 
i.  30,  13.  kshumanto  yabhir  madema. 
i.  41,  8.  sumnair  id  va  4  vivase. 
i.  90,  I.  aryam^  devaiA  sa^osh^A. 
i.  90,  4.  pusha  bhago  vandyto/i. 
i.  120,  I.  katha  vidhaty  apra^et&A. 
V.  19,  I.  upasthe  matur  vi  kashte. 


PREFACE.  CXVll 

V.  70,  3.  turyama  dasyun  tanubhi^. 

vi.  61, 10.  sarasvati  stomya  bliut. 

viii.  2,  2.  asvo  na  nikto  nadishu. 

viii.  2,  4.  antar  dev^n  martyams  ^a. 

viii.  2,  5.  apasp747^vate  suhardam. 

viii.  2,  II.  revantam  hi  tv^  srmomi. 

viii.  2,  12.  udhar  na  nagna  ^arante. 

viii.  2,  13.  pred  u  harivay^  srutasya. 

viii.  2,  14.  na  g^yatram  giyam^nam. 

viii.  2,  15.  5iksha  saMvaA  ssikihhih. 

viii.  2,  16.  kaTiv^  ukthebhir  ^arante. 

viii.  2,  17.  taved  u  stomam  ^iketa. 

viii.  2,  29.  indra  kari^zam  vridhantaA. 

viii.  2,  30.  satr^  dadhire  ^avamsi. 

viii.  2,  32.  maMn  mahibHA  ssikihhih. 

viii.  2,  33.  anu  gben  mandi  maghona/^.. 

viii.  2,  36.  satyo  ^vit^  vidhantam. 

viii.  2,  37.  yo  bbtit  somaiA  satyamadv^. 

viii.  7,  30.  marcZikebhir  nadham^nam. 

viii.  7,  33.  vavrityam  y^itrav%4n. 

viii.  II,  2.  agne  rathir  adhvaraT^am. 

viii.  II,  3.  adevir  agne  aratiA  (or  §  4). 

viii.  II,  4.  nopa  vesbi  ^ataveda^. 

viii.  16,  3.  maho  va^inam  sanibhyaA. 

viii.  16,  4.  harshumanta^  ^urasatau. 

viii.  16,  5.  yesMm  indi^as  te  ^ayanti. 

viii.  16,  7.  maMn  mahibhi/^  6^aMbhiA.  Cf.  viii.  2,  32. 


CXVlll  PREFACE. 

viii.  46,  %,  vidma  dataram  rayiT^am. 

viii.  71,  1.  tvam  id  asi  kshapav^n  (or  J  4). 

viii.  81,  I.  maMhasti  dakshi^iena. 

..     ^^       -.  ^ 

viii.  81,  3.  bhima7?i  na  gam  v^rayante. 
viii.  81,  4.  na  radhasa  mardliishan  naA. 
viii.  81,  7.  adastish^arasya  veda/^ 
viii.  81,  9.  vasai5  ^a  makshu  ^arante. 
viii.  94,  2.  sury4mas4  drise  kam. 
ix.  62,  5.  svadanti  gava/i-  payobhi^. 

—  W  —  ^ 

X.  20,  4.  kavir  abhram  didyana/^,. 
X.  20,  7.  adreA  sAnum  ayum  ahu/^. 

§  4.     w    v^ . 

•  ^^       ^^      _        — 

1.  3,  8.  usra  iva  svasaram. 

•  w  v./  _        

1.  27,  4.  agne  devesliu  pra  YohdJi, 
1.  30,  10.  sakhe  vaso  ^aritribhya/i. 
i-  30?  15-  ^'i^^or  aksham  na  5aZ:ibhiA. 
i.  38,  7.  mibam  k^d^^vanty  av4t4m. 

I.  38,  8.  yad  eslla7?^  vrish^ir  asar^i. 
i.  41,  7.  mahi  psaro  varu^zasya. 

i.  43,  7.  mahi  sravas  tuvinrim^iam. 

II.  6,  2.  ena  sAktena  su^ata. 
iii.  27,  3.  ati  dvesM77isi  tarema. 
V.  82,  7.  satyasava79i  savitdram. 
vi.  16,  25.  tir^o  napad  am^^itasya. 
vi.  16,  26.  marta  an^^a  suvriktim. 
vi.  61,  12.  v%e-v%e  havy^  bhSt. 


PREFACE.  CXIX 

WW—  — 

viii.  2,  I.  anabhayin  rarima  te. 

w  w  —  — 

viii.  2,  3.  indra  tv^smint  sadhamade. 

viii.  2,  8.  samane  adhi  bharman  (see  page  ex). 

viii.  2,  18.  yanti  pramadam  atandra/^. 

viii.  2,  19.  mahan  iva  yuva^ani/^. 

viii.  2,  21.  trishu  ^^tasya  manamsi. 

viii.  2,  22.  yasastaram  satamtite^. 

viii.  2,  23.  bhar^  piban  nary  ay  a. 

viii.  2,  26.  ni  yamate  satamuti^. 

u'  v^  _        — 

viii.  2,  ^^,  ino  vasu  sa  hi  voZM. 

WW  —  _ 

viii.  J  6,  2.  apam  avo  na  samudre. 

V^         ^.f  _  — 

viii.  16,  6.  esha  indro  varivaskrit. 

w  w  —       — 

viii.  16,  8.  eka5  ^it  sann  abhibMtiA. 

viii.  71,  9.  sakhe  vaso  fjraritribliya/?/.    Cf.  i.  30,  10. 

viii.  79,  3.  urn  yantasi  variitham. 

w  s^       —         —  w      —    ^-z  — 

ix.  21,  5.  yo  asmabhyam  arava  (or  ar4va). 
ix.  62,  6.  madhvo  rasam  sadhamade. 

^         w  _  — 

ix.  66,  21.  dadhad  rayim  mayi  posham. 

^^        w  —      — 

x.  20,  5.  minvant  sadma  pur  a  eti. 

v./      \^       —         — 

X.  185,  I.  duradharsham  varunasya. 
X.  185,  2.  ise  ripur  aghasamsaA. 

^i/  w  _  _ 

X.  185,  3.  ^yotir  yaH'Aanty  a^asram. 

§5. . 

i.  2,  7.  dhiyam  ghrit^Mm  sadhanta. 
i.  3,  4.  aiivibhis  tana  putasa^. 
i.  27,  3.  pahi  sadam  id  visYkyuh. 


CXX  PREFACE. 

i.  90,  a.  vrata  rakshante  visvaha  (or  §  6). 

ii.  6,  4.  yiiyodhy  asmad  dvesliamsi. 

iii.  41,  8.  indra  svadhavo  matsveha  (or  §  6). 

V.  68,  3.  mahi  vam  kshatram  deveshu. 

V.  68,  4.  adrnlia  devau  vardhete. 

viii.  2,  TO.  5ukra  asiram  ya^ante. 

viii.  2,  24.  va^a?)!  stotribhyo  gomantam  (or  §  6). 

viii.  16,  I.  nara^ii  nrishaham  mamhish^Aam. 

viii.  16,  12.  akJchk  Jcsl  na/i  sumna^n  neshi. 

viii.  79,  2.  prem  andlia/^,  khyan  ni7?-  5ro720  bhfit. 

ix.  66,  17.  bhtiridabhyas  Z:in  ma'^Jihiyan. 

X.  20,  6.   agnim  deva  vasimantam. 

X.  20,  8.  agnim  havish^  vardhantaA. 


§6. 

i.  15,  6.  rituna  ya^am  asathe. 
1.  38,  2.  kva  vo  gavo  na  ranyanti  (see  page  70). 
i.  38,  9.  yat  prithivim  vyundanti. 
i.  86,  9.  vidhyat^  vidyuta  raksha/^. 
iii.  27,  2.  5rushdvanam  dliitavanam. 
iii.  41,  3.  vlhi  5ura  puroZa^am. 
iv.  32,  23.  babliru  yameshu  sobhete. 
V.  68,  5.  brihantam  gartam  asate. 

V.  70,  2.  vaya7>i  te  rudra  syama. 
.  »^  —       _  _ 

VI.  61,  II.  sarasvati  nidas  p4tu. 

viii.  2,  20.  asrira  iva  ^4mata. 
viii.  2,  25.  somam  viraya  ,sfir^ya. 


PKEFACE.  CXXl 

viii.  7,  32.  stushe  hira?iyavasibhiA. 
viii.  26,  19.  vahethe  ^ubhrayavana. 
viii.  79,  4.  yavlr  agliasya  ^id  dvesha/i. 
viii.  79,  5.  vavri^yus  trishyata/?-  kamam. 
viii.  81,  6.  indra  ma  no  vasor  nir  bhak. 
X.  158,  4.  sam  ^edam  vi  ^a  pasyema. 

§  7. w  -. 

i.  10,  8.  sam  g4  asmabhyam  dhunulii. 

i.  12,  5.  agne  tvam  rakshasvina/^.. 

i*  37)  15-  visvam  ^id  4yur  (/ivase. 

1.  43,  8.  4  na  indo  v%e  bha^a. 

i.  46,  6.  tarn  asme  rasatham  isbam. 

iii.  62,  7.  asm^bbis  tnbhyam  sasyate. 

iv.  30,  21.  dasan4m  indro  mayaya. 

V.  86,  5.  a7?iseva  devav  arvate. 

viii.  5,  32.  puru^^andra  nasatya  (or  nasatya,  ^  8). 

—         WW—  _         _  ^  — 

viii.  5,  35.  dbi^avana  nasatya. 

X.  119,  1-13.  kuvit  somasyapam  iti. 

X.  144,  4.  sata^akram  yo  ^hyo  vartani/i. 

§0.  —  ^^  \^  — . 

—        w         w       _ 

i.  2,  9.  daksham  dadbate  apasam  (or  ^  2). 

—  WW         — 

i.  6,  10.  indram  mabo  va  ra^asaA. 
i.  27,  6,  sadyo  dasusbe  ksbarasi. 

_      ^i'      \i/         ._ 

i.  30,  21.  a5ve  na  Mtre  arusbi  (or  ^  2). 
i.  41,  9.  na  durnkt^ya*  spribayet  (or  ^  2). 
i.  90,  5.  karta  naA  svastimata/^. 


CXxii  PREFACE.    ■ 

iii.  24,  5.  sisihi  ivdh  sfinumata/^. 
V.  19,  2.  ^  drilham  pura7?i  vivisu/^. 
V.  70,  I.  mitra  va7?isi  v^>?i  sumatim. 
V.  70,  4.  ma  6^esliasa  ma  tanas^. 

w—  —  —        —  ^        V     — 

V.  82,  8.  svadhir  deva/z,  savM. 

_  WW         — 

viii.  2,  27.  givhhiJi  srutsion  girvanasam. 

viii.  2,  31.  sanad  amrikto  dayate  (or  §  2). 

viii.  16,  9.  indra77i  vardhanti  kshitaya/?.  (or  5  2). 

_  w  w       _ 

viii.  55,  4.  asvaso  na  A;ankramata. 

viii.  67,  19.  yiiyam  asmabhyam  m^n^ata. 

—  WW  — 

viii.  81,  5.  ablii  radhas^i  ^ugurat. 
viii.  81,  8.  asmablii/i  su  tarn  sanuhi. 
ix.  47,  2.  riiia  ^a  dh/ish^ius  dayate. 

But  altbough  with  regard  to  the  Gayatra,  and 
I  may  add,  tlie  Anush^ubha  padas,  the  evidence 
as  to  the  variety  of  their  vrittas  is  such  that  it 
can  hardly  be  resisted,  a  much  more  determined 
stand  has  been  made  in  defence  of  the  vritta  of 
the  Traish^ubha  and  (ragata  padas.  Here  Professor 
Kuhn  and  those  who  follow  him  maintam  that  the 
rule  is  absolute,  that  the  former  must  end  in  ^  -  v^, 
the  latter  in  ^  -  ^  - ,  and  that  the  eighth  syllable, 
immediately  preceding  these  syllables,  ought,  if  pos- 
sible, to  be  long.  Nor  can  I  deny  that  Professor 
Kulm  has  brought  forward  powerful  arguments  in 
support  of  his  theory,  and  that  his  emendations  of 
the  Vedic  text  recommend  themselves  by  their  great 
ingenuity   and   simplicity.      If  his  theory  could  be 


PREFACE.  CXXUl 


carried  out,  I  should  readily  admit  that  we  should 
gain  something.  We  should  have  throughout  the 
Veda  a  perfectly  uniform  metre,  and  wherever  we 
found  any  violation  of  it,  we  should  be  justified  in 
resorting  to  conjectural  criticism. 

The  only  question  is  at  what  price  this  strict 
uniformity  can  be  obtained.  If,  for  instance,  in 
order  to  have  the  regular  vrittas  at  the  end  of 
Traish^ubha  and  G^gata  lines,  we  were  obliged  to 
repeal  all  rules  of  prosody,  to  allow  almost  every 
short  vowel  to  be  used  as  long,  and  every  long  vowel 
to  be  used  as  short,  whether  long  by  nature  or  by 
position,  we  should  have  gained  very  little,  we  should 
have  robbed  Peter  to  pay  Paul,  we  should  have  re- 
moved no  difficulty,  but  only  ignored  the  causes  which 
created  it.  Now,  if  we  examine  the  process  by  which 
Professor  Kuhn  establishes  the  regularity  of  the 
vrittas  or  final  syllables  of  Traish^ubha  and  (ragata 
padas,  we  find,  in  addition  to  the  rules  laid  down 
before,  and  in  which  he  is  supported,  as  we  saw,  to  a 
great  extent  by  the  Pratisakhya  and  Pa^iini,  viz.  the 
anceps  nature  of  e  and  o,  and  of  a  long  final  vowel 
before  a  vowel,  the  following  exceptions  or  metrical 
licences,  without  which  that  metrical  uniformity  at 
which  he  aims,  could  not  be  obtained : 

I.  The  vowel  o  in  the  body  of  a  word  is  to  be 
treated  as  optionally  short : 

w  w       _     i:       _      - 

ii.  39,  3.  prati  vaster  usra  (see  Trish^.  §  5). 
Here   the  o  of  vastoA   is   supposed  to  be  short, 
although  it  is  the  Gu?^a  of  u,  and  therefore  very 


CXxiv  PREFACE. 

different  from  the  final  e  of  sarve  or  aste,  or  the 
final  o  of  sarvo  for  sarvas  or  mano  for  manas*. 
It  should  be  remarked  that  in  Greek,  too,  the  final 
diphthongs  corresponding  to  the  e  of  sarve  and 
aste  are  treated  as  short,  as  far  as  the  accent  is 
concerned.  Hence  olttoikoi,  Tvirrerai,  and  even  yi/w/j.at, 
nom.  plur.  In  Latin,  too,  the  old  terminations  of 
the  nom.  sing,  o  and  u,  instead  of  the  later  us,  are 
short.     (Neue,  Formenlehre,  §  23  seq.) 

ii        _        w 

vi.  51,  15.  gop^  ama. 

Here  the  o  of  gop^  is  treated  as  short,  in  order 
to  get  w  -  v^  -  instead  of  —  ^  -,  which  is  perfectly 
legitimate  at  the  end  of  an  Ush7?ih. 

2.  The  long  i  and  u  are  treated  as  short,  not 
only  before  vowels,  which  is  legitimate,  but  also 
before  consonants  : 

vii.  62,  4.  dyav^bhumi  adite  trasitham  na/i  (see 
Trish^.  §  5). 

The  forms  isiya  and  rasiya  in  vii.  32,  18,  occur 
at  the  end  of  octosyllabic  or  Gayatra  padas,  and  are 
therefore  perfectly  legitimate,  yet  Professor  Kuhn 
would  change  them  too,  into  isiya  and  rasiya.  In 
vii.  28, 4,  even  mayi  is  treated  as  mayi  (see  Trish^.  §  5); 
and  in  vii.  68,  i,  vitam  as  vitam.     If,  in  explanation 

*  A  very  strong  divergence  of  opinion  is  expressed  on  this  point 
by  Professor  Bollensen.  He  says :  '  O  und  E  erst  spater  in  die 
Sclirifttafel  aiifgenommen,  bewaliren  ihre  Lange  durch  das  ganze 
indisclie  Scliriftcntlmm  bis  ins  Apabhramsa  hinab.  Selbstver- 
stiindlicli  kann  kurz  o  und  e  im  Veda  erst  recbt  niebt  zugelassen 
werdcn.'     Zeitscbrift  dcr  D.  M.  G.,  vol  xxii.  p.  574. 


PREFACE.  CXXV 

of  this  shortening  of  vitam,  vihi  is  quoted,  which 
is  identified  with  vihi,  this  can  hardly  be  considered 
as  an  argument,  for  vihi  occurs  where  no  short 
syllable  is  required,  iv.  48,  i ;  ii.  26,  2 ;  and  where, 
therefore,  the  shortening  of  the  vowel  cannot  be 
attributed  to  metrical  reasons. 

3.  Final  m  followed  by  an  initial  consonant  is 
allowed  to  make  no  position,  and  even  in  the 
middle  of  a  word  a  nasal  followed  by  a  liquid  is 
supposed  to  make  positio  debilis.  Several  of  the  in- 
stances, however,  given  in  support,  are  from  Gayatra 
padas,  where  Professor  Kuhn,  in  some  of  his  later 
articles,  has  himself  allowed  greater  latitude ;  others 
admit  of  different  scanning,  as  for  instance, 

i.  117,  8.  maha/z.  kshonasya  asvina  ka/iv^ya. 

Here,  even  if  we  considered  the  dispondeus  as  ille- 
gitimate, we  might  scan  kanvaya,  for  this  scanning 
occurs  in  other  places,  while  to  treat  the  first  a  as 
short  before  no  seems  tantamount  to  surrendering 
all  rules  of  prosody. 

4.  Final  n  before  semivowels,  mutes,  and  double 

n  before  vowels  make  no  position  *.     Ex.  iii.  49,  i. 

—     —       —  ^ 

yasmin  visva  (Trish^.  ^5);  i.  174,  5.  yasmin  Hkan; 
i.  186,  4.  sasmin(n)  Mhant. 

*  Professor  Kuhn  has  afterwards  (Beitrage,  vol.  iv.  p.  207) 
modified  this  view,  and  instead  of  allowing  a  final  nasal  followed 
by  a  mute  to  make  positio  debilis,  he  thinks  that  the  nasal  should 
in  most  cases  be  omitted  altogether. 

t  Here  a  distinction  should  be  made,  I  think,  between  an  n 
before  a  consonant,  and  a  final  n  following  a  short  vowel,  which, 


CXXvi  PREFACE. 

5.  Final  Visarga  before  sibilants  makes  no  posi- 
tion*.    Ex.   iv.  21,  10.  satyaA  samra^    (Trisb^.  §   5). 

—  —       c      — 
Even  in  i.  6^,  4.  ^odiA   sakha  (probably  a  G^agata), 

and  V.  82,  4.  slvih  saubhagam  (a  Gay.  §  7),  the  long 

i  is  treated  as  short,  and  the   short  a  of  sakh^  is 

lengthened,  because  an  aspirate  follows. 

6.  S  before  mutes  makes  no  position.   Ex.  vi.  66, 11. 

*^  —  — 

ugra  aspridhran  (Trish^.  ^3). 

7.  S  before  k  makes  no  position.  Ex.  visva- 
sJcsiudra^h,  &c. 

8.  Mutes  before  s  make  no  position.  Ex.  rakshas, 
according  to  Professor  Kuhn,  in  the  seventh  Man- 
cZala  only,  but  see  i.  12,  5;  kutsa,  Sec. 

9.  Mutes  before  r  or  v  make  no  position.  Ex. 
susipra,  dirghasrut. 

10.  Sibilants  before  y  make  no  position.  Ex. 
dasyfin. 

11.  E  followed  by  mutes  or  sibilants  makes  no 
position.     Ex.  ayur  ^ivase,  Mardi/z^,  varshish^Aam . 

12.  Words  like  smaddish^im  &c.  retain  their  vowel 
short  before  two  following  consonants. 

We   now  proceed  to  consider  a  number  of  pro- 


according  to  the  rules  of  Sandhi,  is  doubled,  if  a  vowel  follows. 
In  the  latter  case,  the  vowel  before  the  n  remains,  no  doubt,  short 
in  many  cases,  or,  more  correctly,  the  doubling  of  the  n  does 
not  take  place,  e,  g.  i.  63,  4 ;  186,  4.  In  other  places,  the  doubling 
seems  preferable,  e.g.  i.  33,  11,  though  Professor  Kuhn  would 
remove  it  altogether.     Kuhn,  Beitrage,  vol.  iii.  p.  125. 

*  Here,  too,  according  to  later  researches,  Professor  Kuhn  would 
rather  omit  the  final  sibilant  altogether,  loc.  cit.  vol.  iv.  p.  207. 


PREFACE.  .  CXXVll 

sodial  rules  which  Professor  Kuhn  proposes  to  repeal 
in  order  to  have  a  long  syllable  where  the  MSS. 
supply  a  short : 

I.  The  vowel  ri  is  to  be  pronounced  as  long,  or 
rather  as  ar.  Ex.  i.  i:z,  9.  tasmai  pavaka  mri/aya  is  to 
be  read  maraaya;  v.  ^^,  10.  samvara^zasya  risheA  is  to 

w        w         _        x^        —  _ 

be  read  arsheA.  But  why  not  samvaranasyar>ishe^ 
(i.  e.  siarshe/i)  ? 

3.  The  a  privativum  may  be  lengthened.  Ex. 
a^ara^,  am^ita/z. 

3.  Short  vowels  before  liquids  may  be  long.  Ex. 
nara^,_tarut4,  tarati,  marut^m,  hariva^,  arushi,  dadhur 
iha,  suvita  (p.  471). 

4.  Short  vowels  before  nasals  may  be  lengthened. 
Ex.  ^anan,  sanitar,  tanti/i,  upa  na/^. 

5.  Short  vowels  before  the  ma  of  the  superlative 
may  be  lengthened.     Ex.  nritama. 

6.  The  short  a  in  the  roots  5am  and  yam,  and  in  am 
(the  termination  of  the  accusative)  maybe  lengthened. 

W  V.'  w  

7.  The  group  ava  is  to  be  pronounced  aua.  Ex. 
avase  becomes  auase;  savit^  becomes  sauit^;  nava 
becomes  nana. 

8.  The  group  aya  is  to  be  changed  into  aia  or 
ea.     Ex.  nayasi  becomes  naiasi. 

9.  The  group  va  is  to  be  changed  into  ua,  and 
this  ua  to  be  treated  as  a  kind  of  diphthong  and 

w 

\J  \mt  _  W 

therefore  long.  Ex.  ka^^vatama/?.  becomes  kanuata- 
msih;  varuna/z-  becomes  uarunaA. 

10.  The  short  vowel  in  the  reduplicated  syllable  of 
perfects  is  to  be  lengthened.     Ex.  tatana^,  dadhire. 


CXXviii  .  PREFACE. 

11.  Short  vowels  before  all  aspirates  may  be 
lencrthened.  Ex.  ratliaA  becomes  ratlid/i;  sakha  be- 
comes  sakha. 

12.  Short  vowels  before  h  and  all  sibilants 
may  be  lengthened.  Ex.  mahini  becomes  mahini; 
U6'i(/am  becomes  u.si^am ;  rishate  becomes  rishate ; 
dasat  becomes  dasat. 

13.  The  short  vowel  before  t  may  be  lengthened. 
Ex.  v%avataA  becomes  v%avataA;  atithi/i  becomes 
atithi/i. 

14.  The  short  vowel  before  d  may  be  lengthened. 
Ex.  udaram  becomes  udaram ;  ud  ava  becomes  ud  ava. 

15.  The  short  vowel  before  p  may  be  lengthened. 
Ex.  apam  becomes  apam;  tapiishim  becomes  tapu- 
shim;  grihapatim  becomes  grihapatim. 

16.  The  short  vowel  before  g  and  g  may  be  length- 
ened. Ex.  sannshag  asat  becomes  s^nushag  asat; 
yuna^an  becomes  yuna^an. 

Let  us  now  turn  back  for  one  moment  to  look 
at  the  slaughter  which  has  been  committed!  Is 
there  one  single  rule  that  has  been  spared  1  Is  there 
one  single  short  syllable  that  must  always  remain 
short,  or  a  long  syllable  that  must  always  remain 
long  ?  If  all  restrictions  of  prosody  are  thus  re- 
moved, our  metres,  no  doubt,  become  perfectly 
regular.  But  it  should  be  remembered  that  these 
metrical  rules,  for  which  all  this  carnage  has  been 
committed,  are  not  founded  upon  any  a  priori 
principles,  but  deduced  by  ancient  or  modern 
metricians    from    those    very    hymns    which    seem 


PREFACE.  CXxix 

SO  constantly  to  violate  them.  Neither  ancient  nor 
modern  metricians  had,  as  far  as  we  know,  any  evi- 
dence to  go  upon  besides  the  hymns  of  the  Eig-veda ; 
and  the  philosophical  speculations  as  to  the  origin 
of  metres  in  which  some  of  them  indulge,  and  from 
which  they  would  fain  derive  some  of  their  un- 
bending rules,  are,  as  need  hardly  be  said,  of  no 
consequence  whatever.  I  cannot  understand  what 
definite  idea  even  modern  writers  connect  with  such 
statements  as  that,  for  instance,  the  Trish^ibh  metre 
sprang  from  the  (zagati  metre,  that  the  eleven  syl- 
lables of  the  former  are  an  abbreviation  of  the  twelve 
syllables  of  the  latter.  Surely,  metres  are  not  made 
artificially,  and  by  addition  or  subtraction.  Metres 
have  a  natural  origin  in  the  rhythmic  sentiment 
of  different  people,  and  they  become  artificial  and 
arithmetical  in  the  same  way  as  language  with  its 
innate  principles  of  law  and  analogy  becomes  in 
course  of  time  grammatical  and  artificial.  To  derive 
one  metre  from  another  is  like  deriving  a  genitive 
from  a  nominative,  which  we  may  do  indeed  for 
grammatical  purposes,  but  which  no  one  would  ven- 
ture to  do  who  is  at  all  acquainted  with  the  natural 
and  independent  production  of  grammatical  forms. 
Were  we  to  arrange  the  Trish^ubh  and  (ragati  metres 
in  chronological  order,  I  should  decidedly  place  the 
Trish^ubh  first,  for  we  see,  as  it  were  before  our  eyes, 
how  sometimes  one  foot,  sometimes  two  and  three  feet 
in  a  Trish^ubh  verse  admit  an  additional  syllable  at 

the  end,  particularly  in  set  phrases  which  would  not 
VOL.  I.  i 


CXXX  PREFACE. 

submit  to  a  Trishfubli  ending.     The  phrase  5am  no 
bhava  dvipade  ssun  Z;atushpade  is  evidently  a  solemn 
phrase,  and  we  see  it  brought  in  without  hesitation, 
even  though  every  other  line  of  the  same  strophe  or 
hymn  is  Trish^bh,  i.  e.  hendecasyllabic,  not  dodeca- 
syllabic.     See,  for  instance,  vi.  74,  i;  vii.  54,  i;  x. 
S^,  44;  165,  I.     However,  I  maintain  by  no  means 
that  this  was  the  actual  origin  of  (jagati  metres  ; 
I  only  refer  to  it  in  order  to  show  the  groundlessness 
of  metrical  theories  which  represent  the  component  ele- 
ments, a  foot  of  one  or  two  or  four  syllables  as  given 
first,  and  as  afterwards  compounded  into  systems  of 
two,  three  or  four  such  feet,  and  who  therefore  would 
wish  us  to  look  upon  the  hendecasyllabic  Trish^ubh 
as  originally  a  dodecasy liable  (ragati,  only  deprived 
of  its  tail.     If  my  explanation  of  the  name  of  Trish- 
tuhh,   i.  e.   Three-step,   is  right,  its  origin  must  be 
ascribed  to  a  far   more   natural   process  than  that 
of  artificial   amputation.      It  was  to    accompany  a 
chores,  i.  e.  a  dance,  which  after  advancing  freely 
for  eight  steps  in  one  direction,  turned  back  (vritta) 
with  three  steps,  the  second  of  which  was  strongly 
marked,  and  would  therefore,  whether   in    song  or 
recitation,  be  naturally  accompanied  by  a  long  syl- 
lable.     It  certainly  is  so  in  the  vast   majority  of 
Trish^ubhs  which  have   been   handed   down  to    us. 
But  if  among  these  verses  we  find  a  small  number 
in  which  this  simple  and  palpable  rhythm  is  violated, 
and   which   nevertheless    were    preserved   from   the 
first  in  that  imperfect  form,  although  the  temptation 


PREFACE.  CXXxi 

to  set  them  right  must  have  been  as  great  to  the 
ancient  as  it  has  proved  to  be  to  the  modern  students 
of  the  Veda,  are  we  to  say  that  nearly  all,  if  not  ah, 
the  rules  that  determine  the  length  and  shortness 
of  syllables,  and  which  alone  give  character  to  every 
verse,  are  to  be  suspended  1  Or,  ought  we  not 
rather  to  consider,  whether  the  ancient  choregic 
poets  may  not  have  indulged  occasionally  in  an 
irregular  movement  ?  We  see  that  this  was  so  with 
regard  to  Gayatri  verses.  We  see  the  greater  free- 
dom of  the  first  and  second  pMas  occasionally  extend 
to  the  third ;  and  it  will  be  impossible,  without 
intolerable  violence,  to  remove  all  the  varieties  of 
the  last  pada  of  a  Gayatri  of  which  I  have  given 
examples  above,  pages  cxv  seq. 

It  is,  of  course,  impossible  to  give  here  all  the 
evidence  that  might  be  brought  forward  in  support 
of  similar  freedom  in  Trish^ubh  verses,  and  I  admit 
that  the  number  of  real  varieties  with  them  is 
smaller  than  with  the  Gayatris.  In  order  to  make 
the  evidence  which  I  have  to  bring  forward  in  sup- 
port of  these  varieties  as  unassailable  as  jDossible, 
I  have  excluded  nearly  every  pada  that  occurs  only 
in  the  first,  second,  or  third  line  of  a  strophe,  and  have 
restricted  myself,  with  few  exceptions,  and  those 
chiefly  referring  to  padas  that  had  been  quoted  by 
other  scholars  in  support  of  their  own  theories,  to 
the  final  pMas  of  Trish^ubh  verses.  Yet  even  with 
this  limited   evidence,   I   think   I   shall  be  able  to 

establish     at    least    three    varieties    of    Trish^ubh. 

i  2 


CXXXll  PHEFACE. 

Preserving  the  same  classification  which  I  adopted 
before  for  tlie  Gayatrls,  so  as  to  include  the  im- 
portant eighth  syllable  of  the  Trish^ubh,  which 
does  not  properly  belong  to  the  v^itta,  I  maintain 

that  class  4.  ^  v^  — ,   class  5. ,   and  class 

8.  -v^v^-  must  be  recognized  as  legitimate  endings 
in  the  hymns  of  the  Veda,  and  that  by  recognizing 
them  we  are  relieved  from  nearly  all,  if  not  all,  the 
most  violent  prosodial  licences  which  Professor  Kuhn 
felt  himself  obliged  to  admit  in  his  theory  of  Yedic 

metres. 

§  4'   WW  —  — . 

The  verses  which  fall  under  §  4  are  so  numerous 
that  after  those  of  the  first  Mandslsi,  mentioned 
above,  they  need  not  be  given  here  in  full.  They 
are  simply  cases  where  the  eighth  syllable  is  not 
lengthened,  and  they  cannot  be  supposed  to  run 
counter  to  any  rule  of  the  Prati^akhya,  for  the 
simple  reason  that  the  Prati^akhya  never  gave  such 
a  rule  as  that  the  eighth  syllable  must  be  lengthened 
if  the  ninth  is  short.  Examples  will  be  found  in  the 
final  pada  of  Trish^ubhs  :  ii.  30,  6;  iii.  36,  4;  ^^,  15; 
54,  12;  iv.  I,  1(5;  2,  7;  9;  it;  4,  12;  6,  i;  2;  4;  7,  7; 
II.  5  ;  17,  3  ;  ^3>^;  24,  3  ;  27,  I  ;  28,  5;  ^5^  5  ;  57,  2 ; 
V.  I,  2  ;  vi.  17,  10  ;  21,  8  ;  23,  7  ;  25,  5 ;  29,  6 ;  ^^,  i; 
62,  I ;  6^,7;  vii.  21,  5  ;  28,  3  ;  42,  4 ;  5^,  ^5  >  ^o,  10  ; 
84,  2 ;  92,  4 ;  viii.  i,  ^^  ;  96,  9 ;  ix.  92,  5  ;  x.  61,  12  ; 
13;   74,  3;  117,  7. 

In  support  of  ^  5. ,  the  number  of  cases  is 

smaller,  but  it  should  be  remembered  that  it  might 


PREFACE.  cxxxiii 

be  considerably  increased  if  I  had  not  restricted 
myself  to  the  final  pada  of  each  Trish^ubh,  while 
the  first,  second,  and  third  padas  would  have  yielded 
a  much  larger  harvest : 

§5- • 

i.  89,  9.  ma  no  madhy4  ririshatayur  ganto/^. 

i.  92,  6.  supratika  saumanasaya^iga/^. 

i.  114,  5.  sarma  varma  Mardir  asmabhyam  yamsat. 

i.  117,  1.  tena  nara  vartir  asmabhyam  yatam. 

1.  122, 1,  ishudhyeva  maruto  rodasyo/?.  (or  rodasyo/^), 

i.  122,  8.  a5v4vato  rathino  mahyam  suriA. 

i.  186,  3.  ishas  ^a  parshad  arigurtaA  suri/^ 

ii.  4,  2.  dev^nam  agnir  aratir  gixksYdh. 

iii.  49,  2.  prithu^aya  aminad  ayur  dasyoA. 

iv.  3,  9.  ^amaryena  payas^  pipaya. 

iv.  26,  6.  divo  amushmad  uttarad  adaya. 

V.  41,  14.  ud^  vardhantam  abhishata(/i)  miikh. 

vi.  25,  2.  aryaya  yiso  (a)va  tarir  dsiSih. 

vi.  66,  II.  girayo  napa  ugra  asp7^idhran. 

vii.  8,  6.  dyumad  amiva^^atanam  rakshoha. 

vii.  28,  4.  ava  dvita  vslywio  mayi  nsiJi  sat. 

vii.  68,  I.  havyani  ^a  pratibhiita  vitam  imh. 

vii.  71,  2.  diva  naktam  madhvi  trasitha^^i  naA. 

vii.  78,  I.  ^yotishmata  vamam  asmabhya77i  vakshi. 

vii.  93,  7^  aJckhk  mitram  varu7zam  indram  Yokeh. 

ix.  90,  4.  sam  ^ikrado  maho  asmabhya^^z  va^an. 

X.  II,  8.  bhaga7}i  no  atra  vasumanta?n  vit^t. 


CXXxiv  PREFACE. 

I  do  not  wish  to  deny  tliat  in  several  of  these 
lines  it  would  be  possible  to  remove  the  long 
syllable  from  the  ninth  place  by  conjectural  emen- 
dation. Instead  of  ayur  in  i.  89,  9,  we  might  read 
ayu ;  in  i.  92,  6,  we  might  drop  the  augment  of 
a^/igar ;  in  ii.  4,  2,  we  might  admit  synizesis  in 
aratir,  and  then  read  f/ira-a^va^,  as  in  i.  141,  12. 
In  vi.  25,  2,  after  eliding  the  a  of  ava,  we  might 
read  dasi/^.  But  even  if,  in  addition  to  all  this, 
we  were  to  admit  the  possible  suppression  of  final 
m  in  asmabhyam,  mahyam,  and  in  the  accusative 
singular,  or  the  suppression  of  s  in  the  nominative 
singular,  both  of  which  would  be  extreme  measures, 
we  should  still  have  a  number  of  cases  which  could 
not  be  righted  without  even  more  violent  remedies. 
Why  then  should  we  not  rather  admit  the  occa- 
sional ajipearance  of  a  metrical  variation  which 
certainly  has  a  powerful  precedent  in  the  dispon- 
deus  of  Gayatris  1  I  am  not  now  acquainted  with 
the  last  results  of  metrical  criticism  in  Virgil,  but, 
unless  some  new  theories  now  prevail,  I  well  recol- 
lect that  spondaic  hexameters,  though  small  in 
number,  much  smaller  than  in  the  Veda,  were 
recognized  by  the  best  scholars,  and  no  emendations 
attempted  to  remove  them.  If  then  in  Virgil  we 
read,  '  Cum  patribus  populoque,  penatibusque  et 
magnis  dis,'  why  not  follow  the  authority  of  the 
l)est  MSS.  and  the  tradition  of  the  Prati^akhyas 
and  admit  a  dispondeus  at  the  end  of  a  Trishaibh 
rather  than   suspend,  in  order  to  meet  this  single 


PREFACE.  CXXXV 

difficulty,   some   of  the  most  fundamental  rules  of 
prosody  ? 

I  now  proceed  to  give  a  more  numerous  list  of 
Traish^ubha  padas  ending  in  a  choriambus,  -ww-, 
again  confining  myself,  with  few  exceptions,  to  final 
padas : 

Q    8.     —    KJ    \J    — . 

1.  62,  3.  sam  usriy^bhir  v4vasanta  nara/^. 

1.  103,  4.  yad  dha  sunuA  sravase  nama  dadhe. 

1.  121,  9.  ^ushnam  anantai/^  pariyasi  vadhaiy^. 

1.  122,  io'\  ^ardhastaro  nar^m  gurta^ravaA. 

i.  173,  8.  surim5  Hd  yadi  dhisha  veshi  (/anan. 

i.  186,  2.  karant  sushaha  vithuram  na  ssiVSih. 

ii.  4,  3.  dakshayyo  yo  dA^svate  dama  sl  (not  dame  a). 

ii.  19,  I.  oko  dadhe  brahmanyantas  ksi  naraA. 

ii.  33,  14.  mic?Avas  tokaya  tanayaya  mri/a. 

iv.  I,  19^.  5u^y  udho  atHnan  na  gavam*. 

iv.  25,  4.  nare  naryaya  nritamaya  nnnam. 

iv.  39,  2.  dadathur  mitravaru^ia  taturim. 

V.  30,  12.  praty  agrabhishma  nritamasya  nri^zam. 

V.  41,  4.  4(/im  na  ^agmur  a^vasvatamaA. 

—  —    \^         \^  «_/      %^      _  —  w/       ^^      — 

V.  41,  15.  smat  suribhir  ri^uhasta  ri^/uvaniA. 
vi.  4,  7.  vayum  pri^ianti  r^dhasa  nritamaA. 

^t      \^ _  \^        -»         \.j         \^      

vi.  10,  5.  suviryebhis  ^abhi  santi  (/anan. 

*  '  Nur  eine  Stelle  habe  icli  mir  angemerkt,  wo  das  Metrum  anm 
verlangt.'  Kuhn,  Beitrage,  vol.  iv.  p.  180  ;  Bollensen,  Zeitschrift 
der  D.  M.  G.,  vol.  xxii.  p.  587. 


CXXXvi  PREFACE. 

vi.  II,  4.  anr/anti  suprayasam  panZ:a  g'dnkh, 

_     >-'      "-'   —  _ 
vi.  13,  i^.  ague  vi  yanti  vanino  na  vaya/^. 

vi.  13,  I  ^.  clivo  vrishdr  idjo  ritir  apam. 

vi.  20,  i^.  tasthaii  mjiJi  savasa  pritsu  ^anan. 

_  WW         — 

vi.  20,  i^.  daddhi  simo  sahaso  vritraturam. 

—  \j  \j    — 
vi.  29,  4.  uktha  samsanto  devavatatama/^. 

vi.  ^^,  3.  a  pritsu  darshi  nrinim  nritama. 

vi.  33,  5.  divi  shyama  parye  gosnatama/Z'. 

vi.  44,  II.  ^ahy  asushvin  pra  vrmaprmata/^. 

vi.  49,  12.  st^ibhir  na  nakam  va^anasya  vipa/^. 

_  WW  — 

vi.  68,  5.  va7>isad  rayi/^i  rayivatas  /:a  ^anan. 

_  WW         — 

vi.  68,  7.  pra  sadyo  dyumna  tirate  taturiA. 
vii.  19,  10.  sakM  Jcsi  siiro  Vita  ^a  nrinam. 
vii.  62,  4.  ma  mitrasya  priyatamasya  nrmam. 
ix.  97,  26.  hotaro  na  diviya^o  mandratama/^  C?). 
X.  S5,  8.  suro  nir  yudliadhamad  dasyun  C?). 

^       —        w  w        _ 

X.  99,  9.  atkam  yo  asya  sanitota  nm^^am. 
X.  108,  6.  brihaspatir  va  ubliay^  na  mri/ai 

y^         \j       —  —  —  v-»      —  y^  \j_ 

X.  169,  I.  avasaya  padvate  rudra  mri^a. 

It  is  perfectly  true  that  this  sudden  change  in 
the  rhythm  of  Trish^ubh  verses,  making  their  ending 
iam1)ic  instead  of  trochaic,  grates  on  our  ears.  But, 
I  Ijcheve,  that  if  we  admit  a  short  stop  after  the 
seventh  syllal)le,  the  intended  rhythm  of  these  verses 
will  become  intelligible.  We  remarked  a  similar 
break  in  the  verses  of  hymn  x.  yy,  where  the  sudden- 
transition  to  an  iambic  metre  was  used  with  great 


PREFACE.  CXXXVU 

effect,  and  the  choriambic  ending,  though  less 
effective,  is  by  no  means  offensive.  It  should  be 
remarked  also,  that  in  many,  though  not  in  all  cases, 
a  caesura  takes  place  after  the  seventh  syllable,  and 
this  is,  no  doubt,  a  great  help  towards  a  better 
delivery  of  these  choriambic  Trish^ubhs. 

While,  however,  I  contend  for  the  recognition  of 
these  three  varieties  of  the  normal  Trish^ubh  metre, 
I  am  quite  willing  to  admit  that  other  variations 
besides  these,  which  occur  from  time  to  time  in 
the  Veda,  form  a  legitimate  subject  of  critical 
discussion. 


§  2. 


<U     \J     ^     — 


Trish^ubh  verses  the  final  pada  of  which  ends  in 
w  v^  w  -,  I  should  generally  prefer  to  treat  as  ending 
in  a  6^4gata  pada,  in  which  this  ending  is  more 
legitimate.     Thus  I  should  propose  to  scan  : 

i.  122,  II.  prasastaye  mahin^  rathavate. 
iii.  20,  5.  vasun  rudran  adityan  iha  huve. 


\^     ^^    —         I         \^  \^     \^       .— 


V.  2,  I.  pura/^  pasyanti  nihitam  (tam)  aratau. 


\^      .. 


vi.  13,  5.  vayo  vrikay4raye  f/asuraye. 


§    I .     w    —    v^    —  . 

I  should  propose  the  same  medela  for  some  final 
padas  of  Trish^ubhs  apparently  ending  in  ^  -  ^  - . 
We  might  indeed,  as  has  been  suggested,  treat 
these   verses   as   single    instances   of   that    peculiar 


CXXXviii  PREFACE. 

metre  whicli  we  saw  carried  out  in  the  whole  of 
hymn  x.  77,  but  at  the  end  of  a  verse  the  admis- 
sion of  an  occasional  G^agata  pada  is  more  in  accord- 
ance with  the  habit  of  the  Vedic  poets.  Thus  I 
should  scan  : 


v^         _  w       _ 


V.  ^^,  4.  vrisha  samatsu  dasasya  n^ma  ^it*, 
V.  41,  5^.  ray  a  eshe  Vase  dadhita  dhlli. 

After  what  I  have  said  before  on  the  real  cha- 
racter of  the  teaching  of  the  Pratis^khya,  I  need 
not  show  again  that  the  fact  of  Uva^a's  counting 
ta  of  dadhita  as  the  tenth  syllable  is  of  no  import- 
ance in  determining  the  real  nature  of  these  hymns, 
though  it  is  of  importance,  as  Professor  Kuhn  re- 
marks (Beitrage,  vol.  iii.  p.  451),  in  showing  that 
Uva^a  considered  himself  at  perfect  liberty  in 
counting  or  not  counting,  for  his  own  purposes, 
the  elided  syllable  of  avase. 

vii.  4,  6.  mapsava/i  pari  shadama  maduvaA. 

§  6.    KJ    —   —   — , 

Final  padas  of  Trish^ubhs  ending  in  w are 

very  scarce.     In  vi.  i,  4, 

bhadrayam  te  ra?zayanta  samdrish^au, 

it  would  be  very  easy  to  read  bhadrayam  te  sam- 

W  ^f  

d?nsh^au  ra^iayanta;  and  in  x.  74,  o,, 


*  Professor   Kuhn    hus    finally   adopted    the    same    scanning, 
l>eitrage,  vol.  iv.  p.  184. 


PREFACE.  CXXXIX 

dyaur  na  v^rebhiy^  krinavanta  svaiA, 
we  may  either  recognize  a  G^^gata  p^da,  or  read 

dyaur  na  v^rebhiA  kri^iavanta  svai/z., 
which  would  agree  with  the  metre  of  hymn  x.  77. 

§  7- ^  -• 

Padas  endinof  in v^  -  do  not  occur  as  final  in 

any  Traish^ubha  hymn,  but  as  many  (ragata  padas 
occur  in  the  body  of  Traish^ubha  hymns,  we  have 
to  scan  them  as  dodecasyllabic  : 

i.  6^,  4^.  tva?7i  ha  tyad  indra  kodili  sakh^. 

W  —  W—  WW-.  —  W —  w  

iv.  26,  6^.  paravata/i  sakuno  mandram  madam. 

The  adjective  p^vaka  which  frequently  occurs  at 
the  end  of  final  and  internal  padas  of  Trish^ubh 
hymns  has  always  to  be  scanned  p^vaka.  Cf.  iv. 
51,  2;  vi.  5,  2;  10,  4;  51,  3;  vii.3,1:  9;  9,1^  5^,12; 
X.  46,  7^. 

I  must  reserve  what  I  have  to  say  about  other 
metres  of  the  Veda  for  another  opportunity,  but 
I  cannot  leave  this  subject  without  referring  once 
more  to  a  metrical  licence  which  has  been  strongly 
advocated  by  Professor  Kuhn  and  others,  and  by 
the  admission  of  which  there  is  no  doubt  that 
many  difficulties  might  be  removed,  I  mean  the 
occasional  omission  of  a  final  m  and  s,  and  the 
subsequent  contraction  of  the  final  and  initial 
vowels.  The  arguments  that  have  been  brought 
forward  in  support  of  this  are  very  powerful. 
There  is  the  general  argument  that  final  s  and  m 


Cxl  PREFACE. 

are  liable  to  be  dropt  in  other  Aryan  languages, 
and  particularly  for  metrical  purposes.  There  is 
the  stronger  argument  that  in  some  cases  final  s 
and  m  in  Sanskrit  may  or  may  not  be  omitted, 
even  apart  from  any  metrical  stress.  In  Sanskrit 
we  find  that  the  demonstrative  pronoun  sas  appears 
most  frequently  as  sa  (sa  dadati),  and  if  followed 
by  liquid  vowels,  it  may  coalesce  with  them  even 
in  later  Sanskrit.  Thus  we  see  saisha  for  sa  esha, 
sendra^  for  sa  indTsJi  sanctioned  for  metrical  pur- 
poses even  by  Pamni,  vi.  i,  134.  We  might  refer 
also  to  feminines  which  have  s  in  the  nominative 
singular  after  bases  in  u,  but  drop  it  after  bases 
in  i.  We  find  in  the  Sanhita  text,  v.  7,  8,  svddhitiva, 
instead  of  svddhitiA-iva  in  the  Pada  text,  sanctioned 
by  the  Pratisakliya  259  ;  likewise  ix.  61,  10,  Sanhita, 
bhtimy  a  dade,  instead  of  Pada,  bhumiA  a  dade.  But 
before  we  draw  any  general  conclusions  from  such 
instances,  we  should  consider  whether  they  do  not 
admit  of  a  grammatical  instead  of  a  metrical  ex- 
planation. The  nominative  singular  of  the  demon- 
strative pronoun  was  sa  before  it  was  sas ;  by  the 
side  of  bhtjfmi/^  we  have  a  secondary  form  bhtimi ; 
and  we  may  conclude  from  svadhiti-van,  i.  88,  2, 
that  the  Vedic  poets  knew  of  a  form  svd,dhiti, 
by  the  side  of  svddhitiA. 

As  to  the  suppression  of  final  m,  however,  we 
see  it  admitted  by  the  best  authorities,  or  we  see 
at  least  alternate  forms  with  or  without  m,  in 
tiibhya,    which    occurs    frequently    instead    of    tu- 


PREFACE.  Cxli 

bhyam*,  and  twice,  at  least,  without  apparently 
any  metrical  reason  f.  We  find  asmaka  instead  of 
asmakam  (i.  173,  10),  yushmaka  instead  of  yushma- 
kam  (vii.  59,  9-10),  yd^adliva  instead  of  ya^adhvam 
(viii.  2,  37)  sanctioned  both  by  the  Sanhita  and  Pada 
texts  if. 

If  then  we  have  such  precedents,  it  may  well 
be  asked  why  we  should  hesitate  to  adopt  the 
same  expedient,  the  omission  of  final  m  and  s, 
whenever  the  Vedic  metres  seem  to  require  it. 
Professor  Bollensen  s  remark,  that  Vedic  verses  can- 
not be  treated  to  all  the  licences  of  Latin  scanning^, 
is  hardly  a  sufficient  answer ;  and  he  himself,  though 
under  a  slightly  different  form,  w^ould  admit  as 
much,  if  not  more,  than  has  been  admitted  on 
this  point  by  Professors  Kuhn  and  Poth.  On  d 
priori  grounds  I  should  by  no  means  feel  opposed 
to  the  admission  of  a  possible  elision  of  final  s  or 
m,  or  even  n ;  and  my  only  doubt  is  whether  it  is 
really  necessary  for  the  proper  scanning  of  Vedic 
metres.  My  own  opinion  has  always  been,  that 
if  we  admit  on  a  larger  scale  what  in  single 
words  can  hardly  be  doubted  by  anybody,  viz.  the 
pronunciation,    of    two    syllables    as    one,   we    need 

*  i.  54,  9j  135,  2  j  iii.  42,  8;  V.  II,  5;  vii.  22,  7;  viii.  51,  9; 
76,  8;  82,  5;  ix.  62,  27;  86,  30;  x.  167,  i. 

t  ii.  II,  3;  V.  30,  6. 

J  See  Bollensen,  Orient  unci  Occident,  vol.  iii.  p.  459;  Kulin, 
Beitrage,  vol.  iv.  p.  199. 

§  Orient  und  Occident,  vol.  iv.  p.  449. 


ex 


lii  PREFACE. 


not  fall  back  on  the  elision  of  final  consonants  in 
order  to  arrive  at  a  proper  scanning  of  Yedic 
metres.  On  this  point  I  shall  have  to  say  a  few 
words  in  conclusion,  because  I  shall  frequently  avail 
myself  of  this  licence,  for  the  purpose  of  righting 
apparently  corrupt  verses  in  the  hymns  of  the 
Kig-veda ;  and  I  feel  bound  to  explain,  once  for 
all,  why  I  avail  myself  of  it  in  preference  to  other 
emendations  which  have  been  proposed  by  scholars 
such  as  Professors  Benfey,  Kuhn,  Eoth,  Bollensen, 
and  others. 

The  merit  of  having  first  pointed  out  some  cases 
where  two  syllables  must  be  treated  as  one,  be- 
longs, I  beheve,  to  Professor  Bollensen  in  his  article, 
'Zur  Herstellung  des  Veda,'  published  in  Benfey 's 
Orient  und  Occident,  vol.  ii.  p.  461.  He  proposed, 
for  instance,  to  write  hyana  instead  of  hiyana, 
ix.  13,  6 ;  dliyan6  instead  of  dhiyano,  viii.  49,  5  ; 
sdhyase  instead  of  sahiyase,  i.  71,  4;  yano  instead  of 
iyano,  viii.  50,  5,  &c.  The  actual  alteration  of  these 
words  seems  to  me  unnecessary;  nor  should  we 
think  of  resorting  to  such  violent  measures  in  Greek 
where,  as  far  as  metrical  purposes  are  concerned, 
two  vowels  have  not  unfrequently  to  be  treated 
as  one. 

That  iva  counts  in  many  passages  as  one  syllable 
is  admitted  by  everybody.  The  only  point  on  which 
I  difier  is  that  I  do  not  see  why  iva,  when  mono- 
syllabic, should  be  changed  to  va,  instead  of  being 
pronounced  quickly,   or,  to  adopt   the    terminology 


PREFACE.  Cxliii 

of  Greek  grammarians,  by  synizesis''^  Synizesis  is 
well  explained  by  Greek  scholars  as  a  quick  pro- 
nunciation of  two  vowels  so  that  neither  should  be 
lost,  and  as  different  thereby  from  synaloephe,  which 
means  the  contraction  of  two  vowels  into  onef. 
This  synizesis  is  by  no  means  restricted  to  iva 
and  a  few  other  words,  but  seems  to  me  a  very 
frequent  expedient  resorted  to  by  the  ancient 
i^ishis. 

Originally  it  may  have  arisen  from  the  fact  that 
language  allows  in  many  cases  alternate  forms  of 
one  or  two  svllables.     As  in  Greek  we  have  double 

forms  like  aXeyeiPo^  and  aXyeivog,  ya\aKTo(j)dyo^  and 
y\aKTO(payo99  Trerfjvo^  and  irTrivo^,  TrvKiv6<i  and  ttvkpu^  J, 
and  as  in  Latin  we  have  the  shortening  or  sup- 
pression of  vowels  carried  out  on  the  largest  scale  §, 


*  Synizesis  in  Greek  applies  only  to  the  quick  pronunciation 
of  two  vowels,  if  in  immediate  contact ;  and  not,  if  separated  by 
consonants.  Samprasara/^a  might  seem  a  more  appropriate  term, 
but  though  the  grammatical  process  designated  in  Sanskrit  by 
Samprasarana  offers  some  analogies,  it  could  only  by  a  new  defi- 
nition be  applied  to  the  metrical  process  here  intended. 

f  A.  B.  p.  835,  30.  eoTt  Se  €V  To7s  kolvo7s  fxerpois  kol  rj  KaXovfievrj 
(rvveK(pd}VT](n9  ^  koi  avvi^rjcns  Xeyerai.  "Orav  yap  (pcoirqevrcop  eTToXKrjXos 
yiirqrai  rj  7rpo(f)opa.,  Tore  yiverai  tj  avvL^rjcris  els  fxiav  crvWa^rjv.  Aiacfiepei 
de  crvvakoK^rjs'  17  /xeV  yap  ypap-p-droiv  cVri  kXottt/,  f)  8e  ;j(pdj/coj/*  Kal  rj  pej/ 
avvaXoKpr],    cos    Xeyerai,    (jiaiverai,    r]    8e     ov.        Melllhom,    Gricchisclie 

wl-         w     v.'     _ 

Grammatik,  §  loi.     Thus  in   NeoirroXepos   we   have   synizesis,    in 
'NovTjToXepos  synseresis. 

:}:  Cf.  Mehlhorn,  Griechische  Grammatik,  §  57. 

§  See  the  important   chapters   on  '  Kiirzung  der  Vokale '  and 


Cxliv  PBEFACE. 

we  find  in  Sanskrit,  too,  such  double  forms  as 
prithvi  or  p?4thivi,  adlii  and  dhi,  api  and  pi,  ava 
and  va.  The  occurrence  of  such  forms  which  have 
nothino'  to  do  with  metrical  considerations,  but 
are  perfectly  legitimate  from  a  grammatical  point 
of  view,  would  encourage  a  tendency  to  treat  two 
syllables — and  particularly  two  short  syllables — as 
one,  whenever  an  occasion  arose.  There  are,  besides, 
in  the  Vedic  Sanskrit  a  number  of  forms  where,  as 
we  saw,  long  syllables  have  to  be  pronounced  as 
two.  In  some  of  these  cases  this  pronunciation  is 
legitimate,  i.  e.  it  preserves  an  original  dissyllabic 
form  which  in  course  of  time  had  become  mono- 
syllabic. In  other  cases  the  same  process  takes 
place  through  a  mistaken  sense  of  analogy,  where 
we  cannot  prove  that  an  original  dissyllabic  form 
had  any  existence  even  in  a  prehistoric  state  of 
language.  The  occurrence  of  a  number  of  such 
alternate  forms  would  naturally  leave  a  general 
impression  in  the  mind  of  poets  that  two  short 
syllables  and  one  long  syllable  were  under  cer- 
tain circumstances  interchangeable.  So  consider- 
able a  number  of  words  in  which  a  long  syllable 
has  to  be  pronoimced  as  two  syllables  has  been 
collected     by     Professors     Kuhn,     BoUensen,     and 


'Tilgiing  (Icr  Vokale'  in  Corssen's  'Aussprache  des  Lateinischen ; '* 
and  more  esi)ecially  his  remarks  on  the  so-called  irrational  vowels 
in  riiiiitus,  ibid.  vol.  ii.  p.  70. 


PREFACE.  cxl 


V 


others,  that  no  doubt  can  remain  on  this  subject. 
Vedic  poets,  being  allowed  to  change  a  semivowel 
into  a  vowel,  were  free  to  say  nasaty^  and  n^saty^,, 
viii.  S>  3^  I  p^'ithivyas  and  prithivya/?. ;  pitroA  and 
pitro/^,  i.  31,  4.  They  could  separate  compound 
words,  and  pronounce  giwitkimah  or  ghtita-anna^, 
yii.  3,  I.  They  could  insert  a  kind  of  shewa  or 
svarabhakti  in  words  like  samne  or  samne,  viii.  6,  47; 
dliamne  or  dhamne,  viii.  92,  25;  aravnaA  and  arav^^aA, 
ix.  6^,  5.       They   might   vary   between    panti   and 

*-*—  V,  —  ^W  W—  WW  y^ 

panti,  1.  41,  2  ;  y^thana  and  y4thana,  i.  39,  3  ;  ni- 
dh^to^  and  nidh^toA,  i.  41,  9 ;  tredha  and  tredha, 
i.  34,  8 ;  deva/^  and  deva^  (besides  devasa/?.),  i.  23,  24 ; 

—     _  *-*       —  ^^ —        w      _  _w       _  — 

rodasi  and  rodasi,  i.  ^^,  9;  59,  4;  64,  9;  and  rodasyo/i, 
i-  33>  5  ;  59.  2  ;  117,  10  ;  vi.  24,  3  ;  vii.  6,  2  ;  x.  74,  i^\ 
Need  we  wonder  then  if  we  find  that,  on  the  other 
hand,  they  allowed  themselves  to  pronounce  prithivi 
as  p?'ithivi,  i.  191,  6  ;  vii.  34,  7  ;  99,  3  ;  dhrishnava 
as  dhrish?2ava,  v.  52,  14;  suv^na  as  suvana'?  There 
is  no  reason  why  we  should  change  the  spelling  of 
suvana  into  svana.  The  metre  itself  tells  us  at 
once  where  suvana  is  to  be  pronounced  as  two  or 
as  three  sylb.bles.  Nor  is  it  possible  to  believe 
that  those  who  first  handed  down  and  afterwards 
wrote  down  the  text  of  the  Vedic  hymns,   should 


*  Professor  Bollensen  in  some  of  these  passages  proposes  to  read 
rodasios.     In  i.  96,  4,  no   change  is  necessary  if  we  read  visam. 
Zeitschrift  der  D.  M.  G,,  vol.  xxii.  p.  587. 
VOL.  I.  k 


Cxlvi  PREFACE. 

have  been  ignorant  of  that  freedom  of  pronuncia- 
tion. Why,  there  is  not  one  single  passage  in  the 
Avhole  of  the  ninth  Ma7?cZala,  where,  as  far  as  I  know, 
suvana  should  not  be  pronounced  as  diss}41abic, 
i.  e.  as  suvana ;  and  to  suppose  that  the  scholais 
of  India  did  not  know  how  that  superfluous  syllable 
should  be  removed,  is  really  taking  too  low  an 
estimate  of  men  like  Vya^i  or  >Saunaka. 

But  if  we  once  admit  that  in  these  cases  two 
syllables  separated  by  a  single  consonant  were  pro- 
nounced as  one  and  were  metricallv  coiuited  as 
one,  we  can  hardly  resist  the  evidence  in  favour 
of  a  similar  pronunciation  in  a  large  number  of 
other  words,  and  we  shall  find  that  by  the  ad- 
mission of  this  rapid  pronunciation,  or  of  what  in 
Plautus  we  should  call  irrational  vowels,  many 
verses  assume  at  once  their  regular  form  without 
the  necessity  of  admitting  the  suppression  of  final 
s,  m,  n,  or  the  introduction  of  other  prosodial 
licences.  To  my  mind  the  most  convincing  pas- 
sages are  those  where,  as  in  the  Atyashd  and 
similar  hymns,  a  poet  repeats  the  same  phrase 
twice,  altering  only  one  or  two  words,  but  without 
endeavouring  to  avoid  an  excess  of  syllables  which, 
to  our  mind,  unless  we  resort  to  synizesis,  would 
completely  destroy  the  uniformity  of  the  metre. 
Thus  we  read  : 

i.  133,  6.  apurushaghno  pratita  sfira  satvabhiA, 

trisaptaiA  sura  satvabhi/i. 
Here  no  'pra   must  be  pronounced  with  one  ictus 


PREFACE.  Cxlvii 

onh^,  in  order  to  get  a  complete  agreement  between 
the  two  iambic  diameters. 


*-        v> 


i.  134,  5.  ugr4  isha?2anta  bhurvam, 

apam  ishanta  bhurvam. 

As  ishanta  never  occurs  again,  I  suspect  that  the 
original  reading  was  ishaiianta  in  both  lines,  and 
that  in  the  second  line  ishananta,  pronounced  rapidly, 
was  mistaken  for  ishanta.  Is  not  bhurvd^ii  a  locative, 
corresponding  to  the  datives  in  vane  which  are  so 
frequently  used  in  the  sense  of  infinitives  '?  See  note 
to  i.  6,  8,  page  34.     In  i.  138,  3,  we  must  read  : 

ahe^amana  urusamsa  sari  bhava, 
Ykge-Y^ge  sari  bhava. 
In  i.  139,  II, 

adh^  hi  tva  ^anit^  ^i^anad  vaso, 

rakshoha?iam  tva  ^i^anad  vaso, 

we  might  try  to  remove  the  difficulty  by  omitting 

vaso    at   the   end    of   the    refrain,   but   this   would 

be  against  the   general  character  of  these   hymns. 

We  want  the   last  word  vaso,  if  possible,    at   the 

end  of  both  lines.     But,  if  so,  we  must  admit  two 

cases  of  synizesis,  or,  if  this  seems  too  clumsy,  we 

must  omit  tva. 

I   shall  now  proceed   to  give  a  number  of  other 

examples  in  which  the   same  consonantal  synizesis 

seems   necessary  in    order  to  make  the  rhythm  of 

the  verses  perceptible  to  our  ears  as  it  was  to  the 

ears  of  the  ancient  jKishis. 

k  2 


Cxlviii  PREFACE. 

The  preposition  ami  takes  synizesis  in 

w_  w  —  —  V  WW  —  w  _y_. 

i.  127,  I.  ghntasya  vibhrashdm  anu  vasmi  5oA;isna. 
Cf.  X.  14,  I. 

The  j^r^position  abhi  : 

i.  91,  23.  rayo  bhaga^}^  sahasavami  abhi  yudhya. 
Here  Professor  Kuhn  changes  sahasavan  into  saha- 
svaJi,  which,  no  doubt,  is  a  very  simple  and  very 
plausible  emendation.  But  in  altering  the  text  of 
the  Veda  many  things  have  to  be  considered,  and 
in  our  case  it  might  be  objected  that  sahasvaA 
never  occurs  again  as  an  epithet  of  Soma.  As  an 
invocation  sahasva/i  refers  to  no  deity  but  Agni, 
and  even  in  its  other  cases  it  is  appHed  to  Agni 
and  Indra  only.  However,  I  do  not  by  any  means 
maintain  that  sahasvaA  could  not  be  applied  to 
Soma,  for  nearly  the  same  arguments  could  be 
used  against  sahasavan,  if  conjecturally  put  in  the 
place  of  sahasvaA;  I  only  wish  to  point  out  how 
everything  ought  to  be  tried  first,  before  we  resort 
in  the  Veda  to  conjectural  emendations.  Therefore, 
if  in  our  passage  there  should  be  any  objection 
to  admitting  the  synizesis  in  abhi,  I  should  much 
rather  propose  synizesis  of  sahasavan,  than  change 
it  into  sahasva/^.  There  is  synizesis  in  maha,  e.  g. 
1.  133,  6.  avar  maha  indra  dad7"ihi  srudhi  n^h. 
Although  this  verse  is  quoted  by  the  Pr^tisakhya, 
Sutra  522,  as  one  in  which  the  lengthened  syllable 
dhi  of  6Tudhi  does  not  occupy  the  tenth  place,  and 
which  therefore  required  special  mention,  the  original 
poet  evidently   thought   otherwise,   and  lengthened 


PREFACE.  Cxlix 

the  syllable,  being  a  syllable  liable  to  be  lengthened, 
because  it  occupied  the  tenth  place,  and  therefore 
received  a  peculiar  stress. 

The  preposition  pari : 

VI.  52,  14.  ma  vo  vaMmsi  pariZ:akshyam  vo^^am, 
sumneshv  id  vo  antamS,  madema. 
Here  Professor  Kuhn  (Beitrage,  vol.  iv.  p.  197)  begins 
the  last  p4da  with  voZ:am,  but  this  is  impossible 
unless  we  change  the  accent  of  vo^am,  though  even 
then  the  separation  of  the  verb  from  m^  and  the 
accumulation  of  two  verbs  in  the  last  line  would 
be  objectionable. 

Hari  is  pronounced  as  hari : 

vn.  32, 12.  ya  mdro  harivan  na  dabhanti  tarn  ripaA. 
ii.  18,  5.  ^  ^atv^rim^ata  haribhir  yu^/ana/i. 
Hence  I  propose  to  scan  the  difficult  verse  i.  167,  j, 
as  follows : 

sahasram  ta  indra-utayo  na^, 

sahasram  isho  harivo  gurtatamaA  ^'% 

sahasram  rayo  madayadhyai, 

sahasri^ia  upa  no  yantu  Y^gkh. 

That  the  final  0  instead  of  as  is  treated  as  a 
short  syllable  we  saw  before,  and  in  i.  133,  6,  we 
observed  that  it  was  liable  to  synizesis.  We  see 
the  same  in  ' 

i.  175,  6.  maya  iv^po  na  trishyate  babhutha. 

—  —  '<j     —     \j  \j  \,/_ 

V.  61,  16.  a  ya^niyaso  vavrittana. 

*  Ab  to  the  scanning  of  the  second  line  see  page  cxxxv. 


cl  Pli*EFACE. 

The  prag?4hya  i  of  the  dual  is  known  in  the 
Veda  to  be  liable  in  certain  cases  to  Sandhi.  If 
we  extend  this  licence  beyond  the  limits  recognized 
by  the  Pratisakhya,  we  might  scan 

vi.  52,  14.  ubhe  rodasy  apam  napa^  X'a  manma,  or 
we  might  shorten  the  i  before  the  a,*  and  admitting 
s}Tiiizesis,  scan: 

W  —  —  www—  ^  ~K     -t  t   ^  ""  "" 

ubhe  rodasi  apai^i  napaA;  A:a  manma. 

In  iii.  6,  10,  we  must  either  admit  Sandhi  between 
praM  and  adhvareva,  or  contract  the  first  two  syl- 
lables of  adhvareva. 

The  o  and  e  of  vocatives  before  vowels,  when 
changed  into  av  or  a(y),  are  liable  to  synizesis: 

iv.  48, 1,  vayav  a  ^andre/za  rathena  (Anush^ubh,  c.) 
iv.  I,  2.  sa  bln-atara^rti  varunam  agna  a  vavritsva. 

The  termination  ava/^.  also,  before  vowels,  seems 
to  count  as  one  syllable  in  v.  52,  14,  divo  va 
dhrishiiava  o^asa,  which  would  render  Professor 
Bollensen's  correction  (Orient  und  Occident,  vol.  ii. 
p.  480),  dhrishnuo^asa,  unnecessary. 

Like  ava  and  iva,  we  find  aya  and  iya,  too,  in 
several  words  liable  to  be  contracted  in  pronuncia- 
tion;  e.  g.  vayam,  vi.  23,  5;  ayam,  i.  177,  4;  iyam, 
vii.  66,  8^;  i.  186,  11  (unless  we  read  vo  'sme); 
X.  129,  6.  Professor  Bollensens  proposal  to  change 
iyam  to  im,  and  ayam  to  4m  (Orient  und  Occident, 
vol.  ii.  p.  461),  would  only  cause  obscurity,  without  any 
adequate  gain,  while  other  words  would  by  a  similar 
suppression  of  vov/els  or  consonants  become  simply 


PREFACE.  cli 

irrecognizable.  In  i.  169,  6,  for  instance,  ddha  has 
to   be    pronounceM   with    one    ictus ;    in   vi.    26,    7, 

\J  ^        _      w 

sadhavira  is  trisyllabic.  In  vi.  10,  i,  we  must 
admit  synizesis  in  adhvare  ;  in  i.  161,  8,  either  in 
udakd-m  or  in  abravitana ;  i.  no,  9,  in  ribhuman ; 
viii.  79,  4,  in  divd,/^ ;  v.  4,  6,  in  nritama  (unless  we 
read  so  gne);  i.  164,  17,  in  paraA;  vi.  15,  14,  in 
pavaka ;  i.  191,  6;  vii.  34,  7;  99,  3,  in  prithivi; 
ii.  20,  8,  in  piira/^;  vi.  10,  i,  in  prayati ;  vi.  17,  7,  in 
brihdt ;  ix.  19,  6,  in  bhiy^sam ;  i.  133,  6,  in  malia/?.  ; 
ii.  28,  6 ;  iv.  I,  2 ;  vi.  75,  18,  in  varuTia ;  iii.  30,  21, 
in  vrishabha ;  vii.  41,  6,  in  v%ina/i ;  ii.  43,  2,  in 
sisMTd^itih ;  vi.  51,  2,  in  sanutd,r ;  vi.  18,  12,  in  sthd,- 
virasya,  &c. 

These  remarks  will,  I  hope,  suffice  in  order  to 
justify  the  principles  by  which  I  have  been  guided 
in  my  treatment  of  the  text  and  in  my  translation 
of  the  Rig-veda.  I  know  I  shall  seem  to  some  to 
have  been  too  timid  in  retaining  whatever  can  pos- 
sibly be  retained  in  the  traditional  text  of  these 
ancient  hymns,  while  others  will  look  upon  the 
emendations  which  I  have  suggested  as  unpardon- 
able temerity.  Let  everything  be  weighed  in  the 
just  scales  of  argument.  Those  who  argue  for 
victory,  and  not  for  truth,  can  have  no  hearing 
in  our  court.  There  is  too  much  serious  work  to 
be  done  to  allow  time  for  wrangling  or  abuse. 
Any  dictionary  w^iU  supply  strong  words  to  those 
who  condescend  to  such  warfare,  but  strong  argu- 


clii  PREFACE. 

ments  require  honest  labour,  sound  judgment,  and, 
above  all,  a  genuine  love  of  truth. 

The  second  volume,  which  I  am  now  preparing  for 
Press,  will  contain  the  remaining  hymns  addressed 
to  the  Maruts.  The  notes  will  necessarily  have  to 
be  reduced  to  smaller  dimensions,  but  they  must 
always  constitute  the  more  important  part  in  a 
translation  or,  more  truly,  in  a  decipheiing  of 
Vedic  hymns. 


F.  MAX   MULLER. 


Parks  End,  Oxford  : 
March,  1869. 


y* 


FIEST  BOOK. 


HYMNS  TO  THE  MARUTS. 


YOL.  I. 


2  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

MAiVZ)ALA  I,  SUKTA  6. 

AsHTAKA  I,  AdhyIya  1,  Varga  11-12. 

1.  Yun(/anti    bradlmam    arusliam    /j^rantam    pari 
tastliusha^,  rd^ante  roZ:ana  clivi. 

2.  Yun(/aiiti  asja  kamya  liari  (iti)  vi-pakshasa  rathe, 
s6n^  dhrishiiu  (Iti)  n?i-v^hasa. 

3.  Ketum  kri?ivan  aketave  pesa/z.  maryaA  apesase, 
sam  ushat-bhi/^.  a^ayathaA. 

4.  At  aha  svadham  ami  piina/i  garbha-tvam  a-irire, 
dadhanaA  nama  ya^niyam. 


1 .  Wilson  :  The  circumstationed  (inliabitants  of  the  three 
woi'lds)  associate  with  (Indra)^  the  mighty  (Sun)^  the  iiide- 
structive  (fire)j  the  moving  (wind)^  and  the  lights  that  shine 
in  the  sky. 

Benfey  :  Die  rothe  Sonne  sehirr'n  sie  an^  die  wandelt  um 
die  stehenden^  Strahlen  strahlen  am  Himmel  auf. 

Langlois  :  Places  autour  du  (foyer_,  les  hommes)  preparent 
le  char  (du  dieu)  brillant,  pur  et  rapide ;  (cependant)  brillent 
dans  le  ciel  les  feux  (du  matin) . 

2.  Wilson  :  They  (the  charioteers)  harness  to  his  car  his 
two  desirable  coursers^  placed  on  either  hand^  bay-coloured^ 
high-spirited^  chief-bearing. 

Benfey  :  Die  lieben  Falben  schirren  sie  zu  beiden  Seiten 
des  Wagcns  an^  braune^  kiihne^  held-tragende. 

Langlois  :  A  ce  char  sont  atteles  ses  deux  coursiers^  beaux^ 
brillants,  impetueux^  rougeatres^  et  dignes  de  porter  un 
heros. 

3.  Wilson  :  Mortals,  you  owe  your  (daily)  birth  (to  such 


MAiVDALA   I,  SUKTA   6.  3 

Hymn  to  Indra  and  the  Maruts  (the 

Storm-gods). 

1.  Those  who  stand  around  him  while  he  moves  on, 
harness  the  bright  red  steed  ;^  the  lights  in  heaven 
shine  forth.  ^ 

2.  They  harness  to  the  chariot  on  each  side  his 
(Indra's)^  two  favourite  bays,  the  brown,  the  bold, 
who  can  carry  the  hero. 

3.  Thou  who  createst  light  where  there  was  no 
light,  and  form,  O  men!^  where  there  was  no  form, 
hast  been  born  together  with  the  dawns.  ^ 

4.  Thereafter^  they  (the  Maruts),  according  to  their 
wont,^  assumed  again  the  form  of  new-born  babes,^ 
taking  their  sacrod  name. 


an  Iiidra),  who  with  the  rays  of  the  mornings  gives  sense  to 
the  senseless^  and  to  the  formless^  form. 

Benfey  :  Licht  machend — Manner! — das  Dunkele  mid 
kenntlich  das  Unkenntliche^  entsprangst  du  mit  dem  Mor- 
genroth. 

Langlois  :  O  mortels,  (voyez-le)  mettant  Fordre  dans  la 
confusion_,  donnant  la  forme  au  chaos.  O  Indra,  avee  les 
rayons  du  jour  tu  viens  de  naitre. 

4.  Wilson  :  Thereafter^  verily,  those  who  bear  names 
invoked  in  holy  rites,  (the  MarutsJ  having  seen  the  rain 
about  to  be  engendered,  instigated  him  to  resume  his  embryo 
condition  (in  the  clouds). 

Benfey  :  Sodann  von  freien  Stiicken  gleich  erregen  wieder 
Schwangerscliaft  die  heilgen  Namen  tragenden. 

Langlois  :  A  peine  la  formule  de  l^offrande  a-t-elle  ete 
prononcee,  que  les  (Marouts).  dont  le  nom  merite  d^etre 
invoque  dans  les  sacrifices,  viennent  exciter  (de  leur  souffle) 
le  feu  a  peine  sorti  du  sein  (de  Farani). 

B  2 


4  HYMNS   TO    THE    MARUTS. 

5.  YiZii  kit  arur/atnii-bhiA  guha  Ht  indra  vahni-bhi/i, 
avindaA  usriya/i.  anu. 

6.  Deva-yanta/i  yath^   inatlm  iWia  vidat-vasum 
siraA,  maham  anushata  srutam. 

7.  fndre?ia  sam  hi  drikshase  sam-^agm^n^/^  4bi- 
bhyusha,  mandti  (iti)  samana-var^^asa. 

8.  Anavadyal/i  abbidyu-bhi/i.  makha/z.  sd-basvat  ar- 
ksiii,  gsi7i3lh  indrasya  kamyai/^.. 

9.  A.tsih  pari-^man  a  gahi  divaA  va  ro^anat  adhi, 
sam  asmin  rin^ate  girsih. 


5.  Wilson  :  Associated  with  the  conveying  Maruts_,  the 
traversers  of  places  difficult  of  access^  thoUj  Indra^  hast  dis- 
covered the  cows  hidden  in  the  cave. 

Benfey  :  Mit  den  die  Festen  brechenden_,  den  Stiirmenden 
fandst,  Indra^  dii  die  Kiihe  in  der  Grotte  gar. 

Langlois  :  Avec  ces  (Marouts),  qui  brisent  tout  rempart  et 
supportent  (la  nue)  Indra,  tu  vas,  du  sein  de  la  caverne, 
delivrer  les  vaches  (celestes). 

6.  Wilson  :  The  reciters  of  praises  praise  the  mighty 
(troop  of  Maruts),  who  are  celebrated,  and  conscious  of  the 
power  of  bestowing  wealth  in  like  manner  as  they  (glorify) 
the  counsellor  (Indra). 

Benfey  :  Nach  ihrer  Einsicht  verherrlichend  besingen 
Sanger  den  Schatzeherrn,  den  beriihmten,  gewaltigen. 

Langlois  :  Voila  pourquoi  Thymne  qui  chante  les  dieux 
celebre  aussi  le  grand  (dieu  des  vents),  qui  assiste  (Indra)  de 
ses  conseils,  et  decouvre  les  heureux  tresors. 

7.  Wilson  :  May  you  be  seen,  Maruts,  accompanied  by  the 
undaunted  (Indra);  both  rejoicing,  and  of  equal  splendour. 


MAiVDALA   I,  S^KTA   6.  5 

5.  Thou,  0  Indra,  with  the  swift  Maruts^  who  break 
even  through  the  stronghold/  hast  found  even  in  their 
hiding-place  the  bright  cows'^  (the  days). 

6.  The  pious  singers^  (the  Maruts)  have,  after  their 
own  mind,^  shouted  towards  the  giver  of  wealth,  the 
great,  the  glorious  (Indra). 

7.  May  est  thou^  (host  of  the  Maruts)  be  verily  seen^ 
coming  together  with  Indra,  the  fearless  :  you  are 
both  happy-making,  and  of  equal  splendour. 

8 .  With  the  beloved  hosts  of  Indra,  with  the  blame- 
less, heavenward-tending  (Maruts),  the  sacrificer^  cries 
aloud. 

9.  From  yonder,  0  traveller  (Indra),  come  hither, 
or  down  from  the  light  of  heaven;^  the  singers  all 
vearn  for  it: — 


Benfey  :  So  lass  mit  Indra  denn  vereint^  dem  furchtlosen, 
erblieken  dich_,  beide  erfreu^nd  und  glanzesgleich. 

Langlois  :  Avec  Fintrepide  Indra^  (6  dieu,)  on  te  voit  ac- 
coiirir;  tous  deux  pleins  de  bonlieur^  tous  deux  egalement 
resplendissants. 

8.  Wilson  :  This  rite  is  performed  in  adoration  of  the 
powerful  Indra,  along  with  the  irreproachable,  heavenward- 
tending,  and  amiable  bands  (of  the  Maruts). 

Benfey  :  Durch  Indra^s  liebe  Schaaren,  die  untadligen, 
himmelstiirmenden,  strahlet  das  Opfer  maehtiglich. 

Langlois  :  Notre  sacrifice  confond,  dans  un  homage  aussi 
empresse,  Indra  et  la  troupe  (des  Marouts)  bienfaisante,  irre- 
prochable,  et  brillante  des  feux  (du  matin). 

9.  Wilson  :  Therefore  circumambient  (troop  of  Maruts), 
come  hither,  whether  from  the  region  of  the  sky,  or  from  the 
solar  sphere;  for,  in  this  rite,  (the  priest)  fully  recites  your 
praises. 

Benfey  :  Von  hier,  oder  vom  Himmel  komm  ob  dem 
^ther,  Umkreisender  !    zu  dir  streben  die  Lieder  all. 


HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 


10.  ItaA  va  satim  i'mahe  diva/?,  va  parthivat  adhi, 
indram  malm/?/  va  r%asa/i. 


Langlois  :  (Dieu  des  vents) _,  qui  parcours  le  monde_,  viens 
vers  nousj  ou  de  ton  sejour  habituel^  ou  de  la  demeure  celeste 
de  la  lumiere;  notre  voix  anjourd^hui  t^appelle. 

10.  Wilson:  We  invoke  Indra^ — whether  he  come  from 
this  earthly  region_,  or  from  the  heaven  above,,  or  from  the 
vast  firmament^ — that  he  may  give  (us)  wealth. 


COMMENTARY. 

This  hymn  is  ascribed  to  Ka?^va,  the  son  of  Ghora.  The 
metre  is  Gayatri  throughout. 

Verse  1,  note  ^  The  poet  begins  with  a  somewhat  abrupt 
description  of  a  sunrise.  Indra  is  taken  as  the  god  of  the 
bright  day,  whose  steed  is  the  sun,  and  whose  companions 
the  Maruts,  or  the  storm-gods.  -  Arusha,  meaning  originally 
red,  is  used  as  a  proper  name  of  the  horse  or  of  the  rising 
sun,  though  it  occurs  more  frequently  as  the  name  of  the 
red  horses  or  flames  of  Agni^  the  god  of  fire,  and  also  of 
the  morning  light.  In  our  passage,  Arusha,  a  substantive, 
meaning  the  red  of  the  morning,  has  taken  bradhna  as  an 
adjective, — bradhna  meaning,  as  far  as  can  be  made  out, 
bright  in  general,  though,  as  it  is  especially  applied  to  the 
Soma-juice,  perhaps  bright-brown  or  yellow.  Names  of 
colour  are  difficult  to  translate  from  one  languao-e  into 
another,  for  their  shades  vary,  and  withdraw  themselves 
from  sharp  definition.  We  shall  meet  with  this  difficulty 
again  and  again  in  the  Veda. 

The  following  passages  will  illustrate  the  principal  mean- 
ing of  arusha,  and  justify  the  translation  here  adopted. 

Arushd  as  an  Adjective. 
Arusha  is  used  as  an  adjective  in  the  sense  of  red  : 
vii.  97,  6.    tam    5agmasa/i    arushasa/^    a^va^    brihaspatim 
Baha-vahaA  vahanti, — nabha/^  na  rupam  arusham  vasana/^. 


MANDALA   I,    SUKTA   6.  7 

10.  Or  we  ask  Indra  for  help  from  here,  or  from 
heaven,  above  the  earth,  or  from  the  great  sky. 

Benfey  :  Von  hier^  oder  vom  Himmel  ob  der  Erde  begehren 
Spende  wh'_,  oder,  Indra !  aus  weiter  Luft. 

Langlois  :  Nous  invoquons  aussi  la  liberaUte  d^Indra ; 
(qu^il  nous  entende),  soit  d^ici-bas,  soit  de  Tair  qui  enveloppe 
la  terre^  soit  du  vaste  sejour  de  la  lumiere. 


Powerful  red  horses,  drawing  together  draw  him,  Brihas- 
pati :  horses  clothed  in  red  colour  like  the  sky. 

iii.  I,  4.   5vetam  ^a^nanam  arusham  mahi-tva. 

Agni,  the  white,  when  bornj  the  red,  by  growth. 

iii.  15,  3.  k?4sh?2asu  agne  arusha^  vi  bhahi. 

Shine,  O  Agni,  red  among  the  dark  ones. 

iii.  31,  21.   antar  (iti)  krish7^an  arushai/«  dhama-bhiA  gat. 

He  (Indra)  went  among  the  dark  ones  with  his  red  com- 
panions. 

vi.  37,  7.  yasya  gavau  arusha. 

He  (Indra)  whose  two  cows  are  red. 

vii.  75,  6.  prati  dyutanam  arushasa^  asva/i  ^itra^  adri^ran 
ushasam  vahanta/i. 

The  red  horses,  the  beautiful,  were  seen  bringing  to  us 
the  bright  dawn. 

V.  43,  12.   hira?2ya-var?2am  arusham  sapema. 

Let  us  worship  the  gold-coloured,  the  red,  i.  e.  Brihaspati 
(the  fire). 

i.  118,  5.  pari  vam  a^va/i  vapusha/i  patanga'A  vaya^  va- 
hantu  arusha^  abhike. 

May  the  winged  beautiful  horses,  may  the  red  birds 
bring  you  (the  A^vins)  back  near  to  us. 

iv.  43,  6.   gh/'iTza  vayaA  arushasaA  pari  gtnan. 

The  red  birds  (of  the  A^vins)  came  back  by  day. 

V.  73,  5.  pari  vam  arushaV*  vaya/i  ghriwa  varante  a-tapa/«. 

The  red  birds  shield  you  (the  Asvins)  around  by  day 
from  the  heat. 


8  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

i.  ^6,  9.   vi  dhumam  agne  arusham  miyedhya  sri^a. 

Send  off,  O  Agni,  the  red  smoke,  thou  who  art  worthy  of 
sacrificial  food. 

vii.  3,  3.   akkha  dyam  arusha/*  dhuma^  eti. 

The  red  smoke  goes  up  to  the  sky. 

vii.  16,  3.   ut  dhumasaA  arushasa/*  divi-sp^nsa^. 

The  clouds  of  red  smoke  went  up  touching  the  sky. 

X.  45,  7.  lyarti  dhumam  arusham. 

He  (xigni)  rouses  the  red  smoke. 

i.  141,  8.   dyam  angebhi^  arushebhi^  iyate. 

He  (Agni)  goes  to  the  sky  with  his  red  limbs. 

ii.  2,  8.  sa^  idhana^  ushasa^  ramya^  anu  svaA  na  didet 
arushe?2a  bhanuna. 

He  (Agni),  lit  after  the  lovely  dawns,  shone  like  the  sky 
with  his  red  splendour. 

iii.  29,  6.  asvah  na  va^i  arushaA  vaneshu  a. 

Like  a  stallion,  the  red.  one  (Agni)  appears  in  the 
wood. 

iv.  58,  7.   arusha^  na  va^i  hashthah  bhindan. 

Like  a  red  stallion,  breaking  the  bounds. 

i.  114,  5.   divaj^  varaham  arusham. 

Him  (Rudra),  the  boar  of  the  sky,  the  red. 

v*  59 J  5*   asva^-iva  it  arushasa^. 

Like  red  horses,  (O  Maruts.) 

v.  12,  2.  ritam  sapami  arushasya  vrishwa^. 

I  follow  the  rite  of  the  red  hero  (Agni).  The  meaning 
here  assigned  to  vrishan  will  be  explained  hereafter,  see 
note  to  i.  85,  12. 

v.  12,  6.  ntam  sah  pati  arushasya  vrhhnah. 

He  observes  the  rite  of  the  red  hero  (Agni). 

vi.  8,  I.  prikshasya  vrishwa^  arushasya  mi  saha^  pra  nu 
vo^am. 

I  celebrate  the  power  of  the  quick  red  hero  (Agni  Vai^va- 
nara) . 

vi.  48,  6.   5yavasu  arusha/i  vnsha. 
In  the  dark  (nights)  the  red  hero  (Agni). 
^"-  7}  5'  .J/ananti  mshnah  arushasya  ^evarn. 
They  know  the  treasure  of  the  red  hero  (of  Agni). 
In  one  passage  vrishan  arusha  is  intended  for  fire  in  the 
shape  of  lightning. 


M.ANDALA   I,    SUKTA    6.  9 

X.  89,  9.    ni    amitreshu    vadham    indra    tumram    vrishan 
v7'ishansLm  arusham  ^i^ihi. 

Whet,  O  strong  Indra,  the  heavy  strong  red  weapon, 
against  the  enemies. 

X.  43,  9.  lit  ^ayatam  para^u^  ^yotisha  saha — vi  roA:atam 
arushaA  bhanuna  suk'ih. 

May  the  axe  (the  thunderbolt)  appear  with  the  h'ght — 
may  the  red  one  blaze  forth,  bright  with  splendour. 

X.  I,  6.   arusha/i  ^ataA  pade  i/aya^. 

Agni,  born  red  in  the  place  of  the  altar. 

vi.  3,  6.   naktam  ya^  im  arusha^  ya^  diva. 
0  He  (Agni)  being  red  by  night  and  by  day. 

X.  20,  9.  krishnRh  svetah  arusha^  yamaA  asya  bradhna^ 
r'lgmh  uta  sonah. 

His  (Agni^s)  path  is  black,  white,  red,  bright,  reddish, 
and  yellow. 

Here  it  is  extremely  difficult  to  keep  all  the  colours 
distinct.  *^ 

Arusha  is  frequently  apphed  to  Soma,  particularly  in  the 
9th  Mandala..     There  we  read  : 

ix.  8,  6.   arusha/i  hari^. 

ix.  71,  7.   arusha/i  diva^  kavih  vrisha. 

ix.  74,  I.   va^i  arusha^. 

ix.  82,  I.   arusha/i  vrisha  hariA. 

ix.  89,  3.   harim  arusham. 

ix.  Ill,  I.  arushaA  hari^.  See  also  ix.  25,  5;  61,  21. 
In  ix.  72,  I,  arusha  seems  used  as  a  substantive  in  the  sense 
of  red-horse. 

Arusha  as  an  Appellative. 

Arusha  is  used  as  an  appellative,  and  in  the  following 
senses : 

1.  The  one  red-horse  of  the  Sun,  the  two  or  more  red- 
horses  of  Agni. 

i.  6,  I.   yun^anti  bradhnam  arusham. 

They  yoke  the  bright  red-horse  (the  Sun). 

i.  94,  10.  yat  ayuktha^  arusha  rohita  rathe. 

When  thou  (Agni)  hast  yoked  the  two  red-horses  and  the 
two  ruddy  horses  to  the  chariot. 


JO  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

i.  146,  2.  rihaiiti  udha^  arushasa/i  asya. 

His  (Agni's)  red-horses  lick  the  udder. 

ii.  10,  2.  SYuyah  agnih — havam  me — ^yava  ratham  vaha- 
ta//  rohita  va  uta  arusha. 

Mayest  thou,  xigni,  hear  my  call,  whether  the  two  black, 
or  the  two  ruddy,  or  the  two  red-horses  carry  you. 

Here  three  kinds  of  colours  are  clearly  distinguished, 
and  an  intentional  difference  is  made  between  rohita  and 
arusha. 

iv.  2,  3.   arusha  yu^ana^. 

Agni  having  yoked  the  two  red-horses. 

iv.  6,  9.  tava  tye  ague  haritaA — rohitasa^ — arushasai 
\risha7iah. 

To  thee  (Agni)  belong  these  bays,  these  ruddy,  these  red- 
horses,  the  stallions. 

Here,  again,  three  kinds  of  horses  are  distinguished — 
Hants,  Rohitas,  and  Arushas. 

viii.  34,  17.  ye  r'lgrah  vata-ra?7ihasa^  arushasaA  raghu- 
syadaA. 

Here  arusha  may  be  the  subject  and  the  rest  adjectives ; 
but  it  is  also  possible  to  take  all  the  words  as  adjectives, 
referring  them  to  asu  in  the  next  verse.  The  fact  that  ri^ra 
likewise  expresses  a  peculiar  red  colour  is  no  objection,  as 
may  be  seen  from  i.  6,  i;   94,  10. 

vii.  16,  2.   saA  yo^ate  arusha  vi^va-bho^asa. 

May  he  (Agni)  yoke  the  two  all-nourishing  red-horses. 

vii.  42,  2.  yunkshva — harita/i  rohita/i  ka  ye  va  sadman 
arusha/i. 

Yoke  (O  Agni)  the  bays,  and  the  ruddy  horses,  or  the 
red-horses  which  are  in  thy  stable. 

2.  The  cloud,  represented  as  the  enemy  of  Indra,  as  re- 
taining, like  Vritra,  the  waters  which  Indra  and  the  Maruts 
wish  to  liberate. 

i.  85,  5.   uta  arushasya  vi  syanti  dhara^. 

(When  you  go  to  the  battle,  O  Maruts),  the  streams  of 
the  red  enemy  flow  off. 

v.  56,  7.   uta  sya/i  va//i  arusha/i. 

This  strong  red-horse, — meant  for  the  cloud,  as  it  would 
seem ;  but  possibly,  too,  for  one  of  the  horses  of  the 
Maruts. 


MANDAhA   I,    SUKTA    6.  11 

Arushci  as  the  Proper  Name  of  a  Eolar  Deity. 

Besides  the  passages  in  which  arusha  is  used  either  as  an 
adjective,  in  the  sense  of  red,  or  as  an  appellative,  meaning 
some  kind  of  horse,  there  are  others  in  which,  as  I  pointed 
out    in    my    Essay    on    Comparative    Mythology*,    Arusha 
occurs  as  a  proper  name,  as  the  name  of  a  solar  deity,  as 
the  bright  deity  of  the  morning  [Morgenroth),      My  inter- 
pretation of  some  of  these  passages  has  been  contested,  nor 
shall  I  deny  that  in  some  of  them  a  different  interpretation 
is  possible,  and  that  in  looking  for  traces  of  Arusha,  as  a 
Yedic  deity,  representing  the  morning  or  the  rising  sun,  and 
containing,  as  I  endeavoured  to  show,  the  first  germs  of  the 
Greek  name  of  Eros,  I  may  have  seen  more  indications  of 
the  presence   of  that  deity  in  the  Veda  than  others  would 
feel  inclined  to  acknowledge.      Yet  in  going  over  the  same 
evidence  again,  I  think  that  even  verses  w^hich  for  a  time  I 
felt  inclined  to  surrender,  yield  a  better  sense  if  we  take  the 
word  arusha  which  occurs  in  them  as  a  substantive,  as  the 
name  of  a  matutinal  deity,  than  if  we  look  upon  it  as  an 
adjective   or  a   mere   appellative.      It   might   be   said   that 
wherever  this  arusha  occurs,  apparently  as  the  name  of  a 
deity,  we  ought  to  supply  Agni  or  Indra  or  Surya.      This  is 
true   to   a  certain   extent,  for  the  sun,  or  the  light  of  the 
morning,  or  the  bright  sky  are  no  doubt  the  substance  and 
subject-matter  of  this  deity.     But  the  same  applies  to  many 
other  names  originally  intended  for  these  conceptions,  but 
which,   nevertheless,  in   the  course  of  time,  became  inde- 
pendent  names    of  independent   deities.       In    our   passage 
i.  6,  1,   yu%anti   bradhnam    arusham,   we   may  retain   for 
arusha  the  appellative  power  of  steed  or  red-steed,  but  if  we 
could  ask  the  poet  w^hat  he  meant  by  this  red-steed,  or  if 
we   ask  ourselves  what  w^e  can  possibly  understand  by  it, 
the  answer  would  be,  the  morning  sun,  or  the  light  of  the 
morning.     In  other  passages,  however,  this  meaning  of  red- 
steed  is  no  longer  applicable,   and  we    can    only  translate 
Arusha  by  the  Red,  understanding  by  this  name  the  deity 
of  the  morning  or  of  the  morning  sun. 

*  Chips  from  a  German  Workshop,  and  ed.,  vol.  ii.  p.  137  seq. 


12  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

vii.  71,  I.  apa  svasuh  ushasa^  nak  ^ihite  r'makti  krishm^ 
arushaya  pantham. 

The  Night  retires  from  her  sister,  the  Dawn  ;  the  Dark  one 
yiekls  the  path  to  the  Red  one,  i.  e.  the  red  morning. 

Here  Arusha  shares  the  same  half-mythological  character 
as  Ushas,  and  where  we  should  speak  of  dawn  and  morning 
as  mere  periods  of  time,  the  Vedic  poet  speaks  of  them  as 
living  and  intelligent  beings,  half  human,  half  divine,  as 
powers  of  nature  capable  of  understanding  his  prayers,  and 
powerful  enough  to  reward  his  praises.  I  do  not  think 
therefore  that  ^ve  need  hesitate  to  take  Arusha  in  this 
passage  as  a  proper  name  of  the  morning,  or  of  the  morning 
sun,  to  whom  the  dark  goddess,  the  Night,  yields  the  path 
when  he  rises  in  the  East. 

vi.  49,  2.  diva/*  5i5um  sahasa^  sunum  agnim  ya^nasya 
ketum  arusham  ya^adhyai. 

To  worship  the  child  of  Dyu,  the  son  of  strength,  Agni, 
the  light  of  the  sacrifice,  the  Red  one  (Arusha). 

In  this  verse,  where  the  name  of  Agni  actually  occurs,  it 
would  be  easier  than  in  the  preceding  verse  to  translate 
arusha  as  an  adjective,  referring  it  either  to  Agni,  the  god 
of  fire,  or  to  ya^nasya  ketum,  the  light  of  the  sacrifice. 
1  had  myself  yielded*  so  far  to  these  considerations  that  I 
gave  up  my  former  translation,  and  rendered  this  verse  by 
'  to  w^orship  Agni,  the  child  of  the  sky,  the  son  of  strength, 
the  red  light  of  the  sacrifice  t.^  But  I  return  to  my  original 
translation,  and  I  see  in  Arusha  an  independent  name,  in- 
tended, no  doubt,  for  Agni,  as  the  representative  of  the  rising 
sun  and,  at  the  same  time,  of  the  sacrificial  fire  of  the 
morning,  but  nevertheless  as  having  in  the  mind  of  the  poet 
a  personality  of  its  own.  He  is  the  child  of  Dyu,  originally 
the  offspring  of  heaven.  He  is  the  son  of  strength,*  origin- 
ally generated  by  the  strong  rubbing  of  the  ara?2is,  i.  e.  the 
wood  for  kindling  fire.  He  is  the  light  of  the  sacrifice, 
whether  as  reminding  man  that  the  time  for  the  morning 
sacrifice  has  come,  or  as  himself  lighting  the  sacrifice  on  the 
Eastern    altar   of  the    sky.      He    is    Arusha,    originally    as 


*  Cliips  from  a  German  Workshop,  vol.  ii.  p.  1 39. 
t  Journal  of  the  Royal  Asiatic  Society,  1867,  p.  204. 


MAiVZJALA   I,    SUKTA    6.  13 

clothed  in  bright  red  colour,  but  gradually  changed  into  the 
representative  of  the  morning.  We  see  at  once,  if  examin- 
ing these  various  expressions,  how  some  of  them,  like  the 
child  of  Dyu,  are  easily  carried  away  into  mythology,  while 
others,  such  as  the  son  of  strength',  or  the  light  of  the 
sacrifice,  resist  that  unconscious  metamorphosis.  That 
Arusha  was  infected  by  mythology,  that  it  had  approached 
at  least  that  point  where  nomina  become  changed  into 
numina,  we  see  by  the  verse  immediately  following : 

vi.  49,  3.  arushasya  duhitara  virupe  (iti  vi-rupe)  stn-bhiA 
anya  pipi^e  sura^  anya. 

There  are  two  different  daughters  of  Arusha;  the  one  is  clad 
in  stars,  the  other  belongs  to  the  sun,  or  is  the  wife  of  Svar. 

Here  Arusha  is  clearly  a  mythological  being,  like  Agni 
or  Savitar  or  Vai^vanara ;  and  if  Day  and  Night  are  called 
his  daughters,  he,  too,  can  hardly  have  been  conceived 
otherwise  than  as  endowed  with  human  attributes,  as  the 
child  of  Dyu,  as  the  father  of  Day  and  Night,  and  not  as  a 
mere  period  of  time,  not  as  a  mere  cause  or  eifect. 

iv.  15,  6.  tarn  arvantam  na  sanasim  arusham  na  diva/* 
5i5um  marm?'i^yante  dive-dive. 

They  trim  the  fire  day  by  day,  like  a  strong  horse,  like 
Arusha,  the  child  of  Dyu. 

Here,  too,  Arusha,  the  child  of  Dyu,  has  to  be  taken  as 
a  personal  character,  and,  if  the  na  after  arusham  is  right,  a 
distinction  is  clearly  made  between  Agni,  the  sacrificial  fire, 
to  whom  the  hymn  is  addressed,  and  Arusha,  the  child  of 
heaven,  the  pure  and  bright  morning,  here  used  as  a  simile 
for  the  cleaning  or  trimming  of  the  fire  on  the  altar. 

V.  47,  3.   arusha/i  su-par?za^. 

Arusha,  the  morning  sun,  with  beautiful  wings. 

The  feminine  Jlj^usM  as  an  Adjective. 

Arushi,  like  arusha,  is  used  as  an  adjective,  in  the  same 
sense  as  arusha,  i.e.  red  : 

iii.  ^^,  II.   5yavi  ^a  yat  arushi  A:a  svasarau. 
As  the  dark  and  the  red  are  sisters. 
i.  92,  I  and  2.   gava/«  arushi^  and  arushi/*  ga^. 
The  red  cows  of  the  dawn. 


14  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARCJTS. 

i.  92,  2.   rusantam  bhanum  arushi/i  asisrayuh. 

The  red  dawns  obtained  bright  splendour. 

Here  ushasa/^,  the  dawns,  occur  in  the  same  hne,  so  that  we 
may  take  arushi/i  either  as  an  adjective,  referring  to  the  dawns, 
or  as  a  substantive,  as  a  name  of  the  dawn  or  of  her  cow^s. 

i.  30,  21.   as've  na  A:itre  arushi. 

Thou  bright,  red  dawn,  thou,  hke  a  mare. 

Here,  too,  the  vocative  arushi  is  probably  to  be  taken  as 
an  adjective,  particularly  if  we  consider  the  next  following 
verse : 

iv.  52,  2.  a5va-iva  ^itra  arushi  mata  gavam  rita-vari  sakha 
abhut  a^vino^  ushaA. 

The  dawn,  bright  and  red,  like  a  mare,  the  mother  of  the 
cows  (days),  the  never-failing,  she  became  the  friend  of  the 
A^vins. 

X.  5,  5.   sapta  svasriA  arushi/i. 

The  seven  red  sisters. 

The  feminine  JlvusM  as  a  Substantive. 

If  used  as  a  substantive,  arushi  seems  to  mean  the  dawn. 
It  is  likewise  used  as  a  name  of  the  horses  of  Agni,  Indra, 
and  Soma ;  also  as  a  name  for  mare  in  general. 

It  means  dawn  in  x.  8,  3,  though  the  text  points  here  so 
clearly  to  the  dawn,  and  the  very  name  of  dawn  is  mentioned 
so  immediately  after,  that  this  one  passage  seems  hardly 
sufficient  to  establish  the  use  of  arushi  as  a  recognized 
name  of  the  dawn.  Other  passages,  however,  would  like- 
w^ise  gain  in  perspicuity,  if  we  took  arushi  by  itself  as  a 
name  of  the  dawn,  just  as  we  had  to  admit  in  several 
passages  arusha  by  itself  as  a  name  of  the  morning.  Cf. 
i.  71,  I. 

Arushi  means  the  horses  of  Agni,  in  i.  14,  12  : 

yukshva  hi  arushiA  rathe  harita^  deva  rohita^. 

Yoke,  O  god  (Agni),  the  red-horses  to  the  chariot,  the 
bays,  the  ruddy. 

i.  72,  10.   pra  nikih  ague  arushiA  a^anan. 

They  knew  the  red-horses,  Agni,  coming  down. 

In  viii.  69,  5,  arushi  refers  to  the  horses  of  Indra,  whether 
as  a  noun  or  an  adjective,  is  somewhat  doubtful : 


MAiVZ)ALA   I,    SUKTA   6.  15 

a  haraya/i  sasri^rire  arushi^. 

The  bay  horses  were  let  loose,  the  red-horses  ;  or,  possibly, 
thy  bright  red-horses  were  let  loose. 

Soma,  as  we  saw,  was  frequently  spoken  of  as  arushaA 
hari^. 

In  ix.  Ill,  2,  tridhatu-bhiA  arushibhiA  seems  to  refer  to  the 
same  red-horses  of  Soma,  though  this  is  not  quite  clear. 

The  passages  where  arushi  means  simply  a  mare,  without 
any  reference  to  colour,  are  viii.  68,  i8,  and  viii.  ^^^  3. 

It  is  curious  that  Arusha,  which  in  the  Veda  means  red, 
should  in  its  Zendic  form  aurusha,  mean  white.  That  in 
the  Veda  it  means  red  and  not  white  is  shown,  for  instance, 
by  X.  20,  9,  where  5veta,  the  name  for  w^hite,  is  mentioned  by 
the  side  of  arusha.  Most  likely  arusha  meant  originally  bril- 
liant, and  became  fixed  with  different  shades  of  brilliancy  in 
Sanskrit  and  Persian.  Arusha  presupposes  a  form  ar-vas,  and 
is  derived  from  a  root  ar  in  the  sense  of  running  or  rushing. 
See  Chips  from  a  German  Workshop,  vol.  ii.  pp.  135,  i^y» 

Having  thus  explained  the  different  meanings  of  arusha 
and  arushi  in  the  Rig-veda,  I  feel  it  incumbent,  at  least  for 
once,  to  explain  the  reasons  why  I  differ  from  the  classifi- 
cation of  Vedic  passages  as  given  in  the  Dictionary  pub- 
lished by  Messrs.  Boehtlingk  and  Roth.  Here,  too,  the 
passages  in  which  arusha  is  used  as  an  adjective  are  very 
properly  separated  from  those  in  which  it  appears  as  a 
substantive.  To  begin  with  the  first,  it  is  said  that  '  arusha 
means  ruddy,  the  colour  of  Agni  and  his  horses ;  he  (Agni) 
himself  appears  as  a  red-horse.^  In  support  of  this,  the 
following  passages  are  quoted : 

iii.  I,  4.  avardhayan  su-bhagam  sapta  yahvi^  5vetam 
^a^nanam  arusham  mahi-tva,  sisum.  na  ^atam  abhi  aru/i 
a^va^.  Here,  however,  it  is  only  said  that  Agni  was  born 
brilliant-white*,  and  grew  red,  that  the  horses  came  to  him 
as  they  come  to  a  new-born  foal.  Agni  himself  is  not  called 
a  red-horse. 

iii.  7,  5.    Here,  again,  yrishna.h   arushasya  is   no  doubt 


*  See  V.  I,  4.    svet^h  v%f  ^^yate  dgre  ^hnam.      x.  i,  6.  arushaA  gUdh 
pad^  I/jlya/i. 


16  HYMNS   TO    THE    MARUTS. 

meant  for  Agni.  But  vrishan  by  itself  does  not  mean 
horse,  though  it  is  added  to  different  names  of  horses  to 
quaUfy  them  as  male  horses;  cf.  vii.  69,  i.  a  vam  rathaA 
v?'isha-bhi^  yatu  a^vai^,  may  your  chariot  come  near  with 
powerful  horses,  i.e.  with  stalHons.  See  note  to  i.  85,  12. 
We  are  therefore  not  justified  in  translating  arusha  vrishan 
by  red-horse,  but  only  by  the  red  male,  or  the  red  hero. 

In  iii.  31,  3,  agniA  gafffie  ^uhva  re^amanaA  mahaA  putran 
arushasya  pra-yakshe,  I  do  not  venture  to  say  who  is 
meant  by  the  mahaA  putran  arushasya,  whether  Adityas  or 
Maruts,  but  hardly  the  sons  of  Agni,  as  Agni  himself  is 
mentioned  as  only  born.  But,  even  if  it  were  so,  the  father 
of  these  sons  (putra)  could  hardly  be  intended  here  for 
a  horse. 

iv.  6,  9.  tava  tye  agne  harita/i  ghrita-sna^  rohitasa/^  ri^u- 
ELuknh  su-anA:a/«,  arushasaA  wrishansLh  ri^u-mushka'A.  Here, 
so  far  from  Agni  being  represented  as  a  red-horse,  his 
different  horses,  the  Harits  or  bays,  the  Rohitas  or  ruddy, 
and  the  arushasa/i  vrishanah,  the  red  stallions,  are  distinctly 
mentioned.  Here  vrishan  may  be  translated  by  stallion, 
instead  of  simply  by  male,  because  arusha  is  here  a  sub- 
stantive, the  name  of  a  horse. 

V.  I,  5.  ^anish^a  hi  genyo-h  agre  ahnam  hita^  hiteshu 
arusha^  vaneshu.  Here  arusha/i  is  simply  an  adjective,  red, 
referring  to  Agni  who  is  understood  throughout  the  hymn 
to  be  the  object  of  praise.  He  is  said  to  be  kind  to  those 
who  are  kind  to  him,  and  to  be  red  in  the  woods,  i.  e. 
brilliant  in  the  wood  which  he  consumes ;  cf.  iii.  29,  6. 
Nothing  is  said  about  his  equine  nature. 

In  V.  12,  2  and  6,  vi.  48,  6,  we  have  again  simply 
arusha  vrishan,  which  does  not  mean  the  red-horse,  but 
the  red  male,  the  red  hero,  i.  e.  Agni. 

In  vi.  49,  2,  diva^  ^i^um  sahasaA  sunum  agnim  ya^nasya 
ketum  arusham  ya^adhyai,  there  is  no  trace  of  Agni  being 
conceived  as  a  horse.  He  is  called  the  child  of  -the  sky  or 
of  Dyu,  the  son  of  strength  (who  is  produced  by  strong 
rubbing  of  wood),  the  light  or  the  beacon  of  the  sacrifice, 
and  lastly  Arusha,  which,  for  reasons  stated  above,  I  take  to 
be  used  here  as  a  name. 

Next  follow  the  passages  in  which,  according  to  Professor 


MANDAhA    I,    SUKTA   6.  17 

Roth,  arusha  is  an  adjective,  is  said  to  be  applied  to  the 
horses,  cows,  and  other  teams  of  the  gods,  particularly  of 
the  dawn,  the  A^vins,  and  Brihaspati. 

i.  1 1 8,  5.  pari  vam  as\ah  vapusha^  patanga^,  vaya/t 
vahantu  arusha^  abhike.  Here  we  find  the  vaya^  arusha^ 
of  the  Asvins,  which  it  is  better  to  translate  by  red  birds,  as 
immediately  before  the  winged  horses  are  mentioned.  In 
fact,  whenever  arusha  is  applied  to  the  vehicle  of  the  Asvins, 
it  is  to  be  understood  of  these  red  birds,  iv.  43,  6. 

In  i.  92,  I  and  2  (not  20),  arushi  occurs  three  times, 
referring  twice  to  the  cows  of  the  dawn,  once  to  the  dawn 
herself. 

In  iv.  15,  6,  tam  arvantam  na  sanasim  arusham  na  divaA 
^i^um  marmri^yante  dive- dive,  arusha  does  not  refer  to 
the  horse  or  any  other  animal  of  Agni.  The  verse  speaks 
of  a  horse  by  way  of  comparison  only,  and  says  that  the 
sacrificers  clean  or  trim  Agni,  the  fire,  as  people  clean  a 
horse.  We  cannot  join  arusham  in  the  next  pada  with 
arvantam  in  the  preceding  pada,  for  the  second  na  would 
then  be  without  any  construction.  The  construction  is 
certainly  not  easy,  but  I  think  it  is  safer  to  translate : 
they  trim  him  (Agni),  day  by  day,  as  they  clean  a  strong 
horse,  as  they  clean  Arusha,  the  child  of  Dyu.  In  fact,  as 
far  as  I  know,  arusha  is  never  used  as  the  name  of  the 
one  single  horse  belonging  to  Agni,  but  always  of  two  or 
more. 

In  iii.  31,  21,  antar  (iti)  knsh?zan  arushaiA  dhama-bhiA 
gat,  dhama-bhiA  is  said  to  mean  flames  of  lightning.  But 
dhaman  in  the  Rig-veda  does  not  mean  flames,  and  it  seems 
better  to  translate,  with  thy  red  companions,  soil,  the 
Maruts. 

That  arusha  in  one  or  two  passages  means  the  red  cloud, 
is  true.  But  in  x.  43,  9,  arusha  refers  to  the  thunderbolt 
mentioned  in  the  same  verse;  and  in  i.  114,  5,  everything 
refers  to  Rudra,  and  not  to  a  red  cloud,  in  the  proper 
sense  of  the  word. 

Further  on,  where  the  meanings  attributable  to  arushi  in 
the  Veda  are  collected,  it  is  said  that  arushi  means  a  red 
mare,  also  the  teams  of  Agni  and  Ushas.  Now,  here, 
surely,  a  distinction  should  have  been  made  between  those 

VOL.  I.  C 


18  HYMNS   TO    THE    MARUTS. 

passages  in  which  arushi  means  a  real  horse,  and  those 
where  it  expresses  the  imaginary  steeds  of  Agni.  The 
former,  it  should  be  observed,  occur  in  one  MancMa.  only, 
and  in  places  of  somewhat  doubtful  authority,  in  viii. 
555  3?  ^  Valakhilya  hymn,  and  in  viii.  68,  i8,  a  dana- 
stuti  or  panegyric.  Besides,  no  passage  is  given  where 
arushi  means  the  horses  of  the  dawn,  and  I  doubt  whether 
such  a  passage  exists,  while  the  verse  where  arushi  is  really 
used  for  the  horses  of  Indra,  is  not  mentioned  at  all. 
Lastly,  two  passages  are  set  apart  where  arushi  is  supposed 
to  mean  flames.  Now,  it  may  be  perfectly  true  that  the 
red-horses  of  Agni  are  meant  for  flames,  just  as  the  red- 
horses  of  Indra  may  be  the  rays  of  the  sun.  But,  in  that 
case,  the  red-horses  of  Agni  should  always  have  been  thus 
translated,  or  rather  interpreted,  and  not  in  one  passage 
only.  In  ix.  iii,  2,  arushi  is  said  to  mean  flames,  but  no 
further  light  is  thrown  upon  that  very  difficult  passage. 

Verse  1,  note^.  A  similar  expression  occurs  iii.  61,  5, 
where  it  is  said  of  Ushas,  the  dawn,  that  she  lighted  the 
lights  in  the  sky,  pra  roA^ana  ruruA:e  ra?zva-sandrik. 

Verse  2,  note^.  Although  no  name  is  given,  the  pronoun 
asya  clearly  refers  to  Indra,  for  it  is  he  to  whom  the  two 
bays  belong.  The  next  verse,  therefore,  must  likewise  be 
taken  as  addressed  to  Indra,  and  not  to  the  sun  or  the 
morning-red,  spoken  of  as  a  horse  in  the  first  verse. 

Verse  3,  note^  The  vocative  marya^,  which  I  have  trans- 
lated by  O  men,  had  evidently  become  a  mere  exclamation 
at  a  very  early  time.  Even  in  our  passage  it  is  clear  that 
the  poet  does  not  address  any  men  in  particular,  for  he 
addresses  Indra,  nor  is  marya  used  in  the  general  sense  of 
men.  It  means  males,  or  male  off*spring.  It  sounds  more 
like  some  kind  of  asseveration  or  oath,  like  the  Latin 
mehercle,  or  like  the  English  O  ye  powers,  and  it  is  there- 
fore quoted  as  a  nipata  or  particle  in  the  Va^asan.  Prati^. 
ii.  16.  It  certainly  cannot  be  taken  as  addressed  to  the 
Maruts,  though  the  Maruts  are  the  subject  of  the  next 
verse. 


MAiVZ)ALA    I,    SUKTA    6.  19 

Verse  3,  note  ^  UshadbhiA,  an  instrumental  plural  which 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  author  of  the  Varttika  to  Pa^z. 
vii.  4,  48.  It  occurs  but  once,  but  the  regular  form, 
ushobhiA,  does  not  occur  at  all  in  the  Rig-veda.  The  same 
grammarian  mentions  mas,  month,  as  changing  the  final  s 
of  its  base  into  d  before  bhis.  This,  too,  is  confirmed  by 
Rv.  ii.  24,  5,  where  madhhih  occurs.  Two  other  words, 
svavas,  offering  good  protection,  and  svatavas,  of  independent 
strength,  mentioned  together  as  liable  to  the  same  change, 
do  not  occur  with  hhih  in  the  Rig-veda,  but  the  forms 
svavadbhi/i  and  svatavadbhiA  probably  occurred  in  some 
other  Vedic  writings.  SvatavadbhyaA  has  been  pointed  out 
by  Professor  Aufrecht  in  the  Va^asan.  Sanhita  xxiv.  16, 
and  svatavobhyaA  in  ^atap.  Br.  ii.  5,  i,  14.  That  the  nom. 
svavan,  which  is  always  trisyllabic,  is  not  to  be  divided  into 
sva-van,  as  proposed  by  >Sakalya,  but  into  su-avan,  is  implied 
by  Varttika  to  Pa/^.  viii.  4,  48,  and  distinctly  stated  in  the 
Siddhanta-Kaumudi.  That  the  final  n  of  the  nom.  su-avan 
disappeared  before  semi-vowels  is  confirmed  by  the  /Sakala- 
prati^akhya,  Sutra  287;  see  alsoVa^asan.  Pratis.  iii.  Sutra  135 
(Weber,  Ind.  Stud.  vol.  iv.  p.  206).  On  the  proper  division 
of  su-avas,  see  Aufrecht,  Zeitschrift  der  Deutschen  Morgen- 
landischen  Gesellschaft,  vol.  xiii.  p.  499. 

Verse  4,  note  ^.  At  must  here  take  vyuha  and  be  pro- 
nounced as  an  iambus.  This  is  exceptional  with  at,  but 
there  are  at  least  two  other  passages  where  the  same 
pronunciation  is  necessary,  i.  148,  4.  at  rotate  vane  a 
vi-bha-va,  though  in  the  line  immediately  following  it  is 
monosyllabic.      Also  in  v.  7,  10.  at  ague  apriwataA. 

Verse  4,  note  ^.  Svadha,  literally  one's  own  place,  after- 
wards, one^s  own  nature.  It  was  a  great  triumph  for  the 
science  of  Comparative  Philology  that,  long  before  the 
existence  of  such  a  word  as  svadha  in  Sanskrit  was  known, 
it  should  have  been  postulated  by  Professor  Benfey  in  his 
Griechische  Wurzel-lexicon,  published  in  1839,  and  in  the 
appendix  of  1842.  Svadha  was  known,  it  is  true,  in  the 
ordinary  Sanskrit,  but  there  it  only  occurred  as  an  excla- 
mation used  on  presenting  an  oblation  to  the  manes.     It 

C  2 


20  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

was  also  explained  to  mean  food  offered  to  deceased  ances- 
tors, or  to  be  the  name  of  a  personification  of  Maya  or 
worldly  illusion,  or  of  a  nymph.  But  Professor  Benfey, 
with  great  ingenuity,  postulated  for  Sanskrit  a  noun  svadha, 
as  corresponding  to  the  Greek  e0o?  and  the  German  sitte, 
O.  H.  G.  sit-u,  Gothic  sid-u.  The  noun  svadha  has  since 
been  discovered  in  the  Veda,  where  it  occurs  very  fre- 
quently ;  and  its  true  meaning  in  many  passages  where 
native  tradition  had  entirely  misunderstood  it,  has  really 
been  restored  by  means  of  its  etymological  identification 
with  the  Greek  eOo^  or  ^Oog.  See  Kuhn^s  Zeitschrift,  vol.  ii. 
p.  134,  vol.  xii.  p.  158. 

The  expressions  anu  avadham  and  svadham  anu  are  of 
frequent  occurrence.  They  mean^  according  to  the  nature 
or  character  of  the  persons  spoken  of,  and  may  be  translated 
by  as  usual,  or  according  to  a  person^s  wont.  Thus  in  our 
passage  we  may  translate,  The  Maruts  are  born  again,  i.  e. 
as  soon  as  Indra  appeared  with  the  dawn,  according  to  their 
wont ;  they  are  always  born  as  soon  as  Indra  appears,  for 
such  is  their  nature. 

i.  165,  5.   indra  svadham  anu  hi  na^  babhutha. 

For,  Indra,  according  to  thy  wont,  thou  art  ours. 

viii.  20,  7.   svadham  anu  rnyam  nara/i — vahante. 

According  to  their  wont,  the  men  (the  Maruts)  carry 
splendour. 

viii.  88,  5.   anu  svadham  vavakshitha. 

Thou  hast  grown  (Indra)  according  to  thy  nature. 

iv.  33,  6.   anu  svadham  ribhava^  gagmuh  etam. 

According  to  their  nature,  the  JRibhus  went  to  her,  scil. 
the  cow ;  or,  according  to  this  their  nature,  they  came. 

iv.  52,  6.  usha/i  anu  svadham  ava. 

Dawn,  help !   as  thou  art  w^ont. 

i.  ^^,  II.   anu  svadham  aksharan  apaA  asya. 

As  usual,  or  according  to  his  nature,  i.  e.  his  strength,  the 
waters  flowed. 

i.  88,  6.  asam  anu  svadham. 

According  to  the  nature  of  these  libations. 

vii.  ^6,  13.   anu  svadham  ayudhai^  yakkhsunanah. 

According  to  their  nature,  stretching  forth  with  their 
weapons. 


MAiVDALA    I,    SUKTA   6.  21 

iii.  51,  II.  yih  te  anu  svadham  asat  sute  ni  jakkha 
tanvam. 

Direct  thy  body  to  that  Hbation  which  is  according  to  thy 
nature,  or  better,  according  to  thy  taste. 

In  all  these  passages  svadha  may  be  rendered  by  manner, 
habit,  usage,  and  anu  svadham  would  seem  to  correspond  to 
the  Greek  ej  eOovg.  Yet  the  history  of  these  words  in 
Sanskrit  and  Greek  has  not  been  exactly  the  same.  First 
of  all  we  observe  in  Greek  a  division  between  eOog  and 
^Oog,  and  whereas  the  former  comes  very  near  in  meaning 
to  the  Sanskrit  svadha^  the  latter  shows  in  Homer  a  much 
more  primitive  and  material  sense.  It  means  in  Homer, 
not  a  person^s  own  nature,  but  the  own  place,  for  instance, 
of  animals,  the  haunts  of  horses,  lions,  fish  ;  in  Hesiod,  also 
of  men.  Svadha  in  the  Veda  does  not  occur  in  that  sense, 
although  etymologically  it  might  take  the  meaning  of  one^s 
own  place  :  cf.  dha-man,  familia,  etc.  Whether  in  Greek 
?^09,  from  meaning  lair,  haunt,  home,  came,  like  vojiiog  and 
vo/uLo?,  to  mean  habit,  manner,  character,  which  would  be 
quite  possible,  or  whether  5O09  in  that  meaning  represents 
a  second  start  from  the  same  point,  which  in  Sanskrit  was 
fixed  in  svadha,  is  impossible  to  determine.  In  Sanskrit 
svadha  clearly  shows  the  meaning  of  one^s  own  nature, 
power,  disposition.  It  does  not  mean  power  or  nature  in 
general,  but  ahvays  the  power  of  some  one,  the  peculiarity, 
the  individuality  of  a  person.  This  will  appear  from  the 
following  passages  : 

ii.  3,  8.  tisra^  devi^  svadhaya  barhi/i  a  idam  akkhidram 
pantu. 

May  the  three  goddesses  protect  by  their  power  the 
sacred  pile  unbroken. 

iv.  13,  5.  kaya  yati  svadhaya. 

By  w^hat  inherent  power  does  he  (the  Sun)  move  on? 

iv.  26,  4.  aA:akraya  svadhaya. 

By  a  power  which  requires  no  chariot,  i.  e.  by  himself 
without  a  chariot. 

The  same  expression  occurs  again  x.  27,  19. 

In  some  places  '  mad,^  to  dehght,  joined  with  svadhaya, 
seems  to  mean  to  revel  in  his  strength,  proud  of  his 
might. 


22  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

V.  32,  4.   svadhaya  madantam. 

Vritra  who  delights  in  his  strength. 

vii.  47,  3.   svadhaya  madanti^. 

The  waters  who  delight  in  their  strength.    See  x.  124,  8. 

In  other  passages,  however,  as  we  shall  see,  the  same 
phrase  (and  this  is  rather  unusual)  requires  to  be  taken  in 
a  different  sense,  so  as  to  mean  to  rejoice  in  food. 

i.  164,  38.    svadhaya  g^-ibhita^. 

Held  or  grasped  by  his  own  strength. 

iii.  17,  5.   svadhaya  ka  ^ambhu^. 

He  who  blesses  by  his  own  strength. 

iii.  35,  10.  indra  piba  svadhaya  ^it  sutasya  agne/^  va  pahi 
^ihvaya  ya^atra. 

Indra  drink  of  the  libation  by  thyself  (by  thy  own  power), 
or  with  the  tongue  of  Agni,  O  worshipful. 

To  drink  with  the  tongue  of  Agni  is  a  bold  but  not 
unusual  expression,      v.  51,  2.  agne/i  pibata  ^ihvaya. 

X.  15,  3.  ye  svadhaya  sutasya  bh%anta  pitva^. 

Those  who  by  themselves  share  in  the  offered  draught. 

i.  165,  6.  kva  sya  vaA  marutaA  svadha  asit  yat  mam  ekam 
sam-adhatta  ahi-hatye. 

Where  was  that  custom  of  yours,  O  Maruts,  that  ye  should 
have  joined  me  who  stand  alone  in  the  fight  with  Ahi? 

vii.  8,  3.  kaya  na^  ague  vi  vasaA  su-v?'iktim  kam  xnm  (iti) 
svadham  ri/^ava^  ;?asyamana^. 

In  what  character  dost  thou  light  up  our  altar,  and  what 
character  dost  thou  assume  when  thou  art  praised  ? 

iv.  58,  4.  venat  ekam  svadhaya  mh  tatakshu^. 

They  (the  gods)  made  one  out  of  the  sun,  by  their  own 
power. 

iv.  45,  6.   vi^van  anu  svadhaya  A:etathaA  patha^. 

You  (A^vins)  look  after  all  the  paths  by  your  own 
strength. 

i.  64,  4.   sakam  ^a^iiire  svadhaya. 

They  (the  Maruts)  were  born  together  according  to  their 
nature ;  very  much  like  anu  svadham,  i.  6,  4.  One  can 
hardly  render  it  here  by  '  they  were  born  by  their  own 
strength,^  or  '  by  spontaneous  generation.^ 

In  other  passages,  however, svadhaya,  meaning  originally  by 
its  own  power,  or  nature,  comes  to  mean,  by  itself,  sponte  sua. 


MAiV2>ALA    I,    SUKTA    6.  23 

vii.  78,  4.   a  asthat  ratham  svadhaya  yu^yaraanam.  - 

She,  the  dawn,  mounted  the  chariot  which  was  harnessed 
by  itself,  by  its  own  power,  without  requiring  the  assistance 
of  people  to  put  the  horses  to. 

X.  129,  2.   anit  avatam  svadhaya  tat  ekam. 

That  only  One  breathed  breathlessly,  by  its  own  strength, 
i.  e.  by  itself. 

In  the  same  sense  svadhabhi^  is  used  in'  several  passages : 

i.  113,  13.   amrita  ^arati  svadhabhi^. 

The  immortal  Dawn  moves  along  by  her  own  strength, 
i.  e.  by  herself. 

viii.  10,  6.   yat  va  svadhabhi/*  adhi-tish^7?atha^  ratham. 

Or  whether  ye  mount  your  chariot  by  your  own  strength, 
ye  A^vins. 

i.  164,  30.  ^iva^  mritasya  ^tarati  svadhabhiA  amartya^ 
martyena  sa-yoni/^. 

The  living  moves  by  the  powers  of  the  dead,  the  immortal 
is  the  brother  of  the  mortal. 

iii.  26,  8.   varshish/Aam  ratnam  akrita  svadhabhiA. 

He  (Agni)  made  the  best  jewel  by  his  own  powers,  i.  e. 
by  himself. 

V.  60,  4.  vara^-iva  it  raivatasaA  hiranysdh  abhi  svadhabhi^ 
tanva^  pipi^re. 

Like  rich  suitors,  they  (the  Maruts)  by  their  own  strength, 
i.  e.  themselves^  adorn  their  bodies  with  gold  ornaments. 

There  are  doubtful  passages  in  which  the  meaning  of 
svadhabhiA,  too,  is  doubtful.  Thus,  i.  180,  6.  In  vi.  2,  8, 
svadha  looks  like  an  adverb,  instead  of  svadhaya,  and  would 
then  refer  to  pari^ma.      The  same  applies  to  viii.  32,  6. 

But  svadha  means  also  food,  lit.  one's  own  portion,  the 
sacrificial  offering  due  to  each  god,  and  lastly,  food  in 
general. 

i.  108,  12.  yat  indragni  (iti)  ut-ita  suryasya  madhye  diwah 
svadhaya  madayethe  (iti). 

Whether  you,  Indra  and  Agni,  delight  in  your  food  at 
the  rising  of  the  sun  or  at  midday. 

X.  15,  12.  tvam  agne  ilitih  ^ata-veda/«  ava/  havyani  su- 
rabhmi  kritvi,  pra  ada/i  pitri-bhya/t  svadhaya  te  akshan  addhi 
tvam  deva  pra-yata  haviWshi.  13.  ye  A;a  iha  pitara^  ye  ^a  na 
iha  yan  ka,  vidma  yan  u^/2  (iti)  ^a  na  pra-vidma,  tvam  vettha 


24  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

yati  te  ^ata-veda/*  svadhabhiA  ya^nam  su-kritam  ^ushasva. 
14.  ye  agni-dagdha/i  ye  anagni-dagdha/i  madhye  divaA  sva- 
dhaya  madayante,  tebhi^  sva-ra/  asu-nitim  etam  yatha-va- 
5am  tanvam  kalpayasva. 

12.  Thou,  O  Agni  Gatavedas,  hast  carried,  when  implored, 
the  offerings  which  thou  hast  rendered  sweet :  thou  hast  given 
them  to  the  fathers,  they  fed  on  their  share.  Eat  thou,  O 
god,  the  proffered  oblations.  13.  Our  fathers  who  are  here, 
and  those  who  are  not  here,  our  fathers  w^hom  we  know  and 
those  whom  we  do  not  know,  thou  knowest  how  many  they 
are,  O  (^atavedas,  accept  the  well-made  sacrifice  with  the 
sacrificial  portions.  14.  They  who,  whether  burnt  by  fire 
or  not  burnt  by  fire,  rejoice  in  their  offering  in  the  midst 
of  heaven,  give  to  them,  O  king,  that  life,  and  thy  (their) 
own  body,  according  to  thy  will. 

iii.  4,  7.   sapta  prikshasa/i  svadhaya  madanti. 

The  seven  horses  delight  in  their  food. 

X.  14,  7.  ubha  ra^ana  svadhaya  madanta. 

The  two  kings  delighting  in  their  food. 

ix.  113,  10.  yatra  kama/i  ni-kama^  A:a,  yatra  bradhnasya 
vish^apam,  svadha  ko.  yatra  tnpti^  ^a  tatra  mam  amritam 
kridhi. 

Where  wishes  and  desires  are,  where  the  cup  of  the  bright 
Soma  is,  where  there  is  food  and  rejoicing,  there  make  me 
immortal. 

1.  154,  4.  yasya  tri  pur^a  madhuna  padani  akshiyama/za 
svadhaya  madanti. 

He  (Vish/iu)  whose  three  places,  full  of  sweet,  imperish- 
able, delight  or  abound  in  food. 

V.  34,  I.  svadha  amita. 

His  unlimited  portion  or  offering. 

ii.  '^^i  7.   dhenuA  svadham  pipaya. 

The  cow  yields  her  food,  her  portion,  her  milk. 

i.  168,  9.  at  it  svadham  ishiram  pari  apasyan. 

Thereafter  (the  Maruts)  saw  the  vigorous  food. 

i.  176,  2.   anu  svadha  yam  upyate. 

After  whom,  or  for  whom,  his  food  is  scattered. 

In  the  tenth  book  svadha  is  used  very  much  as  it  occurs 
in  the  later  Sanskrit,  as  the  name  of  a  peculiar  sacrificial 
rite. 


MAA^i>ALA   I,    SUKTA   6.  25 

X.  14,  3.  yan  ka  devah  vavridhu^  ye  ksL  devan  svaha  anye 
svadhaya  anye  madanti. 

Those  whom  the  gods  cherish,  and  those  who  cherish  the 
gods,  the  one  delight  in  Svaha,  the  others  in  Svadha ;  or,  in 
praise  and  food. 

Verse  4,  note  ^.  The  expression  garbha-tvam  a-irire  is 
matched  by  that  of  iii.  60,  3.  saudhanvanasa^  amrita-tvam 
a  irire,  the  Saudhanvanas  (the  i^ibhus)  obtained  immor- 
tality. The  idea  that  the  Maruts  assumed  the  form  of  a 
garbha,  lit.  of  an  embryo  or  a  new-born  child,  is  only 
meant  to  express  that  the  storms  burst  forth  from  the  womb 
of  the  sky  as  soon  as  Indra  arises  to  do  battle  against  the 
demon  of  darkness.  As  assisting  Indra  in  this  battle,  the 
Maruts,  whose  name  retained  for  a  long  time  its  purely  ap- 
pellative meaning  of  storms,  attained  their  rank  as  deities  by 
the  side  of  Indra,  or,  as  the  poet  expresses  it,  they  assumed 
their  sacred  name.  This  seems  to  be  the  whole  meaning  of 
the  later  legend  that  the  Maruts,  like  the  i^ibhus,  were  not 
originally  gods,  but  became  deified  for  their  works. 

Vdhni. 

Verse  5,  note  ^.  Saya/2a  explains  vahnibhiA  in  the  sense  of 
MarudbhiA,  and  he  tells  the  oft-repeated  story  how  the  cows 
were  carried  off  by  the  Pams  from  the  world  of  the  gods, 
and  thrown  into  darkness,  and  how  Indra  with  the  Maruts 
conquered  them  and  brought  them  back.  Everybody  seems 
to  have  accepted  this  explanation  of  Saya^xa,  and  I  myself 
do  not  venture  to  depart  from  it.  Yet  it  should  be  stated 
that  the  use  of  vahni  as  a  name  of  the  Maruts  is  bv  no 
means  well  established.  Vahni  is  in  fact  a  most  difficult 
word  in  the  Veda.  In  later  Sanskrit  it  means  fire,  and  is 
quoted  also  as  a  name  of  Agni,  the  god  of  fire,  but  we  do 
not  learn  why  a  w^ord  which  etymologically  means  carrier, 
from  vah,  to  carry,  should  have  assumed  the  meaning  of  fire. 
It  may  be  that  vah,  which  in  Sanskrit,  Greek,  and  Latin 
means  chiefly  to  carry,  expressed  originally  the  idea  of 
moving  about  (the  German  be-ivegen),  in  which  case  vah-ni, 
fire,   would  have  been  formed  with   the    same  purpose  as 


26  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

ag-ni,  ig-nis,  fire,  from  Sk.  ag,  ay-oo,  ag-o.  But  in  Sanskrit 
Agni  is  so  constantly  represented  as  the  carrier  of  the 
sacrificial  oblation,  that  something  may  be  said  in  favour 
of  the  Indian  scholastic  interpreters  who  take  vahni,  as 
applied  to  Agni,  in  the  sense  of  carrier.  However  that 
may  be,  it  admits  of  no  doubt  that  vahni,  in  the  Veda  also, 
is  distinctly  applied  to  the  bright  fire  or  light.  In  some 
passages  it  looks  very  much  like  a  proper  name  of  Agni, 
in  his  various  characters  of  terrestrial  and  celestial  light. 
It  is  used  for  the  sacrificial  fire  : 

v.  50,  4.  yatra  vahni/i  abhi-hitaA. 

Where  the  sacrificial  fire  is  placed. 

It  is  applied  to  Agni : 

vii.  7,  5.   asadi  vrita/i  vahni/^  a-^aganvan  agniA  brahma. 

The  chosen  light  came  nigh,  and  sat  down,  Agni,  the  priest. 

Here  Agni  is,  as  usual,  represented  as  a  priest,  chosen 
like  a  priest,  for  the  performance  of  the  sacrifice.  But,  for 
that  very  reason,  vahni  may  here  have  the  meaning  of  priest, 
which,  as  we  shall  see,  it  has  in  many  places,  and  the  trans- 
lation would  then  be  more  natural :  He,  the  chosen  minister, 
came  near  and  sat  down,  Agni,  the  priest. 

viii.  23,  3.   vahni/i  vindate  vasu. 

Agni  finds  wealth  (for  those  who  offer  sacrifices?). 

More  frequently  vahni  is  applied  to  the  celestial  Agni,  or 
other  solar  deities,  where  it  is  difficult  to  translate  it  in 
English  except  by  an  adjective  : 

iii.  5,  T.   apa  dvara  tamasaA  vahni^  avar  (ity  avaA). 

Agni  opened  the  two  doors  of  darkness. 

i.  160,  3.  saA  vahniA  putraA  pitroA  pavitra-van  punati 
dhiraA  bhuvanani  mayaya. 

That  light,  the  son  of  the  two  parents,  full  of  brightness, 
the  wise,  brightens  the  world  by  his  power. 

Agni  is  even  called  vahni-tama  (iv.  i,  4),  which  hardly 
means  more  than  the  brightest. 

ii.  17,  4.   at  rodasi  (iti)  ^yotisha  vahni^  a  atanot. 

Then  the  luminous  (Indra)  stretched  out  or  filled  heaven 
and  earth  with  his  light. 

ii.  38,  I.   ut  um  (iti)  syaA  deva/i  savita — vahni/i  asthat. 

The  bright  Savitar,  the  luminous,  arose. 

Besides  this  meaning  of  light  or  fire,  however,  there  are 


M-ANDAluA    I,    SUKTA    6.  27 

clearly  two  other  meanings  of  vahni  which  must  be  admitted 
in  the  Veda,  first  that  of  a  carrier,  vehicle,  and,  it  may  be, 
horse  ;   secondly  that  of  minister  or  priest. 

vi.  SJ,  ^'  agah  anyasya  vahnaya^  hari  (iti)  anyasya  sam- 
bhrita. 

The  bearers  of  the  one  (Pushan)  are  goats,  the  bays  are 
yoked  for  the  other  (Indra). 

i.  14,  6.  ghrita-prish/Aa/i  manaA-yii^a^  ye  tva  vahanti 
vahnaya^. 

The  horses  with  shining  backs,  obedient  to  thy  will,  which 
carry  thee  (Agni). 

viii.  3,  23.  yasmai  anye  da^a  prati  dhuram  vahanti  vahnaya^. 

A  horse  against  whom  other  ten  horses  carry  a  weight ; 
i.  e.  it  requires  ten  horses  to  carry  the  weight  which  this 
one  horse  carries.      (See  x.  11,  7.  vahamanaA  asvaiA.) 

ii.  37,  3.   medyantu  te  vahnayaA  yebhiA  iyase. 

May  thy  horses  be  fat  on  which  thou  goest. 

ii.  24,  13.   uta  a^ish^^a^  anu  srinwanti  vahnaya^. 

The  very  quick  horses  (of  Brahmawaspati)  hsten.  These 
may  be  the  flames,  but  they  are  conceived  as  carriers  or 
horses. 

i.  44,  13.  ;9rudhi  5rut-kar/^a  vahni-bhi^. 

Agni,  who  hast  ears  to  hear,  hear,  on  thy  horses.  Unless 
vahni-bhiA  is  joined  with  the  words  that  follow,  devaiA 
sayava-bhii^. 

iii.  6,  2.  va^yantam  te  vahnaya^  sapta-^ihvaA  *. 

May  thy  seven-tongued  horses  be  called.  Here  vahnaya^ 
is  clearly  meant  for  the  flames  of  Agni,  yet  I  doubt  whether 
we  should  be  justified  in  dropping  the  simile,  as  the  plural 
of  vahni  is  nowhere  used  in  the  bald  sense  of  flames. 

In  one  passage  vahni  is  used  as  a  feminine,  or  at  all 
events  applied  to  a  feminine  subject : 

viii.  94,  I.  yukta  vahni/*  rathanam. 

She  is  yoked  as  the  drawer  of  the  chariots. 

The  passages  in  which  vahni  is  applied  to  Soma  in  the 
9th  and  loth  Mandalsis  throw  little  light  on  the  subject, 
(ix.  9,  6;    20,  5;   6;  ^6,  2;   64,  19;   89,  i;   x.  loi,  10.) 

Instead  of  vi^am  vispati/*,  lord  of  men  (vii.  7,  4),  we  find 

*  Cf,  i.  58,  7.  sapt^  guhva,h. 


28  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

• 


ix.  io8,  lo.  vi^am  vahniA  na  vi^pati^.  One  feels  inclined  to 
translate  here  vahniA  by  leader,  but  it  is  more  likely  that 
vahni  is  here  again  the  common  name  of  Soma,  and  that  it 
is  inserted  between  vi^am  na  vi^patiA,  which  is  meant  to 
form  one  phrase. 

In  ix.  97,  34,  tisraA  vakah  irayati  pra  vahni^,  we  may  take 
vahni  as  the  common  appellation  of  Soma.  But  it  may  also 
mean  minister  or  priest,  as  in  the  passages  which  we  have 
now  to  examine.      Cf.  x.  ii,  6. 

For  besides  these  passages  in  w^hich  vahni  clearly  means 
vector,  carrier,  drawer,  horse,  there  is  a  large  class  of  verses 
in  which  it  can  only  be  translated  by  minister,  i.  e.  officiating 
minister,  and,  as  it  would  seem,  chiefly  singer  or  reciter. 

The  verb  vah  w^as  used  in  Sanskrit  in  the  sense  of  carry- 
ing out  (ud-vah,  ausfiihren),  or  performing  a  rite,  particularly 
as  applied  to  the  reciting  of  hymns.  Hence  such  compounds 
as  uktha-vahas  or  stoma-vahas^  offering  hymns  of  praise. 
Thus  we  read : 

V.  79,  4.  abhi  ye  tva  vibha-vari  stomal^  gr'manti 
vahnaya^. 

The  ministers  who  praise  thee,  splendid  Dawn,  with 
hymns. 

i.  48,  II.   ye  tva  gr'manti  vahnayaA. 

The  ministers  who  praise  thee. 

vii.  75,  5.   ushaA  ukkhati  vahni-bhiA  gri^ana. 

The  dawn  lights  up,  praised  by  the  ministers. 

vi.  39,  I.  mandrasya  kaveA  divyasya  vahne/t. 

Of  the  sweet  poet,  of  the  heavenly  priest  .... 

vii.  82,  4.  yuvam  it  yut-su  pritanasu  vahnaya^  yuvam 
kshemasya  pra-save  mita-^nava/t  i^ana  vasvaA  ubhayasya 
karavaA  indravaru^ia  su-hava  havamahe. 

We,  as  ministers,  invoke  you  only  in  fights  and  battles ; 
we,  as  supplicants,  (invoke)  you  for  the  granting  of  treasure ; 
we,  as  poets,  (invoke)  you,  the  lords  of  twofold  wealth,  you, 
Indra  and  VaruTia,  who  listen  to  our  call. 

vi.  32,  3.  saA  vahni-bhi/i  rikva-bhi^  goshu  saswat  mita^nu- 
hhih  puru-kritva  ^igaya. 

He  (Indra)  was  victorious  often  among  the  cows,  always 
with  celebrating  and  suppliant  ministers. 

I  have  placed  these  two  passages  together  because  they 


MAiVi)ALA   I,    SUKTA   6.  29 

seem  to  me  to  illustrate  each  other,  and  to  show  that 
although  in  the  second  passage  the  celebrating  and  sup- 
pliant ministers  may  be  intended  for  the  Maruts,  yet  no 
argument  could  be  drawn  from  this  verse  in  favour  of  vahni 
by  itself  meaning  the  Maruts.  See  also  viii.  6,  ^;  12,  15; 
X.  114,  2. 

iv.  21,  6.   hota  jih  ndJi  mahan  sam-vara?ieshu  vahniA. 

The  Hotar  who  is  our  great  priest  in  the  sanctuaries. 

i.  1285  4.   vahni/i  vedhaA  a^ayata. 

Because  the  wise  priest  (Agni)  was  born. 

The  same  name  which  in  these  passages  is  applied  to 
Agni,  is  in  others,  and,  as  it  will  be  seen,  in  the  same 
sense,  applied  to  Indra. 

ii.  21,  2.   tuvi-graye  vahnaye. 

To  the  strong-voiced  priest  or  leader. 

The  fact  that  vahni  is  followed  in  several  passages  by 
ukthaiA  would  seem  to  show  that  the  office  of  the  vahni 
w^as  chiefly  that  of  recitation  or  of  addressing  prayers  to 
the  gods. 

iii.  20,  I.  agnim  ushasam  asvina  dadhi-kram  vi-ush/ishu 
havate  vahniA  ukthaiA. 

The  priest  at  the  break  of  day  calls  with  his  hymns  Agni, 
Ushas,  the  A^vins,  and  Dadhikra. 

i.  184,  I.  ta  vam  adya  tau  aparam  huvema  u^Mantyam 
ushasi  vahni^  ukthai^. 

Let  us  invoke  the  two  A^vins  to-day  and  to-morrow,  the 
priest  with  his  hymns  is  there  when  the  dawn  appears. 

In  a  similar  sense,  it  would  seem,  as  vahni/t  ukthai^,  the 
Vedic  poets  frequently  use  the  words  vahniA  asa.  This  asa  is 
the  instrumental  singular  of  as,  mouth,  and  it  is  used  in  other 
phrases  also  of  the  mouth  as  the  instrument  of  praise. 

vi.  32,  I.  va^rme  5am-tamani  vaA;amsi  asa  sthaviraya 
taksham. 

I  have  shaped  with  my  mouth  blessed  words  to  the 
wielder  of  the  thunderbolt,  the  strong  Indra. 

X.  115,  3.   asa  vahnim  na  5oAisha  vi-rap^inam. 

He  who  sings  with  his  flame  as  the  poet  with  his 
mouth.  See  also  i.  38,  14.  mimihi  ^lokam  asyS,  make  a 
song  in  thy  mouth. 

Thus  we  find  vahnim  asa  in  the  same  place  in  the  sixth 


30  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

and  seventh  Maw^alas  (vi.  i6,  9;  vii.  16,  9),  in  the  phrase 
vahni^  asa  vidu/^-tara/^,  appUed  to  Agni  in  the  sense  of  the 
priest  wise  with  his  mouth,  or  taking  yahvAh  asa  as  it  were 
one  word,  the  wise  poet. 

i.  129,  5.  vahni^  asa,  vahniA  na/^  akkha. 

Indra,  as  a  priest  by  his  hps,  as  a  priest  coming  towards  us. 

From  the  parallehsm  of  this  passage  it  would  seem  that 
Professor  Roth  concluded  the  meaning  of  asa  *  to  be  near, 
or  coram. 

i.  76,  4.  pra^a-vata  vaA:asa  yahnih  asa  a  ka  huve  ni  ka 
satsi  iha  devai^. 

With  w^ords  in  which  my  people  join,  I,  the  poet,  invoke, 
and  thou  (Agni)  sittest  down  with  the  gods. 

vi.  II,  2.   pavakaya  ^uhva  vahni/i  asa. 

Thou,  a  poet  with  a  bright  tongue,  O  Agni ! 

The  question  now  arises  in  what  sense  vahni  is  used  when 
applied  without  further  definition  to  certain  deities.  Most 
deities  in  the  Veda  are  represented  as  di'iving  or  driven,  and 
many  as  poets  or  priests.  When  the  A^vins  are  called  vahm, 
viii.  8,  12;  vii.  73,  4,  it  may  mean  riders.  But  when  the 
Vi^ve  Devas  are  so  called,  i.  3,  9,  or  the  i?ibhus,  the  exact 


*  As,  mouth,  the  Latin  os,  oris,  has  been  derived  from  a  root  as,  to  breathe, 
preserved  in  the  Sanskrit  as-u,  spirit,  asu-ra,  endowed  with  spirit,  'living,  the 
living  god.  Though  I  agree  with  Curtius  in  admitting  a  primitive  root  as,  to 
breathe,  from  which  as-u,  breath,  must  have  sprung,  I  liave  always  hesitated 
about  the  derivation  of  as  and  asya,  mouth,  from  the  same  root.  I  do  not 
think,  however,  that  the  lengthening  of  the  vowel  in  ^s  is  so  great  a  difficulty 
as  has  been  supposed  (Kuhn,  Zeitschrift,  vol.  xvii.  p.  145).  Several  roots  lengthen 
their  vowel  a,  when  used  as  substantives  without  derivative  suffixes.  In  some 
cases  this  lengthening  is  restricted  to  the  Anga  base,  as  in  anacZvah ;  in  others 
to  the  Anga  and  Pada  base,  as  in  visvava^,  visvavacZbhiA,  &c. ;  in  others  again 
it  pervades  the  whole  declension,  as  in  turasha^ ;  (see  Sanskrit  Grammar, 
§§  ^lo,  208,  175.)  Among  ordinary  words  va^■  offers  a  clear  instance  of  a 
lengthened  vowel.  In  the  Veda  we  find  ritlshfCham,  vi.  14,  4,  and  ritlshS'ham 
(Sanhita),  i.  64, 15.  We  find  vah  in  apsu-vah  (Sam.  Ved.),  indra-vab,  havya-vah. 
Sah  at  the  end  of  compounds,  such  as  nri-sah,  pntana-sah,  bhliri-sah,  satra-sah, 
vibh^-sah,  sad3--sah,  varies  between  a  long  and  short  ^  :  (see  Regnier,  Etude 
sur  I'idiome  du  Vedas,  p.  iii.)  At  all  events  no  instance  has  yet  been  pointed 
out  in  Sanskrit,  showing  the  same  contraction  which  we  should  have  to  admit 
if,  as  has  been  proposed,  we  derived  as  from  av-as,  or  from  an-as.  From  an 
we  have  in  the  Veda  an<i,  mouth  or  face,  i.  52,  15.  From  as,  to  breathe,  the 
Latin  omen,  originally  os-men,  a  whisper,  might  likewise  be  derived. 


MAiS^DALA   I,    SUKTA   6.  31 

meaning  is  more  doubtful.  The  Maruts  are  certainly  riders, 
and  we  can  even  prove  that  they  were  supposed  to  sit  on 
horseback  and  to  have  the  bridle  through  the  horse's  nostrils 
(v.  6 1,  2).  But  if  in  our  verse  i.  6,  5,  we  translate  vahni  as 
an  epithet,  rider,  and  not  only  as  an  epithet,  but  as  a  name  of 
the  Maruts,  we  cannot  support  our  translation  by  independent 
evidence,  but  must  rely  partly  on  the  authority  of  Sajana, 
partly  on  the  general  tenour  of  the  text  before  us,  where  the 
Maruts  are  mentioned  in  the  preceding  verse,  and,  if  I  am 
right,  in  the  verse  following  also.  On  the  other  hand,  if 
vahni  can  thus  be  used  as  a  name  of  the  Maruts,  there  is  at 
least  one  other  passage  which  would  gain  in  clearness  by 
the  admission  of  that  meaning,  viz. 

X.  138,  I.  tava  tye  indra  sakhyeshu  vahnayaA — vi  adar- 
dirxih  valam. 

In  thy  friendship,  Indra,  these  Maruts  tore  asunder  the 
cloud. 

Verse  5,  note  ^.  I  have  translated  vi/u  by  stronghold, 
though  it  is  only  an  adjective  meaning  firm.  Dr.  Oscar  Meyer, 
in  his  very  able  essay  Quaestiones  Homericae,  specimen 
prius,  Bonnai,  1867,  has  tried  to  show  that  this  viM  is  the 
original  form  of  "I\io<^,  and  he  has  brought  some  further 
evidence  to  show  that  the  siege  and  conquest  of  Troy,  as  I 
pointed  out  in  my  Lectures  on  the  Science  of  Language, 
vol.  ii.  p.  470,  was  originally  described  in  language  borrowed 
from  the  siege  and  conquest  of  the  dark  night  by  the  powers 
of  light,  or  from  the  destruction  of  the  cloud  by  the  w  capons 
of  Indra.  It  ought  to  be  considered,  however,  that  vi/u  in 
the  Yeda  has  not  dwindled  down  as  yet  to  a  mere  name, 
and  that  therefore  it  may  have  originally  retained  its  purely 
appellative  poAver  in  Greek  as  well  as  in  Sanskrit,  and  from 
meaning  a  stronghold  in  general,  have  come  to  mean  the 
stronghold  of  Troy. 

Verse  5,  note  ^.  The  bright  cows  are  here  the  cows  of 
the  morning,  the  dawns,  or  the  days  themselves,  which  are 
represented  as  rescued  at  the  end  of  each  night  by  the 
power  of  Indra,  or  similar  solar  gods.  Indra's  companions 
in  that   daily  rescue   are   the    Maruts,  the    storms,  or  the 


32  HYMNS'  TO   THE   MARUTS. 

breezes  of  the  morning,  the  same  companions  \Yho  act  even 
a  more  prominent  part  in  the  battle  of  Indra  against  the 
dark  clouds ;  two  battles  often  mixed  up  together. 

Verse  6,  note  ^.  The  reasons  why  I  take  girah  as  a  mas- 
culine in  the  sense  of  singer  or  praiser,  may  be  seen  in  a 
note  to  i.  37,  10. 

Verse  6,  note  ^.  yatha  matim,  lit.  according  to  their  mind, 
according  to  their  hearths  desire.      Cf.  ii.  24,  13. 

Verse  7,  note  ^.  The  sudden  transition  from  the  plural 
to  the  singular  is  strange^  but  the  host  of  the  Maruts  is 
frequently  spoken  of  in  the  singular,  and  nothing  else  can 
here  be  intended.  It  may  be  true,  as  Professor  Benfey 
suggests,  that  the  verses  here  put  together  stood  originally 
in  a  different  order,  or  that  they  were  taken  from  different 
sources.  Yet  though  the  Sama-veda  would  seem  to  sanction 
a  small  alteration  in  the  order  of  the  verses,  the  alteration 
of  verses  7,  4,  5,  as  following  each  other,  would  not  help  us 
much.  The  Atharva-veda  sanctions  no  change  in  the  order 
of  these  verses. 

The  transition  to  the  dual  at  the  end  of  the  verse  is 
likewise  abrupt,  not  more  so,  however,  than  we  are  prepared 
for  in  the  Veda.  The  suggestion  of  the  Nirukta  (iv.  12) 
that  these  duals  might  be  taken  as  instru mentals  of  the 
singular,  is  of  no  real  value. 

Verse  7,  note  ^.  Dnkshase,  a  very  valuable  form,  a  second 
person  singular  conjunctive  of  the  First  Aorist  Atmanepada, 
the  termination  '  sase^  corresponding  to  Greek  o->7,  as  the 
conjunctive  takes  the  personal  terminations  of  the  present 
in  both  languages.  Similar  forms,  viz.  prikshase,  x.  22,  7, 
maTWsase,  x.  27,  10;  Ath.  Veda  vii.  20,  2—6,  and  possibly 
vivakshase,  x.  21,  1—8,  24,  1—3,  25,  i— 11,  will  have  to  be 
considered  hereafter.     (Nirukta,  ed.  Roth,  p.  30,  Notes.) 

Verse  8,  note  ^.  Ar^ati,  which  I  have  here  translated  by 
he  cries  aloud,  means  literally,  he  celebrates.  I  do  not 
know    of  any  passage   where   ar^ati,  when  used,  as   here. 


MAiVZ>ALA   I,    s6kta    6.  33 

without  an  object,  means  to  shine,  as  Professor  Benfey 
translates  it.  The  real  difficulty,  however,  lies  in  makha, 
which  Say ansL  explains  by  sacrifice,  and  which  I  have 
ventured  to  translate  by  priest  or  sacrificer.  Makha,  as  an 
adjective,  means,  as  far  as  we  can  judge,  strong  or  vigorous, 
and  is  applied  to  various  deities,  such  as  Pushan  i.  138,  i, 
Savitar  vi.  71,  i,  Soma  xi.  20,  7,  Indra  iii.  34,  2,  the 
Maruts  i.  64,  11 ;  vi.  66,  9.  By  itself,  makha  is  never 
used  as  the  name  of  any  deity,  and  it  cannot  therefore,  as 
Professor  Roth  proposes,  be  used  in  our  passage  as  a  name 
of  Indra,  or  be  referred  to  Indra  as  a  significant  adjective. 
In  i.  119,  3,  makha  is  applied  to  men  or  warriors,  but  it 
does  not  follow  that  makha  by  itself  means  warrior,  though 
it  may  be  connected  with  the  Greek  />taxo9  in  o-J^c/xa^o?. 
See  Curtius,  Grundziige,  p.  293 ;  Grassmann,  in  Kuhn^s 
Zeitschrift,  vol.  xvi.  p.  164. 

There  are  two  passages  where  makha  refers  to  an  enemy 
of  the  gods,  ix.  loi,  13;  x.  171,  2. 

Among  the  remaining  passages  there  is  one  where  makha 
is  used  in  parallelism  with  vahni,  x.  11,  6.  vivakti  vahniA, 
su-apasyate  makhaA.  Here  I  propose  to  translate.  The  poet 
speaks  out,  the  priest  works  well.  The  same  meaning  seems 
to  me  applicable  likewise  to  the  phrase  makhasya  davane, 
to  the  offering  of  the  priest. 

i.  134,  I.   a  yahi  davane,  vayo  (iti),  makhasya  davane. 

Come,  Vayu,  to  the  offering,  to  the  offering  of  the  priest. 

viii.  7,27.  a  na/i  makhasya  davane — devasa^  upa  gantana. 

Come,  gods,  to  the  offering  of  our  priest. 

Professor  Roth  proposes  to  render  makha  in  these  passages 
by  'attestation  of  joy,  celebration,  praise,^  and  he  takes 
davane,  as  I  have  done,  as  a  dative  of  davan,  a  nomen 
actionis,  meaning,  the  giving.  There  are  some  passages 
where  one  feels  inclined  to  admit  a  noun  davana,  and  to 
take  davane  as  a  locative  sing. 

vi.  71,  2.   devasya  vayam  savitii/i  savimani 

5resh//((e  syama  vasuna^  ^a  davane. 

May  we  be  in  the  favour  of  the  god  Savitar,  and  in  the 
best  award  of  his  treasure. 

In  ii.  II,  I,  and  ii.  11,  12,  the  locative  would  likewise 
be  preferable ;  but  there  is  a  decided  majority  of  passages 

VOL.  I.  D 


34  HYMNS   TO   THE    MARUTS. 

in  M-hich  davane  occurs  and  ^Yhere  it  is  to  be  taken  as  a 
dative*,  nor  is  there  any  other  instance  in  the  Veda  of  a 
nomen  actionis  being  formed  by  vana.  It  is  better,  there- 
fore, in  vi.  71,  2,  to  refer  ^resh/Ae  to  savimani,  and  to  make 
allowance  in  the  other  passages  for  the  idiomatic  use  of  such 
phrases  as  davane  vasunam  or  raya^  davane. 

The  termination  vane  explains,  as  has  been  shown  by 
Professor  Benfey,  Greek  infinitives  such  as  Sovvai,  i.  e. 
^oevaL  or  Sofevai  =  Sanskrit  da-vane.  The  termination  mane 
in  da-mane,  for  the  purpose  of  giving,  explains,  as  the  same 
scholar  has  proved,  the  ancient  infinitives  in  Greek,  such 
as  S6-iu€vai.  It  may  be  added  that  the  regular  infinitives 
in  Greek,  ending  in  evai,  as  XeXonr-evai,  are  likewise 
matched  by  Vedic  forms  such  as  ix.  61,  30.  dhurv-ane,  or 
vi.  61,  13.  vibhv-ane.  In  the  termination  eiv,  which  stands 
for  evi,  like  et?  for  eon,  we  have,  on  the  contrary,  not  a 
dative,  but  a  locative  of  an  abstract  noun  in  an,  both  cases, 
as  we  see  from  their  juxta-position  in  vi.  71,  2,  being  equally 
appHcable  to  express  the  relation  which  we  are  accustomed 
to  call  infinitive. 

Verses  9  and  10,  note  ^  Although  the  names  for  earth, 
sky,  and  heaven  vary  in  different  parts  of  the  Veda,  yet  the 
expression  divah  roA:anam  occurs  so  frequently  that  we  can 
hardly  take  it  in  this  place  in  a  sense  different  from  its 
ordinary  meaning.  Professor  Benfey  thinks  that  roA:ana 
may  here  mean  ether,  and  he  translates  '  come  from  heaven 
above  the  ether ;^  and  in  the  next  verse,  'come  from  heaven 
above  the  earth/  At  first,  every  reader  would  feel  inclined 
to  take  the  two  phrases,  diva^  va  roA:anat  adhi,  and  divah 
va  parthivat  adhi,  as  parallel;  yet  I  believe  they  are  not 
quite  so. 

The  following  passages  will  show  that  the  two  w^ords 
ro^anam  diva^  belong  together,  and  that  they  signify  the 
light  of  heaven,  or  the  bright  place  of  heaven. 

viii.  98,  3.   agakkhah  roAranam  diva/*. 


*  Rv.  i.  61,  10  ;  122,  5  ;  134,  2  ;  139,  6  ;  ii.  i,  10  ;  iv.  29,  5  ;  32,  9  ;  v.  59, 
I  ;  4  ;  65,  3  ;  viii.  25,  20  ;  45,  10 ;  (92,  26) ;  46,  25  ;  27  ;  63,  5  ;  69,  17  ;  70, 
12;  ix.  93,  4  ;    X.  32,  5;  44,  7;  50,  7. 


MAiVi^ALA   I,    SllrKTA   6.  35 

Thou  (Indra)  wentest  to  the  Hght  of  heaven. 

i.  155,  3.   adhi  ro/cane  diva/^. 

In  the  hght  of  heaven. 

hi.  6,  8.   uraii  va  ye  antarikshe — diva/«  va  ye  ro^ane. 

In  the  wide  sky.  or  in  the  hght  of  heaven. 

viii.  82,  4.   upame  ro.^ane  diva^. 

In  the  highest  hght  of  heaven. 

ix.  86,  27.  tritiye  iprishihe  adhi  rokane  diva/^. 

On  the  third  ridge,  in  the  hght  of  heaven.  See  also  i. 
^^5,  5 ;  vih.  6g,  3. 

The  very  phrase  which  we  find  in  our  verse,  only  with  kit 
instead  of  va,  occurs  again,  i.  49,  i  ;  viii.  8,  7  ;  and  the 
same  sense  must  probably  be  assigned  to  vih.  i,  18,  adha 
^ma^  adha  va  diva/i  brihata/^  roAanat  adhi. 

Either  fi^om  the  earth,  or  from  the  light  of  the  great 
heaven,  increase,  O  Indra  ! 

Ro^ana  also  occurs  in  the  plural : 

i.  146,  I.  vi5va  divaA  ro^ana. 

All  the  bright  regions  of  heaven. 

Saya/za :  '  All  the  bright  palaces  of  the  gods.'   See  iii.  1 2,  9. 

The  same  word  roA:ana,  and  in  the  same  sense,  is  also 
joined  with  surya  and  naka. 

Thus,  i.  14,  9.  suryasya  ro/canat  vi^van  devan — hota  iha 
vakshati. 

May  the  Hotar  bring  the  Vi^ve  Devas  hither  from  the 
light  of  the  sun,  or  from  the  bright  realm  of  the  sun. 

iii.  22,  3.  yah  roAane  parastat  suryasya. 

The  waters  which  are  above,  in  the  bright  realm  of  the 
sun,  and  those  which  are  below. 

i.  19,  6.   ye  nakasya  adhi  roA:ane,  divi  devasa/i  asate. 

They  who  in  the  light  of  the  firmament,  in  heaven,  are 
enthroned  as  gods. 

Here  divi,  in  heaven,  seems  to  be  the  same  as  the  light 
of  the  firmament,  nakasya  ro^ane. 

Thus  ro/cana  occurs  also  frequently  by  itself,  when  it 
clearly  has  the  meaning  of  heaven. 

It  is  said  of  the  dawn,  i.  49,  4  ;  of  the  sun,  i.  50,  4 ;  and 
of  Indra,  iii.  44,  4. 

visvam  a  bhati  ro^anam,  they  light  up  the  whole  sky. 

We  also  read  of  three  roA-anas,  where,  though  it  is  difficult 

D  2 


36  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

to  say  what  is  really  meant,  we  must  translate,  the  three 
skies.  The  cosmography  of  the  Veda  is,  as  I  said  before, 
somewhat  vague  and  varying.  There  is,  of  course,  the 
natural  division  of  the  world  into  heaven  and  earth  (dyii  and 
bhumi),  and  the  threefold  division  into  earth,  sky,  and  heaven, 
where  sky  is  meant  for  the  region  intermediate  between 
heaven  and  earth  (prithivi,  antariksha,  dyu).  There  is  also 
a  fourfold  division,  for  instance, 

viii.  97,  5.   yat  va  asi  roA:ane  divaA 

samudrasya  adhi  vish/api, 

yat  parthive  sadane  vritrahan-tama, 

yat  antarikshe  a  gahi. 

Whether  thou,  O  greatest  killer  of  Vritra,  art  in  the  light 
of  heaven,  or  in  the  basin  of  the  sea,  or  in  the  place  of  the 
earth,  or  in  the  sky,  come  hither  ! 

V.  52,  7.  ye  vavridhanta  parthiva/^  ye  uraii  antarikshe  a, 
vri^ane  va  nadmam  sadha-sthe  va  maha/f  diva^. 

The  Maruts  who  grew,  being  on  the  earth,  those  who  are 
in  the  wide  sky,  or  in  the  compass  of  the  rivers,  or  in  the 
abode  of  the  great  heaven. 

But  very  soon  these  three  or  more  regions  are  each 
spoken  of  as  threefold.     Thus, 

i.  102,  8.  tisra^  bhumi^  trmi  ro/cana. 

The  three  earths,  the  three  skies. 

ii.  27,  9.   tri  ro^ana  divya  dharayanta. 

The  Adityas  support  the  three  heavenly  skies. 

V.  69,  I.  tri'  ro/:ana  varu??a  trm  uta  dyun  trmi  mitra 
dharayatha^  r%amsi. 

Mitra  and  Varu^za,  you  support  the  three  lights,  and  the 
three  heavens,  and  the  three  skies. 

Here  there  seems  some  confusion,  which  Saya/za's  com- 
mentary makes  even  worse  confounded.  What  can  ro^ana 
mean  as  distinct  from  dyii  and  ra^as  ?  The  fourth  verse  of 
the  same  hymn  throws  no  light  on  the  subject,  and  I  should 
feel  inclined  to  take  divya-parthivasya  as  one  word,  though 
even  then  the  cosmic  division  here  adopted  is  by  no  means 
clear.  However,  there  is  a  still  more  complicated  division 
alluded  to  in  iv.  S3}  5' 

tvih  antariksham  savita  mahi-tvana  tri  vngRmsi  pari-bhu/z 
trmi  ro^ana,  tisraA  diva^  prithivf/^  tisraA  invati. 


MAA^DALA    I,    SUKTA    6.  37 

Here  we  have  the  sky  thrice,  three  welkins,  three  Hghts, 
three  heavens,  three  earths. 

A  careful  consideration  of  all  these  passages  v\  ill  show,  I 
think,  that  in  our  passage  we  must  take  diva^  va  roA:anat 
adhi  in  its  usual  sense,  and  that  we  cannot  separate  the 
two  words. 

In  the  next  verse,  on  the  contrary,  it  seems  equally  clear 
that  divaA  and  parthivat  must  be  separated.  At  all  events 
there  is  no  passage  in  the  Rig-veda  where  parthiva  is  joined 
as  an  adjective  with  dyu.  Parthiva  as  an  adjective  is  fre- 
quently joined  with  ra^as,  never  with  dyii.  See  i.  81,5;  90, 
7;  viii.  88,  5;  ix.  72,  8  :   in  the  plural,  i.  154,  i;  v.  81,  3; 

vi.  3h  2 ;  49.  3- 

Parthivani  also  occurs  by  itself,  when  it  means  the  earth, 
as  opposed  to  the  sky  and  heaven. 

X.  32,  2.  vi  indra  yasi  di\yani  rokansi  vi  parthivani  ra^asa. 

Indra  thou  goest  in  the  sky  between  the  heavenly  lights 
and  the  earthly. 

viii.  94,  9.  a  ye  vi^va  parthivani  paprathan  roA:ana  divah. 

The  Maruts  who  stretched  out  all  the  earthly  lights,  and 
the  lights  of  heaven. 

vi.  61,  II.  a-paprushi  parthivani  urii  ra^a^  antariksham. 

Sarasvati  filling  the  earthly  places,  the  wide  welkin,  the 
sky.      This  is  a  doubtful  passage. 

Lastly,  parthivani  by  itself  seems  to  signify  earth,  sky, 
and  heaven,  if  those  are  the  three  regions  which  Vish/zu 
measured  with  his  three  steps ;  or  east,  the  zenith,  and 
west,  if  these  were  intended  as  the  three  steps  of  that 
deity.      For  we  read  : 

i.  155,  4.  ya^  parthivani  tri-bhiA  it  vigama-bhiA  uru  kra- 
mish/a. 

He  (Vish^zu)  who  strode  wide  with  his  three  strides  across 
the  regions  of  the  earth. 

These  two  concluding  verses  might  also  be  taken  as 
containing  the  actual  invocation  of  the  sacrificer,  which  is 
mentioned  in  verse  8.  In  that  case  the  full  stop  at  the 
end  of  verse  8  should  be  removed. 


38  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 


MAiS^DALA  I,  SUKTA  19. 

AsHTAKA  I,  Adhyaya  1,  Yaega  36-37. 

1.  Prati  tyam   Mr  am    adhvaram    go-pitliaya   pra 
hiiyase,  marut-blii/^  agne  a  gahi. 

2.  Nahi  devsih  na  martya/^  mahaA  tava  kratum 
para7i,  marut-bliiA  agne  a  galii. 

3.  Ye  maha/i  ra^asa/?.  viduA  visve  devasaA  adruha/z, 
marut-bhiA  agne  a  gahi. 

4.  Ye  iigr^h  arkam  kiirikiih  anadh^dsh^asaA  o^asa, 
mamt-bhi/i  agne  a  gabi. 


1 .  Wilson  :  Earnestly  art  tliou  invoked  to  this  perfect  rite^ 
to  drink  the  Soma  juice  :  come^  Agni^  with  the  Marnts. 

Bexfey  :  Zu  diesem  schonen  Opfer  wirst  du  gerufen_,  zum 
Trank  der  Milch  ! — Mit  diesen  Marut's,  Agni !  komm  ! 

Langlots  :  Le  sacrifice  est  prepare  avec  soin ;  nous  t^appe- 
lons  k  venir  gouter  des  nos  libations :  Agni^  viens  avec  les 
Marouts. 

2.  Wilson  :  No  god  nor  man  has  power  over  a  rite  (dedi- 
cated) to  thee,  who  art  mighty :  come,  Agni,  mth  the 
Maruts. 

Benfey  :  Denn  nicht  ein  Gott,  kein  Sterblicher  ragt  iiber 
dein,  des  Grossen,  Macht  —  Mit  diesen  Marut's,  Agni ! 
komm  ! 

Langlois  :  Aucun  dieu,  aucun  mortel  n'est  assez  fort  pour 
lutter  contre  un  etre  aussi  grand  que  toi :  Agni,  viens  avec 
les  Marouts. 


MANDAJuA    I,    SUKTA    19.  39 


Hymn  to  Agni  (the  god  of  Fire)  and  the 
Maruts  (the  Storm-gods). 

1.  Thou  art  called  forth  to  this  fair  sacrifice  for  a 
draught  of  milk;^  with  the  Maruts  come  hither,  0 
Agni ! 

2.  No  god  indeed,  no  mortal,  is  beyond  the  might  ^ 
of  thee,  the  mighty  one ;  with  the  Maruts  come 
hither,  0  Agni ! 

3.  They  who  know  of  the  great  sky,^  the  Visve 
Devas  ^  without  guile ;  ^  with  those  Maruts  come 
hither,  0  Agni ! 

4.  The  wild  ones  who  sing  their  song,^  unconquer- 
able by  force ;  with  the  Maruts  come  hither,  0 
Agni ! 


3.  Wilson  :  Who  all  are  divine,,  and  devoid  of  malignity, 
and  who  know  (how  to  cause  the  descent)  of  great  waters  : 
come,  Agni,  with  the  Maruts. 

Benfey  :  Die  guten  Gotter,  welche  all  bestehen  in  dem 
weiten  Raum — Mit  diesen  Marut^s,  Agni !  komm  ! 

Langlois  :  Tons  ces  dieux  bienfaiteurs  (des  hommes)  con- 
naissent  ce  vaste  monde  (ou  regne  la  lumiere) :  Agni,  viens 
avec  les  Marouts. 

4.  Wilson  :  Who  are  fierce,  and  send  down  rain,  and 
are  unsurpassed  in  strength  :  come,  Agni,  with  the  Ma- 
ruts. 

Benfey  :  Die  schreckUch-unbesiegbaren,  die  machtigUch 
Licht  angefacht — Mit  diesen  Marut^s,  Agni !  komm  ! 

Langlois  :  Mena9ants,  doues  d^une  force  invincible,  ils 
peuvent  obscurcir  la  lumiere  du  soleil :  Agni,  viens  avec  les 
Marouts. 


40  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

5.  Ye  SLibhra/^  ghora-varpasa/^  su-kshatrasaA  ri^'a- 
dasaA,  marut-bhi^  agne  a  gahi. 

6.  Ye    nakasya    adhi  ro^'ane   divi   devasaA   asate, 
ma.rut-bhiA  agne  a  gahi. 

7.  Ye  inkhayanti  parvat^n  timh  samudram  ar^ia- 
vam,  marut-bhi/i  agne  a  gahi. 

8.  A  ye  tanvanti  rasmi-bhi/i.  tira/i  samudram  o^asa, 
marut-bhi/i  agne  K  gahi. 

9.  Abhi  tva  purva-pitaye  sri^ami  somyam  madhu, 
mariit-bhi/^  ague  a  gahi. 


5.  Wilson  :  Who  are  brilliant,  of  terrific  forms,  who  are 
possessors  of  great  wealth,  and  are  devourers  of  the  malevo- 
lent :  come,  Agni_,  with  the  Maruts. 

Benfey  :  Die  glanzei]d-g'rau''ngestaltigen,  hochherrschend- 
feindvernichtenden — Mit  diesen  Marut's,  Agni !  komm  ! 

Langlois  :  Resplendissants,  revetus  d^une  forme  terrible^  ils 
peuvent  donner  les  ri  chesses,  com  me  ils  pen  vent  aussi  detruire 
leurs  ennemis  :  Agni,  viens  avec  les  Marouts. 

6.  Wilson  :  Who  are  divinities  abiding  in  the  radiant 
heaven  above  the  sun :  come,  Agni,  with  the  Maruts. 

Benfey  :  Die  Gotter  die  im  Himmel  sind  ob  dem  Lichtkreis 
des  Gottersitz^s — Mit  diesen  Marut^s,  Agni !  komm  ! 

Langlois  :  Sous  la  voute  brillante  du  ciel,  ces  dieux  s^elevent 
et  vont  s'asseoir :  Agni,  viens  avec  les  Marouts. 

7.  Wilson  :  Who  scatter  the  clouds,  and  agitate  the  sea 
(with  waves) :  come,  Agni,  with  the  Maruts. 

Benfey  :  AVelche  liber  das  wogendc  Meer  hiiijngcn  die  Wol- 
kenschaar — Mit  diesen  Marut^s,  Agni !  komm  ! 


MANDAhA    I,    SUKTA    19.  41 


5.  They  who  are  brilliant,  of  awful  shape,  powerful, 
and  devourers  of  foes  ;  with  the  Maruts  come  hither, 
0  Agni ! 

6.  They  who  in  heaven  are  enthroned  as  gods,  in 
the  light  of  the  firmament ;  ^  with  the  Maruts  come 
hither,  0  Agni ! 

7.  They  who  toss  the  clouds^  across  the  surging 
sea  ;  ^  with  the  Maruts  come  hither,  0  Agni ! 

8.  They  who  shoot  with  their  darts  across  the 
sea  with  might ;  with  the  Maruts  come  hither,  0 
Agni ! 

9.  I  pour  out  to  thee  for  the  early  draught  the 
sweet  (juice)  of  Soma  ;  with  the  Maruts  come  hither, 
0  Agni ! 


Langlois  :  lis  soulevent  et  poiissent  les  montagnes  (de 
nuages)  au-dessus  de  Fabime  des  mers :  Agni^  viens  avec 
les  Marouts. 

8.  Wilson  :  Who  spread  (through  the  firmament),  along 
with  tlie  rays  (of  the  sun),  and,  with  their  strength,  agitate 
the  ocean  :  come,  Agni,  with  the  Maruts. 

Benfey  :  Die  mit  BHtzen  schleuderen  machtig  iiber  das 
Meer  hinaus — Mit  diesen  Marut's,  Agni !  komm  ! 

Langlois  :  lis  etendent  avec  force  les  rayons  a  travers 
FOcean  (celeste) :  Agni,  viens  avec  les  Marouts. 

9.  Wilson  :  I  pour  out  the  sweet  Soma  juice  for  thy 
drinking,  (as)  of  old  :  come,  Agni,  with  the  Maruts. 

Benfey  :  Ich  giesse  zu  dem  ersten  Trank  fiir  dich  des 
Soma  Honig  aus — Mit  diesen  Marut^s,  Agni !  komm  ! 

Langlois  :  A  toi  cette  premiere  libation ;  je  t'offre  la  douce 
boisson  du  soma :  Agni,  viens  avec  les  Marouts. 


42  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 


COMMENTARY. 


This  hymn  is  ascribed  to  Medhatithi,  of  the  family  of 
Kanva.     The  metre  is  Gayatri  throughout. 

Verse  1,  note  ^.  Gopitha  is  explained  by  Yaska  and 
Saya/m  as  drinking  of  Soma.  I  have  kept  to  the  literal 
signification  of  the  word,  a  draught  of  milk.  In  the  last 
verse  of  our  hymn  the  libation  offered  to  Agni  and  the 
Maruts  is  said  to  consist  of  Soma,  but  Soma  was  commonly 
mixed  with  milk.  The  other  meaning  assigned  to  gopitha, 
protection,  would  give  the  sense  :  '  Thou  art  called  for  the 
sake  of  protection.^  But  pitha  has  clearly  the  sense  of 
drinking  in  soma-pitha^  Rv.  i.  51,  7,  and  must  therefore  be 
taken  in  the  same  sense  in  gopitha.  ^ 

Verse  2,  note  ^.  The  Sanskrit  kratu  expresses  po^ver  both 
of  body  and  mind. 

Verse  3,  note  ^.  The  sky  or  welkin  (ra^as)  is  the  proper 
abode  of  the  Maruts,  and  '  they  who  know  of  means  simply 
'  they  who  dwell'  in  the  great  sky.  The  Vedic  poets  dis- 
tinguish commonly  between  the  three  worlds,  the  earth, 
prithivi',  f.,  or  parthiva,  n. ;  the  sky,  ra^as  ;  and  the 
heaven,  dyu :  see  i.  6,  9,  note  ^.  The  phrase  maha,/^  ra^a- 
sa/i  occurs  i.  6,  10;  168,  6,  &c.  Saya??a  takes  ra^as  for 
water  or  rain :  see  on  this  my  article  in  Kuhn^s  Zeitschrift, 
vol.  xii.  p.  28.  The  identification  of  ra^as  with  epefiog 
(Leo  Meyer,  in  Kuhn's  Zeitschrift,  vol.  vi.  p.  19)  must  remain 
doubtful  until  stronger  evidence  has  been  brought  forward 
in  support  of  a  Greek  ^  representing  a  Sanskrit  g,  even 
in  the  middle  of  a  word.  See  my  article  in  Kuhn's  Zeit- 
schrift, vol.  XV.  p.  215  ;   Curtius,  Grundzuge,  p.  421. 

Verse  3,  note  ^.  The  appellation  Vi^ve  deva/z,  all  gods 
together,  or,  more  properly,  host-gods,  is  often  applied  to 
the  Maruts;  c£  i.  23,  8;  10.  Benfey  connects  this  line  with 
the  preceding  verse,  considering  Vi^ve  devah,  it  seems,  in- 
appropriate as  an  epithet  of  the  Maruts. 

Verse    3,   note  ^.     On    adriih,    without   guile    or    deceit. 


MAN D ALA    1,    SUKTA  19.  43 

without  hatred,  see  Kuhn's  excellent  article,  Zeitschrift 
fiir  die  Vergleichende  Sprachforschung,  vol.  i.  pp.  179,  193. 
Adrdh  is  applied  to  the  Maruts  again  in  viii.  46,  4,  though 
in  connection  with  other  gods.  It  is  applied  to  the  Visve 
Devas,  Rv.  i.  3,  9  ;  ix.  102,  5  :  the  Adityas,  Rv.  viii.  19,  34  ; 
67,  13  :  the  Rudras,  Rv.  ix.  73,  7  :  to  Heaven  and  Earth, 
Rv.  ii.  41,  21;  iii.  56,  i;  iv.  ^6,  2;  vii.  66,  18:  to  Mitra 
and  Varu?za,  Rv.  v.  68,  4 :  to  Agni,  Rv.  vi.  15,  7  ;  viii.  44, 
10.      The  form  adhriik  occurs  in  the  sixth  Mandala  only. 

Verse  4,  note  ^.  Sayawa  explains  arka  by  water.  Hence 
Wilson  :  '  Who  are  fierce  and  send  down  rain.'  But  arka 
has  only  received  this  meaning  of  water  in  the  artificial 
system  of  interpretation  first  started  by  the  authors  of  the 
BrahmaTzas,  who  had  lost  all  knowledge  of  the  natural  sense 
of  the  ancient  hymns.  The  passages  in  which  arka  is 
explained  as  water  in  the  Brahma?zas  are  quoted  by  Saya^a, 
but  they  require  no  refutation.  On  the  singing  of  the 
Maruts  see  note  to  i.  38,  15.  The  perfect  in  the  Veda, 
like  the  perfect  in  Homer^  has  frequently  to  be  rendered  in 
English  by  the  present. 

Verse  6,  note  ^.  Naka  must  be  translated  by  firmament, 
as  there  is  no  other  word  in  English  besides  heaven,  and 
this  is  wanted  to  render  dyu.  Like  the  Jewish  firmament, 
the  Indian  naka,  too,  is  adorned  with  stars ;  cf.  i.  68,  10. 
pipesa  nakam  stribhi^.  Dyu,  heaven,  is  supposed  to  be 
above  the  ra^as,  sky  or  welkin.  Kuhn's  Zeitschrift,  vol.  xii. 
p.  28. 

Saya?2a  :  '  In  the  radiant  heaven  above  the  sun.'  See  note  ^ 
to  i.  6,  9;  p.  34. 

Verse  7,  note  ^  That  parvata  (mountain)  is  used  in  the 
sense  of  cloud,  without  any  further  explanation,  is  clear 
from  many  passages : 

i.  57,  6.  tvam  tarn  indi'a  parvatam  maham  urum  yaffreiia. 
va^rin  parva-5a/i  A:akartitha. 

Thou,  Indra,  hast  cut  this  great  broad  cloud  to  pieces 
with  thy  lightning.     Cf.  i.  85,  10. 

W^e  actually  find  two   similes  mixed  up  together,  such 


44  HYMNS    TO    THE    M ABUTS. 

as  V.  32,  2.  udha^  parvatasya,  the  udder  of  the  cloud.  In 
the  Edda,  too,  the  rocks,  said  to  have  been  fashioned  out 
of  Ymir's  bones,  are  supposed  to  be  intended  for  clouds. 
In  Old  Norse  klakkr  means  both  cloud  and  rock ;  nay,  the 
Eno;lish  word  cloud  itself  has  been  identified  with  the 
Anglo-Saxon  duel,  rock.  See  Justi,  Orient  und  Occident, 
vol.  ii.  p.  62. 

Verse  7,  note  ^.  Whether  the  surging  sea  is  to  be  taken  for 
the  sea  or  for  the  air,  depends  on  the  view  which  we  take  of 
the  earliest  cosmography  of  theVedic  i?ishis.  Sayawa  explains : 
'  They  who  make  the  clouds  go,  and  stir  the  watery  sea.' 
Wilson  remarks  that  the  influence  of  the  winds  upon  the  sea, 
alluded  to  in  this  and  the  following  verse,  indicates  more 
familiarity  with  the  ocean  than  we  should  have  expected  from 
the  traditional  inland  position  of  the  early  Hindus,  and  it  has 
therefore  been  supposed  that,  even  in  passages  like  our  own, 
samudra  was  meant  for  the  sky,  the  waters  above  the  firma- 
ment. But  although  there  are  passages  in  the  Rig-veda  where 
samudi'a  may  be  taken  to  mean  the  welkin,  this  word  shows 
in  by  far  the  larger  number  of  passages  the  clear  meaning 
of  ocean.  There  is  one  famous  passage,  vii.  95,  2,  which 
proves  that  the  Vedic  poets,  who  were  supposed  to  have 
known  the  upper  courses  only  of  the  rivers  of  the  Penjab, 
had  followed  the  greatest  and  most  sacred  of  their  rivers, 
the  Sarasvati,  as  far  as  the  Indian  ocean.  It  is  well  known 
that,  as  early  as  the  composition  of  the  laws  of  the  Manavas, 
and  possibly  as  early  as  the  composition  of  the  Sutras  on 
which  these  metrical  laws  are  based,  the  river  Sarasvati  had 
changed  its  course,  and  that  the  place  where  that  river 
disappeared  under  ground  was  called  Vina^ana,  the  loss. 
This  Vina^ana  forms,  according  to  the  laws  of  the  Manavas, 
the  western  fi'ontier  of  Madhyade^a,  the  eastern  fi'ontier 
being  formed  by  the  confluence  of  the  Ganga  and  Yamuna. 
Madhyade^a  is  a  section  of  Aryavarta,  the  abode  of  the 
Aryas  in  the  widest  sense.  Aryavarta  shares  with  Madhya- 
desa  the  same  frontiers  in  the  north  and  the  south,  viz.  the 
Himalaya  and  Vindhya  mountains,  but  it  extends  beyond 
Madhyade^a  to  the  west  and  east  as  far  as  the  western 
and  eastern  seas.      A  section  of  Madhyade^a,  again,  is  the 


MAN  DAL  A   I,    SUKTA  19.  45 


country  described  as  that  of  the  Brahmarshis,  which  com- 
prises only  Kurukshetra,  the  countries  of  the  Matsyas, 
Paii^alas  (Kanyakub^a^  according  to  Kulluka),  and  8urasenas 
(Mathura,  according  to  Kulluka).  The  most  sacred  spot 
of  all,  however,  is  that  section  of  the  Brahmarshi  country 
which  lies  between  the  rivers  Drishadvati  and  Sarasvati, 
and  which  in  the  laws  of  the  Manavas  is  called  Brahmavarta. 
I  have  not  found  any  mention  of  the  Vina^ana  of  the  Sara- 
svati in  any  of  those  works  which  the  author  of  the  laws  of 
the  Manavas  may  be  supposed  to  have  consulted.  Madhya- 
de^a  is  indeed  mentioned  in  one  of  the  Pari^ish/as  (MS.  510, 
Wilson)  as  a  kind  of  model  country,  but  it  is  there  described 
as  lying  east  of  Da6'ar?za*,  west  of  Kampilyaf,  north  of 
Pariyatra  J,  and  south  of  the  Himavat,  or  again,  in  a  more 
general  way,  as  the  Duab  of  the  Ganga  and  Yamuna  ^. 

It  is  very  curious  that  while  in  the  later  Sanskrit  lite- 
rature the  disappearance  of  the  Sarasvati  in  the  desert  is  a 
fact  familiar  to  every  writer,  no  mention  of  it  should  occur 
during  the  whole  of  the  Vedic  period,  and  it  is  still  more 
curious  that  in  one  of  the  hymns  of  the  Rig-veda  we  should 
have  a  distinct  statement  that  the  Sarasvati  fell  into  the  sea : 

vii.  95,  1-2.  pra  kshodasa  dhayasa  sasre  esha  sarasvati 
dharuwam  ayasi  pu^,  pra-babadhana  rathya-iva  yati  \is\^h 
apa/i  mahina  sindhu^  anya'A.  eka  aA-etat  sarasvati  nadmam 
snkih  yati  giri-bhyaA  a  samudrat,  raya^  ^etanti  bhuvanasya 
bhure/i  ghritam  payaA  duduhe  nahushaya. 

I.  With  her  fertilizing  stream  this  Sarasvati  comes  forth — 
(she  is  to  us)  a  stronghold,  an  iron  gate.  Moving  along  as 
on  a  chariot,  this  river  surpasses  in  greatness  all  other  waters. 
2.  Alone   among  all  rivers  Sarasvati  listened,  she  ivho  goes 


*  See  Wilson's  Vishwu-purana,  ed.  Hall,  pp.  154,  155,  159,  160. 

t  See  Wilson's  Vishwu-purawa,  ed.  Hall,  p.  161. 

+  1.  c.  pp.  123,  127. 

§  Pr^g  dasan^at  pratyak  kampilyad  udak  parlyatrad,  dakshi)tena  hiinavata/i. 
Gang£iyamunayor  antaram  eke  madhyadesam  ity  a/i-akshate.  Medhatithi  says 
that  Madhyadesa,  the  middle  country,  was  not  called  so  because  it  was  in  the 
middle  of  the  earth,  but  because  it  was  neither  too  high  nor  too  low.  Albiruny, 
too,  remarks  that  Madhyadesa  was  between  the  sea  and  the  northern  mountains, 
between  the  hot  and  the  cold  countries,  equally  distant  from  the  eastern  and 
western  frontiers.     See  Reinaud,  M^moire  sur  I'lnde,  p.  46. 


46  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

•pure  from  the  mountains  as  far  as  the  sea.  She  who  knows 
of  the  manifold  wealth  of  the  world,  has  poured  out  to  man 
her  fat  milk. 

Here  we  see  samudi^a  used  clearly  in  the  sense  of  sea,  the 
Indian  sea,  and  we  have  at  the  same  time  a  new  indication 
of  the  distance  which  separates  the  Vedic  age  from  that  of 
the  later  Sanskrit  literature.  Though  it  may  not  be  possible 
to  determine  by  geological  evidence  the  time  of  the  changes 
which  modified  the  southern  area  of  the  Penjab  and  caused 
the  Sarasvati  to  disappear  in  the  desert,  still  the  fact  remains 
that  the  loss  of  the  Sarasvati  is  later  than  the  Vedic  age,  and 
that  at  that  time  the  waters  of  the  Sarasvati  reached  the 
sea.  Professor  Wilson  had  observed  long  ago  in  reference 
to  the  rivers  of  that  part  of  India,  that  there  have  been,  no 
doubt,  considerable  changes  here,  both  in  the  nomenclature 
and  in  the  courses  of  the  rivers,  and  this  remark  has  been 
fully  confirmed  by  later  observations.  I  believe  it  can  be 
proved  that  in  the  Vedic  age  the  Sarasvati  was  a  river  as 
large  as  the  Sutlej,  that  it  was  the  last  of  the  rivers  of  the 
Penjab,  and  therefore  the  iron  gate,  or  the  real  frontier 
against  the  rest  of  India.  At  present  the  Sarasvati  is  so 
small  a  river  that  the  epithets  applied  to  the  Sarasvati  in 
the  Veda  have  become  quite  inapphcable  to  it.  The  Vedic 
jRishis,  though  acquainted  with  numerous  rivers,  including 
the  Indus  and  Ganges,  call  the  Sarasvati  the  mother  of 
rivers  (vii.  36,  6.  sarasvati  saptathi  sindhu-mata),  the 
strongest  of  rivers  (vi.  61,  13.  apasam  apa/i-tama),  and  in  our 
passage,  vii.  95,  2,  we  have,  as  far  as  I  can  judge,  conclusive 
evidence  that  the  old  Sarasvati  reached  in  its  course  the 
Indian  sea,  either  by  itself,  or  united  with  the  Indus. 

But  this  passage,  though  important  as  showing  the  appli- 
cation of  samudra,  i.  e.  confluvies,  to  the  Indian  sea,  and 
proving  the  acquaintance  of  the  Vedic  i?ishis  with  the 
southern  coast  of  India,  is  by  no  means  the  only  one  in 
which  samudra  must  be  translated  by  sea.  Thus  we  read, 
vii.  49,  2  : 

ya/i  apa^  di\ya7i  uta  va  sravanti  khanitrimaA  uta  va  ya/i 
svayam-^a7«,  samudi'a-artha/t  ya'/^  svik?iy2ih  pavaka'i^  ta/i  apa/i 
devi/^  iha  mam  avantu. 

The  waters  which  are  from  hea^  en,  or  those  which  flow 


MAiVi^ALA   I,    SUKTA  19.  47 

after  being  dug,  or  those  which  spring  up  by  themselves, 
the  bright,  pure  waters  that  tend  to  the  sea,  may  those 
divine  waters  protect  me  here  ! 

i.  71,  7.  agnim  Yisya-h  abhi  priksha^  sa^ante  samudi'am 
na  sravata/i  sapta  yahvii^. 

All  kinds  of  food  go  to  Agni,  as  the  seven  rivers  go  to 
the  sea. 

Cf.  i.  190,  7.   samudram  na  sravataA  rodha-^akra/i. 

v.  78,  8.  yatha  vataA  yatha  vanam  yatha  samudraA  e^ati. 

As  the  wind  moves,  as  the  forest  moves,  as  the  sea  moves 
(or  the  sky). 

In  hymn  x.  58,  the  same  expression  occurs  which  we  have 
in  our  hymn,  and  samudram  ar?zavam  there  as  here  admits 
but  of  one  explanation,  the  surging  sea. 

Samudi'a  in  many  passages  of  the  Rig-veda  has  to  be 
taken  as  an  adjective,  in  the  sense  of  watery  or  flowing : 

vi.  58,  3.  yas  te  pushan  nava/«  anta^  samudre  hirawyayiA 
antarikshe  ^aranti. 

Thy  golden  ships,  O  Pushan,  which  move  within  the 
watery  sky. 

vii.  70,  2.  ya^  vam  samudran  saritaA  piparti. 

He  who  carries  you  across  the  watery  rivers. 

i.  161,  14.   at-bhiA  yati  varu?2a^  samudrai/t. 

Varuwa  moves  in  the  flowing  waters. 

In  both  these  passages  samudra,  as  an  adjective,  does 
not  conform  to  the  gender  of  the  noun.  See  BoUensen, 
Orient  und  Occident,  vol.  ii.  p.  467. 

ii.  16,  3.  na  samudraiA  parvataiA  indra  te  ratha/«  (na 
pari-bhve) . 

Thy  chariot,  O  Inch-a,  is  not  to  be  overcome  by  the 
watery  clouds. 


48  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

MandALA    I,    S^KTA    37. 

AsHTAKA  I,  AdhyIya  3,  Yarga  12-14. 

1.  KriZam  yslJi  sdrdhaA  marutam  anarv^/iam  rathe- 
5ubliam,  kanvaA  abhl  pra  gayata. 

2.  Ye  prlshatibhiA  rishti-hhih  sakam  vasibliiA  an^i- 
hhih,  a^ayanta  sva-bhanava/i. 

3.  Iha-iva  srhive  esham  ksiskh  hdstesliu  ydt  vd.d^n, 
ni  y^man  ^itram  rin^ate. 

4.  Trd  YdJi  ^ardhaya  gli?'ishvaye  tveslid-dyuran^ya 
5ushml??e,  devattam  brdhma  gayata. 


1.  Wilson:  Celebrate,,  Kanwas,  the  aggregate  strength  of 
the  Maruts,  sportive^  without  horses^  but  shining  in  their 
car. 

Benfey  :  Ka^videUj  auf !  begriisst  mit  Sang,  die  muntre 
Heerschaar  der  Marut's,  die  rasch^ste,  wagenglanzende. 

Langlois  :  Enfants  de  Canwa,  celebrez  la  puissance  des 
Marouts  que  transporte  un  char  brillant,  (puissance)  rapide 
et  inattaquable  dont  vous  ressentez  les  effets. 

2.  Wilson  :  Who,  borne  by  spotted  deer,  were  born  self- 
radiant,  with  weapons,  war-cries,  and  decorations. 

Benfey  :  Die  mit  Hirschen  und  Speeren  gleich  mit 
Donnern  und  mit  Blitzen  auch — selbststrahlende — geboren 
sind. 

Langlois  :  lis  viennent  de  naitre,  brillants  de  leur  propre 
eclat.  (Voyez-vous)  leurs  armes,  leurs  parures,  leur  char  traine 
par  les  daims  ?    (entendez-vous)  leurs  clameurs  ? 


MAiVZ)ALA    I,    st^KTA    37.  49 


Hymn  to  the  Makuts  (the  Storm-gods). 

1.  Sing  forth,  O  Kanvas,  to  the  sportive  host  of 
your  Maruts,  brilliant  on  their  chariots,  and  un- 
scathed/— 

2.  They  who  were  born  together,  self-luminous, 
with  the  spotted  deer  (the  clouds),^  the  spears,  the 
daggers,  the  ghttering  ornaments.^ 

3.  I  hear  their  ^  whips,  almost  close  by,  as  they 
crack  them  in  their  hands  ;  they  gain  splendour  ^  on 
their  way.^ 

4.  Sing  forth  your  god-given  prayer  to  the  ex- 
ultant ^  host  of  your  Maruts,  the  furiously  vigorous,^ 
the  powerfuL 


3.  Wilson  :  I  hear  the  cracking  of  the  whips  in  their 
hands,  wonderfully  inspiring  (courage)  in  the  fight. 

Benfey  :  Schier  hier  erschallt  der  Peitsche  Knall^  wenn 
sie  in  ihrer  Hand  erklingt;  leuchtend  fahr^n  sie  im  Sturm 
herab. 

Langlois  :  Ecoutez^  c^est  le  bruit  du  fouet  qu''ils  tiennent 
dans  leurs  mains;  c^est  le  bruit  qui_,  dans  le  combat _,  anime 
le  courage. 

4.  Wilson  :  Address  the  god-given  prayer  to  those  who 
are  your  strength,  the  destroyers  of  foes,  the  powerful,  pos- 
sessed of  brilliant  reputation. 

Benfey  :  Singt  eurer  Schaar,  der  wiihlenden,  der  strahlen- 
reichen,  kraftigen  ein  gotterfiilletes  Gebet ! 

Langlois  :  A  cette  troupe  (divine),  qui  detruit  vos  ennemis, 
noble,  forte  et  glorieuse,  offrez  la  part  d^hymnes  et  de  sacrifices 
que  lui  donnent  les  Devas. 

VOL.  I.  E 


50  HYMNS    TO    THE   MARUTS. 

5.  Prd  ssiinssi  gdshu  aghnyam  kri/dm  yat  5ardhaA 
marutam,  gimbhe  rasasya  vav^ddhe. 

6.  K.ih  YdJi  vdrsliisli^/ia/i  ^  mwcdJi  diva/i  ^a  gma/i 
A:a  dhutaya/z^,  yat  sim  antam  na  dhunutha. 

7.  Ni  YdJi  yamaya  manushaA  dadhre  ugraya  man- 
ydve,  ^ihita  parvataA  giri/i. 

8.  Yesli^m  a^/meshu  prlthivi'  ^u^urvan-iva  vispati/i, 
bhiy^  yameshu  rebate. 

9.  Stbiram  lii  ^^nam  esham  vayaA  matu/i  ni/i-etave, 
yd,t  sim  ^nu  dvit^  sava^. 


5.  Wilson  :  Praise  the  sportive  and  resistless  might  of  the 
Maruts,  who  were  born  amongst  kine^  and  whose  strength 
has  been  nourished  by  (the  enjoyment  of)  the  milk. 

Beneey  :  Preist  hoch  die  muntre  Marutschaar  die  unbe- 
siegbar  in  den  Kiih'n^  im  Schlund  des  Safts  wuchs  sie  heran. 

Langlois  :  Lone  done  cette  puissance  des  Marouts,,  invul- 
nerable et  rapide,  qui  regne  an  milieu  des  vaches  (celestes), 
et  ouvre  avec  force  (leurs  mamelles  pour  en  faire  couler)  le 
lait. 

6.  Wilson  :  Which  is  chief  leader  among  you,  agitators  of 
heaven  and  earth,  who  shake  all  around,  like  the  top  (of  a 
tree) ? 

Benfey  :  Wer,  Helden  !  ist  der  erste  euch — ihr  Erd-  und 
Himmel-schiitterer  ! — wenn  ihr  sie  schiittelt  Wipfeln  gleicli  ? 

Langlois  :  Parmi  vous  qui  remuez  si  puissamment  le  ciel  et 
la  terre,  qui  agitez  celle-ci  comme  la  cime  (d\m  arbre),  quel 
est  le  plus  vigoureux  ? 

7.  Wilson  :  The  householder,  in  dread  of  your  fierce  and 
violent  approach,  has  planted  a  firm  (buttress) ;  for  the  many- 
ridged  mountain  is  shattered  (before  you). 


MAA^7>ALA    I,    SI^KTA  37.  51 

5.  Celebrate  the  bull  among  the  cows  (the  storm 
among  the  clouds),^  for  it  is  the  sportive  host  of  the 
Maruts ;  he  grew  as  he  tasted  the  rain.^ 

6.  Who,  O  ye  men,  is  the  oldest  among  you  here, 
ye  shakers  of  heaven  and  earth,  when  you  shake 
them  like  the  hem  of  a  garment  ^  ^ 

7.  At  your  approach  the  son  of  man  holds  himself 
down ;  the  gnarled  cloud  ^  fled  at  your  fierce  anger. 

8.  They  at  whose  racings^  the  earth,  like  a  hoary 
king,  trembles  for  fear  on  their  ways, 

9.  Their  birth  is  strong  indeed  :  there  is  strength 
to  come  forth  from  their  mother,  nay,  there  is  vigour 
twice  enough  for  it.^ 


Benfey  :  Vor  eurem  Gange  beuget  sich_,  vor  eurem  wilden 
Zorn  der  Mann ;  der  Hiigel  weichet  und  der  Berg ; 

Langlois  :  Contre  votre  marche  impetueuse  et  terrible, 
rhomme  ne  pent  resister ;  les  collines  et  les  montagnes 
s^abaissent  devant  vous. 

8.  Wilson  :  At  whose  impetuous  approach  earth  trembles ; 
like  an  enfeebled  monarch,  through  dread  (of  his  enemies). 

Benfey  :  Bei  deren  Lauf  bei  deren  Sturm  die  Erde  zittert 
voller  Furcht,  wie  ein  altergebeugter  Mann. 

Langlois  :  Sous  vos  pas  redoutables,  la  terre  tremble  de 
crainte,  telle  qu'un  roi  accable  par  Page. 

9.  Wilson  :  Stable  is  their  birthplace,  (the  sky) ;  yet  the 
birds  (are  able)  to  issue  from  (the  sphere  of)  their  parent :  for 
your  strength  is  everywhere  (divided)  between  two  (regions, 
— or,  heaven  and  earth). 

Benfey  :  Kaum  geboren  sind  sie  so  stark,  dass  ihrer  Mutter 
sie  entfliehn  :  ist  ja  doch  zwiefach  ihre  Kraft. 

Langlois  :  Le  lieu  de  votre  naissance  est  ferme  et  stable ; 
vous  pouvez,  du  sein  de  votre  mere,  vous  elancer,  tels  que  des 
oiseaux ;  car,  des  deux  cotes,  est  un  element  solide. 

E  2 


52  HYMNS   TO   THE    MAEUTS. 

10.  Ut  urn  (iti)  tye  sunava/i  gira/i  M^htJM  %me- 
sliu  atnata,  YSLsrKh  ohhi-gnu  yatave. 

11.  Tydm  kit  gha  dirgham  prithiim  milia/i  ndpatam 
dmridliram,  prd  ^yavayanti  yama-bhiA. 

12.  Mamta/i  yat  ha  va/i  balam  ^dnan  aA;uA:yavitana, 
girin  a^u^yavitana. 

13.  Yat  ha  yanti  maruta/^  sam  ha  bruvate  adhvan 
^,  5ri^6ti  kih  kit  esham. 

14.  Pra  yata  siT3ham  asu-bhi/^  santi  kaizveshu  va^ 
dvLYSih,  tatro  (iti)  su  m^dayadhvai. 


10.  Wilson  :  Tliey  are  the  generators  of  speech  :  they 
spread  out  the  waters  in  their  courses  :  they  urge  the  lowing 
(cattle)  to  enter  (the  water),  up  to  their  knees,  (to  drink.) 

Benfey  :  In  ihrem  Lauf  erheben  dann  diese  Sohne  Getos 
und  Fluth,  die  his  zum  Knie  den  Kiiben  geht. 

Langlois  :  Ces  (dieux)  repandent  le  son  comme  on  repand 
la  libation.  Leur  souffle  etend  les  voies  du  ciel ;  (Feau  tombe) 
et  la  vache  (en  s^y  desalterant) ,  y  entre  jusqu^aux  genoux. 

11.  Wilson  :  They  drive  before  them,  in  their  course,  the 
long,  vast,  uninjurable,  rain-retaining  cloud. 

Benfey  :  Dann  treiben  sie  im  Sturm  heran  jenen  langen 
und  breiten  Spross  der  Wolke  unerschopflichen. 

Langlois  :  (Voyez-vous)  ce  long  et  large  (nuage),  fils  de 
Ponde  (qui  s^y  amoncelle)  ?  (II  semble)  invulnerable.  (Les 
Marouts)  savent  le  chemin  par  lequel  on  arrive  jusqu'a  lui 
pour  Febranler. 

12.  Wilson  :  Maruts,  as  you  have  vigour,  invigorate  man- 
kind :  give  animation  to  the  clouds. 


MANDALA   I,    SUKTA  37.  53 

10.  And  these  sons,  the  singers/  enlarged  the 
fences  in  their  coursings  ;  ^  the  cows  had  to  walk 
knee-deep. 

11.  They  cause  this  long  and  broad  unceasing 
rain^  to  fall  on  their  ways. 

12.  O  Maruts,  with  such  strength  as  yours,  you 
have  caused  men  to  fall/  you  have  caused  the  moun- 
tains to  fall. 

13.  As  the  Maruts  pass^  along,  they  talk  together 
on  the  way  :  does  any  one  hear  them  '? 

14.  Come  fast  on  your  quick  steeds!  there  are 
worshippers^  for  you  among  the  Kanvas  :  may  you 
well  rejoice  among  them. 


Benfey  :  O  Marufs  !  mit  der  Kraft,  die  ihr  besitzt,  werft 
ihr  Gescliopfe  um_,  die  Berge  werft  ihr  um  sogar. 

Langlois  :  O  Marouts,  puisque  vous  avez  la  force,  faites-la 
sentir  aux  hommes,  faites-la  sentir  aux  collines. 

13.  Wilson  :  Wherever  the  Maruts  pass,  they  fill  the  way 
with  clamour  :  every  one  hears  their  (noise). 

Benfey  :  Wenn  die  Marut's  des  Weges  ziehn,  dann  sprechen 
mit  einander  sie  und  mancher  mag  sie  horen. 

Langlois  :  Quand  les  Marouts  sont  en  marche,  le  chemin 
retentit  de  leur  voix  :  chacun  les  entend. 

14.  Wilson  :  Come  quickly,  with  your  swift  (vehicles). 
The  offerings  of  the  Kaiiwas  are  prepared.  Be  pleased  with 
them. 

Benfey  :  Auf  schnellen  kommet  schnell  herbei,  bei  Ka^^va's 
Spross  sind  Teste  euch :  da  wollt  euch  schon  ergotzen. 

Langlois  :  Accourez,  portez  ici  vos  pas  rapides.  Les  enfants 
de  Canwa  vous  attendent  avec  leurs  offrandes ;  ici  vous  serez 
satisfaits. 


54  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

15.    Asti  hi  sma  midijs.  va/^  smasi  sma  vaydm 
esham,  vlsvam  ^it  Kjuh  ^ivase. 


15.  Wilson  :  The  offering  is  prepared  for  your  gratification  : 
we  are  your  (worshippers),  that  we  may  live  all  our  life. 

Benfey  :  Geriistet  ist  fiir  euren  Rauseh  und  wir  gehoren, 


COMMENTARY. 

This  hymn  is  ascribed  to  Ka^va,  the 'son  of  Ghora.  The 
metre  is  Gayatri. 

Verse  1,  note  \  Wilson  translates  anarvaWm  by  without 
horses,  though  the  commentator  distinctly  explains  the 
word  by  without  an  enemy.  Wilson  considers  it  doubtful 
whether  arvan  can  ever  mean  enemy.  The  fact  is,  that  in 
the  Rig-veda  an-arvan  never  means  without  horses,  but 
always  without  hurt  or  free  from  enemies ;  and  the  com- 
mentator is  perfectly  right,  as  far  as  the  sense  is  concerned, 
in  rendering  the  word  by  without  an  enemy,  or  unopposed 
(apraty-rita).  An-arvan  is  not  formed  from  arvat,  horse, 
racer,  but  from  arvan  ;  and  this  is  derived  from  the  same 
root  which  yields  arus,  n.  a  wound.  The  accusative  of  anar- 
vat,  without  a  horse,  would  be  anarvantam,  not  anarva?zam. 

The  root  ar,  in  the  sense  of  hurting,  is  distantly  connected 
with  the  root  mar :  see  Lectures  on  the  Science  of  Lan- 
guage, Second  Series,  p.  323.  It  exists  i:i  the  Greek 
bXXv/ui,  corresponding  to  Sanskrit  rinomi,  i.  e.  arnomi,  I 
hurt,  likewise  in  oi'Av,  wound,  which  cannot  be  derived 
from  b\r] ;  in  ou\o<^,  ov.\io9,  hurtful,  and  oAoo?,  destructive: 
see  Curtius,  Grundziige  der  Griechischen  Etymologic  (zweite 
Ausgabe),  pp.  59,  505.  In  the  Veda  ar  has  the  sense  of 
offending  or  injuring,  particularly  if  preceded  by  upa. 

X.  164,  3.  yat  a-^asa  ni/i-»<fasa,  abhi-5asa  upa-arima  ga- 
grata/i  yat  svapanta^,  agni^  vi^vani  apa  du^-kritani  a^ush^ani 
are  asmat  dadhatu. 


MAiVTDALA   I,    sfjKTA  37.  65 

15.  Truly  there  is  enough  for  your  rejoicing.  We 
always  are  their  servants,  that  we  may  live  even  the 
whole  of  life. 

traun  !    euch  an  fiir  unser  ganzes  Lebelang. 

Langlois  :  Agreez  notre  sacrifice,  car  nous  vous  sommes 
devoues.     Daignez  nous  assurer  une  longue  existence. 


If  we  have  offended,  or  whatever  fault  we  have  committed, 
by  bidding,  blaming,  or  forbidding,  while  waking  or  while 
sleeping,  may  Agni  remove  all  wicked  misdeeds  far  from  us. 

Hence  upara,  injury,  vii.  85,  6.  asti  gjajan  kaniyasaA 
upa-are,  the  older  man  is  .there  to  injure,  to  offend,  to  mis- 
lead, the  young :  (History  of  Ancient  Sanskrit  Literature, 
second  edition,  p.  541.)  Roth  translates  upara  by  Verfeh- 
lung,  missing.  Ari,  enemy,  too,  is  best  derived  from  this 
root,  and  not  from  ra,  to  give,  with  the  negative  particle, 
as  if  meaning  originally,  as  Sayawa  supposes,  a  man  who 
does  not  give.  In  ararivan,  gen.  ararusha^,  hostile,  Rosen 
recognized  many  years  ago  a  participle  of  a  really  redupli- 
cated perfect  of  ar,  and  he  likewise  traced  araru,  enemy, 
back  to  the  same  root :    see  his  note  to  i.  18,  3. 

From  this  root  ar,  to  hurt,  arvan,  hurting,  as  well  as 
arus,  wound,  are  derived  in  the  same  manner  as  both 
dhanvan  and  dhanus,  bow,  are  formed  from  dhan ;  y%van 
and  ya^us  from  ya^,  parvan  and  parus  from  par.  See 
Kuhn,  Zeitschrift,  vol.  ii.  p.  233. 

Anarvan,  then,  is  the  same  as  anarus,  ^at.  P.  Brahma;?a 
iii.  I,  3,  7  ;  and  from  meaning  originally  without  a  wound 
or  without  one  who  can  wound,  it  takes  the  more  general 
sense  of  uninjured,  invulnerable,  perfect,  strong,  (cf.  inte- 
ger, intact,  and  entire.)  This  meaning  is  appUcable  to  i. 
94,  2  ;  136,  5 ;  ii.  6,  5 ;  v.  49,  4 ;  vii.  20,  3  ;  97,  5  ;  x.  61, 
13;  6^,  3.  In  i.  116,  16,  anarvan  seems  to  be  used  as  an 
adverb  ;  in  i.  51,  12,  as  applied  to  sloka,  it  may  have  the 
more  general  meaning  of  irresistible,  powerful. 


56  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

There  are  two  passages  in  which  the  nom.  sing,  arvan, 
and  one  in  which  the  ace.  sing,  arvawam,  occur,  apparently 
meaning  horse.  But  in  i.  163,  13,  and  ix.  97,  25,  arvan 
stands  in  the  Pada  text  only,  the  Sanhita  has  arva  akkha 
and  arva  iva.  In  x.  46,  5,  the  text  hiri-,smasrum  na  arva/zam 
dhana-ar^am  is  too  doubtful  to  allow  of  any  safe  induction, 
particularly  as  the  Sama-veda  gives  a  totally  different  read- 
ing. I  do  not  think  therefore  that  arvat,  horse,  admits  in 
the  nom.  and  ace.  sing,  of  any  forms  but  arva  and  arvan- 
tam.  Pamni  (vi.  4,  127)  allows  the  forms  arvan  and  arva- 
Tzam,  but  in  anarvan  only,  which,  as  we  saw,  has  nothing 
in  common  with  arvat,  horse.  Benfey :  '  die  rascheste 
(keinen  Renner  habend,  uneinholbar),^  the  quickest  (having 
no  racer,  hence  not  to  be  reached). 

The  masculine  anarva^iam  after  the  neuter  ^ardhas  is 
curious ;  ^ardhas  means  might,  but  it  is  here  used  to 
express  a  might  or  an  aggregate  of  strong  men  or  gods, 
and  the  nom.  plur.  ye,  who,  in  the  next  verse,  shows  the 
same  transition  of  thought,  not  only  from  the  singular  to 
the  plural,  but  also  from  the  neuter  to  the  masculine,  which 
must  be  admitted  in  anarva^zam.  It  would  be  possible,  if 
necessary,  to  explain  away  the  irregularity  of  anarvaV^am  by 
admitting  a  rapid  transition  from  the  Maruts  to  Indra,  the 
eldest  among  the  MarMs  (cf.  i.  23,  8.  indra-^yesh/^a/^  marut- 
ganah),  and  it  would  be  easier  still  to  alter  ^ardhas  into 
^ardham,  as  an  accusative  singular  of  the  masculine  noun 
5ardha,  which  has  the  same  meaning  as  the  neuter  ^ardhas. 
There  is  one  passage,  v.  ^6,  9,  which  would  seem  to  give 
ample  countenance  to  such  a  conjecture : 

tam  Yah  ^ardham  rathe-5ubham — a  huve. 

I  call  hither  this  your  host,  brilliant  on  chariots. 

Again,  ii.  30,  11,  we  read: 

tam  yah  ^ardham  marutam — gira  upa  bruve. 

I  call  with  my  voice  on  this  your  host  of  Maruts. 

viii.  93,  16.  ;srutam  vah  vritrahan-tamam  pra  ^ardham 
A:arshamnam,  a  ^ushe. 

I  pant  for  the  glorious,  victorious,  host  of  the  quick 
Maruts. 

From  this  sardha  we  have  also  the  genitive  ^ardhasya, 
vii.  ^6,  8  (4)  : 


MAN D ALA   1,    SUKTA  37.  57 

5ubhra/i  va^  sushma^  krudhmi  manamsi  dhuni/i  miini^- 
iva  5ardhasya  dhrishnoh. 

Your  strength  is  brilliant,  your  minds  furious  ;  the  shout 
of  the  daring  host  is  like  one  possessed. 

We  have  hkewise  the  dative  ^ardhaya,  the  instrumental 
5ardhena,  and  the  ace.  plur.  ;?ardhan ;  and  in  most  cases, 
except  in  two  or  three  where  ^ardha  seems  to  be  used  as 
an  adjective,  meaning  strong,  these  words  are  applied  to  the 
host  of  the  Maruts. 

But  the  other  word  ^ardhas  is  equally  well  authenti- 
cated, and  we  find  of  it,  not  only  the  nominative,  accu- 
sative, and  vocative  sing,  ^ardhas,  but  likewise  the  nom. 
plur.  ^ardhamsi. 

The  nominative  singijar  occurs  in  our  very  hymn  : 

i-  37:  5-  kri/am  yat  ^ardhaA  marutam. 

Which  is  the  sportive  host  of  the  Maruts. 

i.  127,  6.   sa/i  hi  ^ardha^  na  marutam  tuvi-svani/^.. 

For  he  ( Agni)  is  strong-voiced  like  the  host  of  the  Maruts . 

iv.  6,  10.   tuvi-svanasa^  marutam  na  sa.rdhs.h. 

Thy  flames  (Agni)  are  strong-voiced  like  the  host  of  the 
Maruts. 

V.  46,  5.   uta  tyat  na/i  marutam  sardhah  a  gamat. 

May  also  that  host  of  the  Maruts  come  to  us. 

ii.  I,  5.  tvam  naram  sardhah  asi  puru-vasu/«. 

Thou  (Agni),  full  of  riches,  art  the  host  of  the  men. 

This  host  of  men  seems  to  me  intended  again  for  the 
Maruts,  although  it  is  true  that  in  thus  identifying  Agni 
with  different  gods,  the  poet  repeats  himself  in  the  next 
verse : .  .  . 

ii.  I,  6.   tvam  savdhaJi  marutam. 

Thou  art  the  host  of  the  Maruts. 

If  this  repetition  seems  offensive,  the  first  naram  ^ardhas 
might  be  taken  for  some  other  company  of  gods.  Thus 
we  find : 

vii.  44,  5.  mnotu  nah  daivyam  sardhah  agniA  sri/ivantu 
vi^ve  mahisha'A  amura/t. 

May  the  divine  host,  may  Agni,  hear  us,  may  the  Vi^ve 
hear  us,  the  strong,  the  wise. 

Or  iii.  19,  4.  sa^  a  vaha  deva-tatim  yavish//?a  ^ardhaA 
yat  adya  divyam  y%asi. 


58  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

Bring  thou  hither,  O  Agni,  the  gods,  that  you  may 
sacrifice  to-day  to  the  cUvine  host. 

Or  i.  139,  I.    a  nil  tat  ^ardha/i  divyam  vrimmahe. 

We  chose  for  us  now  that  divine  host. 

As  in  these  last,  so  in  many  other  passages,  .9ardhas  is 
used  as  a  neuter  in  the  accusative.      For  instance, 

i.  106,  i;   ii.  II,  14.   marutam  ^ardha^. 

ii.  3,  3;   vi.  3,  8.  5ardha/i  marutam. 

The  vocative  occurs, 

V.  46,  2.  ague  indra  varuwa  mitra  devhh  sardha^  pra 
yanta  maruta  uta  vish/?o  (iti). 

Agni,  Indra,  Varuna,  Mitra,  gods,  host  of  the  Maruts, 
come  forth,  and  Vish?2u  ! 

We  see  how  throughout  all  these  ^Dassages  those  in  which 
5ardha  and  ^ardhas  are  applied  to  the  Maruts,  or  to  some 
other  company  of  gods,  preponderate  most  decidedly.  Yet 
passages  occur  in  the  Rig-veda  where  both  ^ardha  and  sar- 
dhas  are  applied  to  other  hosts  or  companies.  Thus  v.  53, 
10,  5ardha  refers  to  chariots,  while  in  i.  133,  3,  ^ardhas 
is  applied  to  evil  spirits. 

If  the  passages  hitherto  examined  were  all  that  occur  in 
the  Rig-veda,  we  might  still  feel  startled  at  the  construction 
of  our  verse,  where  ;?ardhas  is  not  only  followed  by  mascu- 
line adjectives  in  the  singular,  but,  in  the  next  verse,  by  a 
pronoun  in  the  plural.  But  if  we  take  the  last  irregularity 
first,  we  find  the  same  construction,  viz.  ^ardhas  followed 
by  ye,  in  iii.  32,  4: 

indrasya  ^ardha^  mar  lit  a^  ye  asan. 

The  host  of  Indra,  that  was  the  Maruts. 

As  to  the  change  of  genders,  we  .find  adjectives  in  the 
masculine  after  ^ardhas,  in 

V.  52,  8.  5ardha^  marutam  lit  samsa  satya-5avasam  ribh- 
vasam. 

Celebrate  the  host  of  the  Maruts,  the  truly  vigorous,  the 
brilliant. 

Here,  too,  the  poet  afterwards  continues  in  the  plural, 
though  as  he  uses  the  demonstrative,  and  not,  as  in  our 
passage,  the  relative  pronoun,  we  cannot  quote  this  in  sup- 
port of  the  irregularity  which  has  here  to  be  explained. 
Anyhow  the    construction   of  our  verse,   though  bold   and 


MAiVZ>ALA    I,    SUKTA  37.  59 

unusual,  is  not  so  unusual  as  to  force  us  to  adopt  conjectural 
remedies,  and  in  v.  58,  2,  we  find  ye  after  ga?2a^.  On  the 
Umbrian  Qerfo  Martio,  as  possibly  the  same  as  ^ardha-s 
maruta-s,  see  Grassman,  Kuhn^s  Zeitschrift,  vol.  xvi.  p.  190. 

Verse  2,  note  ^  The  spotted  deer  (pnshati)  are  the 
recognized  animals  of  the  Maruts,  and  were  originally,  as  it 
would  seem,  intended  for  the  rain-clouds.  Saya?za  -is  per- 
fectly aware  of  the  original  meaning  of  pnshati,  as  clouds. 
The  legendary  school,  he  says,  takes  them  for  deer 
with  white  spots,  the  etymological  school  for  the  many- 
coloured  lines  of  clouds  :  (Rv.  13h.  i.  64,  8.)  This  passage 
shows  that  although  pnshati,  as  lloth  observes,  may  mean 
a  spotted  cow  or  a  spotted  horse, — the  Maruts,  in  fact, 
are  called  sometimes  prishat-a^va/?,  having  piebald  horses, 
vii.  40,  3, — yet  the  later  tradition  in  India  had  distinctly 
declared  in  favour  of  spotted  deer.  The  Vedic  poets,  how- 
ever, admitted  both  ideas,  and  they  speak  in  the  same 
hymn,  nay,  in  the  same  verse,  of  the  fallow  deer  and  of  the 
horses  of  the  Maruts.  Thus  v.  58,  i,  the  Maruts  are 
called  a5u-asvaA,  possessed  of  quick  horses  ;  and  in  v.  58,  6, 
we  read  yat  pra  ayasish/a  prishatibhi^  asvaih — rathebhi/^, 
where  the  gender  of  prishatibhiA  would  hardly  allow  us  to 
join  it  with  asyaih,  but  where  we  must  translate  :  When 
you  come  with  the  deer,  the  horses,  the  chariots. 

Verse  2,  note  ^.  The  spears  and  daggers  of  the  Maruts 
are  meant  for  the  thunderbolts,  and  the  glittering  ornaments 
for  the  lightning.  Saya^za  takes  va^i  in  this  passage  for 
war-cries  on  the  authority  of  the  Nirukta,  where  va^i  is 
given  among  the  names  of  the  voice.  From  other  pas- 
sages, however,  it  becomes  clear  that  viisi  is  a  weapon  of 
the  Maruts ;  and  Say  ana,  too,  explains  it  sometimes  in 
that  sense:  cf.  v.  ^^,  4;  57,  z.  Thus  i.  88,  3,  the  va^is 
are  spoken  of  as  being  on  the  bodies  of  the  Maruts.  In 
V.  53,  4,  the  Maruts  are  said  to  shine  in  their  ornaments 
and  their  va^is.  Here  Saya/^a,  too,  translates  vasi  rightly 
by  weapon ;  and  in  his  remarks  on  i.  88,  3,  he  says  that 
vasi  was  a  weapon  commonly  called  ara,  which  is  a  shoe- 
maker's awl.    This  reminds  one  of/'ramea  which  at  one  time 


60  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

was  supposed  to  be  connected  with  the  German  pfrieme. 
See,  however,  Grimm  (Deutsche  Grammatik,  vol.  i.  p.  128) 
and  Leo  Meyer  (Kuhn's  Zeitschrift,  vol.  vi.  p.  424).  *  In 
viii.  29,  3,  the  god  Tvash/ar  is  said  to  carry  an  iron  va^i  in 
his  hand.  Grassman  (Kuhn^s  Zeitschrift,  vol.  xvi.  p.  jS'^) 
translates  va^i  by  axe.  That  aii^i  is  to  be  taken  in  the 
sense  of  ornament,  and  not  in  the  sense  of  ointment,  is 
shown  .by  passages  hke  viii.  29,  i,  where  a  golden  ornament 
is  mentioned,  a%i  ankte  hirawyayam.  Sakam,  together,  is 
used  with  reference  to  the  birth  of  the  Maruts,  i.  64,  4.  It 
should  not  be  connected  with  va^ibhi^. 

Verse  3,  note  ^.  Esham  should  be  pronounced  as  a  creti- 
cus  ;  also  in  verses  9,  13,  15.    This  is  a  very  common  vyuha. 

Verse  3,  note  ^.  I  should  have  taken  Mtram  as  an  adverb, 
like  Benfey,  if  ni  rin^  were  not  usually  construed  with  an 
accusative.  i?in^  in  the  3rd  pers.  plur.  pres.  Atm.  is 
treated  like  a  verb  of  the  x\.d-class. 

Verse  3,  note  ^.  The  locative  yaman  is  frequently  used 
of  the  path  on  which  the  gods  move  and  approach  the 
sacrifice  ;  hence  it  sometimes  means,  as  in  our  passage,  in 
the  sky.      Yamam  in  B.  R.,  s.  v.  ar^,  is  wrong. 

Verse  4,  note  ^.  Benfey  translates  gh?*ishvi  by  burrowing, 
and  refers  it  to  the  thunderbolt  that  uproots  the  earth. 
He  points  out  that  ghrishvi  means  also,  for  the  same 
reason,  the  boar,  as  proved  by  Kuhn  (Die  Herabkunft  des 
Feuers,  S.  202).  I  prefer,  however,  the  general  sense 
assigned  to  the  adjective  ghrishu  and  ghrishvi,  exuberant, 
brisk,  wild.  See  Kuhn  in  Kuhn^s  Zeitschrift,  vol.  xi. 
p.  385.  Wilson,  after  Saya/^a,  translates  destroyers  of  foes. 
On  the  representation  of  the  clouds  as  boars,  see  Nu\  v.  4. 

Verse  4,  note  ^.  Tvesha-dyumna  is  difficult  to  render. 
Both  tvesha  and  dyumna  are  derived  from  roots  that  mean 
to  shine,  to  be  bright,  to  glow.  Derivatives  from  tvish 
express  the  idea  of  fieriness,  fierceness,  and  fury.  In  iv. 
17,    2,    tvish    is    used    correlatively    with    manyu,    wrath. 


MAiVi)ALA    I,    SUKTA  37.  61 

Derivatives  from  dyu  convey  the  idea  of  brightness  and 
briskness.  Both  quaUties  are  frequently  applied  to  the 
Maruts. 

Verse  5,  note  ^.  This  translation  is  merely  conjectural. 
I  suppose  that  the  wind  driving  the  clouds  before  him,  is 
here  compared  to  a  bull  among  cows,  cf.  v.  52,  3 : 

te  syandrasa^  na  uksha^zaA  ati  skandanti  ^arvari^. 

They,  the  Maruts,  like  rushing  oxen,  mount  on  the  dark 
cows. 

The  last  sentence  states  that  the  wind  grows  even  stronger 
after  it  has  tasted  the  rain  (i.  85,  2.  te  ukshitasa^  mahima- 
nam  a^ata). 

Verse  5,  note  ".  I  take  ^ambhe  in  the  sense  of  ^ambhane. 
(On  the  root  ^abh  and  its  derivatives,  see  Kuhn,  Zeitschrift 
fiir  vergleichende  Sprachwissenschaft,  vol.  i.  p.  123  seq.)  It 
would  be  better  to  read  mukhe,  instead  of  sukhe,  in  the 
commentary.  The  Maruts  were  not  born  of  milk  for 
Pmni,  as  Wilson  says  in  a  note,  but  from  the  milk  of 
Prisni.  Pris-ni  is  called  their  mother,  Rudra  their  father  : 
(v.  52,  16;   60,  5.) 

Benfey  takes  the  cows  for  clouds  in  which  the  lightnings 
dwell ;  and  the  abyss  of  the  sap  is  by  him  supposed  to  be 
again  the  clouds. 

Verse  6,  note  \  Antam  na,  literally,  like  an  end,  is 
explained  by  Saya^a  as  the  top  of  a  tree.  Wilson,  Langlois, 
and  Benfey  accept  that  interpretation.  Roth  proposes,  like 
the  hem  of  a  garment,  which  I  prefer ;  for  vastranta,  the 
end  of  a  garment,  is  a  common  expression  in  later  Sanskrit, 
while  anta  is  never  applied  to  a  tree  in  the  sense  of  the  top 
of  a  tree.      Here  agra  would  be  more  appropriate. 

Verse  7,  note  \  Saya?za  translates :  '  Man  has  planted  a 
firm  buttress  to  give  stability  to  his  dwelling.'  Nidadhre 
is  the  perfect  Atmanepada,  and  expresses  the  holding  down 
of  the  head  or  the  cowering  attitude  of  man.  I  have 
taken  ugraya  manyave  over  to  ^ihita,  because  these  words 
could  hardly  form  an  apposition  to  yamaya.  As  the  Vedic 
poets    speak    of   the    very   mountains    as    shaken    by    the 


02  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

storms,  we  might  translate  panato*  girih  by  the  gnarled  or 
rocky  mount ;  but  there  is  no  authority  for  translating 
^ihita  by  it  is  shattered,  and  we  should  have  to  translate,  the 
mountain  yielded  or  bent  before  your  anger.     Cf  v.  57,  3  : 

ni  Yah  vana  ^ihate  yamana^  bhiya. 

The  forests  get  out  of  your  way  from  fear. 

V.  60,  2.  vana  kit  ugraA  ^ihate  ni  va^  bhiya  prithivi  kit 
rebate  parvata^  ^it. 

Even  the  forests,  ye  fearful  Maruts,  yield  from  fear  of 
you ;   even  the  earth  trembles,  even  the  mountains. 

Verse  8,  note  ^  x^^ma  seems  to  express  the  act  of 
racing  or  running  (like  %i,  race,  battle),  while  yama  is  the 
road  itself  where  the  racing  takes  place.  A  very  similar 
passage  occurs  in  i.  87,  3.  The  comparison  of  the  earth 
(fem.)  to  a  king  (masc.)  would  be  considered  a  grave  offence 
in  the  later  Sanskrit  literature.  In  i.  87,  3,  vithura  takes 
the  place  of  vi^pati. 

Verse  9,  note  \  A  very  difficult  verse.  The  birth  of 
the  Maruts  is  frequently  alluded  to,  as  well  as  their  sur- 
passing strength,  as  soon  as  born.  Hence  the  first  sentence 
admits  of  little  doubt.  But  what  follows  is  very  abrupt. 
Vayas  may  be  the  plural  of  vi,  bird,  or  it  may  be  vayas,  the 
neuter,  meaning  vital  strength :  see  Kuhn^s  Zeitschrift, 
vol.  XV.  p.  217.  The  Maruts  are  frequently  compared  to 
birds  (cf.  i.  87,  2;  88,  i),  but  it  is  usual  to  indicate  the 
comparison  by  na  or  iva.  I  therefore  take  vayas  as  a  nom. 
sing,  neut.,  in  the  sense  of  vigour,  life.  Nir-i  is  used  with 
particular  reference  to  the  birth  of  a  child  (cf.  v.  78,  7 ;  9). 

Verse  10,  note  ^.  If  we  take  sunavo  gira^  in  the  sense  of 
the  sons  of  voice,  i.  e.  of  thunder,  the  accent  of  girah  will 
have  to  be  changed.  Gira/?,  however,  occurs,  at  least  once 
more,  in  the  sense  of  singers  or  poets,  ix.  6^,  10,  where 
gira/i  can  only  be  a  vocative,  O  ye  singers  !  In  i.  6,  6,  the 
translation  of  gira^  by  singers,  i.  e.  the  Maruts,  may  be 
contested,  but  if  we  consider  that  gira/i,  in  the  sense  of 
hymns,  is  feminine,  and  is  followed  by  the  very  word  which 
is  here  used,  viz.  devayantaA,  as  a  feminine,  viz.  devayanti/j, 


MAiV/>ALA    1,    SX^KTA  37.  63 

vii.  1 8,  3,  we  can  hardly  doubt  that  in  i.  6,  6,  gira/i  is  a  mascu- 
Hne  and  means  singers.  The  same  apphes  to  vi.  6;^,  lo.  In 
vi.  52,  9,  the  construction  is,  of  course,  quite  different. 

Verse  10,  note  ^.  The  expression  that  the  Maruts  en- 
larged or  extended  the  fences  of  their  race-course,  can  only 
mean  that  they  swept  over  the  whole  sky,  and  drove  the 
clouds  away  from  all  the  corners.  Kash^/<a  may  mean  the 
wooden  enclosures  (carceres)  or  the  wooden  poles  that  served 
as  turning  and  winning-posts  {metce).  The  last  sentence 
expresses  the  result  of  this  race,  viz.  the  falling  of  so  much 
rain  that  the  cows  had  to  walk  up  to  their  knees  in  water. 
This  becomes  still  clearer  from  the  next  verse. 

Sayawa :  '  These,  the  producers  of  speech,  have  spread 
water  in  their  courses,  they  cause  the  cows  to  walk  up  to 
their  knees  in  order  to  drink  the  water.' 

Verse  11,  note  ^.  Rain  is  called  the  offspring  of  the  cloud, 
miho  napat,  and  is  then  treated  as  a  masculine. 

Verse  12,  note  ^  In  viii.  72,  8,  aX:uA:yavit  is  explained  by 
vyadarayat,  he  tore  open.  AA:u^yavitana  is  the  Vedic  form 
of  the  2nd  pers.  plur.  of  the  reduplicated  aorist. 

Verse  13,  note  \  Yanti  has  to  be  pronounced  as  an 
amphibrachys. 

Verse  14,  note  \  Benfey  supposes  that  duva/^  stands  in 
the  singular  instead  of  the  plural.  But  why  should  the 
plural  have  been  used,  as  the  singular  (asti)  would  have 
created  no  kind  of  difficulty  ?  It  is  better  to  take  diiva/i  as 
a  nominative  plural  of  a  noun  du,  worshipper,  derived  from 
the  same  root  which  yielded  duva^,  worship.  We  certainly 
find  a-duvaA  in  the  sense  of  not-worshipping : 

vii.  4,  6.  ma  tva  vayam  sahasa-van  avn'aA  ma  apsavaA  pari 
sadama  ma  aduva/i. 

May  we  not,  O  hero,  sit  round  thee  like  men  without 
strength,  without  beauty  (cf.  viii.  7,  7),  without  worship. 

Here  Saya?za  explains  aduvaA  very  well  by  pari/tarawa- 
hina^,  which  seems  better  than  Roth's  explanation  '  zogernd, 
ohne  Eifer.' 


64  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

Man D ALA  I,  SfjKTA  38. 
AsHTAKA  I,  AdhyIya  3,  Yarga  15-17. 

1.  Kdt  ha  nunam  kadha-priyaA*  pit^  putram  na 
hdstayoA,  dadhidhve  vrikta-barhisha/i. 

2.  Kva  nunam  kat  vaA  drtham  ganta  divih   na 
iprithivjsih,  kva  vaA  gKvSih  na  f  ranyanti. 

3.  Kva  YBih  sumna  navy4msi  maruta/?.  kva  suvitai, 
kvo  (iti)  visvani  saiibhaga. 

4.  Yat  yiiyam   prisni-matara/z^    martasa/i  syatana, 
stota  va/?.  amrltaA  syat. 

5.  Ma  vaA  mriga/i  na  ydvase  grants  bhut  a^oshya/i, 
joath^  yamasya  gat  upa. 

6.  Mo  (iti)  sii   naA  par4-para  nih-ritih  dn/i-han4 
vadhit,  padisb^a  trisb7?ay4  saha. 

7.  Satyam   tvesha/?.    ama-vanta/^    dhanvan   ^it   ^ 
rudriyasa/i,  mlham  kri^ivanti  avatamj. 

8.  Va^ra-iva  vi-dyut  mimati  vatsam  na   mat^  si- 
sakti,  ydt  esham  Yri^htih  asar^i. 

9.  Diva   ^it   tama^   k^'invanti    par^anyena    uda- 
vabena,  ydt  prithivim  vi-undanti. 

10.  Adha  svanat  marut^m  visvam  ^  sadma  parthi- 
vam,  dre^anta  pra  m£inusha/i. 


*  k^dha  priy^A  f  Omit  n^  J  dvsitam 


MAi\rz)ALA   I,    SUKTA  38.  66 


Hymn  to  the  Maruts  (the  Storm-gods). 

1.  What  then  now'?  When^  will  you  take  (us)  as 
a  dear  father  takes  his  son  by  both  hands,  0  ye  gods, 
for  whom  the  sacred  grass  has  been  trimmed '?  ^ 

2.  Whither  now  ?  On  what  errand  of  yours  are 
you  going,  in  heaven,  not  on  earth  P  Where  are  your 
cows  sporting  '?^ 

3.  Where  are  your  newest  favours,^  O  Maruts  ? 
Where  the  blessings '?    Where  all  delights  *? 

4.  If  you,  sons  of  Prisni,  were  mortals,  and  your 
worshipper  an  immortal,^ — 

5.  Then  never  ^  should  your  praiser  be  unwelcome, 
like  a  deer  in  pasture  grass,^  nor  should  he  go  on  the 
path  of  Yama.^ 

6.  Let  not  one  sin^  after  another,  difficult  to  be 
conquered,  overcome  us  ;  may  it  depart  ^  together 
with  lust. 

7.  Truly  they  are  furious  and  powerful ;  even  to 
the  desert  the  Kudriyas  bring  rain  that  is  never 
dried  up/ 

8.  The  lightning  lows  like  a  cow,  it  follows  as  a 
mother  follows  after  her  young,  that  the  shower  (of 
the  Maruts)  may  be  let  loose. ^ 

9.  Even  by  day  the  Maruts  create  darkness  with 
the  water-bearing  cloud,^  when  they  drench  the 
earth. 

10.  From  the  shout  of  the  Maruts  over  the  whole 
space  of  the  earth, ^  men  reeled  forward. 

VOL.  I.  F 


6G  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

11.  Mdruta/^   vi^upam-bhiA  *    kitrKh    rddhasvati^ 
anu,  yata  im  akhidray^ma-bhiA. 

12.  Sthir^/i.  Y8ih  santu   nemaya/?.   rath^/i.  asvasaA 
esham,  sii-samskrita^  abhi^avaA. 

13.  Akkha.  vada  tana  gir^  ^arayai  bralimariaA  patim, 
aofnim  mitram  na  darsatam. 

14.  Mimihi  slokam  asy§   par^/anyaA-iva  tatana/^, 
gay  a  g^yatram  ukthyam. 

15.  Yandasva  m^rutam  ga^am  tveslid^m  panasyum 
arki^am,  asme  (Iti)  vriddh^^  asan  iha. 


COMMENTARY. 

This  hymn  is  ascribed  to  Ka/zva,  the  son  of  Ghora.  The 
metre  is  Gayatri  throughout.  Several  verses,  however,  end 
in  a  spondee  instead  of  the  usual  iambus.  No  attempt 
should  be  made  to  improve  such  verses  by  conjecture, 
for  they  are  clearly  meant  to  end  in  spondees.  Thus  in 
verses  2,  7,  8,  and  9,  all  the  three  padas  alike  have  their 
final  spondee.  In  verse  7,  the  ionicus  a  minore  is  with  an 
evident  intention  repeated  thrice. 

Verse  1,  note  ^.  Kadha-priya^  is  taken  in  the  Padapa^ha 
as  one  word,  and  Sayawa  explains  it  by,  delighted  by  or 
delighting  in  praise,  a  nominative  plural.  A  similar  com- 
pound, kadha-priya,  occurs  in  i.  30,  20,  and  there  too  the 
vocative  sing,  fem.,  kadhapriye,  is  explained  by  Saya^za  as 
fond  of  praise.  In  order  to  obtain  this  meaning,  kadha  has 
to  be  identified  with  katha,  story,  which  is  simply  impos- 
sible.     There  is  another  compound,  adha-priya,  nom.  dual, 

*  vlMp^wi-bhi^.? 


MAiVZJALA   I,    SUKTA    38.  67 

11.  Maruts  on  your  strong-hoofed  steeds^  go  on 
easy  roads ^  after  those  bright  ones  (the  clouds),  which 
are  still  locked  up.^ 

12.  May  your  felloes  be  strong,  the  chariots,  and 
their  horses,  may  your  reins  ^  be  well-fashioned. 

13.  Speak  out  for  ever  with  thy  voice  to  praise 
the  Lord  of  prayer,^  Agni,  who  is  like  a  friend,^  the 
bright  one. 

14.  Fashion  a  hymn  in  thy  mouth !  Expand  like 
a  cloud  !^    Sing  a  song  of  praise. 

15.  Worship  the  host  of  the  Maruts,  the  brisk,  the 
praiseworthy,  the  singers.^  May  the  strong  ones  stay 
here  among  us.^ 


which  occurs  viii.  8,  4,  and  which  Sayaria  explains  either  as 
delighted  here  below,  or  as  a  corruption  of  kadha-priya. 

In  Boehtlingk  and  Roth's  Dictionary,  kadha-priya  and 
kadha-pri  are  both  explained  as  compounds  of  kadha,  an 
interrogative  adverb,  and  priya  or  pri,  to  love  or  delight, 
and  they  are  explained  as  meaning  kind  or  loving  to  whom  ? 
In  the  same  manner  adha-priya  is  explained  as  kind  then 
and  there. 

It  must  be  confessed,  however,  that  a  compound  like 
kadha-pri,  kind  to  whom  ?,  is  somewhat  strange,  and  it  seems 
preferable  to  separate  the  words,  and  to  write  kadha  priya 
and  adha  priya. 

It  should  be  observed  that  the  compounds  kadha-pri  and 
kadha-priya  occur  always  in  sentences  where  there  is  another 
interrogative  pronoun.  The  two  interrogative s  kat — kadha, 
what — where,  and  kas — kadha,  who — where,  occurring  in 
the  same  sentence,  an  idiom  so  common  in  Greek,  may 
have  puzzled  the  author  of  the  Pada  text,  and  the  com- 
pound once  sanctioned  by  the  authority  of  ^akalya,  Sajana, 
would  explain  it  as  best  he  could.  But  if  we  admit  the 
double  use  of  the  interrogative  in   Sanskrit,  as  in   Greek, 

F  2 


68  HYMNS    TO   THE    MARUTS. 

then,  in  our  passage,  priyaA  would  be  an  adjective  belong- 
ing to  pita,  and  we  might  translate  :  '  What  then  now  ? 
When  will  you  take  (us),  as  a  dear  father  takes  his  son  by 
both  hands,  O  ye  Maruts  V  In  the  same  manner  we  ought 
to  translate  i.  30,  20 : 

ka/«  te  usha^  kadha  priye  bhu^e  marta^  amartye. 

Who  and  where  was  there  a  mortal  to  be  loved  by  thee, 
O  beloved,  immortal  Dawn  ? 

In  viii.  7,  31,  where  the  same  words  are  repeated  as  in 
our  passage,  it  is  likewise  better  to  write : 

kat  ha  nunam  kadha  prijah  yat  indram  a^ahatana,  kah 
vah  sakhi-tve  ohate. 

What  then  now  ?  Where  is  there  a  friend,  now  that  you 
have  forsaken  Indra  ?    Who  cares  for  your  friendship  ? 

Why  in  viii.  8,  4,  adha  priya  should  have  been  joined 
into  one  word  is  more  difficult  to  say,  yet  here,  too,  the 
compound  might  easily  be  separated. 

Kadha  does  not  occur  again,  but  would  be  formed  in 
analogy  with  adha.      It  occurs  in  Zend  as  kadha. 

The  words  kat  ha  nunam  commonly  introduce  an  inter- 
rogative sentence,  literally.  What  then  now?  cf.  x.  10,  4. 

Verse  1,  note  ^.  Vrikta-barhis  is  generally  a  name  of  the 
priest,  so  called  because  he  has  to  trim  the  sacrificial  grass. 
'  The  sacred  Ku^a  grass  (Poa  cynosuroides),  after  having  had 
the  roots  cut  off,  is  spread  on  the  Yedi  or  altar,  and  upon 
it  the  libation  of  Soma-juice,  or  oblation  of  clarified  butter, 
is  poured  out.  In  other  places,  a  tuft  of  it  in  a  similar 
position  is  supposed  to  form  a  fitting  seat  for  the  deity  or 
deities  invoked  to  the  sacrifice.  According  to  Mr.  Stevenson, 
it  is  also  strewn  over  the  floor  of  the  chamber  in  which  the 
worship  is  performed.^ 

Cf.  vi.  II,  5.  vringe  ha  yat  namasa  barhiA  agnau,  ay  ami 
sruk  ghrita-vati  su-vnkti^. 

When  I  reverentially  trim  the  truss  for  Agni,  when  the 
well-trimmed  ladle,  full  of  butter,  is  stretched  forth. 

In  our  passage,  unless  we  change  the  accent,  it  must 
be  taken  as  an  epithet  of  the  Maruts,  they  for  whom  the 
grass-altar  has  been  prepared.  They  are  again  invoked  by 
the  same  name,  viii.  7,  20 : 


MANDAhA   I,    SUKTA   38.  69 

kva  nunam  su-danava^  madatha  vrikta-barhisha/i. 

Where  do  ye  rejoice  now,  you  gods  for  whom  the  altar 
is  trimmed  ? 

Otherwise,    vrikta-barhisha^    might,   with    a    change    of    ' 
accent,  supply  an  accusative  to  dadhidhve  :  *  Will  you  take 
the    worshippers    in   your    arms?^      This,    however,   is    not 
necessary,    as    to    take    by   the    hand    may  be    used   as    a 
neuter  verb. 

Benfey :  *  W^o  weilt  ihr  gem  ?  was  habt  ihr  jetzt — gleichwie 
ein  Vater  seinen  Sohn — in  Handen,  da  das  Opfer  harrt?^ 

Wilson  :  '  Maruts,  who  are  fond  of  praise,  and  for  whom 
the  sacred  grass  is  trimmed,  when  will  you  take  us  by  both 
hands  as  a  father  does  his  son?^ 

Verse  2,  note  \  The  idea  of  the  first  verse,  that  the 
Maruts  should  not  be  detained  by  other  pursuits,  is  carried 
on  in  the  second.  The  poet  asks,  what  they  have  to  do  in 
the  sky,  instead  of  coming  down  to  the  earth.  The  last 
sentence  seems  to  mean  '  where  tarry  your  herds  ?'  viz.  the 
clouds.  Sayawa  translates  :  '  Where  do  worshippers,  like 
lowing  cows,  praise  you?^  Wilson:  'Where  do  they  who 
worship  you  cry  to  you  like  cattle.^  Benfey  :  '  Wo  jauchzt 
man  euch,  gleich  wic  Stiere  ?  (Ihre  Verehrer  briillen  vor 
Freude  iiber  ihre  Gegenwart,  wie  Stiere.)'  The  verb 
ra/iyati,  however,  when  followed  by  an  accusative,  means 
to  love,  to  accept  with  pleasure.  The  gods  accept  the 
offerings  and  the  prayers  : 

V.  1 8,  I.  visvani  yay^  amartyaA  havya  marteshu  ra?^yati. 

The  immortal  who  deigns  to  accept  all  offerings  among 
mortals. 

V.  74,  3.   kasya  brahmam  ra?zyatha^. 

Whose  prayers  do  ye  accept? 

Followed  by  a  locative  ra^zyati  means  to  delight  in. 
Both  the  gods  are  said  to  delight  in  prayers  (viii.  12,  18;  <^^, 
16),  and  prayers  are  said  to  delight  in  the  gods  (viii.  16,  2). 
I  therefore  take  ra/iyanti  in  the  sense  of  tarrying,  disporting, 
and  na,  if  it  is  to  be  retained,  in  the  sense  of  not;  where 
do  they  not  sport  ?  meaning  that  they  are  to  be  found  every- 
where, except  where  the  poet  desires  them  to  be.  We  thus 
get  rid  of  the  simile  of  singing  poets  and  lowing  cows,  which, 


70  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

though  not  too  bold  for  Vedic  bards,  would  here  come  in 
too  abruptly.  It  would  be  much  better,  however,  if  the 
negative  particle  could  be  omitted  altogether.  If  we  retain 
it,  we  must  read :  kva  vaA  |  gavaA  |  na  ra^  yanti  |  . 
But  the  fact  is  that  through  the  whole  of  the  RIg-veda 
kva  has  always  to  be  pronounced  as  two  syllables,  kuva. 
There  is  only  one  passage,  v.  6i,  2,  where,  before  a  vowel, 
we  have  to  read  kva  :  kuva  vo  'svah,  kvabhi^ava^.  In 
other  passages,  even  before  vowels,  we  always  have  to 
read  kuva,  e.g.  i.  i6i,  4.  kuvet=:kva  it;  i.  105,  4. 
kuvartam  =  kva  ritam.  In  i.  ^^,  7,  we  must  read  either 
kuvedanim  surya^,  making  surya/i  trisyllabic,  or  kuva  idanim, 
leaving  a  hiatus.  In  i.  t6S,  6,  kvavaram  is  kuvavaram : 
^'akalya,  forgetting  this,  and  wishing  to  improve  the  metre, 
added  na,  thereby,  in  reality,  destroying  both  the  metre  and 
the  sense.  Kva  occurs  as  dissyllabic  in  the  Rig-veda  at 
least  forty-one  times. 

Verse  3,  note  ^.  The  meanings  of  sumna  in  the  first  five 
Ma^c^alas  are  well  explained  by  Professor  Aufrecht  in  Kuhn^s 
Zeitschrift,  vol.  iv.  p.  274.  As  to  suvita  in  the  plural,  see 
X.  86,  21,  and  viii.  93,  29,  where  Indra  is  said  to  bring  all 
suvita^s.      It  frequently  occurs  in  the  singular : 

X.  148,  I.   a  na/i  bhara  suvitam  yasya  A:akan. 

Verse  4,  note  ^  One  might  translate :  *  If  you,  sons  of 
Pri^ni,  were  mortals,  the  immortal  would  be  your  wor- 
shipper.^ But  this  seems  almost  too  deep  and  elaborate 
a  compliment  for  a  primitive  age.  Langlois  translates : 
'  Quand  vous  ne  seriez  pas  immortels,  (faites  toutefois)  que 
votre  panegyriste  jouisse  d^une  longue  vie.^  Wilson^s  trans- 
lation is  obscure :  '  That  you,  sons  of  Prisni,  may  become 
mortals,  and  your  panegyrist  become  immortal.^  Sayawa 
translates :  '  Though  you,  sons  of  Pmni,  were  mortal,  yet 
your  worshipper  would  be  immortal.^  I  think  it  best  to 
connect  the  fourth  and  fifth  verses,  and  I  feel  justified  in 
so  doing  by  other  passages  where  the  same  or  a  similar 
idea  is  expressed,  viz.  that  if  the  god  were  the  poet  and  the 
poet  the  god,  then  the  poet  would  be  more  hberal  to  the 
god  than  the  god  is  to  him.      Thus  I  translated  a  passage, 


MAA^ZJALA    I,    SUKTA    38.  71 

vii.  32,  18,  in  my  History  of  Ancient  Sanskrit  Literature, 
p.  545 :  '  If  I  were  lord  of  as  much  as  thou,  I  should  support 
the  sacred  bard,  thou  scatterer  of  wealth,  I  should  not 
abandon  him  to  misery.  I  should  award  wealth  day  by  day 
to  him  who  magnifies,  I  should  award  it  to  whosoever  it  be.' 
Another  parallel  passage  is  pointed  out  by  Mr.  J.  Muir. 
(On  the  Interpretation  of  the  Veda,  p.  79.)  viii.  19,  25: 
'  If,  Agni,  thou  w^ert  a  mortal,  and  I  were  an  immortal,  I 
should  not  abandon  thee  to  malediction  or  to  wretchedness ; 
my  worshipper  should  not  be  miserable  or  distressed.'  Still 
more  to  the  point  is  another  passage,  viii.  44,  23  :  *  If  I  were 
thou,  and  thou  wert  I,  then  thy  wishes  should  be  fulfilled.' 
See  also  viii.  14,  i,  2. 

As   to    the    metre    it    is    clear  that   we    ought    to    read 

martasa^   syatana. 


Verse  5,  note  ^.  Ma,  though  it  seems  to  stand  for  na, 
retains  its  prohibitive  sense. 

Verse  5,  note  ^.  Yavasa  is  explained  by  Saya?za  as  grass, 
and  Wilson's  Dictionary,  too,  gives  to  it  the  meaning  of 
meadow  or  pasture  grass,  whereas  yava  is  barley.  The 
Greek  ^ea  or  ^eid  is  likewise  explained  as  barley  or  rye, 
fodder  for  horses.  See  i.  91,  13.  gava/^  na  yavaseshu,  like 
cows  in  meadows. 

Verse  5,  note  ^.  The  path  of  Yama  can  only  be  the  path 
that  leads  to  Yama,  as  the  ruler  of  the  departed. 

X.  14,  8.   sam  gaArMasva  pitri-bhiA  sam  yamena. 

Meet  with  the  fathers,  meet  with  Yama,  (x.  14,  10 ;  15,  8.) 

X.  14,  7.   yamam  pa^yasi  varu?2am  ka  devam. 

Thou  wilt  see  (there)  Yama  and  the  divine  Varu?ia. 

X.  165,  4.   tasmai  yamaya  namaA  astu  mrityave. 

Adoration  to  that  Yama,  to  Death  ! 

Wilson :  '  Never  may  your  worshipper  be  indifferent  to 
you,  as  a  deer  (is  never  indifferent)  to  pasture,  so  that  he  may 
not  tread  the  path  of  Yama.'  Benfey  :  '  Wer  euch  besingt, 
der  sei  euch  nicht  gleichgiiltig,  wie  das  Wild  im  Gras,  nicht 
wandl'  er  auf  des  Yama  Pfad.'  A^oshya  is  translated  insa- 
tiable by  Professor  Goldstiicker. 


72  HYMNS   TO   THE   MAR  UTS. 

Verse  6,  note  ^  One  of  the  meanings  of  nirriti  is  sin. 
It  is  derived  from  the  same  root  which  yielded  rita,  in  the 
sense  of  right.  Nirriti  was  conceived,  it  would  seem,  as 
going  away  from  the  path  of  right,  the  German  Vergehen. 
Nirriti  was  personified  as  a  power  of  evil  and  destruc- 
tion. 

vii.  104,  9.  ah  aye  va  tan  pra-dadatu  soma^  a  va  dadhatu 
mh-r\ieh  upa-sthe. 

May  Soma  hand  them  over  to  Ahi,  or  place  them  in  the 
lap  of  Nhriti. 

i.  117,  5.   susupvamsam  na  mh-riieh  upa-sthe. 

Like  one  who  sleeps  in  the  lap  of  Nirriti. 

Here  Saya^a  explains  Nirriti  as  earth,  and  he  attaches 
the  same  meaning  to  the  word  in  other  places  which  will 
have  to  be  considered  hereafter.  Cf.  Lectures  on  the 
Science  of  Language,   Second  Series,  pp.  515,  516. 

Wilson  treats  Nirriti  as  a  male  deity,  and  translates  the 
last  words^  '  let  him  perish  with  our  evil  desires.^ 

Verse  6,  note  ^.  Padish/a  is  formed  as  an  optative  of  the 
Atmanepada,  but  with  the  additional  s  before  the  t,  which, 
in  the  ordinary  Sanskrit,  is  restricted  to  the  so-called  bene- 
dictive  (Grammar,  ^  385;  Bopp,  Kritische  Grammatik,  ed. 
1834,  ^  329,  note).  Pad  means  originally  to  go,  but  in  certain 
constructions  it  gradually  assumed  the  meaning  of  to  perish, 
and  native  commentators  are  inclined  to  explain  it  by  pat, 
to  fall.  One  can  watch  the  transition  of  meaning  from 
going  into  perishing  in  such  phrases  as  V.  S.  xi.  46.  ma 
pady  ayushaA  pura,  literally,  ^  may  he  not  go  before  the 
time,^  but  really  intended  for  'may  he  not  die  before  the  time.' 
In  the  Rig-veda  padish^a  is  generally  qualified  by  some  words 
to  show  that  it  is  to  be  taken  in  malam  partem.  Thus 
in  our  passage,  and  in  iii.  ^'^^  21  ;  vii.  104,  16;  17.  In  i.  79, 
II,  however,  padish^a  sa^  is  by  itself  used  in  a  maledictory 
sense,  pereat,  may  he  perish  !  In  another,  vi.  20,  5,  padi  by 
itself  conveys  the  idea  of  perishing.  This  may  have  some 
weight  in  determining  the  origin  of  the  Latin  pestis  (Corssen, 
Kritische  Beitrage,  p.  396),  for  it  shows  that,  even  without 
prepositions,  such  as  d  or  vi,  pad  may  have  an  ill-omened 
meaning.      In   the   Aitareya-brahma^ia  vii.  14  (History   of 


MAN D ALA   I,  SUKTA    38.  73 


Ancient  Sanskrit  Literature,  p.  471),  pad,  as  applied  to  a 
child^s  teeth,  means  to  go,  to  fall  out.  With  sam,  however, 
pad  has  always  a  good  meaning,  and  this  shows  that  origin- 
ally its  meaning  was  neutral. 

Verse  7,  note  \  The  only  difficult  word  is  avatam.  Saya/za 
explains  it,  ^  without  wind.^  But  it  is  hardly  possible  to 
understand  how  the  Maruts,  themselves  the  gods  of  the 
storm,  the  sons  of  Rudra,  could  be  said  to  bring  clouds 
without  wind.  Langlois,  it  is  true,  translates  without  any 
misgivings  :  '  Ces  dieux  peuvent  sur  un  sol  desseche  faire 
tomber  la  pluie  sans  Faccompagner  de  vent.'  Wilson  :  *  They 
send  down  rain  without  wind  upon  the  desert.'  Benfey  saw 
the  incongruous  character  of  the  epithet,  and  explained  it 
away  by  saying  that  the  winds  bring  rain,  and  after  they 
have  brought  it,  they  moderate  their  violence  in  order  not  to 
drive  it  away  again ;  hence  rain  without  wind.  Yet  even 
this  explanation,  though- ingenious,  and,  as  I  am  told,  particu- 
larly truthful  in  an  Eastern  climate,  is  somewhat  too  artificial. 
If  we  changed  the  accent,  avatam,  unchecked,  unconquered, 
would  be  better  than  avatam,  windless.  But  avata,  uncon- 
quered, does  not  occur  in  the  Rig-veda,  except  as  applied 
to  persons.  It  occurs  most  frequently  in  the  phrase  vanvan 
avataA,  which  Sayawa  explains  well  by  himsan  ahimsitaA, 
hurting,  but  not  hurt:  (vi.  16,  20;  18,  i;  ix.  89,  7.) 
In  ix.  96,  8,  we  read  prit-su  vanvan  avata^,  in  battles 
attacking,  but  not  attacked,  which  renders  the  meaning  of 
avata  perfectly  clear.  In  vi.  64,  5,  where  it  is  applied  to 
Ushas,  it  may  be  translated  by  unconquerable,  intact. 

There  are  several  passages,  however,  where  avata  occurs 
with  the  accent  on  the  last  syllable,  and  where  it  is  accord- 
ingly explained  as  a  Bahuvrihi,  meaning  either  windless  or 
motionless,  from  vata,  wind,  or  from  vata,  going,  (i.  62,  10.) 
In  some  of  these  passages  we  can  hardly  doubt  that  the 
accent  ought  to  be  changed,  and  that  we  ought  to  read 
avata.  Thus  in  vi.  64,  4,  avate  is  clearly  a  vocative  applied 
to  Ushas,  who  is  called  avata,  unconquerable,  in  the  verse 
immediately  following.  In  i.  52,  4,  the  Maruts  are  called 
avata^,  which  can  only  be  avata^,  unconquerable ;  nor  can 
we  hesitate  in  viii.  79,  7,  to  change  avata^  into  avata^,  as  an 


74  HYMNS   TO    THE    MARUTS. 

• 

epithet  applied  to  Soma,  and  preceded  by  adriptakratu^,  of 
unimpaired  strength,  unconquerable. 

But  even  then  we  find  no  evidence  that  avata,  uncon- 
quered,  could  be  applied  to  rain  or  to  a  cloud,  and  I  there- 
fore propose  another  explanation,  though  equally  founded 
on  the  supposition  that  the  accent  of  avatam  in  our  passage 
should  be  on  the  first  syllable. 

I  take  vata  as  a  Vedic  form  instead  of  the  later  vana,  the 
past  participle  of  vai,  to  wither.  Similarly  we  find  in  the 
Veda  ^ita,  instead  of  ^ina,  the  latter  form  being  sanctioned 
by  Pamni.  Va  means  to  get  dry,  to  flag,  to  get  exhausted ; 
avata  therefore,  as  applied  to  a  cloud,  would  mean  not  dry, 
not  withered,  as  applied  to  rain,  not  dried  up,  but  remain- 
ing on  the  ground.  It  is  important  to  remark  that  in  one 
passage,  vi.  67,  7,  Saya^za,  too,  explains  avata,  as  applied  to 
rivers,  by  a^ushka,  not  dry ;  and  the  same  meaning  would 
be  applicable  to  avata/*  in  i.  62,  10.  In  this  sense  of  not 
withered,  not  dry,  avatam  in  our  passage  would  form  a  per- 
fectly appropriate  epithet  of  the  rain,  while  neither  windless 
nor  unconquered  would  yield  an  appropriate  sense.  In  the 
famous  passage  x.  129,  2,  anit  avatam  svadhaya  tat  ekam, 
that  only  One  breathed  breathless  by  itself,  avatam  might  be 
taken,  in  accordance  with  its  accent,  as  windless  or  breath- 
less, and  the  poet  may  have  wished  to  give  this  antithetical 
point  to  his  verse.  But  avatam,  as  an  adverb,  would  here 
be  equally  appropriate,  and  we  should  then  have  to  translate, 
*  that  only  One  breathed  freely  by  itself.^ 

Verse  8,  note  ^.  The  peculiar  structure  of  the  metre  in 
the  seventh  and  eighth  verses  should  be  noted.  Though 
we  may  scan 

'         \  '         \  '         \ 


'  \  f  \  ' 


by  throwing  the  accent  on  the  short  antepenultimate,  yet 
the  movement  of  the  metre  becomes  far  more  natural  by 
throwing  the  accent  on  the  long  penultimate,  thus  reading 

WW I W  —  WW W WW 

//                     /!//                                 I//                     / 
W W W W W WW 

Sayawa :  '  Like  a  cow  the  lightning  roars,  (the  lightning) 


MAiVDALA   I,    SUKTA    38.  75 

attends  (on  the  Maruts)  as  the  mother  cow  on  her  calf,  because 
their  rain  is  let  loose  at  the  time  of  lightning  and  thunder.' 

Wilson  :  ^  The  lightning  roars  like  a  parent  cow  that 
bellows  for  its  calf,  and  hence  the  rain  is  set  free  by  the 
Maruts/ 

Benfey  :  '  Es  blitzt — wie  eine  Kuh  briillt  es — die  Mutter 
folgt  dem  Kalb  gleichsam — wenn  ihr  Regen  losgelassen. 
(Der  Donner  folgt  dem  Blitz,  wie  eine  Kuh  ihrem  Kalbe.)' 

YasrsL  as  a  masculine  means  a  bull,  and  it  is  used  as  a 
name  of  the  Maruts  in  some  passages,  viii.  7,  3  ;  7.  As 
a  feminine  it  means  a  cow,  particularly  a  cow  with  a  calf, 
a  milch  cow.  Hence  also  a  mother,  x.  119,  4.  The  lowing 
of  the  lightning  must  be  intended  for  the  distant  thunder, 
and  the  idea  that  the  lightning  goes  near  or  looks  for 
the  rain  is  not  foreign  to  the  Vedic  poets.  See  i.  39,  9  : 
*  Come  to  us,  Maruts,  with  your  entire  help,  as  lightnings 
(come  to,  i.  e.  seek  for)  the  rain  '/ 

Verse  9,  note  ^.  That  par^anya  here  and  in  other  places 
means  cloud  has  been  w^ell  illustrated  by  Dr.  BUhler,  Orient 
und  Occident,  vol.  i.  p.  221.  It  is  interesting  to  watch  the 
personifying  process  which  is  very  palpable  in  this  word, 
and  by  which  Par^anya  becomes  at  last  a  friend  and  com- 
panion of  Indra. 

Verse  10,  note  \  Sadma,  as  a  neuter,  means  originally 
a  seat,  and  is  frequently  used  in  the  sense  of  altar  :  iv.  9,  3. 
sa^  sadma  pari  niyate  hota;  vii.  18,  22.  hota-iva  sadma  pari 
emi  rebhan.  It  soon,  however,  assumed  the  more  general 
meaning  of  place,  as 

X.  I,  I.   agni^  bhanuna  rii^ata  vi5va  sadmani  apra^. 

Agni  wdth  brilliant  light  thou  filledst  all  places. 

It  is  lastly  used  with  special  reference  to  heaven  and 
earth,  the  two  sadmani,  i.  185,  6 ;  iii.  ^^,  2.  In  our  passage 
sadma  parthivam  is  the  same  as  parthive  sadane  in  viii.  97,  5. 
Here  the  earth  is  mentioned  together  with  heaven,  the  sea, 
and  the  sky.  Sajana.  takes  sadma  as  '  dwelling,^  so  do  Wilson 
and  Langlois,  Benfey  translates  '  der  Erde  Sitz,'  and  makes 
it  the  subject  of  the  sentence :  *  From  the  roaring  of  the  Maruts 
the  seat  of  the  earth  trembles,  and  all  men  tremble.^   Sadman, 


76  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

with  the  accent  on  the  last  syllable,  is  also  used  as  a  masculine 
in  the  Rig-veda,  i.  173,  i;  vi.  51,  12.  sadmanam  divyam. 

Verse  11,  note  \  I  have  translated  vi/u-pambhi/i,  as  if  it 
were  vi/upambhiA,  for  this  is  the  right  accent  of  a  Bahuvrihi 
compound.  Thus  the  first  member  retains  its  own  accent  in 
prithii-pa/ii,  bhuri-pam,  vrisha-pam,  &c.  It  is  possible  that 
the  accent  may  have  been  changed  in  our  passage,  because 
the  compound  is  used,  not  as  an  adjective,  but  as  a  kind  of 
substantive,  as  the  name  of  a  horse.  Pam,  hand,  means,  as 
applied  to  horses,  hoof: 

ii.  31,  2.  prithivya'A  sanau  ^anghananta  pam-bhiA. 

When  they  strike  with  their  hoofs  on  the  summit  of  the 
earth. 

This  meaning  appears  still  more  clearly  in  such  com- 
pounds as  dravat-pa?^i : 

viii.  5,  35.   hira?^yaye?^a  rathena  dravatpa/zi-bhi/i  a^vai^. 

On  a  golden  chariot,  on  quick-hoofed  horses. 

The  horses  of  the  Maruts,  which  in  our  verse  are  called 
vi/u-pam,  strong-hoofed,  are  called  viii.  y,  27.  hira7^ya-pa^^i, 
golden-hoofed : 

a^vai/i  hlra?^yapa?^i-bhiA  devasaA  upa  gantana. 

On  your  golden-hoofed  horses  come  hither,  O  gods. 

Those  who  retain  the  accent  of  the  MSS.  ought  to  trans- 
late, '  Maruts,  with  your  strong  hands  go  after  the  clouds.' 

Verse  11,  note  ^.  Rodhasvati  is  explained  by  Sayana  as 
river.  It  does  not  occur  again  in  the  Rig-veda.  Rodhas 
is  enclosure  or  fence,  the  bank  of  a  river ;  but  it  does  not 
follow  that  rodhasvat,  having  enclosures  or  banks,  is  appli- 
cable to  rivers  only.  ii.  15,  8,  it  is  said  that  he  emptied  or 
opened  the  artificial  enclosures  of  Bala,  these  being  the 
clouds  conquered  by  Indra.  Hence  I  take  rodhasvati  in 
the  sense  of  a  cloud  yet  unopened,  which  is  followed  or 
driven  on  bv  the  Maruts. 

^itra,  bright  or  many-coloured,  is  applied  to  the  clouds, 
v.  6^,  3.   A;itrebhi^  abhraiA. 

Verse  11,  note  ^  Roth  takes  akhidrayaman  for  a  name  of 
horse.      The  word  does  not  occur  again  in   the   Rig-veda, 


MAiVZ)ALA   I,  S^KTA    38.  77 

but  the  idea  that  the  roads  of  the  gods  are  easy  (suga/i 
adhva)  is  of  frequent  occurrence. 

Wilson :  '  Maruts,  with  strong  hands,  come  along  the 
beautifully-embanked  rivers  with  unobstructed  progress/ 

Benfey :  '  Mit  euren  starken  Handen  folgt  den  hehren 
eingeschlossnen  nach  in  unermiid^tem  Gang^  Maruts/ 

Verse  12,  note  \  Abhi^u  does  not  mean  finger  in  the 
Rig-veda,  though  Saya^^a  frequently  explains  it  so,  misled 
by  Yaska  who  gives  abhi^u  among  the  names  of  finger. 
Wilson  :  *  May  your  fingers  be  well  skilled  (to  hold  the  reins).' 

Verse  13,  note  \  Agni  is  frequently  invoked  together 
with  the  Maruts,  and  is  even  called  marut-sakha,  the  friend 
of  the  Maruts,  viii.  92,  14.  It  seems  better,  therefore,  to 
refer  brahma/ias  patim  to  Agni,  than,  with  Sayawa,  to  the 
host  of  the  Maruts  (mariidga^iam).  Brahma^zaspati  and 
Brihaspati  are  both  varieties  of  Agni,  the  priest  and  purohita 
of  gods  and  men,  and  as  such  he  is  invoked  together  with 
the  Maruts  in  other  passages,  i.  40,  i.  Tana  is  an  adverb, 
meaning  constantly,  always,  for  ever.     Cf.  ii.  2,  i;  viii.  40,  7. 

Wilson :  '  Declare  in  our  presence  (priests),  with  voice 
attuned  to  praise  Brahmanaspati,  Agni,  and  the  beautiful 
Mitra.' 

Benfey :  '  Lass  schallen  immerfort  das  Lied  zu  griissen 
Brahma^^aspati,  Agni,  Mitra,  den  herrlichen.' 

Verse  13,  note  ^.  Mitra  is  never,  as  far  as  I  know,  in- 
voked together  v^^ith  the  Maruts,  and  it  is  better  to  take 
mitram  as  friend.  Besides  na  cannot  be  left  here  untrans- 
lated. 

Verse  14,  note  ^.  The  second  sentence  is  obscure.  Saya/ia 
translates :  '  Let  the  choir  of  priests  make  a  hymn  of 
praise,  let  them  utter  or  expand  it,  like  as  a  cloud  sends 
forth  rain.'  Wilson  similarly  :  *  Utter  the  verse  that  is  in 
your  mouth,  spread  it  out  like  a  cloud  spreading  rain.' 
Benfey :  '  Ein  Preislied  schafie  in  dem  Mund,  ertone  dem 
Par^anya  gleich.'  He  takes  Par^anya  for  the  god  of  thunder, 
and  supposes  the  hymn  of  praise  to  be  compared  to  it  on 


78  HYMNS   TO   THE    MARUTS. 

account  of  its  loudness.  TatanaA  can  only  be  the  second 
person  singular  of  the  conjunctive  of  the  reduplicated 
perfect,  of  which  we  have  also  tatanat,  tatanama,  tatanan, 
and  tatananta.  Tatana^  can  be  addressed  either  to  the  host 
of  the  Maruts,  or  to  the  poet.  I  take  it  in  the  latter  sense, 
for  a  similar  verse  occurs  viii.  21,  18.  It  is  said  there  of  a 
patron  that  he  alone  is  a  king,  that  all  others  about  the  river 
Sarasvati  are  only  small  kings,  and  the  poet  adds  :  *  May  he 
spread  like  a  cloud  with  the  rain,^  giving  hundreds  and 
thousands,  (par_9'anyaA-iva  tatanat  hi  vrish^ya.) 

Verse  15,  note  ^.  It  is  difficult  to  find  an  appropriate 
rendering  for  arkin.  It  means  praising,  celebrating,  singing, 
and  it  is  in  the  last  sense  only  that  it  is  applicable  to  the 
Maruts.  Wilson  translates,  ^  entitled  to  adoration  ;'  Benfey, 
*  flaming.^  Boehtlingk  and  Roth  admit  the  sense  of  flaming 
in  one  passage,  but  give  to  arkin  in  this  place  the  meaning 
of  praising.  If  it  simply  meant,  possessed  of  arka,  i.  e.  songs 
of  praise,  it  would  be  a  very  lame  epithet  after  panasyii. 
But  other  passages,  like  i.  19,  4;  52,  15,  show  that  the 
conception  of  the  Maruts  as  singers  was  most  familiar  to 
the  Vedic  i^ishis  (i.  64, 10  ;  Kuhn,  Zeitschrift,  vol.  i.  p.  521, 
note) ;  and  arka  is  the  very  name  applied  to  their  songs 
(i.  19,4).  In  the  Edda,  too,  '  storm  and  thunder  are  repre- 
sented as  a  lay,  as  the  wondrous  music  of  the  wild  hunt. 
The  dwarfs  and  Elbs  sing  the  so-called  Alb-leich  which 
carries  off  everything,  trees  and  mountains.^  See  Justi  in 
Orient  und  Occident,  vol.  ii.  p.  62.  There  is  no  doubt 
therefore  that  arkin  here  means  musician,  and  that  the  arka 
of  the  Maruts  is  the  music  of  the  winds. 

Verse  15,  note  ^.  Vriddha,  literally  grown,  is  used  in  the 
Veda  as  an  honorific  epithet,  with  the  meaning  of  mighty 
or  great : 

iii.  32,  7.   ya^ama^  it  namasa  vriddham  indram 
brihantam  rishvam  a^aram  yiivanam. 

We  worship  with  praise  the  mighty  Indra,  the  great,  the 
exalted,  the  immortal,  the  vigorous. 

Here  neither  is  vnddha  intended  to  express  old  age,  nor 
yuvan  young  age,  but  both  are  meant  as  laudatory  epithets. 


MAiVZ)ALA   I,   SUKTA    38.  79 

Asan  is  the  so-called  het  of  as,  to  be.  This  het  is 
properly  an  imperative,  which  gradually  sinks  down  to  a 
mere  subjunctive.  Of  as,  we  find  the  following  Le/  forms  : 
belonging  to  the  present,  we  have  asasi,  ii.  26,  2, ;  asati,  vi. 
23,  9  ;  asatha^,  vi.  63,  i ;  and  asatha,  v.  61,  4  :  belonging 
to  the  imperfect,  asa^,  viii.  100,  2  ;  asat,  i.  9,  5  ;  asama,  i. 
173,  9  ;  asan,  i.  89,  i.  i^sam,  a  form  quoted  by  Roth  from 
Rig-veda  x.  27,  4,  is  really  asam. 

We  find,  for  instance,  asa^,  with  an  imperative  or  opta- 
tive meaning,  in 

viii.  TOO,  2.  asa^  ka.  tvam  dakshi^zataA  sakha  me 
adha  vritraVii  ^^anghanava  bhuri. 

And  be  thou  my  friend  on  my  right  hand,  and  we  shall 
kill  many  enemies. 

Here  we  see  the  transition  of  meaning  from  an  imperative 
to  the  conditional.  In  Enghsh,  too,  we  may  say,  '  Do  this 
and  you  shall  live,'  which  means  nearly  the  same  as,  *  If  you 
do  this,  you  will  live.'  Thus  we  may  translate  this  passage  : 
'  And  if  thou  be  my  friend  on  my  right  side,  then  we  shall 
kill  many  enemies.' 

X.  124,  I.   imam  na^  agne  upa  ya^nam  a  ihi — 
asa^  havya-vaV  uta  na^  pura/i-gaA. 

Here  we  have  the  imperative  ihi  and  the  het  asaA  used 
in  the  same  sense. 

Far  more  frequently,  however,  asa^  is  used  in  relative 
sentences,  such  as, 

vi.  ^6,  5.   asa^  yatha  na.h  5avasa  ^akana^. 

That  thou  may  est  be  ours,  delighting  in  strength. 

vii.  24,  I.  asa^  yatha  nah  avita  vridhe  ^a. 

That  thou  mayest  be  our  helper  and  for  our  increase. 

See  also  x.  44,  4 ;   85,  26 ;  36. 

Wilson :  *  May  they  be  exalted  by  this  our  worship.' 
Benfey :  '  Mogen  die  Hohen  hier  bei  uns  sein.' 


80  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

MAiVi>ALA  I,  SUKTA  39. 

AsHTAKA  I,  AdhyIya  3,  Yarga  18-19. 

1.  Pra  yat  itha  para-vata/i.  sohih  na  m^inam  asyatha, 
kasya  kratva  maruta/^  kasya  varpasa  kam  yatha  kam 
ha  dhutaya/i. 

2.  Sthir^  Ydih  santu  ayudha  para-nude  viM  uta 
prati-skabhe,  yushmakam  astu  tdvishl  panlyasi  ma^ 
martyasya  mayinaA. 

3.  Para  ha  ydt  sthiram  hatha  ndra/i  vartd^yatha 
gurii,  vl  y^thana  vaninaA  prithivya/i  vi  asa/^  p^rva- 
tan^m. 

4.  Nahi  va^  siirvJi  vivide  ddhi  dyd>vi  na  bhtimyam 
risadasa^,  yushm^kam  astu  tavishi  tdn^  yu^a  riidra- 
sa/i.  nu  kit  d-dhrishe. 

5.  Pra  vepayanti  pdrvatan  vi  vmZ:anti  vanaspdtin, 
pro  (Iti)  4rata  maruta/^.  durmddaA-iva  devasaA  sarvay^ 

•    a; 

Visa. 

6.  Upo  (iti)  rdtheshu  prishati/^  ayugdhvam  prash- 
tili  vahati  r6hita/?.,  ^  vaA  y^maya  prithivi*  ^it  asrot 
dbibhayanta  manush^/^. 

A/ 

7.  A  YdJi  makshu  tdnaya  kdm  riidra/^  avaA  Yrmi- 
mahe,  gdnta  nundm  ndJi  dvas^  yath^  pura  itth^  kd?2- 
vaya  bibhyushe. 

8.  Yushma-ishitaA  maruta/i  mdrtya-ishita/i  a  yiJi 
xidJi  dbhva/?.  5'shate,  vi  tarn  yuyota  sdvasa  vi  o^asa  vi 
yushmakabhiA  Ati-bhi/^. 

9.  Asami  hi  pra-ya^yava^  kd,7ivam  dadd  pra-^etasa/^, 
asami-bhiA  maruta/z.  ai  naA  uti-bhi/i-  gdnta  vrish^im  nd, 
vi-dyutaA. 


MAiV^iJALA   I,    SUKTA    39.  81 


Hymn  to  the  Maruts  (the  Storm-gods). 

1.  When  you  thus  from  afar  cast  forwards  your 
measure^  like  a  blast  of  fire,  through  whose  wisdom 
is  it,  through  whose  design  1  ^  To  whom  do  you  go,  to 
whom,  ye  shakers  (of  the  earth)  1 

2.  May  your  weapons  be  firm  to  attack,  strong 
also  to  withstand.  May  yours  be  the  more  glorious 
strength,  not  that  of  the  deceitful  mortal. 

3.  When  you  overthrow  what  is  firm,  0  ye  men, 
and  whirl  about  what  is  heavy,  you  pass  ^  through  the 
trees  of  the  earth,  through  the  clefts  of  the  rocks.^ 

4.  No  real  foe  of  yt)urs  is  known  in  heaven,  nor 
on  earth,  ye  devourers  of  enemies  !  May  strength  be 
yours,  together  with  your  race,^  O  Rudras,  to  defy 
even   now.^ 

5.  They  make  the  rocks  to  tremble,  they  tear 
asunder  the  kings  of  the  forest.^  Come  on,  Maruts, 
like  madmen,  ye  gods  with  yoiu*  whole  tribe. 

6.  You  have  harnessed  the  spotted  deer  to  your 
chariots,  a  red  one  draws  as  leader ;  ^  even  the  earth 
listened  at  your  coming,  and  men  were  frightened. 

7.  O  E-udras,  we  quickly  desire  your  help  for  our 
race.  Come  now  to  us  with  help,  as  of  yore ;  thus 
now  also,  for^the  sake  of  the  frightened  Ka^zva.-^ 

8.  Whatever  fiend,  roused  by  you  or  roused  by 
men,  attacks  us,  tear  him  (from  us)  by  your  power, 
by  your  strength,  by  your  aid.^ 

9.  For  you,  worshipful  and  wise,  have  wholly  pro- 
tected^ Ka?iva.  Come  to  us,  Maruts,  with  your  entire 
help,  as  lightnings^  (go  in  quest  of)  the  rain. 

VOL.  I.  G 


82  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

10.  Asami  og^li  bibh^itha  su-danava/i  as^mi  dhu- 
taya^  sava/i,  rishi-dvishe  maruta/^  pari-manyave 
Ishum  na  sri^ata  dvisham. 


COMMENTARY. 

This  hymn  is  ascribed  to  Ka/iva,  the  son  of  Ghora.  The 
metre  varies  between  Brihati  and  Satobrihati^  the  odd  verses 
being  composed  in  the  former,  the  even  verses  in  the  latter 
metre.  Each  couple  of  such  verses  is  called  a  Barhata 
Pragatha.  The  Brihati  consists  of  8  +  8  +  12  +  8,  the 
Satobrihati  ofi2  +  8  +  i2  +  8   syllables. 

Verse  1,  note  ^.  Mana,  which  I  translate  by  measure,  is 
explained  by  Saya/?a  as  meaning  strength.  Wilson  :  '  When 
you  direct  your  awful  vigour  downwards  from  afar,  as  light 
(descends  from  heaven).^  Benfey :  '  Wenn  ihr  aus  weiter 
Feme  so  wie  Strahlen  schleudert  euren  Stolz  (das  worauf 
ihr  stolz  seid :  euren  Blitz)  .^  Langlois :  '  Lorsque  vous 
lancez  votre  souffle  puissant.^  I  doubt  whether  mana  is 
ever  used  in  the  Rig-veda  in  the  sense  of  pride,  which  no 
doubt  it  has,  as  a  masculine,  in  later  Sanskrit :  cf.  Hala- 
yudha,  ed.  Aufrecht,  iv.  37.  Mana,  as  a  masculine, 
means  frequently  a  poet  in  the  Rig-veda,  viz.  a  measurer,  a 
thinker  or  maker ;  as  a  neuter  it  means  a  measure,  or  what 
is  measured  or  made.      Thus  v.  85,  5,  we  read : 

manena-iva  tasthi-van  antarikshe  vi  yaA  mame  pnthivim 
surye/2a. 

He  (Vara?2a)  who  standing  in  the  welkin 'has  measured 
the  earth  with  the  sun,  as  with  a  measure. 

.  In  this  passage,  as  well  as  in  ours,  we  must  take  measure, 
not  in  the  abstract  sense,  but  as  a  measuring  line,  which  is 
cast  forward  to  measure  the  distance  of  an  object,  an  image, 
perfectly  applicable  to  the  Maruts,  who  seem  with  their 
weapons  to  strike  the  trees  and  mountains  when  they  them- 
selves are  still  far  off.     Another  explanation  might  be  given, 


MAiVZ>ALA   I,    SUKTA   39.  83 

10.  Bounteous  givers,  you  possess  whole  strength, 
whole  power,  ye  shakers  (of  the  world).  Send,  O 
Maruts,  against  the  wrathful  enemy  of  the  poets 
an  enemy,  like  an  arrow. ^ 


if  mana  could  be  taken  in  the  sense  of  measure,  i.  e.  shape 
or  form,  but  this  is  doubtful. 

Verse  1,  note  ^.  Varpas,  which  generally  means  body  or 
form,  is  here  explained  by  praise.  Benfey  puts  fVerk  (i.  e. 
Gesang,  Gebet)  ;  Langlois,  maison.  Varpas,  which,  without 
much  reason,  has  been  compared  to  Latin  corpus,  must  here 
be  taken  in  a  more  general  sense.  Thus  vi.  44,  14,  asya 
made  puru  varpamsi  vidvan,  is  applied  to  Indra  as  knowing 
many  schemes,  many  thoughts,  many  things,  when  he  is 
inspired  by  the  Soma-juice. 

Verse  3,  note  ^.  Benfey  takes  vi  yathana  in  a  causative 
sense,  you  destroy,  you  cause  the  trees  to  go  asunder.  But 
even  without  assigning  to  ya  a  causative  meaning,  to  go 
through,  to  pierce,  would  convey  the  idea  of  destruction. 
In  some  passages  vi-ya  is  certainly  used  in  the  simple  sense 
of  passing  through,  without  involving  the  idea  of  destruction: 

viii.  73,  13.  rathaA  viyati  rodasi  (iti). 

Your  chariot  which  passes  through  or  between  heaven 
and  earth. 

In  other  passages  the  mere  passing  across  implies  con- 
quest and  destruction : 

i.  116,  20.  vi-bhinduna....rathena  vi  parvatan ayatam. 

On  your  dissevering  chariot  you  went  across  the  moun- 
tains (the  clouds). 

In  other  passages,  however^  a  causative  meaning  seems 
equally,  and  even  more  applicable  : 

viii.  7,  23.  vi  vritram  parva-5a/i  yayuA  vi  parvatan. 

They  passed  through  Vritra  piecemeal,  they  passed  through 
the  mountains  (the  clouds) ;  or,  they  destroyed  Vritra,  cutting 
him  to  pieces,  they  destroyed  the  clouds. 

G  2  "^ 


84  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

Likewise  i.  86,  lo.  vi  yata  vi^vam  atrmam. 

Walk  athwart  every  evil  spirit,  or  destroy  every  evil  spirit ! 

We  must  scan  vi  yathana  vaninaA  prithivyaA. 

Verse  3,  note  ^.  It  might  seem  preferable  to  translate 
a^a^  parvatanam  by  the  spaces  of  the  clouds,  for  parvata 
means  cloud  in  many  places.  Yet  here,  and  still  more 
clearly  in  verse  5,  where  parvata  occurs  again,  the  object  of 
the  poet  is  to  show  the  strength  of  the  Maruts.  In  that 
case  the  mere  shaking  or  bursting  of  the  clouds  would  sound 
very  tame  by  the  side  of  the  shaking  and  breaking  of  the 
forest  trees.  Vedic  poets  do  not  shrink  from  the  conception 
that  the  Maruts  shake  even  mountains,  and  Indra  is  even  said 
to  have  cut  off  the  mountain  tops:  iv.  19,  4.  ava  abhinat  kaku- 
bha^  parvatanam.  In  the  later  literature,  too,  the  same  idea 
occurs :  Mahabh.  Vana-parva,  v.  10974,  dyau^  svit  patati 
kim  bhumir  diryate  parvato  nu  kim,  does  the  sk}^  fall?  is 
the  earth  torn  asunder,  or  the  mountain? 

Verse  4,  note  ^.  Sayana  was  evidently  without  an  autho- 
ritative explanation  of  tana  yuga.  He  tries  to  explain  it  by 
'  through  the  union  of  you  may  strength  to  resist  be  quickly 
extended.^  Wilson :  '  May  your  collective  strength  be 
quickly  exerted.^  Benfey  takes  tana  as  adverb  and  leaves 
out  yu^a :  '  Zu  alien  Zeiten,  O  Furchtbarn  ! — sei  im  Nu  zu 
iiberwalt^gen  euch  die  Macht.^  Yu^a,  an  instrumental,  if 
used  together  with  another  instrumental,  becomes  in  the 
Veda  a  mere  preposition  :  cf.  vii.  43,  5  ;  95,  4.  raya  yu^a  ; 
x.  83,  3.  tapasa  yu^a ;  x.  102,  12.  vadhri?za  yu^a ;  vii.  32,  20. 
puram-dhya  yu^a  ;  vi.  ^6,  2.  sakhya  yu^a ;  viii.  68,  9.  tva 
yu^a.  As  to  the  meaning  of  tan,  see  B.  R.  s.  v.,  where 
tan  in  our  passage  is  explained  as  continuation.  The  off- 
spring or  race  of  the  Maruts  is  mentioned  again  in  the 
next  verse. 

Verse  4,  note  ^.  Nii  kit  a-dhrishe  might  possibly  be  taken 
as  an  abrupt  interrogative  sentence,  viz.  Can  it  be  defied? 
Can  it  be  resisted?     See  v.  87,  2  : 

tat-va^  maruta/^  na  a-dhrishe  savah. 

Your  strength,  O  Maruts,  is  not  to  be  defied. 


MANDAhA   I,    SUKTA    39.  85 

Verse  5,  note  ^  Large  trees  of  the  forest  are  called  the 
kings  or  lords  of  the  forest. 

Verse  6,  note  \  Prashd  is  explained  by  Say  ana  as  a 
sort  of  yoke  in  the  middle  of  three  horses  or  other  animals, 
harnessed  in  a  car  ;  rohita  as  a  kind  of  red  deer.  Hence 
Wilson  remarks  that  the  sense  may  be,  *  The  red  deer 
yoked  between  them  aids  to  drag  the  car.'  But  he  adds 
that  the  construction  of  the  original  is  obscure,  and  ap- 
parently rude  and  ungrammatical.  Benfey  translates,  '  Sie 
fiihrt  ein  flammenrothes  Joch,'  and  remarks  against  Wilson 
that  Saya?za's  definition  of  prash^i  as  yoke  is  right,  but  that 
of  rohita  as  deer,  wrong.  If  Saya?2a^s  authority  is  to  be 
invoked  at  all,  one  might  appeal  from  Sayawa  in  this  place 
to  Saya7^a  viii.  7,  28,  where  prash/i  is  explained  by  him 
either  by  quick  or  by  pramukhe  yu^yamana^^  harnessed  in 
front.      The  verse  is 

yat  esham  prishati/^  rathe  prash^i^  vahati  rohita^. 

When  the  red  leader  draw-s  or  leads  their  spotted  deer  in 
the  chariot. 

vi.  47,  24.  prash^iA  is  explained  as  tripada  adhara/j ;  tad- 
vad  vahantiti  prash/ayo  '^va^.  In  i.  100,  17,  prash/ibhi^,  as 
applied  to  men,  means  friends  or  supporters,  or,  as  Saya?^a 
explains,  parsvasthair  anyair  rishibhiA. 

Verse  7,  note  \   Kanwa,  the  author  of  the  hymn. 

Verse  8,  note  ^.  A  very  w'eak  verse,  particularly  the 
second  line,  which  Wilson  renders  by,  '  Withhold  from  him 
food  and  strength  and  your  assistance.'  Benfey  translates 
abhva  very  happily  by  Ungethum. 

Verse  9,  note  \  The  verb  dada  is  the  second  pers.  plur.  of 
the  perfect  of  da,  and  is  used  here  in  the  sense  of  to  keep,  to 
protect,  as  is  well  shown  by  B.  and  R.  s.  v.  da  4,  base  dad. 
Saya/^a  did  not  understand  the  word,  and  took  it  for  an 
irregular  imperative ;  yet  he  assigned  to  the  verb  the  proper 
sense  of  to  keep,  instead  of  to  give.  Hence  Wilson  : 
'  Uphold  the  sacrificer  Kafiva.'  Benfey,  less  correctly, 
'  Den  Kanva  gabt  ihr,'  as  if  Kanva  had  been  the  highest 
gift  of  the  Maruts. 


86  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

Verse  9,  note  ^.  The  simile,  as  lightnings  go  to  the 
rain,  is  not  very  telling.  It  may  have  been  suggested  by 
the  idea  that  the  lightnings  run  about  to  find  the  rain, 
or  the  tertium  compay^ationis  may  simply  be  the  quickness 
of  lightning.  Wilson  :  '  As  the  lightnings  bring  the  rain.^ 
Benfey :  *  (So  schnell)  gleichwie  der  Blitz  zum  Regen 
kommt/  Lightning  precedes  the  rain,  and  may  therefore 
be  represented  as  looking  about  for  the  rain. 

Verse  10,  note  ^.  Wilson  :  *  Let  loose  your  anger.' 
Saya/za :    '  Let  loose  a  murderer  who  hates.^ 

Pari-manyu,  which  occurs  but  once  in  the  Rig-veda,  cor- 
responds as  nearly  as  possible  to  the  Greek  'jrepLOv/uLo^. 
Manyu,  like  Ovimog,  means  courage,  spirit,  anger;  and  in 
the  compound  parimanyu,  as  in  ireplOuiuLo^,  the  preposition 
pari  seems  to  strengthen  the  simple  notion  of  the  word. 
That  pari  is  used  in  that  sense  in  later  Sanskrit  is  well 
known ;  for  instance,  in  parilaghu,  perlevis,  parikshama, 
withered  away  :  see  Pott,  Etymologische  Forschungen, 
second  edition,  vol.  i.  p.  487.  How  pari,  originally  meaning 
round  about,  came  to  mean  excessive,  is  difficult  to  explain 
with  certainty.  It  may  have  been,  because  what  surrounds 
exceeds,  but  it  may  also  have  been  because  what  is  done  all 
around  a  thing  is  done  thoroughly.  Thus  we  find  in  the 
Veda,  viii.  75,  9,  pari-dveshas,  lit.  one  who  hates  all  around, 
then  a  great  hater  : 

ma  na^  pari-dveshasa^  amhatiA,  urmi^  na  navam  a  vadhit. 

May  the  grasp  of  the  violent  hater  strike  us  not,  as  the 
wave  strikes  a  ship. 

Again,  pari-spridh  means  literally  one  who  strives  round 
about,  then  an  eager  enemy,  a  rival  (fem.) : 

ix.  ^'^,  I.   nudasva  ya^  pari-spridh aA. 

Drive  away  those  who  are  rivals. 

Pari-krosa  means  originally  one  who  shouts  at  one  from 
every  side,  who  abuses  one  roundly,  then  an  angry  re  viler. 
This  word,  though  not  mentioned  in  B.  R.^s  Dictionary, 
occurs  in 

i.  29,  7.   sarvam  pari-kro^am  ^ahi. 

Kill  every  reviler ! 

The  same  idea  which  is  here  expressed  by  pari-kro^a,  is 


MAiS^DALA   I,    SUKTA    39.  87 

in  other  places  expressed  by  pari-rap,  lit.  one  who  shouts 
round  about,  who  defies  on  every  side,  a  calumniator,  an 
enemy. 

ii.  23,  3.   a  vi-badhya  pari-rapa^. 

Having  struck  down  the  enemies. 

ii.  23,  14.   VI  pari-rapa/i  ardaya. 

Destroy  the  enemies. 

In  the  same  way  as  words  meaning  to  hate,  to  oppose, 
to  attack,  are  strengthened  by  this  preposition,  which  con- 
veys the  idea  of  round  about,  we  also  find  words  expressive 
of  love  strengthened  by  the  same  preposition.  Thus  from 
pritaA,  loved,  we  have  pari-pritaA,  lit.  loved  all  round,  then 
loved  very  much  :  i,  190,  6.  pari-prita^  na  mitra/*;  cf.  x. 
27,  12.  We  also  find  ix.  72,  i.  pari-priya^,  those  who 
love  fully  or  all  around,  which  may  mean  great  lovers,  or 
surrounding  friends. 

In  all  these  cases  the  intensifying  power  of  pari  arises 
from  representing  the  action  of  the  verb  as  taking  place 
on  every  side,  thoroughly,  excessively  ;  but  in  other  cases, 
mentioned  by  Professor  Pott,  particularly  where  this  prepo- 
sition is  joined  to  a  noun  which  imphes  some  definite  limit, 
its  magnifying  power  is  no  doubt  due  to  the  fact  that  what 
is  around,  is  outside,  and  therefore  beyond.  Thus  in  Greek 
Trepi/uLerpog  expresses  the  same  idea  as  vTrepimeTpog  (loc.  cit. 
p.  488),  but  I  doubt  whether  pari  ever  occurs  in  that  sense 
in  Sanskrit  compounds. 


88  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

ManDALA   I,    SUKTA    64. 

AsHTAKA  I,  AdhyIya  5,  Yarga  6-8. 

1.  Vrishne  sardhaya  su-makhaya  vedhase  nodha/i 
su-vriktim  pra  bhara  marut-bhyaA,  apa/i*  na  dM- 
Y8ih  manasa  su-hastya^  gira^  sam  an^e  vidatheshu 
a-bhuva/i. 

2.  Te  ^a^nire  diva/?,  rishv^sa/^  ukshsin^h  rudrasya 
maryaA  dsurkh  arepasa/i',  pavakasaA  5u^aya^  suryaA- 
iva  s^tvana^  na  drapsina/i  ghora-varpasa^. 

3.  YiivanaA  rudrKh  d^gkrkh  abhok-hana/?.  vavakshuA 
4dhri-g4va/?/  parvat4^-iva,  dri^Aa  hit  visva  bhuvanani 
parthiva  pra  ^yavayanti  divyani  ma^mana. 

4.  Kiir^ili  siigi-hhih  vapushe  vi  annate  vaksha/z^-su 
rukm^n  adhi  yetire  5ubhe,  amseshu  esham  ni  mi- 
mriksliuA  rish^ayaA  sakdm  ^a^nire  svadhaya  divaA 
nara^. 

5.  Isana-kritaA  dhiinaya^  risaidasa/^  vatan  vi-dyuta^ 
tavisMbhiA  akrata,  duhanti  udha/i  divyani  dhtitaya/z- 
bhtimim  pinvanti  pdyasa  pd>ri-^raya^. 


6.  Pinvanti  apa/^^  mariita/?,  su-d^nava/?,  paya/?.  ghritd,- 
vat  vidatheshu  a-bhiiva/?.,  ^tyam  nd,  mihe  vi  nayanti 
v%inam  litsam  duhanti  standyantam  akshitam. 


7.  Mahish^saA  mayina^  Htrd-bhdnava^  girayaA  na 


MAiVDALA   I,    SUKTA    64.  89 


Hymn  to  the  Maruts  (the  Storm-gods). 

1.  For  the  manly  host,  the  majestic,  the  wise,  for 
the  Maruts  bring  thou,  0  Nodhas,^  a  pure  offering.^ 
Like  a  workman,^  wise  in  his  mind  and  handy,  I  join 
together  words  which  are  useful  at  sacrifices. 

2.  They  are  born,  the  tall  bulls  of  Dyu^  (heaven), 
the  boys^  of  Rudra,  the  divine,  the  blameless,  pure, 
and  bright  like  suns  ;  scattering  rain-drops,  of  awful 
shape,  like  giants.^ 

3.  The  youthful  Rudras,  they  who  never  grow  old, 
the  slayers  of  the  demon, ^  have  grown  irresistible 
like  mountains.  They  shake  with  their  strength  all 
beings,  even  the  strongest,  on  earth  and  in  heaven. 

4.  They  deck  themselves  with  glittering  ornaments  ^ 
for  show ;  on  their  chests  they  fix  gold  (chains)  for 
beauty ;  ^  the  spears  on  their  shoulders  pound  to 
pieces  f  they  were  born  together  by  themselves,^  the 
men  of  Dyu. 

5.  They  who  confer  power,  ^  the  roarers,^  the  de- 
vourers  of  foes,  they  made  winds  and  lightnings  by 
their  powers.  The  shakers  milk  the  heavenly  udders 
(clouds),  roaming  around  they  fill  the  earth  with 
milk  (rain). 

6.  The  bounteous^  Maruts  fill^  (with)  the  fat  milk 
(of  the  clouds)  the  waters,  which  are  useful  at 
sacrifices.  They  seem  to  lead^  about  the  powerful 
horse,  the  cloud,  to  make  it  rain ;  they  milk  the 
thundering,  unceasing  spring.* 

7.  Mighty  you  are,  powerful,  of  wonderful  splen- 
dour,  firmly    rooted^   like    mountains,   (yet)   lightly 


90  HYMNS    TO    THE    MAKUTS. 

sva-tavasa/i  raghu-syada/?.,  mrig^/i-iva  hastinaA  kha- 
datha  vana  yat  aru^iishu  isLYishih  ayugdhvam. 

8.  Si??ihaA-iva  nanadati  pra-^etasa/i  pi^aA-iva  su- 
ipissLh  visva-vedasaA,  kshapa/i.  ^invantaA  prishatl- 
hhih  7^ish.ti-hhih  sam  it  sa-b^dha/i.  savasa  alii-ma- 
nyava^. 


9.  Rodasi  (iti)  a  vadata  gana-sriya/?.  nri-sa^a/^'  surkh 
savasa  ahi-manvava/^.,  K  vandhiiresliu  amatiA  na  dar- 
5ata  vi-dyut  na  tasthau  maruta/?'  ratheshu  va/?-. 


10,  YisYd-vedsi^Sih  rayi-bhi/?.  sam-okasaA  sam-mi- 
slasaA  ta\dshibhi)^  vi-rapsina/^,  astara/i  ishum  dadhire 
gabhastyoA  ananta-sushmaA  vrisha-khadayaA  naraA. 

11.  Hira^yayebhi/?.  pavi-bhi/^.  paya^-vridhaA  lit 
^iglinante  a-pathya/i^  na  parvatan,  makh^A  ayasa/z. 
sva-sritaA  dhruva-^jutaA  dudhra-krita/i'  marutaA 
bhr%at-rish^ay  aA . 


12.  Ghrishum  pavakam  vaninam  vi-^arshamm  ru- 
drasya  sunum  havasa  gyinimasi,  ra^a/^-turam  tava- 
sani  m^rutam  ga/iam  ri^ishi7?am  vrisha?iam  sas^ata 
5riye. 

13.  Prd  nii  sa/i  marta/^  ^avasa  ^anan  d-ti  tastbaii 
va/i  uti  maruta/i  yam  avata,  arvat-bhiA  v%am  bha- 
rate  dhana  nri-blii/z.  a-priA;Myam  kratum  ^  kslieti 
pushy  at  i. 


MANDALA    I,    SUKTA    64.  91 


gliding  along ; — you  chew  up  forests,  like  elephants,^ 
when  you  have  assumed  vigour  among  the  red  flames.^ 

8.  Like  lions  they  roar,  the  far-sighted  Maruts, 
they  are  handsome  like  gazelles,^  the  all-knowing. 
By  night  ^  with  their  spotted  deer  (rain-clouds)  and 
with  their  spears  (lightnings)  they  rouse  the  com- 
panions together,  they  whose  ire  through  strength 
is  like  the  ire  of  serpents. 

9.  You  who  march  in  companies,  the  friends  of 
man,  heroes,  whose  ire  through  strength  is  like  the 
ire  of  serpents,  salute  heaven  and  earth  !^  On  the 
seats  on  your  chariots,  0  Maruts,  the  lightning  stands, 
visible  like  light.^ 

10.  All-knowing,  surrounded  with  wealth,  endowed 
with  vigour,  singers,^  men  of  endless  prowess,  armed 
with  strong  rings,^  they,  the  archers,  have  placed  the 
arrow  on  their  arms. 

11.  The  Maruts,  who  with  their  golden  fellies, 
increase  the  rain,  stir  up  the  clouds  like  wanderers 
on  the  road.  They  are  brisk,  indefatigable,^  they 
move  by  themselves  ;  they  throw  down  what  is  firm, 
the  Maruts  with  their  brilliant  spears  make  (every- 
thing) to  reel.^ 

12.  We  invoke  with  prayer^  the  offspring  of  Ku- 
dra,  the  brisk,  the  bright,  the  worshipful,^  the  active. 
Cling  ^  for  happiness-sake  to  the  strong  host  of  the 
Maruts,  the  chasers  of  the  sky,*  the  vigorous,  the 
impetuous.^ 

13.  The  mortal  whom  ye,  Maruts,  protected  with 
your  protection,  he  indeed  surpasses  people  in  strength. 
He  carries  off  food  with  his  horses,  treasures  with  his 
men ;  he  acquires  honourable^  strength,and  he  prospers.^ 


92  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

14.  ^arkrityam  maruta/^  prit-su  dustaram  dyu- 
mantani  sushmam  maghavat-su  dhattana,  dhana- 
sp7'itam  ukthyam  vi^'va-yl^arslia^iim  tokam  pusliyema 
tanayam  satdm  himih. 

15.  Nu  sthiram  mamta/i  vira-vantam  7nti-saham 
rayim  asmasu  dbatta,  sahasri^zam  5atlnam  6'U5u-vam- 
sam  prata/^  makshu  dhiya-vasii/i  ^/agamyat. 


COMMENTARY. 

This  hymn  is  ascribed  to  Nodhas,  of  the  family  of  Go- 
tama.  The  metre  from  verse  i— 14  is  Gagoii,  verse  15  is 
Trish/fubh. 

Verse  1,  note  ^.  The  first  hne  is  addressed  by  the  poet 
to  himself. 

Verse  1,  note  ^.  Suvrikti  is  generally  explained  by  a 
hymn  of  praise,  and  it  cannot  be  denied  that  in  this  place, 
as  in  most  others,  that  meaning  would  be  quite  satisfactory. 
Etymologically,  however,  suvrikti  means  the  cleaning  and 
trimming  of  the  grass  on  which,  as  on  a  small  altar,  the 
oblation  is  offered :  cf.  vriktabarhis,  i.  38,  i,  note  ^,  page  68. 
Hence,  although  the  same  word  might  be  metaphorically 
applied  to  a  carefully  composed,  pure  and  holy  hymn  of 
praise,  yet  wherever  the  primary  meaning  is  applicable  it 
seems  safer  to  retain  it :   cf.  iii.  61,  5  ;  vi.  11,  5. 

Verse  1,  note^  Apas,  with  the  accent  on  the  last  syllable, 
is  the  accusative  plural  of  ap,  water,  and  it  is  so  explained 
by  Sayawa.  He  translates  :  '  I  show  forth  these  hymns  of 
praise,  like  water,  i.  e.  everywhere,  as  Par^anya  sends  down 
rain  at  once  in  every  place.^  Benfey  explains :  '  I  make 
these  hymns  smooth  like  water,  i.  e.  so  that  they  run  smooth 


MAiVZ)ALA   I,    SUKTA   64.  93 


} 


14.  Give,  0  Maruts,  to  the  worshippers  strength 
glorious,  invincible  in  battle,  brilliant,  wealth-confer- 
ring, praiseworthy,  known  to  all  men.^  Let  ns  foster 
our  kith  and  kin  during  a  hundred  winters. 

15.  Will^  you  then,  O  Maruts,  grant  unto  us  wealth, 
durable,  rich  in  men,  defying  all  onslaughts '?  ^ — wealth 
a  hundred  and  a  thousand-fold,  always  increasing'?  — 
May  he  who  is  rich  in  prayers^  (the  host  of  the 
Maruts)  come  early  and  soon ! 


like  water.^  He  compares  pvOimo^,  as  derived  from  pecD. 
Another  explanation  might  be,  that  the  hymns  are  powerful 
Uke  water,  when  it  has  been  banked  up.  Yet  all  these 
similes  seem  very  lame,  and  I  feel  convinced  that  we  ought 
either  to  change  the  accent,  and  read  apa/t,  or  the  last  vowel, 
and  read  apa^.  In  the  former  case  the  meaning  would  be, 
*  As  one  wise  in  mind  and  clever  performs  his  work,  so  do  I 
compose  these  hymns.^  In  the  second  case,  which  seems 
to  me  preferable,  we  should  translate :  '  Like  a  workman, 
wise  in  mind  and  handy,  I  put  together  these  hymns.^ 

Verse  2,  note  ^.  It  is  difficult  to  say  in  passages  like  this, 
whether  Dyu  should  be  taken  as  heaven  or  as  a  personified 
deity.  When  the  Maruts  are  called  Rudrasya  marya^,  the 
boys  of  Rudra  (vii.  ^6,  i),  the  personification  is  always  pre- 
served. Hence  if  the  same  beings  are  called  DivaA  maryaA, 
this  too,  I  think,  should  be  translated  the  boys  of  Dyu  (iii. 
54,  13  ;  V.  59,  6),  not  the  sons  of  heaven.  The  bulls  of 
Dyu  is  a  more  primitive  and  more  vigorous  expression  for 
what  we  should  call  the  fertilising  winds  of  heaven. 

Verse  2,  note  ^.  Marya  is  a  male,  particularly  a  young 
male,  a  boy,  a  young  man  (i.  115,  2  ;  iii.  33,  10  ;  iv.  20,  5  ; 
V.  61,  4,  with  vira)  : 

V.  59,  5.   marya^-iva  su-vridhaA  vavndhu/«  nara^. 

Like  boys  that  grow  well  they  have  grown  men. 


94  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

When  joined  with  nara/«  (v.  53,  3),  narah  marya/i  are- 
pasa^,  it  may  be  taken  as  an  adjective,  manly,  strong.  At 
last  marya  assumes  the  general  meaning  of  man  : 

i.  91,  13.  marya/«-iva  sve  okyg. 

Like  a  man  in  his  own  house. 

Verse  2,  note  ^.  The  simile,  like  giants,  is  not  quite  clear. 
Satvan  means  a  strong  man,  but  it  seems  intended  here  to 
convey  the  idea  of  supernatural  strength.  Ben  fey  translates, 
'  like  brave  warriors  ;'  Wilson,  *  like  evil  spirits.^  Ghora- 
varpas  is  an  adjective  belonging  to  the  Maruts  rather  than 
to  the  giants,  and  may  mean  of  awful  aspect,  i.  19,  5,  or  of 
cruel  mind;  cf.  i.  39,  i,  note  ^. 

Verse  3,  note  ^.  Abhog-ghana/i,  the  slayers  of  the  demon, 
are  the  slayers  of  the  clouds,  viz.  of  such  clouds  as  do  not 
yield  rain.  Abho^,  not  nurturing,  is  a  name  of  the  rainless 
cloud,  like  Namu/ri  {na-muk,  not  delivering  rain),  the  name 
of  another  demon  killed  by  Indra ;  see  Benfey,  Glossar,  s.  v. 
The  cloud  which  sends  rain  is  called  bhu^man  : 

viii.  50,  2.  girih  na  bhu^ma  maghavat-su  pinvate. 

Like  a  feeding  cloud  he  showers  his  gifts  on  the  wor- 
shippers. 

Verse  4,  note  ^.  The  ornaments  of  the  Maruts  are  best 
described  v.  54,  1 1 : 

amseshu  va^  rishtajah  pat-su  khadayaA  vakshaA-su  ruk- 
mah. 

On  your  shoulders  are  the  spears,  on  your  feet  rings,  on 
your  chests  gold  ornaments. 

Rukma  as  a  masc.  plur.  is  frequently  used  for  ornaments 
which  are  worn  on  the  breast  by  the  Maruts,  but  no  hint  is 
given  as  to  the  exact  nature  of  the  ornaments.  The  Maruts 
are  actually  called  rukmavakshasa^,  gold-breasted,  (ii.  34,  3 ; 

V.  55,  I ;  57,  5-) 

Verse  4,  note  ^.  Vapushe  and  5ubhe,  as  parallel  expres- 
sions, occur  also  vi.  6^,  6. 

Verse  4,  note  ^.  Ni  mimrikshur  does  not  occur  again  in 
the  Rig-veda,  and  Roth  has  suggested  to  read  ni  mimikshur 
instead ;    see  ni  4-  mar^.      He   does  not,  however,  give   our 


MAN  DAL  A   I,    SUKTA   64.  95 

passage  under  mya^,  but  under  mraksh,  and  this  seems 
indeed  preferable.  No  doubt,  there  is  ample  analogy  for 
mimikshu^,  and  the  meaning  would  be,  their  spears  stick 
firm  to  their  shoulders.  But  as  the  MSS.  give  mimrikshu/^, 
and  as  it  is  possible  to  find  a  meaning  for  this,  I  do  not 
propose  to  alter  the  text.  The  question  is  only,  what  does 
mimrikshuA  mean?  Mraksh  means  to  grind,  to  rub,  and 
Roth  proposes  to  render  our  passage  by  ^  the  spears  rub 
together  on  their  shoulders.^  The  objections  to  this  trans- 
lation are  the  preposition  ni,  and  the  active  voice  of  the  verb. 
I  take  mraksh  in  the  sense  of  grinding,  pounding,  destroying, 
which  is  Ukewise  appropriate  to  mraksha-kritvan  (viii.  6i,  lo), 
and  tuvi-mraksha  (vi.  i8,  2),  and  I  translate,  'the  spears  on 
their  shoulders  pound  to  pieces.^ 

Verse  4,  note  *.  The  idea  that  the  Maruts  owe  every- 
thing, if  not  their  birth,  at  least  their  strength  (sva-tavasa/^, 
sva-bhanavaA,  sva-sritaA),  to  themselves  is  of  frequent  occur- 
rence in  these  hymns. 

Verse  5,  note  ^.  They  are  themselves  compared  to  kings 
(i.  85,  8),  and  called  i^ana,  lords  (i.  87,  4). 

Verse  5,  note  ^.  Dhuni  is  connected  with  root  dhvan,  to 
dun  or  to  din.  Saya/^a  explains  it  by  bending  or  shaking, 
and  Benfey,  too,  translates  it  by  Erschuttere7\  Roth  gives 
the  right  meaning. 

Verse  6,  note  \  I  translate  sudanava^  by  bounteous,  or 
good  givers,  for,  if  we  have  to  choose  between  the  two 
meanings  of  bounteous  or  endowed  with  liquid  drops  or 
dew,  the  former  is  the  more  appropriate  in  most  passages. 
We  might,  of  course,  admit  two  words,  one  meaning,  pos- 
sessed of  good  water,  the  other,  bounteous  ;  the  former 
derived  from  danu,  neuter,  water,  or  rain,  the  other  from 
danu,  giving.  It  cannot  be  denied,  for  instance,  that  when- 
ever the  Maruts  are  called  sudanava/i,  the  meanings  pos- 
sessed of  good  rain,  would  be  applicable:  i.  40,  i;  44,  14; 
64,  6 ;  85,  10  ;  ii.  34,  8  ;  iii.  26,  5  ;  v.  52,  5  ;  53,  6 ;  57,  5; 
viii.  20,  18;  X.  78,  5;  i.  15,  2;  23,  9;  39,  10.  Yet,  even 
in  these  passages,  while  sudanava^  in  the  sense  of  possessed 


96  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

of  good  rain  is  possible  throughout,  that  of  good  giver  would 
sometimes  be  preferable,  for  instance,  i.  15,  2,  as  compared 
with  i.  15,  3. 

When  the  same  word  is  applied  to  Indra,  vii.  31,  2, ; 
X.  23,  6  ;  to  Yish?zu,  viii.  25,  12  ;  to  the  Asvins,  i.  112,  11 ; 
to  Mitra  and  Varu/za,  v.  62,  9  ;  to  Indra  and  Varu/^a,  iv.  41, 
8,  the  meaning  of  giver  of  good  rain  might  still  seem 
more  natural.  But  with  Agni,  vi.  2,  4;  the  Adityas,  v.  6^,  4; 
viii.  18,  12;  19,  34;  67,  16;  the  Vasus,  i.  106,  i;  x.  66, 
12;  the  Vi^ve,  x.  6^,  11,  such  an  epithet  would  not  be 
appropriate,  while  sudanava^,  in  the  sense  of  bounteous 
givers,  is  applicable  to  all.  The  objection  that  danu,  giver, 
does  not  occur  in  the  Veda,  is  of  no  force,  for  many  words 
occur  at  the  end  of  compounds  only,  and  we  shall  see 
passages  where  sudanu  must  be  translated  by  good  giver. 
Nor  would  the  accent  of  danu,  giver,  be  an  obstacle,  con- 
sidering that  the  author  of  the  U/zadi-sutras  had  no  Vedic 
authority  to  guide  him  in  the  determination  of  the  accent  of 
danu.  Several  words  in  nu  have  the  accent  on  the  first 
syllable.  But  one  might  go  even  a  step  further,  and  find 
a  more  appropriate  meaning  for  sudanu  by  identifying  it 
with  the  Zend  hudanu,  which  means,  not  a  good  giver, 
but  a  good  knower,  wise.  True,  this  root  da,  to  know,  does 
not  occur  in  the  ordinary  Sanskrit,  but  as  it  exists  both  in 
Zend  and  in  Greek  (Satj/mt,  Sdei^),  it  may  have  left  this  one 
trace  in  the  Vedic  word  sudanu.  This,  however,  is  only  a 
conjecture ;  what  is  certain  is  this,  that  apart  from  the 
passages  where  sudanu  is  thus  applied  to  various  deities,  in 
the  sense  of  bounteous  or  wise,  it  also  occurs  as  applied  to 
the  sacrificer,  where  it  can  only  mean  giver.  This  is  clear 
from  the  following  j^assages  : 

i.  47,  8.   isham  prinHnta  su-k?'ite  su-danave. 

Bringing  food  to  him  who  acts  well  and  gives  well. 

vii.  96,  4.  ^ani-yanta/i  mi  agrava/?-  putri-yantaA  su-dana- 
vah,  sarasvantam  havamahe. 

We,  being  unmarried,  and  wishing  for  wives  and  wishing 
for  sons,  offering  sacrifices,  call  now  upon  Sarasvat. 

viii.  103,  7.    su-danava/j  deva-yava/«. 

Offering  sacrifices,  and  longing  for  the  gods.  Cf.  x.  172, 
2;   3  ;  vi.  16,  8. 


MAJV^Z)ALA   I,    SUKTA   64.  97 

iv.  4,  7.  sah  it  agne  astu  su-bhagaA  su-danuA  jah  tva 
nityena  havisha  ya/^  ukthaiA  piprishati. 

O  Agni,  let  the  liberal  sacrificer  be  happy,  who  wishes 
to  please  thee  by  perpetual  offerings  and  hymns.  See  also 
vi.  16,  8;   685  5;   x.  172,  2,  3. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  even  the  meaning  of  danu  is 
by  no  means  quite  clear.  It  is  clear  enough  where  it  means 
demon,  ii.  11,  18;  12,  11;  iv.  30,  7;  x.  120,  6,  the  seven 
demons.  In  i.  32,  9;  iii.  30,  8,  danu,  demon,  is  apphed  to  the 
mother  of  Vritra.  From  this  danu  we  have  the  derivative 
danava,  meaning  again  demon.  Why  the  demons,  con- 
quered by  Indra,  were  called  danu,  is  not  clear.  It  may 
be  in  the  sense  of  wise,  or  in  the  sense  of  powerful,  for  this 
meaning  is  ascribed  to  danii  by  the  author  of  the  Uwadi- 
sutras.  If  the  latter  meaning  is  authentic,  and  not  only 
deduced  ecc  post  from  the  name  of  Danu  and  Danava,  it 
might  throw  light  on  the  Celtic  dana,  fortis,  from  which 
Zeuss  derives  the  name  of  the  Danube. 

But  the  sense  of  the  neuter  danu  is  by  no  means  settled. 
Sometimes  it  means  Soma : 

X.  43,  7.  apa^  na  sindhum  abhi  yat  sam-aksharan  somasa/* 
indram  kulya^-iva  hradam,  vardhanti  vipraA  mahaA  asya 
sadane  yavam  na  y)^ishtih  divyena  danuna. 

When  the  Somas  run  together  to  Indra,  like  water  to 
the  river,  like  channels  to  the  lake,  then  the  priests 
increase  his  greatness  in  the  sanctuary,  as  rain  the  corn, 
by  the  heavenly  Soma-juice. 

In  the  next  verse  ^iradanu  means  the  sacrificer  whose 
Soma  is  always  alive,  always  ready. 

In  vi.  50,  13,  however,  danu  papriA  is  doubtful.  As  an 
epithet  to  Apam  napat,  it  may  mean  he  who  wishes  for 
Soma,  or  he  who  grants  Soma ;  but  in  neither  case  is 
there  any  tangible  sense.  Again,  viii.  25,  5,  Mitra  and 
Yaruna  are  called  sripra-danu,  which  may  mean  possessed 
of  flowing  rain.  And  in  the  next  verse,  sam  ya  danuni 
yemathu/i  may  be  rendered  by  Mitra  and  Varu??a,  who 
brought  together  rain. 

The  fact  that  Mitra -Varu/^au  and  the  A^vins  are  called 
danunaspati  does  not  throw  much  more  Hght  on  the  sub- 
ject, and  the  one  passage  where  danu  occurs  as  a  feminine,- 

VOL.  I.  H 


98  HYMNS   TO    THE   MARUTS. 

i.  54,  7,  danuA  asmai  upara  pinvate  diva^,  may  be  trans- 
lated by  rain  pours  forth  for  him,  below  the  sky,  but  the 
translation  is  by  no  means  certain. 

DanuA:itra,  applied  to  the  dawn,  the  water  of  the  clouds, 
and  the  three  worlds  (v.  59,  8;  31,  6;  i.  174,  7),  means 
most  likely  bright  with  dew^  or  rain  ;  and  danumat  vasu, 
the  treasure  conquered  by  Indra  from  the  clouds,  can  be 
translated  by  the  treasure  of  rain.  Taking  all  the  evidence 
together,  we  can  hardly  doubt  that  danu  existed  in  the 
sense  of  liquid,  rain,  or  Soma ;  yet  it  is  equally  certain  that 
danu  existed  in  the  sense  of  giver,  if  not  of  gift,  and  that 
from  this,  in  certain  passages,  at  all  events,  sudanu  must  be 
derived,  as  a  synonym  of  sudavan,  sudaman,  &c. 

Verse  6,  note  ^.  Cf.  vii.  50,  4,  (nadya^)  payasa  pmva- 
manay^,  the  rivers  swelling  with  milk.  Pinvati  is  here 
construed  with  two  accusatives,  the  conception  being  that 
they  fill  or  feed  the  w^aters,  and  that  the  w'aters  take  the 
food,  viz.  the  rain.  The  construction  is  not  to  be  com- 
pared with  the  Greek  rpecpeii'  rpocptjv  r^i/a  roii^vSe  (Herod, 
ii.  2),  but  rather  with  SiSda-Keiv  nva  n. 

Cf.  vi.  6^,  8.   dhenum  na^  isham  pinvatam  asakram. 

You  filled  our  cow  (with)  constant  food. 

Similarly  duh,  to  milk,  to  extract,  is  construed  with  two 
accusatives  :  Van.  i.  4,  51.  gam  dogdhi  paya^,  he  milks  the 
cow  milk. 

Rv.  ix.  107,  5.   duhana/i  udhah  divyam  madhu  priyam. 

Milking  the  heavenly  udder  (and  extracting  from  it)  the 
precious  sweet,  i.e.  the  rain. 

Verse  6,  note  ^  The  leading  about  of  the  clouds  is 
intended,  like  the  leading  about  of  horses,  to  tame  them, 
and  make  them  obedient  to  the  wishes  of  their  riders,  the 
Maruts.  Xtyah  va^i  is  a  strong  horse,  possibly  a  stallion; 
but  this  horse  is  here  meant  to  signify  the  cloud.  Thus 
we  read : 

V.  83,  6.  divah  nah  vrish/im  maruta/i  raridhvam  pra 
pinvata  vrish?2a/i  asvasya  dharah. 

Give  us,  O  Maruts,  the  rain  of  heaven,  pour  forth  the 
streams  of  the  stallion  (the  cloud). 


MAiVZ>ALA    I,    SUKTA   64.  99 

In  the  original  the  simile  is  quite  clear,  and  no  one  re- 
quired to  be  told  that  the  atya^  va^i  was  meant  for  the  cloud. 
Va^m  by  itself  means  a  horse,  as  i.  66,  2  ;  69,  3.  va^i  na 
prita^,  like  a  favourite  horse;  i.  116,  6.  paidva^  va^i,  the 
horse  of  Pedu.  But  being  derived  from  va^a,  strength, 
va^in  retained  always  something  of  its  etymological  meaning, 
and  was  therefore  easily  and  naturally  transferred  to  the 
cloud,  the  giver  of  strength,  the  source  of  food.  Even  with- 
out the  na,  i.e.  as  if,  the  simile  would  have  been  understood 
in  Sanskrit,  while  in  English  it  is  hardly  intelligible  without 
a  commentary.  Benfey  discovers  some  additional  idea  in 
support  of  the  poet^s  comparison  :  Mch  bin  kein  Pferde- 
kenner,^  he  says,  '  aber  ich  glaube  bemerkt  zu  haben,  dass 
man  Pferde,  welche  rasch  gelaufen  sind,  zum  Uriniren  zu 
bewegen  sucht.  So  lassen  hier  die  Maruts  die  durch 
ihren  Sturm  rasch  fortgetriebenen  Wolken  Wasser  herab 
stromen.^ 

Verse  6,  note  *.  U'tsa,  well,  is  meant  again  for  cloud, 
though  we  should  hardly  be  justified  in  classing  it  as  a  name 
of  cloud,  because  the  original  meaning  of  utsa,  spring,  is 
really  retained,  as  much  as  that  of  avata,  well,  in  i.  85,  10— 11. 
The  adjectives  stanayantam  and  akshitam  seem  more  appli- 
cable to  cloud,  yet  they  may  be  applied  also  to  a  spring. 
Yaska  derives  utsa  from  ut-sar,  to  go  forth  ;  ut-sad,  to  go 
out ;  ut-syand,  to  well  out ;  or  from  ud,  to  wet.  In  v.  32,  2, 
the  wells  shut  up  by  the  seasons  are  identified  with  the 
udder  of  the  cloud. 

Verse  7,  note  ^  Svatavas  means  really  having  their  own 
independent  strength,  a  strength  not  derived  from  the 
support  of  others.  The  yet  which  I  have  added  in  brackets 
seems  to  have  been  in  the  poet^s  mind,  though  it  is  not 
expressed.  In  i.  87,  4,  the  Maruts  are  called  sva-s?'it,  going 
by  themselves,  i.  e.  moving  freely,  independently,  wherever 
they  list.     See  i.  64,  4,  note  *. 

Verse  7,  note  ^.  MrigaA  hastina/*,  wild  animals  with  a 
hand  or  a  trunk,  must  be  meant  for  elephants,  although  it 
has   been   doubted   whether   the   poets   of  the  Veda   were 

H  2 


100  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

acquainted  with  that  animal.  Hastin  is  the  received  name 
for  elephant  in  the  later  Sanskrit,  and  it  is  hardly  appli- 
cable to  any  other  animal.  If  they  are  said  to  eat  the 
forests,  this  may  be  understood  in  the  sense  of  crushing  or 
chewing^  as  well  as  of  eating. 

Verse  7,  note  ^.  The  chief  difficulty  of  the  last  sentence 
has  been  pointed  out  in  B.  and  R.^s  Dictionary,  s.  v.  arum. 
Arum  does  not  occur  again  in  the  whole  of  the  Rig-veda. 
If  we  take  it  with  Saya/za  as  a  various  reading  of  arum,  then 
the  Arums  could  only  be  the  ruddy  cows  of  the  dawn  or  of 
Indra,  with  whom  the  Maruts,  in  this  passage,  can  have  no 
concern.  Nor  would  it  be  intelligible  why  they  should  be 
called  arum  in  this  one  place  only.  If,  as  suggested  by 
B.  and  R.,  the  original  text  had  been  yada  arumshu,  it 
would  be  difficult  to  understand  how  so  simple  a  reading 
could  have  been  corrupted. 

Another  difficulty  is  the  verb  a3mgdhvam,  which  is  not 
found  again  in  the  Rig-veda  together  with  tavishi.  Tavishi, 
vigour,  is  construed  with  dha,  to  take  strength,  v.  32^  2. 
adhattha^;  v.  55,  2.  dadhidhve;  x.  102,  8.  adhatta;  also  with 
vas,  iv.  16,  14;  with  pat,  x.  113,  5,  &c.  But  it  is  not 
likely  that  to  put  vigour  into  the  cows  could  be  expressed 
in  Sanskrit  by  ^you  gain  vigour  in  the  cows.'  If  tavishi 
must  be  taken  in  the  sense  which  it  seems  always  to  possess, 
viz.  vigour,  it  would  be  least  objectionable  to  translate, 
*  when  you  joined  vigour,  i.  e.  when  you  assumed  vigour, 
while  being  among  the  Arums.'  The  Arums  being  the  cows 
of  the  dawn,  arumshu  might  simply  mean  in  the  morning. 
Considering,  however,  that  the  Maruts  are  said  to  eat  up 
forests,  arum,  in  this  place,  is  best  taken  in  the  sense  of 
red  flames,  viz.  of  fire  or  forest-fire  (davagni),  so  that  the 
sense  would  be,  '  When  you,  Storms,  assume  vigour  among 
the  flames,  you  eat  up  forests,  like  elephants.'  Benfey  : 
'  Wenn  mit  den  rothen  cure  Kraft  ihr  angeschirrt.  Die 
rothen  sind  die  Antilopen,  das  Vehikel  der  Maruts,  wegen 
der  Schnellisi:keit  derselben.' 

Verse  8,  note  ^.  As  pi^a  does  not  occur  again  in  the  Rig- 
veda,  and  as  Saya?za,  without  attempting  any  etymological 


MAiVDALA    1,    st^KTA    64.  101 

arguments,  simply  gives  it  as  a  name  of  deer,  it  seems  best 
to  adopt  that  sense  till  something  better  can  be  discovered. 
Supi^,  too,  does  not  occur  again.  In  vii.  i8,  2,  pis  is  ex- 
plained by  gold,  &c. ;  vii.  57,  3,  the  Maruts  are  called 
visvapis. 

Verse  8,  note  ^.  Kshapa/*  can  only  be  the  accusative 
plural,  used  in  a  temporal  sense.  It  is  so  used  in  the 
expression  kshapaA  usrah  ka,  by  night  and  by  daj-,  lit.  nights 
and  days  (vii.  15,  8).  In  vi.  52,  15,  vi^e  find  kshapa^  usra'A 
in  the  same  sense,  iv.  ^^,  7.  kshapabhiA  aha-bhiA,  by  night 
and  by  day.  i.  44,  8,  the  loc.  plur.  vyush^ishu,  in  the 
mornings,  is  followed  by  kshapa/?,  the  ace.  plur.,  by  night, 
and  here  the  genitive  kshapa^  would  certainly  be  preferable, 
in  the  sense  of  at  the  brightening  up  of  the  night.  The 
ace.  plur.  occurs  again  in  i.  116,  4,  where  tisraA  is  used  as 
an  accusative  (ii.  2,  2 ;  viii.  41,  3).  KshapaA,  with  the 
accent  on  the  last,  must  be  taken  as  a  genitivus  temporalis, 
like  the  German  Nachts  (i.  79,  6).  In  viii.  19,  31,  kshapa/^ 
vastushu  means  at  the  brightening  up  of  the  night,  i.  e.  in 
the  morning.  Thus,  in  iii.  50,  4,  Indra  is  called  kshapam 
vasta  ^anita  suryasya,  the  lighter  up  of  nights,  the  parent 
of  the  sun.  In  viii.  26,  3,  ati  kshapa^,  the  genitive  may 
be  governed  by  ati.  In  iv.  16,  19,  however, -the  accusative 
kshapaA  would  be  more  natural,  nor  do  I  see  how  a  genitive 
could  here  be  accounted  for  : 

dyava/i  na  dyumnai/i  abhi  santa/*  arya/i  kshapa^  madema 
5arada^  ka  purvi^. 

May  we  rejoice  many  years,  overcoming  our  enemies  as 
the  days  overcome  the  nights  by  splendour. 

The  same  applies  to  i.  70,  4,  where  kshapaA  occurs  with 
the  accent  on  the  last  syllable,  whereas  we  expect  kshapa^ 
as  nom.  or  ace.  plural.  Here  B.  and  R.  in  the  Sanskrit 
Dictionary,  s.  v.  kshap,  rightly,  I  believe,  suppose  it  to  be  a 
nom.  plur.  in  spite  of  the  accent. 

Verse  9,  note  ^.  Rodasi,  a  dual,  though  frequently  fol- 
lowed by  ubhe  (i.  10,  8  ;  7^'^,  9  ;  54,  2),  means  heaven  and 
earth,  excluding  the  antariksha  or  the  air  between  the 
two.      Hence,  if  this  is  to  be  included,  it  has  to  be  added  : 


102  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

i.  73,  8.  apapri-van  rodasi  antariksham.    Cf.  v.  85,  3.      We 
must  scan  rodasi.     See  Kuhn,  Beitrage,  vol.  iv.  p.  193. 

Verse  9,  note  ^.  The  comparison  is  not  quite  distinct. 
Amati  means  originally  impetus,  then  power,  e.  g.  v.  69,  i : 

vav/'idhanau  amatim  kshatriyasya. 

Increasing  the  might  of  the  warrior. 

But  it  is  most  frequently  used  of  the  effulgence  of  the 
sun,  (iii.  3^,  8  ;  V.  45,  2  ;  62,  5  ;  vii.  38,  i;  2 ;  45,  3.)  See 
also  V.  ^6,  8,  where  the  same  companion  of  the  Maruts  is 
called  Rodasi.      The  comparative  particle  na  is  used  twice. 

Verse  10,  note  \   See  i.  38,  14,  p.  78. 

Verse  10,  note  ^.  In  vrisha-khadi  the  meaning  of  khadi 
is  by  no  means  clear.  Saya/ia  evidently  guesses,  and  pro- 
poses two  meanings,  weapon  or  food.  In  several  passages 
where  khadi  occurs,  it  seems  to  be  an  ornament  rather  than 
a  weapon,  yet  if  derived  from  khad,  to  bite,  it  may  origin- 
ally have  signified  some  kind  of  weapon.  Roth  translates 
it  by  ring,  and  it  is  certain  that  these  khadis  were  to  be 
seen  not  only  on  the  arms  and  shoulders,  but  likewise  on 
the  feet  of  the  Maruts.  There  is  a  famous  weapon  in  India, 
the  ^akra  or  quoit,  a  ring  with  sharp  edges,  which  is  thrown 
from  a  great  distance  with  fatal  effect.  Bollensen  (Orient 
und  Occident,  vol.  ii.  p.  46)  suggests  for  vrishan  the  meaning 
of  hole  in  the  ear,  and  then  translates  the  compound  as 
having  earrings  in  the  hole  of  the  ear.  But  vrishan  does 
not  mean  the  hole  in  the  lap  of  the  ear,  nor  has  vnshabha 
that  meaning  either  in  the  Veda  or  elsewhere.  Wilson  gives 
for  vrishabha,  not  for  vrishan,  the  meaning  of  orifice  of  the 
ear,  but  this  is  very  different  from  the  hole  in  the  lap  of 
the  ear.  Benfey  suggests  that  the  khadis  were  made  of  the 
teeth  of  wild  animals,  and  hence  their  name  of  biters.  Vri- 
shan conveys  the  meaning  of  strong,  though  possibly  with 
the  implied  idea  of  rain-producing,  fertilising.    See  p.  121. 

Verse  11,  note  ^.    Formerly  explained  as  *  zum   Kampfe 
wandelnd.'      See  Kuhn,  Zeitschrift,  vol.  iv.  p.  19. 

Verse  11,   note  ^.    Wilson  :    *Augmenters  of  rain,   they 


MANDALA   I,    S^KTA   64.  103 

drive,  with  golden  wheels,  the  clouds  asunder ;  as  elephants 
(in  a  herd^  break  down  the  trees  in  their  way).  They  are 
honoured  with  sacrifices,  visitants  of  the  hall  of  offering, 
spontaneous  assailers  (of  their  foes),  subverters  of  w^hat 
are  stable,  immovable  themselves,  and  wearers  of  shining 
weapons.^ 

Benfey  :  '  Weghemmnissen  gleich  schleudern  die  Fluth- 
mehrer  mit  den  goldnen  Felgen  das  Gewolk  empor,  die  nie 
miiden  Kampfer,  frei  schreitend-festessturzenden,die  schweres 
thu^nden,  lanzenstrahlenden  Maruts.^ 

Verse  12,  note  ^.  Havasa,  instead  of  what  one  should 
expect,  havasa,  occurs  but  once  more  in  another  Marut 
hymn,  vi.  66,  ii. 

Verse  12,  note  ^.  Vanin  does  not  occur  ag-ain  as  an 
epithet  of  the  Maruts.  It  is  explained  by  Saya^za  as  a 
possessive  adjective  derived  from  vana,  water,  and  Benfey 
accordingly  translates  it  hj  fluthversehn.  This,  however,  is 
not  confirmed  by  any  authoritative  passages.  Vanin,  unless  it 
means  connected  with  the  forest,  a  tree,  in  which  sense  it  oc- 
curs frequently,  is  only  applied  to  the  worshippers  or  priests  in 
the  sense  of  venerating  or  adoring  (cf.  verier o,  venustus,  &c.) : 

iii.  40,  7.  abhi  dyumnani  vaninaA  indram  sa^ante  akshita. 

The  inexhaustible  treasures  of  the  worshipper  go  towards 
Indra. 

viii.  3,  5.   indram  vanina^  havamahe. 

We,  the  worshippers,  call  Indra. 

Unless  it  can  be  proved  by  independent  evidence  that 
vanin  means  possessed  of  w^ater,  we  must  restrict  vanin  to 
its  two  meanings,  of  which  the  only  one  here  applicable, 
though  weak,  is  adoring.  The  Maruts  are  frequently  repre- 
sented as  singers  and  priests,  yet  the  epithets  here  applied  to 
them  stand  much  in  need  of  some  definite  explanation,  as 
the  poet  could  hardly  have  meant  to  string  a  number  of 
vague  and  ill-connected  epithets  together.  If  one  might 
conjecture,  svaninam  instead  of  vaninam  would  be  an  im- 
provement. It  is  a  scarce  word,  and  occurs  but  once  more 
in  the  Veda,  iii.  26,  5,  where  it  is  used  of  the  Maruts,  in 
the  sense  of  noisy,  turbulent. 


104  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

Verse  12,  note  ^.  Sa^toa,  which  I  have  here  translated 
hterally  by  to  cling,  is  often  used  in  the  sense  of  following 
or  revering  (colere)  : 

ii.  I,  13.   tvam  rati-sa^a/i  adhvareshu  sai-A'ire. 

The  gods  who  are  fond  of  offerings  cling  to  thee,  follow 
thee,  at  the  sacrifices. 

The  Soma  libation  is  said  to  reach  the  god  : 

ii.  22,  I.  saA  enam  sa^A-at  deva/^  devam.  The  gods  too  are 
said  to  cling  to  their  worshippers,  i.  e.  to  love  and  protect 
them  :  iii.  16,  2  ;  vii.  18,  25.  The  horses  are  said  to  follow 
their  drivers:  vi.  ^6,  3;  vii.  90,  3,  &c.  It  is  used  very  much 
like  the  Greek  oiraXw, 

Verse  12,  note  ^.  Ra^astu^  may  mean  rousing  the  dust 
of  the  earth,  a  very  appropriate  epithet  of  the  Maruts. 
Saya?^a  explains  it  thus,  and  most  translators  have  adopted 
his  explanation.  But  as  the  epithets  here  are  not  simply 
descriptive,  but  laudatory,  it  seems  preferable,  in  this  place, 
to  retain  the  usual  meaning  of  ra^as,  sky.  When  Soma  is 
called  ra^astu^,  ix.  108,  7,  Sayawa  too  explains  it  by  te^asam 
prerakam,  and  ix.  48,  4,  by  udakasya  prerakam. 

Verse  12,  note  ^.  jRi^ishin,  derived  from  ri^isha.  i^i^isha 
is  what  remains  of  the  Soma-plant  after  it  has  once  been 
squeezed,  and  what  is  used  again  for  the  third  libation. 
Now  as  the  Maruts  are  invoked  at  the  third  libation,  they 
were  called  ri^ishin,  as  drinking  at  their  later  libation  the 
juice  made  of  the  ri^isha.  This,  at  least,  is  the  opinion 
of  the  Indian  commentators.  But  it  is  much  more  likely 
that  the  Maruts  were  invoked  at  the  third  libation,  because 
originally  they  had  been  called  ri^ishm  by  the  Vedic  poets, 
this  ri^ishin  being  derived  from  ri^isha,  and  ri^isha  from  r\g^ 
to  strive,  to  yearn,  like  purisha  from  pri,  manisha  from 
man ;  (see  U/iadi-sutras,  p.  273.)  This  r\g  is  the  same 
root  which  we  have  in  opiyeiv,  to  reach,  opyj],  emotion,  and 
opyia,  furious  transports  of  worshippers.  Thus  the  Maruts 
from  being  called  ri^ishin,  impetuous,  came  to  be  taken  for 
drinkers  of  ri^isha,  the  fermenting  and  overflowing  Soma,  and 
were  assigned  accordingly  to  the  third  libation  at  sacrifices, 
i^i^ishin,  as  an  epithet,  is  not  confined  to  the  Maruts  ;   it 


MANDA1.A    I,    SUKTA    64.  105 

is  given  to  Indra,  with  whom  it  could  not  have  had  a  purely 
ceremonial  meaning  (viii.  76,  5). 

Verse  13,  note  ^.  Aipy^ikkhja,  literally  to  be  asked  for,  to 
be  inquired  for,  to  be  greeted  and  honoured.  A  word  of  an 
apparently  modern  character,  but  occurring  again  in  the 
Rig-veda  as  applied  to  a  prince,  and  to  the  vessel  containing 
the  Soma. 

Verse  13,  note  ^.  Pdshyati  might  be  joined  with  kratu 
and  taken  in  a  transitive  sense,  he  increases  his  strength. 
But  pushyati  is  also  used  as  an  intransitive,  and  means  he 
prospers  : 

i.  83,  3.   asam-yata^  vrate  te  ksheti  pushyati. 

Without  let  he  dwells  in  thy  service  and  prospers. 

Roth  reads  asamyattaA,  against  the  authority  of  the  MSS. 

Verse  14,  note  ^.  The  difficulty  of  this  verse  arises  from 
the  uncertainty  whether  the  epithets  dhanaspritam,  ukthyam, 
and  vi5va^arsha/^im  belong  to  5ushma,  strength,  or  to  toka, 
kith  and  kin.  Roth  and  Benfey  connect  them  with  toka. 
Now  dhanaspnt  is  appHcable  to  toka,  yet  it  never  occurs 
joined  with  toka  again,  while  it  is  used  with  5ushma, 
vi.  19,  8.  Ukthya,  literally  to  be  praised  with  hymns,  is 
not  used  again  as  an  epithet  of  toka,  though  it  is  quite 
appropriate  to  any  gift  of  the  gods.  Lastly,  visvaA-arsha/ii 
is  never  applied  to  toka,  while  it  is  an  epithet  used,  if  not 
exactly  of  the  strength,  5ushma,  given  by  the  gods,  yet  of 
the  fame  given  by  them  : 

X.  93,  10.   dhatam  vireshu  YiSYSL-karsham  sravn^f. 

Give  to  these  men  world-wide  glory.      Cf  iii.  2,  15. 

The  next  difficulty  is  the  exact  meaning  of  vi^va-^arsham, 
and  such  cognate  words  as  vi^va-knsh/i,  visva-manusha. 
The  only  intelligible  meaning  I  can  suggest  for  these  words 
is,  known  to  all  men ;  originally,  belonging  to,  reaching  to 
all  men ;  as  we  say,  world-wide  or  European  fame,  meaning 
by  it  fame  extending  over  the  whole  of  Europe,  or  over  the 
whole  world.  If  Indra,  Agni,  and  the  Maruts  are  called  by 
these  names,  they  mean,  as  far  as  I  can  judge,  known,  wor- 
shipped by  all  men.     Benfey  translates  allverstdndig. 


106  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

Verse  15,  note  ^  Riti,  the  first  element  of  riti-saham, 
never  occurs  by  itself  in  the  Rig-veda.  It  comes  from  the 
root  ar,  to  hurt,  which  was  mentioned  before  (p.  54)  in 
connection  with  ar-van,  hurting,  arus,  wound,  and  ari, 
enemy.  Sam-riti  occurs  i.  32,  6.  Riti  therefore  means  hurt- 
ing, and  ?*iti-sah  means  one  who  can  stand  an  attack.  In  our 
passage  rayim  vira-vantam  riti-saham  means  really  wealth 
consisting  in  men  who  are  able  to  withstand  all  onslaughts. 

The  word  is  used  in  a  similar  sense,  vi.  14,  4 : 

agni^  apsam  riti-saham  viram  dadati  sat-patim,  yasya 
trasanti  ^avasa^  sam-A-akshi  5atrava/i  bhiya. 

Agni  gives  a  strong  son  who  is  able  to  withstand  all 
onslaughts,  from  fear  of  whose  strength  the  enemies  tremble 
when  they  see  him. 

In  other  passages  riti-sah  is  applied  to  Indra : 

viii.  45,  35.  bibhaya  hi  tva-vataA  ugrat  abhi-prabhanginaA 
dasmat  aham  riti-saha^. 

For  I  stand  in  fear  of  a  powerful  man  like  thee,  of  one 
who  crushes  his  enemies,  who  is  strong  and  withstands  all 
onslaughts. 

viii.  68,  1.  tuvi-kurmim  riti-saham  indra  ^<?avish^^a 
sat-pate. 

Thee,  O  most  powerful  Indra,  of  mighty  strength,  able 
to  withstand  all  onslaughts. 

viii.  88,  I.  tam  wah  dasmam  riti-saham  —  indram  gih-hhih 
navamahe. 

We  call  Indra  the  strong,  the  resisting,  with  our  songs. 

Verse  15,  note  ^.  The  last  sentence  finishes  six  of  the 
hymns  ascribed  to  Nodhas.  It  is  more  appropriate  in  a 
hymn  addressed  to  single  deities,  such  as  Agni  or  Indra, 
than  in  a  hymn  to  the  Maruts.  We  must  supply  ^ardha, 
in  order  to  get  a  collective  word  in  the  masculine  singular. 

Nu,  as  usual,  should  be  scanned  nu. 

Verse  15,  note  ^.  Dhiya-vasu,  as  an  epithet  of  the  gods, 
means  rich  in  prayers,  i.  e.  invoked  by  many  worshippers. 
It  does  not  occur  frequently.  Besides  the  hymns  of  Nodhas, 
it  only  occurs  independently  in  i.  3,  10  (Sarasvati),  iii.  3,  2, 
iii.   28,  I   (Agni),   these   hymns   being   all   ascribed    to   the 


MAiVDALA   I,  SUKTA    64.  107 

family  of  Vi^vamitra.  In  the  last  verse,  which  forms  the 
burden  of  the  hymns  of  Nodhas,  it  may  have  been  intended 
to  mean,  he  who  is  rich  through  the  hymn  just  recited,  he  who 
rejoices  in  the  hymn,  the  god  to  whom  it  is  addressed. 

Nodhas,  the  poet,  belongs,  according  to  the  Anukramam, 
to  the  family  of  Gotama,  and  in  the  hymns  which  are 
ascribed  to  him,  i.  58—64,  the  Gotamas  are  mentioned 
several  times  : 

i.  60,  5.  tarn  tva  vayam  patim  agne  raymam  pra  samssi- 
mah  mati-bhi^  gotamasa^. 

We,  the  Gotamas,  praise  thee  with  hymns,  Agni,  the 
lord  of  treasures. 

i.  61,  16.  eva  te  hari-yo^ana  su-vrikti  mdra  brahmam 
gotamasaA  akran. 

Truly  the  Gotamas  made  holy  prayers  for  thee,  O  Indra 
\vith  brilliant  horses  !      See  also  i.  63,  9. 

In  one  passage  Nodhas  himself  is  called  Gotama  : 

i.  62,  13.   sana-yate  gotamaA  indra  navyam 
atakshat  brahma  hari-yo^anaya, 
su-nithaya  na^  ^avasana  nodha^ — 
prataA  makshu  dhiya-vasu^  ^agamyat. 

Gotama  made  a  new  song  for  the  old  (god)  with  brilliant 
horses,  O  Indra  !  May  Nodhas  be  a  good  leader  to  us,  O 
powerful  Indra !  May  he  who  is  rich  in  prayers  (Indra) 
come  early  and  soon  ! 

I  feel  justified  therefore  in  following  the  Anukramam  and 
taking  Nodhas  as  a  proper  name.      It  occurs  so  again  in 

i.  61,  14.   sadya^  bhuvat  viryaya  nodha^. 

May  Nodhas  quickly  attain  to  power ! 

In  i.  124,  4,  nodhaA-iva  may  mean  like  Nodhas,  but  more 
likely  it  may  have  the  more  general  meaning  of  poet. 


108  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 


MAiVDALA  I,  SUKTA  85. 

AsHTAKA  I,  Adhyaya  6,  Varga  9-10. 

1.  Pra  ye  sumbliante  ^anaya/i  na  saptaya/?.  yaman 
rudrasya  sunavaA  su-damsasa/^.,  rodasi  (Iti)  hi  maru- 
taA  Z:akrire  vridhe  madanti  vira/i  vidatheshu  ghri- 
shvayaA. 

2.  Te  ukshMsa/i  mahim^nam  asata  divi  rudrasaA 
adhi  kakrire  sada/i,  arZ;anta/?.  arkam  ^anayanta/^ 
indriyam  adhi  svijRh  dadhire  p^^isni-matara/^.. 

3.  G6-m4taraA  yat  ^ubhayante  ^ngi-hhili  tanushu 
5ubhr^/^  dadhire  virukmata/^,  v4'dhante  vlsvam  abhi- 
matinam  apa  vartmani  esham  anu  riyate  ghritd-m. 


4.  Vl  ye  bhra^ante  su-makhasa/^  7ish^i-bhiA  pra- 
^yavayantaA  a^yuta  ^it  o^asa,  mana/i-^uva/i  yat 
martitaA  ratheshu  ^  vrisha-vrat^sa/?.  prishati/z  ayug- 
dhvam. 

5.  Pra  yat  ratheshu  p?^ishatiA  ayugdhvam  vsige 
adrim  marutaA  ramhayanta/^  uta  arushasya  vi  syanti 
dharaA  Z:arma-iva  uda-bhiA  vi  undanti  bhuma. 

A' 

6.  A  va/i  vahantu  saptayaA  raghu-syada/z.  raghu- 
patvana^  pra  ^igata  bahu-bhi^,  sidata  a  barhi^  urii 
YSih  s^dsih  kritam  madayadhvam  maruta/i  inadhva^ 
andhasa/i. 

7.  Te  avardhanta  sva-tavasa/i  mahi-tvana  a  nakam 


MAA^ZJALA    I,    SUKTA    85.  109 


Hymn  to  the  Maruts  (the  Storm-gods). 

1.  Those  who  glance  forth  like  wives  and  yoke- 
fellows,^ they  are  the  powerful  sons  of  Rudra  on 
their  way.  The  Maruts  have  made  heaven  and 
earth  to  grow,^  they,  the  strong  and  wild,  delight 
in  the  sacrifices. 

2.  When  grown  up,^  they  attained  to  greatness ; 
the  Rudras  have  established  their  abode  in  the  sky. 
While  singing  their  song  and  increasing  their  vigour, 
the  sons  of  Prisni  have  clothed  themselves  in  beauty.^ 

3.  When  these  sons  of  the  cow  (Pmni)  ^  adorn 
themselves  with  glittering  ornaments,  the  brilHant^ 
ones  put  bright  weapons  on  their  bodies.^  They 
hurl  away  every  adversary;^  fatness  (rain)  runs 
along  their  paths  ; — 

4.  When  you,^  the  powerful,  who  glitter  witli 
your  spears,  shaking  even  what  is  unshakable  by 
strength  ;  when  you,  0  Maruts,  the  manly  hosts,^ 
had  yoked  the  spotted  deer,  swift  as  thought,  to 
your  chariots ; — 

5.  When  you  had  yoked  the  spotted  deer  before 
your  chariots,  stirring  ^  the  cloud  to  the  battle,  then 
the  streams  of  the  red  enemy ^  rush  forth :  like  a  skin^ 
with  water  they  water  the  earth. 

6.  May  the  swift-gliding,  swift-winged  horses  carry 
you  hither  !  Come  forth  with  your  arms  !  ^  Sit  down 
on  the  grasS'pile ;  a  wide  place  has  been  made  for  you. 
Rejoice,  O  Maruts,  in  the  sweet  food.^ 

7.  They  who  have  their  own  strength,  grew^  with 


110  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

tasthu^  urii  ^akrire  sdda^,  yishnwh  ydt  ha  avat 
vrishatiam  mada-/;yutam  vayaA  nd  sidan  ddhi  bar- 
liishi  priye. 

8.  /Stira/i-iva  it  yiiyudhayaA  na  ^dgmaya^  srava- 
sydvaA  nd  pritan^su  yetire,  bhdyante  vi5v4  bhiivana 
marut-bhya/i  ra^ana/^-iva  tveslid-sandma/i.  ndra/^. 

9.  Tvasli^a  yat  vil^ram  STi-k?dtam  hira^yayam 
sahdsra-bh^nshdm  su-d-paA  avartayat,  dhatte  Indra/^, 
ndri  dpamsi  kdrtave  dhan  vritram  nih  ap^m  aub^at 
ar^iavdm. 

10.  Urdhvdm  nunudre  avatdm  te  dgsisk  dad?^- 
h^n^m.  kit  bibhidu/^.  vi  pdrvatam,  dhdmanta^  va- 
ndm  maruta/i  su-d^navaA  mdde  sdmasya  rdnyani 
^akrire. 

11.  (rihmdm  nunudre  avatdm  tdya  disK  asifi^an 
utsam  gotam^ya  t7^ishnd-ge,  K  gaMAanti  im  dvas4 
Htrd-bhanava/i  k^mam  viprasya  tarpayanta  dMma- 
bhiA. 

12.  Y^  YSih  sdrma  sasam^naya  santi  tri-dhat^ni 
dasushe  yaZ:Mata  ddhi,  asmabhyam  tani  maruta/?  vi 
yanta  rayim  na/?.  dbatta  vrisha7iaA  su-viram. 


COMMENTARY. 

This  hymn  is  ascnbed  to  Gotama.  The  metre  is  G^agati, 
except  in  verses  5  and  12,  which  are  Trish^ubh. 

Verse  1,  note  ^  The  phrase  ^anaya/i  na  saptayaA  is 
obscure.  As  ^ani  has  alw^ays  the  meaning  of  wife,  and 
sapti  in  the  singular,  dual,  and  plural  means  horse,  it  might 


MANDALA    1,    ST^KTA    85.  Ill 

might ;  they  stepped  to  the  firmament,  they  made 
their  place  \vide.  When  Vishnu^  descried  the 
enrapturing  Soma,  the  Maruts  sat  down  like  birds 
on  their  beloved  altar. 

8.  Like  heroes  indeed  thirsting  for  fight  they  rusli 
about ;  like  combatants  eager  for  glory  they  have 
struggled  in  battles.  All  beings  are  afraid  of  the 
Maruts  ;  they  are  men  awful  to  behold,  like  kings. 

9.  When  the  clever  Tvash^ar^  had  turned  the 
well-made,  golden,  thousand- edged  thunderbolt,  Indra 
took  it  to  perform  his  manly  deeds ;  ^  he  slew  Yritra, 
he  forced  out  the  stream  of  water. 

10.  By  their  power  they  pushed  the  well  ^  aloft, 
they  clove  asmider  the  cloud,  however  strong.  Send- 
ing forth  their  voice  ^  the  beneficent  Maruts  performed, 
while  drunk  of  Soma,  their  glorious  deeds. 

11.  They  drove  the  cloud  athwart  this  way,  they 
poured  out  the  well  to  the  thirsty  Gotama.  The 
bright-shining  Maruts  approach  him  with  help,  they 
with  their  clans  fulfilled  the  desire  of  the  sage. 

12.  The  shelters  which  you  have  for  him  who 
praises  you,  grant  them  threefold  to  the  man  who 
gives !  Extend  the  same  to  us,  0  Maruts !  Give 
us,  ye  heroes,^  wealth  with  excellent  oftspring ! 


be  supposed  that  ^anayaA  could  be  connected  with  saptayaA, 
so  as  to  signify  mares.  But  although  ^ani  is  coupled  with 
patni,  i.  62,  1O5  in  the  sense  of  mother-wife,  and  though 
sapti  is  most  commonly  joined  with  some  other  name  for 
horse,  yet  ^anayaA  saptaya/^  never  occurs,  for  the  simple 
reason  that  it  would  be  too  elaborate  and  almost  absurd  an 
expression  for  va^avaA.      We  find  sapti  joined  with  va^in, 


112  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARITTS. 

i.  162,  1;    with    rathya,   ii.  31,  7;     atyam    na    saptim,    iii. 
22,  I  ;   sapti  hari,  iii.  ^^,  2;   asva  sapti-iva,  vi.  59,  3. 

We  might  then  suppose  the  thought  of  the  poet  to  have 
been  this  :  What  appears  before  us  hke  race-horses,  viz.  the 
storms  coursing  through  the  sky,  that  is  really  the  host  of 
the  Maruts.  But  then  ganayah  remains  unexplained,  and 
it  is  impossible  to  take  ^anaya^  na  saptaya^  as  two  similes, 
like  unto  horses,  like  unto  wives. 

I  believe,  therefore,  that  we  must  here  take  sapti  in  its 
original  etymological  sense,  which  would  be  ju-mentwn,  a 
yoked  animal,  a  beast  of  draught,  or  rather  a  follower,  a 
horse  that  will  follow.  Sapti,  therefore,  could  never  be 
a  wild  horse,  but  always  a  tamed  horse,  a  horse  that  will 
go  in  harness.  Cf.  ix.  21,  4.  hita/i  na  saptaya/i  rathe,  like 
horses  put  to  the  chariot;  or  in  the  singular,  ix.  70,  10. 
hitah  na  sapti/i,  like  a  harnessed  horse.  The  root  is  sap, 
which  in  the  Veda  means  to  follow,  to  attend  on,  to 
worship.  But  if  sapti  means  originally  animals  that  will 
go  together,  it  may  in  our  passage  have  retained  the  sense 
of  yoke-fellow  {a-v^vyo^),  and  be  intended  as  an  adjective 
to  ^anaya/ij,  wives.  There  is  at  least  one  other  passage 
where  this  meaning  would  seem  to  be  more  appropriate, 
viz. 

viii.  20,  23.   yuyam  sakhaya/i  saptayaA. 

You  (Maruts),  friends  and  followers  !  or  you,  friends  and 
comrades  ! 

Here  it  is  hardly  possible  to  assign  to  sapti  the  sense  of 
horse,  for  the  Maruts,  though  likened  to  horses,  are  never 
thus  barely  invoked  as  saptayaA/ 

If  then  we  translate,  '  Those  who  glance  forth  like  wives 
and  yoke-fellows,^  i.  e.  like  wives  of  the  same  husband,  the 
question  still  recurs  how  the  simile  holds  good,  and  how 
the  Maruts  rushing  forth  together  in  all  their  beauty  can  be 
compared  to  wives.  In  answer  to  this  we  have  to  bear  in 
mind  that  the  idea  of  many  wives  belonging  to  one  husband 
(sapatni)  is  familiar  to  the  Vedic  poet,  and  that  their 
impetuously  rushing  into  the  arms  of  their  husbands,  and 
appearing  before  them  in  all  their  beauty,  are  frequent 
images  in  their  poetry.  Whether  in  the  phrase  patim  na 
.^anaya/i  or  ^anaya/«  na  garbham,   the  ^anis,  the  wives  or 


MAA^DALA    I,    SUKTA  85.  113 

mothers,  are  represented  as  running  together  after  their 
husbands  or  children.  This  impetuous  approach  the  poet 
may  have  wished  to  allude  to  in  our  passage  also,  but 
though  it  might  have  been  understood  at  once  by  his 
hearers,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  convey  this  implied  idea 
in  any  other  language. 

Wilson  translates :  '  The  Maruts,  who  are  going  forth, 
decorate  themselves  like  females :  they  are  gliders  (through 
the  air),  the  sons  of  Rudra,  and  the  doers  of  good  works, 
by  which  they  promote  the  welfare  of  earth  and  heaven. 
Heroes,  who  grind  (the  solid  rocks),  they  delight  in 
sacrifices.^ 

Verse  1,  note  ^.  The  meaning  of  this  phrase,  which 
occurs  very  frequently,  was  originally  that  the  storms  by 
driving  away  the  dark  clouds,  made  the  earth  and  the  sky 
to  appear  larger  and  wider.  It  afterwards  takes  a  more 
general  sense  of  increasing,  strengthening,  blessing. 

Verse  2,  note  \  Ukshita  is  here  a  participle  of  vaksh  or 
uksh,  to  grow,  to  wax ;  not  from  uksh,  to  sprinkle,  to 
anoint,  to  inaugurate,  as  explained  by  Saya^^a.  Thus  it  is 
said  of  the  Maruts,  v.  ^^,  3.  sakam  gktah — sakam  ukshita^, 
born  together,  and  grown  up  together. 

Verse  2,  note  ^.  The  same  expression  occurs  viii.  28,  5. 
sapto  (iti)  adhi  srijah  dhire.    See  also  i.  116,  17  ;  ix.  68,  i. 

Verse  3,  note  ^.  Go-matri,  like  go-^ata,  a  name  of  the 
Maruts. 

Verse  3,  note  ^.    /Subhra  applied  to  the  Maruts,  i.  19,  5. 

Verse  3,  note  ^.  Virdkmata/i  must  be  an  accusative 
plural.  It  occurs  i.  127,  3,  as  an  epithet  of  o^as ;  vi.  49,  5, 
as  an  epithet  of  the  chariot  of  the  A^vins.  In  our  place, 
however,  it  must  be  taken  as  a  substantive,  signifying 
something  which  the  Maruts  wear,  probably  armour  or 
weapons.  This  follows  chiefly  from  x.  138,  4.  5atrun  asr'mat 
virukmata,  Indra  tore  his  enemies  with  the  bright  weapon. 

VOL.  I.  I 


114  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

In  viii.  20,  II,  where  rukma  occurs  as  a  masculine  plural,  vi 
bhra^ante  rukmasa/i  adhi  bahushu,  their  bright  things  shine 
on  their  arms,  it  seems  likewise  to  be  meant  for  weapons ; 
according  to  Saya?za,  for  chains.  In  v.  ^^,  3 ;  x.  78,  3,  the 
Maruts  are  called  vi-rokina^,  bright  like  the  rays  of  the  sun 
or  the  tongues  of  fire. 

Verse  3,  note  ^.  Observe  the  short  syllable  in  tKe  tenth 
syllable  of  this  Pada. 

Verse  4,  note  \  The  sudden  transition  from  the  third  to 
the  second  person  is  not  unusual  in  the  Vedic  hymns,  the 
fact  being  that  where  we  in  a  relative  sentence  should  use 
the  same  person  as  that  of  the  principal  verb,  the  Vedic 
poets  frequently  use  the  third. 

Verse  4,  note  ^.  Vrisha-vrata  is  untranslatable  for  reasons 
stated  p.  121  seq. ;  it  means  consisting  of  companies  of  vri- 
shan^s  in  whatever  sense  that  word  be  taken.  Wilson  in  his 
translation  mistakes  a^yuta  for  akjutah,  and  vrata  for  vrata. 
He  translates  the  former  by  '  incapable  of  being  overthrown,^ 
the  latter  by  *  entrusted  with  the  duty  of  sending  rain/ 
both  against  the  authority  of  Saya^ia.  Vnsha-vrata  occurs 
twice  in  the  Rig-veda  as  an  epithet  of  Soma  only,  ix.  62, 
11;   64,  I. 

Verse  5,  note  ^.    Ramh,  to  stir  up,  to  urge,  to  make  go  : 

v.  32,  2.   tvam  utsan  ritd-bhi^  badbadhanan  aramha^. 

Thou  madest  the  springs  to  run  that  had  been  shut  up 
by  the  seasons. 

viii.  19,  6.   tasya  it  arvanta^  ramhayante  a^ava^. 

His  horses  only  run  quick. 

i^dri,  which  I  here  preferred  to  translate  by  cloud,  means 
originally  stone,  and  it  is  used  in  adrivaA,  wielder  of  the 
thunderbolt,  a  common  vocative  addressed  to  Indra,  in  the 
sense  of  a  stone-weapon,  or  the  thunderbolt.  If  we  could 
ascribe  to  it  the  same  meaning  here,  we  might  translate, 
'  hurling  the  stone  in  battle.^  This  is  the  meaning  adopted 
by  Benfey. 

Verse  5,  note  ^.  The  red  enemy  is  the  dark  red  cloud, 
but   arusha   has   almost   become    a   proper   name,  and   its 


MAi\r£)ALA   I,    st^KTA  85.  115 

original  meaning  of  redness  is  forgotten.  Nay,  it  is  possible 
that  arusha,  as  applied  to  the  same  power  of  darkness 
which  is  best  known  by  the  names  of  Vritra,  Dasyu,  etc., 
may  never  have  had  the  sense  of  redness,  but  been  formed 
straight  from  ar^  to  hurt,  from  which  arvan,  arus,  etc., 
(see  p.  54.)  It  would  then  mean  simply  the  hurter,  the 
enemy,  (see  p.  17.) 

Verse  5,  note  ^.  Sayawa  explains  :  '  They  moisten  the 
whole  earth  hke  a  hide,^  a  hide  representing  a  small  surface 
which  is  watered  without  great  effort.  Wilson :  '  They 
moisten  the  earth,  like  a  hide,  with  water.^  Langlois : 
*  Alors  les  gouttes  d^eau,  per§ant  comme  la  peau  de  ce 
(nuage)  bienfaisant  viennent  inonder  la  terre.^  Benfey : 
'  Dann  stiirzen  reichlich  aus  der  rothen  (Gewitterwolke) 
Tropfen,  mit  Fluth  wie  eine  Haut  die  Erde  netzend.  (Dass 
die  Erde  so  durchnasst  wird,  wie  durchregnetes  Leder.)' 
If  the  poet  had  intended  to  compare  the  earth,  before  it 
is  moistened  by  rain,  to  a  hide,  he  might  have  had  in  his 
mind  the  dryness  of  a  tanned  skin,  or,  as  Professor  Benfey 
says,  of  leather.  If,  on  the  contrary,  the  simile  refers  to 
the  streams  of  water,  then  A:arma-iva,  like  a  skin,  might  either 
be  taken  in  the  technical  acceptation  of  the  skin  through 
which,  at  the  preparation  of  the  Soma,  the  streams  (dharaA) 
of  that  beverage  are  squeezed  and  distilled,  or  we  may  take 
the  word  in  the  more  general  sense  of  water-skin.  In  that 
case  the  comparison,  though  not  very  pointedly  expressed, 
as  it  would  have  been  by  later  Sanskrit  poets,  would  still 
be  complete.  The  streams  of  the  red  enemy,  i,  e.  of 
the  cloud,  rush  forth,  and  they,  whether  the  streams 
liberated  by  the  Maruts,  or  the  Maruts  themselves,  moisten 
the  earth  with  water,  like  a  skin,  i.  e.  like  a  skin  in  which 
water  is  kept  and  from  which  it  is  poured  out.  The  cloud 
itself  being  called  a  skin  by  Vedic  poets  (i.  129,  3)  makes 
the  comparison  still  more  natural. 

One  other  explanation  might  suggest  itself,  if  the  sin- 
gular of  ^arma  should  be  considered  objectionable  on 
account  of  the  plural  of  the  verb.  Vedic  poets  speak 
of  the  skin  of  the  earth.      Thus  : 

X.  68,  4.  bhumya^  udna-iva  vi  tva^am  bibheda. 

I  2 


116  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

He  (Brihaspati)  having  driven  the  cows  from  the  cave, 
cut  the  skin  of  the  earth,  as  it  were,  with  water,  i.  e. 
saturated  it  with  rain. 

The  construction,  however,  if  we  took  A:arma  in  the  sense 
of  surface,  would  be  very  irregular,  and  we  should  have 
to  translate  :  They  moisten  the  earth  with  water  like  a  skin, 
i.  e.  skin-deep. 

We   ought   to   scan   ^armevodabhi^  vi   undanti   bhuma, 

for    ^armeva    udabhi/i    vyundanti    bhuma    would     give    an 
unusual  caesura. 

Verse  6,  note  \  With  your  arms,  i.  e.  according  to 
Sayawa,  with  armfuls  of  gifts.  Though  this  expression 
does  not  occur  again  so  baldly,  we  read  i.  i66,  lo,  of  the 
Maruts,  that  there  are  many  gifts  in  their  strong  arms, 
bhurim  bhadra  naryeshu  bahushu;  nor  does  bahu,  as  used 
in  the  plural,  as  far  as  I  am  able  to  judge,  ever  convey 
any  meaning  but  that  of  arms.  The  idea  that  the  Maruts 
are  carried  along  by  their  arms  as  by  wings,  does  not  rest 
on  Vedic  authority,  otherwise  we  might  join  raghupatvana/i 
with  bahiibhiA,  come  forth  swiftly  flying  on  your  arms  ! 
As  it  is,  and  with  the  accent  on  the  antepenultimate,  we 
must  refer  raghupatvanaA  to  saptaya^,  horses. 

Verse  6,  note  ^.    The  sweet  food  is  Soma. 

Verse  7,  note  ^.  The  initial  ^  a '  of  avardhanta  must  be 
elided,  or  '  te  a  ^  be  pronounced  as  two  short  syllables  equal 
to  one  long. 

Verse  7,  note  ^.  Vish?^u,  whose  character  in  the  hymns 
of  the  Veda  is  very  different  from  that  assumed  by  him  in 
later  periods  of  Hindu  religion,  must  here  be  taken  as  the 
friend  and  companion  of  Indra.  Like  the  Maruts,  he 
assisted  Indra  in  his  battle  against  Vritra  and  the  conquest 
of  the  clouds.  When '  Indra  was  forsaken  by  all  the  gods, 
Vish/iu  came  to  his  help. 

iv.  i8,  II.  uta  mata  mahisham  anu  avenat  ami  (iti)  tva 
^ahati  putra  devaA, 

atha  abravit  vritram  indra^  hanishyan  sakhe  vish/zo  (iti) 
vi-taram  vi  kramasva. 


MAiV^Z>ALA    I,    SUKTA  85.  117 

The  mother  also  called  after  the  bull,  these  gods  forsake 
thee,  O  son  ;  then,  when  going  to  kill  Vntra,  Indra  said, 
Friend,  Vishwu,  step  forward  ! 

This  stepping  of  Vishnu  is  emblematic  of  the  rising,  the 
culminating,  and  setting  of  the  sun;  and  in  viii.  12,  27, 
Vishnu  is  said  to  perform  it  through  the  power  of  Indra. 
In  vi.  20,  2,  Indra  is  said  to  have  killed  V^itra,  assisted  by 
Vishwu  (vishnuTza  sa^anaA).  Vish^zu  is  therefore  invoked 
together  with  Indra,  vi.  69,  8  ;  vii.  99 ;  with  the  Maruts, 
V.  87 ;  vii.  ^6,  9.  In  vii.  93,  8,  Indra,  Vish?m,  and  the 
Maruts  are  called  upon  together.  Nay,  maruta,  belonging 
to  the  Maruts,  becomes  actually  an  epithet  of  Vish^zu, 
V.  46,  2.  maruta  uta  vishno  (iti);  and  in  i.  156,  4,  marutasya 
vedhasa^  has  been  pointed  out  by  Roth  as  an  appellation  of 
Vishwu.  The  mention  of  Yish?zu  in  our  hymn  is  therefore 
by  no  means  exceptional,  but  the  whole  purport  of  this 
verse  is  nevertheless  very  doubtful,  chiefly  owing  to  the  fact 
that  several  of  the  words  occurring  in  it  lend  themselves  to 
different  interpretations. 

The  translations  of  Wilson,  Benfey,  and  others  have  not 
rendered  the  sense  which  the  poet  intends  to  describe  at  all 
clear.  Wilson  says  :  '  May  they  for  whom  Vish/zu  defends 
(the  sacrifice),  that  bestows  all  desires  and  confers  delight, 
come  (quickly)  like  birds,  and  sit  down  upon  the  pleasant 
and  sacred  grass.^  Benfey :  '  W^enn  Vish^zu  schlitzt  den 
rauschtriefenden  tropfenden  (Soma),  sitzen  wie  Vogel  sie 
auf  der  geliebten  Streu.^  Langlois :  '  Quand  Vich/zou 
vient  prendre  sa  part  de  nos  enivrantes  libations,  eux, 
comme  des  oiseaux,  arrivent  aussi  sur  le  cousa  qui  leur 
est  cher.^ 

Whence  all  these  varieties?  First,  because  avat  may 
mean,  he  defended  or  protected,  but  likewise  he  descried, 
became  aware.  Secondly,  because  vrishan  is  one  of  the 
most  vague  and  hence  most  difficult  words  in  the  Veda, 
and  may  mean  Indra,  Soma,  or  the  cloud :  (see  the  note  on 
Vnshan,  p.  121.)  Thirdly,  because  the  adjective  belonging 
to  vnshan,  which  generally  helps  us  to  determine  which 
vrishan  is  meant,  is  here  itself  of  doubtful  import,  and 
certainly  applicable  to  Indra  as  well  as  to  Soma  and  the 
A.svins,  possibly  even  to  the  cloud.      Mada-^yut  is  readily 


118  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

explained  by  the  commentators  as  bringing  down  pride, 
a  meaning  which  the  word  might  well  have  in  modern 
Sanskrit,  but  which  it  clearly  has  not  in  the  Veda.  Even 
where  the  thunderbolt  of  Indra  is  called  mada^yiit,  and 
where  the  meaning  of  *  bringing  down  pride  ^  would  seem 
most  appropriate,  we  ought  to  translate  '  wildly  rushing 
down/ 

viii.  96,  5.  a  yat  va^ram  bahvoA  indra  dhatse  mada- 
^yiitam  ahaye  hantavai  urn  (iti). 

When  thou  tookest  the  wildly  rushing  thunderbolt  in 
thy  arms  in  order  to  slay  Ahi. 

When  applied  to  the  gods,  the  meaning  of  madaAyut 
is  by  no  means  certain.  It  might  mean  rushing  about 
fiercely,  reehng  with  delight,  this  delight  being  produced 
by  the  Soma,  but  it  may  also  mean  sending  down  delight, 
i.  e.  rain  or  Soma.  The  root  ^yu  is  particularly  applicable 
to  the  sending  down  of  rain ;  cf.  Taitt.  Sanh.  ii.  4,  9,  2 ; 
10,  3  ;  iii.  3,  4,  I  ;  and  Indra  and  his  horses,  to  whom  this 
epithet  is  chiefly  applied,  are  frequently  asked  to  send 
down  rain.  However,  madaAiyut  is  also  applied  to  real 
horses  (i.  126,  4)  where  givers  of  rain  would  be  an  inappro- 
priate epithet.  I  should  therefore  translate  madaAydt, 
when  applied  to  Indra,  to  his  horses,  to  the  Asvins,  or 
to  horses  in  general  by  furiously  or  wildly  moving  about, 
as  if  '  made  .^yavate,^  he  moves  in  a  state  of  delight,  or  in  a 
state  of  intoxication  such  as  was  not  incompatible  wdth 
the  character  of  the  ancient  gods.  Here  again  the  difficulty 
of  rendering  Vedic  thought  in  English,  or  any  other  modern 
language,  becomes  apparent,  for  we  have  no  poetical  word 
to  express  a  high  state  of  mental  excitement  produced  by 
drinking  the  intoxicating  juice  of  the  Soma  or  other  plants, 
w  hich  has  not  something  opprobrious  mixed  up  with  it,  while 
in  ancient  times  that  state  of  excitement  was  celebrated  as 
a  blessing  of  the  gods,  as  not  unworthy  of  the  gods  them- 
selves, nay,  as  a  state  in  which  both  the  warrior  and  the 
poet  would  perform  their  highest  achievements.  The  German 
Rausch  is  the  nearest  approach  to  the  Sanskrit  mada. 

viii.  I,  21.  vi^vesham  tarutaram  mada-^utam  made  hi 
sma  dadati  na^. 

Indra,    the    conqueror    of    all,    who    rushes    about    in 


MAiVDALA    I,    SUKTA  85.  119 

rapture,  for  in  raptuie  he  bestows  gifts  upon  us.  Cf. 
i.  51,  2. 

The  horses  of  Indra  are  called  mada/yiit,  i.  81,  3  ;  viii.  33, 
18;  34,  9.      Ordinary  horses,  i.  126,  4. 

It  is  more  surprising  to  see  this  epithet  applied  to  the 
A^vins,  who  are  generally  represented  as  moving  about  with 
exemplary  steadiness.      However  we  read: 

viii.  22,  16.   mana^-^avasa  vrisha/za  mada-^yuta. 

Ye  two  A^vins,  quick  as  thought,  powerful,  wildly 
moving;  or,  as  Saya?za  proposes,  liberal  givers,  humblers 
of  your  enemies.      See  also  viii.  ^^,  19. 

Most  frequently  mada^yut  is  appHed  to  Soma,  x.  30,  9 ; 
ix.  32,  I ;  ^^,  4;  79,  2;  108,  II ;  where  particularly  the  last 
passage  deserves  attention,  in  which  Soma  is  called  mada- 
Aryiitam  sahasra-dharam  vrishabham. 

Lastly,  even  the  wealth  itself  which  the  Maruts  are  asked 
to  send  down  from  heaven,  most  likely  rain,  is  called,  viii. 
7,  13,  rayim  mada-^yutam  puru-kshum  vi^va-dhayasam. 

In  all  these  passages  we  must  translate  mada-^yut  by 
bringing  deUght,  showering  down  delight. 

We  have  thus  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  vnsha?^am 
mada-A:yutam,  as  used  in  our  passage  i.  85,  7,  might  be 
meant  either  for  Indra  or  for  Soma.  If  the  A^vins  can  be 
called  vnshawau  mada-Ayuta,  the  same  expression  would 
be  even  more  applicable  to  Indra.  On  the  other  hand, 
if  Soma  is  called  vrishabhaA  mada-Ayut,  the  same  Soma 
may  legitimately  be  called  vrisha  mada-^ut.  In  deciding 
whether  Indra  or  Soma  be  meant,  we  must  now  have 
recourse  to  other  hymns,  in  which  the  relations  of  the 
Maruts  with  Vish/zu,  Soma,  and  Indra  are  alluded  to. 

If  Indra  were  intended,  and  if  the  first  words  meant 
*  When  Vish?2u  perceived  the  approach  of  Indra,^  we  should 
expect,  not  that  the  Maruts  sat  down  on  the  sacrificial 
pile,  but  that  they  rushed  to  the  battle.  The  idea  that 
the  Maruts  come  to  the  sacrifice,  like  birds,  is  common 
enough  : 

viii.  20,  10.  vrisha/ia^vena  maruta^  vrisha-psuna  rathena 
vnsha-nabhina,  a  5yenasa^  na  pakshl/^a/^  vritha  naraA  havya 
na^  vitaye  gat  a. 

Come  ye  Maruts  together,  to  eat  our  offerings,  on  your 


120  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

strong-horsed,    strong -shaped,    strorig-naved    chariot,    Uke 
winged  hawks  ! 

But  when  the  Maruts  thus  come  to  a  sacrifice  it  is  to 
participate  in  it,  and  particularly  in  the  Soma  that  is 
offered  by  the  sacrificer.  This  Soma,  it  is  said  in  other 
hymns,  was  prepared  by  Vish?iu  for  Indra  (ii.  12,  i),  and 
Vish?m  is  said  to  have  brought  the  Soma  for  Indra  (x. 
113,  2).  If  we  keep  these  and  similar  passages  in  mind, 
and  consider  that  in  the  preceding  verse  the  Maruts  have 
been  invited  to  sit  down  on  the  sacrificial  pile  and  to  rejoice 
in  the  sweet  food,  we  shall  see  that  the  same  train  of 
thought  is  carried  on  in  our  verse,  the  only  new  idea  being 
that  the  keeping  or  descrying  of  the  Soma  is  ascribed  to 
Vish?^u. 

Verse  9,  note  \  Tvash^ar,  the  workman  of  the  gods, 
frequently  also  the  fashioner  and  creator. 

Verse  9,  note  ^.  Nari,  the  loc.  sing,  of  nri,  but,  if  so, 
with  a  wrong  accent,  occurs  only  in  this  phrase  as  used 
here,  and  as  repeated  in  viii.  96,  19.  nari  apamsi  karta  &ih 
vritra-ha.  Its  meaning  is  not  clear.  It  can  hardly  mean 
'  on  man,^  without  some  more  definite  application.  If  nri 
could  be  used  as  a  name  of  V?'itra  or  any  other  enemy, 
it  would  mean,  to  do  his  deeds  against  the  man,  on  the 
enemy.  Nri,  however,  is  ordinarily  an  honorific  term, 
chiefly  applied  to  Indra,  iv.  25,  4.  nare  naryaya  nri-tamaya 
nriwam,  and  hence  its  application  to  V?'itra  would  be 
objectionable.  Saya/za  explains  it  in  the  sense  of  battle.  I 
believe  that  nari  stands  for  narya,  the  ace.  plur.  neut.  of  narya, 
manly,  and  the  frequent  epithet  of  apas,  and  I  have  trans- 
lated accordingly.      Indra  is  called  narya-apas,  viii.  93,  i. 

Verse  10,  note  ^.  Avata,  a  well,  here  meant  for  cloud, 
like  utsa,  i.  64,  6. 

Verse  10,  note  ^.  Dhamanta^  vawam  is  translated  by 
Saya?2a  as  playing  on  the  lyre,  by  Benfey  as  blowing  the 
flute.  Such  a  rendering,  particularly  the  latter,  would 
be  very  appropriate,  but  there  is  no  authority  for  va^za 
meaning   either  lyre   or   flute    in    the  Veda.      Vawa  occurs 


M  AND  ALA   I,    StJKTA  85.  121 

five  times  only.  In  one  passage,  viii.  20,  8,  gobhi^  vm6,h 
a^yate,  it  means  arrow ;  the  arrow  is  sent  forth  from  the 
bow-strings.  The  same  meaning  seems  apphcable  to  ix. 
50,  I.  vamsya  Arodaya  pavim.  In  another  passage,  ix.  97,  8, 
pra  vadanti  va?zam,  they  send  forth  their  voice,  is  apphed 
to  the  Maruts,  as  in  our  passage ;  in  iv.  24,  9,  the  sense 
is  doubtful,  but  here  too  vana  clearly  does  not  mean  a 
musical  instrument.      See  iii.  30,  10. 

Vrishan. 

Verse  12,  note  ^  In  vrishan  we  have  one  of  those  words 
which  it  is  almost  impossible  to  translate  accurately.  It 
occurs  over  and  over  again  in  the  Vedic  hymns,  and  if  we 
once  know  the  various  ideas  which  it  either  expresses  or 
implies,  we  have  little  difficulty  in  understanding  its  import 
in  a  vague  and  general  way,  though  we  look  in  vain  for 
corresponding  terms  in  any  modern  language.  In  the 
Veda,  and  in  ancient  languages  generally,  one  and  the 
same  word  is  frequently  made  to  do  service  for  many. 
Words  retain  their  general  meaning,  though  at  the  same 
time  they  are  evidently  used  with  a  definite  purpose.  This 
is  not  only  a  pecuhar  phase  of  language,  but  a  peculiar 
phase  of  thought,  and  as  to  us  this  phase  has  become 
strange  and  unreal,  it  is  very  difficult  to  transport  ourselves 
back  into  it,  still  more  to  translate  the  pregnant  terms  of 
the  Vedic  poets  into  the  definite  languages  which  we  have 
to  use.  Let  us  imagine  a  state  of  thought  and  speech  in 
which  virtus  still  meant  manliness,  though  it  might  also  be 
applied  to  the  virtue  of  a  woman  ;  or  let  us  try  to  speak 
and  think  a  language  which  expressed  the  bright  and  the 
divine,  the  brilliant  and  the  beautiful,  the  straight  and  the 
right,  the  bull  and  the  hero,  the  shepherd  and  the  king  by 
the  same  terms,  and  we  shall  see  how  difficult  it  would  be  to 
translate  such  terms  without  losing  either  the  key-note  that 
was  still  sounding,  or  the  harmonics  which  were  set  vibrating 
by  it  in  the  minds  of  the  poets  and  their  listeners. 

Vrishan,  being  derived  from  a  root  vrish,  spar  (/ere, 
meant  no  doubt  originally  the  male,  whether  applied  to 
animals   or  men.      In  this  sense  vrishan  occurs  frequently 


122  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

in  the  Veda,  either  as  determining  the  sex  of  the  animal 
which  is  mentioned,  or  as  standing  by  itself  and  meaning 
the  male.  In  either  case,  however,  it  implies  the  idea  of 
strength  and  eminence,  which  we  lose  whether  we  translate 
it  by  man  or  male. 

Thus  a5va  is  horse,  but  vii.  69,  i,  we  read : 

a  vam  ratha^ — vrisha-bhi^  yatu  asymh. 

May  your  chariot  come  near  with  powerful  horses,  i.e. 
with  stallions. 

The  Haris,  the  horses  of  Indra,  are  frequently  called 
vrisha/za : 

i.  177,  I.  yuktva  hari  (iti)  vrisha/xa. 

Having  yoked  the  bay  stallions. 

Vrishabha,  though  itself  originally  meaning  the  male 
animal,  had  become  fixed  as  the  name  of  the  bull,  and  in 
this  process  it  had  lost  so  much  of  its  etymological  import 
that  the  Vedic  poet  did  not  hesitate  to  define  vrishabha  itself 
by  the  addition  of  vnshan.      Thus  we  find  : 

viii.  93,  7.   saA  vrisha  vrishabha^  bhuvat. 

May  he  (Indra)  be  a  strong  bull. 

i.  54,  2.   vnsha  vnsha-tva  v?'ishabha^. 

Indra  by  his  strength  a  strong  bull ;  but,  literally,  Indra 
by  his  manliness  a  male  bull. 

Even  vrishabha  loses  again  its  definite  meaning ;  and  as 
bull  in  bull-calf  means  simply  male,  or  in  buU-trout,  large, 
so  vrishabha  is  added  to  atya,  horse,  to  convey  the  mean- 
ing of  large  or  powerful : 

i.  177,  2.   ye  te  vrishawa^  vrishabhasa/i  indra — atjah. 

Thy  strong  and  powerful  horses;  literally,  thy  male  bull- 
horses. 

When  vnshan  and  vrishabha  are  used  as  adjectives, 
for  instance  with  5ushma,  strength,  they  hardly  differ  in 
meaning : 

vi.  19,  8.   a  na^  bhara  vrishawam  5ushmam  indra. 

Bring  us  thy  manly  strength,  O  Indra. 

And  in  the  next  verse : 

vi.  19,  9.   a  te  5ushma^  vnshabha^  etu. 

May  thy  manly  strength  come  near. 

Va9>isaga,  too,  which  is  clearly  the  name  for  bull,  is 
defined  by  vnshan,  i.  7,  8  : 


MAA^ZJALA    1,    SUKTA  85.  123 

vrisha  yutha-iva  va?72saga^. 

As  the  strong  bull  scares  the  herds. 

The  same  apphes  to  varaha,  which,  though  by  itself 
meaning  boar,  is  determined  again  by  vnshan  : 

X.  6y,  7.  vrisha-bhiA  varahaiA. 

With  strong  boars. 

In  iii.  2,  II,  we  read  : 

vrisha — nanadat  na  simhih. 

Like  a  roaring  lion. 

If  used  by  itself,  vnshan,  at  least  in  the  Rig-veda,  can 
hardly  be  said  to  be  the  name  of  any  special  animal,  though 
in  later  Sanskrit  it  may  mean  bull  or  horse.  Thus  if  we 
read,  x.  43,  8,  vrisha  na  kruddhaA,  we  can  only  translate 
like  an  angry  male,  though,  no  doubt,  like  a  wild  bull, 
would  seem  more  appropriate. 

i.  186,  5.  yena  napatam  apam  ^unama  mana^-^uvaA 
vrishanah  yam   vahanti. 

That  we  may  excite  the  son  of  the  water  (Agni),  whom 
the  males,  quick  as  thought,  cany  along. 

Here  the  males  are  no  doubt  the  horses  or  stallions  of 
Agni.  But,  though  this  follows  from  the  context,  it  would 
be  wrong  to  say  that  vnshan  by  itself  means  horse. 

If  used  by  itself,  vnshan  most  frequently  means  man,  and 
chiefly  in  his  sexual  character.      Thus  : 

i.  140,  6.   vrisha- iva  patniA  abhi  eti  roruvat. 

Agni  comes  roaring  like  a  husband  to  his  wives. 

i.  179,  I.   api  um  (iti)  mi  patniA  vrishawaA  ^agamyuA. 

Will  the  husbands  now  come  to  their  wives  ? 

ii.  16,  8.  sakrit  su  te  sumati-bhiA — sam  patnibhiA  na 
\rishanah  nasimahi. 

May  we  for  once  cling  firmly  to  thy  blessings,  as  hus- 
bands cling  to  their  wives. 

v.  47,  6.  upa-prakshe  vrisha/ia^  modamanaA  divah  patha 
vadhvaA  yanti  akkha. 

The  exulting  men  come  for  the  embrace  on  the  path  of 
heaven  towards  their  wives. 

In  one  or  two  passages  vnshan  would  seem  to  have  a 
still  more  definite  meaning,  particularly  in  the  formula 
suraA  driAe  \r\^h.anah  ka  paumsye,  which  occurs  iv.  41,  6; 
x.  92,  7.      See  also  i.  179,  i. 


124  HYMNS    TO    THE    MAR  UTS. 

In  all  the  passages  which  we  have  hitherto  examined 
vrishan  clearly  retained  its  etymological  meaning,  though 
even  then  it  was  not  always  possible  to  translate  it  by 
male . 

The  same  meaning  has  been  retained  in  other  languages 
in  which  this  word  can  be  traced.  Thus,  in  Zend,  arshan 
is  used  to  express  the  sex  of  animals  in  such  expressions 
as  aspahe  arshno,  gen.  a  male  horse ;  varazahe  arshno,  gen. 
a  male  boar  ;  geus  arshno,  gen.  a  male  ox  ;  but  likewise  in 
the  sense  of  man  or  hero,  as  arsha  hu^rava,  the  hero 
Hu^rava.  In  Greek  we  find  apcrrjv  and  apprji/  used  in  the 
same  way  to  distinguish  the  sex  of  animals,  as  apa-cveg  'linroi, 
^ovv  apareva.  In  Latin  the  same  word  may  be  recognized 
in  the  proper  name  Varro,  and  in  vdro  and  bdro. 

We  now  come  to  another  class  of  passages  in  which 
vrishan  is  clearly  intended  to  express  more  than  merely  the 
masculine  gender.  In  some  of  them  the  etymological 
meaning  of  spargere,  to  pour  forth,  seems  to  come  out 
again,  and  it  is  well  known  that  Indian  commentators  are 
very  fond  of  explaining  vrishan  by  giver  of  rain,  giver  of 
good  gifts,  bounteous.  The  first 'of  these  meanings  may 
indeed  be  admitted  in  certain  passages,  but  in  others  it  is 
more  than  doubtful. 

i.  1 8 1,  8.  vrisha  vam  meghaA  may  be  translated,  your 
raining  cloud. 

i.  129,  3.   dasma/«  hi  sma  vrisha/zam  pinvasi  tvaA:am. 

Thou  art  strong,  thou  fillest  the  rainy  skin,  i.  e.  the 
cloud. 

See  also  iv.  22,  6 ;  and  possibly  v.  83,  6. 

It  may  be  that,  when  applied  to  Soma  too,  vrishan 
retained  something  of  its  etymological  meaning,  that  it 
meant  gushing  forth,  poured  out,  though  in  many  places 
it  is  impossible  to  render  vrishan,  as  applied  to  Soma,  by 
anything  but  strong.  All  we  can  admit  is  that  vrishan, 
if  translated  by  strong,  means  also  strengthening  and  invi- 
gorating, an  idea  not  entirely  absent  even  in  our  expression, 
a  strong  drink. 

i.  80,  2.   saA  tva  amadat  vrisha  mada/<,  soma^  —  suta/i. 

This  strong  draught  inspirited  thee,  the  poured  out 
Soma-juice. 


MANDALA   I,    SUKTA  85.  125 

i.  91,  2.   tvam  vrisha  vrisha-tvebhiA. 

Thou,  Soma,  art  strong  by  strength. 

i.  175,  I.  vrisha  te  Yrishne  induA  va^i  sahasra-satama^. 

'For  thee,  the  strong  one,  there  is  strong  drink,  powerful, 
omnipotent. 

In  the  ninth  Mawfi?ala,  specially  dedicated  to  the  praises 
of  Soma,  the  inspiriting  beverage  of  gods  and  men,  the 
repetition  of  vrishan,  as  applied  to  the  juice  and  to  the  god 
who  drinks  it,  is  constant.  Indo  vrisha  or  vrisha  indo 
are  incessant  invocations,  and  become  at  last  perfectly 
meaningless. 

There  can  be  no  doubt,  in  fact,  that  already  in  the 
hymns  of  the  Veda,  vrishan  had  dwindled  away  to  a  mere 
epitheton  ornans,  and  that  in  order  to  understand  it  cor- 
rectly, we  must,  as  much  as  possible,  forget  its  etymological 
colouring,  and  render  it  by  hero  or  strong.  Indra,  Agni, 
the  A^vins,  Vishnu,  the  i^ibhus  (iv.  o,^,  6),  all  are  vrishan, 
which  means  no  longer  male,  but  manly,  strong. 

In  the  following  passages  vrishan  is  thus  applied  to 
Indra : 

i.  54,  2.  yaA  dhrishwuna  ^avasa  rodasi  (iti)  ubhe  (iti)  vri- 
sha vrisha-tva  vrishabha^  ni-rin^ate. 

(Praise  Indra)  who  by  his  daring  strength  conquers  both 
heaven  and  earth,  a  bull,  strong  in  strength. 

i.  100,  I.  sa^  yay^  vrisha  vrish?^yebhi/^  sam-okaA  maha/^ 
diva^  prithivya^  A:a  sam-ra^  satina-satva  havyaA  bhareshu 
marutvan  na^  bhavatu  indraA  uti. 

He  who  is  strong,  wedded  to  strength,  who  is  the  king 
of  the  great  sky  and  the  earth,  of  mighty  might,  to  be 
invoked  in  battles, — may  Indra  with  the  Maruts  come  to 
our  help  ! 

i.  16,  I.  a  tva  vahantu  harayaA  vrishanam  soma-pitaye, 
indra  tva  sura-^akshasa^. 

May  the  bays  bring  thee  hither,  the  strong  one,  to  the 
Soma-draught,  may  the  sunny-eyed  horses  (bring)  thee,  O 
Indra  ! 

iv.  16,  20.  eva  it  indraya  vrishabhaya  vrishwe  brahma 
akarma  bhrigava/i  na  rath  am. 

Thus  we  have  made  a  hymn  for  Indra,  the  strong  bull, 
as  the  Bhrigus  make  a  chariot.  *■ 


126  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

X.  153,  2.  tvam  vrishan  vrisha  it  asi. 

Thou,  O  hero,  art  indeed  a  hero ;  and  not,  Thou,  O 
male,  art  indeed  a  male ;  still  less,  Thou,  O  bull,  art  indeed 
a  bull. 

i.  loi,  I.  avasyava^  vrishawam  va^ra-dakshiwam  marut- 
vantam  sakhyaya  havamahe. 

Longing  for  help  we  call  as  our  friend  the  hero  who 
wields  the  thunderbolt,  who  is  accompanied  by  the 
Maruts. 

viii.  6,  14.  ni  5ush?ze  indra  dharwasim  va^am  ^aghantha 
dasyavi,  vrisha  hi  ugra  ^nTivishe. 

Thou,  O  Indra,  hast  struck  the  strong  thunderbolt 
against  ^'ush/ia,  the  fiend ;  for,  terrible  one,  thou  art  called 
hero ! 

viii.  6,  40.  vavridhana^  upa  dyavi  vrisha  va^i  aroravit, 
vritra-ha  soma-patama^. 

Growing  up  by  day,  the  hero  with  the  thunderbolt  has 
roared,  the  AVitra-killer,  the  great  Soma-drinker. 

V.  ^^,  4.  vrisha  hi  asi  radhase  ^a^iiishe  vrishwi  te  5ava^. 

Thou  (Indra)  art  a  hero,  thou  wast  born  to  be  bounteous ; 
in  thee,  the  hero,  there  is  might. 

It  is  curious  to  watch  the  last  stage  of  the  meaning  of 
vrishan  in  the  comparative  and  superlative  varshiyas  and 
varshish/^a.  In  the  Veda,  varshish/Aa  still  means  excellent, 
but  in  later  Sanskrit  it  is  considered  as  the  superlative  of 
vriddha,  old,  so  that  we  see  vrishan,  from  meaning  origin- 
ally manly,  vigorous,  young,  assuming  in  the  end  the 
meaning  of  old.      (M.  M.,  Sanskrit  Grammar,  ^  252.) 

Yet  even  thus,  when  vrishan  means  simply  strong  or 
hero,  its  sexual  sense  is  not  always  forgotten,  and  it  breaks 
out,  for  instance,  in  such  passages  as, 

i.  32,  7.  vrishwa^  vadhriA  prati-manam  biibhushan  puru- 
tra  vritra^  a.<?ayat  vi-asta^. 

Vritra,  the  eunuch,  trying  to  be  like  unto  a  man  (like 
unto  Indra),  was  lying,  broken  to  many  pieces. 

The  next  passages  show  vrishan  as  applied  to  Agni  : 

iii.  27,  15.  vrisha/iam  tva  vayam  vrishan  vrishawaA  sam 
idhimahi. 

O,  strong  one,  let  us  the  strong  ones  kindle  thee,  the 
strong  1 


MA.iS^i)ALA   I,    strKTA    85.  127 

V.  I,  12.  avo^ama  kavaye  medhyaya  vaA:a^  vandaru  vri- 
shabhaya  vrishne. 

We  have  spoken  an  adoring  speech  for  the  worshipful 
poet,  for  the  strong  bull  (Agni). 

Vishwu  is  called  vnshan,  i.  154,  3  : 

pra  vishwave  5usham  etu  manma  giri-kshite  uru-gayaya 
vnshTze. 

May  this  hymn  go  forth  to  Vish/iu,  he  who  dwells  in 
the  mountain  (cloud),  who  strides  wide,  the  hero  ! 

Rudra  is  called  vnshan : 

ii.  34,  1,  rudra/i  yat  va^  maruta^  rukma-vakshasaA  vrisha 
a^ani  pmnya^  5ukre  udhani. 

When  Rudra,  the  strong  man,  begat  you,  O  Maruts  with 
brilhant  chests,  in  the  bright  bosom  of  Pmni. 

That  the  Maruts,  the  sons  of  Rudra,  are  called  vnshan, 
we  have  seen  before,  and  shall  see  frequently  again, 
(i.  165,  i;  ii.  '>,'>,,  13;  vii.  ^6,  20;  21;  58,  6.)  The  whole 
company  of  the  Maruts  is  called  vnsha  ga/iaA,  the  strong 
or  manly  host,  i.  e.  the  host  of  the  Maruts,  without  any 
further  qualification. 

Here  lies,  indeed,  the  chief  difficulty  which  is  raised 
by  the  common  use  of  vnshan  in  the  Veda,  that  when  it 
occurs  by  itself,  it  often  remains  doubtful  who  is  meant 
by  it,  Indra,  or  Soma,  or  the  Maruts,  or  some  other  deity. 
We  shall  examine  a  few  of  these  passages,  and  first  some 
where  vnshan  refers  to  Indra : 

iv.  30,  10.  apa  usha^  anasa^  sarat  sam-pish/at  aha 
bibhydshi,   ni  yat  sim  ^i^nathat  vrisha. 

Ushas  went  away  from  her  broken  chariot,  fearing  lest 
the  hero  should  do  her  violence. 

Here  vnshan  is  clearly  meant  for  Indra,  who,  as  we 
learn  from  the  preceding  verse,  was  trying  to  conquer 
Ushas,  as  Apollo  did  Daphne  ;  and  it  should  be  observed 
that  the  word  itself,  by  which  Indra  is  here  designated,  is 
particularly  appropriate  to  the  circumstances. 

i.  103,  6.  bhuri-karma7^e  vrishabhaya  vnshwe  satya-5ush- 
maya  sunavama  somam,  ya^  a-dritya  paripanthi-iva  *uraA 
aya^anaA  vi-bha^an  eti  veda^. 

Let  us  pour  out  the  Soma  for  the  strong  bull,  the  per- 
former of  many  exploits,  whose   strength  is  true,  the  hero 


128  HYMNS   TO    THE    MARUTS. 

who,   watching   Kke  a  footpad,   comes   to    us   dividing  the 
wealth  of  the  infidel. 

Here  it  is  clear  again  from  the  context  that  Tndra  only- 
can  be  meant. 

But  in  other  passages  this  is  more  doubtful : 

iii.  6 1,  7.  7'itasya  budhne  ushasam  isha/^yan  vnsha  mahi 
(iti)  rodasi  (iti)  a  vive^a. 

The  hero  in  the  depth  of  the  heaven,  yearning  for  the 
dawns,  has  entered  the  great  sky  and  the  earth. 

The  hero  who  yearns  for  the  dawns,  is  generally  Indra; 
here,  however,  considering  that  Agni  is  mentioned  in  the 
preceding  verse,  it  is  more  likely  that  this  god,  as  the  light 
of  the  morning,  may  have  been  meant  by  the  poet.  That 
Agni,  too,  may  be  called  vrishan,  without  any  other  epithet 
to  show  that  he  is  meant  rather  than  any  other  god,  is  clear 
from  such  passages  as, 

vi.  3,  7.   vrisha  ruksha/i  oshadhishu  nunot. 

He  the  wild  hero  shouted  among  the  plants. 

In  vii.  60,  9,  vrisha/zau,  the  dual,  is  meant  for  Mitra  and 
VaruTza;  in  the  next  verse,  vrisha^za^,  the  plural,  must 
mean  the  same  gods  and  their  companions. 

That  Soma  is  called  simply  vrishan,  not  only  in  the 
ninth  MsLndala,  but  elsewhere,  too,  we  see  from  such 
passages  as, 

iii.  43,  7.  mdra  piba  vrisha-dhutasya  vrishnnh  (a  yam  te 
sjenah  u6-ate  ^abhara),  yasya  made  A:yavayasi  pra  krishtih 
yasya  made  apa  gotra  vavartha. 

Indra  drink  of  the  male  (the  strong  Soma),  bruised  by 
the  males  (the  heavy  stones),  inspirited  by  whom  thou 
makest  the  people  fall  down,  inspirited  by  whom  thou  hast 
opened  the  stables. 

Here  Saya^za,  too,  sees  rightly  that  '  the  male  bruised  by 
the  males '  is  the  Soma-plant,  which,  in  order  to  yield  the 
intoxicating  juice,  has  to  be  bruised  by  stones,  which  stones 
are  again  likened  to  two  males.  But  unless  the  words, 
enclosed  in  brackets,  had  stood  in  the  text,  words  which 
clearly  point  to  Soma,  I  doubt  whether  Saya?za  would 
have  so  readily  admitted  the  definite  meaning  of  vrishan 
as  Soma. 

i.  109,  3.    ma  khedma   ra^min  iti  nadhamana^   pitrmam 


MANDAIjA   I,    SUKTA    85.  129 

sakiih   anu-ya^A'^amana/t,    indragni-bhyam    kam    wishsLnah 
madanti  ta  hi  adi'i  (iti)   dhisha/zaya/i  upa-sthe. 

We  pray,  let  us  not  break  the  cords  (which,  by  means  of 
the  sacrifices  offered  by  each  generation  of  our  forefathers, 
unite  us  with  the  gods);  we  strive  after  the  powers  of  our 
fathers.  The  Somas  rejoice  for  Indra  and  Agni ;  here  are 
the  two  stones  in  the  lap  of  the  vessel. 

First,  as  to  the  construction,  the  fact  that  participles  are 
thus  used  as  finite  verbs,  and  particularly  when  the  subject 
changes  in  the  next  sentence,  is  proved  by  other  passages, 
such  as  ii.  ii,  4.  The  sense  is  that  the  new  generation 
does  not  break  the  sacrificial  succession,  but  offers  Soma, 
like  their  fathers.  The  Soma-plants  are  ready,  and,  when 
pressed  by  two  stones,  their  juice  flows  into  the  Soma- 
vessel.  There  may  be  a  double  entendre  in  dhisha/iaya^ 
upa-sthe,  which  Sanskrit  scholars  will  easily  perceive. 

When  vrishan  is  thus  used  by  itself,  we  must  be  chiefly 
guided  by  the  adjectives  or  other  indications  before  we  deter- 
mine on  the  most  plausible  translation.     Thus  we  read : 

i.  ^^,  4.  sa/i  it  vane  namasyu-bhi^  va^asyate  ^aru  ^aneshu 
pra-bruva?2aA  indriyam,  vrisha  khanduh  bhavati  haryata^ 
vrisha  ksheme/ia  dhenam  magha-va  yat  invati. 

In  the  first  verse  the  subject  is  clearly  Indra  :  '  He  alone 
is  praised  by  worshippers  in  the  forest,  he  who  shows  forth 
among  men  his  fair  power.^  But  who  is  meant  to  be  the 
subject  of  the  next  verse  ?  Even  Saya^a  is  doubtful.  He 
translates  first :  '  The  bounteous  excites  the  man  who 
wishes  to  sacrifice ;  when  the  sacrificer,  the  rich,  by  the 
protection  of  Indra,  stirs  up  his  voice/  But  he  allows 
an  optional  translation  for  the  last  sentences  :  '  when  the 
powerful  male,  Indra,  by  his  enduring  mind  reaches  the 
praise  offered  by  the   sacrificer.' 

According  to  these  suggestions,  Wilson  translated  :  '  He 
(Indra)  is  the  granter  of  their  wishes  (to  those  who  solicit 
him) ;  he  is  the  encourager  of  those  who  desire  to  worship 
(him),  when  the  wealthy  offerer  of  oblations,  enjoying  his 
protection,  recites  his  praise.^ 

Benfey :  '  The  bull  becomes  friendly,  the  bull  becomes 
desirable,  when  the  sacrificer  kindly  advances  praise.^ 

Langlois  :     '  When    the    noble    Maghavan    receives    the 
VOL.  I.  K 


130  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

homage    of   our    hymns,    his    heart    is    flattered,    and    he 
responds  to  the  wishes  of  his  servant  by  his  gifts/ 

As  far  as  I  know,  the  adjective  khandu  does  not  occur 
again,  and  can  therefore  give  us  no  hint.  But  haryata, 
which  is  apphed  to  vrishan  in  our  verse,  is  the  standing 
epithet  of  Soma.  It  means  dehcious,  and  occurs  very 
fi'equently  in  the  ninth  MsLndals..  It  is  hkewise  apphed 
to  Agni,  Pushan,  the  Haris,  the  thunderbolt,  but  wherever 
it  occurs  our  first  thought  is  of  Soma.  Thus,  without 
quoting  from  the  Sojna-Mandala,  we  read,  x.  96,  i,  harya- 
tam  madam,  the  dehcidus  draught,  i.  e.  Soma. 

X.  96,  9.  pitva  madasya  haryatasya  andhasa^,  means 
having  drunk  of  the  draught  of  the  dehcious  Soma. 

viii.  72,  18.  padam  haryatasya  ni-dhanySm,  means  the 
place  where  the  delicious  Soma  resides. 

iii.  44,  I.   haryata^  soma^. 

Delicious  Soma. 

ii.  21,  I.  bhara  indraya  somam  ya^ataya  haryatam. 

Bring  delicious  Soma  for  the  holy  Indra. 

i.  130,  2.   madaya  haryataya  te  tuvi/^-tamaya  dhayase. 

That  thou  mayest  drink  the  delicious  and  most  powerful 
draught,  i.  e.  the  Soma. 

If,  then,  we  know  that  v/'ishan  by  itself  is  used  in  the 
sense  of  Soma,  haryata  v?'ishan  can  hardly  be  anything 
else,  and  we  may  therefore  translate  the  second  line  of 
i*  55}  4)  '  the  strong  Soma  is  pleasing,  the  strong  Soma  is 
delicious,  when  the  sacrificer  safely  brings  the  cow.^ 

That  Indra  was  thirsting  for  Soma  had  been  said  in  the 
second  verse,  and  he  is  again  called  the  Soma-di'inker  in  the 
seventh  verse.  The  bringing  of  the  cow  alludes  to  the  often 
mentioned  mixture  with  milk,  which  the  Soma  undergoes 
before  it  is  offered. 

That  the  Maruts  are  called  v?nshan,  without  further  ex- 
planations, will  appear  from  the  following  passages  : 

i.  85,  12.   rayim  na^  dhatta  vnsha/^a^  su-viram. 

Give  us  wealth,  ye  heroes,  consisting  of  good  offspring. 

viii.  96,  14.   ishyami  yah  vnsha?za^  yudhyata  a^au. 

I  wish  for  you,  heroes  (Maruts),  fight  in  the  race  ! 

In  all  the  passages  which  we  have  hitherto  examined, 
vrishan    was     always     applied    to    living    beings,    whether 


MAiViJALA   I,  SUKTA    85.  131 

animals,  men,  or  gods.  But  as,  in  Greek,  apprjv  means 
at  last  simply  strong,  and  is  applied,  for  instance,  to 
the  crash  of  the  sea,  KTviro^  apcrrju  ttovtov,  so  in  the 
Veda  vnshan  is  applied  to  the  roaring  of  the  storms  and 
similar  objects. 

V.  87,  5.   svanaA  vrisha. 

Your  powerful  sound  (O  Maruts). 

X.  47,  I.  ^agribhma  te  dakshi/zam  indra  hastam  vasu- 
yava^  vasu-pate  vasunam,  vidma  hi  tva  go-patim  5ura  gonam 
asmabhyam  A:itram  vrisha/zam  rayim  da^. 

We  have  taken  thy  right  hand,  O  Indra,  wishing  for  trea- 
sures, treasurer  of  treasures,  for  we  know  thee,  O  hero,  to  be 
the  lord  of  cattle ;  give  us  bright  and  strong  wealth. 

Should  ^tra  here  refer  to  treasures,  and  vnshan  to 
cattle  ? 

X.  89,  9.  ni  amitreshu  vadham  indra  tumram.  vnshan 
vnsha72am  arusham  mihi. 

Whet,  O  hero,  the  heavy  strong  red  weapon,  against  the 
enemies. 

The  long  a  in  vnsha/^am  is  certainly  startling,  but  it 
occurs  once  more,  ix.  34,  3,  where  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  it  is  the  accusative  of  vnshan.  Professor  Roth  takes 
vnshan  here  in  the  sense  of  bull  (s.  v.  tumra),  but  he  does 
not  translate  the  whole  passage. 

iii.  39,  9.   kn?z6ta  dhumam  vrisha^zam  sakhaya/i. 

Make  a  mighty  smoke,  O  friends  ! 

Strength  itself  is  called  vnshan,  if  I  am  right  in  trans- 
lating the  phrase  vrisha/^am  ^ushmam  by  manly  strength. 
It  occurs, 

iv.  24,  7.  tasmin  dadhat  vrisha^zam  sushmam  indraA. 

May  Indra  give  to  him  manly  strength. 

vi.  19,  8.   a  na/i  bhara  vnsha^^am  ^lishmam  indra. 

Bring  to  us,  O  Indra,  manly  strength. 

vii.  24,  4.   asme  (iti)  dadhat  vnshawam  ^shmam  indra. 

Giving  to  us,  O  Indra,  manly  strength. 

See  also  vi.  19,  9,  sushma^  vrishabhaA,  used  in  the  same 
sense. 

This  constant  play  on  the  word  vrishan,  which  we  have 
observed  in  the  passages  hitherto  examined,  and  which 
give  by  no  means  a  full  idea  of  the  real  frequency  of  its 

K  2 


132  HYMNS   TO   THE    MARUTS. 

occurrence  in  the  Veda,  has  evidently  had  its  influence  on 
the  Vedic  i?ishis,  who  occasionally  seem  to  delight  in  the 
most  silly  and  unmeaning  repetitions  of  this  word,  and 
its  compounds  and  derivatives.  Here  no  language  can 
supply  any  adequate  translation  ;  for  though  we  may 
translate  words  which  express  thoughts,  it  is  useless  to 
attempt  to  render  mere  idle  play  with  words.  I  shall 
give  a  few  instances  : 

i*  ^11  i  3*  ^  tish^/^a  ratham  vrisha?zam  vrisha  te  suta/i 
soma/i  pari-sikta  madhuni,  yuktva  vrisha-bhyam  vrishabha 
kshitinam  hari-bhyam  yahi  pra-vata  upa  madrik. 

Mount  the  strong  car,  the  strong  Soma  is  poured  out  for 
thee,  sweets  are  sprinkled  round;  come  down  towards  us,  thou 
bull  of  men,  with  the  strong  bays,  having  yoked  them. 

But  this  is  nothing  yet  compared  to  other  passages,  when 
the  poet  .cannot  get  enough  of  vrishan  and  vrishabha. 

ii.  1 6,  6.  vnsha  te  Yagrsih  uta  te  vnsha  ratha^  vrisha^za 
hari  (iti)  vrishabhaVzi  ayudha,  vnsh?2a/«  madasya  vrishabha 
tvam  i^ishe  mdra  somasya  vrishabhasya  trip^zuhi. 

Thy  thunderbolt  is  strong ^  and  thy  car  is  strong,  strong 
are  the  bays,  the  weapons  are  powerful,  thou,  bull,  art  lord  of 
the  strong  draught,  Indra  rejoice  in  the  powerful  Soma ! 

^'  3^y  5'  vnsha  tva  V7"ishawam  vardhatu  dyauA  vnsha  vri- 
sha-bhyam  vahase  hari-bhyam,  sa/«  na^  vrisha  v?'isha-rathaA 
su-5ipra  v?'isha-krato  (iti)  vrisha  va^rin  bhare  dhaA. 

May  the  strong  sky  increase  thee,  the  strong ;  a  strong 
one  thou  art,  carried  by  two  strong  bays  ;  do  thou  who  art 
strong,  with  a  strong  car,  O  thou  of  strong  might,  strong 
holder  of  the  thunderbolt,  keep  us  in  battle  ! 

V.  40,  2—3.  vrisha  grava  vrisha  mada/i  vrisha  soma/i  ayam 
sutaA,  vrishan  indra  vrisha-bhiA  vritrahan-tama,  vrisha  tva 
vrisha/zam  huve. 

The  stone  is  strong,  the  draught  is  strong,  this  Soma 
that  has  been  poured  out  is  strong,  O  thou  strong  Indra, 
who  killest  Vritra  with  the  strong  ones  (the  Maruts),  I, 
the  strong,  call  thee,  the  strong. 

viii.  13,  31-33.  vrisha  ayam  indra  te  rathaA  uto  (iti)  te 
vrishana  hari  (iti),  vrisha  tvam  5ata-krato  (iti)  vrisha  havaA. 
vrisha  grava  vrisha  mada/i  vrisha  somaA  ayam  sutaA,  vrisha 
jaguik    yam    invasi   vrisha   hava/*.      vrisha    tva   vrisha^am 


MAN  DAL  A    I,    SUKTA    85.  133 

huve   va^in    Adtrabhi^   uti-bhi^,    vavantha   hi    prati-stutim 
vrisha  hava^. 

This  thy  car  is  strong,  O  Indra,  and  thy  bays  are  strong; 
thou  art  strong,  O  omnipotent,  our  call  is  strong.  The 
stone  is  strong,  the  draught  is  strong,  the  Soma  is  strong, 
which  is  here  poured  out ;  the  sacrifice  which  thou  orderest, 
is  strong,  our  call  is  strong.  I,  the  strong,  call  thee,  the 
strong,  thou  holder  of  the  thunderbolt,  with  manifold 
blessings ;  for  thou  hast  desired  our  praise ;  our  call  is 
strong. 

There  are  other  passages  of  the  same  kind,  but  they  are 
too  tedious  to  be  here  repeated.  The  commentator,  through- 
out, gives  to  each  vrishan  its  full  meaning  either  of 
showering  down  or  bounteous,  or  male  or  bull ;  but  a  word 
which  can  thus  be  used  at  random  has  clearly  lost  its 
definite  power,  and  cannot  call  forth  any  definite  ideas  in 
the  mind  of  the  listener.  It  cannot  be  denied  that  here 
and  there  the  original  meaning  of  vrishan  would  be  appro- 
priate even  where  the  poet  is  only  pouring  out  a  stream  of 
majestic  sound,  but  we  are  not  called  upon  to  impart  sense 
to  what  are  verba  et  prceterquam  nihil.  When  we  read, 
i.  122,  3,  vata^  apam  vrishan -van,  we  are  justified,  no 
doubt,  in  translating,  '  the  wind  who  pours  forth  water ; ' 
and  X.  93,  5,  apam  vrisha/z-vasu  (iti)  suryamasa,  means  '  Sun 
and  Moon,  givers  of  water.^  But  even  in  passages  where 
vrishan  is  followed  by  the  verb  vrish,  it  is  curious  to  observe 
that  vrish  is  not  necessarily  used  in  the  sense  of  raining  or 
pouring  forth,  but  rather  in  the  sense  of  drinking. 

vi.  68,  II.  indravaruTza  madhumat-tamasya  vrish^^a/^  s6- 
masya  vrisha?za*  a  vrishetham. 

*  The  dual  v?'ishanau  occurs  only  when  the  next  word  begins  with  a  vowel. 
Before  an  initial  a,  ^,  i,  the  au  is  always  changed  into  ^v  in  the  Sanhita 
(i.  108,  7-12;  116,  21;  117,  19;  153,  2;  157,  5;  158,  i;  180,  7;  vii.  61,  5). 
Before  u  the  preceding  au  becomes  a  in  the  Sanhita,  but  the  Pada  gives  au, 
in  order  to  show  that  no  Sandhi  can  take  place  between  the  two  vowels 
(vii.  60,  9 ;  X.  66,  7).  Before  consonants  the  dual  always  ends  in  3,,  both  in 
the  Sanhita  and  Pada,  But  there  are  a  few  passages  where  the  final  a  occurs 
before  initial  vowels,  and  where  the  two  vowels  are  allowed  to  form  one 
syllable.  In  four  passages  this  happens  before  an  initial  a  (i.  108,  3;  vi.  68, 
II;  i.  177,  i;  ii.  16,  5).  Once,  and  once  only,  it  happens  before  u,  in  viii. 
22,  12. 


134  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

Indra  and  Varu^za,  you  strong  ones,  may  you  drink  of 
the  sweetest  strong  Soma. 

That  a-vrish  means  to  drink  or  to  eat,  was  known  to 
Saya?^a  and  to  the  author  of  the  /Satapatha-brahmawa,  who 
paraphrases  a  vrishayadhvam  by  asnita,  eat. 

The  same  phrase  occurs  i.  io8,  3. 

i.  104,  9.   uru-vyaM^  gat  hare  a  vrishasva. 

Thou  of  vast  extent,  drink  (the  Soma)  in  thy  stomach. 

The  same  phrase  occurs  x.  96,  13. 

viii.  61,  3.   a  vrishasva — sutasya  indra  andhasa^. 

Drink,  Indra,  of  the  Soma  that  is  poured  out. 

In  conclusion,  a  few  passages  may  be  pointed  out  in 
which  vrishan  seems  to  be  the  proper  name  of  a  pious 
worshipper : 

i.  36,  10.  yam  tva  devasa^  manave  dadhu/i  iha  yaghht/mm 
havya-vahana,  yam  kanyah  medhya-atithiA  dhana-spntam 
yam  vrisha  yam  upa-stutaA. 

Thee,  O  Agni,  whom  the  gods  placed  here  for  man,  the 
most  worthy  of  worship,  O  carrier  of  oblations^  thee  whom 
Ka?2va,  thee  whom  Medhyatithi  placed,  as  the  giver  of 
wealth,  thee  whom  Vrishan  placed  and  Upastuta. 

Here  the  commentator  takes  Vrishan  as  Indra,  but  this 
would  break  the  symmetry  of  the  sentence.  That  Upa- 
stuta^ is  here  to  be  taken  as  a  proper  name,  as  Upastuta, 
the  son  of  Vrish^ihavya,  is  clear  from  verse  1 7 : 

agnih  pra  avat  mitra  uta  medhya-atithim  agnih  sata  upa- 
stutam. 

Agni  protected  also  the  two  friends,  Medhyatithi  and 
Upastuta,  in  battle. 

The  fact  is  that  whenever  upastuta  has  the  accent  on  the 
last  syllable^  it  is  intended  as  a  proper  name,  while,  if  used 
as  a  participle,  in  the  sense  of  praised,  it  has  the  accent  on 
the  first. 

viii.  5,  25.  yatha  A:it  ka/ivam  avatam  priya-medham  .upa- 
stutam. 

As  you  have  protected  Kawva,  Priyamedha,  Upastuta. 
Cf.  i.  112,  15. 

viii.  103,  8.  pra  mamhish^/iaya  gayata — upastutasa/i  ag- 
naye. 

Sing,  O  Upastutas,  to  the  worthiest,  to  Agni ! 


MAiVi)ALA    I,    SUKTA    85.  135 

X.   115,   9.    iti   tva    agne    vrish^i-havyasya   putra^   upa- 
stutasa^  nshaya^  avo^an. 

By  these  names,  O  Agni,  did  the  sons  of  V?'ish^ihavya, 
the  Upastutas,  the  i^ishis,  speak  to  you. 

Vrishan  occurs  once  more  as  a  proper  name  in  vi.  16, 
14  and  15  : 

tam  um  (iti)  tva  dadhyah  rishih  putra/<  idhe  atharvawa^, 
vritra-hanam  puram-daram. 

tam  um  (iti)  tva  pathya/i  vrisha  sam  idhe  dasyuhan- 
tamam,  dhanam-^ayam  rane-YRne. 

Thee,  O  Agni,  did  Dadhyah  kindle,  the  i?ishi,  the  son  of 
Atharvan,  thee  the  killer  of  Vritra,  the  destroyer  of  towns. 

Thee,  O  Agni,  did  Vrishan  Pathya  kindle,  thee  the  best 
killer  of  enemies,  the  conqueror  of  wealth  in  every  battle. 

Here  the  context  can  leave  no  doubt  that  Dadhyah  as 
well  as  Vrishan  were  both  intended  as  proper  names.  Yet  as 
early  as  the  composition  of  the  /Satapatha-brahmawa,  this 
was  entirely  misunderstood.  Dadhyah,  the  son  of  Atharvan, 
is  explained  as  speech,  Vrishan  Pathya  as  mind  {Sat.  Br. 
vi.  3,  3,  4).  On  this  Mahidhara,  in  his  remarks  on  Va^. 
Sanh.  xi.  34,  improves  still  further.  For  though  he  allows 
his  personality  to  Dadhyah,  the  son  of  Atharvan,  he  says 
that  Pathya  comes  from  pathin,  path,  and  means  he  who 
moves  on  the  right  path  ;  or  it  comes  from  pathas,  which 
means  sky,  and  is  here  used  in  the  sense  of  the  sky  of  the 
heart.  He  then  takes  vrishan  as  mind,  and  translates  the 
mind  of  the  heart.  Such  is  the  history  of  the  rise  and  fall 
of  the  Indian  mind  ! 


136  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 


M.ANDAJ.A    I,    SfjKTA  .86. 

AsHTAKA  I,  AdhyIya  6,  Varga  11-12. 

1.  MarutaA  yasya  hi  kshaye  patha  diYEih  vi-maha- 
saA,  saA  svi-gopatamaA  ^anaA. 

2.  Y^gnsih  va  ya^na-vahasa/i  viprasya  va  matinam, 
marutaA  srinuisi  liavam. 

3.  Uta  v4  yasya  YkgmsJi  anu  vipram  dtakshata, 
sa/^  ganta  go-mati  vra^e. 

4.  Asya  virasya  barhishi  sutaA  mmdJi  divishdshu, 
uktham  mada/i.  ^a  sasyate. 

5.  Asya  sroshantu  a  bhuva/i  *  yisykli  jih  ^arshaT^i^ 
abhi,  s^ram  ^it  sasrilshiA  ishaA. 

6.  Purvibhi/z.    hi    dadasima    sarat-bhi/^    marutaA 
vaydm,  SiYSih-hhiJi  ^arsha?2lnaLm. 

7.  Su-bhaga/i    ssJi    pra-ya^yava/«.    maruta/?,    astu 
martya/i,  yasya  prdyamsi  pdrshatha. 

8.  /Sasamanasya  va  nara/?.  svedasya  satya-savasaA', 
vidd  kamasya  venata/?.. 

9.  Yuyd,m  tat  satya-5avasa/^  avi/i  karta  mahi-tvan^, 
vidhyata  vi-dyuta  rakshaA. 

10.  Gtihata  giihyam  td,maA  vi  yata  visvam  atrmam, 
^y6ti/^  karta  j^t  usmdsi. 


MAiVDALA   I,    8UKTA  86.  137 


Hymn  to  the  Maruts  (the  Storm-gods). 

1.  0  Maruts,  that  man  in  whose  dwelHng  you  drink 
(the  Soma),  ye  mighty  (sons)  of  heaven,  he  indeed  has 
the  best  guardians.^ 

2.  You  who  are  propitiated  ^  either  by  sacrifices 
or  from  the  prayers  of  the  sage,  hear  the  call,  0 
Maruts ! 

3.  Aye,  the  strong  man  to  whom  you  have  granted 
a  sage,  he  will  live  in  a  stable  rich  in  cattle.^ 

4.  On  the  altar  of  that  strong  man  Soma  is  pomed 
out  in  daily  sacrifices ;  praise  and  joy  are  sung. 

5.  To  him  let  the  strong  ^  Maruts  listen,  to  him 
who  surpasses  all  men,  as  the  flowing  rain-clouds^ 
pass  over  the  sun. 

6.  For  we,  O  Maruts,  have  sacrificed  in  many  a 
harvest,  through  the  mercies  ^  of  the  swift  gods  (the 
storm-gods). 

7.  May  that  mortal  be  blessed,  O  worshipful 
Maruts,  whose  offerings  you  carry  off.^ 

8.  You  take  notice  either  of  the  sweat  of  him  who 
praises  you,  ye  men  of  true  strength,  or  of  the  desire 
of  the  suppliant.-^ 

9.  O  ye  of  true  strength,  make  this  manifest  by 
your  greatness !  strike  the  fiend  ^  with  your  thunder- 
bolt! 

10.  Hide  the  hideous  darkness,  destroy^  every 
tusky^  spirit.  Create  the  light  which  we  long 
for! 


138  HYMNS   TO    THE   MARUTS. 


COMMENTARY. 

This  hymn  is  ascribed  to  Gotama.  The  metre  is  Gayatri 
throughout. 

Verse  1,  note  ^.  Vimahas  occurs  only  once  more  as  an 
epithet  of  the  Maruts,  v.  87,  4.  Being  an  adjective  derived 
from  mahas,  strength,  it  means  very  strong.  The  strong 
ones  of  heaven  is  an  expression  analogous  to  i.  64,  %,  divaA 
rishvasa^  uksha^za^ ;   i.  64,  4.   diva^  naraA. 

Verse  2,  note  ^.  The  construction  of  this  verse  is  not 
clear.  Ya^ila-vahas  has  two  meanings  in  the  Veda.  It  is 
applied  to  the  priest  who  carries  or  performs  the  sacrifice  : 

iii.  8,  3,  and  24,  i.   var^a^  dha/«  ya^na-vahase. 

Grant  splendour  to  the  sacrificer  ! 

But  it  is  also  used  of  the  gods  who  accept  the  sacrifice, 
and  in  that  case  it  means  hardly  more  than  worshipped  or 
propitiated;  i.  15,'  11  (Asvinau) ;  iv.  47,  4  (Indra  and 
Vayu) ;  viii.  12,  20  (Indra).  In  our  verse  it  is  used  in 
the  latter  sense,  and  it  is  properly  construed  with  the  in- 
strumental ya^nai^.  The  difticulty  is  the  gen.  plur.  mati- 
nam,  instead  of  matibhi/?.  The  sense,  however,  seems  to 
allow  of  but  one  construction,  and  we  may  suppose  that  the 
genitive  depends  on  the  ya^na  in  ya^navahas,  ^  accepting 
the  worship  of  the  prayers  of  the  priest.^  Benfey  refers 
ya^nai/i  to  the  preceding  verse,  and  joins  havam  to  viprasya 
matin  am  :  '  Durch  Opfer — Opferfordrer  ihr  ! — oder  ihr  hort 
— Maruts — den  Ruf  der  Lieder  die  der  Priester  schuf.' 

The  Sanhita  text  lengthens  the  last  syllable  of  5ri/^uta,  as 
suggested  by  the  metre. 

Verse  3,  note  ^.  The  genitive  yasya  va^ina^  depends  on 
vipra.  Anu-taksh,  like  anu-grah,  anu-^na,  seems  to  convey 
the  meaning  of  doing  in  behalf  or  for  the  benefit  of  a  person. 
Ganta  might  also  be  translated  in  a  hostile  sense,  he  will 
go  into,  he  will  conquer  many  a  stable  full  of  cows. 

Verse  5,  note  \    I   have   altered  a  bhiiva^  into   abhuva^. 


MAiVZ>ALA   I,    SUKTA    86.  139 

for  I  do  not  think  that  bhuvaA,  the  second  pers.  suig., 
even  if  it  were  bhuvat,  the  third  pers.^  could  be  joined  with 
the  relative  pronoun  ya^  in  the  second  pada.  The  phrase 
visvsih  yaA  /rarsham/i  abhi  occurs  more  than  once,  and  is 
never  preceded  by  the  verb  bhuvat  or  bhuvat.  Abhiiva^, 
on  the  contrary,  is  applied  to  the  Maruts^  i.  64,  6,  vida- 
theshu  abhuvaA ;  and  as  there  can  be  no  doubt  who  are 
the  deities  invoked,  abhiivaA,  the  strong  ones,  is  as  appro- 
priate an  epithet  as  vimahas  in  the  first  verse. 

Verse  5,  note  ^.  Sasrdshi^  isha/«^  as  connected  with  surn, 
the  sun,  can  only  be  meant  for  the  flowing  waters,  the 
rain-clouds,  the  givers  of  ish  or  vigour.  They  are  called 
divya/i  ishah  : 

viii.  5,  21.   uta  na^  divyaA  isha^  uta  sindhun  varshatha/«. 

You  rain  down  on  us  the  heavenly  waters  and  the  rivers. 

Wilson  translates :  *  May  the  Maruts,  victorious  over  all 
men,  hear  (the  praises)  of  this  (their  worshipper)  ;  and  may 
(abundant)  food  be  obtained  by  him  who  praises  them.^ 

Benfey :  '  Ihn,  der  ob  alle  Menschen  ragt,  sollen  horen 
die  Labungen,  und  nahn,  die  irgend  Weisen  nahn.^ 

Langlois  :  '  Que  les  Marouts  ecoutent  favorablemant  la 
priere ;  quails  acceptent  aussi  les  offrandes  de  ce  (mortel)  que 
sa  position  eleve  au-dessus  de  tous  les  autres,  et  meme 
jusqu^au  soleil.' 

>Sroshantu  does  not  occur  again ;  but  we  find  ^roshan, 
i.  68,  5;  5r6shama?za,  iii.  8,  10;  vii.  51,  i  ;  vii.  7,  6. 

Verse  6,  note  ^  The  expression  avobhiA,  with  the  help, 
the  blessings,  the  mercies,  is  generally  used  with  reference 
to  divine  assistance;  (i.  117,  19;  167,  3;  185,  10;  11; 
iv.  22,  7;  41,  6;  v.  74,  6;  vi.  47,  12;  vii.  20,  i;  ^S^  i,  &c.) 
It  seems  best  therefore  to  take  /rarsha/zi  as  a  name  or 
epithet  of  the  Maruts,  although,  after  the  invocation  of  the 
Maruts  by  name,  this  repetition  is  somewhat  unusual.  One 
might  translate,  '  with  the  help  of  our  men,  of  our  active 
and  busy  companions,'  for  ^arsham  is  used  in  that  sense 
also.      Only  avobhi^  would  not  be  in  its  right  place  then. 

Verse   7,  note  ^     Par,    with    ati,    means    to    carry   over, 


140  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARTJTS. 

(i.  97,  8;  99,  i;  174,  9;  iii.  15,  3;  20,  4;  iv.  39,  1;  v.  25, 
9;  73,  8;  vii.  40,  4;  97,  4;  viii.  26,  5;  67,  2,  &c.) ;  with 
apa,  to  remove,  (i.  129,  5);  with  nih,  to  throw  down.  Hence, 
if  used  by  itself,  unless  it  means  to  overrun,  as  frequently, 
it  can  only  have  the  general  sense  of  carrying,  taking, 
accepting,  or  accomplishing. 

Verse  8,  note  \  Vida  as  second  pers.  plur.  perf.  is 
frequent,  generally  with  the  final  *  a '  long  in  the  Sanhita, 
i.  156,  3  ;  V.  41,  13  ;   55,  2. 

Verse  9,  note  ^  Observe  the  long  penultimate  in  raksha^, 
instead  of  the  usual  short  syllable.  Cf.  i.  12,  5,  and  see 
Kuhn,  Beitrage,  vol.  iii.  p.  456. 

Verse  10,  note  ^   See  note  to  i.  39,  3,  note  ^. 

Verse  10,  note  ''^.  Atrin,  which  stands  for  attrin,  is  one 
of  the  many  names  assigned  to  the  powers  of  darkness  and 
mischief.  It  is  derived  from  atra,  which  means  tooth  or  jaw, 
and  therefore  meant  originally  an  ogre  with  large  teeth  or 
jaws,  a  devourer.  Besides  atra,  we  also  find  in  the  Veda 
atra,  with  the  accent  on  the  first  syllable,  and  meaning  what 
serves  for  eating,  or  food : 

X.  79,  2.   atram  asmai  pa^-bhi/i  sam  bharanti. 

They  bring  together  food  for  him  (Agni)  with  their  feet. 

With  the  accent  on  the  last  syllable,  atra  in  one  passage 
means  an  eater  or  an  ogre,  like  atrin: 

V.  32,  8.   apadam  atram — mridhra-va^am. 

Indra  killed  the  footless  ogre,  the  babbler. 

It  means  tooth  or  jaw  : 

i.  129,  8.  svayam  sa  rishayadhyai  ya  naA  upa-ishe  atraiA. 

May  she  herself  go  to  destruction  who  attacks  us  with 
her  teeth. 

It  is  probably  from  atra  in  the  sense  of  tooth  (cf.  oSoi^re^  = 
eSopTcg)  that  atrin  is  derived,  meaning  ogre  or  a  devouring 
devil.    In  the  later  Sanskrit,  too,  the  Asuras  are  represented 
as   having  large  tusks,   Mahabh.  v.  3572,   damshtrino  bhi- 
mavega^  ka. 

Thus  we  read  i.  21,  5,  that  Indra  and  Agni  destroy  the 
Rakshas,  and  the  poet  continues  : 


MAJVDALA   I,    SUKTA  86.  141 

apra^a/i  santu  atrmah. 

May  the  ogres  be  without  offspring  ! 

ix.  86,  48.  ^ahi  vi^van  rakshasa^  indo  (iti)  atrma/i. 

Kill,  O  Soma,  all  the  tusky  Rakshas.  Cf.  ix.  104,  6  ; 
105,  6. 

vi.  51,  14.  ^ahi  ni  atriwam  pamm. 

Kill,  O  Soma,  the  tusky  Pawi. 

i.  94,  9.   vadhai^  du^-;?amsan  apa  duA-dhya^  ^ahi 
dure  va  ye  anti  va  ke  kit  Sitrmah. 

Strike  with  thy  blows,  O  Agni,  the  evil- spoken,  evil- 
minded  (spirits),  the  ogres,  those  who  are  far  or  who  are 
near. 

See  also  i.  ^6^  14 ;  20  ;  vi.  16,  28  ;  vii.  104,  i  ;  5  ;  viii. 
13,  i;  19.  15;  X.  36,  4;  118,  I. 


142  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

MandALA    I,    StjKTA    87. 

AsHTAKA  I,  AdhyAya  6,  Varga  13. 

1.  Pra-tvaksliasaA  pra-tavasa/^  vi-rapsma/i  anana- 
t'dh  avithurd/^  ri^islima/?.,  ^ush^a-tamasaA  nri-ta- 
masa/z.  an^i-bhi/i  vi  ana^re  ke  Jcit  usra/i-iva  stri- 
hhi/i. 

2.  Upa-hvareshu  yat  aHdhvam  yayim  vaya/2,-iva 
maruta^  kena  ^it  patha,  skoisurti  hoskh  upa  vah 
ratheshu  a  ghritam  ukshata  mddhu-var^am  ar- 
A^auG. 

3.  Pra  esham  a^meshu  vithur^-iva  rebate  bhiiimiA 
yameshu  yat  lia  yun^ate  5ubhe,  te  kri^dyaA  dhuna- 
jsih  bhr%at-7'ish^aya/i  svayam  mahi-tvam  panayanta 
dhutaya/^. 

4.  Sa/i  hi  sva-srit  prishat-asvaA  yuv4  gana^ 
ayai  issmsih  tavisliibhi/?.  a-vrita/^,  asi  satya/^  rina- 
y^va  anedya^  asy^^  dhiyaA  pra-avita^   atha  vrisha 


5.  Pitii/i  pratnasya  ^anmana  vadamasi  somasya 
(/ihva  prd  ^igati  Hkshasa,  ydt  im  mdram  ssuni 
rikvknsih  aisata  ^t  it  naLmani  ya^niy^ni  dadhire. 

6.  /Sriydse  kam  bhanu-bhi/^.  siim  mimikshire  te 
rasmi-bhiA  te  rikva-bhi/^  su-kMdaya^,  te  v^^i- 
mantaA  ishmma^  dbhiravaA  vidre  priydsya  m^ruta- 
sya  dhamna^. 


MANDALA    I,    SUKTA    87.  143 


Hymn  to  the  Maruts  (the  Storm-gods). 

1.  The  active,  the  strong,  the  smgers,  the  never 
flinching,  the  immovable,  the  wild,  the  most  beloved 
and  most  manly,  they  have  shown  themselves  with 
their  glittering  ornaments,  a  few  only,^  like  the 
heavens  with  the  stars. 

2.  When  you  see  your  way  through  the  clefts,  you 
are  like  birds,  0  Maruts,  on  whatever  road  it  be.^ 
The  clouds  drop  (rain)  on  your  chariots  everywhere ; 
pour  out  the  honey-like  fat  (the  rain)  for  him  who 
praises  you. 

3.  At  their  ravings  the  earth  shakes,  as  if  broken,^ 
when  on  the  (heavenly)  paths  they  harness  (their 
deer)  for  victory.^  They  the  sportive,  the  roaring, 
with  bright  spears,  the  shakers  (of  the  clouds)  have 
themselves  praised  their  greatness. 

4.  That  youthful  company  (of  the  Maruts),  with 
their  spotted  horses,^  moves  by  itself;  hence ^  it 
exercises  lordship,  and  is  invested  with  powers. 
Thou  art  true,  thou  searchest  out  sin,^  thou  art 
without  blemish.  Therefore  thou,  the  strong  host, 
thou  wilt  cherish  this  prayer. 

5.  We  speak  after  the  kind  of  our  old  father,  our 
tongue  goes  forth  at  the  sight  ^  of  the  Soma  :  when 
the  shouting  Maruts  had  joined  Indra  in  the  work,^ 
then  only  they  received  sacrificial  honours; — 

6.  For  their  glory  ^  these  well-equipped  Maruts 
obtained  splendours,  they  obtained  ^  rays,  and  men  to 
praise  them ;  nay,  these  well-armed,  nimble,  and  fear- 
less beings  found  the  beloved  home  of  the  Maruts.^ 


144  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 


COMMENTARY. 

This  hymn  is  ascribed  to  Gotama.  The  metre  is  Gagati 
throughout. 

Verse  1,  note  \  Ke  A-it  refers  to  the  Maruts,  who  are 
represented  as  gradually  rising  or  just  showing  themselves, 
as  yet  only  few  in  number,  like  the  first  stars  in  the  sky. 
Ke  kit,  some,  is  opposed  to  sarve,  all.  The  same  expres- 
sion occurs  again,  v.  52,  12,  where  the  Maruts  are  compared 
to  a  few  thieves.  B.  and  R.  translate  usraVi  iva  stri-bhi^ 
by  '  like  cows  marked  with  stars  on  their  foreheads.^  Such 
cows  no  doubt  exist,  but  they  can  hardly  be  said  to  become 
visible  by  these  frontal  stars,  as  the  Maruts  by  their  orna- 
ments. We  must  take  usra'A  here  in  the  same  sense  as 
dj avail ;  ii.  34,  2,  it  is  said  that  the  Maruts  were  perceived 
dyavaA  na  stri-bhi/i,  like  the  heavens  with  the  stars. 

i.  166,  II.   dure-drisah  ye  divya7^-iva  stri-hhih. 

Who  are  visible  far  away,  like  the  heavens  (or  heavenly 
beings)  by  the  stars. 

And  the  same  is  said  of  Agni,  ii.  2,  5.  dyau^  na  stri-bhiA 
A-itayat  rodasi  (iti)  anu.  StribhiA  occurs  i.  68,  5  ;  iv.  7,  3  ; 
vi.  49,  3;  12.  It  always  means  stars,  and  the  meaning 
of  rays  {strahl)  rests,  as  yet,  on  etymological  authority 
only.  The  evening  sky  would,  no  doubt,  be  more  appro- 
priate than  usraA,  which  applies  chiefly  to  the  dawn.  But 
in  the  Indian  mind,  the  two  dawns,  i.  e.  the  dawn  and  the 
gloaming,  are  so  closely  united  and  identified,  that  their 
names,  too,  are  frequently  interchangeable. 

Verse  2,  note  ^  I  translate  yayi  not  by  a  goer,  a 
traveller,  i.  e.  the  cloud,  (this  is  the  explanation  proposed 
by  Sayawa,  and  adopted  by  Professor  Benfey,)  but  by  path. 
Etymologically  yayi  may  mean  either.  But  in  parallel  pas- 
sages yayi  is  clearly  replaced  by  yama.      Thus  : 

viii.  7,  2.   yat — yamam  subhra^  a/ridhvam. 

When  you,  bright  Maruts,  have  seen  your  way. 

See  also  viii.  7,  4.  yat  yamam  yanti  vayu-bhi^. 

When  they  (the  Maruts)  go  on  their  path  with  the  winds. 


MANDAIjA   I,    SUKTA   87.  145 

viii.  7,14.  adhi-iva  yat  girmam  yamam  5ubhra^  a^idhvam. 

When  you,  bright  Maruts,  had  seen  your  way,  as  it  were, 
along  the  mountains. 

The  same  phrase  occurs,  even  without  yama  or  yayi,  in 

^'  55}  7-  ^^  parvataA  na  nadyaA  varanta  yah  yatra 
a^idhvam  maruta^  gB.kkhata.  it  u  tat. 

Not  mountains,  not  rivers,  keep  you  back ;  where  you 
have  seen  (your  way),  there  you  go. 

Though  yayi  does  not  occur  frequently  in  the  Rig-veda, 
the  meaning  of  path  seems  throughout  more  applicable  than 
that  of  traveller. 

V.  87,  5.   tvesha^  jayih. 

Your  path,  O  Maruts,  is  brilliant. 

V.  73>  7'  ugra^  vam  kakuha/i  yayiA. 

Fearful  is  your  pass  on  high. 

i.  51,  II.   ugra^  yayim  ni^  apa/*  srotasa  as?%at. 

The  fearful  Indra  sent  the  waters  forth  on  their  way 
streaming. 

X.  92,  5.   pra — yayina  yanti  sindhava^. 

The  waters  go  forth  on  their  path. 

Verse  3,  note  ^.  Cf.  i.  37,  8,  page  51.  There  is  no 
authority  for  Saya/za^s  explanation  of  vithura-iva,  the  earth 
trembles  like  a  widow.  Vithura  occurs  several  times  in 
the  Rig-veda,  but  never  in  the  sense  of  widow.      Thus  : 

i.  168,  6.   yat  ^yavayatha  vithura-iva  sam-hitam. 

When  you,  Maruts,  shake  what  is  compact,  like  brittle 
things. 

i.  186,  2;  vi.  25,  3;  46,  6;  viii.  96,  2;  x.  77,  4  (vi- 
thuryati).  The  Maruts  themselves  are  called  avithura  in 
verse  i.      As  to  a^ma  and  yama,  see  i.  37,  8,  page  62. 

Verse  3,  note  ^.  Suhh  is  one  of  those  words  to  which  it 
is  very  difficult  always  to  assign  a  definite  special  meaning. 
Being  derived  from  suhh,  to  shine,  the  commentator  has 
no  difficulty  in  explaining  it  by  splendour,  beauty  ;  some- 
times by  water.  But  although  suhh  means  originally 
splendour,  and  is  used  in  that  sense  in  many  passages, 
yet  there  are  others  where  so  vague  a  meaning  seems  very 
inappropriate.      In  our  verse   Saya?ia   proposes  two  trans- 

VOL.  I.  L 


146  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

lations,  either,  '  When  the  Maruts  harness  the  clouds/  or, 
^  When  the  Maruts  harness  their  chariots,  for  the  bright 
rain-water/  Now  the  idea  that  the  Maruts  harness  their 
chariots  in  order  to  make  the  clouds  yield  their  rain,  can 
hardly  be  expressed  by  the  simple  word  5ubhe,  i.  e.  for 
brightness^  sake.  As  the  Maruts  are  frequently  praised  for 
their  glittering  ornaments,  their  splendour  might  be  intended 
in  this  passage  as  it  certainly  is  in  others.      Thus  : 

^'  ^5?  3-  y^^  5ubhayante  a%i-bhi^  tanushu  subhraVi 
dadhire  viriikmata^. 

When  the  Maruts  adorn  themselves  with  glittering 
ornaments,  the  brilliant  ones  put  bright  weapons  on  their 
bodies. 

vii.  565  6.  5ubha  sohhhhthah,  srijsi  sam-mi^la^,  o^a^-bhiA 
ugra^. 

The  most  brilliant  by  their  brilUancy,  united  wath 
splendour,  terrible  by   strength. 

In  i.  64,  4,  I  have  translated  vaksha/i-su  rukman  adhi 
yetire  5ubhe  by  *  they  fix  gold  (chains)  on  their  chests  for 
beauty.^  And  the  same  meaning  is  applicable  to  i.  117,  5, 
5ubhe  rukmam  na  dar^atam  ni-khatam,  and  other  passages : 
iv.  51,  6;  vi.  6^,  6. 

But  in  our  verse  and  others  which  we  shall  examine,  beauty 
and  brilliancy  would  be  very  weak  renderings  for  5ubhe. 
'  When  they  harnessed  their  chariots  or  their  deer  for  the  sake 
of  beauty,'  means  nothing,  or,  at  least,  very  little.  I  take, 
therefore,  5ubhe  in  this  and  similar  phrases  in  the  sense  of 
triumph  or  glory  or  victory.  '  When  they  harness  their  chariots 
for  to  conquer,'  implies  brilliancy,  glory,  victory,  but  it  con- 
veys at  the  same  time  a  tangible  meaning.  Let  us  now  see 
whether  the  same  meaning  is  appropriate  in  other  passages  : 

i.  23,  II.  ^ayatam-iva  tanyatuA  mariitam  eti  dhrish?zu-ya 
yat  5ubham  yathana  narah. 

The  thundering  voice  of  the  Maruts  comes  fiercely,  like 
that  of  conquerors,  when  you  go  to  conquer,  O  men  ! 

Sayawa :  ^  When  you  go  to  the  brilliant  place  of  sacrifice.' 
Wilson:  'When  you  accept  the  auspicious  (offering).' 
Benfey ;   '  Wenn  ihr  euren   Schmuck  nehmt.' 

V.  57,  2.  yathana  5ubham,  you  go  to  conquer.    Cf  v.  ^^,  1. 

SaysLTia. :   *  For  the  sake  of  water,  or,  in  a  chariot.' 


MAN  D  Ah  A   I,    Sl&KTA    87.  147 

V.  52,  8.  sardha^  marutam  ut  5a?wsa — uta  sma  te  5ubhe 
nara/^  pra  syandraZf  yu^ata  tmana. 

Praise  the  host  of  the  Maruts,  and  they,  the  men,  the 
quickly  moving,  will  harness  by  themselves  (the  chariots) 
for  conquest. 

Skjana:   *  For  the  sake  of  water.'    Cf.  x.  105,  3. 

^*  57}  3-  -^ubhe  yat  ugra/i  prishatiA  ayugdhvam. 

When  you  have  harnessed  the  deer  for  conquest. 

Saya^za  :   '  For  the  sake  of  water.' 

v.  6^,  5.  ratham  yuii^ate  maruta/i  subhe  su-kham  surah 
na — go-ish/ishu. 

The  Maruts  harness  the  chariot  meet  for  conquest,  like 
a  hero  in  battles. 

Sayawa  :   '  For  the  sake  of  water.' 

i.  88,  2.  subhe  kam  yanti — asvai/^. 

The  Maruts  go  on  their  horses  towards  conquest. 

Saya??a  :  '  In  order  to  brighten  the  worshipper,  or,  for 
the  sake  of  water.' 

i.  119,  3.  sam  yat  mitha/^  paspridhanasa/t  agmata  5ubhe 
makha^  amita^  ^ayava/«  rane. 

When  striving  with  each  other  they  came  together,  for 
the  sake  of  glory,  the  brisk  (Maruts),  immeasurable  (in 
strength),  panting  for  victory  in  the  fight. 

Saya?za  :   '  For  the  sake  of  brilliant  wealth.' 

vii.  82,  5.   marut-bhi/i  ugra^  ^ubham  any  ah  lyate. 

The  other,  the  fearful  (Indra),  goes  with  the  Maruts  to  glory. 

Sajana  :   '  He  takes  brilliant  decoration/ 

iii.  26,  4.  5ubhe  —  pnshati^  ayukshata. 

They  had  harnessed  the  deer  for  victory. 

Saya^a :  '  They  had  harnessed  in  the  water  the  deer 
together  (with  the  fires).' 

i.  167,  6.  a  asthapajanta  yuvatim  yuvana^  5ubhe  ni- 
mii-lam. 

The  Maruts,  the  youths,  placed  the  maid  (lightning 
on  their  chariot),  their  companion  for  victory,  (^ubhe 
nimi^lam). 

Saya?^a :  '  For  the  sake  of  water,  or,  on  the  brilliant 
chariot.'    Cf.  i.  127,  6;    165,  i. 

vi.  62,  4.  5ubham  priksham  isham  ur^am  vahanta. 

The  A^vins  bringing  glory,  wealth,  drink,  and  food. 

L  2 


148  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

\dii.  26,  13.   5ubhe  ^akrate,  you  bring  him  to  glory, 
^ubham-yavan   is    an    epithet    of  the   Maruts,   i.  89,  7  ; 
V.  61,  13.      Cf.  5ubhra-yavana,  viii.  i6,  19  (Asvinau). 
/S'ubham-ya,  of  the  wind,  iv.  3,  6. 
/S'ubham-yu,  of  the  rays  of  the  dawn,  x.  78,  7. 

Verse  4,  note  ^  Saya/^a  :  '  With  spotted  deer  for  their 
horses/    See  i.  2)1 ,  ^>  ^ote  \  page  59. 

Verse  4^  note  ^.  Aya  is  a  word  of  very  rare  occurrence 
in  the  Rig-veda.  It  is  the  instrum.  sing,  of  the  feminine 
pronominal  base  a  or  i,  and  as  a  pronoun  followed  by  a 
noun  it  is  frequently  to  be  met  with;  v.  45,  11.  aya  dhiya, 
&c.  But  in  our  verse  it  is  irregular  in  form  as  not  entering 
into  Sandhi  with  i5ana/^.  This  irregularity,  however,  which 
might  have  led  us  to  suppose  an  original  aya'i^,  indefatigable, 
corresponding  with  the  following  asi,  is  vouched  for  by  the 
Pada  text^  in  such  matters  a  better  authority  than  the  San- 
hita  text,  and  certainly  in  this  case  fully  borne  out  by  the 
Prati^akhya,  i.  163,  10.  We  must  therefore  take  aya  as 
an  adverb,  in  the  sense  of  thus  or  hence.  In  some  passages 
where  aya  seems  thus  to  be  used  as  an  adverb,  it  would  be 
better  to  supply  a  noun  from  the  preceding  verse.  Thus  in 
ii.  6,  2,  aya  refers  to  samidham  in  ii.  6,  i.  In  vi.  17,  15,  a 
similar  noun,  samidlia  or  gira,  should  be  supplied.  But 
there  are  other  passages  where,  unless  we  suppose  that  the 
verse  was  meant  to  illustrate  a  ceremonial  act,  such  as  the 
placing  of  a  samidh,  and  that  aya  pointed  to  it,  we  must 
take  it  as  a  simple  adverb,  like  the  Greek  rw :  Rv.  iii. 
12,  2;  ix.  53,  2;  106,  14.  In  X.  ti6,  9,  the  Pada  reads 
aya^-iva,  not  aya,  as  given  by  Roth ;  in  vi.  66,  4,  aya  nil, 
the  accent  is  likewise  on  the  first. 

Verse  4,  note  ^.  JRi?za-yavan  is  well  explained  by  B.  and 
R.  as  going  after  debt,  searching  out  sin.  Saya?za,  though 
he  explains  ?^i^a-yavan  by  removing  sin,  derives  it  neverthe- 
less correctly  from  ri/ia  and  ya,  and  not  from  yu.  The 
same  formation  is  found  in  ^ubham-yavan,  &c. ;  and  as 
there  is  riwa-ya  besides  n?za-yavan,  so  we  find  5ubham-ya 
besides  5ubham-yavan. 


MANDAJuA   I,    SUKTA    87.  149 

Verse  5,  note  ^.  The  Soma-juice  inspires  the  poet  with 
eloquence. 

Verse  5,  note  ^.  *Sami  occurs  again  in  ii.  31,  6;  iii.  ^5, 
3  ;  viii.  45,  27;  X.  40,  i.  In  our  passage  it  must  be  taken 
as  a  locative  of  5am,  meaning  work,  but  with  special  refer- 
ence to  the  toil  of  the  battle-field.  It  is  used  in  the  same 
sense  in 

viii.  45,  27.   vi  ana^  turva/ze  sami. 

He  (Indra)  was  able  to  overcome  in  battle,  lit.  he  reached 
to,  or  he  an-ived  at  the  overcoming  or  the  victory  in  battle. 

But,  like  other  words  which  have  the  general  meaning  of 
working  or  toiling,  ^am  is  likewise  used  in  the  sense  of 
sacrifice.      This  meaning  seems  more  applicable  in 

X.  40^  I.  vasto^-vasto^  vahamanam  dhiya  5ami. 

Your  chariot,  O  Asvins,  which  through  prayer  comes 
every  morning  to  the  sacrifice. 

ii.  31,  6.   apam  napat  a^u-hema  dhiya  sami. 

Apam  napat  (Agni)  who  through  pray,er  comes  quickly 
to  the  sacrifice. 

In  these  two  passages  one  feels  inclined,  with  a  slight 
alteration  of  the  accent,  to  read  dhiya-^ami  as  one  word. 
Dhiya-5am  would  mean  the  sacrificer  who  is  engaged  in 
prayer;  cf.  dhiya-^dr,  v.  43,  15.     Thus  we  read: 

vi.  2,  4.   ya^  te  su-danave  dhiya  martaA  ;?a5amate. 

The  mortal  who  toils  for  thee,  the  liberal  god,  with 
prayer. 

There  is  no  necessity,  however,  for  such  a  change,  and 
the  authority  of  the  MSS.  is  certainly  against  it. 

In  iii.  55,  3,  sami  is  an  ace.  plur.  neut. : 

5ami  akkha  didye  purvyam. 

I  glance  back  at  the  former  sacrifices.    See  B.  R.  s.v.  di. 

From  the  same  root  we  have  the  feminine  sami,  meaning 
work^  sacrificial  work,  but,  as  far  as  we  can  see,  not  simply 
sacrifice.  Thus  the  jRibhus  and  others  are  said  to  have 
acquired  immortality  by  their  work  or  works,  sami  or 
samihhih,  i.  20,  2;  no,  4;  iii.  60,  3;  iv.  ^^,  4.  Cf.  iv. 
22,  8;  17,  18;  v.  42,  10;  77,  4;  vi.  52,  i;  viii.  75,  14; 
ix.  74,  7  ;  X.  28,  12.      In  vi.  3,  2,  we  read: 

ige  ya^fiebhi^  ^a^ame  ^amibhi^. 


150  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

I  have  sacrificed  with  sacrifices,  I  have  worked  with 
pious  works. 

Here  the  verb  ^am  must  be  taken  in  the  sense  of 
working,  or  performing  ceremonial  worship,  while  in  other 
places  (iii.  29,  16 ;  v.  2,  7)  it  takes  the  more  special  sense 
of  singing  songs  of  praise.  The  Greek  KajjL-vod,  to  work,  to 
labour,  to  tire  (Sanskrit  ^amyati),  the  Greek  koiuiSi^  and 
Kojj.l'^w,  to  labour  for  or  take  care  of  a  person,  and  possibly 
even  the  Greek  kw/ulo^,  a  song  or  a  festival  (not  a  village 
song),  may  all  find  their  explanation  in  the  Sanskrit  root 
5am. 

The  idea  that  the  Maruts  did  not  originally  enjoy  divine 
honours  will  occur  again  and  again:  cf.  i.  6,  4;  72,  3. 
A  similar  expression  is  used  of  the  i^ibhus,  i.  20,  8,  &c. 
Ya^niya,  properly  *  worthy  of  sacrifice,^  has  the  meaning 
of  divine  or  sacred.  The  Greek  ay  tog  has  been  compared 
with  ya^ya,  sacrificio  colendus,  not  a  Vedic  word. 

Verse  6,  note  \  ^'riyase  kam  seems  to  be  the  same  as  the 
more  frequent  ^riye  kam.  /Sriyase  only  occurs  twice  more, 
V.  59,  3.  The  chief  irregularity  consists  in  the  absence  of 
Guwa,  which  is  provided  for  by  Pamni^s  kasen  (iii.  4,  9). 
Similar  infinitives^  if  they  may  so  be  called,  are  bhiyase, 
V.  29,  4 ;  vridhase,  v.  64,  5  ;  dhruvase,  vii.  70,  i  ;  tu^ase, 
iv.  23,  7;  n%ase,  viii.  4,  17;  vri%ase,  viii.  76,  i ;  ?'iHse, 
vii.  61,  6.  In  vi.  39,  5,  riHse  may  be  a  dat.  sing,  of  the 
masculine,  to  the  praiser. 

Verse  6,  note  ^.  Mimikshire  from  myaksh,  to  be  united 
with.  Ra^mi,  rays,  after  bhanii,  splendour,  may  seem 
weak,  but  it  is  impossible  to  assign  to  ra^mi  any  other 
meaning,  such  as  reins,  or  strings  of  a  musical  instru- 
ment. In  v.  79,  8,  ra^mi  is  used  in  juxta-position  with 
arX:i. 

Verse  6,  note  ^.  The  bearing  of  this  concluding  verse  is 
not  quite  clear,  unless  we  take  it  as  a  continuation  of  the 
preceding  verse.  It  was  there  said  that  the  Maruts  (the 
nkva/^aA)  obtained  their  sacrificial  honours,  after  having 
joined  Indra  in  his  work.      Having  thus  obtained  a  place 


M  AND  ALA   I,    SUKTA   87.  151 


in  the  sacrifice,  they  may  be  said  to  have  won  at  the  same 
time  splendour  and  worshippers  to  sing  their  praises,  and 
to  have  estabHshed  themselves  in  what  became  afterwards 
known  as  their  own  abode,  their  own  place  among  the  gods 
who  are  invoked  at  the  sacrifice. 

The  metre  requires  that  we  should  read  dhamana^. 

Benfey  translates :  '  Gedeih^n  zu  spenden  wolPn  die  schon- 
geschmiicketen  mit  Lichtern,  Strahlen  mit  Lobsangern 
regenen ;  die  briillenden,  furchtlosen  stiirmischen,  sie  sind 
bekannt  als   Glieder  des  geliebten  Marutstamms.^ 

Wilson :  '  Combining  with  the  solar  rays,  they  have 
willingly  poured  down  (rain)  for  the  welfare  (of  mankind), 
and,  hymned  by  the  priests,  have  been  pleased  partakers 
of  the  (sacrificial  food).  Addressed  with  praises,  moving 
swiftly,  and  exempt  from  fear,  they  have  become  possessed 
of  a  station  agreeable  and  suitable  to  the  Maruts/ 


152  HYMNS   TO   THE   MAR  UTS. 


Man  DAI.  A  I,  SuKTA  88. 
AsHTAKA  I,  AdhyIya  6,  Vakga  14. 

1.  A  vidyunmat-bhi72.  mariita^  su-arkai/i  ratheblii/^ 
yata  7nslidmat-bliiA  *  asva-parnai/?.,  K  varshish^/?aya 
na^  isha  vaya/^  na  paptata  su-maya^. 


2.  Te  m^unebhih  varam  a  pisangaiA  sublie  kam 
yanti  ratbatti/i-bhiA  asvai/^,  rukma/i'  na  kiirsihf  sva- 
dhiti-van  pavyai  rathasya  ^anghananta  bliuma. 


3.  Srije  kam  vsJi  adhi  taMsliu  v^si/^  medha| 
vana  na  kriiiavante  tlrdhv^i^,  yuslimabliyam  kam 
marnta/i/  su-^ataA  tuvi-dyumna^sa/i  dhanayante 
adrim. 

4.  AMni  gridhraA  pdri  ai  va^  ^  agu/z.  imam  dhiyam 
vdrkaryam  Jen  devim,  brahma  kri?ivantaA  gotamasa^ 
arkai^  tirdhvam  nunudre  utsa-dhim  pibadhyai. 

5.  Etat  tyat  na  yo^anam  a^eti  sasva/i  ha  yat 
marutaA  gotama/^.  va/?,  pasyan  hiraiiya-^akran  aya^- 
dawish^rdn  vi-dhavata/^  varahun. 

6.  Esh^  sya  va/i  marnta^  anu-bhartri  prati  sto- 
bhati  v^ghataA  na  Y^ni,  astobhayat  vritha  4sam  anu 
svadham  gabhastyo/^.. 

*  rish^i-manta/t?  f  hitrsih  esliam?  J  medhaA 


MANDALA   I,    SUKTA    88.  153 


Hymn  to  the  Maruts  (the  Storm-gods). 

1.  Come  hither,  Maruts,  on  your  chariots  charged 
with  lightning,  resounding  with  beautiful  songs,^ 
stored  with  spears,  and  winged  with  horses !  Fly^ 
to  us  like  birds,  with  your  best  food,^  you  mighty 
ones ! 

2.  They  come  gloriously  on  their  red,  or,  it  may 
be,  on  their  tawny  horses  which  hasten  their  chariots. 
He  who  holds  the  axe^  is  brilliant  like  gold;-- - 
with  the  felly  ^  of  the  chariot  they  have  struck  the 
earth. 

3.  On  your  bodies  there  are  daggers  for  beauty; 
may  they  stir  up  our  minds  ^  as  they  stir  up  the  forests. 
For  your  sake,  0  well-born  Maruts,  you  who  are 
full  of  vigour,  they  (the  priests)  have  shaken^  the 
stone  (for  distiUing  Soma) . 

4.  Days  went  roimd  you  and  came  back,^  0  hawks, 
back  to  this  prayer,  and  to  this  sacred  rite ;  the 
Gotamas  making  prayer  with  songs,  have  pushed  up 
the  lid  of  the  well  (the  cloud)  for  to  drink. 

5 .  No  such  hymn  ^  was  ever  known  as  this  which 
Gotama  sounded  for  you,  0  Maruts,  when  he  saw  you 
on  golden  wheels,  wild  boars  ^  rushing  about  with 
iron  tusks. 

6 .  This  refreshing  draught  of  Soma  rushes  towards 
you,  like  the  voice  of  a  suppliant :  it  rushes  freely 
from  our  hands  as  these  libations  are  wont  to  do. 


154  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 


COMMENTARY. 


This  hymn  is  ascribed  to  Gotama,  the  son  of  Rahuga?za. 
The  metre  varies.  Verses  i  and  6  are  put  down  as 
Prastara-pankti,  i.  e.  as  12  -f  12  +  8  +  8.  By  merely  count- 
ing the  syllables,  and  dissolving  semivowels,  it  is  just 
possible  to  get  twenty-four  syllables  in  the  first  line  of 
verses   i   and  6.      The  old  metricians   must   have   scanned 


verse  i : 

—         —  \^      — 


a  vidyunmat-bhi^  marutaA  su-arkaiA 
rathebhiA  yata^rish^imat-bhi^  a5va-par?iaiA. 

Again  verse  6 :  esha  sya  va^  maruta^  anu-bhartri 

prati  stobhati  vaghata/i  na  vam. 

But  the  general  character  of  these  lines  shows  that  they 
were  intended  for  hendecasyllabics,  each  ending  in  a 
bacchius,  though  even  then  they  are  not  free  from  irregu- 
larities.     The  first  verse  would  scan  : 

a  vidyunmat-bhi^  maruta^  su-arkai^ 
rathebhi^  yata'^rish^imat-(bhiA)  asva-parwai^. 

-k  —  w  —  —  \^w  \>f  —  — 

And  verse  6  :    esha  sya  vaA  maruta^'^anu-bhartri 

prati  stobhati  vaghataA  na  vam. 

Our  only  difficulty  would  be  the  termination  bhiA  of  Hsh^i- 
mat-bhi/i.  I  cannot  adopt  Professor  Kuhn^s  suggestion  to 
drop  the  Yisarga  of  bhi^  and  change  i  into  y  (Beitrage, 
vol.  iv.  p.  198),  for  this  would  be  a  Hcense  without  any 
parallel.  It  is  different  wdth  sa^,  originally  sa,  or  with 
feminines    in    ih,    where    parallel    forms    in   1    are    intelli- 

gible.      The  simplest  correction  would  be  to  read  rathebhi^ 

yata'~^Hshri-manta^'^a5va-parwai^.  One  might  urge  in  sup- 
port of  this  reading  that  in  all  other  passages  where  rish/imat 
occurs,  it  refers  to  the  Maruts  themselves,  and  never  to  their 
chariots.  Yet  the  difficulty  remains,  how  could  so  simple 
a  reading  have  been  replaced  by  a  more  difficult  one  ? 

In   the  two   Gayatri   padas   which  follow  I  feel  equally 
reluctant  to  alter.      I   therefore   scan 


KJ         \^ 


a  varshish^^aya  na^  isha  vayaA  na  paptata  su-maya^, 
taking  the  dactyl  of  paptata  as  representing  a  spondee,  and 


MAiVi)ALA   I,    SUKTA   88.  155 

admitting  the  exceptional  bacchius  instead  of  the  amphimacer 
at  the  end  of  the  Hne. 

The  last  Une  of  verse  6  should  be  scanned : 

astobhayat  vritha'^asam  anu  svadham  gabhastyoA. 

There  are  two  other  verses  in  this  hymn  where  the  metre 
is  difficult.  In  the  last  pada  of  verse  5  we  have  seven 
syllables  instead  of  eleven.  Again,  I  say,  it  would  be  most 
easy  to  insert  one  of  the  many  tetrasyllable  epithets  of  the 
Maruts.  But  this  would  have  been  equally  easy  for  the 
collectors  of  the  Veda.  Now  the  authors  of  the  Anukra- 
mams  distinctly  state  that  this  fifth  verse  is  virac?rupa,  i.  e. 
that  one  of  its  padas  consists  of  eight  syllables.  How 
they  would  have  made  eight  syllables  out  of  vi-dhavata^ 
varahun  does  not  appear,  but  at  all  events  they  knew  that 
last  pada  to  be  imperfect.      The  rhythm  does  not  suffer  by 

this  omission,  as  long  as  we  scan  vi-dhavata/i  varahun. 

Lastly,  there  is  the  third  pada  of  the  second  verse, 
rukmaA  na  kitrsih  svadhiti-van.  It  would  not  be  possible 
to  get  eleven  syllables  out  of  this,  unless  we  admitted  vyuha 

not  only  in  svadhitivan  or  svadhiti-van,  but  also*  in  k'ltrah. 
Nothing  would  be  easier  than  to  insert  esham  after  ^itra^, 
but  the  question  occurs  again,  how  could  esham  be  lost, 
or  why,  if  by  some  accident  it  had  been  lost,  was  not  so 
obvious  a  correction  made  by  /Saunaka  and  Katyayana? 

Verse  1,  note  ^.  Alluding  to  the  music  of  the  Maruts, 
and  not  to  the  splendour  of  the  lightning  which  is  men- 
tioned before.  See  Wolf,  Beitrage  zur  Deutschen  Mytho- 
logie,  vol.  ii.  p.  137.  'Das  Ross  und  den  Wagen  des 
Gottes  begleitet  munterer  Hornerschall,  entweder  stosst  er 
selbst  ins  Horn,  oder  sein  Gefolge.  Oft  vernimmt  man  auch 
eine  liebliche  Musik,  der  keine  auf  Erden  gleich  kommt 
(Miillenhof,  582).  Das  wird  das  Pfeifen  und  Heulen  des 
Sturmes  sein,  nur  in  idealisirter  Art.^    Ibid.  p.  158. 

Verse  1,  note  ^.  Varshish/^a,  which  is  generally  ex- 
plained as  the  superlative  of  vriddha,  old,  (Pan.  vi.  4,  157,) 
has  in  most  passages  of  the  Rig-veda  the  more  general 
meaning  of  strong  or  excellent :  vi,  47,  9.  isham  a  vakshi 
isham  varshish^^am ;   iii.    13,    7    (vasu) ;    iii.   2,6 ,  8   (ratna) ; 


156  HYMNS   TO   THE    MARUTS. 

iii.  i6,  3  (rai) ;  iv.  31,  15;  viii.  46,  24  (siavah);  iv.  22,  9 
(nrim?za);  v.  67,  i  (kshatra);  vi.  45,  31  (murdhan).  In 
some  passages,  however,  it  may  be  taken  in  the  sense  of 
oldest  (i.  37,  6 ;  v.  7,  i),  though  by  no  means  necessarily. 
Varshish/Aa  is  derived  in  reality  from  vnshan,  in  the  sense 
of  strong,  excellent.     See  note  to  i.  85,  12,  page  126. 

Verse  1,  note  ^.  Paptata,  the  second  person  plural  of  the 
Ltet  of  the  reduplicated  base  of  pat.  It  is  curiously  like 
the  Greek  irLirrere,  but  it  has  the  meaning  of  flying  rather 
than  falling  :  see  Curtius,  Grundzlige,  p.  190.  Two  other 
forms  formed  on  the  same  principle  occur  in  the  Rig-veda, 
papta^  and  paptan  : 

ii.  31,  1.   pra  yat  vayaA  na  paptan. 

That  they  may  fly  to  us  like  birds. 

vi.  6'^,  6.  pra  vam  vaya/< — anu  paptan. 

May  your  birds  fly  after  you. 

X.  95,  15.   pururavaA  ma  m/'ithaA  ma  pra  paptaA. 

Pururavas,  do  not  die,  do  not  fly  away  ! 

Verse  2,  note  ^.  Though  svadhiti-van  does  not  occur 
again,  it  can  only  mean  he  who  holds  the  axe,  or,  it  may 
be  the  sword  or  the  thunderbolt,  the  latter  particularly,  if 
Indra  is  here  intended.      Svadhiti  signifies  axe  : 

iii.  2,  10.   sva-dhitim  na  tegase. 

They  adorned  j^gni  like  an  axe  to  shine  or  to  cut. 

The  svadhiti  is  used  by  the  butcher,  i.  162,  9;  18;  20; 
and  by  the  wood-cutter  or  carpenter,  iii.  8,  6  ;  11;  x.  89, 
7,  &c.  In  V.  32,  10,  a  devi  svadhiti^  is  mentioned,  possibly 
the  lightning,  the  companion  of  Indra  and  the  Maruts. 

Verse  2,  note  ^.  The  felly  of  the  chariot  of  the  Maruts 
is  frequently  mentioned.  It  w^as  considered  not  only  as 
an  essential  part  of  their  chariot,  but  likewise  as  useful  for 
crushing  the  enemy  : 

v.  52,  9.  uta  pavya  rathanam  adrim  bhindanti  o^asa. 

They  cut  the  mountain  (cloud)  with  the  felly  of  their 
chariot. 

i.  1665  10.  pavishu  kshura'A  adhi. 

On  their  fellies  are  sharp  edges. 


MAiVZ)ALA   I,    s6ktA   88.  157 

In  V.  31,  5,  fellies  are  mentioned  without  horses  and 
chariot,  which  were  turned  by  Indra  against  the  Dasyus, 
(i.  64,  II.)  I  doubt,  however,  whether  in  India  or  else- 
where the  fellies  or  the  wheels  of  chariots  were  ever  used 
as  weapons  of  attack,  as  detached  from  the  chariot ;  (see 
M.  M.,  On  Pavirava,  in  Beitrage  zur  vergleichenden  Sprach- 
forschung,  vol.  iii.  p.  447.)  If  we  translate  the  figurative 
language  of  the  Yedic  poets  into  matter-of-fact  terms,  the 
fellies  of  the  chariots  of  the  Maruts  may  be  rendered  by 
thunderbolts  ;  yet  by  the  poets  of  the  Veda,  as  by  the  ancient 
people  of  Germany,  thunder  was  really  supposed  to  be 
the  noise  of  the  chariot  of  a  god,  and  it  was  but  a  con- 
tinuation of  the  same  belief  that  the  sharp  wheels  of  that 
chariot  were  supposed  to  cut  and  crush  the  clouds;  (see 
M.  M.,  loc.  cit.  p.  444.) 

Verse  3,  note  ^.  That  the  va^is  are  small  weapons,  knives 
or  daggers,  we  saw  before,  p.  59.  Saya?2a  here  explains  va^i 
by  a  weapon  commonly  called  ara,  or  an  awl.  In  x.  10 1,  10, 
va^is  are  mentioned,  made  of  stone,  a^man-mayi. 

The  difficulty  begins  with  the  second  half  Medha,  as 
here  written  in  the  Pada  text,  could  only  be  a  plural  of  a 
neuter  medham,  but  such  a  neuter  does  nowhere  exist  in 
the  Veda.  We  only  find  the  masculine  medha,  sacrifice, 
which  is  out  of  the  question  here,  on  account  of  its  accent. 
Hence  the  passage  iii.  58,  2,  urdhvaA  bhavanti  pitara-iva 
medha^,  is  of  no  assistance,  unless  we  alter  the  accent. 
The  feminine  medha  means  will,  thought,  prayer:  i.  18,  6; 
ii-  34,  7;  iv.  ^^,  10;  V.  27,  4;  42,  13;  vii.  104,  6;  viii. 
6,10;  52,9;  ix.  9,  9;  26,3;  32,6;  65,16;  107,25; 
x.  91,  8.  The  construction  does  not  allow  us  to  take 
medha  as  a  Vedic  instrumental  instead  of  medhaya,  nor 
does  such  a  form  occur  anywhere  else  in  the  Rig-veda. 
Nothing  remains,  I  believe,  than  to  have  recourse  to  con- 
jecture, and  the  addition  of  a  single  Visarga  in  the  Pada 
would  remove  all  difficulty.  In  the  next  line,  if  tuvi-dyum- 
nasa^  be  the  subject,  it  would  signify  the  priests.  This, 
however,  is  again  without  any  warrant  from  the  Rig-veda, 
where  tuvi-dyumna  is  always  used  as  an  epithet  of  gods. 
I    therefore    take    it    as    referring    to    the    Maruts,    as    an 


158  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

adjective  in  the  nominative,  following  the  vocatives  maruta/i 
su-^ata^.  The  conception  that  the  Maruts  stir  up  the 
forests  is  not  of  unfrequent  occurrence  in  the  Rig-veda : 
cf.  i.  171,  3  :  V.  59,  6.  That  urdhva  is  used  of  the  mind, 
in  the  sense  of  roused,  may  be  seen  in  i.  119,  2;  134,  i; 
144,  I ;  vii.  64,  4.  The  idea  in  the  poet^s  mind  seems  to 
have  been  that  the  thunderbolts  of  the  Maruts  rouse  up 
men  to  prayer  as  they  stir  the  tops  of  the  forest  trees. 

Verse  S,  note  ^.   On    dhan    in    the    sense    of  to    agitate, 
see  B.  and  R.  s.  v. 

Verse  4,  note  \  The  first  question  is,  which  is  the 
subject,  ahani  or  gridhra^  ?  If  gridhra^  were  the  subject, 
then  we  should  have  to  translate  it  by  the  eager  poets, 
and  take  ahani  in  the  sense  of  vi^va  ahani.  The  sense 
then  might  be :  '  Day  by  day  did  the  eager  poets  sing 
around  you  this  prayer/  There  would  be  several  objec- 
tions, however,  to  this  rendering.  First,  gridhra/i  never 
occurs  again  as  signifying  poets  or  priests.  One  pas- 
sage only  could  be  quoted  in  support,  ix.  97,  ^y,  kavayaA 
na  gridhra/i  (not  gridhra^),  like  greedy  poets.  But  even 
here,  if  this  translation  is  right,  the  adjective  is  explained 
by  kavi,  and  does  not  stand  by  itself.  Secondly,  ahani 
by  itself  is  never  used  adverbially  in  the  sense  of  day  after 
day.  The  only  similar  passage  that  might  be  quoted  is 
iii.  34,  10,  and  that  is  very  doubtful.  To  take  ahani  as  a 
totally  different  word,  viz.  as  a  +  hani,  without  ceasing, 
without  wearying,  would  be  too  bold  in  the  present  state 
of  Vedic  interpretation.  If  then  we  take  ahani  as  the 
subject,  g?'idhra^  would  have  to  be  taken  as  a  vocative, 
and  intended  for  the  Maruts.  Now,  it  is  perfectly  true, 
that  by  itself  gridhra,  hawk,  does  not  occur  again  as  a 
name  of  the  Maruts,  but  ^yena,  hawk,  and  particularly  a 
strong  hawk  (ix.  96,  6),  is  not  only  a  common  simile  applied 
to  the  Maruts,  but  is  actually  used  as  one  of  their  names  : 

vii.  ^6,  3.   abhi  sva-pubhi^  mitha/i  vapanta  vata-svanasa/? 
syensih  asp?'idhran. 

They  plucked  each  other  with  their  beaks  (?),  the  hawks, 
rushing  like  the  wind,  strove  together. 


M  AND  ALA   I,    SUKTA    88.  159 

Agu^    might   be    the    aorist    of  gai,   to    sing,    or  of  ga, 
to  go  : 

i.  174,  8.   Sana  ta  te  indra  navya^  a  agu^. 

New  poets,  O  Indra,  sang  these  thy  old  deeds. 

iii.  ^6,  2.   gava^  a  agu^. 

The  cows  approached. 

If  then  the  sense  of  the  first  hne  is,  '  Days  went  and 
came  back  to  you,'  the  next  question  is  whether  we  are 
to  extend  the  construction  to  the  next  words,  imam  dhiyam 
varkaryam  ka  devim,  or  whether  these  words  are  to  be 
joined  to  kri^zvantaA,  hke  brahma.  The  meaning  of 
varkarya  is,  of  course,  unknown.  Sayawa's  interpretation 
as  '  what  is  to  be  made  by  means  of  water'  is  merely 
etymological,  and  does  not  help  us  much.  It  is  true  that 
the  object  of  the  hymn,  which  is  addressed  to  the  Maruts, 
is  rain,  and  that  literally  varkarya  might  be  explained  as 
*that  the  effect  of  which  is  rain.'  But  this  is  far  too 
artificial  a  word  for  Vedic  poets.  Possibly  there  was  some 
other  word  that  had  become  unintelligible  and  which,  by 
a  slight  change,  was  turned  into  varkarya,  in  order  to 
give  the  meaning  of  rain-producing.  It  might  have  been 
A:arkarya,  glorious,  or  the  song  of  a  poet  called  Varkara, 
The  most  likely  supposition  is  that  varkarya  was  the  name 
given  to  some  famous  hymn,  some  paean  or  song  of  triumph 
belonging  to  the  Gotamas,  possibly  to  some  verses  of  the 
very  hymn  before  us.  In  this  case  the  epithet  devi  would 
be  quite  appropriate,  for  it  is  frequently  used  for  a  sacred 
or  sacrificial  song:  iv.  43,  i.  devim  su-stutim ;  iii.  18,  3. 
imam  dhiyam  ^ata-seyaya  devim.  See,  however,  the  note 
to  verse  6. 

The  purport  of  the  whole  line  would  then  be  that  many 
days  have  gone  for  the  Maruts  as  well  as  for  the  famous 
hymn  once  addressed  to  them  by  Gotama,  or,  in  other 
words,  that  the  Gotamas  have  long  been  devoted  to  the 
Maruts,  an  idea  frequently  recurring  in  the  hymns  of  the 
Veda,  and,  in  our  case,  carried  on  in  the  next  verse,  where 
it  is  said  that  the  present  hymn  is  like  one  that  Gotama 
composed  when  he  saw  the  Maruts  or  spoke  of  them  as 
wild  boars  with  iron  tusks.  The  pushing  up  the  lid  of  the 
well  for  to  drink,  means  that  they  obtained  rain  from  the 


160  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

cloud,  which  is  here,   as  before,   represented  as  a  covered 
well. 

See  another  explanation  in  Haug,  Uber  die  urspriingliche 
Bedeutung  des  Wortes  Brahma,  1868,  p.  5. 

Verse  5,  note  ^.   Yo^ana  commonly  means  a  chariot : 

vi.  62,  6.   are?zu-bhi^  yo^anebhiA  bhu^anta. 

You  who  possess  dustless  chariots. 

viii.  72,  6.   a^va-vat  yo^anam  brihat. 

The  great  chariot  with  horses. 

It  then  became  the  name  for  a  distance  to  be  accom- 
plished without  unharnessing  the  horses,  just  as  the  Latin 
jugum^  a  yoke,  then  a  juger  of  land,  '  quod  uno  jugo  boum 
uno  die  exarari  posset/  Pliny  xviii.  3,  3,  9. 

In  our  passage,  however,  yo^ana  means  a  hymn,  lit.  a 
composition,  w  hich  is  clearly  its  meaning  in 

viii.  90,  3.  brahma  te  indra  girva?^a^  kriyante  anatid- 
bhuta,  ima  ^ushasva  hari-a^va  yo^ana  indra  ya  te 
amanmahi. 

Unequalled  prayers  are  made  for  thee,  praiseworthy 
Indra ;  accept  these  hymns  which  we  have  devised  for 
thee,   O  Indra  with  bright  horses  ! 

Verse  5,  note  ^.  Varahu  has  here  the  same  meaning  as 
varaha,  wild  boar,  (viii.  77,  10;  x.  28,  4.)  It  occurs  once 
more,  i.  121,  11,  as  applied  to  Vritra,  who  is  also  called 
varaha,  i.  61,  7  ;  x.  99,  6.  In  x.  67,  7,  vrisha-bhi/i  varahai/f 
(with  the  accent  on  the  penultimate)  is  intended  for  the 
Maruts*.  Except  in  this  passage,  varaha  has  the  accent  on 
the  last  syllable :  ix.  97,  7,  varaha  is  applied  to  Soma. 

Verse  6.  This  last  verse  is  almost  unintelligible  to  me. 
I  give,  however,  the  various  attempts  that  have  been  made 
to  explain  it. 

Wilson  :  *  This  is  that  praise,  Maruts,  which,  suited  (to 
your  merits),  glorifies  every  one  of  you.     The  speech  of  the 


*  See  Genthe,  Die  Windgottlieiten,  1861,  p.  14;  Grimm,  Deutsche  Mytho- 
logie,  p.  689.  Grimm  mentions  ehur'^rung  (boar-throng)  as  a  name  of  Orion, 
the  star  that  betokens  storm. 


MANDALA   I,    ST^KTA    88.    *  161 

priest  has  now  glorified  you,  without  difficulty,  with,  sacred 
verses,  since  (you  have  placed)  food  in  our  hands.^ 

Benfey :  *  Dies  Lied  —  Maruts! — das  hinter  euch  empor- 
strebt,  es  klingt  zuriick  gleich  eines  Beters  Stimme  Miihlos 
schuf  solche  Lieder  er,  entsprechend  eurer  Arme  Kraft. 
(Note :  Der  zum  Himmel  schallende  Lobgesang  findet 
seinen  Widerhall  (wirklich,  "  bebt  zuriick^^)  in  dem  Sturm- 
geheul  der  Maruts,  welches  mit  dem  Geheul  des  Betenden 
verglichen  wird.)^ 

Langlois  :  '  O  Marouts,  la  voix  qui  s'eleve  aujourd^hui 
vers  vous,  vous  chante  avec  non  moins  de  raison  que  celle 
qui  vous  celebra  (jadis).  Oui,  c^est  avec  justice  que  nous 
vous  exaltons  dans  ces  (vers),  tenant  en  nos  mains  les  mets 
sacres.^ 

My  own  translation  is  to  a  great  extent  conjectural. 
It  seems  to  me  from  verse  3,  that  the  poet  offers  both  a 
hymn  of  praise  and  a  libation  of  Soma.  Possibly  varkarya 
in  verse  4  might  be  taken  in  the  sense  of  Soma-juice,  and 
be  derived  from  valkala,  which  in  later  Sanskrit  means  the 
bark  of  trees.  In  that  case  verse  5  would  again  refer  to 
the  hymn  of  Gotama,  and  verse  6  to  the  libation  which  is 
to  accompany  it.  Anu-bhartri  does  not  occur  again,  but 
it  can  only  mean  what  supports  or  refreshes,  and  therefore 
would  be  applicable  to  a  libation  of  Soma  which  supports 
the  gods.  The  verb  stobhati  would  well  express  the  rushing 
sound  of  the  Soma,  as  in  i.  168,  8,  it  expresses  the  rushing 
noise  of  the  waters  against  the  fellies  of  the  chariots.  The 
next  line  adds  little  beyond  stating  that  this  libation  of 
Soma  rushes  forth  freely  from  the  hands,  the  gabhastis 
being  specially  mentioned  in  other  passages  where  the 
crushing  of  the   Soma-plant  is  described  : 

ix.  71,  3.   adri-bhiA  sutaA  pavate  gabhastyoA. 

The  Soma  squeezed  by  the  stones  runs  from  the  hands. 

On  svadha  see  p.  19. 


VOL.  I.  M 


162  'hymns  to  the  maruts. 

MandAI.A   I,    SUKTA  165. 

AsH^AKA  II,  Adhyaya  3,  Varga  24-26. 

IndraA. 

1.  Kdya  subh^  sd-vayasa/^  si-niWi  samanya  mam- 
isih  sd.m  mimikshu/i,  kiyi  mati'  kuiah  a-itasaA  ete 
dr^anti  STishmam  vrishana/i.  vasu-y^. 


Indra/^. 

2.  Kdsya  brdhmam  gngnshuh  yuvana/^  kih  adlivare 
mariita/i  a  vavarta,  5yenan-iva  dhr^gsitsJi  antd^rikshe 
kena  maha  mdnasa  riramama. 

MarutaA. 

3.  Kiita/^  tvdm  indra  mahina/i  san  ekaA  yasi  sat- 
pate  kim  te  ittha,  sam  i^i^ikkh^se  sam-ara/^a/i  5ubha- 
nai^  YoJceh  tdt  na/i-  hari-va/?.  yat  te  asme  (iti). 


1 .  Wilson  :  (ludra  speaks) :  With  what  auspicious  fortune 
have  the  Maruts,  who  are  of  one  age^  one  residence^  one 
dignity,  watered  (the  earth)  together :  with  what  intention : 
whence  have  they  come :  Showerers  of  rain^  they  venerate^ 
through  desire  of  wealth _,  the  energy  (that  is  generated  in  the 
world  by  rain)? 

Langlois  :  Quel  eclat  ces  Marouts  qui  parcourent^  qui 
habitent  ensemble  (les  espaces  de  Fair)  repandent  par  tout  (le 
monde) !  Que  veulent-ils  ?  d''oii  viennent-ils^,  genereux  et 
riches,  chercher  les  oifrandes  ? 

2.  Wilson  :  Of  whose  oblations  do  the  youthful  (Maruts) 
approve :   who  attracts  them  to  his  (own)  sacrifice  (from  the 


MAiVDALA    I,    SUKTA    165.  163 

Hymn  to  the  Maruts  and  Indra. 

The  Prologue. 
The  sacrificer  speaks  : 

1.  With  what  sjDlendour  are  the  Maruts  all  equally^ 
endowed,^  they  who  are  of  the  same  age,  and  dwell 
in  the  same  housed  With  what  thoughts'?  From 
whence  are  they  come  V  Do  these  heroes  sing  forth 
their  (own)  strength  *  because  they  wish  for  wealth  ? 

2.  Whose  prayers  have  the  youths  accepted  ?  Who 
has  turned  the  Maruts  to  his  own  sacrifice  ?  By 
what  strong  devotion^  may  we  delight  them,  they 
who  float  through  the  air  Uke  hawks  ? 

The  Dialogue. 
The  Maruts  speak  : 

3.  From  whence,^  0  Indra,  dost  thou  come  alone, 
thou  who  art  mighty  ?  O  lord  of  men,^  what  has 
thus  happened  to  thee  ?  Thou  greetest  (us)  ^  when 
thou  comest  together  with  (us),  the  bright  (Maruts).* 
Tell  us  then,  thou  with  thy  bay  horses,  what  thou 
hast  against  us ! 


rites  of  others) :  with  what  powerful  praise  may  we  propitiate 
(them),  wandering  like  kites  in  the  mid-air  ? 

Langlois:  Quel  est  celui  qui,  par  ses  hommages,  plait  a  ces 
jeunes  (divinites)  ?  qui,  par  son  sacrifice,  attire  les  Marouts? 
Par  quelle  priere  parviendrons-nous  a  retenir  ces  (dieux  qui) 
comme  des  eperviers,  parcourent  les  airs  ? 

3.  Wilson:  (The  Maruts):  Indra,  lord  of  the  good,  whither 
dost  thou,  who  art  entitled  to  honour,  proceed  alone :  what 
means  this  (absence  of  attendance):  when  followed  (by  us), 
thou  requirest  (what  is  right).  Lord  of  fleet  horses,  say  to  us, 
with  pleasant  words,  that  which  thou  (hast  to  say)  to  us. 

Langlois  :     (Les    Marouts    parlent) :    Indra,    maitre    des 

M  2 


164  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

IndraA. 

4.  Brdhmani  me  mataya/Z'  5am  sutasaA  silshma/i 
iyarti  prd-bhrita^  me  adriA,  a  sasate  prati  liaryanti 
ukth^  im^  h^ri  (iti)  valiataA  ta  naA  ^kkhsi. 


MaintsJi. 

5.  AtaA  vayam  antamebhi/i.  yu^^na'A  svd.-kshatre- 
hhih  tanva/^  sumbhamanaA  mahaA-bhi/i  etan  upa  j\ig~ 
mabe  nu  indra  svadh^m  anu  hi  na/i  babhtjltba. 

Indra/i. 

6.  Kva  syai  vaA  maruta/^  svadh^  asit  yat  m^m 
ekam  sam-adhatta  abi-hatye,  abdm  hi  ugrih  tavi- 
shd,/^  tuvishman  visvasya  satroA  anamam  vadha- 
snai^. 


hommes  pieux,  d^ou  viens-tu,  grand  et  unique?  Que  veux- 
tu?  Toi  qui  est  notre  compagnonj  tu  peux  nous  repondre 
avec  bonte.  O  dieu,  traine  par  des  coursiers  azures_,  dis-nous 
ce  que  tu  nous  veux. 

4.  Wilson  :  (Indra) :  Sacred  rites  are  mine :  (holy)  praises 
give  me  pleasure  ;  libations  are  for  me  :  my  vigorous  thunder- 
bolt^ hurled  (against  my  foes),  goes  (to  its  mark) :  me,  do  (pious 
worshippers)  propitiate :  hymns  are  addressed  to  me ;  these 
horses  bear  us  to  the  presence  (of  those  worshippers,  and 
worship). 

Langlois  :  (Indra  parle) :  Les  ceremonies,  les  prieres,  les 
hymnes,  les  libations,  les  offrandes,  tout  est  h  moi.  Je  porte 
la  foudre.  Des  invocations,  des  chants  se  sont  fait  entendre. 
Mes  chevaux  m^amenent.     Voila  ce  que  je  veux  ici. 

5.  Wilson  :  (The  Maruts) :  Therefore  we  also,  decorating 
our  persons,  are  ready,  with  our  docile  and  nigh-standing 


MANDAIjA   I,    SUKTA    165.  165 

Indra  speaks : 

4.  The  sacred  songs  are  mine,  (mine  are)  the 
prayers ;  ^  sweet  ^  are  the  libations !  My  strength 
rises/  my  thunderbolt  is  hurled  forth.  They  call  for 
me,  the  prayers  yearn  for  me.  Here  are  my  horses, 
they  carry  me  towards  them. 

The  Maruts  speak : 

5.  Therefore,  in  company  with  our  strong  friends,^ 
having  adorned  our  bodies,  we  now  harness  our  fallow 
deer^  with  all  our  might  ;^ — for,  Indra,  according  to 
thy  custom,  thou  hast  been  with  us. 

Indra  speaks : 

6.  Where,  O  Maruts,  was  that  custom  of  yours, 
that  you  should  join  me  who  am  alone  in  the  killing 
of  Ahi  ?  I  indeed  am  terrible,  strong,  powerful, — I 
escaped  from  the  blows  of  every  enemy.^ 


steeds^  (to  attend  thee)  with  all  our  splendour,  to  those  rites ; 
verily,  Indra,  thou  appropriatest  our  (sacrificial)  food. 

Langlois  :  (Les  Marouts  parlent) :  Et  nous,  sur  les  puis- 
sants  coursiers  que  voici,  pla9ant  nos  corps  legers  et  brillants, 
nous  joignons  nos  splendeurs  aux  tiennes.  Et  tu  veux,  Indra, 
t'approprier  notre  ofirande  ? 

6.  Wilson:  (Indra):  Where,  Maruts,  has  that  (sacrificial) 
food  been  assigned  to  you,  which,  for  the  destruction  of  Ahi, 
was  appropriated  to  me  alone;  for  I  indeed  am  fierce  and 
strong  and  mighty,  and  have  bowed  down  all  mine  enemies 
with  death -dealing  shafts. 

Langlois  :  (Indra  parle) :  Et  comment  cette  offi'ande  serait- 
elle  pour  vous,  6  Marouts,  quand  vous  reconnaissez  ma  supe- 
riorite  en  reclamant  mon  secours  pour  la  mort  d^Ahi  ?  Je  suis 
grand,  fort  et  redoutable,  et  de  mes  traits,  funestes  h  tons  mes 
ennemis,  j^ai  tue  Ahi. 


166  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

■r 

Maruta/Z'. 

7.  Bhtiri  ^akartha  yii^yebhi^  asme  (iti)  samane- 
hhlh  vrishabha  paiimsyebhi^,  bhtirini  bi  knnavama 
savish^Aa  mdra  kratva  maruta^  yat  vas^ma. 

Indra^. 

8.  Vadhim  vritram  maruta/?.  indriye^ia  svena 
bbamena  tavisha^/  babhuv^n,  aham  eta/i  manave  vi- 
5vd,-^andra/^  su-ga/^  apaA  ^akara  va^ra-b^bu/i. 

MarutaA. 

9.  Anuttam  ^  te  magba-van  nakiA  nu  na  tva-van 
asti  devat^  vid4naA,  na  (/ayamana/z,  nasate  na  (/ata/z- 
ya^ni  karisby^  *  kri7?iibi  pra-vriddba. 


Indra/i. 

10.    Ekasya    kit   me   vi-bbu    astu    6g?ih   y^    nii 


7.  Wilson  :  (Maruts) :  Showerer  (of  benefits)  thou  hast 
done  much ;  but  it  has  been  with  our  united  equal  energies  ; 
for  we,  too,  most  powerful  Indra^  have  done  many  things^  and 
by  our  deeds  (we  are^  as)  we  desire  to  be,  Maruts. 

Langlois  :  (Les  Marouts  parlent) :  Tu  as  beaucoup  fait, 
(dieu)  genereux  en  venant  nous  seconder  de  ta  force  heroique. 
MaiSj  6  puissant  Indra,  nous  pouvons  aussi  beaucoup,  quand, 
nous  autres  Marouts,  nous  voulons  prouver  notre  vaillance. 

8.  Wilson  :  (Indra) :  By  my  own  prowess  (Maruts)  I, 
mighty  in  my  wrath,  slew  Vritra ;  armed  with  my  thunder- 
bolt, I  created  all  these  pellucid,  gently- flowing  waters  for 
(the  good  of)  man. 

*  karisbya/t? 


M  AND  ALA   I,  SUKTA    165.  167 

The  Maruts  speak : 

7.  Thou  hast  achieved  much  with  us  as  com- 
panions.^ With  the  same  valour,  O  hero  I  let  us 
achieve  then  many  things,  0  thou  most  powerful,  0 
Indra!  whatever  we,  0  Maruts,  wish  with  our  heart.^ 

Indra  speaks: 

8.  I  slew  Yritra,  0  Maruts,  with  (Indra's)  might, 
having  grown  strong  through  my  own  vigour ;  I,  who 
hold  the  thunderbolt  in  my  arms,  I  have  made  these 
all-brilliant  waters  to  flow  freely  for  man.^ 

The  Maruts  speak: 

9.  Nothing,  0  powerful  lord,  is  strong  before  thee: 
no  one  is  known  among  the  gods  ^  like  unto  thee.  No 
one  who  is  now  born^  will  come  near,  no  one  who 
has  been  born.  Do  what  has  to  be  done,^  thou  who 
art  grown  so  strong. 

Indra  speaks :     . 

10.  Almighty  power  be  mine  alone,  whatever  I 


Langlois  :  (Indra  parle) :  Maroiits,  j'ai  tue  Vritra,  et  je 
n^ai  eu  besoin  que  de  ma  colere  et  de  ma  force  d^Indra.  C^est 
moi_,  qui,  la  foudre  a  la  main,  ai  ouvert  un  chemin  a  ces  ondes 
qui  font  le  bonheur  de  Manou. 

9.  Wilson  :  (Maruts) :  Verily,  Maghavat,  nothing  (done) 
by  thee  is  unavailing,  there  is  no  divinity  as  wise  as  thou ;  no 
one  being  born,  or  that  has  been  born,  ever  surpasses  the 
glorious  deeds  which  thou,  mighty  (Indra),  hast  achieved. 

Langlois  :  (Les  Marouts  parlent) :  O  Maghavan,  nous 
n^attaquons  pas  ta  gloire.  Personne,  6  dieu,  quand  on  connait 
tes  exploits,  ne  pent  se  croire  ton  egal.  Aucun  etre,  present 
ou  passe  ne  saurait  te  valoir.  Tu  es  grand,  fais  ce  que  tu 
dois  faire. 

10.  Wilson  :    (Indra) :    May  the  prowess  of  me  alone  be 


168  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

dadhrishvan  kri^iavai  manisM,  aliam  hi  ugrdh  maru- 
isJi  vid4na^  yani  ^yavam  mdra/?/  it  ise  esh4m. 

IndraA. 

11.  Amandat  ma  maruta/z.  stoma/i  atra  jit  me 
nara/i  srutyam  bralima  kakri,  mdraya  vrishne  sii- 
makhaya  mahyam  sdkhye  sakhaya/^/  tanve  tanii- 
bhiA. 

Indra/i. 

12.  Evd,  It  ete  prati  m4  roJcsunknkh  dnedya/z.* 
srava/^  a  isha/i  dadhana/^,  sam-Mkshya  maruta/i' 
Sandra -varTia/?.  d^MMnta  me  Madayatha  A;a  nu- 
nam. 


AgastyaA. 

13.  KaA  mi  atra  maruta/^  mamahe  vaA  pra  y^tana 

irresistible^  may  I  quickly  accomplish  whatever  I  contemplate 
in  my  mind,  for  verily^  Maruts,  I  am  fierce  and  sagacious, 
and  to  whatever  (objects)  I  direct  (my  thoughts),  of  them  I 
am. the  lord,  and  rule  (over  them). 

Langlois  :  (Indra  parle) :  Ma  force  est  assez  grande,  pour 
que,  seul,  je  puisse  executer  ce  que  je  veux  tenter.  Je  suis 
redoutable,  6  Marouts,  je  sais  ce  que  j^ai  a  faire,  moi,  Indra, 
maitre  de  vous  tons. 

11.  Wilson:  Maruts,  on  this  occasion  praise  delights  me; 
that  praise  which  is  to  be  heard  (by  all),  which  men  have 
offered  me.  To  Indra,  the  showerer  (of  benefits),  the  object 
of  pious  sacrifice;  to  me,  (endowed)  with  many  forms,  (do 
you)  my  friends  (ofier  sacrifices)  for  (the  nourishment  of  my) 
person. 

*  iCnedyam? 


MAiVDALA   I,    SUKTA    165.  169 

may  do,  daring  in  my  heart  ;^  for  I  indeed,  0  Maruts, 
am  known  as  terrible :  of  all  that  I  threw  down,  I, 
Indra,  am  the  lord. 

Indra  speaks: 

11.  0  Maruts,  now  your  praise  has  pleased  me, 
the  glorious  hymn  which  you  have  made  for  me,  ye 
men ! — for  me,  for  Indra,  for  the  powerful  hero,  as 
friends  for  a  friend,  for  your  own  sake  and  by  your 
own  efforts.^ 

Indra  speaks: 

12.  Truly,  there  they  are,  shining  towards  me, 
assuming  blameless  glory,  assuming  vigour.  0 
Maruts,  wherever  I  have  looked  for  you,  you  have 
appeared  to  me  in  bright  splendour  :  appear  to  me 
also  now  ! 

The  Epilogue. 

The  sacrificer  speaks : 

13.  Who  has  magnified  you  here,  0  Maruts?   Come 

Langlois  :  O  Marouts,  Feloge  que  vous  avez  fait  de  moi 
m^a  flatte  et  surtout  votre  attention  a  me  laisser  votre  part  du 
sacrifice.  Indra  est  genereux,  et  fete  par  de  nombreux  hom- 
mages.     Soyez  mes  amis,  et  developpez  vos  corps  (legers). 

12.  Wilson  :  Maruts,  verily^  glorifying  me,  and  enjoying* 
boundless  fame  and  food  (through  my  favour),  do  you,  of 
golden  colour,  and  invested  with  glory,  cover  me  in  requital, 
verily,  (with  renown.) 

Langlois  :  Ainsi  brillant  a  mes  cotes,  prenez  dans  les 
oiFrandes  et  dans  les  hymnes  la  part  conforme  a  votre  rang, 
O  Marouts,  vos  couleurs  sont  merveilleuses.  Resplendissons 
ensemble,  et  couvrez-moi  (de  vos  corps)  comme  vous  Tavez 
fait  jusqu''a  present. 

13.  Wilson  :  (Agastya) :  What  mortal,  Maruts,  worships 
you  in  this  world :   hasten,  friends,  to  the  presence  of  your 


170  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

sd-khin   ikkhs.   sakhaya/^,    manmani   kiirih   api-vata- 
yanta^  esham  bhtita  n^veda/^  me  ritsinam. 

Agastya^. 

14.  A  ydt  duvasyat  duvdse  n^  karu^  asm  an  ^akre 
manyasya  medh^,  6  (iti)  su  varta  maruta/^  vipram 
ikhhdi,  ima  brahmam  ^arit^  vaA  ar^at. 

Agastya/^'. 

15.  EshaA  va/^  stoma/i  mariita/z.  iydm  gf^  mandar- 
yasya  manyasya  karo/^,  a  isha  yaslslifa  tanve  vayam 
vidyama  islid^m  vri^d,nam  ^ira-danum. 


friends;  wonderful  (divinities),  be  to  them  the  means  of  ac- 
quiring riches ;  and  be  not  uncognisant  of  my  merits. 

Langlois  :  (Le  poete  parle) :  Quel  est  celui  qui  vous  chante 
en  ce  moment,  6  Marouts  ?  Soyez-nous  agreables,  et  venez 
vers  des  amis.  D'un  souffle  propice  favorisez  nos  voeux.  Pos- 
sesseurs  de  biens  varies,  daignez  visiter  notre  sacrifice. 

14.  Wilson  :  Since  the  experienced  intellect  of  a  venerable 
(sage),  competent  to  bestow  praise  upon  (you),  who  deserve 
praise,  has  been  exerted  for  us :  do  you,  Maruts,  come  to  the 
presence  of  the  devout  (worshipper)  who,  glorifying  (you), 
worships  you  with  these  holy  rites. 

Langlois  :    Si   la   science   d'un   sage  nous   a,  comme   un 


COMMENTARY. 

According  to  the  Anukramawika  this  hymn  is  a  dialogue 
between  Agastya,  the  Maruts,  and  Indra.  A  careful  consi- 
deration of  the  hymn  would  probably  have  led  us  to  a  similar 
conclusion,  but  I  doubt  whether  it  would  have  led  us  to 
adopt  the  same  distribution  of  the  verses  among  the  poet, 
the  Maruts,  and  Indra,  as  that  adopted  by  the  author  of  the 


MAi\rz)ALA   1,    SUKTA    165.  171 

hither,  O  friends,  towards  your  friends.  Ye  brilliant 
Maruts,  cherish^  these  prayers,  and  be  mindful  of 
these  my  rites. 

14.  The  wisdom  of  M4nya  has  brought  us  to  this, 
that  he  should  help  as  the  poet  helps  the  performer 
of  a  sacrifice:  bring  (them)  hither  quickly!  Maruts, 
on  to  the  sage !  these  prayers  the  singer  has  recited 
for  you.^ 

15.  This  your  praise,  O  Maruts,  this  your  song 
comes  from  Mandarya,  the  son  of  M4na,^  the  poet. 
Come  hither  with  rain !  May  we  find  for  ourselves 
offspring,^  food,  and  a  camp  ^  with  running  water. 


artiste  habile^  fa9onnes  au  culte  pompeux  que  nous  vous 
rendonSj  6  Marouts^  traitez  avee  bonte  Phomme  qui^  par  ses 
prieres  et  ses  chants,  vous  a  honores. 

15.  Wilson  :  This  praise,  Maruts,  is  for  you :  this  hymn 
is  for  you,  (the  work)  of  a  venerable  author,  capable  of  con- 
ferring delight  (by  his  laudations).  May  the  praise  reach  you, 
for  (the  good  of  your)  persons,  so  that  we  may  (thence)  obtain 
food,  strength,  and  long  life. 

Langlois  :  O  Marouts,  cet  eloge  et  cet  hymne  d^un  respec- 
table poete  s^addressent  a  vous.  II  a  voulu  vous  plaire.  Venez 
avec  Fabondance,  en  etendant  vos  reseaux.  Que  nous  con- 
naissions  la  prosperite,  la  force  et  Pheureuse  vieillesse ! 


Anukramamka.  He  assigns  the  first  two  verses  to  Indra, 
the  third,  fifth,  seventh,  and  ninth  to  the  Maruts,  the 
fourth,  sixth,  eighth,  tenth,  eleventh,  and  twelfth  to  Indra, 
and  the  three  concluding  verses  to  Agastya.  I  think  that 
the  two  verses  in  the  beginning,  as  well  as  the  three  con- 
cluding verses,  belong  certainly  to  Agastya  or  to  whoever 
else  the  real  performer  of  the  sacrifice  may  have  been.  The 
two  verses  in  the  beginning  cannot  be  ascribed  to   Indra, 


172  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

who,  to  judge  from  his  language,  would  never  say  :  '  By 
what  strong  devotion  may  we  delight  the  Maruts  V  It 
might  seem,  in  fact,  as  if  the  three  following  verses,  too, 
should  be  ascribed  to  the  sacrificer,  so  that  the  dialogue 
between  Indra  and  the  Maruts  would  begin  only  with  the 
sixth  verse.  The  third  verse  might  well  be  addressed  to 
Indra  by  the  sacrificer,  and  in  the  fourth  verse  we  might 
see  a  description  of  all  that  he  had  done  for  Indra.  What 
is  against  this  view,  however,  is  the  phrase  prabhrita^  me 
adi'i^.  If  used  by  the  sacrificer,  it  might  seem  to  mean, 
'  my  stone,  i.  e.  the  stone  used  for  squeezing  the  Soma,  has 
been  brought  forth/  But  though  Professor  Roth  assigns 
this  meaning  to  prabhrita  in  our  passage,  I  doubt  whether, 
in  connection  with  adri,  or  with  va^ra,  prabhrita  can  mean 
anything  but  hurled.      Thus  we  read  : 

i.  6i,  13.   asmai  it  urn  (iti)  pra  bhara — vritraya  v%ram. 

Hurl  thou,  Indra,  the  thunderbolt  against  this  Vritra. 

V.  32,  7.  yat  im  va^rasya  pra-bhritau  dadabha. 

When  Indra  conquered  him  in  the  hurling  of  the 
thunderbolt. 

I  therefore  suppose  the  dialogue  to  begin  with  verse  3, 
and  I  find  that  Langlois,  though  it  may  be  from  different 
reasons,  arrived  at  the  same  conclusion. 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  other  verses,  to  verse 
12,  are  rightly  apportioned  between  Indra  and  the  Maruts. 
Verse  12  might  perhaps  be  attributed  again  to  the  wor- 
shipper of  the  Maruts,  but  as  there  is  no  absolute  necessity 
for  assigning  it  to  him,  it  is  better  to  follow  the  tradition 
and  to  take  it  as  the  last  verse  of  Indra's  speech.  It  would 
seem,  in  fact,  as  if  these  ten  verses,  from  3  to  12,  formed 
an  independent  poem,  which  was  intended  to  show  the 
divine  power  of  the  Maruts.  That  their  divine  power  was 
sometimes  denied,  and  that  Indra^s  occasional  contempt  of 
them  was  well  known  to  the  Vedic  poets,  will  become 
evident  from  other  hymns.  This  dialogue  seems  therefore 
to  have  been  distinctly  intended  to  show  that,  in  spite  of 
occasional  misunderstandings  between  the  Maruts  and  the 
all-powerful  Indra,  Indra  himself  had  fully  recognized  their 
power  and  accepted  their  friendship.  If  we  suppose  that 
this   dialogue   was   repeated  at   sacrifices   in  honour   of  the 


MAiVDALA   I,    SUKTA    165.  173 

Maruts,  or  that  possibly  it  was  acted  by  two  parties,  one 
representing  Indra,  the  other  the  Maruts  and  their  followers, 
then  the  two  verses  in  the  beginning  and  the  three  at  the 
end  ought  to  be  placed  in  the  mouth  of  the  actual  sacrificer, 
whoever  he  was.  He  begins  by  asking,  who  has  attracted 
the  Maruts  to  his  sacrifice,  and  by  what  act  of  praise  and 
w^orship  they  can  be  delighted.  Then  follows  the  dialogue 
in  honour  of  the  Maruts,  and  after  it  the  sacrificer  asks 
again,  *Who  has  magnified  the  Maruts,  i.e.  have  not  we 
magnified  them?^  and  he  implores  them  to  grant  him  their 
friendship  in  recognition  of  his  acts  of  worship.  If  then 
we  suppose  that  the  dialogue  was  the  work  of  Mandarya 
Manya,  the  fourteenth  verse,  too,  would  lose  something  of 
its  obscurity.  Coming  from  the  mouth  of  the  actual  sacri- 
ficer, it  would  mean, '  the  wisdom,  or  the  poetical  genius,  of 
Manya  has  brought  us  to  this,  has  induced  us  to  do 
this,  i.e.  to  perform  this  dialogue  of  Manya,  so  that  he, 
Manya,  should  assist,  as  a  poet  assists  the  priest  at  a 
sacrifice.^  If  Manya  himself  was  present,  the  words  6  su 
varta,  '  bring  hither  quickly,'  would  have  to  be  taken  as 
addressed  to  him  by  the  sacrificer ;  the  next,  *  Maruts,  on 
to  the  sage  !^  would  be  addressed  to  the  Maruts,  the  sage 
(vipra)  being  meant  for  Manya ;  and  in  the  last  words,  too, 
'  these  prayers  the  singer  has  recited  for  you,^  the  singer 
(^arita)  might  again  be  Manya,  the  powerful  poet  whose 
services  the  sacrificer  had  engao-ed,  and  whose  famous 
dialogue  between  Indra  and  the  Maruts  was  considered  a 
safe  means  of  winning  their  favour.  It  would  be  in  keeping 
with  all  this,  if  in  the  last  verse  the  sacrificer  once  more 
informed  the  Maruts  that  this  hymn  of  praise  was  the  work 
of  the  famous  poet  Mandarya,  the  son  of  Mana,  and  if  he 
then  concluded  with  the  usual  prayer  for  safety,  food,  and 
progeny. 

Verse  1,  note  \  As  samani  occurs  in  the  Veda  as  the 
feminine  of  samana  (cf.  iv.  51,  9;  x.  191,  3;  4),  samanya 
might,  no  doubt,  be  taken  as  an  instrumental,  belonging  to 
5ubha.  We  should  then  have  to  translate :  '  With  what 
equal  splendour  are  the  Maruts  endowed?'  Sayawa  adopts 
the    same   explanation,   while  Wilson,  who  seems  to  have 


174  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

read  saraanyaA,  translates  *  of  one  dignity/  Professor  Roth, 
s.  V.  myaksh,  would  seem  to  take  samanya  as  some  kind  of 
substantive,  and  he  refers  to  another  passage,  i.  167,  4, 
sadhara/iya-iva  marutaA  mimikshuA,  without,  however, 
detaiHng  his  interpretation  of  these  passages. 

It  cannot  be  said  that  Saya?2a's  explanation  is  objection- 
able, yet  there  is  something  awkward  in  qualifying  by  an 
adjective,  however  indefinite,  what  forms  the  subject  of  an 
interrogative  sentence,  and  it  would  be  possible  to  avoid 
this,  by  taking  samanya  as  an  adverb.  It  is  clearly  used 
as  an  adverb  in  iii.  54,  7  ;  viii.  83,  8. 

Verse  1,  note  ^.  MimikshuA  is  the  perfect  of  myaksh,  in 
the  sense  of  to  be  firml}^  joined  with  something.  It  has 
therefore  a  more  definite  meaning  than  the  Latin  miscere 
and  the  Greek  lULLa-yeii',  which  come  from  the  same  source, 
i.  e.  from  a  root  mik  or  ?7iig,  in  Sanskrit  also  mi^  in  mi^-ra ; 
(see  Curtius,  Grundziige,  p.  300.)  There  may  be  indeed  one 
or  two  passages  in  the  Veda  where  myaksh  seems  to  have 
the  simple  meaning  of  mixing,  but  it  will  be  seen  that  they 
constitute  a  small  minority  compared  with  those  where 
myaksh  has  the  meaning  of  holding  to,  sticking  to  ;  I 
mean 

X.  104,  2.   mimikshu^  yam  adraya^  indra  tubhyam. 

The  Soma  which  the  stones  have  mixed  for  thee. 

This  form  cannot  be  derived  from  mimiksh,  but  is  the 
3rd  pers.  plur.  perf.  Parasm.  of  myaksh.  It  may,  however, 
be  translated,  'This  Soma  which  the  stones  have  grasped  or 
squeezed  for  thee,^  as  may  be  seen  from  passages  quoted  here- 
after, in  which  myaksh  is  construed  with  an  accusative. 

ii.  3,  II.   gh?'itam  mimikshe. 

The  butter  has  been  mixed. 

This  form  cannot  be  derived  from  mimiksh,  but  is  the 
3rd  pers.  sing.  perf.  Atm.  of  myaksh.  If  the  meaning  of 
mixing  should  be  considered  inadmissible,  we  might  in  this 
verse  translate,  '  The  butter  has  become  fixed,  solid,  or 
coagulated/ 

Leaving  out  of  consideration  for  the  present  the  forms 
which  are  derived  from  mimiksh,  we  find  the  following 
passages  in  which  myaksh   occurs.      Its  original  meaning 


MANDAhA    I,    SUKTA    1G5.  175 

must  have  been  to  be  mixed  with,  to  be  joined  to,  and  in  many 
passages  that  original  sense  is  still  to  be  recognized,  only  with 
the  additional  idea  of  being  firmly  joined,  of  sticking  to,  or, 
in  an  active  sense,  laying  hold  of,  grasping  firmly. 

1.  Without  any  case : 

i.  169,  3.   amyak  sa  te  indra  rhhtih  asme  (iti). 

This  thy  spear,  O  Indra,  sits  firm  for  us. 

This  would  mean  that  Indra  held  his  weapon  well,  as  a 
soldier  ought  to  hold  his  spear.  Amyak  is  the  3rd  pers. 
sing,  of  a  second  aor.  Parasm.,  amyaksham,  amyak(sht); 
(Say.  prapnoti.)    Cf.  viii.  61,  18. 

2.  With  locative: 

X.  44,  2.  mimyaksha  v%ra/i  nri-pate  gabhastau. 

In  thy  fist,  O  king,  the  thunderbolt  rests  firmly. 

i.  167,  3.   mimyaksha  yeshu  su-dhita — rish^i^. 

With  whom  the  spear  (lightning)  rests  well  placed  {gut 
eingelegt)^  i.e.  the  Maruts  who  hold  the  spear  firmly,  so 
that  it  seems  to  stick  fast  to  them.     (Say.  samgatabhut.) 

vi.  50,  5.   mimyaksha  yeshu  rodasi  nu  devi'. 

To  whom  the  goddess  Rodasi  clings.    (Say.  sa??2gaM/iate.) 

vi.  II,  5.   amyakshi  sadma  sadane  prithivya/i. 

The  seat  was  firmly  set  on  the  seat  of  the  earth.  (Say. 
gamyate,  parigrihyate).    It  is  the  3rd  pers.  sing.  aor.  pass. 

vi.  29,  2.  a  yasmin  haste  narya^  mimikshu/i  a  rathe 
hira/zyaye  rathe-stha^,  a  ra^maya/*  gabhastyo/*  sthurayo^  a 
adhvan  a^vasaA  vnsha?2a^  yuganah. 

To  whose  hand  men  cling,  in  whose  golden  chariot  the 
drivers  stand  firm,  in  whose  strong  fists  the  reins  are  well 
held,  on  whose  path  the  harnessed  stalUons  hold  together. 
(Say.  asi^yante,  apuryante  ;  or  asin^anti,  purayanti.) 

X.  96,  3.  indre  ni  rupa  harita  mimikshire. 

Bright  colours  stuck  or  clung  or  settled  on  Indra.  (Say, 
nishiktani  babhuvuA ;   mihe^  sanantat  karmani  rupam.) 

3.  With  instrumental : 

i.  165,  I.  kaya  5ubha  mariitaA  sam  mimikshu/i. 

To  what  splendour  do  the  Maruts  cling;  or,  what 
splendour  clings  to  them? 

V.  58,  5.  svaya  matya  maruta/^  sam  mimikshu/^.  (See 
also  i.  165,  I.) 


176  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

The  Maruts  cling  to  their  own  thought  or  will.  (Say. 
vnshfya  samyak  siiiAanti.) 

i.  167,  4.  yavya  (i.  e.  yaviya)  sadhara^iya-iva  maruta^ 
mimikshu^. 

A  difficult  passage  which  receives  little  light  from  i.  173, 
12  ;  viii.  98,  8;  or  vi.  27,  6. 

i.  87,  6.   bhanu-bhiA  sam  mimikshire. 

The  Maruts  were  joined  with  splendour.  (Say.  medkvim. 
ikksLuti.) 

4.  With  accusative : 

viii.  61,  18.   ni  ya  va^ram  mimikshatuA. 

Thy  two  arms  which  have  firmly  grasped  the  thunder- 
bolt.    (Say.  parigrihmta^.) 

Here  I  should  also  prefer  to  place  vii.  20,  4,  if  we  might 
explain  mimikshan  as  a  participle  present  of  myaksh  in  the 
Hu-class : 

ni  va^ram  indra^  mimikshan. 

Grasping  firmly  the  thunderbolt.  (Say.  ^atrushu  pra- 
payan.) 

vi.  29,  3.  5riye  te  pada  duva/i  a  mimikshuA. 

Thy  servants  embrace  thy  feet  for  their  happiness.  (Say. 
asifiXranti,  samarpayanti.) 

Like  other  verbs  which  mean  to  join,  myaksh,  if  accom- 
panied by  prepositions  expressive  of  separation,  means  to 
separate.    (Cf.  vi-yukta,  se-junctus.) 

ii.  28,  6.   apo  (iti)  su  myaksha  varu^za  bhiyasam  mat. 

Remove  well  from  me,  O  Varu?ia,  terror.  (Say.  apa- 
gamaya.) 

Quite  distinct  from  this  is  the  desiderative  or  inchoative 
verb  mimiksh,  from  mih,  in  the  sense  of  to  sprinkle,  or  to 
shower,  chiefly  used  with  reference  to  the  gods  who  are 
asked  to  sprinkle  the  sacrifice  with  rain.     Thus  we  read  : 

i.  142,  3.  madhva  ya^nam  mimikshati. 

(Nara^amsa)  sprinkles  the  sacrifice  with  rain. 

ix.  107,  6.   madhva  ya^nam  mimiksha  na/i. 

Sprinkle  (O  Soma)  our  sacrifice  with  rain. 

i.  34,  3.   tr\h  adya  ya^nam  madhuna  mimikshatam. 

O  A^vins,  sprinkle  the  sacrifice  with  rain  thrice  to-day  ! 

i.  47,  4.  madhva  ya^nam  mimikshatam. 

O  A.9vins,  sprinkle  the  sacrifice  with  rain  ! 


MAiSTDALA   I,    strKTA  165.  177 

5.  Without  madhu : 

i.  22,  13.  mahi  djauh  pnthivi  lea.  naA  imam  ya^fiam 
mimikshatam. 

May  the  great  heaven  and  earth  sprinkle  this  our  sacrifice. 

6.  With  madhu  in  the  accusative  : 

vi.  70,  5.   madhu  nah  dyavaprithivi  (iti)  mimikshatam. 

May  heaven  and  earth  shower  down  rain  for  us. 

Very  frequently  the  A^vins  are  asked  to  sprinkle  the 
sacrifice  with  their  w^hip.  This  whip  seems  originally,  like 
the  whip  of  the  Maruts,  to  have  been  intended  for  the 
cracking  noise  of  the  storm,  preceding  the  rain.  Then  as 
whips  had  probably  some  similarity  to  the  instruments  used 
for  sprinkhng  butter  on  the  sacrificial  viands,  the  Asvins 
are  asked  to  sprinkle  the  sacrifice  with  their  whip,  i.  e.  to 
give  rain : 

i.  157,  4.   madhu-matya  naA  ka^aya  mimikshatam. 

O  A^vins,  sprinkle  us  with  your  rain-giving  whip. 

i.  22,  3.  taya  ya^nam  mimikshatam. 

O  A^vins^  sprinkle  the  sacrifice  with  it  (your  whip). 

7.  Lastly,  we  find  such  phrases  as, 
i.  485  16.   sam  na^  raya — mimikshva. 

Sprinkle  us  with  wealth,  i.  e.  shower  wealth  down  upon 
us.  Here  mih  is  really  treated  as  a  Hu-verb  in  the 
Atmanepada. 

As  an  adjective,  mimikshii  is  applied  to  Indra  (iii.  50,  3), 
and  mimiksha  to  Soma  (vi.  34,  4). 

Verse  1,  note  ^.  I  do  not  see  how  etasaA  can  here  be 
taken  in  any  sense  but  that  suggested  by  the  Pada,  a-itasaA, 
come  near.  Professor  Roth  thinks  it  not  impossible  that  it 
may  be  meant  for  eta^,  the  fallow  deer,  the  usual  team  of 
the  Maruts.  These  Etas  are  mentioned  in  verse  5,  but 
there  the  Pada  gives  quite  correctly  etan,  not  a-itan,  and 
Sayawa  explains  it  accordingly  by  gantun. 

Verse  1,  note  ^.  The  idea  that  the  Maruts  proclaim  their 
own  strength  occurred  before,  i.  87,  3.  It  is  a  perfectly 
natural  conception,  for  the  louder  the  voice  of  the  wind,  the 
greater  its  strength. 

VOL.  I.  N 


178  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

Verse  2,  note  •^.  Manas  here,  as  elsewhere,  is  used  in  the 
sense  of  thought  preceding  speech,  devotion  not  yet  ex- 
pressed in  prayer.  See  Taitt.  Sanh.  v.  i,  3,  3.  yat  purusho 
manasabhigaA:^^ati  tad  va^a  vadati,  what  a  man  grasps  in 
his  mind  that  he  expresses  by  speech.  Professor  Roth 
suggests  an  emendation  which  is  ingenious,  but  not  neces- 
sary, viz.  maha  namasa,  with  great  adoration,  an  expression 
which  occurs,  if  not  in  vi.  52,  17,  at  least  in  vii.  12,  i.  We 
find,  hoW'Cver,  the  phrase  maha  manasa  in 

vi.  40,  4.  a  yahi  ^a^vat  u^ata  yayatha  indra  maha  manasa 
soma-peyam, 

lipa  brahmam  S7''ina.\ah  ima  na^  atha  te  yagnah  tanvS 
vaya^  dhat. 

Come  hither,  thou  hast  ahvays  come,  Indra,  to  our 
libation  through  our  yearning  great  devotion.  Mayest 
thou  hear  these  our  prayers,  and  may  then  the  sacrifice 
place  vigour  in  thy  body. 

It  is  curious  to  observe  that  throughout  the  Rig- 
veda  the  instrumental  singular  maha  is  always  used 
as  an  adjective  belonging  to  some  term  or  other  for 
praise  and  prayer.  Besides  the  passages  mentioned,  we 
find  : 

ii.  24,  I.   aya  vidhema  navaya  maha  gira. 

Let  us  sacrifice  with  this  new  great  song. 

vi.  52,  17.   su-uktena  maha  namasa  a  vivase. 

I  worship  with  a  hymn  with  great  adoration,  or  I  worship 
with  a  great  hymn  in  adoration. 

viii.  46,  14.  gaya  gira  maha  vi-A^etasam. 

Celebrate  the  wise  Indra  with  a  great  song. 

Verse  3,  note  ^    We  ought  to    scan   kuta^   tvam   indra 

mahina^  san,  because  yasi,  being  anudatta,  could  not  begin 
a  new  pada.  It  would  be  more  natural  to  translate  kuta^ 
by  why  ?  for  the  Maruts  evidently  wish  to  express  their 
surprise  at  Indira's  going  to  do  battle  alone  and  without 
their  assistance.  I  do  not  think,  however,  that  in  the 
Rig-veda,  even  in  the  latest  hymns,  kuta7^  has  ever  a  causal 
meaning,  and  I  have  therefore  translated  it  in  the  same 
sense  in  which  it  occurs  before  in  the  poet's  address  to 
the  Maruts. 


MAiV^DALA   I,    SUKTA  165.  179 

Verse  3,  note  ^.  Sat-pati,  lord  of  men,  means  lord  of 
real  men,  of  heroes,  and  should  not  be  translated  by  good 
lord.  Sat  by  itself  is  frequently  used  in  the  sense  of 
heroes,  of  men  physically  rather  than  morally  good  : 

ii.  I,  3.   tvam  agne  indraA  vrishabha/i  satam  asi. 

Thou,  Agni,  art  Indra,  the  hero  among  heroes. 

i.  173,  7.   samat-su  tva  sura,  satam  ura?iam. 

Thee,  O  hero,  in  battles  the  protector  of  (good  and 
true)  men. 

Verse  3,  note  ^.  The  meaning  of  sam  priM^ase  is  very 
much  the  same  as  that  of  sam  vadasva  in  i.  1 70,  5. 

Verse  3,  note  ^  ^ubhana  evidently  is  meant  as  a  name 
for  the  Maruts,  who  thus  speak  of  themselves  in  the  third 
person.  This  is  by  no  means  unusual  in  the  Rig-veda ; 
see,  for  instance, 

i.  170,  2.  tebhiA  kalpasva  sadhu-ya  ma  nah  sam-ara?ie 
vadhi^. 

Be  thou  good  with  these  (with  us,  the  Maruts),  do  not 
kill  us  in  battle  ! 

Verse  4.  Indra  certainly  addresses  his  old  friends,  the 
Maruts,  very  unceremoniously,  but  this,  though  at  first 
startling,  was  evidently  the  intention  of  the  poet.  He 
wished  to  represent  a  squabble  between  Indra  and  the 
Maruts,  such  as  they  were  famihar  with  in  their  own 
village  life,  and  this  was  to  be  followed  by  a  reconciUation. 
The  boorish  rudeness,  selfishness,  and  boastfulness  here 
ascribed  to  Indra  may  seem  offensive  to  those  who  cannot 
divest  themselves  of  the  modern  meaning  of  deities,  but 
looked  upon  from  the  right  point  of  view,  it  is  really  full 
of  interest. 

Verse  4,  note  ^  Brahmam  and  mataya/*  are  here  men- 
tioned separately  in  the  same  way  as  a  distinction  is  made 
between  brahman,  stoma,  and  uktha,  iv.  22,  i  ;  vi.  23,  i ; 
between  brahmam  and  gira^,  iii.  51,  6  ;  between  brahma, 
gira^,  and  stomal,  vi.  38,  3;  between  brahma,  giraA,  uktha, 
and  manma,  vi.  38,  4,  &c. 

N  2 


180  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

Verse  4c,  note  ^.  ^am,  which  1  have  here  translated  by 
sweet,  is  a  difficult  word  to  render.  It  is  used  as  a  sub- 
stantive, as  an  adjective,  and  as  an  adverb ;  and  in  several 
instances  it  must  remain  doubtful  whether  it  was  meant 
for  one  or  the  other.  The  adverbial  character  is  almost 
always,  if  not  always,  applicable,  though  in  English  there 
is  no  adverb  of  such  general  import  as  ssun,  and  we  must 
therefore  render  it  differently,  although  we  are  able  to 
perceive  that  in  the  mind  of  the  poet  it  might  still  have 
been  conceived  as  an  adverb,  in  the  sense  of  *^well.^  I  shall 
arrange  the  principal  passages  in  which  5am  occurs  accord- 
ing to  the  verbs  with  which  it  is  construed. 

1 .  With  bhu  : 

viii.  79,  7.  bhava  na^  soma  sam  hride. 

Be  thou,  Soma,  well  (pleasant)  to  our  heart.    Cf.  viii.  82,  3. 

viii.  48,  4.  5am  nah  bhava  hride  a  pita^  indo  (iti). 

Be  thou  w  ell  (sweet)  to  our  heart,  when  drunk,  O  Soma ! 
Cf.  X.  9,  4. 

i.  90,  9.  5am  naA  bhavatu  aryama. 

May  Aryaman  be  well  (kind)  to  us ! 

vi.  74,  I.   5am  nay^  bhutam  dvi-pade  5am  Mtu7i-pade. 

May  Soma  and  Rudra  be  well  (kind)  to  our  men  and  cattle. 

Here  5am  might  be  rendered  as  an  adverb,  or  as  an 
adjective,  or  even  as  a  substantive,  in  the  sense  of  health 
or  blessing. 

Cf.  vii.  54,  I ;  ix.  69,  7.  The  expression  dvipad  and 
Htu/i-pad  is  curiously  like  what  occurs  in  the  prayers  of 
the  Eugubian  tables,  Fisovie  San5ie,  ditu  ocre  Fisi,  tote 
Jovine,  ocrer  Fisie,  totar  Jovinar  dupursus,  peturpursus  fato 
fito,  (Umbrische  Sprachdenkmaler,  von  Aufrecht,  p.  198.) 

ii.  38,  II.  5am  yat  stotri-bhya/i  apaye  bhavati. 

What  may  be  well  (a  pleasure)  for  the  praisers,  for 
the  friend. 

X.  37,  10.  5am  na^  bhava  Mkshasa. 

Be  kind  to  us  with  thy  light ! 

2.  With  as : 

viii.  17,  6.    s6ma/«  5am  astu  te  hride. 

May  the  Soma  be  well  (agreeable)  to  thy  heart  ! 

i.  5,  7.   5am  te  santu  pra-A^etase. 

May  the  Somas  be  well  (pleasing)  to  thee,  the  wise ! 


MAiSTDALA   I,    steTA  165.  181 

V.  II,  5.   tubhyam  manisha  iyam  astu  5am  hride. 

May  this  prayer  be  well  (acceptable)  to  thy  heart ! 

i.  114,  I.  yatha  ssun  asat  dvi-pade  Htu/i-pade. 

That  it  may  be  well  for  our  men  and  cattle.  Cf.  x. 
165,1;   3. 

vii.  86,  8.  sam  nah  ksheme  5am  mn  (iti)  yoge  na^  astu. 

May  it  be  well  with  us  in  keeping  and  acquiring  ! 

V.  7,  9.   a  jah  te — agne  5am  asti  dhayase. 

He  who  is  lief  to  thee  to  support,  i.  e.  he  whom  thou 
likest  to  support. 

V.  74,  9.   5am  mil  (iti)  su  vam — asmakam  astu  A:arkritiA. 

Let  there  be  happiness  to  you — glory  to  us  ! 

3.  With  as  or  bhu  understood  : 
vi.  45,  22.  5am  yat  gave  na  5akine. 

A  song  which  is  pleasant  to  the  mighty  Indra,  as  food 
to  an  ox. 

viii.  13,  Ti.   5am  it  hi  te. 

For  it  is  well  for  thee. 

X.  86,  15.   manthaA  te  indra  5am  hride. 

The  mixture  is  pleasant  to  thy  heart,  O  Indira ! 

X.  97,  18.   aram  kamaya,  5am  hride. 

Enough  for  love,  pleasant  to  the  heart. 

vi.  34,  3.   5am  tat  asmai. 

That  is  pleasant  to  him. 

vi.  21,  4.  kaA  te  jagnah  manase  5am  varaya. 

What  sacrifice  seems  to  thy  mind  pleasant  to  select  ? 

4.  With  kar : 

i.  43,  6.  5am  na^  karati  arvate. 

May  he  do  well  to  our  horse,  i.  e.  may  he  benefit  our  horses, 
iv.  I,  3.  tokaya  tu^e — 5am  kridhi. 

Do  good  to  our  children  and  progeny,  or  bless  us  for 
the  procreation  of  children. 

viii.  18,  8.   5am  naA  karata/i  a5vina. 
May  the  two  A5vins  do  us  good ! 

5.  Withvah: 

i.  157,  3.   5am  na^  a  vakshat  dvi-pade  MtuA-pade. 
May  he  bring  blessing  to  us  for  man  and  cattle, 
viii.  5,  20.  tena  naA — pa5ve  tokaya  5am  gave,  vahatam 
pivari^  ishaA. 


182  HYMNS   TO   THE   MAR  UTS. 

Bring  to  us  rich  food,  a  blessing  to  cattle,  to  children, 
and  to  the  ox. 

6.  With  other  verbs,  such  as  pu,  va,  and  others,  where 
it  is  clearly  used  as  an  adverb  : 

ix.  II,  3.  sa^  na^  pavasva  5am  gave  5am  ^anaya  5am 
arvate,  5am  ra^an  oshadhibhya^. 

Do  thou,  king  Soma,  stream  upon  us,  a  blessing  for  the 
ox,  a  blessing  for  man,  a  blessing  for  the  horse,  a  blessing 
for  the  plants.      Cf.  ix.  11,  7  ;   60,  4  ;   61,  15  ;   109,  5. 

vii.  ^^,  4.  5am  na/i  ishira/i  abhi  vatu  vataA. 

May  the  brisk  wind  blow-  kindly  upon  us,  or  blow  a 
blessing  upon  us. 

vii.  ^^,  6.  5am  na^  tvash/a  gnabhi^  iha  5TO0tu. 

May  Tvash/ar  with  the  goddesses  hear  us  here  well,  i.  e. 
auspiciously  ! 

vii.  ^^,  8.   5am  nah  surya^ — lit  etu. 

May  the  sun  rise  auspiciously  for  us  ! 

viii.  18,  9.  5am  nah  tapatu  surya^. 

May  the  sun  warm  us  well ! 

iii.  13,  6.  5am  naA  50^a — agne. 

Shine  w^ell  for  us,  O  Agni ! 

>S^am  also  occurs  in  a  phrase  that  has  puzzled  the  inter- 
preters of  the  Veda  very  much,  viz.  5am  yoh.  These  are 
two  words,  and  must  both  be  taken  as  substantives,  though 
originally  they  may  have  been  adverbs.  Their  meaning 
seems  to  have  been  much  the  same,  and  in  English  they 
may  safely  be  rendered  by  health  and  wealth,  in  the  old 
acceptation  of  these  words  : 

i.  93,  7.   dhattam  ya^^'araanaya  5am  yo^. 

Give,  Agni  and  Soma,  to  the  sacrificer  health  and 
wealth. 

i.  106,  5.   5am  yo^  yat  te  manu/«-hitam  tat  imahe, 

Brihaspati,  we  ask  for  health  and  wealth  which  thou 
gavest  to  Manu. 

i.  114,  2,.  yat  5am  ^a  j6h  ka.  manu^  a-ye^e  pita  tat 
a5yama  tava  rudra  pra-nitishu. 

Rudra,  the  health  and  wealth  which  Manu,  the  father, 
obtained,  may  we  reach  it  under  thy  guidance. 

"•  33»  13*  y^^i  manuA  avrimta  pita  na^  ta  5am  ka  yoh  ka 
rudrasya  va5mi.  * 


M  AND  ALA   I,    SI^KTA  165.  183 

The  medicines  which  our  father  Manu  chose,  those  I 
desire,  the  health  and  wealth  of  Rudra. 

i.  189,  2.   bhava  tokaya  tanayaya  ssucn  j6h. 

Be  to  our  offspring  health  and  wealth ! 

iv.  12,  5.  jakkhsi  tokaya  tanayaya  5am  yoh. 

Give  to  our  offspring  health  and  wealth  ! 

V.  69,  3.   lie  tokaya  tanayaya  sam.  joh. 

I  ask  for  our  offspring  health  and  wealth, 

vi.  50,  7.   dhata  tokaya  tanayaya  ^am  yo/i. 

Give  to  our  offspring  health  and  wealth  ! 

X.  182,  I.   atha  karat  ya^amanaya  5am  yo^. 

May  he  then  produce  for  the  sacrificer  health  and 
wealth. 

vii.  69,  5.   tena  na^  sam.  j6h — ni  a^vina  vahatam. 

On  that  chariot  bring  to  us,  A^vins,  health  and  wealth. 

iii.  ly,  3.   atha  bhava  ya^amanaya  5am  yoh. 

Then,  Agni,  be  health  and  wealth  to  the  sacrificer. 

iii.  18,  4.  brihat  vaya^  ^asamaneshu  dhehi,  revat  ague 
vi^vamitreshu  5am  j6h. 

Give,  Agni,  much  food  to  those  who  praise  thee,  give  to 
the  Vi5vamitras  richly  health  and  wealth. 

X.  15,  4.   atha  na/i  5am  j6h  arapaA  dadhata. 

And  give  us  health  and  w^ealth  without  a  flaw!  Cf.  x.  59,  8. 

X.  37,  II.  tat  asme  5am  yoh  arapa/i  dadhatana. 

And  give  to  us  health  and  wealth  without  a  flaw  ! 

V.  47,  7.  tat  astu  mitra-varuwa  tat  agne  5am  yo^  asma- 
bhyam  idam  astu  5astam. 

Let  this,  O  Mitra-Varu?2a,  let  this,  O  Agni,  be  health 
and  wealth  to  us  ;  may  this  be  auspicious  ! 

v.  ^^j  14.  vrish/vi  5am  yo^  apa^  usri  bhesha^am  syama 
maruta/i  saha. 

Let  us  be  together,  O  Maruts,  after  health,  wealth,  water, 
and  medicine  have  been  showered  down  in  the  morning. 

viii.  39,  4.  5am  ^a  j6h  Jca.  vaayah  dadhe. 

He  gave  health,  wealth,  and  happiness. 

viii.  71,  15.   agnim  5am  yoh  ka  datave. 

We  ask  Agni  to  give  us  health  and  wealth. 

X.  9,  4.   5am  yo^  abhi  sravantu  nah. 

May  the  waters  bring  to  us  health  and  wealth,  or  may 
they  run  towards  us  auspiciously. 


184  HYMNS   TO   THE    MARUTS. 

Verse  4,  note  ^.  If  we  retain  the  reading  of  the  MSS. 
5ushma7i  iyarti,  we  must  take  it  as  an  independent  phrase^, 
and  translate  it  by  'my  strength  rises/  For  5ushma,  though 
in  this  and  other  places  it  is  frequently  explained  as  an 
adjective,  meaning  powerful,  is,  as  far  as  I  can  see,  always 
a  substantive,  and  means  power,  strength.  There  may  be 
a  few  passages  in  which,  as  there  occur  several  words  for 
strength,  it  might  be  possible  to  translate  siishma  by  strong. 
But  even  there  it  is  better  to  keep  to  the  general  meaning 
of  5ushma,  and  translate  it  as  a  substantive. 

Iyarti  means  to  rise  and  to  raise.  It  is  particularly 
applied  to  prayers  raised  by  the  poet  in  honour  of  the  gods, 
and  the  similes  used  in  connection  with  this,  show  clearly 
what  the  action  implied  by  iyarti  really  is.    For  instance, 

i.  1 1 6,  I.   stoman  iyarmi  abhriya-iva  vata^. 

I  stir  up  hymns  as  the  wind  stirs  the  clouds. 

X.  1 1 6,   9.    su-va^asyam  iyarmi  sindhau-iva  pra  irayam 


navam. 


I  stir  up  sweet  praise,  as  if  rowing  a  ship  on  the  river. 

In  the  sense  of  rising  it  occurs, 

X.  140,  2.  pavaka-varA:a^  5ukra-varA:a/i  anuna-var^a^  ut 
iyarshi  bhanuna. 

Thou  risest  up  with  splendour,  Agni,  thou  of  bright, 
resplendent,  undiminished  majesty. 

We  might  therefore  safely  translate  in  our  verse  *  my 
strength  rises,^  although  it  is  true  that  such  a  phrase  does 
not  occur  again,  and  that  in  other  passages  where  iyarti  and 
5ushma  occur  together,  the  former  governs  the  latter  in  the 
accusative.    Cf.  iv.  17,  12;  x.  75,  3. 

Verse  5,  note  ^.  If,  as  we  can  hardly  avoid,  we  ascribe 
this  verse  to  the  Maruts,  we  must  recognize  in  it  the  usual 
offer  of  help  to  Indra  on  the  part  of  the  Maruts.  The 
question  then  only  is,  who  are  the  strong  friends  in  whose 
company  they  appear?  It  would  be  well  if  one  could 
render  antamebhiA  by  horses,  as  Saya/^a  does,  but  there  is 
no  authority  for  it.  Sva-kshatra  is  an  adjective,  meaning 
endowed  with  independent  strength,  synonymous  with 
sva-tavas,  i.  166,  2.  It  is  applied  to  the  mind  of  Indra, 
^'  54)  3  j   V.  ^^,  4;   to  the  Maruts,  v.  48,  i,  but  never  to 


MA.NDAIjA   1,    SIJKTA    165.  185 

horses.  As  it  stands,  we  can  only  suppose  that  a  distinc- 
tion is  made  between  the  Maruts  and  their  followers,  and  that 
after  calling  together  their  followers,  and  adorning  themselves 
for  battle,  they  proceed  to  harness  their  chariots.  Cf.  i.  107,  2. 

Verse  5,  note  ^.  Etan,  in  all  MSS.  which  I  consulted,  has 
here  the  accent  on  the  first  syllable,  and  Professor  Aufrecht 
ought  not  to  have  altered  the  word  into  etan.  If  the  accent 
had  not  been  preserved  by  the  tradition  of  the  schools,  the 
later  interpreters  would  certainly  have  taken  etan  for  the 
demonstrative  pronoun.  As  it  is,  in  spite  of  accent  and 
termination,  Saya^za  in  i.  166,  10,  seems  to  take  etkh  for 
ete.  In  other  passages,  however^  Saya^za,  too,  has  perceived 
the  difference,  and  in  i.  169,  6,  he  explains  the  word  very 
fully  as  prishadvar?2a  gantaro  va  a^va  va.  In  this  passage 
the  Etas  are  clearly  the  deer  of  the  Maruts,  the  PHshatis  : 

i.  169,  6.   adha  yat  esham  prithu-budhnasa^  etkh. 

In  the  next  verse,  however^  eta  seems  applied  to  the 
Maruts  themselves  : 

i.  169,  7.  prati  ghora^zara  etanam  ayasam  marutam  srinve 
a-yatam  upabdiA. 

The  shout  of  the  terrible,  speckled,  indefatigable  Maruts 
is  heard,  as  they  approach ;  unless  we  translate  : 

The  noise  of  the  terrible  deer  of  the  indefatigable  Maruts 
is  heard,  as  they  approach. 

In  i.  166,  10,  amseshu  etah,  I  adopt  Professor  Rothes 
conjecture,  that  eta^  means  the  skins  of  the  fallow  deer, 
so  that  we  should  have  to  translate  :  On  their  shoulders 
are  the  deer-skins. 

In  the  other  passages  where  eta  occurs,  it  is  used  as  a 
simile  only,  and  therefore  throws  no  light  on  the  relation 
of  the  Etas  to  the  Maruts.  In  both  passages,  however 
(v.  54,  5  ;  X.  77,  2),  the  simile  refers  to  the  Maruts,  though 
to  their  speed  only,  and  not  to  their  colour. 

Verse  5,  note  ^.  Maha/i-bhi/^,  which  I  have  translated 
*  with  all  our  might,'  seems  to  be  used  almost  as  an  adverb, 
mightily  or  quickly  (makshu),  although  the  original  meaning, 
with  our  powers,  through  our  might,  is  likewise  applicable. 
The  original  meaning  is  quite  perceptible  in  passages  like 


186  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

V.  62,  3.  adharayatam  prithivim  uta  clyam  mitra-ra^ana 
varu?2a  maha/i-bhiA. 

Kings  Mitra  and  VaruTza^  you  have  supported  heaven 
and  earth  by  your  powers. 

vii.  3,  7.  tebhi^  na^  agne  amitai/^  maha^-bhi^  ^atani  pur- 
hhih  ayasibhi^  ni  pahi. 

With  those  immeasurable  powers,  O  Agni,  protect  us,  with 
a  hundred  iron  strongholds. 

i.  90,  2.   te — maha/i-bhiA,  vrata  rakshante  visvaha. 

They  always  protect  the  laws  by  their  powers. 

vii.  71,  I.   tvam  na^  agne  maha^-bhiA  pahi. 

Protect  us,  Agni,  with  thy  power. 

In  other  passages,  however,  we  see  mahaA-bhiA  used  of 
the  light  or  of  the  flames  of  Agni  and  of  the  dawn  : 

iv.  14,  I.   devah  r6A:amanaA  maha^-bhiA. 

Agni,  the  god,  brilliant  with  his  powers. 

vi.  64,  2.   devi  roAramana  maha^-bhiZf. 

O  goddess,  brilliant  with  thy  powers. 

The  powers  of  the  Maruts  are  referred  to  by  the  same 
name  in  the  following  passages : 

v.  58,  5.   pra-pra  ^ayante — maha/i-bhiA. 

The  Maruts  are  born  with  their  powers. 

vii.  58,  2.   pra  ye  maha^-bhiA  o^asa  uta  santi. 

The  Maruts  who  excel  in  power  and  strength.  Cf.  iii. 
4,  6. 

Verse  6,  note  ^.  Indra  in  this  dialogue  is  evidently  repre- 
sented as  claiming  everything  for  himself  alone.  He  affects 
contempt  for  the  help  proffered  by  the  Maruts,  and  seems 
to  deny  that  he  was  at  any  time  beholden  to  their  assistance. 
By  asking,  Where  was  that  custom  of  yours  that  you  should 
join  me  in  battle  ?  he  imphes  that  it  never  was  their  custom 
before,  and  that  he  can  dispense  with  their  succour  now. 
He  wants  to  be  alone  in  his  battle  with  Ahi,  and  does  not 
wish  that  they  should  join  him  :  (cf.  i.  33,  4.)  Professor 
Roth  takes  sam-adhatta  in  the  sense  of  implicating,  but  it  can 
hardly  be  said  that  the  Maruts  ever  implicated  Indra  in  his 
fight  against  Ahi.  Certainly  this  is  not  in  keeping  with 
the  general  tenor  of  this  dialogue,  where,  on  the  contrary, 
Indra  shuns  the  company  of  the  Maruts.      But  while  on 


MANDALA   1,    SUKTA  165.  187 

this  point  I  differ  from  Professor  Roth,  I  think  he  has 
rightly  interpreted  the  meaning  of  anamam.  Out  of  the 
four  passages  in  which  badha-snai^  occurs,  it  is  three  times 
joined  with  nam,  and  every  time  has  the  sense  of  to  bend 
away  from,  to  escape  from.  See  also  Sonne,  in  Kuhn^s 
Zeitschrift,  vol.  xii.  p.  348. 

Verse  7,  note  ^.  See  vii.  39,  6.  sakshimahi  yu^yebhi^  mi 
devaiA. 

Verse  7,  note  ^.  The  last  words  leave  no  doubt  as  to 
their  meaning,  for  the  phrase  is  one  of  frequent  occurrence. 
The  only  difficulty  is  the  vocative  maruta^,  where  we  should 
expect  the  nominative.  It  is  quite  possible,  however,  that 
the  Maruts  should  here  address  themselves,  though,  no 
doubt,  it  would  be  easy  to  alter  the  accent.  As  to  the 
phrase  itself,  see 

viii.  61,  4.   tatha  it  asat  indra  kratva  yatha  vassih. 

May  it  be  so,  O  Indra,  as  thou  desirest  by  thy  mind. 

viii.  66,  4.   yagri — it  karat  indra^  kratva  yatha  va^at. 

May  Indra  with  the  thunderbolt  act  as  he  desires  in  his 
mind.      Cf.  viii.  20,  17  ;   28,  4,  &c. 

Verse  8,  note  ^.  Here  again  Indra  claims  everything  for 
himself,  denying  that  the  Maruts  in  any  way  assisted  him 
while  performing  his  great  deeds.  These  deeds  are  the 
killing  of  Vritra,  who  withholds  the  waters,  i.  e.  the  rain 
from  the  earth,  and  the  consequent  liberation  of  the  waters 
so  that  they  flow  down  freely  for  the  benefit  of  Manu,  that 
is,  of  man. 

When  Indra  says  that  he  slew  Vritra  indriyena,  he 
evidently  chooses  that  word  with  a  purpose,  and  we  must 
therefore  translate  it,  not  only  by  might,  but  by  Indra^s 
peculiar  might.  Indriya,  as  derived  from  indi'a,  means 
originally  Indra-hood,  then  power  in  general,  just  as  vere- 
thraghna  in  Zend  means  victory  in  general,  though  origin- 
ally it  meant  the  slaying  of  Vritra. 

Verse  9,  note  ^.  Devata  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  a  deity 
never  occurs  in  the   Rig-veda.      The  word,   in   fact,   as   a 


188  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

feminine  substantive  occurs  but  twice,  and  in  the  tenth 
Mandala  only.  But  even  there  it  does  not  mean  deity. 
In  X.  24,  6,  devaA  devataya  means,  O  gods,  by  your  god- 
head, i.  e.  by  your  divine  power.  In  x.  98,  i,  brihaspate 
prati  me  devatam  ihi,  I  take  devata  in  the  same  sense  as 
devatati,  and  translate,  O  Brihaspati,  come  to  my  sacrifice. 

In  all  other  places  where  devata  occurs  in  the  Rig-veda 
it  is  a  local  adverb,  and  means  among  the  gods.  I  shall 
only  quote  those  passages  in  which  Professor  Roth  assigns 
to  devata  a  different  meaning : 

i.  ^^j  3.  pra  viryg/^a  devata  ati  ^ekite. 

He  is  pre-eminent  among  the  gods  by  his  strength. 

i.  22,  5.   sa/i  A:etta  devata  padam. 

He  knows  the  place  among  the  gods. 

i,  100,  15.  na  yasya  deva/i  devata  na  marta^  apa^  ^ana 
ssLvasah  ant  am  apilA. 

He,  the  end  of  whose  power  neither  the  gods  among  the 
gods,  nor  mortals,  nor  even  the  waters  have  reached. 

Here  the  translation  of  devata  in  the  sense  of  '  by  their 
godhead,^  would  be  equally  applicable,  yet  nothing  would 
be  gained  as,  in  either  case,  devata  is  a  weak  repetition. 

vi.  4,  7.  indi'am  na  tva  5avasa  devata  vayum  priwanti 
radhasa  nri-tama^. 

The  best  among  men  celebrate  thee,  O  Agni,  as  like 
unto  Indra  in  strength  among  the  gods,  as  like  unto  Vayu 
in  liberality. 

Verse  9,  note  ^.  The  juxta-position  of  ^ayamana^  and 
gatah  W'Ould  seem  to  show  that,  if  the  latter  had  a  past, 
the  former  had  a  future  meaning.  To  us,  '  No  one  who 
will  be  born  and  no  one  who  has  been  born,^  would  cer- 
tainly sound  more  natural.  The  Hindu,  however,  is 
familiar  with  the  idea  as  here  expressed,  and  in  order  to 
comprehend  all  beings,  he  speaks  of  those  who  are  born 
and  those  who  are  being  born.  Thus  in  a  Pada^ish/a  of 
the  Pavamanis  (ix.  67)  we  read : 

yan  me  garbhe  vasata^  papam  ugram, 
ya^  ^ayamanasya  Jca.  himkid  anyat, 
^atasya  ka  yak  ^api  vardhato  me, 
tat  pavamanibhir  aham  punami. 


MAN  DAL  A   I,    SUKTA  165.  189 

Verse  9,  note  ^.  Karishya  is  written  in  all  the  MSS. 
without  a  Visarga,  and  unless  we  add  the  Yisarga  on  our 
own  authority,  we  should  have  to  take  it  as  an  accusative 
plur.  neut.  of  a  passive  participle  of  the  future,  karishyam 
standing  for  karyam,  faciendum.  It  would  be  much  easier, 
however,  to  explain  this  form  if  we  added  the  Visarga,  and 
read  karishya'A,  which  would  then  be  a  second  person 
singular  of  a  Vedic  conjunctive  of  the  future.  This  form 
occurs  at  least  once  more  in  the  Veda  : 

iv.  30,  23.  uta  nunam  yat  indriyam  karishya'A  indra 
pau;;isyam,   adya  naki^  tat   a  minat. 

O  Indra,  let  no  man  destroy  to-day  whatever  manly  feat 
thou  art  now  going  to  achieve. 

Verse  10,  note  ^.  As  I  have  translated  these  words,  they 
sound  rather  abrupt.  The  meaning,  however,  would  be 
clear  enough,  viz.  almighty  power  belongs  to  me,  therefore 
I  can  dare  and  do.  If  this  abrupt  expression  should  offend, 
it  may  be  avoided,  by  taking  the  participle  dadhrishvan  as 
a  finite  verb,  and  translating.  Whatever  I  have  been  daring, 
I  shall  do  according  to  my  will. 

Verse  11,  note  \  In  this  verse  Indra,  after  having 
declined  with  no  uncertain  sound  the  friendship  of  the 
Maruts,  repents  himself  of  his  unkindness  towards  his 
old  friends.  The  words  of  praise  which  they  addressed  to 
him  in  verse  9,  in  spite  of  the  rebuff  they  had  received 
from  Indra,  have  touched  his  heart,  and  we  may  suppose 
that  after  this,  their  reconciliation  was  complete.  The 
words  of  Indra  are  clear  enough,  the  only  difficulty  occurs 
in  the  last  words,  which  are  so  idiomatic  that  it  is  impos- 
sible to  render  them  in  English.  In  tanve  tanubhi/i, 
literally  for  the  body  by  the  bodies,  tanu  is  used  like  the 
pronoun  self.  Both  must  therefore  refer  to  the  same 
subject.  We  cannot  translate  *  for  myself  made  by  your- 
selves,' but  must  take  the  two  words  together,  so  that  they 
should  mean,  '  the  hymn  which  you  have  made  for  your 
own  sake,  freely,  and  by  your  own  exertions,  honestly.^ 

Verse  13,  note  ^.  I  translate  api-vatayanta/i  by  cherish- 
ing, a  meaning  equally  applicable  to  i.  128,  2,  and  x.  25,  i. 


190  HYMNS   TO    THE    MARUTS. 

I  suppose  the  original  meaning  was  really  to  blow  upon  a 
person^  to  cool  or  refresh  a  person  by  a  draught  of  air, 
which,  in  countries  like  India,  was  and  is  the  office  of  the 
attendants  of  a  prince.  It  would  then  take  the  meaning  of 
honouring,  worshipping  or  cherishing,  though  I  confess  the 
hymns  of  the  Veda  seem  almost  too  early  for  such  a  courtly 
metaphor. 

Verse  14,  note  ^.  This  is  a  verse  which,  without  some 
conjectural  alterations,  it  seems  impossible  to  translate. 
Sayawa,  of  course,  has  a  translation  ready  for  it,  so  has 
M.  Langlois,  but  both  of  them  offend  against  the  simplest 
rules  of  grammar  and  logic.  The  first  question  is,  who  is 
meant  by  asman  (which  is  here  used  as  an  amphimacer), 
the  sacrificers  or  the  Maruts  ?  The  verb  a  kakre  would  well 
apply  to  the  medha  manyasya,  the  hymn  of  Manya,  which  is 
intended  to  bring  the  Maruts  to  the  sacrifice,  this  bringing 
to  the  sacrifice  being  the  very  meaning  of  a  kar.  But  then 
we  have  the  vocative  maruta/i  in  the  next  line,  and  even  if 
we  changed  the  vocative  into  the  accusative,  we  should  not 
gain  much,  as  the  Maruts  could  hardly  call  upon  anybody 
to  turn  them  towards  the  sage. 

If,  on  the  contrary,  we  admit  that  asman  refers  to  those 
who  offer  the  sacrifice,  then  we  must  make  a  distinction^ 
which,  it  is  true,  is  not  an  unusual  one,  between  those  who 
here  speak  of  themselves  in  the  first  person,  and  who  pro- 
vide the  sacrifice,  and  the  poet  Mandarya  Manya,  who  was 
employed  by  them  to  compose  or  to  recite  this  hymn. 

But  even  if  we  adopt  this  alternative,  many  difficulties 
still  remain.  First  of  all,  we  have  to  change  the  accent  of 
^akre  into  kakre,  which  may  seem  a  slight  change,  but  is 
not  the  less  objectionable  when  we  consider  that  in  our 
emendations  of  the  Vedic  hymns  we  must  think  rather  of 
accidents  that  might  happen  in  oral  traditions  than  of  the 
lapsus  calami  of  later  scribes.  Secondly,  we  must  suppose 
that  the  hymn  of  Mandarya  Manya  ends  with  verse  13,  and 
that  the  last  verses  were  supplied  by  the  sacrificers  them- 
selves. Possibly  the  dialogue  only,  from  verse  3  to  verse  12, 
was  the  work  of  Manya,  and  the  rest  added  at  some  solemn 
occasion. 


MAN D ALA   I,    SUKTA  165.  191 

Other  difficulties,  however,  remain.  Duvasyat  is  taken 
by  Sayawa  as  an  ablative  of  duvasya,  worthy  of  diivas, 
i.  e.  of  worship,  of  sacrifice.  Unfortunately  this  duvasya 
does  not  occur  again,  though  it  would  be  formed  quite 
regularly,  like  namasya,  worthy  of  worship,  from  nam  as, 
worship. 

If  we  take  duvasyat  as  the  3rd  pers.  sing,  of  the  present 
in  the  Vedic  conjunctive,  we  must  also  confess  that  this 
conjunctive  does  not  occur  again.  But  the  verb  duvasyati 
occurs  frequently.  It  seems  to  have  two  meanings.  It  is 
derived  fi'om  duvas,  which  in  the  Vedic  language  means 
worship  or  sacrifice,  just  as  karma,  work,  has  assumed  the 
special  sense  of  sacrifice.  Derived  from  duvas  in  this  sense, 
duvasyati  means  to  worship.  But  duvas  meant  originally 
any  opus  operatum.  The  root  from  which  duvas  is  derived, 
is  lost  in  Sanskrit,  but  it  exists  in  other  languages.  It 
must  have  been  du  or  dii  in  the  sense  of  acting,  or 
sedulously  working.  It  exists  in  Zend  as  du,  to  do,  in 
Gothic  as  tdujan,  yataujan,  Old  High  German  zatvjan, 
Modern  German  zauen  (Grimm,  Gram.  i^.  p.  1041).  The 
Gothic  tavi,  opus.  Old  High  German  zouwi,  Middle  High 
German  gezoiiive  (Grimm,  Gram.  iii.  p.  499),  come  from 
the  same  source  ;  and  it  is  possible,  too,  that  the  Old  Norse 
tqfrar,  incantamenta,  the  Old  High  German  zoupar,  Middle 
High  German  zouber,  both  neuter,  and  the  modern  Zauber, 
may  find  their  explanation  in  the  Sanskrit  diivas.  Derived 
from  duvas,  in  the  sense  of  work,  we  have  duvasyati  in 
the  sense  of  helping,  providing,  the  German  schaffen  and 
verscliaffen. 

In  the  sense  of  worshipping,  duvasyati  occurs, 

iii.  2,  8.   duvasyata — ^ata-vedasam. 

Worship  (ratavedas. 

V.  28,  6.   a  ^uhota  duvasyata  agnim. 

Invoke,  worship  Agni.      Cf.  iii.  13,  3  ;   i,  13. 

iii.  3,  I.   agni^  hi  devan — duvasyati. 

Agni  performs  the  worship  of  the  gods.      Cf  vii.  82,  5. 

i.  167,  6.   suta-soma^  duvasyan. 

He  who  has  poured  out  Soma  and  worships. 

In  many  passages  duvasyati  is  joined  with  an  in- 
strumental : 


192  HYMNS   TO    THE    MARUTS. 

V.  42j  II.  numah-hhih  devam — duvasya. 

Worship*  the  god  with  praises. 

i.  78,  2.  tam  u  tva  gotama/^  gira — duvasyati. 

Gotama  worships  thee  with  a  song. 

V.  49,  2.   su-uktal/^  devam — duvasya. 

Worship  the  god  with  hymns. 

vi.  16,  46.   viti  ya^  devam — duvasyet. 

He  who  worships  the  god  with  food. 

X.  14,  I.  yamam — havisha  duvasya. 

Worship  Yama  with  an  oblation. 

vi.  15,  6.   agnim-agnim  yah  samidha  duvasyata. 

Worship  Agni  with  your  log  of  wood.    Cf.  viii.  44,  i. 

iii.  I,  2.   samit-bhi^  agnim  namasa  duvasyan. 

They  worshipped  Agni  with  logs  of  wood,  with  praise. 

In  the  more  general  and,  I  suppose,  more  original  sense 
of  caring  for,  attending,  we  find  duvasyati : 

iii.  51,  3-   anehasa^  stiibha/i  indra/i  duvasyati. 

Indra  provides  for  the  matchless  worshippers. 

i.  112,  15.   kalim  yabhi/i — duvasyatha^. 

By  the  succours  with  which  you  help  Kali.    Cf  i.  112,  21. 

i.  62,  10.   duvasyanti  svasara^  ahraya/^am. 

The  sisters  attend  the  proud  (Agni). 

i.  119,  10.   yuvam  pedave — 5vetam — duvasyatha/?. 

You  provide  for  Pedu  the  white  horse. 

If,  then,  we  take  duvasyati  in  the  sense  of  working  for, 
assisting,  it  may  be  with  the  special  sense  of  assisting  at  a 
sacred  act,  like  SiaKoveip ;  and  if  we  take  duvas,  as  it  has 
the  accent  on  the  last  syllable,  as  the  performer  of  sacrifice, 
we  may  venture  to  translate,  '  that  he  should  help,  as  the 
singer  helps  the  performer  of  the  sacrifice  *.^  The  singer 
or  the  poet  may  be  called  the  assistant  at  a  sacrifice,  for 
his  presence  was  not  necessary  at  all  sacrifices,  the  songs 
constituting  an  ornament  rather  than  an  essential  in  most 
sacred  acts.  But  though  1  think  it  right  to  oflfer  this 
conjectural  interpretation,  I  am  far  from  supposing  that  it 
gives  us  the  real  sense  of  this  difficult  verse.  Duvasyat 
may  be,  as   Saya^^a  suggests,  an   ablative  of  duvasya ;    and 

*  Kar  in  the  sense  of  officiating  at  a  sacrifice  is  equally  construed  with  a 
dative,  x.  97,  22.  yusmai  krindti  hralnnan^h,  he  for  whom  a  Br^hmana 
pei-forms  a  sacrifice. 


MAiVDALA   I,    SUKTA    165.  193 

duvasya,  like  namasya,  if  we  change  the  accent,  may  mean 
he  who  is  to  be  worshipped,  or  w^orshipping.  In  this  way 
a  different  interpretation  might  suggest  itself,  in  which  the 
words  duvasyat  duvase  could  be  taken  to  mean  '  from  one 
worshipper  to  another/  Some  happy  thought  may  some 
day  or  other  clear  up  this  difficulty,  when  those  who  have 
toiled,  but  toiled  in  a  wrong  direction,  will  receive  scant 
thanks  for  the  trouble  they  have  taken. 

In  the  second  line,  the  words  6  sii  varta  remind  one  of 
similar  phrases  in  the  Veda,  but  we  want  an  accusative, 
governed  by  varta ;  whereas  marutaA,  to  judge  from  its 
accent,  can  only  be  a  vocative.      Thus  we  read : 

i.  138,  4.   6  (iti)  sii  tva  vavritimahi  stomebhi^. 

May  we  turn  thee  quickly  hither  by  our  praises  ! 

viii.  7,  33.   6  (iti)  sii  vrishwaA — vavrityam. 

May  I  turn  the  heroes  quickly  hither ! 

Compare  also  passages  like  iii.  ^^,  8 : 

6  (iti)  sii  svasara^  karave  srinotsL, 

Listen  quickly,  O  sisters,  to  the  poet. 

i.  139,  7.   6  (iti)  su  na^  agne  ^ri^uhi. 

Hear  us  quickly,  O  Agni. 

Cf.  i.  182,  i;  ii.  34,  15;  vii.  59,  5;  viii.  2,  19;  x.  179,  2. 

Unless  we  change  the  accent,  we  must  translate,  *  Bring 
hither  quickly  ! '  and  we  must  take  these  words  as  addressed 
to  the  kard,  the  poet,  whose  hymn  is  supposed  to  attract  the 
gods  to  the  sacrifice.  By  a  quick  transition,  the  next  words, 
maruta^  vipram  akk/m,  would  then  have  to  be  taken  as 
addressed  to  the  gods,  '  Maruts,  on  to  the  sage  ! '  and  the 
last  words  would  become  intelligible  by  laying  stress  on 
the  \a.h,  '  for  you,  and  not  for  Indra  or  any  other  god,  has 
the  singer  recited  these  hymns.^ 

Verse  15,  note  ^.  1  translate  Many  a,  the  son  of  Mana, 
because  the  poet,  so  called  in  i.  189,  8,  is  in  all  probability 
the  same  as  our  Mandarya  Manya. 

Verse  15,  note  ^.  The  second  line  is  difficult,  owing  to 
the  uncertain  meaning  of  vayam.  First  of  all,  it  might 
seem  as  if  the  two  hemistichs  must  be  kept  distinct,  because 
the    second   is    so    often    used   independently   of   the    first. 

VOL.  I.  O 


194  HYMNS   TO   THE   MAR  UTS. 

There  are  passages,  however,  where  this  very  hemistich 
carries  on  the  sentence  of  a  preceding  hemistich^  as,  for 
instance,  i.  177,  5;  182,  8.  We  may  therefore  join  tanve 
vayam  with  the  following  words,  and  it  certainly  seems 
more  difficult  to  elicit  any  sense  if  we  join  them  with 
the   preceding  words. 

A  isha  *  yasish/a  might  be  rendered,  '  Come  hither  with 
water  or  drink  or  rain,^  yasish/a  being  the  aorist  without 
the  augment  and  with  the  intermediate  vowel  lengthened. 
The  indicative  occurs  in 

V.  58,  6.   yat  pra  ayasish^a  prishatibhi^  asYoih. 

When  you  Maruts  come  forth  with  your  fallow  deer  and 
your  horses. 

But  what  is  the  meaning  of  vayam  ?  Vaya  means  a 
germ,  a  sprout,  an  offshoot,  a  branch,  as  may  be  seen  from 
the  following  passages  : 

ii.  5,  4.  vidvan  asya  vrata  dhruva  vaya/i-iva  anu  rohate. 

He  who  knows  his  eternal  laws,  springs  up  like  young 
sprouts. 

vi.  7,  6.  tasya  it  mn  (iti)  vi^va  bhuvana  adhi  murdhani 
vaya/i-iva  ruruhu/^. 

From  above  the  head  of  Vai^vanara  all  worlds  have 
grown,  like  young  sprouts. 

viii.  13,  6.   stota — vaya/^-iva  anu  rohate. 

The  worshipper  grows  up  like  young  sprouts. 

viii.  13,  17.   indram  kshomA  avardhayan  vaya/i-iva. 

The  people  made  Indra  to  grow  like  young  sprouts. 

viii.  1 9,33.  yasya  te  ague  anye  agnaya/i  upa-kshita/i vayaA-iva. 

Agni,  of  whom  the  other  fires  are  like  parasitical  shoots. 

i.  59,  I.   vaya'A  it  agne  agnaya^  te  anye. 

O  Agni,  the  other  fires  are  indeed  offshoots  of  thee. 

ii-  35)  ^'  vaya^  it  anya  bhuvanani  asya. 

The  other  worlds  are  indeed  his  (the  rising  sun^s)  offshoots. 

vi.  13,  I.  tvat  vi^va — saubhagani  agne  vi  yanti  vanina/i 
na  vaya^. 

From  thee,  O  Agni,  spring  all  happinesses,  as  the  sprouts 
of  a  tree. 


*  There  was  a  misprint  in  the  SanhitS  text,  eshS  instead  of  eshS',  which  was 
afterwards  repeated  whenever  the  same  verse  occurred  again. 


MAA^2>ALA    I,    SUKTA    165.  195 

vi.  24,  3.  vrikshasya  nu  (na?)  te — vayaA  vi  utaya^  ruruhu^. 

Succours  sprang  from  thee,  like  the  branches  of  a  tree. 

V.  I,  I.  yahva'A-iva  pra  vayam  ut-^ihana^  pra  bhanava^ 
sisrate  nakam  kkkhsi. 

Like  birds  (?)  flying  up  to  a  branch,  the  flames  of  Agni 
went  up  to  heaven. 

^i*  51i  5-  tam  pushwaA  su-matim  vayam  vrikshasya  pra 
vayam-iva  indrasya  /ca  a  rabhamahe. 

Let  us  reach  this  favour  of  Pushan  and  of  Indra,  as  one 
reaches  forth  to  the  branch  of  a  tree. 

There  remain  some  doubtful  passages  in  which  vaya 
occurs,  vii.  40,  5,  and  x.  92,  3;  134,  6.  In  the  first  pas- 
sage, as  in  our  own,  vayaA  is  trisyllabic. 

If  vaya  can  be  used  in  the  sense  of  offshoot  or  sprout, 
we  may  conclude  that  the  same  word,  used  in  the 
singular,  might  mean  offspring,  particularly  when  joined 
with  tanve.  '  Give  a  branch  to  our  body,^  would  be  under- 
stood even  in  languages  less  metaphorical  than  that  of  the 
Vedas ;  and  as  the  prayer  for  '  olive  branches  ^  is  a  constant 
theme  of  the  Vedic  poets,  the  very  absence  of  that  prayer 
here,  might  justify  us  in  assigning  this  sense  to  vayam. 
In  vi.  2,  5,  the  expression  vayavantam  kshayam,  a  house 
with  branches,  means  the  same  as  nrivantam,  a  house  with 
children  and  men.  See  M.  M.,  On  B/oy  and  vayas,  in 
Kuhn's  Zeitschrift,  vol.  xv.  p.  215. 

If  the  third  pada  is  to  be  kept  as  an  independent  sentence, 
we  must  take  yasish^a  as  the  third  pers.  sing,  of  the  benedic- 
tive,  and  refer  it  to  stomal  or  giA.  Grammatically  this  may 
seem  preferable,  and  I  have  given  this  alternative  translation 
in  the  next  hymn,  where  the  same  verse  occurs  again. 

fc  Verse  15,  note  ^.  Vri^ana  means  an  enclosure,  a  voiuof, 
whether  it  be  derived  from  Yrig,  to  ward  off,  like  ar<r  from 
arcere,  or  from  yr'ig,  in  the  sense  of  clearing,  as  in  vrikta- 
barhis,  barhiA  pra  vriii^e,  i.  116,  i.  In  either  case  the  mean- 
ing remains  much  the  same,  viz.  a  field,  cleared  for  pasture 
or  agriculture, — a  clearing,  as  it  is  called  in  America,  or  a 
camp, — enclosed  with  hurdles  or  walls,  so  as  to  be  capable 
of  defence  ao-ainst  wild  animals  or  against  enemies.  Other 
meanings  of  vri^ana  will  be  discussed  in  other  places. 

O  2 


k 


196  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

MandAJjA   I,    SfjKTA    166. 

AsHTAKA  II,  AdhyIya  4,  Varga  1-3. 

1.  Tdt  nu  voMma  rabhas^a  ^d.nmane  ptarvam 
mahi-tvdm  vrishabhasya  ketave,  aidha-iva  y^man 
maruta/^/  tuvi-svana/^.  yudh^-iva  sakra^  tavish^m 
kartana. 

2.  Nityam  nd  suniim  madhu  bibhrata/i  upa 
kri/anti  krlZai/i  vidatbesliu  ghrishyaya/?.,  nd^kshanti 
YxxdvKh  dvas^  namasvinam  nd  mardhanti  svd-tavasa^ 
havi/?.-k7itam. 

3.  Ydsmai  tim^sa/i  snoaritkh  drasata  raya/i  posliam 
Jc8i  havisha  dadasushe,  ukshanti  asmai  marutaA 
hita/i.-iva  puru  ra^amsi  payasa  maya/^-bhuva/^. 

4.  A  ye  r^gkmsi  tdvishibliiA  dvyata  pr^  va/i 
evasaA  svd-yat4sa/^  adhra^an,  bbayante  vi5v4  bliii- 
vaiiani  barmy  a  kitiih  \dJi  y^maA  pra-yat4su 
risb^lshu. 

5.  Ydt  tvesb^-yamaA^  nadayanta  parvatan  divd-A 
va  prish^Adm  nd,ry4  *  d^u^yavu/i,  visYSih  \dJi  d^man 
bbayate  vdnaspdti/^  rathiydnti-iva  pra  ^ihlte  osha- 
dhiA. 

6.  Ytjyd^m  na/i  Vigmli  marutaA  su-Z;etun^  d,rish^a- 
grama/i  su-matim  pipartana,  ydtra  va/i  didyut 
rd-dati  krivi/i-datl  ri^^ati  pasvd^A  sudhita-iva  bar- 
hdiia. 


MAN  D  Ah  A   I,    SUKTA  166.  197 


Hymn  to  the  Maruts  (the  Storm-gods). 

1.  Let  us  now  proclaim  for  the  robust^  host,  for 
the  herald^  of  the  powerful  (Indra),  their  ancient 
greatness !  0  ye  strong-voiced  Maruts,  you  heroes, 
show  your  powers  on  your  way  as  with  a  torch,  as 
with  a  sword  !  ^ 

2.  Like  parents  bringing  sweet  to  ^  their  own  ^ 
son,  the  wild  (Maruts)  play  playfully  at  the  sacri- 
fices. The  Rudras  reach  the  worshipper  with  their 
protection,  powerful  by  themselves,  they  do  not  hurt 
the  sacrificer. 

3.  For  the  giver  of  oblations,  for  him  to  whom 
the  immortal  guardians,  too,  have  given  plenty  of 
riches,  the  Maruts,  who  gladden  men  with  the  milk 
(of  rain),  pour  out,  like  friends,  many  clouds. 

4.  You  who  have  stirred^  up  the  clouds  with 
might,  your  horses  rushed^  forth,  self-guided.  All 
beings  who  dwell  in  houses  ^  are  afraid  of  you,  your 
coming  is  brilliant  with  your  spears  thrust  forth. 

5.  When  they  whose  path  is  fiery  have  caused  the 
rocks  to  tremble,^  or  when  the  manly  Maruts  have 
shaken  the  back  of  the  sky,  then  every  lord  of  the 
forest  fears  at  your  racing,  the  shrubs  get  out  of 
your  way,^  quick  like  chariots.^ 

6.  You,  O  terrible  Maruts,  whose  ranks  are  never 
broken,  favourably  ^  fulfil  our  prayer  !  ^  Wherever 
your  gory-toothed  ^  lightning  bites,^  it  crunches  ^  all 
living  beings,  like  a  well-aimed  bolt.*^ 


198  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

7.  Pra  skambhd-desh7ia/i  anavabhra-radliasaA  ala- 
tririasa/^  viddthesliu  su-stutaA,  ar^anti  arkdm  madi- 
rdsya  pitdye  vidu/^  vird,sya  pratham^ni  paiimsya. 


8.  Ssit^hhwgi-hhih  tarn  abhl-hrnte/?.  aghast  pu/i- 
bhiA  raksbata  maruta^  j^ra  avata,  g^nsucn  ydm 
■Qgra^  tavasa^  vi-rapsina/^.  patbd,na  .sams4t  tdna- 
yasya  pusb^isbu. 

9.  Vi5vani  bbadra  manitaA  rdtbeshu  yslJi  mitba- 
gpridbya-iva  tavisbatzi  a-hita,  amsesbu  a  va^  prd.- 
patbesbu  kbadayay^  d^ksba/^  vaA  ^akrab  samay4  vi 
vavrite. 

10.  Bbtjfri^ii  bbadra  n^ryesbu  babusbu  vdksba/^-su 
rukm^^  rabbasasa^  an^aya^,  dmsesbu  eta^  pavisbu 
ksbiira/^.  adhi  vayaA  nd  pakshan  vi  dnu  5riya^ 
dbire. 

11.  Mabanta^  mabna  vi-bbva^  vi-bbutaya^ 
dure -drisnh  ye  divy^A-iva  stri-bbiA,  mandraA  su- 
gi\iYKh  svaritara/i  asd,-bbi/i  sam-misM^  indre  marii- 
taA  pari-stiibba/r. 

12.  Tdt  va^  su-^ata^  maruta/^  mabi-tvandm 
dirgbdm  va^  datrd^m  dditeA-iva  vratam,  indra^ 
^and  tya^ras^  vi  bru^iati  tat  ^^naya  yasmai  su- 
krlte  d>radbvam. 

13.  Tat  va/i  ^ami-tvjlm  mariita/^  pare  yuge 
purii     yat     5d.msam     amritasa/i     avata,    aya    dbiya 


MAiVrZ)ALA   I,    SUKTA  166.  199 

7.  The  Maruts  whose  gifts  are  firm,  whose  bounties 
are  never  ceasing,  who  do  not  revile,-^  and  who  are 
highly  praised  at  the  sacrifices,  they  sing  forth  their 
song  ^  for  to  drink  the  sweet  juice  :  they  know  the 
first  manly  deeds  of  the  hero  (Indra). 

8.  The  man  whom  you  guarded,  0  Maruts,  shield 
him  with  hundredfold  strongholds  from  injury^  and 
mischief, — the  man  whom  you,  0  fearful,  powerful 
singers,  protect  from  reproach  in  the  prosperity  of 
his  children. 

9.  On  your  chariots,  0  Maruts,  there  are  all  good 
things,  strong  weapons  ^  are  piled  up  clashing  against 
each  other.  When  you  are  on  your  journeys,  you 
carry  the  rings  ^  on  your  shoulders,  and  your  axle 
turns  the  two  wheels  at  once.^ 

10.  In  your  manly  arms  there  are  many  good 
things,  on  your  chests  golden  chains,^  flaring^ 
ornaments,  on  your  shoulders  speckled  deer-skins,^ 
on  your  fellies  sharp  edges ;  *  as  birds  spread  their 
wings,  you  spread  out  your  splendour  behind  you. 

11.  They,  mighty  by  might,  all  pervading,  power- 
ful,^ visible  from  afar  like  the  heavens^  with  the 
stars,  sweet-toned,  soft-tongued  singers  with  their 
mouths,^  the  Maruts,  united  with  Indra,  shout  all 
around. 

12.  This  is  your  greatness,^  0  well-born  Maruts! — 
your  bounty^  extends  as  far  as  the  sway^  of  Aditi.* 
Not  even^  Indra  in  his  scorn  ^  can  injure  that 
bounty,  on  whatever  man  you  have  bestowed  it  for 
his  good  deeds. 

13.  This  is  your  kinship  (with  us),  O  Maruts,  that 
you,  immortals,  in  former  years  have  often  regarded 


200  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

m^nave  srush^im  avya  sakam  nii^Sih  daiiisanaiA  K 
Mkitrire. 

•  14.  Yena  dirgham  maruta/^.  susavama  yush- 
makena  pd,ri??asa  turasa/^,  K  ydt  tatanan  vri^ane 
gdnksah  ebhlA  ya^nebhiA  t^t  abhl  Ishdm  asyam. 

15.  Esha/<f'  va/i  stomal  maruta/z.  iyam  gih  mandar- 
yasya  manyasya  karo/^,  a  ish^  y^sish^a  tanvg  vay^m 
vidyama  isham  vric/anam  ^ira-danum. 


COMMENTARY. 

This  hymn  is  ascribed  to  Agastya,  the  reputed  son  of 
Mitravaruwau,  and  brother  of  Vasish/Aa.  The  metre  in 
verses  i— 13  is  (ragati,  in  14,  15  Trish/ubh. 

Verse  1,  note  ^.  Rabhasa,  an  adjective  of  rabhas,  and 
this  again  from  the  root  rabh,  to  rush  upon  a  things  a-rabh, 
to  begin  a  thing.  From  this  root  rabh  we  have  the  Latin 
rohur^  in  the  general  sense  of  strength,  while  in  rabies  the 
original  meaning  of  impetuous  motion  has  been  more  clearly 
preserved.  In  the  Vedic  Sanskrit,  derivatives  from  the 
root  rabh  convey  the  meaning  both  of  quickness  and  of 
strength.  Quickness  in  ancient  language  frequently  implies 
strength,  and  strength  implies  quickness,  as  we  see,  for 
instance,  from  the  German  snel^  which,  from  meaning 
originally  strong,  comes  to  mean  in  modern  German  quick, 
and  quick  only.      Thus  we  read : 

i.  145,  3.   SYSvJi  a  adatta  sam  rabha^. 

The  child  (Agni)  acquired  vigour. 

Indra  is  called  rabha^-daA,  giver  of  strength  ;  and 
rabhasa,  vigorous,  is  applied  not  only  to  the  Maruts,  who 


MAiS^Z)ALA   I,  SUKTA    166.  201 

our  call.^  Having  through  this  prayer  granted  a 
hearing  to  man,  these  heroes  become  well  known  by 
their  valiant  deeds. 

14.  That  we  may  long  flourish,  0  Maruts,  with 
your  wealth,  O  ye  racers,  that  our  men  may  spread 
in  the  camp,  therefore  let  me  achieve  the  rite  with 
these  offerings. 

15.  May  this  praise,  0  Maruts,  may  this  song  of 
Mandarya,  the  son  of  Mana,  the  poet,  approach  you 
(asking)  for  offspring  to  our  body  together  with  food  1 
May  we  find  food,  and  a  camp  with  running  water ! 


in  V.  58,  5,  are  called  rabhish/^a^,  the  most  vigorous,  but 
also  to  Agni,  ii.  10,  4,  and  to  Indra,  iii.  31,  12. 

In  the  sense  of  rabid,  furious,  it  occurs  in 

X.  95,  14.   adha  enam  vrikaA  rabhasasa^  adyii^. 

May  rabid  wolves  eat  him  ! 

In  the  next  verse  rabhasa,  the  epithet  of  the  wolves,  is 
replaced  by  a^iva,  which  means  unlucky,  uncanny. 

In  our  hymn  rabhasa  occurs  once  more,  and  is  applied 
there,  in  verse  10,  to  the  an^i  or  glittering  ornaments  of 
the  Maruts.  Here  Sayawa  translates  it  by  lovely,  and  it 
was  most  likely  intended  to  convey  the  idea  of  lively  or 
brilliant  splendour.      See  also  ix.  96,  i. 

Verse  1,  note  ^.  Ketu,  derived  from  an  old  root  ki, 
in  Sanskrit  ^i,  to  perceive,  means  originally  that  by  which 
a  thing  is  perceived  or  known,  whether  a  sign,  or  a  flag,  or 
a  herald.  It  then  takes  the  more  general  sense  of  light 
and  splendour.  In  our  passage,  herald  seems  to  me  the 
most  appropriate  rendering,  though  B.  and  R.  prefer  the 
sense  of  banner.  The  Maruts  come  before  Indra,  they 
announce  the  arrival  of  Indra,  they  are  the  first  of  his 
army. 


202  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

Verse  1,  note  ^.  The  real  difficulty  of  our  verse  lies  in 
the  two  comparisons  aidha-iva  and  yudha-iva.  Neither  of 
them  occurs  again  in  the  Rig-veda.  B.  and  R.  explain 
aidha  as  an  instrumental  of  aidh,  flaming,  or  flame,  and 
derive  it  from  the  root  idh,  to  kindle,  with  the  preposition  a. 
Professor  Bollensen  in  his  excellent  article  Zur  Herstellung 
des  Veda  (Orient  und  Occident,  vol.  iii.  p.  473)  says : 
'  The  analysis  of  the  text  given  in  the  Pada,  viz .  aidha- 
iva  and  yudha-iva,  is  contrary  to  all  sense.  The  common 
predicate  is  tavIshaV2i  kartana,  exercise  your  power,  you 
roarers,  i.  e.  blow  as  if  you  meant  to  kindle  the  fire  on  the 
altar,  show  your  power  as  if  you  went  to  battle.  We  ought 
therefore  to  read  aidhe  va  and  yudhe  |  va.  Both  are 
infinitives,  aidh  is  nothing  but  the  root  idh  +  a,  to  kindle, 
to  light.^  Now  this  is  certainly  a  very  ingenious  explana- 
tion, but  it  rests  on  a  supposition  which  I  cannot  consider 
as  proved,  viz.  that  in  the  Veda,  as  in  Pali,  the  comparative 
particle  iva  may  be  abbreviated  to  va.  It  must  be  admitted, 
I  believe,  that  the  two  short  syllables  of  iva  are  occasionally 
counted  in  the  Veda  as  one,  but  yudhe -iva,  though  it 
might  become  yudha  iva,  would  never  in  the  Veda  become 
yudheva. 

As  yudha  occurs  frequently  in  the  Veda,  we  may  begin 
by  admitting  that  the  parallel  form  aidha  must  be  explained 
in  analogy  to  yudha.  Now  yudh  is  a  verbal  noun  and 
means  fighting.  We  have  the  accusative  yudham,  i.  ^'^^  7; 
the  genitive  yudha^,  viii.  27,  17;  the  dative  yudhe,  i.  61,  13; 
the  locative  yudhi,  i.  8,  3 ;  the  instrumental  yudha,  i.  ^'^^  7, 
c^c. ;  loc.  plur.  yut-su,  i.  91,  21.  As  long  as  yiidh  retains 
the  general  predicative  meaning  of  fighting,  some  of  these 
cases  may  be  called  infinitives.  But  yudh  soon  assumes 
not  only  the  meaning  of  battle,  battle-ground,  but  also  of 
instrument  of  fighting,  weapon.  In  another  passage, 
x.  103,  2,  yudha/i  may  be  taken  as  a  vocative  plural, 
meaning  fighters.  Passages  in  which  yudh  means  clearly 
weapon,   are,  for  instance, 

V.  52,  6.  a  rukmai^  a  yudha  nara/«  rishva^  rish/i'/^ 
asrikshata. 

With  your  gold  chains,  with  your  weapon,  you  have 
stretched   forth   the   uplifted   spears. 


MAiVri)ALA   I,    SUKTA    166.  203 

^-  55}  ^'  pitvi  somasya  diva^  a  v7*idhana/«  5uraA  ni^ 
yudha  adhamat  dasyun. 

The  hero,  growing,  after  drinking  the  Soma,  blew  away 
from  the  sky  the  enemies  with  his  weapon.  See  also 
X.  103,  4. 

I  therefore  take  yudh  in  our  passage  also  in  the  sense  of 
weapon  or  sword,  and,  in  accordance  with  this,  I  assign 
to  aidh  the  meaning  of  torch.  Whether  aidh  comes  from 
idh  with  the  preposition  a,  which  after  all,  would  only  give 
edh,  or  whether  we  have  in  the  Sanskrit  aidh  the  same 
peculiar  strengthening  which  this  very  root  shows  in  Greek 
and  Latin*,  would  be  difficult  to  decide.  The  torch  of  the 
Maruts  is  the  lightning,  the  weapon  the  thunderbolt,  and 
by  both  they  manifest  their  strength. 

Wilson :  '  We  proclaim  eagerly,  Maruts,  your  ancient 
greatness,  for  (the  sake  of  inducing)  your  prompt  appear- 
ance, as  the  indication  of  (the  approach  of)  the  showerer 
(of  benefits).  Loud-roaring  and  mighty  Maruts,  you  exert 
your  vigorous  energies  for  the  advance  (to  the  sacrifice), 
as  if  it  was  to  battle.^ 

Langlois :  '  Lie  genereux  (Agni)  a  donne  le  signal ; 
chantons  I'hymne  du  matin  en  Fhonneur  d^une  race  im- 
petueuse.  O  puissants  et  rapides  Marouts,  que  la  marche 
accroisse  votre  eclat ;  que  Telan  du  combat  augmente  vos 
forces  I' 

Verse  2,  note  \  That  lipa  can  be  construed  with  the 
accusative  is  clear  from  many  passages  : 

iii.  ^^,  2.   upa  imam  ya^nam  a  vahata^  mdram. 
Bring  Tndra  to  this  sacrifice  ! 
i.  25,  4.  vaya^  na  vasati/«  upa. 
As  birds  (fly)  to  their  nests. 

Verse  2,  note  ^.  Nitya,  from  ni  -t-  tya,  means  originally 
what  is  inside,  internus,  then  what  is  one^s  own ;  and  is 
opposed  to  nishfya,  from  nis  4-  tya,  what  is  outside,  strange, 
or  hostile.    Nitya  has  been  well  compared  with  ni^a,  literally 


*  Schleicher,   Compendium,    §  36,  alOoj,  alO-qp,  aidovaa ;   and   §  49,  aides, 
aidilis,  cestas.  '■'■'. 


204  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

eingeboren,  then,  like  nitya,  one^s  own.  What  is  inside,  or 
in  a  thing  or  place,  is  its  own,  is  peculiar  to  it,  does  not 
move  or  change,  and  hence  the  secondary  meanings  of 
nitya,  one^s  own,  unchanging,  eternal.  Thus  we  find  nitya 
used  in  the   sense   of  internal  or  domestic  : 

i.  73,  4.  tam  tva  naraA  dame  a  nityam  iddham  agne 
sa^anta   kshitishu   dhruvasu. 

Our  men  worshipped  thee,  O  Agni,  lighted  within  the 
house  in   safe  places. 

This  I  believe  to  be  a  more  appropriate  rendering  than 
if  we  take  nitya  in  the  sense  of  always,  continuously  lighted, 
or,  as  some  propose,  in  the  sense  of  eternal,  everlasting. 

vii.  I,  2.   dakshayyaA  yaA  dame  asa  nitya^. 

Agni  who  is  to  be  pleased  within  the  house,  i.e.  as  belong- 
ing to  the  house,  and,  in  that  sense,  who  is  to  be  pleased 
always.  Cf.  i.  140,  7;  141,  2;  x.  12,  2,  and  iii.  25,  5, 
where  nitya^,  however,  may  have  been  intended  as  an 
adjective  belonging  to  the  vocative  suno. 

Most  frequently  nitya  occurs  with  sunu,  i.  66,  i;  185,  2; 
tanaya,  iii.  15,  2  ;  x.  39,  14;  toka,  ii.  2,  11  ;  api,  vii.  88,  6; 
pati,  i.  71,  I,  and  has  always  the  meaning  of  one's  own, 
very  much  like  the  later  Sanskrit  ni^a,  which  never  occurs 
in  the  Rig-veda,  though  it  makes  its  appearance  in  the 
Atharva/za. 

Nish^ya,  extraneus,  occurs  three  times  in  the  Rig-veda : 

vi.  75,  19.  yaA  naA  svaA  ?iYanah  yah  ka  mshtjah 
gighatrissiti. 

Whoever  wishes  to  hurt  us,  our  own  friend  or  a  stranger 
from  without. 

X.  133,  5.  ya/i  na^  indra  abhi-dasati  sa-nabhiA  ya^  ka, 
nishtysih. 

He  who  infests  us,  O  Indra,  whether  a  relative  or  a 
stranger. 

viii.  I,  13.   ma  bhuma  nish/ya^-iva  indra  tvad  aranah-iva. 

Let  us  not  be  like  outsiders,  O  Indra,  not  like  strangers 
to  thee. 

Wilson  :  '  Ever  accepting  the  sweet  (libation),  as  (they 
would)  a  son,  they  sport  playfully  at  sacrifices,  demolishing 
(all  intruders).' 

Langlois  :  '  Acceptant  la  douce  libation  sans  cesse  renou- 


MAiVDALA   I,    SUKTA    166.  205 

velee,  comme  (un  pere  adopte)  un  nouveau-ne,  ils  se  livrent 
a  leurs  jeux  au  milieu  des  sacrifices,  terribles  (pour  leurs 
ennemis)/ 

Verse  4,  note  ^.  ^vyata,  a  Vedic  second  aorist  of  vi  (a^), 
to  stir  up,  to  excite.  From  it  pravaya^za,  a  goad,  pra-vetar, 
a  driver.  The  Greek  oI-cr-Tpo^,  gad-fly,  has  been  referred 
to  the  same  root.      See  Fick,  Worterbuch,  p.  170. 

Verse  4,  note  ^.  Adhra^an,  from  dhra^,  a  root  which, 
by  metathesis  of  aspiration,  would  assume  the  form  of 
dragh  or  dragh.  In  Greek,  the  final  medial  aspirate  being 
hardened,  reacts  on  the  initial  media,  and  changes  it  to  t, 
as  bahu  becomes  irriyyq,  budh  irvQ,  bandh  irevd.  This 
would  give  us  Tpe')(^,  the  Greek  root  for  running,  Goth. 
thrag-jan. 

Verse  4,  note  ^.  Harmya  is  used  here  as  an  adjective  to 
bhiivana,  and  can  only  mean  living  in  houses.  It  does  not, 
however,  occur  again  in  the  same  sense,  though  it  occurs 
several  times  as  a  substantive,  meaning  house.  Its  original 
meaning  is  fire-pit,  then  hearth,  then  house,  a  transition  of 
meaning  analogous  to  that  of  mdes.  Most  of  the  ancient 
nations  begin  their  kitchen  with  a  fire-pit.  '  They  dig  a 
hole  in  the  ground,  take  a  piece  of  the  animaPs  raw  hide, 
and  press  it  down  with  their  hands  close  to  the  sides  of  the 
hole,  which  thus  becomes  a  sort  of  pot  or  basin.  This 
they  fill  with  water,  and  they  make  a  number  of  stones 
red-hot  in  a  fire  close  by.  The  meat  is  put  into  the  water, 
and  the  stones  dropped  in  till  the  meat  is  boiled.  Catlin 
describes  the  process  as  awkward  and  tedious,  and  says 
that  since  the  Assinaboins  had  learnt  from  the  Mandans 
to  make  pottery,  and  had  been  supplied  with  vessels  by 
the  traders,  they  had  entirely  done  away  the  custom, 
"  excepting  at  public  festivals ;  where  they  seem,  like  all 
others  of  the  human  family,  to  take  pleasure  in  cherishing 
and  perpetuating  their  ancient  customs  *.^^'      This  pit  was 

*  Tylor,  Early  History  of  Mankind,  p.  262. 


206  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

called  harmya,   which  is  the  Zend  zairimya*,  or  gharma, 
which  is  the  Latin  formus.     Thus  we  read  : 

vii.  ^6^  1 6.   te  harmye-sthaA  ^i^ava/i  na  6*ubhra^. 

The  Maruts  bright  like  boys  standing  by  the  hearth. 

From  meaning  fire-pit,  or  hearth,  harmya  afterwards 
takes   the  more   general   sense   of  house : 

vii.  ^^^  6.  tesham  sam  hanma/i  aksha/ii  yatha  idam 
harmyam   tatha. 

We  shut  their  eyes  as  we  shut  this  house,  (possibly, 
this  oven.) 

vii.  76,  2.   prati/a  a  agat  adhi  harmyebhya^. 

The  dawn  comes  near,  over  the  house-tops. 

X.  46,  3.  gkiih  a  harmyeshu. 

Agni,  born  in  the  houses. 

X.  73,  10.   manyoA  iyaya  harmyeshu  tasthau. 

He  came  from  Manyu,  he  remained  in  the  houses. 

In  some  of  these  passages  harmya  might  be  taken  in 
the  sense  of  householder;  but  as  harmya  in  vii.  ^^^  6,  has 
clearly  the  meaning  of  a  building,  it  seems  better  not  to 
assign  to  it  unnecessarily  any  new  significations. 

But  there  is  one  other  meaning  which  harmya  has  clearly 
assumed  in  the  Veda,  and  that  is  pit,  or  the  region  of 
darkness,  the  abode  of  evil  spirits^  lastly  the  abode  of  the 
departed.  The  transition  of  meaning  is  intelligible  enough, 
the  fiery  oven  becoming  naturally  the  symbol  of  any  other 
place  of  torment : 

V.  32,  5.  yiiyutsantam  tamasi  harmye  dhsik. 

When  thou,  Indra,  hadst  placed  /Sush/^a,  who  was 
anxious  to  fight,  in  the  darkness  of  the  pit. 

In  the  next  verse  we  find 

asurye  tamasi,  in  the  ghastly  darkness. 

viii.  5,  23.  yuvam  ka/ivaya  nasatya  api-riptaya  harmye 
sisYSit  utih  dasasyatha/?. 

You,  Nasatyas,  always  grant  your  aid  to  Ka/iva  when 
thrown  into  the  pit. 


*  Justi,  Handbuch,  p.  119,  zairimyahura,  adj.  in  der  Tiefe  essend,  Name 
eines  Daeva  oder,  da  er  dem  Hund  gegeniiber  genannt  wird,  eines  ahri- 
mauischen  Thieres,  Spiegel  (Av.  libers,  vol.  i.  p.  190)  vermuthet  des 
Hamstei's. 


MAiV/)ALA   I,    SUKTA    166.  207 

This  fiery  pit  into  which  Atri  is  thrown,  and  where  he, 
too,  was  saved  by  the  A^vins,  is  Hkewise  called  gharma, 
i.  112,  7;    119,  6;   viii.  73,  3;   x.  80,  3. 

Lastly  we  find: 

X.  114,  10.  yada  jamah  bhavati  harmye  hita^. 

When  Yama  is  seated  in  his  house,  or  in  the  nether 
world. 

The  Pitars,  too,  the  spirits  of  the  departed,  the  Manes, 
are  called  gharma-sad,  dwelling  in  the  abode  of  Yama, 
X.  15,  9,  and  10. 

Wilson :  '  Those,  your  coursers,  which  traverse  the 
regions  in  their  speed,  proceed,  self-guided :  all  worlds,  all 
dwellings  are  alarmed,  for  marvellous  is  your  coming  : 
(such  fear  as  is  felt)  when  spears  are  thrust  forth  (in 
battle).' 

Kuhn,  Zeitschrift,  vol.  ii.  p.  334 :  '  Die  ihr  die  Luft 
erfiillt  mit  eurer  Kraft,  hervorsturmt  ihr  selbst-gelenkten 
Laufes/ 

Verse  5,  note  ^.  Nad  certainly  means  to  sound,  and  the 
causative  might  be  translated  by  '  to  make  cry  or  shriek.' 
If  we  took  parvata  in  the  sense  of  cloud,  we  might  trans- 
late, '  When  you  make  the  clouds  roar ;'  if  we  took  parvata 
for  mountain,  we  might,  with  Professor  Wilson,  render  the 
passage  by  '  When  your  brilliant  coursers  make  the 
mountains  echo.'  But  nad,  like  other  roots  which  after- 
wards take  the  meaning  of  sounding,  means  originally  to 
vibrate,  to  shake  ;  and  if  we  compare  analogous  passages 
where  nad  occurs,  we  shall  see  that  in  our  verse,  too,  the 
Vedic  poet  undoubtedly  meant  nad  to  be  taken  in  that 
sense  : 

viii.  20,  5.  a^yuta  kit  yah  a^man  a  nanadati  parvatasa/i 
vanaspatiA,  bhumi/t  yameshu  rebate. 

At  your  racing  even  things  that  are  immovable  shake,  the 
rocks,  the  lord  of  the  forest ;  the  earth  trembles  on  your 
ways.    (See  i.  37,  7,  note  ^,  page  62.) 

Verse  5,  note  ^.   See  i.  37,  7,  note  \  page  62. 

Verse  5,  note  ^.    Rathiyanti-iva    does    not   occur    again. 


208  HYMNS   TO   THE   MAEUTS. 

Sayawa  explains  it,  like  a  woman  who  wishes  for  a  chariot, 
or  who  rides  in  a  chariot.  I  join  it  with  oshadhi,  and  take 
it  in  the  sense  of  upamanad  a^are  (Pm.  iii.  i,  lo),  i.  e.  to 
behave  like  or  to  be  like  a  chariot,  whether  the  comparison 
is  meant  to  express  simply  the  quickness  of  chariots  or  the 
whirling  of  their  wheels.  The  Pada  has  rathiyanti^  whereas 
the  more  regular  form  is  that  of  the  Sanhita,  rathiyanti. 
Cf.  Prati.«?akhya,  587. 

Verse  6,  note  ^.  Su-A;etuna,  the  instrumental  of  su-A:etu, 
kindness,  good-mindedness,  favour.  This  word  occurs  in 
the  instrumental  only,  and  always  refers  to  the  kindness  of 
the  gods ;  not,  like  sumati,  to  the  kindness  of  the  worshipper 
also  : 

i.  79^  9.  a  na^  agne  su-touna  rayim  vi^vayu-poshasam, 
marc?ikam  dhehi  ^ivase. 

Give  us,  O  Agni^  through  thy  favour  wealth  which  sup- 
ports our  whole  life,  give  us  grace  to  live. 

i.  127,  II.  sa^  na/i  nedish/^am  dadmana/i  a  bhara  agne 
devebhiA  sa-A:ana^  su-A:etuna  maha^  raya^  su-^etuna. 

Thou,  O  Agni,  seen  close  to  us,  bring  to  us,  in  company 
with  the  gods,  by  thy  favour,  great  riches,  by  thy  favour! 

i.  159,  5.  asmabhyam  dyavaprithivi  (iti)  su-A:etuna  rayim 
dhattam  vasu-mantam  ^ata-gvinam. 

Give  to  us,  O  Dyavaprithivi,  by  your  favour,  wealth, 
consisting  of  treasures  and  many  flocks. 

V.  51,  II.   svasti  dyavapnthivi  (iti)  su-^etuna. 

Give  us,  O  Dyavaprithivi,  happiness  through  your  favour ! 

V.  64,  2.  ta  bahava  su-A:etuna  pra  yantam  asmai  arA:ate. 

Stretch  out  your  arms  with  kindness  to  this  worshipper  ! 

In  one  passage  of  the  ninth  Mandola.  (ix.  6^,  30)  we 
meet  with  su-A:etunam,  as  an  accusative,  referring  to  Soma, 
the  gracious,  and  this  would  pre-suppose  a  substantive 
/retuna,  which,  however,  does  not  exist. 

Verse  6,  note  ^.  Sumati  has^  no  doubt,  in  most  passages 
in  the  Rig-veda,  the  meaning  of  favour,  the  favour  of  the 
gods.  '  Let  us  obtain  your  favour,  let  us  be  in  your 
favour,'  are  famihar  expressions  of  the  Vedic  poets.  But 
there  are  also  numerous  passages  where  that  meaning  is 


MAiVDALA    I,    SUKTA    166.  209 

inapplicable,  and  where,  as  in  our  passage,  we  must  trans- 
late sumati  by  prayer  or  desire. 

In  the  following  passages   sumati  is  clearly  used  in  its 
original  sense  of  favour,  blessing,  or  even  gift : 

i.  73,  6  (7).   su-matim  bhikshama?zaA. 

Begging  for  thy  favour. 

i.  17 1,  I.   su-uktena  bhikshe  su-matim  tura^^am. 

With  a  hymn  I  beg  for  the  favour  of  the  quick  Maruts. 

i.  114,  3.   a^yama  te  su-matim. 

May  we  obtain  thy  favour !      Cf.  i.  114,  9. 

i.  114,  4.   su-matim  it  vayam  asya  a  vrimmahe. 

We  choose  his  favour.      Cf.  iii.  ^^,  11. 

i.  117,  23.   sada  kavi  (iti)  su-matim  a  ^ake  vam. 

I  always  desire  your  favour,  O  ye  wise  Asvins. 

i.  156,  3.   maha/i  te  vish^zo  (iti)  su-matim  bha^amahe. 

May  we,  O  Vish?zu,  enjoy  the  favour  of  thee,  the  mighty! 

Bhiksh,  to   beg,  used  above,  is  an  old  desiderative  form 
of  bha^5  and  means  to  wish  to  enjoy, 

iii.  4,  I.   su-matim  rasi  vasvaA. 

Thou  gran  test  the  favour  of  wealth. 

vii.  39,  I.   urdhva^  agni/i  su-matim  vasva^  a^ret. 

The    hghted   fire   went    up    for    the    favour    of  wealth. 
Cf.  vii.  60,  II  ;   ix.  97,  26. 

iii.  57,  6.  vaso  (iti)  rasva  su-matim  vi^va-^anyam. 

Grant  us,  O  Vasu,  thy  favour,  which  is  glorious  among 
men  ! 

vii.  100,  2.    tvam   vishwo  (iti)   su-matim  vi^va-^anyam  — 
da^. 

Mayest  thou,  Vish/iu,  give  thy  favour,  which  is  glorious 
among  men  ! 

X.  II,  7.   ya^  te  agne  su-matim  martaA  akshat. 

The  mortal  who  obtained  thy  favour,  O  Agni. 

ii.  34,  15.   arvaK  sa  maruta^  ya  va^  utih  6  (iti)  su  vasra- 
iva  su-matiy^  i^rigatu. 

Your  help,  O  Maruts,  which  is  to  usward,  your  favour 
may  it  come  near,  like  a  cow ! 

viii.  22,  4.   asman  akkha,  su-matiA  vam  5ubha/i  pati  (iti) 
a  dhenii^-iva  dhavatu. 

May  your  favour,  O  A^vins,  hasten  towards  us,  like  a 
cow  ! 

VOL.  I.  P 


210  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

But  this  meaning  is  by  no  means  the  invariable  meaning 
of  sumati,  and  it  will  easily  be  seen  that,  in  the  following 
passages,  the  word  must  be  translated  by  prayer.  Thus 
when  Sarasvati  is  called  (i.  3,  11)  ^etanti  su-matinam,  this 
can  only  mean  she  who  knows  of  the  prayers,  as  before 
she  is  called  ^odayitri'  sunritanam,  she  who  excites  songs 
of  praise : 

i.  151,  7.   akkha  gira/i  su-matim  gantam  asma-yu  (iti). 

Come  towards  the  songs,  towards  the  prayer,  you  who  are 
longing  for  us.    Cf.  x.  20,  10. 

ii.  43,  3.  tushmm  asina^  su-matim  A:ikiddhi  na^. 

Sitting  quiet,  listen,  O  >S'akuni  (bird),  to  our  prayer ! 

V.  I,  10.   a  bhandishi^^asya  su-matim  Mkiddhi. 

Take  notice  of  the  prayer  of  thy  best  praiser  !    Cf  v.  ^^,  i. 

vii.  18,  4.   a  na^  indra^  su-matim  gantu  akkha. 

May  Indra  come  to  our  prayer ! 

vii.  31,  10.   pra-A:etase  pra  su-matim  kri^udhvam. 

Make  a  prayer  for  the  wise  god  ! 

ix.  96,  2.   su-matim  yati  akk/m. 

He  (Soma)  goes  near  to  the  prayer. 

X.  148,  3.  ?ishi?zam  vipra^  su-matim  A-akana^^. 

Thou,  the  wise,  desiring  the  prayer  of  the  jRishis. 

viii.  22,  6.  ta  vam  adya  sumati-bhi^  ^ubhaA  pati  (iti) 
a^vina  pra  stuvimahi. 

Let  us  praise  to-day  the  glorious  A^vins  with  our  prayers. 

ix.  74,  I.   tam  imahe  su-mati. 

We  implore  him  with  prayer. 

In  our  passage  the  verb  pipartana,  fill  or  fulfil,  indicates 
in  what  sense  sumati  ought  to  be  taken.  Su-matim  pipar- 
tana is  no  more  than  kamam  pipartana,  fulfil  our  desire  ! 
See  vii.  62,  3.  a  na^  kamam  pupurantu ;  i.  158,  2.  kama- 
pre^^a-iva  manasa.  On  sumna,  see  Aufrecht,  in  Kuhn's 
Zeitschrift,  vol.  iv.  p.  274. 

Verse  6,  note  ^.  Krivi^-dati  has  been  a  crux  to  ancient 
and  modern  interpreters.  It  is  mentioned  as  a  difficult 
word  in  the  Nigha/^/u,  and  all  that  Yaska  has  to  say  is 
that  it  means  possessed  of  cutting  teeth ;  (Nir.  vi.  30. 
krivirdati  vikartanadanti.)  Professor  Roth,  in  his  note  to 
this  passage,  says  that  krivi  can  never  have  the  meaning 


MAN  DAL  A  I,    sfjKTA    166.  211 

of  well,  which  is  ascribed  to  it  in  the  Nigha/z^u  iii.  23,  but 
seems  rather  to  mean  an  animal,  perhaps  the  wild  boar, 
Kawpof,  with  metathesis  of  v  and  r.  He  translates  our 
passage  :  '  Where  your  lightning  with  boar-teeth  tears/  In 
his  Dictionary,  however,  he  only  says,  '  Jcrivis,  perhaps  the 
name  of  an  animal,  and  da7it,  tooth/  Sayawa  contents 
himself  with  explaining  krivirdati  by  vikshepa/za^iladanti, 
having  teeth  that  scatter  about. 

My  own  translation  is  founded  on  the  supposition  that 
krivis,  the  first  portion  of  krivirdati,  has  nothing  to  do 
with  krivi,  but  is  a  dialectic  variety  of  kravis,  raw  flesh, 
the  Greek  Kpiag,  Latin  caro,  cruoar.  It  means  what  is  raw, 
bloody,  or  gory.  From  it  the  adjective  krura,  horrible, 
cruentus ;  (Curtius,  Grundziige,  p.  142;  Kuhn,  Zeitschrift, 
vol.  ii.  p.  235.)  A  name  of  the  goddess  Durga  in  later  San- 
skrit is  kruradanti,  and  with  a  similar  conception  the  lightning, 
I  believe,  is  here  called  krivirdati,  with  gory  teeth. 

Verse  6,  note  ^.  It  should  be  observed  that  in  radati  the 
simile  of  the  teeth  of  the  lightning  is  carried  on.  For 
radati  may  be  supposed  to  have  had  in  the  Veda,  too,  the 
original  meaning  of  radere  and  rodere,  to  scratch,  to  gnaw. 
Rada  and  radana  in  the  later  Sanskrit  mean  tooth.  It  is 
curious,  however,  that  there  is  no  other  passage  in  the  Rig- 
veda  where  rad  clearly  means  to  bite.      It  means  to  cut,  in 

i.  61,  12.   go^  na  parva  vi  rada  tira^M'. 

Cut  his  joint  through,  as  the  joint  of  an  ox. 

But  in  most  passages  where  rad  occurs  in  the  Veda,  it 
has  the  meaning  of  giving,  and  is  in  fact  a  different  root,  but 
hardly  the  same  which  we  have  in  the  Zend  rad,  to  give, 
and  which  Justi  rightly  identifies  with  the  root  radh. 

This  meaning  is  evident  in  the  following  passages  : 

vii.  79,  4.  tavat  usha^  radha^  asmabhyam  rasva  yavat 
stotri-bhya^  arada/i  gri/zana. 

Grant  us,  Ushas,  so  much  wealth  as  thou  hast  given  to 
|k   the  singers. 

i.  116,  7.  kakshivate  aradatam  puram-dhim. 

You  gave  wisdom  to  Kakshivat. 

i.  169,  8.   rada  marut-bhiA  surudhaA  g6-agra/«. 

Give  to  the  Maruts  gifts,  rich  in  cattle. 

P  2 


212  HYMNS   TO   THE   M ABUTS. 

vii.  62,  3.  VI  na/i  sahasram  5umdhaA  radantu. 

May  they  (the  gods)  give  to  us  a  thousand  gifts. 

i.  117,  II.  va^am  vipraya — radanta. 

Giving  sustenance  to  the  sage  ! 

vi.  61,  6.  rada  pusha-iva  na^  sanim. 

Give  us,  Sarasvati,  wealth,  like  Pushan ! 

ix.  93,  4.  rada  indo  (iti)  rayim. 

Give  us,  O  Indra,  wealth  ! 

vii.  32,  18.  rada-vaso  (iti). 

Indra,  thou  who  givest  wealth  ! 

In  many  passages,  however,  this  verb  rad  is  connected 
with  words  meaning  way  •or  path,  and  it  then  becomes  a 
question  whether  it  simply  means  to  grant  a  way,  or  to  cut 
a  way  open  for  some  one.  In  Zend,  too,  the  same  idiom 
occurs,  and  Professor  Justi  explains  it  by  '  prepare  a  way.^ 
I  subjoin  the  principal  passages  : 

vi.  30,  3.   yat  abhya^  arada^  gatum  indra. 

That  thou  hast  cut  a  way  for  them  (the  rivers). 

iv.  19,  2.  pra  vartani^  arada^  vi^va-dhena^. 

Thou  (Indra)  hast  cut  open  the  paths  for  all  the  cows. 

vii.  47,  4.  yabhya^  indra^  aradat  gatum. 

The  rivers  for  which  Indra  cut  a  way. 

X.  75,  2.  pra  te  aradat  wkrun^ih  yatave  patha^. 

Varu7^a  cut  the  paths  for  thee  to  go. 

vii.  87,  I.   radat  patha^  varu^^a^  suryaya. 

Varu^za  cut  paths  for  Surya. 

V.  80,  3.  pathaA  radanti  suvitaya  devi. 

She,  the  dawn,  cutting  open  the  paths  for  wealth. 

vii.  60,  4.   yasmai  aditya^  adhvana^  radanti. 

For  whom  the  Adityas  cut  roads. 

ii.  30,  2.   pathaA  radantiA — dhunaya^  yanti  artham. 

Cutting  their  paths,  the  rivers  go  to  their  goal. 

This  last  verse  seems  to  show  that  the  cutting  open  of 
a  road  is  really  the  idea  expressed  by  rad  in  all  these 
passages.  And  thus  we  find  the  rivers  themselves  saying 
that  Indra  cut  them  out  or  delivered  them  : 

iii.  33,  6.   indra^  asman  aradat  va^ra-bahuA.    Cf.  x.  89,  7. 

Verse  6,  note  ^.  Ri72ati,  like  the  preceding  expressions 
krivirdati  and  radati,  is  not  chosen  at  random,  for  though 


MANDALA   I,    SUKTA    166.  213 

it  has  the  general  meaning  of  crushing  or  destroying,  it  is 
used  by  the  Vedic  poets  with  special  reference  to  the 
chewing  or  crunching  by  means  of  the  teeth.  For 
instance, 

i.  148,  4.   purum  dasma/«  ni  ri?zati  ^ambhai^. 

Agni  crunches  many  things  with  his  jaws. 

i.  127,  4.   sthira  ^it  anna  ni  ri?2ati  o^asa. 

Even  tough  morsels  he  (Agni)  crunches  fiercely. 

In  a  more  general  sense  we  find  it  used, 

V.  41,  10.   sokih-kes3ih  ni  rinaii  vana. 

Agni  with  flaming  hair  swallows  or  destroys  the  forests. 

iv.  19,  3.   ahim  va^re?ia  vi  rinah. 

Thou  destroyedst  Ahi  with  the  thunderbolt. 

X.  120,  I.   sadya^  gaffiiknih  ni  ri/^ati  ^atrun. 

As  soon  as  born  he  destroys  his  enemies. 

Verse  6,  note  ^.  Sudhita-iva  barha72a.  I  think  the  expla- 
nation of  this  phrase  given  by  Saya?2a  may  be  retained. 
He  explains  sudhita  by  suhita,  i.  e.  sush/Au  prerita,  well 
thrown,  well  levelled,  and  barha7^a  by  hatis,  tatsadhana  hetir 
va,  a  blow  or  its  instrument,  a  weapon.  Professor  Roth 
takes  barha?ia  as  an  instrumental,  used  abverbially,  in  the 
sense  of  powerfully,  but  he  does  not  explain  in  what  sense 
sudhita-iva  ought  then  to  be  taken.  We  cannot  well  refer 
it  to  didyut,  lightning,  on  account  of  the  iva,  which  requires 
something  that  can  form  a  simile  of  the  lightning.  Nor  is 
su-dhita  ever  used  as  a  substantive  so  as  to  take  the  place 
of  svadhitiva.  Su-dhita  has  apparently  many  meanings,  but 
they  all  centre  in  one  common  conception.  Su-dhita  means 
well  placed,  of  a  thing  which  is  at  rest,  well  arranged,  well 
ordered,  secure  ;  or  it  means  well  sent,  well  thrown,  of  a 
thing  which  has  been  in  motion.  Applied  to  human  beings, 
it  means  well  disposed  or  kind. 

iii.  23,  I.   niA-mathitaA  su-dhita/«  a  sadha-sthe. 

Agni  produced  by  rubbing,  and  well  placed  in  his 
abode. 

vii.  42,  4.   su-pritaA  agniA  sii-dhita/i  dame  a. 

Agni,  who  is  cherished  and  well  placed  in  the  house. 

iii.  29,  2.  SLYanjoh  ni-hita/t  gtl:-yedah  garbha/^-iva  su- 
dhitaA  garbhimshu. 


214  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

Agni  placed  in  the  two  fire-sticks,  well  placed  like  an 
embryo  in  the  mothers.    Cf.  x.  27,  16. 

viii.  60,  4.   abhi  praya?^?si  su-dhita  a  vaso  (iti)  gahi. 

Come,  O  Yasu,  to  these  well-placed  offerings.  Cf.  i.  135, 
4;  vi.  15,  15;   X.  53,  2.  ^ 

X.  70,  8.   su-dhita  havimshi. 

The  well-placed  offerings. 

iv.  2,  10  (adhvaram).     vii.  7,  3  (hoxhih). 

As  applied  to  ayus,  Hfe,  sudhita  may  be  translated  by 
well  established,  safe  : 

ii.  27,  10.   a^yama  aywjishi  su-dhitani  purva. 

May  we  obtain  the  happy  long  lives  of  our  forefathers. 

iv.  50,  8.   sa/i  it  ksheti  sii-dhita/^  okasi  sve. 

That  man  dwells  secure  in  his  own  house. 

Applied  to  a  missile  weapon,  siidhita  may  mean  well 
placed,  as  it  were,  well  shouldered,  well  held,  before  it  is 
thrown  ;  or  well  levelled,  well  aimed,  when  it  is  thrown  : 

i.  167,  3.   mimyaksha  yeshu  su-dhita — rish^ih. 

To  whom  the  well  held  spear  sticks  fast. 

vi.  ^^,  3.  tvam  tan  indra  ubhayan  amitran  dasa  vritraVii 
arya  ka  sura,  vadhiA  vana-iva  su-dhitebhi/«  atkaii^. 

Thou,  Tndra,  O  hero,  strikest  both  enemies,  the  barbarous 
and  the  Aryan  fiends,  like  forests  with  well-aimed  weapons. 

Applied  to  a  poem,  sudhita  means  well  arranged  or 
perfect  : 

i.  140,  II.  idam  ague  su-dhitam  du/«-dhitat  adhi  priyat 
urn  (iti)  kit  manmana^  preya^  astu  te. 

May  this  perfect  prayer  be  more  agreeable  to  thee  than 
an  imperfect  one,  though  thou  likest  it. 

vii.  32,  13.   man  tram  akharvam  su-dhitam. 

A  poem,  not  mean,  well  contrived. 

As  applied  to  men,  sudhita  means  very  much  the  same 
as  hita,  well  disposed,  kind  : 

iv.  6,  7.  adha  mitral  na  su-dhita/«  pavakaA  agniA  didaya 
manushishu  vikshu. 

Then,  like  a  kind  friend,  Agni  shone  among  the  children 
of  man. 

V.  3,  2.   mitram  su-dhitam. 

vi.  15,  2.  mitram  na  yam  su-dhitam. 

viii.  23,  8.   mitram  na  ^ane  su-dhitam  rita-vani. 


MAiVZ)ALA   I,    SUKTA    166.  215 

X.  115,  7.   mitrasa^  na  ye  su-dhita^. 

At  last  su-dhita,  without  reference  to  human  beings, 
takes  the  general  sense  of  kind,  good  : 

iii.  II,  8.  pari  vi^vani  su-dhita  agne/^  a^yama  manma-bhi/«. 

May  we  obtain  through  our  prayers  all  the  goods  of 
Agni. 

Here,  however,  prayamsi  may  have  to  be  supphed,  and 
in  that  case  this  passage,  too,  should  be  classed  with  those 
mentioned  above,  viii.  60,  4,  &c. 

If  then  we  consider  that  sudhita,  as  applied  to  weapons, 
means  well  held  or  well  aimed,  we  can  hardly  doubt  that 
barha^a  is  here,  as  Saya?za  says,  some  kind  of  weapon.  I 
should  derive  it  from  barhayati,  to  crush,  which  we  have, 
for  instance, 

i.  133,  5.  pi^anga-bhrish^im  ambhri?zam  pi^aHm  indra 
sam  mrina,  sarvam  rakshah  ni  barhaya. 

Pound  together  the  fearful  Pi^a^i  with  his  fiery  weapons, 
strike  down  every  Rakshas. 

ii.  23,  8.  brihaspate  deva-nida^  ni  barhaya. 

Brihaspati  strike  down  the  scoffers  of  the  gods.     Cf.  vi. 

6I3  3- 

Barha/^a  would  therefore  mean  a  weapon  intended  to 
crush  an  enemy,  a  block  of  stone,  it  may  be,  or  some  other 
missile,  and  in  that  sense  barha?za  occurs  at  least  once 
more : 

viii.  6^,  7.  yat  pafii^a-^anyaya  vi^a  indre  ghosha/i  asn- 
kshata,  astri^zat  barha/za  vipa^. 

When  shouts  have  been  sent  up  to  Indra  by  the  people 
of  the  five  clans,  then  the  weapon  scattered  the  enemies  ; 
or,  then  he  scattered  the  enemies  with  his  weapon. 

In  other  passages  Professor  Roth  is  no  doubt  right  when 
he  assigns  to  barha^za  an  adverbial  meaning,  but  I  do  not 
think  that  this  meaning  would  be  appropriate  in  our  verse. 

Verse  7,  note  ^  Alatn/iasa/«,  a  word  which  occurs  but 
once  more,  and  which  had  evidently  become  unintelligible 
even  at  the  time  of  Yaska.  He  (Nir.  vi.  2)  explains  it  by 
alamatardano  megha^,  the  cloud  which  opens  easily.  This, 
at  least,  is  the  translation  given  by  Professor  Roth,  though 
not  without  hesitation.      Alamatardana/^,  as  a  compound,  is 


216  HYMNS   TO   THE    MARUTS. 

explained  by  the  commentator  as  atardanaparyapta^,  alam 
atardayitum  udakam,  i.  e.  capable  of  letting  oif  the  water. 
But  Devara^aya^van  explains  it  differently.  He  says : 
alam  paryaptam  atardanam  hiwz^sa  yasya,  bahudakatvat 
5abalo  megho  vi^eshyate,  i.e.  whose  injuring  is  great;  the 
dark  cloud  is  so  called  because  it  contains  much  water. 
Sayawa,  too,  attempts  several  explanations.  In  iii.  30,  10, 
he  seems  to  derive  it  from  trih,  to  kill,  not,  like  Yaska, 
from  trid,  and  he  explains  its  meaning  as  the  cloud  which 
is  exceedingly  hurt  by  reason  of  its  holding  so  much  water. 
In  our  passage  he  explains  it  either  as  anatri^za,  free  from 
injury,  or  good  hurters  of  enemies,  or  good  givers  of 
rewards. 

From  all  this  I  am  afraid  we  gain  nothing.  Let  us  now 
see  what  modern  commentators  have  proposed  in  order  to 
discover  an  appropriate  meaning  in  this  word.  Professor 
Roth  suggests  that  the  word  may  be  derived  from  ra,  to 
give,  and  the  suffix  trina.,  and  the  negative  particle,  thus 
meaning,  one  who  does  not  give  or  yield  anything.  But, 
if  so,  how  is  this  adjective  applicable  to  the  Maruts,  who  in 
this  very  verse  are  praised  for  their  generosity  ?  Langlois  in 
our  passage  translates,  'heureux  de  nos  louanges;'  in  iii.  30,10, 
'  qui  laissait  fletrir  les  plantes.^  Wilson  in  our  passage  trans- 
lates, *  devoid  of  malevolence  ;'  but  in  iii.  30,  10,  '  heavy .^ 

I  do  not  pretend  to  solve  all  these  difficulties,  but  I  may 
say  this  in  defence  of  my  own  explanation  that  it  fulfils  the 
condition  of  being  applicable  both  to  the  Maruts  and  to 
the  demon  Bala.  The  suffix  trina.  is  certainly  irregular, 
and  I  should  much  prefer  to  write  alatri;?a,  for  in  that  case 
we  might  derive  latrin  from  latra,  and  to  this  latra,  i.  e. 
ratra,  I  should  ascribe  the  sense  of  barking.  The  root  rai 
or  ra  means  to  bark,  and  has  been  connected  by  Professor 
Aufrecht  with  Latin  rire,  inrire,  and  possibly  iiiritare  *, 
thus  showing  a  transition  of  meaning  from  barking,  to 
provoking  or  attacking.  The  same  root  ra  explains  also 
the  Latin  Idtrare,  to  bark,  allatrare.,  to  assail ;  and,  what- 
ever ancient  etymologists  may  say  to  the  contrary,  the 
Latin  latro,  an   assailer.      The  old  derivation  '  latrones  eos 

*  Kuhn,  Zeitschrift,  vol.  ix.  p.  233. 


MAiSTDALA    I,    SUKTA    166.  217 

antiqui  dicebant,  qui  conducd  militabant,  airo  r//?  Xarpela^/ 
seems  to  me  one  of  those  etymologies  in  which  the  scholars 
of  Rome,  who  had  learnt  a  little  Greek,  delighted  as  much 
as  scholars  who  know  a  little  Sanskrit  delight  in  finding 
some  plausible  derivation  for  any  Greek  or  Latin  word  in 
Sanskrit.  I  know  that  Curtius  (Grundziige,  p.  326)  and 
Corssen  (Kritische  Nachtrage,  p.  239)  take  a  different  view ; 
but  a  foreign  word,  derived  from  Xarpov,  pay,  hire,  would 
never  have  proved  so  fertile  as  latro  has  been  in  Latin. 

If  then  we  could  write  alatri/zasa/t,  we  should  have  an 
appropriate  epithet  of  the  Maruts,  in  the  sense  of  not 
assailing  or  not  reviling,  in  fact,  free  from  malevolence,  as 
Wilson  translated  the  word,  or  rather  Saya^za's  explanation 
of  it,  atardanarahita.  What  gives  me  some  confidence  in 
this  explanation  is  this,  that  it  is  equally  applicable  to  the 
other  passage  where  alatri^a  occurs,  iii.  30,  10  : 

alatri?2aA  valaA  indra  Yragah  goh  pura  hantoA  bhayamanaA 
vi  ara. 

Without  barking  did  Vala,  the  keeper  of  the  cow,  full  of 
fear,  open,  before  thou  struckest  him. 

If  it  should  be  objected  that  vi^a^a  means  always  stable, 
and  is  not  used  again  in  the  sense  of  keeper,  one  might 
reply  that  vra^aA,  in  the  nom.  sing.,  occurs  in  this  one 
single  passage  only,  and  that  bhayamanaA,  fearing,  clearly 
implies  a  personification.  Otherwise,  one  might  translate  : 
*Vala  was  quiet,  O  Indra,  and  the  stable  of  the  cow  came 
open,  full  of  fear,  before  thou  struckest.^  The  meaning  of 
alat/n/ia  would  remain  the  same,  the  not-barking  being  here 
used  as  a  sign  that  Indra^s  enemy  was  cowed,  and  no  longer 
inclined  to  revile  or  defy  the  power  of  Indra.  Hom.  hymn, 
in  Merc.  145,  ovSe  Kvveg  XeXaKOvro. 

Verse  7,  note  ^.   See  i.  38,  15,  note  \  page  78. 

Verse  8,  note  ^.  Abhi-hruti  seems  to  have  the  meaning 
of  assault,  injury,  insult.  It  occurs  but  once,  but  abhi- 
hrut,  a  feminine  substantive  with  the  same  meaning,  occurs 
several  times.  The  verb  hru,  which  is  not  mentioned  in 
the  Dhatupa/i^a,  but  has  been  identified  with  hvar,  occurs 
in  our  hymn,  verse  12: 


218  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

i.  128,  5.  saA  na^  trLsate  du^-itat  abhi-hmta/i  sAinsat 
agh^t  abhi-hriita^. 

He  protects  us  from  evil,  from  assaults,  from  evil  speak- 
ing, from  assaults. 

X.  6^^  IT.   trayadhvam  na^  du^-evaya/i  abhi-hruta/z. 

Protect  us  from  mischievous  injury  ! 

i.  189,  6.   abhi-hrutam  asi  hi  deva  vishpa^. 

For  thou,  god,  art  the  deliverer  from  all  assaults.  Vishpa/, 
deliverer,  from  vi  and  spa^,  to  bind. 

Vi-hruta,  which  occurs  twice,  means  evidently  what  has 
been  injured  or  spoiled : 

viii.  I,  12.  ishkarta  vi-hrutam  punar  (iti). 

He  who  sets  right  what  has  been  injured.    Cf.  viii.  20,  26. 

Avi-hruta  again  clearly  means  uninjured,  intact,  entire : 

V.  66,  2.   ta  hi  kshatram  avi-hrutam  —  a^ate. 

For  they  both  have  obtained  uninjured  powder. 

X.  170,  I.   ayuA  dadhat  ya^na-patau  avi-hrutam. 

Giving  uninjured  life  to  the  lord  of  the  sacrifice. 

Verse  9,  note  ^.  Tavisha  certainly  means  strength,  and 
that  it  is  used  in  the  plural  in  the  sense  of  acts  of  strength, 
we  can  see  from  the  first  verse  of  our  hymn  and  other 
passages.  But  when  we  read  that  tavisha??i  are  placed  on 
the  chariots  of  the  Maruts,  just  as  before  bhadra,  good 
things,  food,  &c.,  are  mentioned,  it  is  clear  that  so  abstract 
a  meaning  as  strength  or  powers  would  not  be  applicable 
here.  We  might  take  it  in  the  modern  sense  of  forces, 
i.  e.  your  armies,  your  companions  are  on  your  chariots, 
striving  with  each  other ;  but  as  the  word  is  a  neuter, 
w^eapons,  as  the  means  of  strength,  seemed  a  preferable 
rendering. 

Verse  9,  note  ^.  The  rendering  of  this  passage  must 
depend  on  the  question  whether  the  khadis,  w^hatever  they 
are,  can  be  carried  on  the  shoulders  or  not.  We  saw  before 
(p.  102)  that  khadis  were  used  both  as  ornaments  and  as 
weapons,  and  that,  when  used  as  weapons,  they  were  most 
likely  rings  or  quoits  with  sharp  edges.  There  is  at  least 
one  other  passage  where  these  khadis  are  said  to  be  worn 
on  the  shoulders  : 


MAN  DAL  A   I,    SUKTA    166.  219 

vii.  ^6,  13.  amseshu  a  marutaA  khadaya^  va^  vaksha^-su 
rukma/i  uipsi-sisnjanah. 

On  your  shoulders  are  the  quoits,  on  your  chests  the 
golden  chains  are  fastened. 

In  other  places  the  khadis  are  said  to  be  in  the  hands, 
hasteshu,  but  this  would  only  show  that  they  are  there 
when  actually  used  for  fighting.      Thus  we  read : 

i.  168,  3.  a  esham  amseshu  rambhini-iva  rarabhe,  haste- 
shu  khadis  ^a  hritih  Jca,  sam  dadhe. 

To  their  shoulders  (the  spear)  clings  like  a  creeper,  in 
their  hands  the  quoit  is  held  and  the  dagger. 

In  V.  58,  2,  the  Maruts  are  called  khadi-hasta,  holding 
the  quoits  in  their  hands.  There  is  one  passage  which 
was  mentioned  before  (p.  94),  where  the  khadis  are  said  to 
be  on  the  feet  of  the  Maruts,  and  on  the  strength  of  this 
passage  Professor  Roth  proposes  to  alter  pra-patheshu  to 
pra-padeshu,  and  to  translate,  '  The  khadis  are  on  your 
forefeet.^  I  do  not  think  this  emendation  necessary. 
Though  we  do  not  know  the  exact  shape  and  character 
of  the  khadi,  we  know  that  it  was  a  weapon,  most  likely  a 
ring,  occasionally  used  for  ornament,  and  carried  along 
either  on  the  feet  or  on  the  shoulders,  but  in  actual  battle 
held  in  the  hand.  The  weapon  which  Vish?2U  holds  in  one 
of  his  right  hands,  the  so-called  A:akra,  may  be  the  modern 
representation  of  the  ancient  khadi.  What,  however,  is 
quite  certain  is  this,  that  khadi  in  the  Veda  never  means 
food,  as  Saya?za  optionally  interprets  it.  This  interpretation 
is  accepted  by  Wilson,  who  translates,  '  At  your  resting- 
places  on  the  road  refreshments  (are  ready)/  Nay,  he 
goes  on  in  a  note  to  use  this  passage  as  a  proof  of  the 
advanced  civilisation  of  India  at  the  time  of  the  Vedic 
jRishis.  '  The  expression,^  he  says,  '  is  worthy  of  note,  as 
indicating  the  existence  of  accommodations  for  the  use  of 
travellers :  the  Prapatha  is  the  choltri  of  the  south  of  India, 
the  sarai  of  the  Mohammedans,  a  place  by  the  road-side 
where  the  travellers  may  find  shelter  and  provisions.^ 

Verse  9,  note  ^.  This  last  passage  shows  that  the  poet 
is  really  representing  to  himself  the  Maruts  as  on  their 
journey,  and  he  therefore  adds,   '  your  axle  turns  the  two 


220  HYMNS   TO    THE   MARUTS. 

(iv.  30,  2)  wheels  together/  which  probably  means  no  more 
than,  '  your  chariot  is  going  smoothly  or  quickly/  Though 
the  expression  seems  to  us  hardly  correct,  yet  one  can  well 
imagine  how  the  axle  was  supposed  to  turn  the  wheels  as 
the  horses  were  drawing  the  axle,  and  the  axle  acted  on  the 
wheels.  Anyhow,  no  other  translation  seems  possible. 
Samaya  in  the  Veda  means  together,  at  once,  and  is  the 
Greek  o/nrj^  generally  o/jlov  or  o/ulccx^,  the  Latin  simul.  Cf.  i. 
S6,  6;   73,  6;    113,  10;   163,  3;  vii.  66,  15;   ix.  75,  4;   85, 

5;  97.  56-  ^ 

Wit  means  to  turn,  and  is  frequently  used  with  reference 
to  the  wheels  : 

viii.  46,  23.   da^a  sjayah — nemim  ni  vavritu/?. 

The  ten  black  horses  turn  the  felly  or  the  wheel. 

iv.  30,  2.  satra  te  anu  krishMya/i  vi^va^  kakra-iva 
vavritui^. 

All  men  turn  always  round  thee,  like  wheels. 

That  the  Atmanepada  of  vrit  may  be  used  in  an  active 
sense  we  see  from 

i.  191,  15.   tata^  visham  pra  vavrite. 

I  turn  the  poison  out  from  here. 

All  the  words  used  in  this  sentence  are  very  old  words, 
and  we  can  with  few  exceptions  turn  them  into  Greek  or 
Latin.  In  Latin  we  should  have  aa^is  vos(ter)  circos  simul 
diver^tit.      In  Greek  a^(M)v  v[iJim>)  kvkXco  ojuirj  .... 

Verse  10,  note  ^.  See  i.  64,  4,  note  ^,  page  94.  I  ought 
to  have  mentioned  there  that  in  the  Asvalayana  ^rauta- 
sutras  ix.  4,  rukma  occurs  as  the  fee  to  be  given  to  the 
Hotar,  and  is  explained  by  abhara/zavi^esho  vnttakara^, 
a  round  ornament. 

Verse  10,  note  "■^.    See  i.  166,  i,  note  ^,  page  200. 

Verse  10,  note  ^.  On  eta  in  the  sense  of  fallow  deer,  or, 
it  may  be,  antelope,  see  i.  165,  5,  note  ^,  page  185. 

Eta  originally  means  variegated,  and  thus  becomes  a 
name  of  any  speckled  deer,  it  being  difficult  to  say  what 
exact  species  is  meant.  Sayana  in  our  passage  explains 
ela^  by  5uklavar»a  mala^,  many-coloured  wreaths  or  chains. 


MAATDALA   I,    SUKTA    16G.  221 

which  may  be  right.  Yet  the  suggestion  of  Professor 
Roth  that  eta//,  deer,  stands  here  for  the  skins  of 
fallow  deer,  is  certainly  more  poetical,  and  quite  in 
accordance  with  the  Vedic  idiom,  which  uses,  for  instance, 
go,  cow,  not  only  in  the  sense  of  milk, — that  is  done  even 
in  more  homely  English, — but  also  for  leather,  and  thong. 
It  is  likewise  in  accordance  with  what  we  know  of  the 
earliest  dress  of  the  Vedic  Indians,  that  deer-skins  should 
here  be  mentioned.  We  learn  from  A^valayana^s  Grihya- 
sutras,  of  which  we  now  possess  an  excellent  edition  by 
Professor  Stenzler,  and  a  reprint  of  the  text  and  com- 
mentary by  Rama  Narayana  Vidyaratna,  in  the  Bibliotheca 
Indica,  that  a  boy  when  he  was  brought  to  his  tutor,  i.  e. 
from  the  eighth  to  possibly  the  twenty-fourth  year,  had  to 
be  well  combed,  and  attired  in  a  new  dress.  A  Brahma/za 
should  wear  the  skin  of  an  antelope  (aiweya),  the  Kshatriya 
the  skin  of  a  deer  (raurava),  the  Vai^ya  the  skin  of  a  goat 
(a^a).  If  they  wore  dresses,  that  of  the  Brahmawa  should 
be  dark  red  (kashaya),  that  of  the  Kshatriya  bright  red 
{mangishtha),  that  of  the  Vaisya  yellow  (haridra).  The 
girdle  of  the  Brahma^za  should  be  of  Mufi^a  grass,  that 
of  the  Kshatriya  a  bow-string,  that  of  the  Vai^ya  made  of 
sheep^s  wool.  The  same  regulations  occur  in  other  Sutras, 
as,  for  instance,  the  Dharma-sutras  of  the  Apastambiyas 
and  Gautamas,  though  there  are  certain  characteristic 
differences  in  each,  which  may  be  due  either  to  local  or 
to  chronological  causes.  Thus  according  to  the  Apa- 
stambiya-sutras,  which  have  just  been  published  by  Pro- 
fessor Biihler,  the  Brahmar^a  may  wear  the  skin  of  the 
hari/za  deer,  or  that  of  the  antelope  (ai>^eyam),  but  the  latter 
must  be  from  the  black  antelope  (krish?2am),  and,  a  proviso 
is  added,  that  if  a  man  wears  the  black  antelope  skin,  he 
must  never  spread  it  out  to  sit  or  sleep  on  it.  As  materials 
for  the  dress,  Apastamba  allows  sana,  hemp*,  or  kshuma, 


*  Sa,nsL  is  an  old  Aryan  word,  though  its  meanings  differ.  Hesychius  and 
Eustathius  mention  Kavva  as  being  synonymous  with  xpiaOos,  reed.  Pollux 
gives  two  forms,  Kavva  and  Kava,  (Pollux  x.  i66.  irravaKa  Se  kari  xpiaOos  -q  Iv 
ToTs  aKariois  ^v  Kal  Kavav  KaKovcriv.  vii.  176.  Kavvai  Se  to  (k  icava^wv  nkiyfia.) 
This  is  important,   because  the   same  difference  of  spelling   occurs   also    in 


222  HYMNS    TO    THE    MARUTS. 

flax,  and  he  adds  that  woollen  dresses  are  allowed  to  all 
castes,  as  well  as  the  kambala  (masc.),  which  seems  to  be 
any  cloth  made  of  vegetable  substances  (darbhadinirmitam 
/tiram  kambalam).  He  then  adds  a  curious  remark,  which 
would  seem  to  show  that  the  Brahmawas  preferred  skins, 
and  the  Kshatriyas  clothes,  for  he  says  that  those  who  wish 
well  to  the  Brahma/zas  should  w  ear  a^ina,  skins,  and  those 
w  ho  w^ish  well  to  the  Kshatriyas  should  wear  vastra,  clothes^ 
and  those  v\ho  wish  well  to  both  should  wear  both,  but,  in 
that  case,  the  skin  should  always  form  the  outer  garment. 
The  Dharma-sutras  of  the  Gautamas,  which  w^ere  published 
in  India,  prescribe  likewise  for  the  Brahma^za  the  black 
antelope  skin,  and  allow  clothes  of  hemp  or  linen  {smsi- 
kshauma/cira)  as  well  as  kutapas  (woollen  cloth)  for  all. 
What  is  new  among  the  Gautamas  is,  that  they  add  the 
karpasa,  the  cotton   dress,  which  is  important  as   showing 


Kdwafiis  and  Kavafios  or  Kavva^os,  a  model,  a  lay  figure,  which  Lobeck  derives 
from  Kavvai.  In  Old  Norse  we  have  hanp-r,  in  A.  S.  luenep,  hemp,  Old  High 
Germ,  hanof. 

The  occurrence  of  the  word  sawa  is  of  importance  as  showing  at  how  early  a 
time  the  Aryans  of  India  were  acquainted  with  the  uses  and  the  name  of 
hemp.  Our  word  hemp,  the  A.  S.  hcnep,  the  Old  Norse  hanp-r,  are  all  bor- 
rowed from  Latin  cannabis,  which,  like  other  borrowed  words,  has  undergone 
the  regular  changes  required  by  Grimm's  law  in  Low  German,  and  also  in 
High  German,  lianaf.  The  Slavonic  nations  seem  to  have  borrowed  their 
word  for  hemp  (Lith.  Icanape)  from  the  Goths,  the  Celtic  nations  (Ir.  canaih) 
from  the  Komans  ;  (cf.  Kuhn,  Beitrage,  vol.  ii.  p.  382.)  The  Latin  cannabis 
is  borrowed  from  Gieek,  and  the  Greeks,  to  judge  from  the  account  of 
Herodotus,  most  likely  adopted  the  word  from  the  Aryan  Tliracians  and 
Scythians  ;  (Her.  iv.  74  ;  Pictet,  Les  Aryens,  vol.  i.  p.  314.)  Kavva^is  being 
a  foreign  word,  it  would  be  useless  to  attempt  an  explanation  of  the  final 
element  Ms,  which  is  added  to  sa7?a,  the  Sanskrit  word  for  hemp.  It  may  be 
visa,  fibre,  or  it  may  be  anything  else.  Certain  it  is  that  the  main  element  in 
the  name  of  hemp  was  the  same  among  the  settlers  in  Northern  India,  and 
among  the  Thracians  and  Scythians  through  whom  the  Greeks  first  became 
acquainted  with  hemp. 

The  history  of  the  word  KavvaPis  must  be  kept  distinct  from  that  of  the 
Greek  Kovva  or  Kava,  reed.  Both  spellings  occur,  for  Pollux,  x.  166,  writes 
TTTapcLfca  Se  kari  xpiados  rj  kv  toIs  aKariois  ■^v  kol  Kavav  KokovGiv,  but  vii.  176, 
KAvvai  5e  to  Ik  Kavd^ojv  jrXeyjxa.  This  word  Kuvva  may  be  the  same  as  the 
Sanskrit  sawa,  only  with  this  difierence,  that  it  was  retained  as  common 
property  by  Greeks  and  Indians  before  they  separated,  and  was  applied 
differently  in  later  times  by  the  one  and  the  other. 


MAiVDALA   I,    SUKTA    166.  223 

an  early  knowledge  of  this  manufacture.  The  karpasa  dress 
occurs  once  more  as  a  present  to  be  given  to  the  Potar 
priest  (A^v.  /Srauta-sutras  ix.  4),  and  evidently  considered  as 
a  valuable  present,  taking  precedence  of  the  kshaumi  or 
linen  dress.  It  is  provided  that  the  cotton  dress  should 
not  be  dyed,  for  this,  I  suppose,  is  the  meaning  of  avikrita. 
Immediately  after,  however,  it  is  said,  that  some  authorities 
say  the  dress  should  be  dyed  red  (kashayam  apy  eke),  the 
very  expression  which  occurred  in  Apastamba,  and  that,  in 
that  case,  the  red  for  the  BYahuiana's  dress  should  be  taken 
from  the  bark  of  trees  (varksha).  Manu,  who  here,  as 
elsewhere,  simply  paraphrases  the  ancient  Sutras,  says, 
ii.  41  : 

karshwarauravavastani  ^armam  brahma^ari?za^ 
vasirann  anupurvye?2a  5a?zakshaumavikani  ^a. 

*  Let  Brahma^arins  wear  (as  outer  garments)  the  skins 
of  the  black  antelope,  the  deer,  the  goat,  (as  under  gar- 
ments) dresses  of  hemp,  flax,  and  sheep's  wool,  in  the  order 
of  the  three  castes.^ 

The  Sanskrit  name  for  a  dressed  skin  is  a^ina,  a  word 
which  does  not  occur  in  the  Rig-veda,  but  which,  if  Bopp 
is  right  in  deriving  it  from  a^a,  goat,  as  aiyl<s  from  ai^, 
would  have  meant  originally,  not  skin  in  general,  but  a  goat- 
skin. The  skins  of  the  eta,  here  ascribed  to  the  Maruts, 
would  be  identical  with  the  ai/^eya,  which  A^valayana 
ascribes  to  the  Brahmawa,  not,  as  we  should  expect,  to 
the  Kshatriya,  if,  as  has  been  supposed,  ai/^eya  is  derived 
from  ena,  which  is  a  secondary  form,  particularly  in  the 
feminine  eni,  of  eta.  There  is,  however,  another  word, 
eda,  a  kind  of  sheep,  which,  but  for  Festus,  might  be 
hoedus,  and  by  its  side  e?2a,  a  kind  of  antelope.  These 
two  forms  pre-suppose  an  earlier  er/^a,  and  point  therefore 
in  a  different  direction. 

Verse  10,  note  ^.  I  translate  kshura  by  sharp  edges,  but 
it  might  have  been  translated  literally  by  razors,  for,  strange 
as  it  may  sound,  razors  were  known,  not  only  during  the 
Vedic  period,  but  even  previous  to  the  Aryan  separation. 
The  Sanskrit  kshura  is  the  Greek  ^vpn^  or  ^vp6i'.  In  the 
Veda  we  have  clear  allusions  to  shaving : 


224  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

« 

X.  142,  4.  yada  te  vata/i  anu-vati  sokih,  vapta-iva  ^masru 
vapasi  pra  bhuma. 

When  the  ^Ymd  blows  after  thy  blast,  then  thou  shavest 
the  earth  as  a  barber  shaves  the  beard.      Cf.  i.  6^,  4. 

If,  as  B.  and  R.  suggest,  vaptar,  barber,  is  connected 
with  the  more  modern  name  for  barber  in  Sanskrit,  viz. 
napita,  we  should  have  to  admit  a  root  svap,  in  the  sense 
of  tearing  or  pulling,  vellere,  from  which  we  might  derive 
the  Vedic  svapu  (vii.  ^6,  3),  beak.  Corresponding  to  this 
we  find  in  Old  High  German  snabul,  beak,  [schnep/e,  snipe,) 
and  in  Old  Norse  nef.  The  Anglo-Saxon  neb  means  mouth 
and  nose,  while  in  modern  English  neb  or  nib  is  used  for 
the  bill  or  beak  of  a  bird  *.  Another  derivation  of  napita, 
proposed  by  Professor  Weber  (Kuhn^s  Beitrage,  vol.  i. 
p.  505),  who  takes  napita  as  a  dialectic  form  of  snapitar, 
balneator,  or  lavator,  might  be  admitted  if  it  could  be 
proved  that  in  India  also  the  barber  was  at  the  same  time 
a  balneator. 

Verse  11,  note  ^.  Vi-bhutaya^  is  properly  a  substantive, 
meaning  power,  but,  like  other  substantives  t,  and  par- 
ticularly substantives  with  prepositions,  it  can  be  used  as 
an  adjective,  and  is,  in  fact,  more  frequently  used  as  an 
adjective  than  as  a  substantive.      It  is  a  substantive, 

i.  8,  9.  eva  hi  te  ^a-bhutaya^  utayaA  indra  ma-vate  sadyaA 
kit  santi  da^ushe. 

For  indeed  thy  powers,  O  Indra,  are  at  once  shelters  for 
a  sacrificer,  like  me. 

But  it  is  an  adjective, 

i.  30,  5.   vi-bhutiA  astu  sunrita. 

May  the  prayer  be  powerful. 

vi.  17,  4.  maham  anunam  tavasam  vi-bhutim  matsarasaA 
^arhrishanta  pra-saham. 


*  Grimm,  Deutsche  Grammatik,  vol.  iii.  pp.  400,  409.  There  is  not  yet 
sufficient  evidence  to  show  that  Sanskrit  sv,  German  sn,  and  Sanskrit  n  are 
interchangeable,  but  there  is  at  least  one  case  that  may  be  analogous.  San- 
skrit svan<7,  to  embrace^  to  twist  round  a  person,  German  slango,  Schlange, 
snake,  and  Sanskrit  naga,  snake.  Grimm,  Deutsche  Grammatik,  vol,  iii. 
p.  364. 

t  See  Benfey,  Kuhn's  Zeitschrift,  vol.  ii.  p.  216. 


MANDAluA   I,    SUKTA    166.  225 

The  sweet  draughts  of  Soma  dehghted  the  great,  the 
perfect,  the  strong,  the  powerful,  the  unyielding  Indra. 
Cf.  viii.  49,  6 ;   50,  6. 

Vibhva^,  with  the  Svarita  on  the  last  syllable,  has  to  be 
pronounced  vibhua/i.      In  iii.  6,  9,  we  find  vi-bhava/^. 

Verse  11,  note  ^.   See  i.  87,  i,  note  ^  page  144. 

Verse  11,  note  ^.   See  i.  6,  5,  note  ^,  page  29. 

Verse  12,  note  ^.  Mahi-tvanam,  greatness,  is  formed  by 
the  suffix  tvana,  which  Professor  Aufrecht  has  identified 
with  the  Greek  arv^rj  {o-vioi');  see  Kuhn^s  Zeitschrift,  vol.  i. 
p.  482.  The  origin  of  this  suffix  has  been  explained  by 
Professor  Benfey,  ibid.  vol.  vii.  p.  120,  who  traces  it  back  to 
the   suffix  tvan,  for  instance,  i-tvan,  goer,  in  prata^-itva  = 

Ai         T  A'       A 

prataA-yava. 

Verse  12,  notes  ^  and  ^.  Vrata  is  one  of  those  words  which, 
though  we  may  perceive  their  one  central  idea,  and  their 
original  purport,  we  have  to  translate  by  various  terms  in 
order  to  make  them  intelligible  in  every  passage  where  they 
occur.  Vrata,  I  believe,  meant  originally  what  is  enclosed, 
protected,  set  apart,  the  Greek  vo/ul6s  : 

V.  46,  7.  yah  parthivasa^  jsih  apam  api  vrate  tsih  na/* 
devi^  su-havM  ^arma  ya^Mata.  » 

O  ye  gracious  goddesses^  who  are  on  the  earth  or  in  the 
realm  of  the  waters,  grant  us  your  protection  ! 

Here  vrata  is  used  like  vri^ana,  see  i.  165,  15,   note  ^, 

page  195. 

X.  114,  2.  tasam  ni  Hkjxih  kavayaA  ni-danam  pareshu  ya^ 

gdhyeshu  vrateshu. 

The  poets  discovered  their  (the  Nirritis')  origin,  who  are 
in  the  far  hidden  chambers. 

i.  163,  3.   asi  tritaA  guhyena  vratena. 

Thou  art  Trita  within  the  hidden  place,  or  with  the 
secret  work. 

Secondly,  vrata  means  what  is  fenced  off,  what  is  deter- 
mined, what  is  settled,  and  hence,  like  dharman,  law, 
ordinance.      In  this   sense  vrata  occurs  very  frequently  : 

i.  25,  I.  yat  kit  hi  te  \issLh  yatha  pra  deva  varuwa  vratam, 
minimasi  dyavi-dyavi. 

VOL.  I.  Q 


226  HYMNS   TO   THE   MAEUTS. 

Whatever  law  of  thine  we  break,  O  Yaruna,  day  by  day, 
men  as  we  are. 

ii.  8,  3.  yasya  vratam  na  miyate. 

Whose  law  is  not  broken. 

iii.  32,  8.  mdrasya  karma  su-krita  puruwi  vratani  deva^ 
na  minanti  visve. 

The  deeds  of  Indra  are  well  done  and  many,  all  the  gods 
do  not  break  his  laws,  or  do  not  injure  his  ordinances. 

ii.  24,  12.  vi^vam  satyam  maghavana  yuvo/i  it  apa^  A:ana 
pra  minanti  vratam  vam. 

All  that  is  yours,  O  powerful  gods,  is  true ;  even  the 
waters  do  not  break  your  law. 

ii.  38,  7.   nakiA  asya  tani  vrata  devasya  savitu^  minanti. 

No  one  breaks  these  laws  of  this  god   Savitar.      Cf.  ii. 

38,9. 

i.  92,  12.  aminati  daivyani  vratani. 

Not  injuring  the  divine  ordinances.    Cf.  i.  124,  2. 

X.  12,  5.   kat  asya  ati  vratam  X:akrima. 

Which  of  his  laws  have  we  overstepped  ? 

viii.  25,  16.  tasya  vratani  anu  \ah  A-aramasi. 

His  ordinances  we  follow. 

X.  ^;^,  9.   na  devanam  ati  vratam  5ata-atma  ^ana  ^ivati. 

No  one  lives  beyond  the  statute  of  the  gods,  even  if  he 
had  a^  hundred  lives. 

vii.  5,  4.  tava  tri-dhatu  prithivi  uta  dyau^  vai^vanara 
vratam  agne  sa^anta. 

The  earth  and  the  sky  followed  thy  threefold  law,  O 
Agni  Vai^vanara. 

vii.  87,  7.  jah  mri/ayati  ^akrushe  kit  agah  vayam  syama 
varuwe  anaga^,  anu  vratani  adite/i  ridhanta^. 

Let  us  be  sinless  before  Varu^a,  who  is  gracious  even  to 
him  who  has  committed  sin,  let  us  perform  the  laws  of 
Aditi ! 

ii.  28,  8.  namaA  pura  te  varu/za  uta  nunam  uta  aparam 
tuvi-^ata  bravama,  tve  hi  kam  parvate  na  ^ritani  apra- 
^yutani  du/«-dabha  vratani. 

Formerly,  and  now,  and  also  in  future  let  us  give  praise 
to  thee,  O  Varuwa;  for  in  thee,  O  unconquerable,  all  laws 
are  grounded,  immovable  as  on  a  rock. 

A  very  frequent  expression  is  anu  vratam,  according  to 


MAiSTDALA   I,    SUKTA    166.  227 

the  command  of  a  god,  ii.  38,  3  ;   6  ;  viii.  40,  8  ;  or  simply 
anu  vratam,  according  to  law  and  order : 

i.  136,  5.  tam  aryama  abhi  rakshati  ri^u-yantam  anu 
vratam. 

Aryaman  protects  him  who  acts  uprightly  according  to  law. 

Cf.  iii.  61,  i;  iv.  13,  2;  v.  69,  i. 

The  laws  or  ordinances  or  institutions  of  the  gods  are 
sometimes  taken  for  the  sacrifices  which  are  supposed  to 
be  enjoined  by  the  gods,  and  the  performance  of  which  is, 
in  a  certain  sense,  the  performance  of  the  divine  will. 

i.  93,  8.  ya^  agnishoma  havisha  saparyat  devadriX:a 
manasa  ya^  ghritena,  tasya  vratam  rakshatam  patam  am- 
hasa/i. 

He  who  worships  Agni  and  Soma  with  oblations,  with  a 
godly  mind,  or  with  an  offering,  protect  his  sacrifice,  shield 
him  from  evil ! 

i.  31,  2.  tvam  agne  prathama^  angiraA-tama/«  kavi^ 
devanam  pari  bhushasi  vratatn. 

Agni,  the  first  and  wisest  of  poets,  thou  performest  the 
sacrifice  of  the  gods. 

iii.  3,  9.  tasya  vratani  bhuri-poshma^  vayam  upa  bhu- 
shema  dame  a  suvrikti-bhi^. 

Let  us,  who  possess  much  wealth,  perform  with  prayers 
the  sacrifices  of  Agni  within  our  house. 

In  another  acceptation  the  vratas  of  the  gods  are  what 
they  perform  and  establish  themselves,  their  own  deeds  : 

iii.  6,  5.  vrata  te  agne  mahata^  mahani  tava  kratva 
rodasi  (iti)  a  tatantha. 

The  deeds  of  thee,  the  great  Agni,  are  great,  by  thy 
power  thou  hast  stretched  out  heaven  and  earth. 

viii.  42,  I.  astabhnat  dyam  asuraA  vi^va-vedaA  amimita 
varimaV^am  prithivya'A,  a  asidat  vi^va  bhuvanani  sam-raV 
vi^va  it  tani  varu/iasya  vratani. 

The  wise  spirit  established  the  sky^  and  made  the  width 
of  the  earth,  as  king  he  approached  all  beings, —  all  these 
are  the  works  of  Varu^ia. 

vi.  14,  3.  turvantaA  dasyum  ayava/i  vratai^  sikshanta/i 
avratam. 

Men  fight  the  fiend,  trying  to  overcome  by  their  deeds 
him  who  performs  no  sacrifices ;  or,  the  lawless  enemy. 

Q  2 


228  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

Lastly,  vrata  comes  to  mean  sway  or  power,  and  the 
expression  vrate  tava  signifies,  at  thy  command,  under  thy 
auspices : 

i.  34,  15.  atha  vayam  aditya  vrate  tava  anagasa/^  aditaye 
syama. 

Then,  O  Aditya,  under  thy  auspices  may  we  be  guiltless 
before  Aditi. 

vi.  54,  9.  pushan  tava  vrate  vayam  na  rishyema  kada 
^ana. 

0  Pushan,  may  we  never  fail  under  thy  protection. 

X.  of)^  13.  ye  savitilA  satya-savasya  vi^ve  mitrasya  vrate 
varu/zasya  deva^. 

All  the  gods  w^ho  are  in  the  power  of  Savitar,  Mitra,  and 
Varwza. 

^-  ^3'  5-  y^sya  vrate  prithivi  namnamiti  yasya  vrate 
5apha-vat  ^arbhuriti,  yasya  vrate  oshadhiA  vi^va-rupa/*  sa/^ 
na/i  par^anya  mahi  ^arma  yaA-^/^a. 

At  whose  command  the  earth  bows  down,  at  whose  com- 
mand the  earth  is  as  lively  as  a  hoof  (?),  at  whose  command 
the  plants  assume  all  shapes,  may  est  thou,  O  Par^anya,  yield 
us  great  protection  ! 

In  our  passage  I  take  vrata  in  this  last  sense. 

Datra,  if  derived  from  da,  would  mean  gift,  and  that 
meaning  is  certainly  the  most  appHcable  in  some  passages 
where  it  occurs  : 

ix.  97,  ^^.   asi  bhagaA  asi  datrasya  data. 

Thou  art  Bhaga,  thou  art  the  giver  of  the  gift. 

In  other  passages,  too,  particularly  in  those  where  the 
verb  da  or  some  similar  verb  occurs  in  the  same  verse, 
it  can  hardly  be  doubted  that  the  poet  took  datra,  like 
datra  or  dattra,  in  the  sense  of  gift,  bounty,  largess  : 

i.  116,  6.  yam  a^vina  dadathuA  5vetam  asvam — tat  vam 
datram  mahi  kirtenyam  bhut. 

The  white  horse,  O  A^vins,  which  you  gave,  that  your 
gift  was  great  and  to  be  praised. 

i.  185,  3.   aneha/i  datram  adite^  anarvam  huve. 

1  call  for  the  unrivalled,  the  uninjured  bounty  of 
Aditi. 

vii.  ^6,  21.   ma  va/«  datrat  maruta^  niA  arama. 

May  we  not  fall  away  from  your  bounty,  O  Maruts  ! 


MAArz)ALA   I,    SUKTA    166.  229 

iii.  54,  16.  yuvam  hi  stha^  rayi-dau  nah  raymam  datram 
rakshethe . 

For  you,  Nasatyas,  are  our  givers  of  riches,  you  protect 
the  gift. 

vi.  20,  7.   ?'i^i5vane  datram  da^ushe  da^. 

To  i^i^i^van,  the  giver,  thou  givest  the  gift. 

viii.  43,  33.  tat  te  sahasva.  imahe  datram  yat  na  upa- 
dasyati,  tvat  ague  vary  am  vasu. 

We  ask  thee,  strong  hero,  for  the  gift  which  does  not 
perish ;  we  ask  from  thee  the  precious  w^ealth. 

X.  69,  4.   datram  rakshasva  yat  idam  te  asme  (iti). 

Protect  this  gift  of  thine  which  thou  hast  given  to  us. 

viii.  44,  18.  isishe  varyasya  hi  datrasya  ague  sva^-pati^. 

For  thou,  O  Agni,  lord  of  heaven,  art  the  master  of  the 
precious  gift.      Cf.  iv.  38,  i. 

Professor  Roth  considers  that  datra  is  derived  rather 
from  da,  to  divide,  and  that  it  means  share,  lot,  possession. 
But  there  is  not  a  single  passage  where  the  meaning  of 
gift  or  bounty  does  not  answer  all  purposes.  In  vii.  ^6,  21, 
ma  yah  datrat  maruta^  nih  arama,  is  surely  best  translated 
by,  '  let  us  not  fall  aw^ay  from  your  bounty,^  and  in  our  own 
passage  the  same  meaning  should  be  assigned  to  datra. 
The  idea  of  datra,  bounty,  is  by  no  means  incompatible 
with  vrata,  realm,  dominion,  sway,  if  we  consider  that  the 
sphere  within  which  the  bounty  of  a  king  or  a  god  is 
exercised  and  accepted,  is  in  one  sense  his  realm.  What 
the  poet  therefore  says  in  our  passage  is  simply  this,  that 
the  bounty  of  the  Maruts  extends  as  far  as  the  realm  of 
Aditi,  i.  e.  is  endless,  or  extends  everywhere,  Aditi  being  in 
its  original  conception  the  deity  of  the  unbounded  w^orld 
beyond,  the  earliest  attempt  at  expressing  the  Infinite. 

As  to  datra  occurring  once  with  the  accent  on  the  first 
syllable  in  the  sense  of  sickle,  see  M.  M.,  '  Uber  eine  Stelle 
in  Yaska^s  Commentar  zum  Naigha7^Alka,^  Zcitschrift  der 
Deutschen    Morgenlandischen    Gesellschaft,    1853,    vol.  vii. 

P-  375- 

viii.  78,  10.   tava  it  indi'a  aham  a-5asa  haste  datram  ^ana 

a  dade. 

Trusting  in  thee  alone,  O  Indra,  I  take  the  sickle  in  my  hand. 

This  datra,  sickle,  is  derived  from  do,  to  cut. 


230  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

Aditi,  the  Infinite. 

Verse  12,  note  ^.  Aditi,  an  ancient  god  or  goddess,  is  in 
reality  the  earliest  name  invented  to  express  the  Infinite  ; 
not  the  Infinite  as  the  result  of  a  long  process  of  abstract 
reasoning,  but  the  visible  Infinite,  visible  by  the  naked  eye, 
the  endless  expanse  beyond  the  earth,  beyond  the  clouds, 
beyond  the  sky.  That  was  called  A-diti,  the  un-bound, 
the  un-bounded ;  one  might  almost  say,  but  for  fear  of 
misunderstandings,  the  Absolute,  for  it  is  derived  from 
diti,  bond,  and  the  negative  particle,  and  meant  therefore 
originally  what  is  free  from  bonds  of  any  kind,  whether  of 
space  or  time,  free  from  physical  weakness,  free  from  moral 
guilt.  Such  a  conception  became  of  necessity  a  being,  a 
person,  a  god.  To  us  such  a  name  and  such  a  conception 
seem  decidedly  modern,  and  to  find  in  the  Veda  Aditi,  the 
Infinite,  as  the  mother  of  the  principal  gods,  is  certainly,  at 
first  sight,  startling.  But  the  fact  is  that  the  thoughts  of 
primitive  humanity  were  not  only  different  from  our  thoughts, 
but  diiferent  also  from  what  we  think  their  thoughts  ought 
to  have  been.  The  poets  of  the  Veda  indulged  freely  in 
theogonic  speculations  without  being  frightened  by  any  con- 
tradictions. They  knew  of  Indra  as  the  greatest  of  gods, 
they  knew  of  Agni  as  the  god  of  gods,  they  knew  of  Varu7^a 
as  the  ruler  of  all,  but  they  were  by  no  means  startled  at 
the  idea  that  their  Indra  had  a  mother,  or  that  their  Agni 
was  born  like  a  babe  from  the  friction  of  two  fire-sticks,  or 
that  Varu?za  and  his  brother  Mitra  were  nursed  in  the  lap  of 
Aditi.  Some  poet  would  take  hold  of  the  idea  of  an  unbounded 
power,  of  Aditi,  originally  without  any  reference  to  other  gods. 
Very  soon  these  ideas  met,  and,  without  any  misgivings, 
either  the  gods  were  made  subordinate  to,  and  represented 
as  the  sons  of  Aditi,  or  where  Indra  was  to  be  praised  as 
supreme,  Aditi  was  represented  as  doing  him  homage. 

viii.  12,  14.   uta  sva-ra^e  aditiA  stomam  indraya  ^i^anat. 

And  Aditi  produced  a  hymn  for  Indra,  the  king.  Here 
Professor  Roth  takes  Aditi  as  an  epithet  of  Agni,  not  as 
the  name  of  the  goddess  Aditi,  while  Dr.  Muir  rightly 
takes  it  in  the  latter  sense,  and  retains  stomam  instead  of 
somam,  as  printed  by  Professor  Aufrecht.      Cf.  vii.  38,  4. 


MANDALA   I,   SUKTA    166.  231 

The  idea  of  the  Infinite,  as  I  have  tried  to  show  else- 
where, was  revealed,  was  most  powerfully  impressed  on  the 
awakening  mind,  by  the  East*.  '  It  is  impossible  to  enter 
fully  into  all  the  thoughts  and  feelings  that  passed  through 
the  minds  of  the  early  poets  when  they  formed  names  for 
that  far,  far  East  from  whence  even  the  early  dawn,  the 
sun,  the  day,  their  own  Hfe,  seemed  to  spring.  A  new  life 
flashed  up  every  morning  before  their  eyes,  and  the  fresh 
breezes  of  the  dawn  reached  them  like  greetings  from  the 
distant  lands  beyond  the  mountains,  beyond  the  clouds, 
beyond  the  dawn,  beyond  "  the  immortal  sea  which  brought 
us  hither/^  The  dawn  seemed  to  them  to  open  golden 
gates  for  the  sun  to  pass  in  triumph,  and  while  those  gates 
were  open,  their  eyes  and  their  mind  strove  in  their  childish 
way  to  pierce  beyond  the  limits  of  this  finite  world.  That 
silent  aspect  awakened  in  the  human  mind  the  conception 
of  the  Infinite,  the  Immortal,  the  Divine/  Aditi  is  a  name 
for  that  distant  East,  but  Aditi  is  more  than  the  dawn. 
Aditi  is  beyond  the  dawn,  and  in  one  place  (i.  113,  19) 
the  dawn  is  called  ^  the  face  of  Aditi/  aditer  anikam.  Thus 
we  read : 

V.  62,  8.  hirawya-rupam  ushasa^  vi-ush/au  ayaA-sthu^zam 
lit-ita  suryasya,  a  rohatha/i  varu7^a  mitra  gartam  ata^ 
^akshathe   (iti)   aditim   ditim   ka. 

Mitra  and  Varuwa,  you  mount  your  chariot,  which  is 
golden,  when  the  dawn  bursts  forth,  and  has  iron  poles 
at  the  setting  of  the  sun  :  from  thence  you  see  Aditi  and 
Diti,  what  is  yonder  and  what  is  here. 

If  we  keep  this  original  conception  of  Aditi  clearly  before 
us,  the  various  forms  which  Aditi  assumes,  even  in  the 
hymns  of  the  Veda,  will  not  seem  incoherent.  Aditi  is  not 
a  prominent  deity  in  the  Veda,  she  is  celebrated  rather  in 
her  sons,  the  Adityas,  than  in  her  own  person.  While 
there  are  so  many  hymns  addressed  to  Ushas,  the  dawn, 
or  Indra,  or  Agni,  or  Savitar,  there  is  but  one  hymn,  x.  72, 
which  from  our  point  of  view,  though  not  from  that  of 
Indian  theologians,  might  be  called  a  hymn  to  Aditi. 
Nevertheless  Aditi  is  a  familiar  name ;   a  name  of  the  past, 

*  Lectures  on  the  Science  of  Language,  Second  Series,  p.  499. 


232  HYMNS   TO   THE    MARUTS. 

whether  in  time  or  in  thought  only,  and  a  name  that  lives 
on  in  the  name  of  the  Adityas,  the  sons  of  Aditi,  including 
the  principal  deities  of  the  Veda. 

Aditi  and  the  Adityas. 

Thus  we  read : 

i.  107,  2.    upa   na^    deva^    avasa   a   gamantu    angirasam 
sama-bhi^    stuyamana/i,    indraA   indriyai^    maruta^    marut- 
*  hhih  adityai^  na^  aditi/i  ^arma  yamsat. 

May  the  gods  come  to  us  with  their  help,  praised  by 
the  songs  of  the  Angiras, — Indra  with  his  forces,  the 
Maruts  with  the  storms,  may  Aditi  with  the  Adityas  give 
us  protection ! 

X.  66,  3.  indra^  vasu-bhi^  pari  patu  na^  gayam  adityaiA 
na^  aditiA  ^arma  ja.kkhatu,  rudra^  rudrebhi/i  devaA  mri/ayati 
na^  tvash^a  na^  gnabhi^  suvitaya  ^invatu. 

May  Indra  with  the  Vasus  watch  our  house,  may  Aditi 
with  the  Adityas  give  us  protection,  may  the  divine  Rudra 
with  the  Rudras  have  mercy  upon  us,  may  Tvash^ar  with 
the  mothers  bring  us  to  happiness  ! 

iii.  54,  20.  adityai/i  na/^  aditiA  srinotn  ya^Mantu  na.h 
maruta^  ^arma  bhadram. 

May  Aditi  with  the  Adityas  hear  us,  may  the  Maruts 
give  us  good  protection  ! 

In  another  passage  Varuwa  takes  the  place  of  Aditi  as 
the  leader  of  the  Adityas  : 

vii.  35,  6.  sam  nah  mdra/i  vasu-bhi/i  "tjeva/j  astu  5am 
adityebhiA  varuwaA  su-5amsa/«,  5am  na^  rudraA  rudrebhiA 
^alasha^  5am  nah  tvash/a  gnabhi/i  iha  5ri?zotu. 

May  Indra  bless  us,  the  god  with  the  Vasus  !  May 
VaruTza,  the  glorious,  bless  us  with  the  Adityas  !  May  the 
relieving  Rudra  with  the  Rudras  bless  us  !  May  Tvash/ar 
with  the  mothers  kindly  hear  us  here  ! 

Even  in  passages  where  the  poet  seems  to  profess  an 
exclusive  worship  of  Aditi,  as  in 

V.  69,  3.  prataA  devim  aditim  ^ohavimi  madhyandine 
ut-ita  suryasya, 

I  invoke  the  divine  Aditi  early  in  the  morning,  at  noon, 
and  at  the  setting  of  the  sun. 


MAiVZ)ALA   I,    SUKTA    166.  233 

Mitra  and  Varu^za,  her  principal  sons,  are  mentioned 
immediately  after,  and  implored,  like  her,  to  bestow  bless- 
ings on  their  worshipper. 

Her  exclusive  worship  appears  once,  in  viii.  1.9,  14. 

A  very  fi'equent  expression  is  that  of  aditya/i  aditi/« 
without  any  copula,  to   signify  the  Adityas   and  Aditi : 

iv.  25,  3.  ka^  devanam  avaA  adya  v?'i/iite  ka/^  adityan 
aditim  gjotih  itte. 

Who  does  choose  now  the  protection  of  the  gods  ?  Who 
asks  the  Adityas,  Aditi,  for  their  light  ? 

vi.  51,  5.  vi5ve  aditya/i  adite  sa-^6sha/i  asmabhyam  ^arma 
bahulam  vi  yanta. 

All  ye  Adityas^  Aditi  together,  grant  to  us  your  manifold 
protection  ! 

X.  39,  II.  na  tam  ra^anau  adite  kuta^  ka,na  na  mnhah 
a^noti  du^-itam  nskih  bhayam. 

0  ye  two  kings  (the  A^vins),  Aditi,  no  evil  reaches  him 
from  anywhere,  no  misfortune,  no  fear  (whom  you  protect). 
Cf.  vii.  66,  6. 

^-  ^3j  5*  t^'^  ^  vivasa  namasa  suvrikti-bhi/i  mahaA 
adityan  aditim   svastaye. 

1  cherish  them  with  worship  and  with  hymns,  the  great 
Adityas,  Aditi,  for  happiness^  sake. 

X.  63,  17.  eva  plated  sunu/i  avivridhat  va/i  vi^ve  aditya/^ 
adite  manishi'. 

The  wise  son  of  Plati  magnified  you,  all  ye  Adityas, 
Aditi ! 

X.  6^,  9.  par^anyavata  vrishabha  purishma  indravayu 
(iti)  varu^a^  mitral  aryama,  devan  adityan  aditim  hava- 
mahe  ye   parthivasa^   divyasa^  ap-su  ye. 

There  are  Par^anya  and  Vata,  the  powerful,  the  givers 
of  rain,  Indra  and  Vayu,  Varu/^a,  Mitra,  Aryaman,  we  call 
the  divine  Adityas,  Aditi,  those  who  dwell  on  the  earth,  in 
heaven,  in  the  waters. 

We  are  not  justified  in  saying  that  there  ever  was  a 
period  in  the  history  of  the  religious  thought  of  India, 
a  period  preceding  the  worship  of  the  Adityas,  when  Aditi, 
the  Infinite,  was  worshipped,  though  to  the  sage  who  first 
coined  this  name,  it  expressed,  no  doubt,  for  a  time  the 
principal,  if  not  the  only  object  of  his  faith  and  worship. 


234  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 


Aditi  a7id  Daksha. 

Soon,  however,  the  same  mental  process  which  led  on 
later  speculators  from  the  earth  to  the  elephant,  and  from 
the  elephant  to  the  tortoise,  led  the  Vedic  poets  beyond 
Aditi,  the  Infinite.  There  was  something  beyond  that 
Infinite  which  for  a  time  they  had  grasped  by  the  name 
of  Aditi,  and  this,  whether  intentionally  or  by  a  mere 
accident  of  language,  they  called  daksha,  literally  power 
or  the  powerful.  All  this^  no  doubt,  sounds  strikingly 
modern,  yet,  though  the  passages  in  which  this  daksha 
is  mentioned  are  few  in  number,  I  should  not  venture  to 
say  that  they  are  necessarily  modern,  even  if  by  modern 
we  mean  only  later  than  looo  b,  c.  Nothing  can  bring 
the  perplexity  of  the  ancient  mind,  if  once  drawn  into  this 
vortex  of  speculation,  more  clearly  before  us  than  if  we 
read  : 

X.  72,  4—5.  adite/i  daksha/i  a^ayata  dakshat  um  (iti)  aditi/i 
pari, —  aditi/i  hi  a^anish/a  daksha  ya  duhita  tava,  tarn  deva'A 
anu  a^ayanta  bhadra/^  amrita-bandhava/t. 

Daksha  was  born  of  Aditi,  and  Aditi  from  Daksha.  For 
Aditi  was  born,  O  Daksha,  she  who  is  thy  daughter ;  after 
her  the  gods  were  born,  the  blessed,  who  share  in  im- 
mortality. 

Or,  in  more  mythological  language : 

X.  64,  5.  dakshasya  va  adite  ^anmani  vrate  ra^ana  mitra- 
varu?2a  a  vivasasi. 

Or  thou,  O  Aditi,  nursest  in  the  birthplace  of  Daksha 
the  two  kings,  Mitra  and  Varuwa. 

Nay,  even  this  does  not  suffice.  There  is  something 
again  beyond  Aditi  and  Daksha,  and  one  poet  says : 

X.  5,  7.  asat  ^a  sat  A"a  parame  vi-oman  dakshasya  ^anman 
aditeA  upa-sthe. 

Not-being  and  Being  are  in  the  highest  heaven,  in  the 
birthplace  of  Daksha,  in  the  lap  of  Aditi. 

At  last  something  like  a  theogony,  though  full  of  con- 
tradictions, was  imagined,  and  in  the  same  hymn  from 
which  we  have  already  quoted,  the  poet  says  : 

X.  72, 1—4.  devanam  nil  vayam  ^ana  pra  voArama  vipanyaya, 
uktheshu  ^asyamaneshu  ya/^  (yat?)  pa^yat  ut-tare  yuge.    i. 


MAiVZ)ALA    I,    SUKTA    166.  235 

brahma?za^  patiA  eta  sam  karmara^-iva  adhamat,  devanam 
purvye  yuge  asata^  sat  a^ayata.     2. 

devanam  yuge  prathame  asata^  sat  a^ayata,  tat  a^a^  anu 
a^ayanta  tat  uttana-pada/j  pari.    3. 

hhuh  gagne  uttana-padaA  bhuvaA  a^a^  a^ayanta,  adite/i 
dakshaA  a^ayata,  dakshat  mn  (iti)  aditi/i  pari.    4. 

1.  Let  us  now  with  praise  proclaim  the  births  of  the 
gods,  that  a  man  may  see  them  in  a  future  age,  whenever 
these  hymns  are  sung. 

2.  Brahma^zaspati*  blew  them  together  Hke  a  smith- 
(with  his  bellows) ;  in  a  former  age  of  the  gods,  Being 
was   born   from   Not-being. 

3.  In  the  first  age  of  the  gods,  Being  was  born  from 
Not-being,  after  it  were  born  the  Regions,  from  them 
Uttanapada ; 

4.  From  Uttanapad  the  Earth  was  born,  the  Regions 
were  born  fi^om  the  Earth.  Daksha  was  born  of  Aditi,  and 
Aditi  from  Daksha. 

The  ideas  of  Being  and  Not-being  [to  ov  and  to  jmt]  op) 
are  familiar  to  the  Hindus  from  a  very  early  time  in  their 
intellectual  growth,  and  they  can  only  have  been  the  result 
of  abstract  speculation.  Therefore  daksha,  too,  in  the 
sense  of  power  or  potentia,  may  have  been  a  metaphysical 
conception.  But  it  may  also  have  been  suggested  by  a 
mere  accident  of  language,  a  never-failing  source  of  ancient 
thoughts.  The  name  daksha-pitara/*,  an  epithet  of  the 
gods,  has  generally  been  translated  by  *  those  who  have 
Daksha  for  their  father.^  But  it  may  have  been  used 
originally  in  a  very  different  sense.  Professor  Roth  has, 
I  think,  convincingly  proved  that  this  epithet  daksha-pitar, 
as  given  to  certain  gods,  does  not  mean,  the  gods  who 
have  Daksha  for  their  father,  but  that  it  had  originally 
the    simpler   meaning    of   fathers    of   strength,    or,    as    he 


*  Bralima?tasp^ti,  literally  the  lord  of  prayer,  or  the  lord  of  the  sacrifice, 
sometimes  a  representative  of  Agni  (i.  38,  13,  note),  but  by  no  means  identical 
with  him  {see  vii.  41,  i) ;  sometimes  performing  the  deeds  of  Indra,  but  again 
by  no  means  identical  with  him  (see  ii.  23,  18.  fndi-ewa  yuj/af — ni/i  apam 
Sbuhga,h  arnav^m  ;  cf.  viii.  96,  15).  In  ii.  26,  3,  he  is  called  father  of  the  gods 
(devanam  pit^ram) ;  in  ii.  23,  2,  the  creator  of  all  beings  (visvesham  r/anita). 


236  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

translates   it,   'preserving,  possessing,  granting  faculties*/ 
This  is  particularly  clear  in   one  passage  : 

iii.  27,  9.  bhutanam  garbham  a  dadhe,  dakshasya  pitaram. 

I  place  Agni,  the  source  of  all  beings,  the  father  of 
strength 

After  this  we  can  hardly  hesitate  how  to  translate  the 
next  verse  : 

vi.  50,  2.   su-/7y6tishaA — daksha-pitrin  —  devan. 

The  resplendent  gods,  the  fathers  of  strength. 

It  may  seem  more  doubtful  when  we  come  to  gods  like 
Mitra  and  Varu??a,  whom  we  are  so  much  accustomed  to 
regard  as  Adityas,  or  sons  of  Aditi,  and  who  therefore, 
according  to  the  theogony  mentioned  before,  would  have 
the  best  claim  to  the  name  of  sons  of  Daksha ;  yet  here, 
too,  the  original  and  simple  meaning  is  preferable  ;  nay,  it 
is  most  likely  that  from  passages  like  this,  the  later  ex- 
planation, which  makes  Mitra  and  Yaru/za  the  sons  of 
Daksha,   may  have   sprung. 

vii.  66,  2.  ya — su-daksha  daksha-pitara. 

Mitra  and  Varu?ia,  who  are  of  good  strength,  the  fathers 
of  strength. 

Lastly,  even  men  may  claim  this  name ;  for,  unless  we 
change  the  accent,  we  must  translate  : 

viii.  6'^ J  10.   avasyava/i  yushmabhiA  daksha-pitara/?. 

We  suppliants,  being,  through  your  aid,  fathers  of 
strength. 

But  whatever  view  we  take,  whether  we  take  daksha  in 
the  sense  of  power,  as  a  personification  of  a  philosophical 
conception,  or  as  the  result  of  a  mythological  misunder- 
standing occasioned  by  the  name  of  daksha-pitar,  the  fact 
remains  that  in  certain  hymns  of  the  Rig-veda  (viii.  25,  5) 
Daksha,  like  Aditi,  has  become  a  divine  person,  and  has 
retained  his  place  as  one  of  the  Adityas  to  the  very  latest 
tTme  of  Puramc  tradition. 


*  The  accent  in  this  case  cannot  help  us  in  determining  whether  daksha- 
pitar  means  having  Daksha  for  their  father  {AoKpoTraTOjp),  or  father  of 
strength.  In  the  first  case  daksha  would  rightly  retain  its  accent  (daksha- 
pitar)  as  a  Bahuvrlhi ;  in  the  second,  the  analogy  of  such  Tatpurusha  com- 
pounds as  grihcC-pati  (Pa,n.  vi,  2,  18)  would  be  sufficient  to  justify  the  plirva- 
padaprakritisvaratvam. 


MANDA'LA   I,    sfrKTA    166.  237 


Aditi  in  her   Cosmic   Character. 

But  to  return  to  Aditi.  Let  us  look  upon  her  as  the 
Infinite  personified,  and  most  passages,  even  those  where 
she  is  presented  as  a  subordinate  deity,  will  become 
intelligible. 

Aditi,  in  her  cosmic  character,  is  the  beyond,  the  un- 
bounded realm  beyond  earth,  sky,  and  heaven,  and  originally 
she  was  distinct  from  the  skv,  the  earth,  and  the  ocean. 
Aditi  is  mentioned  by  the  side  of  heaven  and  earth,  which 
shows  that,  though  in  more  general  language  she  may  be 
identified  with  heaven  and  earth  in  their  unlimited  character, 
her  original  conception  was  different.  This  we  see  in  pas- 
sages where  different  deities  or  powers  are  invoked  together, 
particularly  if  they  are  invoked  together  in  the  same  verse, 
and  where  Aditi  holds  a  separate  place  by  the  side  of  heaven 
and  earth  : 

i.  94,  1 6  (final),  tat  na/«  mitra/i  varu?za/«  mamahantam 
aditi/i  sindhu/i  prithivi  uta  dyaui^. 

May  Mitra  and  Varu^za  grant  us  this,  may  Aditi,  Sindhu 
(sea),  the  Earth,  and  the  Sky ! 

In  other  passages,  too,  where  Aditi  has  assumed  a  more 
personal  character,  she  still  holds  her  own  by  the  side  of 
heaven  and  earth ;  cf.  ix.  97,  58  (final) : 

i.  191,  6.  dyau^  va^  pita  prithivi  mata  s6ma/z  bhrata 
aditi^   svasa. 

The  Sky  is  your  father,  the  Earth  your  mother,  Soma 
your  brother,  Aditi  your  sister. 

viii.  101,  15.  mata  rudraVxam  duhita  vasunam  svasa  aditya- 
nam  amritasya  nabhi/?,  pra  nu  voA^ara  Aikitushe  ^anaya  ma 
gam  anagam  aditim  vadhish/a. 

The  mother  of  the  Rudras,  the  daughter  of  the  Vasus, 
the  sister  of  the  Adityas,  the  source  of  immortality,  I  tell 
it  forth  to  the  man  of  understanding,  may  he  not  offend  the 
cow,  the  guiltless  Aditi !  Cf.  i.  153,  3  ;  ix.  96,  15  ;  Va//asan. 
Sanhita  xiii.  49. 

vi.  51,  5.  dyau^  pitar  (iti)  prithivi  mata/i  adhruk  agne 
bhrata^  vasava^  m?'i/ata  na/^,  vi^ve  aditya^  adite  sa-^6sha^ 
asmabhyam  ^arma  bahulam  vi  yanta. 

Sky,  father,   Earth,  kind  mother,   Fire,  brother,   bright 


238  HYMNS   TO   THE    MAEUTS. 

gods,  have  mercy  upon  us !  All  Adityas  (and)  Aditi 
together,  grant  us  your  manifold  protection  ! 

X.  63,  10.  su-trama?^am  prithivim  dyam  anehasam  su- 
sarmawam  aditim  su-pranitira,  daivim  naVam  su-aritram 
anagasam   asravantim   a  ruhema  svastaye. 

We  invoke  the  well-protecting  Earth,  the  unrivalled  Sky, 
the  well-shielding  Aditi,  the  good  guide.  Let  us  enter  for 
safety  into  the  divine  boat,  with  good  oars,  faultless  and 
leakless  ! 

X.  66^  4.   aditim  dyavaprithivi  (iti). 

Aditi,  and  Heaven  and  Earth. 

Where  two  or  more  verses  come  together,  the  fact  that 
Aditi  is  mentioned  by  the  side  of  Heaven  and  Earth  may 
seem  less  convincing,  because  in  these  Nivids  or  long  strings 
of  invocations  different  names  or  representatives  of  one  and 
the  same  power  are  not  unfrequently  put  together.  For 
instance, 

X.  36,  1—3.  ushasanakta  brihati  (iti)  su-pe^asa  dyava- 
kshama  varuTzaA  mitral  aryama,  indram  huve  mariita/* 
parvatan  apa/«  adityan  dyavaprithivi  (iti)  apa^  svar  (iti 
sva^).    I. 

dyauA  A:a  naA  prithivi  X:a  pra-/:etasa  ?'itavari  (ity  rita- 
vari)  rakshatam  amhasaA  risha^,  ma  du^-vidatra  ni/i-?4ti/« 
na/i  i^ata  tat  devanam  ava^  adya  v^immahe.    2. 

vi^vasmat  na7^  aditim  patu  a/Tzhasa/i  mata  mitrasya  varu- 
/lasya  revata/i  sva/i-vat  gjoiih  avrikam  nasimahi.    3. 

1.  There  are  the  grand  and  beautiful  Morning  and 
Night,  Heaven  and  Earth,  Varuwa,  Mitra,  Aryaman,  I 
call  Indra,  the  Maruts,  the  Waters,  the  Adityas,  Heaven 
and  Earth,  the  Waters,  the  Heaven. 

2.  May  Heaven  and  Earth,  the  provident,  the  righteous, 
preserve  us  from  sin  and  mischief!  May  the  malevolent 
Nirriti  not  rule  over  us  !  This  blessing  of  the  gods  we 
ask  for  to-day. 

3.  May  Aditi  protect  us  from  all  sin,  the  mother  of 
Mitra  and  of  the  rich  Varuwa  !  May  we  obtain  heavenly 
light  without  enemies  !  This  blessing  of  the  gods  we  ask 
for  to-day. 

Here  we  cannot  but  admit  that  Dyavakshama,  heaven 
and    earth,     is    meant    for    the     same    divine    couple     as 


MANDA'LA   I,    SUKTA    166.  239 

Dyavap/'Ithivi,  heaven  and  earth,  although  under  slightly 
differing  names  they  are  invoked  separately.  The  waters 
are  invoked  twice  in  the  same  verse  and  under  the  same 
name ;  nor  is  there  any  indication  that,  as  in  other  pas- 
sages, the  waters  of  the  sky  are  meant  as  distinct  from  the 
waters  of  the  sea.  Nevertheless  even  here,  Aditi,  who  in  the 
third  verse  is  called  distinctly  the  mother  of  Mitra  and 
Varu/ia,  cannot  well  have  been  meant  for  the  same  deity  as 
Heaven  and  Earth,  mentioned  in  the  second  verse ;  and 
the  author  of  these  two  verses,  while  asking  the  same 
blessing  from  both,  must  have  been  aw^are  of  the  original 
independent  character  of  Aditi. 

Aditi  as  Mother. 

In  this  character  of  a  deity  of  the  far  East,  of  an  Orient 
in  the  true  sense  of  the  word,  Aditi  was  naturally  thought 
of  as  the  mother  of  certain  gods,  particularly  of  those  that 
were  connected  with  the  daily  rising  and  setting  of  the  sun. 
If  it  was  asked  whence  comes  the  dawn,  or  the  sun,  or 
whence  come  day  and  night,  or  Mitra  and  yaru/^a,  or  any  of 
the  bright,  solar,  eastern  deities,  the  natural  answer  w^as  that 
they  come  from  the  Orient,  that  they  are  the  sons  of  Aditi. 
Thus  we  read  in 

ix.  74,  3.   urvi  gavyutiA  adite^  ritam  yate. 

Wide  is  the  space  for  him  who  goes  on  the  right  path 
of  Aditi. 

In  viii.  25,  3,  we  are  told  that  Aditi  bore  Mitra  and 
VaruTza,  and  these  in  verse  5  are  called  the  sons  of  Daksha 
(power),  and  the  grandsons  of  /Savas,  which  again  means 
might :  napata  savasaA  mahaA  sunu  (iti)  dakshasya  su-kratu 
(iti).  In  X.  ^6y  3,  Aditi  is  called  the  mother  of  Mitra  and 
Varu?za ;  likewise  in  x.  132,  6;  see  also  vi.  67,  4.  In  viii. 
47,  9,  Aditi  is  called  the  mother  of  Mitra,  xiryaman,  VaruTia, 
who  in  vii.  60,  5,  are  called  her  sons.  In  x.  11,  i,  Varu^^a 
is  called  yahva^  aditeA,  the  son  of  Aditi  (cf.  viii.  19,  12)  ;  in 
vii.  41,  2,  Bhaga  is  mentioned  as  her  son.  In  x.  72,  8,  we 
hear  of  eight  sons  of  Aditi,  but  it  is  added  that  she 
approached  the  gods  with  seven  sons  only,  and  that  the 
eighth   (martaw6?a,   addled  egg)   was  thrown  aw^ay :    ash/au 


240  HYMNS   TO   THE   M ABUTS. 

putrasa/i  adite/i  ye  g?ita.h  tanva/i  pari,  devan  upa  pra  ait 
sapta-bhi/i  para  marta^i^/am  asyat. 

In  X.  6^,  2,  the  gods  in  general  are  represented  as 
born  from  Adlti^  the  waters,  and  the  earth:  ye  stha  ^ata^ 
aditeA  at-bhya^  pari  ye  prithivya^  te  me  iha  5ruta 
havam. 

You  who  are  born  of  Aditi,  from  the  water,  you  who  are 
born  of  the  earth,  hear  ye  all  my  call ! 

The  number  seven,  with  regard  to  the  Adityas,  occurs 
also  in 

ix.  114,  3.  sapta  di^a^  nana-surya/«  sapta  h6tara/^  ritvi^a/i, 
devah  aditya/i  ye  sapta  tebhi/*  soma  abhi  raksha  na/^. 

There  are  seven  regions  with  their  different  suns,  there 
are  seven  Hotars  as  priests,  those  who  are  the  seven  gods, 
the  Adityas,  with  them,  O  Soma,  protect  us  ! 

The  Seven  Adityas, 

This  number  of  seven  Adityas  requires  an  explanation 
which,  however,  it  is  difficult  to  give.  To  say  that  seven 
is  a  solemn  or  sacred  number  is  to  say  very  little,  for 
however  solemn  or  sacred  that  number  may  be  elsewhere, 
it  is  not  more  sacred  than  any  other  number  in  the  Veda. 
The  often-mentioned  seven  rivers  have  a  real  geographical 
foundation,  like  the  seven  hills  of  Rome.  The  seven  flames 
or  treasures  of  Agni  (v.  i,  5)  and  of  Soma  and  Rudra 
(vi.  74,  i),  the  seven  paridhis  or  logs  at  certain  sacrifices 
(x.  90,  15)5  the  seven  Harits  or  horses  of  the  sun,  the  seven 
Hotar  priests  (iii.  7,  7  ;  10,  4),  the  seven  cities  of  the  enemy 
destroyed  by  Indra  (i.  6^,  7),  and  even  the  seven  i^ishis 
(x.  82,  2 ;  109,  4),  all  these  do  not  prove  that  the  number 
of  seven  was  more  sacred  than  the  number  of  one  or  three 
or  five  or  ten  used  in  the  Veda  in  a  very  similar  way. 
With  regard  to  the  seven  Adityas,  hovrever,  we  are  still  able 
to  see  that  their  number  of  seven  or  eight  had  something 
to  do  with  solar  movements.  If  their  number  had  always 
been  eight,  we  should  feel  inclined  to  trace  the  number  of 
the  Adityas  back  to  the  eight  regions,  or  the  eight  cardinal 
points  of  the  heaven.      Thus  we  read  : 

i.  ^^,  8.   ash/au  vi  akhyat  kakiibha^  prithivyaA. 


MANDALA   I,    SiyKTA  166.  241 

The  god  Savitar  lighted  up  the  eight  points  of  the  earth 
(not  the  eight  hills). 

But  we  have  seen  already  that  though  the  number  of 
Adityas  was  originally  supposed  to  have  been  eight,  it  was 
reduced  to  seven,  and  this  could  hardly  be  said  in  any  sense 
of  the  eight  points  of  the  compass.     Cf.  Taitt.  Ar.  i.  y,  6. 

As  we  cannot  think  in  ancient  India  of  the  seven  planets, 
I  can  only  suggest  the  seven  days  or  tithis  of  the  four 
parvans  of  the  lunar  month  as  a  possible  prototype  of  the 
Adityas.  This  might  even  explain  the  destruction  of  the 
eighth  Aditya,  considering  that  the  eighth  day  of  each 
parvan,  owing  to  its  uncertainty,  might  be  represented  as 
exposed  to  decay  and  destruction.  This  would  explain 
such  passages  as, 

^^'  7}  5-  y%ish^Aam  sapta  dhama-bhi^. 

Agni,  most  worthy  of  sacrifice  in  the  seven  stations. 

ix.  I02,  2.   ya^nasya  sapta  dhama-bhi^. 

In  the  seven  stations  of  the  sacrifice. 

The  seven  threads  of  the  sacrifice  may  have  the  same 
origin  : 

ii.  5,  2.  a  yasmin  sapta  rasmaya^  tata'A  ya^nasya  netari, 
manushvat  daivyam  ash^amam. 

In  whom,  as  the  leader  of  the  sacrifice,  the  seven 
threads  are  stretched  out, — the  eighth  divine  being  is 
manlike  (?). 

The  sacrifice  itself  is  called,  x.  124,  i,  sapta-tantu,  ha\dng 
seven  threads. 

x.  122,  3.   sapta  dhamani  pari-yan  amartya^. 

Agni,  the  immortal,  who  goes  round  the  seven  stations. 

x.  8,  4.  usha^-usha^  hi  vaso  (iti)  agram  eshi  tvam  yama- 
yo^  abhava^  vi-bhava,  ntaya  sapta  dadhishe  padani  ^anayan 
mitram  tanve  svayai. 

For  thou,  Vasu  (Agni),  comest  first  every  morning,  thou 
art  the  divider  of  the  twins  (day  and  night).  Thou  takest 
for  the  rite  the  seven  names,  creating  Mitra  (the  sun)  for  thy 
own  body. 

x.  5,  6.  sapta  maryada^  kavaya^  tatakshuA  tasam  ekam 
it  abhi  amhuraA  gat. 

The  sages  established  the  seven  divisions,  but  mischief 
befel  one  of  them. 

VOL.  I.  R 


242  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

i.  22)  1 6.  ataA  deva^  avantu  na^  yata^  vish^^u^  vi-^akrame 
prithivya^  sapta  dhama-bbiA. 

May  the  gods  protect  us  from  wbence  Vish?^u  strode 
forth,  by  the  seven  stations  of  the  earth ! 

Even  the  names  of  the  seven  or  eight  Adityas  are  not 
definitely  known,  at  least  not  from  the  hymns  of  the  Rig- 
veda.  In  ii.  27,  i,  we  have  a  list  of  six  names:  Mitra, 
Aryaman,  Bhaga,  Varu^za,  Daksha,  Amssih.  These  with 
j^diti  would  give  us  seven.  In  vi.  50,  i,  w^e  have  Aditi, 
Varu/^a,  Mitra,  Agni,  Aryaman,  Savitar,  and  Bhaga.  In 
i.  89,  3,  Bhaga,  Mitra,  ^diti,  Daksha,  Aryaman,  YaYuna, 
Soma,  A^vina,  and  Sarasvati  are  invoked  together  w^ith  an 
old  invocation,  purvaya  ni-vida.  In  the  Taittiriya-ara?^yaka, 
i.  13,  3,  we  find  the  following  list :  i.  Mitra,  2,  Varu^za, 
3.  Dhatar,  4.  Aryaman,  5.  Am^a,  6.  Bhaga,  7.  Indra, 
8.  Vivasvan,  but  there,  too,  the  eighth  son  is  said  to  be 
Ma.YtsLnda,  or^  according  to  the  commentator,  Aditya. 

The  character  of  Aditi  as  the  mother  of  certain  gods  is 
also  indicated  by  some  of  her  epithets,  such  as  ra^a-putra, 
having  kings  for  her  sons ;  su-putra,  having  good  sons ; 
ugra-putra,  having  terrible  sons  : 

ii.  27,  7.  pipartu  na.h  Mitih  ra^a-putra  ati  dveshamsi 
aryama  su-gebhi^,  b?'ihat  mitrasya  varuwasya  5arma  upa 
syama  puru-vira/i  arishtah. 

May  Aditi  with  her  royal  sons,  may  Aryaman  carry  us 
on  easy  roads  across  the  hatreds ;  may  w^e  wdth  many  sons 
and  without  hurt  obtain  the  great  protection  of  Mitra  and 
Varu?za ! 

iii.  4,  II.   barhi^  na^  astam  aditi^  su-putra. 

May  Aditi  with  her  excellent  sons  sit  on  our  sacred  pile  ! 

viii.  67,  II.  parshi  dine  gabhire  a  ugra-putre  ^ighamsataA, 
makih  tokasya  na^  rishat. 

Protect  us,  O  goddess  with  terrible  sons,  from  the  enemy 
in  shallow  or  deep  water,  and  no  one  wdll  hurt  our  oiFspring  ! 


Aditi  identified  with  other  Deities. 

Aditi,  however,  for  the  very  reason  that  she  w  as  originally 
intended  for  the  Infinite,  for  something  beyond  the  visible 
world,  w^as  liable  to  be  identified  with  a  number  of  finite 


MAATiJALA   I,    S^KTA  166.  243 

deities  which  might  all  be  represented  as  resting  on  Aditi, 
as  participating  in  Aditi,  as  being  Aditi.     Thus  we  read : 

i.  89,  10  (final),  aditi/^  dyaii/i  aditi/^  antariksham  aditi/t 
mata  sa^  pita  sa/i  putraA,  vi^ve  deva'A  aditi/^  panA:a  ginkh 
aditi^  ^atam  aditiA  ^ani-tvam. 

Aditi  is  the  heaven,  Aditi  the  sky,  Aditi  the  mother,  the 
father,  the  son.  All  the  gods  are  Aditi,  the  five  clans,  the 
past  is  Aditi,  Aditi  is  the  future. 

But  although  x\diti  may  thus  be  said  to  be  everything, 
heaven,  sky,  and  all  the  gods,  no  passage  occurs.,  in  the 
Rig-veda  at  least,  where  the  special  meaning  of  heaven  or 
earth  is  expressed  by  Aditi.  In  x.  67^,  3,  where  Aditi 
seems  to  mean  sky,  we  shall  see  that  it  ought  to  be  taken 
as  a  masculine,  either  in  the  sense  of  Aditya^  or  as  an 
epithet,  unbounded,  immortal.  In  i.  72,  g,  we  ought  pro- 
bably to  read  prithvi  and  pronounce  prithuvi,  and  translate 
*  the  wide  Aditi^  the  mother  with  her  sons  ;^  and  not,  as 
Benfey  does^  '  the  Earth,  the  eternal  mother/ 

It  is  more  difficult  to  determine  whether  in  one  passage 
Aditi  has  not  been  used  in  the  sense  of  life  after  life,  or  as 
the  name  of  the  place  whither  people  went  after  death,  or  of 
the  deity  presiding  over  that  place.  In  a  well-known  hymn, 
supposed  to  have  been  uttered  by  /Suna/^^epa  when  on  the 
point  of  being  sacrificed  by  his  own  father,  the  following 
verse  occurs  : 

i.  24,  I.  kaA  na^  mahyai  aditaye  puna^  dat,  pitaram  ^a 
dri^eyam  mataram  A^a. 

Who  will  give  us  back  to  the  great  Aditi,  that  I  may  see 
father  and  mother? 

As  the  supposed  utterer  of  this  hymn  is  still  among  the 
living,  Aditi  can  hardly  be  taken  in  the  sense  of  earth,  nor 
would  the  wish  to  see  father  and  mother  be  intelligible  in 
the  mouth  of  one  who  is  going  to  be  sacrificed  by  his  own 
father.  If  we  discard  the  story  of  >S'una/^5epa,  and  take  the 
hymn  as  uttered  by  any  poet  who  craves  for  the  protection  of 
the  gods  in  the  presence  of  danger  and  death,  then  we  may 
choose  between  the  two  meanings  of  earth  or  liberty,  and 
translate,  either,  Who  will  give  us  back  to  the  great  earth  ? 
or.  Who  will  restore  us  to  the  great  Aditi,  the  goddess  of 
freedom  ? 

R  2 


244  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

Aditi  and  Diti. 

There  is  one  other  passage  which  might  receive  hght  if 
we  could  take  Aditi  in  the  sense  of  Hades,  but  I  give  this 
translation  as  a  mere  guess  : 

iv.  2,  II.  raye  ka  na^  su-apatyaya  deva  ditim  ^a  rasva 
aditim  urushya. 

That  we  may  enjoy  our  wealth  and  healthy  offspring,  give 
us  this  life  on  earth,  keep  off  the  life  to  come  !    Cf.  i.  152,  6. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  Diti  occurs  in  the  Rig- 
veda  thrice  only,  and  in  one  passage  it  should,  I  believe,  be 
changed  into  Aditi.  This  passage  occurs  in  vii.  15,  12. 
tvam  agne  vira-vat  yisah  devaA  ka  savita  bhaga^,  ditih  ka 
dati  varyam.  Here  the  name  of  Diti  is  so  unusual,  and 
that  of  Aditi,  on  the  contrary,  so  natural,  that  I  have  little 
doubt  that  the  poet  had  put  the  name  of  Aditi ;  and  that 
later  reciters^  not  aware  of  the  occasional  license  of  putting 
two  short  syllables  instead  of  one,  changed  it  into  Aditi. 
If  we  remove  this  passage,  then  Diti,  in  the  Rig-veda  at 
least,  occurs  twice  only,  and  each  time  together  or  in  con- 
trast with  Aditi;  cf.  v.  62,  8,  page  231.  I  have  no  doubt, 
therefore,  that  Professor  Roth  is  right  when  he  says  that 
Diti  is  a  being  without  any  definite  conception,  a  mere 
reflex  of  Aditi.  We  can  clearly  watch  her  first  emergence 
into  existence  through  what  is  hardly  more  than  a  play  of 
words,  whereas  in  the  epic  and  paura^ic  literature  this  Diti 
has  grown  into  a  definite  person,  one  of  the  daughters 
of  Daksha,  the  wife  of  Ka^yapa,  the  mother  of  the  enemies 
of  the  gods,  the  Daityas.  Such  is  the  growth  of  legend, 
mythology,  and  religion ! 

Aditi  in  her  Moral  Character, 

Besides  the  cosmical  character  of  Aditi,  which  we  have 
hitherto  examined,  this  goddess  has  also  assumed  a  very  pro- 
minent moral  character.  Aditi,  like  Varu^za,  delivers  from 
sin.  Why  this  should  be  so,  we  can  still  understand  if  we 
watch  the  transition  which  led  from  a  purely  cosmical 
to  a  moral  conception  of  Aditi.  Sin  in  the  Veda  is 
frequently  conceived  as  a  bond  or  a  chain  from  which 
the  repentant  sinner  wishes  to  be  freed : 


MA.NDALA   I,    stKTA    166.  245 

vii.  86,  5.  ava  drugdhani  pitrya  sri^a  nah  ava  ya  vayam 
A:akrima  tanubhi/i,  ava  ra^an  pasu-tripam  na  tayiim  sri^a 
vatsam  na  damna^  vasish/^am. 

Absolve  us  from  the  sins  of  our  fathers,  and  from  those 
which  we  have  committed  with  our  own  bodies.  Release 
Vasish^/ia,  O  king,  like  a  thief  who  has  feasted  on  stolen 
cattle  ;  release  him  like  a  calf  from  the  rope  *. 

viii.  67,  14.  te  na^  asna/i  vnka/zam  adityasaA  mumo^ata 
stenam  baddham-iva  adite. 

O  Adityas,  deliver  us  from  the  mouth  of  the  wolves,  like 
a  bound  thief,  O  Aditi !      Cf.  viii.  6y,  18. 

Sunahseipa,  who,  as  we  saw  before,  wishes  to  be  restored 
to  the  great  Aditi,  is  represented  as  bound  by  ropes,  and  in 
V.  2,  7,  we  read  : 

5una^-5epam  kit  ni-ditam  sahasrat  yupat  amunA:a^  a^a- 
mish^a  hi  sa^,  eva  asmat  agne  vi  mumugdhi  pa^an  hotar  (iti) 
A:ikitva^  iha  tu  ni-sadya. 

0  Agni,  thou  hast  released  the  bound  ^SunaA^epa  from 
the  pale,  for  he  had  prayed  ;  thus  take  from  us,  too,  these 
ropes,  O  sagacious  Hotar,  after  thou  hast  settled  here. 

Expressions  like  these,  words  like  daman,  bond,  ni-dita, 
bound,  naturally  suggested  a-diti,  the  un-bound  or  un- 
bounded, as  one  of  those  deities  who  could  best  remove 
the  bonds  of  sin  or  misery.  If  we  once  realise  this  con- 
catenation of  thought  and  language,  many  passages  of  the 
Veda  that  seemed  obscure,  will  become  intelligible. 

vii.  51,  I.  adityanam  avasa  nutanena  sakshimahi  ^armaria 
5am-tamena,  anaga^-tve  aditi-tve  turasa/i  imam  ya^iiam 
dadhatu  sroshamsinkh. 

May  we  obtain  the  new  favour  of  the  Adityas,  their  best 
protection ;  may  the  quick  Maruts  listen  and  place  this 
sacrifice  in  guiltlessness  and  Aditi-hood. 

1  have  translated  the  last  words  literally,  in  order  to 
make  their  meaning  quite  clear.  Agas  has  the  same 
meaning  as  the  Greek  ayo^i  guilt,  abomination ;  an-agas- 
tva,  therefore,  as  applied  to  a  sacrifice  or  to  the  man  who 
makes  it,  means  guiltlessness,  purity.  Aditi-tva,  Aditi-hood, 
has  a  similar  meaning,  it  means  freedom  from  bonds,  from 

*  See  M.  M.,  History  of  Ancient  Sanskrit  Literature,  2nd  ed,,  p.  541. 


246  HYMNS   TO   THE    MAHUTS. 

anything  that  hinders  the  proper  performance  of  a  religious 
act ;  it  may  come  to  mean  perfection  or  holiness. 

Aditi  having  once  been  conceived  as  granting  this 
adititva,  soon  assumed  a  very  definite  moral  character,  and 
hence  the  followins;  invocations  : 

i.  24,  1^.  lit  ut-tamam  varu^a  pasam  asmat  ava  adhamam 
vi  madhyamam  ^rathaya,  atha  vayam  aditya  vrate  tava 
anagasa^  aditaye   syama. 

O  VaruTza,  lift  the  highest  rope,  draw  off  the  lowest, 
remove  the  middle ;  then,  O  Aditya,  let  us  be  in  thy 
service  free  of  guilt  before  Aditi. 

V.  82,  6.  anagasa^  aditaye  devasya  savitu/i  save,  vi^va 
vamani  dhimani. 

May  we,  guiltless  before  Aditi,  and  in  the  keeping  of  the 
god  Savitar,  obtain  all  goods  !  Professor  Roth  here  trans- 
lates Aditi  by  freedom  or  security. 

i.  162,  22.   anaga^-tvam  nah  aditi/i  kriwotu. 

May  Aditi  give  us  sinlessness  !     Cf.  vii.  51,  i. 

iv.  12,  4.  yat  kit  hi  te  purusha-tra  jscvhhtha  a^itti-bhiA 
A:akrima  kat  kit  agaA,  kridhi  sii  asman  aditcA  anagan  vi 
enamsi  sisraihah  vishvak  ague. 

Whatever,  O  youthful  god,  we  have  committed  against  thee, 
men  as  we  are,  whatever  sin  through  thoughtlessness,  make  us 
guiltless  of  Aditi,  loosen  the  sins  on  all  sides,  O  Agni ! 

vii.  93,  7.  sa/i  ague  ena  namasa  sam-iddhaA  akkha  mitram 
varuTzam  indram  Yokeh,  yat  sim  agaA  A:akrima  tat  sii  mri/a 
tat  aryama  aditi/i  ^i^rathantu. 

O  Agni,  thou  who  hast  been  kindled  with  this  adoration, 
greet  Mitra,  Varu^za,  and  Indra.  Whatever  sin  we  have  com- 
mitted, do  thou  pardon  it !     May  Aryaman,  Aditi  loose  it ! 

Here  the  plural  ^i^rathantu  should  be  observed,  instead 
of  the  dual. 

viii.  185  6—7.  aditiA  nah  diva  pasiim  aditiA  naktam  adva- 
ya^,  aditi^  patu  amhasah  sada-vridha. 

uta  sya  nah  diva  mati/i  aditiA  utya  a  gamat,  sa  ^ami-tati 
mayaA  karat  apa  sridha^. 

May  Aditi  by  day  protect  our  cattle,  may  she,  who  never 
deceives,  protect  by  night ;  may  she,  with  steady  increase, 
protect  us  from  evil ! 

And  may  she,  the  thoughtful  Aditi,  come  with  help  to 


MAiVZ)ALA   I,    SUKTA  166.  247 

US  by  day ;  may  she  kindly  bring  happiness  to  us,  and 
carry  away  all  enemies  !      Cf.  x.  ^6,  3,  page  239. 

X.  87,  18.   a  vm^yantam  aditaye  duh-ewah. 

May  the  evil-doers  be  cut  off  from  Aditi !  or  hterally, 
may  they  be  rooted  out  before  Aditi ! 

ii.  27,  14.  adite  mitra  varu?^a  uta  mri/a  yat  yah  vayam 
^akrima  kat  ^it  aga/^,  urd  a^yam  abhayam  ffjotih  indra  ma 
nah  dirgha'A  abhi  na^an  tamisra^. 

Aditi,  Mitra,  and  also  VaruTza  forgive,  if  we  have  com- 
mitted any  sin  against  you.  May  I  obtain  the  wide  and  fear- 
less light,  O  Indra  !     May  not  the  long  darkness  reach  us  ! 

vii.  87,  7.  jah  mri/ayati  ^akru^e  ^it  aga^  vayam  syama 
yarune  anaga^,  anu  vratani  adite^  ridhanta^  yuyam  pata 
svasti-bhiA   sad  a   nah. 

May  we  be  sinless  before  Varuwa,  who  is  gracious  even 
to  him  who  has  committed  sin,  and  may  we  follow  the  laws 
of  Aditi !      Protect  us  always  with  your  blessings  ! 

Lastly,  Aditi,  like  all  other  gods^  is  represented  as  a 
giver  of  worldly  goods,  and  implored  to  bestow  them  on  her 
worshippers,  or  to  protect  them  by  her  power : 

i.  43,  2.  yatha  na^  aditiA  karat  pasve  nri-hhyah  yatha 
gave,  yatha  tokaya  rudriyam. 

That  Aditi  may  bring  Rudra^s  favour  to  our  cattle,  our 
men,  our  cow,  our  offspring. 

i.  153,  3.  pipaya  dhenuA  aditi^  ritaya  //anaya  mitravaru?^a 
haviA-de. 

Aditi,  the  cow,  gives  food  to  the  righteous  man,  O  Mitra 
and  Varu^ia,  who    makes   offerings  to  the   gods.      Cf.  viii. 

lOT,  15- 

i.  185,  3.   aneha/i  datram  adite^  anarvam  huve. 

I  call  for  the  unrivalled,  uninjured  gift  of  Aditi.  Here 
Professor  Roth  again  assigns  to  Aditi  the  meaning  of  free- 
dom or  security. 

vii.  40,  2.   didesh/u  devi  aditi^  reknah. 

May  the  divine  Aditi  assign  wealth  ! 

X.  100,  I.    a  sarva-tatim  aditim  V7'immahe. 

We  implore  Aditi  for  health  and  wealth. 

i.  94,  15.  yasmai  tvam  su-dravi/iaA  dadasah  anaga^-tvara 
adite  sarva-tata,  yam  bhadrewa  ^avasa  ^odayasi  pra^a-vata 
radhasa  te  syama. 


248  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

To  whom  thou,  possessor  of  good  treasures,  grantest 
guihlessness,  O  Aditi,  in  health  and  wealth"'",  whom  thou 
quickenest  with  precious  strength  and  with  riches  in 
progeny,  may  we  be  they !  Cf.  ii.  40,  6 ;  iv.  25,  5 ; 
X.  II,  2. 

The  principal  epithets  of  Aditi  have  been  mentioned  in 
the  passages  quoted  above,  and  they  throw  no  further  light 
on  the  nature  of  the  goddess.  She  was  called  devi,  goddess, 
again  and  again ;  another  frequent  epithet  is  anarvan,  un- 
injured, unscathed,  Being  invoked  to  grant  light  (vii.  82, 
10),  she  is  herself  called  luminous,  ^otishmati,  i.  136,  3  ; 
and  svarvati,  heavenly.  Being  the  goddess  of  the  infinite 
expanse,  she,  even  with  greater  right  than  the  dawn,  is 
called  urMi,  viii.  6"],  12;  uruvya^as,  v.  46,  6;  uruvra^a, 
viii.  6"],  12  ;  and  possibly  pj-ithvi  in  i.  72,  9.  As  supporting 
everything,  she  is  called  dharayatkshiti,  supporting  the 
earth,  i.  136,  3  ;  and  vi5v%anya,  vii.  10,  4.  To  her  sons 
she  owes  the  names  of  ra^aputra,  ii.  27,  7  ;  suputra,  iii.  4, 
11;  and  ugraputra,  viii.  6"]^  11:  to  her  wealth  that  of 
sudravi/zas,  i.  94,  15,  though  others  refer  this  epithet  to 
Agni,  There  remains  one  name  pasty  a,  iv.  ^^,  3  ;  viii.  27,  5, 
meaning  housewife,  which  again  indicates  her  character  as 
mother  of  the  gods. 

I  have  thus  given  all  the  evidence  that  can  be  collected 
from  the  Rig-veda  as  throwing  light  on  the  character  of  the 
goddess  Aditi,  and  I  have  carefully  excluded  everything  that 
rests  only  on  the  authority  of  the  Ya^ur-  or  Atharva-vedas, 
or  of  the  Brahma??as  and  Ara?2yakas,  because  in  all  they  give 
beyond  the  repetitions  fi'om  the  Rig-veda,  they  seem  to  me 
to  represent  a  later  phase  of  thought  that  ought  not  to  be 
mixed  up  with  the  more  primitive  conceptions  of  the  Rig- 
veda.  Much  valuable  material  for  an  analytical  study  of 
Aditi  may  be  found  in  B.  and  R.^s  Dictionary,  and  in 
several  of  Dr.  Muir^s  excellent  contributions  to  a  knowledge 
of  Vedic  theogony  and  mythology. 


*  On  sarv^tati,  salxis,  see  Benfey's  excellent  remarks  in  Orient  und 
Occident,  vol.  ii.  p.  519.  Professor  Roth  takes  aditi  here  as  an  epithet 
of  Agni. 


MANDAhA   I,    Sx!rKTA  166.  249 

Aditi  as  an  Adjective. 

But  although  the  foregoing  remarks  give  as  complete  a 
description  of  Aditi  as  can  be  gathered  from  the  hymns 
of  the  Rig-veda,  a  few  words  have  to  be  added  on  certain 
passages  where  the  word  aditi  occurs,  and  where  it  clearly 
cannot  mean  the  goddess  Aditi,  as  a  feminine,  but  must  be 
taken  either  as  the  name  of  a  corresponding  masculine 
deity,  or  as  an  adjective  in  the  sense  of  unrestrained, 
independent,  free. 

V.  59,  8.   mimatu  dyau^  aditi^  vitaye  na.h. 

May  the  boundless  Dyu  (sky)  help  us  to  our  repast ! 

Here  aditi  must  either  be  taken  in  the  sense  of  Aditya, 
or  better  in  its  original  sense  of  unbounded,  as  an  adjective 
belonging  to  Dyii,  the  masculine  deity  of  the  sky. 

Dyu  or  the  sky  is  called  aditi  or  unbounded  in  another 
passage,  x.  6^,  3  : 

yebhya^  mata  madhu-mat  pmvate  paya^  piyusham  dyau^ 
aditi/i  adri-barhaA. 

The  gods  to  whom  their  mother  yields  the  sweet  milk, 
and  the  unbounded  sky,  as  firm  as  a  rock,  their  food. 

iv.  3,  8.  katha  ^ardhaya  marutam  ritaya  katha  sure 
brihate  priA:MyamanaA,  prati  brava/i  aditaye  turaya. 

How  wilt  thou  tell  it  to  the  host  of  the  Maruts,  how  to 
the  bright  heaven,  when  thou  art  asked  ?  How  to  the  quick 
Aditi  ? 

Here  Aditi  cannot  be  the  goddess,  partly  on  account  of 
the  masculine  gender  of  turaya,  partly  because  she  is  never 
called  quick.  Aditi  must  here  be  the  name  of  one  of  the 
Adityas,  or  it  may  refer  back  to  sure  b/'ihate.  It  can  hardly 
be  joined,  as  Professor  Roth  proposes,  with  ^ardhaya  ma- 
rutam,  owing  to  the  intervening  sure  brihate. 

In  several  passages  aditi,  as  an  epithet,  refers  to 
Agni : 

iv.  I,  20  (final).  vi5vesham  aditi^  ya^iliyanam  vl^vesham 
atithi/i  manusha/iam. 

He,  Agni,  the  Aditi,  or  the  freest,  among  all  the  gods ; 
he  the  guest  among  all  men. 

The  same  play  on  the  words  aditi  and  atithi  occurs 
again  : 


250  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

vii.  9,  3.  amuraA  kaviA  aditiA  vivasvan  su-sa^nsat  mitraA 
atithiA  s\Y?ih  noli,  Aitra-bhanuA  ushasam  bhati  agre. 

The  wise  poet,  Aditi,  Vivasvat,  Mitra  with  his  good 
company,  our  welcome  guest,  he  (Agni)  with  brilUant 
hght  came  at  the  head  of  the  dawns. 

Here,  though  I  admit  that  several  renderings  are  pos- 
sible, Aditi  is  meant  as  a  name  of  Agni^  to  whom  the  whole 
hymn  is  addressed;  and  who,  as  usual,  is  identified  with  other 
gods,  or,  at  all  events,  invoked  by  their  names.  We  may 
translate  aditi  A  vivasvan  by  '  the  brilliant  Aditi,^  or  'the 
unchecked,  the  brilliant,'  or  by  '  the  boundless  Vivasvat^' 
but  on  no  account  can  we  take  aditi  here  as  the  female 
goddess.  The  same  apphes  to  viii.  19,  14,  where  Aditi, 
unless  we  suppose  the  goddess  brought  in  in  the  most 
abrupt  way,  must  be  taken  as  a  name  of  Agni ;  while  in 
X.  92,  14,  aditim  anarva?zam,  to  judge  from  other  epithets 
given  in  the  same  verse,  has  most  likely  to  be  taken  again 
as  an  appellative  of  Agni.  In  some  passages  it  would,  no 
doubt,  be  possible  to  take  Aditi  as  the  name  of  a  female 
deity,  if  it  were  certain  that  no  other  meaning  could  be 
assigned  to  this  word.  But  if  we  once  know  that  Aditi 
was  the  name  of  a  male  deity  also,  the  structure  of  these 
passages  becomes  far  more  perfect  if  we  take  Aditi  in  that 
sense : 

iv.  39,  3.  anagasam  tam  aditim  kri?zotu  sa/«  mitre?2a 
varuwena  sa-^6sha^. 

May  Aditi  make  him  free  from  sin,  he  who  is  allied 
with  Mitra  and  Yaru/za. 

We  have  had  several  passages  in  which  Aditi,  the  female 
deity,  is  represented  as  sa^oshaA  or  allied  with  other 
Adityas,  but  if  sa/^  is  the  right  reading  here,  Aditi  in  this 
verse  can  only  be  the  male  deity.  The  pronoun  sa  cannot 
refer  to  tam. 

With  regard  to  other  passages,  such  as  ix.  81,5;  vi.  51,  3, 
and  even  some  of  those  translated  above  in  which  Aditi  has 
been  taken  as  a  female  goddess,  the  question  must  be  left 
open  till  further  evidence  can  be  obtained.  There  is  only 
one  more  passage  which  has  been  often  discussed,  and 
where  aditi  was  supposed  to  have  the  meaning  of 
earth  : 


MAiVZ>ALA   I,    SUKTA  166.  251 

vii.  18,  8.  du^-adhya/^  aditim  srevayantaA  a^etasa^  vi 
^agribhre  parushmm. 

Professor  Roth  in  one  of  his  earhest  essays  translated 
this  line,  '  The  evil-disposed  wished  to  dry  the  earth,  the 
fools  split  the  Parushm/  and  he  supposed  its  meaning  to 
have  been  that  the  enemies  of  Sudas  swam  across  the 
Parushm  in  order  to  attack  Sudas.  We  might  accept  this 
translation,  if  it  could  be  explained  how  by  throwing  them- 
selves into  the  river,  the  enemies  made  the  earth  dry, 
though  even  then  there  would  remain  this  difficulty  that, 
with  the  exception  of  one  other  doubtful  passage,  cUscussed 
before,  aditi  never  means  earth.  I  should  therefore  propose 
to  translate  :  '  The  evil-disposed,  the  fools,  laid  dry  and 
divided  the  resistless  river  Parushm/  This  would  be  a 
description  of  a  strategem  very  common  in  ancient  warfare, 
viz.  diverting  the  course  of  a  river  and  laying  its  original 
bed  dry  by  digging  a  new  channel,  and  thus  dividing  the 
old  river.  This  is  also  the  sense  accepted  by  Saya?ia,  who 
does  not  say  that  vigraha  means  dividing  the  waves  of  a 
river,  as  Professor  Roth  renders  kulabheda,  but  that  it 
means  dividing  or  cutting  through  its  banks.  In  the 
Dictionary  Professor  Roth  assigns  to  aditi  in  this  passage 
the  meaning  of  endless,  inexhaustible. 

Verse  12,  note  ^.  Nothing  is  more  difficult  in  the  inter- 
pretation of  the  Veda  than  to  gain  an  accurate  knowledge 
of  the  power  of  particles  and  conjunctions.  The  particle 
kana,  we  are  told,  is  used  both  affirmatively  and  negatively, 
a  statement  which  shows  better  than  anything  else  the 
uncertainty  to  which  every  translation  is  as  yet  exposed. 
It  is  perfectly  true  that  in  the  text  of  the  Rig-veda,  as  we 
now  read  it,  ^ana  means  both  indeed  and  no.  But  this 
very  fact  shows  that  we  ought  to  distinguish  where  the  first 
collectors  of  the  Vedic  hymns  have  not  distinguished,  and 
that  while  in  the  former  case  we  read  kana,  we  ought  in  the 
latter  to  read  ka  na. 

I  begin  with  those  passages  in  which  kana  is  used 
emphatically  and  as  one  word. 

I  a.   In  negative  sentences  : 
i.  18,  7.  yasmat  rite  na  sidhyati  yagiiah  vipa^-MtaA  ^ana. 


252  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARXJTS. 

Without  whom  the  sacrifice  does  not  succeed,  not  even 
that  of  the  sage. 

V.  34,  5.   na  asunvata  sa^ate  pushyata  ^ana. 

He  does  not  cling  to  a  man  who  offers  no  hbations,  even 
though  he  be  thriving. 

i.  24,  6.  nahi  te  kshatram  na  sahaA  na  raanyum  \ajah 
kana  ami  (iti)  patayanta^  apu/i. 

For  thy  power,  thy  strength,  thy  anger  even  these  birds 
which  fly  up,  do  not  reach.      Cf.  i.  100,  15. 

i.  155,  5.  tritiyam  asya  nakiA  a  dadharshati  vaya^  ^ana 
patayanta^  patatrmaA. 

This  third  step  no  one  approaches,  not  even  the  winged 
birds  which  fly  up. 

i.  ^^,  I.  diva/i  kit  asya  varima  vi  papratha,  in  dram  na 
mahna  prithivi  kana  prati. 

The  width  of  the  heavens  is  stretched  out,  even  the  earth 
in  her  greatness  is  no  match  for  Indra. 

I  b.   In  positive  sentences  : 

vii.  32,  13.  purvi^  kana  pra-sitaya^  taranti  tam  jah  indre 
karma^ia  bhuvat. 

Even  many  snares  pass  him  who  is  with  Indra  in  his 
work. 

viii.  2,  14.  uktham  ^ana  ^asyamanam  agoh  arih  a  &eta, 
na  gayatram  giyamanam. 

A  poor  man  may  learn  indeed  a  prayer  that  is  recited, 
but  not  a  hymn  that  is  sung. 

viii.  78,  10.  tava  it  indra  aham  a-^asa  haste  datram  kana 
a  dade. 

Trusting  in  thee  alone,  O  Indra,  I  take  even  this  sickle  in 
my  hand. 

i*  55)  5'  adha  ^ana  ^rat  dadhati  tvishi-mate  indraya 
va^ram  ni-ghanighnate  vadham. 

Then  indeed  they  believe  in  Indra,  the  majestic,  when 
he  hurls  the  bolt  to  strike. 

i.  152,  2.  etat  ^ana  tva^  vi  Aiiketat  esham. 

Does  one  of  them  understand  even  this  ? 

iv.  18,  9.  mamat  ^ana  used  in  the  same  sense  as 
mamat  ^it. 

i.  139,  2.   dhibhi/i  ^ana  manasa  svebhi^  aksha-bhiA. 

V.  41,  13.   vaya/i  ^ana  su-bhva^  a  ava  yanti. 


MANDALA   1,    SUKTA  166.  253 

vii.  1 8,  9.   asuh  kana.  it  abhi-pitvam  ^agama. 

viii.  91,  3.  a  kana  tva  i^ikitsama^  adhi  itana  tva  na 
imasi. 

We  wish  to  know  thee,  indeed,  but  we  cannot  under- 
stand thee. 

X.  49,  5.  aham  randhayam  mrigayam  ^rutarva^^e  yat  ma 
a^ihita  vayuna  A:ana  anu-shak. 

vi.  26,  7.   aham  ^ana  tat  suri-bhi/i  ana^yam. 

May  I  also  obtain  this  with  my  wise  friends. 

I  c.  Frequently  ^ana  occurs  after  interrogative  pro- 
nouns, to  which  it  imparts  an  indefinite  meaning,  and 
principally  in  negative  sentences : 

i.  74,  7.  na  j6h  upabdi^  asvysik  srinwe  rathasya  kat 
kana,  yat  ague  yasi  dutyam. 

No  sound  of  horses  is  heard,  and  no  sound  of  the  chariot, 
when  thou,  O  Agni,  goest  on  thy  message. 

i.  81,  5.  na  tva-van  indra  ka/i  ^ana  na  gaiah  na  ^ani- 
shyate. 

No  one  is  like  thee,  O  Indra,  no  one  has  been  born,  no 
one  will  be  ! 

i.  84,  20.  ma  te  radhamsi  ma  te  utaya^  vaso  (iti)  asman 
kada  ^ana  dabhan. 

May  thy  gifts,  may  thy  help,  O  Vasu,  never  fail  us  ! 

Many  more  passages  might  be  given  to  illustrate  the  use  of 
ytana  or  ka^  A-ana  and  its  derivatives  in  negative  sentences. 

Cf.  i.  105,  3  ;  136,  I  ;  139,  5  ;  ii.  16,  3  ;  23,  5  ;  28,  6 ; 
iii.  36,  4;  iv.  31,  9;  V.  42,  6;  82,  2 ;  vi.  3,  2 ;  20,  4 ;  47, 
i;  3;  48,  17;  54,  9;  59.  4;  ^9,  8;  ^^,  16;  vii.  32,  i;  19; 
59,  3  ;  82,  7  ;  104,  3  ;  viii.  19,  6 ;  23,  15 ;  24,  15  ;  28,  4 ; 
47,  7  ;  64,  2  ;  66,  13  ;  68,  19 ;  ix.  61,  27  ;  69,  6 ;  114,  4 ; 
X.  Z?,y  9  ;  39.  II  ^  48,  5  ;  49,  10  ;  59»  ^  ;  62,  9 ;  85,  3  ;  86, 
11;  95,  1;  112,  9;  119,  6;  7;  128,  4;  129,  2;  152,  i; 
168,  3;   185,  2. 

I  (/.  In  a  few  passages,  however,  we  find  the  inde- 
finite pronoun  ka^  ^ana  used  in  sentences  which  are  not 
negative  : 

i.  113,  8.  ushaA  mritam  kam  ^ana  bodhayanti. 

Ushas,  who  wakes  even  the  dead,  (or  one  who  is  as  if 
dead.) 


254  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

i.  191,  7.  adrish/a^  kim  ^ana  iha  va^  sarve  sakam  ni 
^asyata. 

Invisible  ones,  whatever  you  are,  vanish  all  together  ! 

II.  We  now  come  to  passages  in  which  ^ana  stands 
for  .^a  na,  and  therefore  renders  the  sentence  negative  with- 
out any  further  negative  particle  : 

ii.  16,  2.   yasmat  indrat  brihata/^  kim  ^ana  im  rite. 

Beside  whom,  (beside)  the  great  Indra,  there  is  not 
anything. 

ii.  24,  12.  vi^vam  satyam  magha-vana  yuvo^  it  apa^  ^ana 
pra  minanti  vratam  vam. 

Everything,  you  mighty  ones,  belongs  indeed  to  you ; 
even  the  waters  do  not  transgress  your  law. 

iii.  30,  I.  titikshante  abhi-^astim  ^ananam  indra  tvat  a 
ka^  Aran  a  hi  pra-keta/i. 

They  bear  the  scoffing  of  men  ;  for  Indra,  away  from  thee 
there  is  no  wisdom. 

iv.  30,  3.  \isve  A:ana  it  ana  tva  devasa^  indra  yuyu- 
dhuh. 

Even  all  the  gods  together  do  not  fight  thee,  O  Indra. 

V.  34,  7.  du^-ge  ^ana  dhriyate  vi^va^  a  purii  ^ana^  yaA 
asya  tavishim  aA:ukrudhat. 

Even  in  a  stronghold  many  a  man  is  not  often  preserved 
who  has  excited  his  anger. 

vii.  83,  2.  yasmin  a^a  bhavati  kim  ^ana  priyam. 

In  which  struggle  there  is  nothing  good  whatsoever. 

vii.  86,  6.   svapna^  A:ana  it  amitasya  pra-yota. 

Even  sleep  does  not  remove  all  evil. 

In  this  passage  I  formerly  took  A^ana  as  affirmative,  not 
as  negative,  and  therefore  assigned  to  prayota  the  same 
meaning  which  Saya/^a  assigns  to  it,  one  who  brings  or 
mixes,  whereas  it  ought  to  be,  as  rightly  seen  by  Roth, 
one  who  removes. 

viii.  I,  5.  mahe  A"ana  tvam  adri-va^  para  ^ulkaya  deyam, 
na  sahasraya  na  ayiitaya  va^ri-va/i  na  ^ata'ya  5ata-magha. 

I  should  not  give  thee  up,  wielder  of  the  thunderbolt, 
even  for  a  great  price,  not  for  a  thousand,  not  for  ten 
thousand  (?),  not  for  a  hundred,  O  Indra,  thou  who  art 
possessed  of  a  hundred  powers  ! 


MA2VZ)ALA   I,    SUKTA  166.  255 

viii.  51,  7.   kada  kana  stari^  asi. 

Thou  art  never  sterile. 

viii.  52,  7.   kada  ^ana  pra  yukkhasi. 

Thou  art  never  weary. 

viii.  ^^,  5.   Mkshusha  /:ana  sam-na5e. 

Even  with  my  eye  I  cannot  reach  them. 

X.  56,  4.   mahimna/^  esham  pitaraA  kani.  isive. 

Verse  12,  note  ^.  Considering  the  particular  circum- 
stances mentioned  in  this  and  the  preceding  hymn,  of 
Indra^s  forsaking  his  companions,  the  Maruts,  or  even 
scorning  their  help,  one  feels  strongly  tempted  to  take 
ty%as  in  its  etymological  sense  of  leaving  or  forsaking, 
and  to  translate,  by  his  forsaking  you,  or  if  he  should 
forsake  you.  The  poet  may  have  meant  the  word  to  convey 
that  idea,  which  no  doubt  would  be  most  appropriate  here ; 
but  then  it  must  be  confessed,  at  the  same  time,  that  in 
other  passages  where  tya^as  occurs,  that  meaning  could 
hardly  be  ascribed  to  it.  Strange  as  it  may  seem,  no  one 
who  is  acquainted  with  the  general  train  of  thought  in  the 
Vedic  hymns  can  fail  to  see  that  tya^as  in  most  passages 
means  attack,  onslaught ;  it  may  be  even  the  instrument  of 
an  attack,  a  weapon.  How  it  should  come  to  take  this 
meaning  is  indeed  difficult  to  explain,  and  I  do  not  wonder 
that  Professor  Roth  in  his  Dictionary  simply  renders  the 
word  by  forlornness,  need,  danger,  or  by  estrangement, 
unkindness,  malignity.  But  let  us  look  at  the  passages, 
and  we  shall  see  that  these  abstract  conceptions  are  quite 
out  of  place : 

viii.  47,  7.  na  tam  tigmam  Zrana  iyagah  na  drasad  abhi 
tam  guru. 

No  sharp  blow,  no  heavy  one,  shall  come  near  him  whom 
you  protect. 

Here  the  two  adjectives  tigma,  sharp,  and  guru,  heavy, 
point  to  something  tangible,  and  I  feel  much  inclined  to 
take  ty%as  in  this  passage  as  a  weapon,  as  something  that 
is  let  off  with  violence,  rather  than  in  the  more  abstract 
sense  of  onslaught. 

i.  169,  I.   maha^  kit  asi  tya^asa^  varuta. 

Thou  art  the  shielder  from  a  great  attack. 


256  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARTJTS. 

iv.  43,  4.  ka^  vam  maha^  kit  ty%asa7i  abhike  urushyatam 
madhvi  dasra  na^  uti. 

Who  is  against  your  great  attack?  Protect  us  with  your 
help,  ye  givers  of  sweet  drink,  ye  strong  ones. 

Here  Professor  Roth  seems  to  join  mahaA  kit  tjagasah 
abhike  urushyatam,  but  in  that  case  it  would  be  impossible 
to  construe  the  first  words,  ka^  vam. 

i.  119,  8.  agay^Matam  knpama?^am  para-vati  pitu/i  svasya 
tya^asa  ni-badhitam. 

You  went  from  afar  to  the  supphant,  who  had  been 
struck  down  by  the  violence  of  his  own  father. 

According  to  Professor  Roth  tya^as  would  here  mean 
forlornness,  need,  or  danger.  But  nibadhita  is  a  strong 
verb,  as  we  may  see  in 

viii.  64,  2.  pada  pamn  aradhasa^  ni  badhasva  mahan  asi. 

Strike  the  useless  Pa/zis  down  with  thy  foot,  for  thou  art 
great. 

X.  18,  II.   ut  5van^asva  prithivi  ma  ni  badhatha^. 

Open,  O  earth,  do  not  press  on  him  (i.  e.  the  dead,  who 
is  to  be  buried;  cf.  M.M.,  Uber  Todtenbestattung,  Zeit- 
schrift  der  D.  M.  G.,  vol.  ix.  p.  xv). 

vii.  83,  6.  yatra  ra^a-bhi/i  da5a-bhi/i  ni-badhitam  pra 
su-dasam  avatam  tritsu-bhi^  saha. 

When  you  protected  Sudas  with  the  Tritsus,  when  he 
was  pressed  or  set  upon  by  the  ten  kings. 

Another  passage  in  which  tya^as  occurs  is, 

vi.  62,  10.  sanutyena  tya^asa  martyasya  vanushyatam 
api  ^irsha  vavriktam. 

By  your  covert  attack  turn  back  the  heads  of  those  even 
who  harass  the  mortal. 

Though  this  passage  may  seem  less  decisive,  yet  it  is 
difficult  to  see  how  ty%asa  could  here,  according  to 
Professor  Roth,  be  rendered  by  forlornness  or  danger. 
Something  is  required  by  which  enemies  can  be  turned 
back.  Nor  can  it  be  doubtful  that  5irsha  is  governed 
by  vavriktam,  meaning  turn  back  their  heads,  for  the 
same  expression  occurs  again  in  i.  ;^;^,  5.  para  kit  ^irsha 
vavn^u/i  te   indra  aya^anaZ^  ya^va-bhiA   spardhamana^. 

Professor  Benfey  translates  this  verse  by,  '  Kopfuber 
flohn    sie    alle    vor    dir;^     but    it    may   be   rendered    more 


M  AND  ALA   I,    SUKTA  166.  257 

literally,   *  These    lawless    people   fighting   with   the   pious 
turned  back  their  heads/ 

X.  144,  6.  eva  tat  indra/*  induna  deveshu  A:it  dharayate 
mahi  tjagsih. 

Indeed  through  this  draught  Indra  can  hold  out  against 
that  great  attack  even  among  the  gods. 

X.  79,  6.  kim  deveshu  tjigah  enah  ^akartha. 

What  insult, what  sin  hast  thou  committed  among  the  gods? 

In  these  two  passages  the  meaning  of  ty%as  as  attack  or 
assault  is  at  least  as  appropriate  as  that  proposed  by  Pro- 
fessor Roth,  estrangement,  malignity. 

There  remains  one  passage,  vi.  3^  i.  yam  tvam  mitre?za 
varuwa^  sa-^6sha^  deva  pasi  tya^asa  martam  amha^. 

I  confess  that  the  construction  of  this  verse  is  not  clear 
to  me,  and  I  doubt  whether  it  is  possible  to  use  ty%asa  as 
a  verbal  noun  governing  an  accusative*  If  this  were  pos- 
sible, one  might  translate,  '  The  mortal  whom  thou,  O  God 
(Agni),  VaruTia,  together  with  Mitra,  protectest  by  pushing 
back  evil.'  Anyhow,  we  gain  nothing  here,  if  we  take  ty%as 
in  the  sense  of  estrangement  or  malignity. 

If  it  be  asked  how  ty%as  can  possibly  have  the  meaning 
which  has  been  assigned  to  it  in  all  the  passages  in  which 
it  occurs,  viz.  that  of  forcibly  attacking  or  pushing  away, 
we  can  only  account  for  it  by  supposing  that  tya^,  before 
it  came  to  mean  to  leave,  meant  to  push  off,  to  drive  away 
with  violence,  (verstossen  instead  of  verlassen.)  This  mean- 
ing may  still  be  perceived  occasionally  in  the  use  of  tya^;  e.  g. 
devas  tya^antu  mam,  may  the  gods  forsake  me  !  i.  e.  may 
the  gods  drive  me  away  !  Even  in  the  latest  Sanskrit  tya^ 
is  used  with  regard  to  an  arrow  that  is  let  off.  '  To  expel' 
is  expressed  by  nis-tya^.  Those  who  believe  in  the  pro- 
duction of  new  roots  by  the  addition  of  prepositional  pre- 
fixes might  possibly  see  in  tya^  an  original  ati-a^,  to  drive 
off;  but,  however  that  may  be,  there  is  evidence  enough  to 
show  that  tya^  expressed  originally  a  more  violent  act  of 
separation  than  it  does  in  ordinary  Sanskrit. 

Verse  13,  note  ^.  Samsa.,  masc,  means  a  spell  whether 
for  good  or  for  evil,  a  blessing  as  well  as  a  curse.  It 
means  a  curse,  or,  at  all  events,  a  calumny ; 

VOL.  I.  S 


258  HYMNS   TO   THE   MARUTS. 

i.  1 8,  3.  ma  iiaA  ssLmsah  ararusha/<^  dhurtiA  pra?zak 
martyasya. 

Let  not  the  curse  of  the  enemy,  the  onslaught  of  a 
mortal  hurt  us. 

i.  94,  8.  asmakam  samsah  abhi  astu  du^-dhya^. 

May  our  curse  fall  on  the  wicked  ! 

ii.  26,  I.  ri^ilA  it  samssih  vanavat  vanushyataA. 

May  the  straight  curse  strike  the  enemies  !    Cf.  vii.  ^6,  19. 

iii.  18,  2.  tapa  samsam  ararusha^. 

Burn  the  curse  of  the  enemy  ! 

vii.  25,  2.   are  tam  5amsam  kn?zuhi  ninitso^. 

Take  far  away  the  curse  of  the  re  viler  !      Cf.  vii.  34,  12. 

It  means  blessing : 

ii.  31 J  6.  uta  \Sih  ^amsam  u^i^am-iva  ^masi. 

We  desire  your  blessing  as  a  blessing  for  suppliants. 

X.  3 1,  I.   a  na/i  devanam  upa  vetu  ^amsa^. 

May  the  blessing  of  the  gods  come  to  us  ! 

X.  7,  I.   urushya  na^  uru-bhi/i  deva  SQ,msmh. 

Protect  us,  god^  with  thy  broad  blessings  ! 

ii.  23,  10.  ma  na^  dnh-sainsah  abhi-dipsu/^  i^ata  pra  su- 
samsah  mati-bhiA  tarishimahi. 

Let  not  an  evil-speaking  enemy  conquer  us ;  may  we, 
enjoying  good  report,  increase  by  our  prayers  ! 

Lastly,  samsa  means  praise,  the  spell  addressed  by  men 
to  the  gods,  or  prayer : 

i.  ^;^,  y.  pra  sunvata/^  stuvata^  ^amsam  ava^. 

Thou  hast  regarded  the  prayer  of  him  who  offers  libation 
and  praise. 

X.  42,  6.   yasmin  vayam  dadhima  ^amsam  mdre. 

Indra  in  whom  we  place  our  hope.  Cf.  a^ams,  Wester- 
gaard,  Radices  Linguae  Sanscritae^  s.  v.  ^ams. 


TABLE    OF    CONTENTS. 


-^4- 


PAGE 

Hymn  I,  6 2 

Commentary 6 

Arusha 6 

Arusha  as  an  adjective  .     .  6 

Arusha  as  an  appellative     .  9 

1.  Of  the  horse  of  the  sun,  or 

of  the  horses  of  Agni    .       9 

2.  OfVritra 10 

Arusha  as  the  proper  name 

of  a  solar  deity     .     .  11 

The  feminine  Arushi  as  an 

adjective 13 

The  feminine   A'rushi  as  a 

substantive  ....  14 
Remarks  on  the  classifica- 
tion of  the  diiFerent 
meanings  of  arusha 
and  arushi  in  the  Dic- 
tionary  of    Boehtlingk 

and  Roth 15 

The  vocative  marya^      .     .      18 
Ushadbhi/i      and      similar 

forms 19 

At  as  two  syllables    ...     19 
Svadha,  its  origin  and  dif- 
ferent meanings  ...      19 
Garbhatvam  of  the  Maruts      25 
Vahni     and     its     different 

meanings  .    ■.     .     .     .     25 


PAGE 

1.  Fire 26 

2.  Agni 26 

3.  Luminous 26 

4.  Vehicle,  carrier,  horse     .  27 

5.  Priest 28 

Meaning  of  vahniA  asa  .  .  29 
Is   vahni   a    name    of    the 

Maruts  1 30 

Derivation  of  as  and  asya  .  30 

ViZu  and''lXtos      .     .     .     .  31 

Drikshase  and  similar  forms  32 

Ar^ati 32 

Makha 33 

Makhasya  davane  .  .  .  33 
The     terminations      mane, 

vane,  ane 34 

Ro^'anam 34 

Ro^anam  diva/i    .      .     .     .  34 

Suryasya,  nakasya     ...  35 

Heaven,  earth,  and  sky .     .  36 

Ro^anani  tri' 36 

Parthivani 37 

Hymn  L  19 38 

Commentary 42 

Gopitha 42 

Rar/as,  epe^os 42 

Adruh 42 

Arka 43 

S  2 


260 


TABLE    OF    CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

Naka 43 

Parvata,  cloud  .  .  .  .  43 
Samudra,    the    sea   or   the 

sky 44 

Sarasvati  as   reaching   the 

sea 45 

Samudra  as  an  adjective     .  47 

Hymn  I.  37 48 

CoTnmentary 54 

Anarvan 54 

Ar,  arvan,  arus,  upara,  ari  .  54 

A^ardhas  and  sardha  .  .  .  56 
Masculine    gender    of    the 

adjective  after  sardhas  .  58 

Prishati 59 

Vast  (p.  157) 59 

Rmg 60 

Yg^man 60 

Ghrishvi     ....•>..  60 

Tvesha-dyumna    .     .     .     .  60 

G^ambha 61 

Anta      . 61 

GMie 62 

A^ma  and  yama  .     .     .     .  62 

VayaA .  62 

GiraA 62 

Kash^M 63 

Duva/i 63 

Hymn  I.  38 64 

CoTnmentary 66 

Kadhapriya/i. 66 

Vriktabarhis 68 

E,d7iyati 69 

Kva  and  kuva      .     .     .     .  70 

Sumna,  suvita      .     .     .     .  70 

Yavasa 71 

Yamusya  patha     .     .      .     .  71 

Nirriti 72 


PAGE 

Padish^a,  pad  .....  72 

Avata  and  avata  .      ,      .      .  73 

Vasra 75 

Par^anya 75 

Sadman  and  sadman      .     .  75 

Vi^upam  and  viMpam    .     .  76 

Rodhasvati 76 

Akhidrayaman      .     .     .     .  76 

Abhmi 77 

Brahma?2aspati     .     .     .     .  77 

Tiina 77 

TatanaA 78 

Arkin,  Alb-leich  ....  78 

Vriddha 78 

As,  its  Le^  forms  ....  79 

Hymn  I.  39 80 

Commentary 82 

Mana 82 

Varpas 83 

Ya  with  vi 83 

Parvatanam  2.S2J1 .     .     .     .  84 

Tauayu^a 84 

Prash^i 85 

Dada 85 

Parimanyu 86 

Pari,  like  Lat.  2^6r,  an  adjec- 
tival prefix     .     .     .     .  86 

Hymn  I.  64    .     .     .     .     .  88 

Commentary    .     .     .     .     .  92 

Suvrikti 92 

Apas  and  apas      ....  92 
Dyu  or  Rudra,  father  of  the 

Maruts 93 

Marya 93 

Satvan 94 

Abhogghana^ 94 

Ptukma  (p.  220)    ....  94 
Vapushe  and  subhe   .     .     .94 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS. 


261 


PAGE 

Mraksh,  mim^nkshu/i  .     .  94 

Dhtini 95 

Sudani! 95 

Da,  danii 96 

Danu 97 

Pinvati 98 

Atya  va(/in 98 

Utsa 99 

Hastin,  elephant      ...  99 

Kruni 100 

Tavislii 100 

Pisa 100 

Kshapa/i  and  kshapa^  .     .  101 

Rodast 101 

Amati 102 

Khadi  (p.  218)  .     .     .     .  102 

Vanin 103 

Sas^ 104 

Ra^astu/i 104 

^i^ishin 104 

A])rikkhysL 105 

Pushyati 105 

Dlianasprit,  ukthya,  vlsva- 

A;arsham 105 

7?iti 106 

Dhiyavasu 106 

Nodlias  Gotama      .     .     .  107 

Hymn  I.  85 108 

Commentary 110 

6^anaya/«.  saptaya^    .      .     .  110 

UksMta 113 

Virukmat 113 

Vrishavrata 114 

Ra^/zh 114 

Adri 114 

Arusha 115 

A^arraa-iva 115 

Vishnu 116 

MadaZ?yiit      .     .     .     .     .  118 


PAGE 

Nari,  nri 120 

Va?^a 120 

Vrishan,  its  etymology     .  121 

Its  various  meanings,  Male  122 

Man 123 

Fertilising,  strengthening .  124 

Eintlieton  ornans    .     .     .  125 

Varshish^Aa  (p.  155)    .     .  126 
Vrishan,  applied  to  certain 

deities 126 

VHshan,  an  appellative  of 

certain  deities   .     .     .  127 
Vrishan  haryata      .      .      .  130 
Vrishan,    applied    to    in- 
animate things .     .     .  131 
Vrishan,  an  empty  word    .  132 

A-vrish 133 

Vrishan,  a  proper  name     .  134 

Upastuta  and  Upastuta    .  134 
Vrishan      and     Dadhya^, 

their  latest  phase  .     .  135 

Hymn  I.  86 136 

Commentary 138 

Vimahas 138 

Ya^navahas 138 

A  bhuva/i  or  abhtiva^  .     .  138 

Isha/i  sasrtishiA  .     .     .     ,  139 

/Srosh 139 

Avobhi^ 139 

Par,  with  ^ti,  ^pa,  wih      .  139 

Atrin 140 

Hymn  I.  87 142 

Commentary       .     .     .     .  144 

UsraA,  stribhi/i  .     .     .     .  144 

Yayi 144 

Vithura 145 

^libh 145 

Aya 148 


262 


TABLE    OF    CONTENTS. 


PAGE 


Emaj^van     .... 

,      148 

Sa.mi,  5am,  sami       .     . 

.     149 

/Sriyase  k^m,  datives  in  ase     150 

Myaksli,  mimikshire  (p.  1 7  4)   150 

Hymn  I.  88       ... 

.      152 

Commentary       .     .     . 

.     154 

Metre  of  the  hymn 

.     154 

Svarka 

.      155 

Varshish^/ia  .... 

.      155 

Paptata 

.     156 

Svaclhitivan  .... 

.      156 

Pavi 

.      156 

Y^'si 

.     157 

Medh^ 

.      157 

Tuvidyumna       .     . 

.     157 

Urdhva    

158 

Gridhra 

158 

A'hani 

158 

Agu/i 

159 

Varkarya 

159 

Devi 

159 

Yo^ana 

160 

Yarahu 

160 

Anubhartn 

161 

Stobhati 

161 

Hymn  I.  165     ...     . 

162 

ComTYientary      .... 

170 

Adri/i.  pr^bhrita/i     .      .     . 

172 

Samanya 

173 

Myaksb 

174 

Mimiksh 

176 

A-itasa/i 

177 

Manas 

178 

Kiita^ 

178 

Sat-pati 

179 

Brahmam  and  mataya/i     . 

179 

Skm. 

180 

/Sam  yo/i 

182 

PAGE 

/S'ushma 184 

lyarti 184 

Eta .185 

Maha/i-bhiA 185 

Yas 187 

Indriya     , 187 

Devata 187 

Karishy^(A) 189 

Tanve  tanubhi/i  .     .     .     .  189 

Api-vatayati 189 

Duvasyat,  duvas,  duvasyati  191 

Yaya 194 

Yasish^a 195 

Yri^ana 195 

Hymn  I.  166     ...     .  196 

Gomm^entary      .     .     .     .  200 

Eabhasa 200 

Ketu 201 

Aidha-iva,  yudha-iva    .     .  202 

Ni-tya,  nish-tya,  ai:)a-tya  .  203 

Yt,  avyata 205 

Dhra^ 205 

Harmya,  zairimya, /brmt^s  206 

Nad 207 

Rathiyati 207 

SuMu 208 

Sumati .208 

Krivi/i-dati    .    '.     .     .     .  210 

Bad 211 

Biwati 212 

Sudhita 213 

Barha?^a 215 

Alatri^ia 215 

Abhihruti 217 

Tavish^ 218 

KhMi 218 

Samaya,  oyLrj 220 

Eta 220 

Ancient  dresses .     .     .     .  221 


TABLE    OF    CONTENTS. 


263 


PAGE 

Ksliura 

223 

Vap-tar,  naj^ita,  svap,  sna|: 

.     224 

Naga,  svan^,  snake 

.     224 

Vlbhuti 

224 

Vibliva/i 

.     225 

Mahi-tvanam      .     .     . 

.     225 

Vrata 

.     225 

Datra 

228 

Datra 

.     229 

Aditi,  the  Infinite  . 

.     230 

Aditi  and  the  Adityas 

232 

Aditi  and  Daksha  .     .     . 

234 

A'diti      in      her      cosmic 

character       .     .     . 

237 

PAGE 

Aditi  as  mother      .     .     .  239 

The  seven  Adityas  .  .  .  240 
A'diti  identified  with  other 

deities 242 

Aditi  and  Diti  ....  244 
Aditi      in      her       moral 

character      .     .     .     .  244 

Aditi  as  an  adjective  .  .  249 
The    particles    ^ana    and 

^a  na 251 

Ty%as 255 

Nibadh 256 

Nrig  (sirsha)      .     .     .     .  256 

S-kmsQi 257 


OXFORD: 

BY  T.  COMBE,  M.A.,    E.  B,  GARDNER,    E.  P.  HALL,   AND  H.  LATHAM,  M.A. 
PRINTERS  TO  THE  UNIVERSITY, 


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