V, 60. To Agni and the Maruts

Vedic Hymns, Part I (SBE32), by Max Müller, [1891], at sacred-texts.com

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MANDALA V, HYMN 60.

ASHTAKA IV, ADHYÂYA 3, VARGA 25.

To Agni and the Maruts.

1. I implore 1 Agni, the gracious, with salutations, may he sit down here, and gather what we have made 2. I offer 3 (him sacrifice) as with racing chariots; may I, turning to the right, accomplish this hymn to the Maruts.

2. Those who approached on their glorious deer, on their easy chariots, the Rudras, the Maruts,—through fear of you, ye terrible ones, the forests even bend down, the earth shakes, and also the mountain (cloud).

3. At your shouting, even the mountain (cloud), grown large, fears, and the ridge of heaven trembles. When you play together, O Maruts, armed with spears, you run together like waters.

4. Like rich suitors the Maruts have themselves 1 adorned their bodies with golden ornaments; more glorious for glory 2, and powerful on their chariots, they have brought together splendours on their bodies.

5. As brothers, no one being the eldest or the youngest, they have grown up together to happiness. Young is their clever father Rudra, flowing with plenty is Prisni (their mother), always kind to the Maruts.

6. O happy Maruts, whether you are in the highest, or in the middle, or in the lowest heaven, from thence, O Rudras, or thou also, O Agni. take notice of this libation which we offer.

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7. When Agni, and you, wealthy Maruts, drive down from the higher heaven over the ridges, give then, if pleased, you roarers, O destroyers of enemies 1, wealth to the sacrificer who prepares (Soma juice).

8. Agni, be pleased to drink Soma with the brilliant Maruts, the singers, approaching in companies 1, with the men (Âyus 2), who brighten and enliven everything; do this, O Vaisvânara (Agni), thou who art always endowed with splendour.

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NOTES.

This hymn, by the same poet, is supposed to be addressed either to the Maruts alone, or to the Maruts and Agni. The same might have been said of hymn 56 and others which are used for the Âgnimâruta Sastra. See Bergaigne, Recherches sur l’histoire de la liturgie védique, p. 38. Metre, 1-6 Trishtubh; 7, 8 Gagatî. No verse of this hymn occurs in SV., VS., AV., TS., TB., except verse i in AV. VII, 50, 3; TB. II, 7, 12, 4; MS. IV, 14, 11; verse 3 in TS. III, 1, 11, 5; MS. IV, 12, 5; verse 6 in TB. II, 7, 12, 4.

Verse 1.

The AV. reads svâ´vasum, prasaktó, pradakshinám, all of them inferior readings. The TB. agrees with RV., except that it seems to read prasaptáh (prakarshena samâgatah).

Note 1. That îl or îd has originally the meaning of imploring, asking, begging, we see from such passages as RV. III, 48, 3. upasthâya mâtáram ánnam aitta, 'he, having approached his mother, asked for food,' unless we prefer to construe îd with two accusatives, 'he, having approached, asked his mother for food.' The same verb is also construed with the accusative of the god implored, the dative of the object, and the instrumental of the means by which he is implored. See RV. VIII, 71, 14. agním îlishva ávase gâ´thâbhih, implore Agni with songs for his protection. Whether the root îd is distantly connected with either ish, to desire (Brugmann, I, 591), or with ard, to stir, or with ar, to go, is a question which admits of many, or of no answer.

Note 2. Viki kritam seems to have the settled meaning of gathering in what one has made at play, or in battle; see X, 42, 9; 43, 5; IX, 97, 58; X, 102, 2. The same meaning is applicable here, though we may also translate, Take notice of our krita or our karma, i. e. the sacrifice.' A similar thought is expressed in verse 6. Sâyana explains vigânâtu and vikinuyât.

Note 3. Perhaps prá bhare means, 'I am carried forth,' as in V, 59, 4, where it is applied to the Maruts.

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Verse 4.

Note 1. See note 2 to I, 6, 4. Instead of svadhâ´bhih we have svayám in VII, 56, 11.

Note 2. Sriyé sréyâmsah is difficult to translate; cf. II, 33, 3. sréshthah sriyâ´ asi. Ludwig translates, zu herlichkeit die herlichen.

Verse 7.

Note 1. On risâdas, see Aufrecht, Bezzenb. Beitr. XIV, p. 32.

Verse 8.

Note 1. On ganasrî´, see BR. s. v.; Lanman, 372; Benfey Vedica und Verwandtes, p. 108; Pischel, Ved. Stud. I, 53 seq. Ludwig translates scharenherlich, but what does that mean? 'Shining in their companies' is a possible meaning, but the analogy of abhisrî´ and adhvarasrî´ points in another direction.

Note 2. On the Âyus as a proper name, see Bergaigne, Rel. Véd. I, 62; II, 323.