I, 59

Vedic Hymns, Part II (SBE46), by Hermann Oldenberg [1897], at sacred-texts.com

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MANDALA I, HYMN 59.

ASHTAKA I, ADHYÂYA 4, VARGA 25.

1. The other Agnis (the other fires) are verily thy branches, O Agni. In thee all the immortals enjoy themselves 1. Vaisvânara! Thou art the centre 2 of human settlements; like a supporting column thou holdest men 3.

2. The head of heaven, the navel of the earth is Agni; he has become the steward 1 of both worlds. Thee, a god, the gods have engendered, O Vaisvânara, to be a light for the Ârya.

3. As in the sun the rays are firmly fixed, thus in Agni Vaisvânara all treasures have been laid down 1. (The treasures) which dwell in the mountains, in the herbs, the waters, and among men—of all that thou art the king.

4. As the two great worlds to their son 1, like a Hotri, like a skilful man, (we bring) praises—manifold (praises) to him who is united with the sun, to the truly strong one, new (praises) to Vaisvânara, the manliest god.

5. Thy greatness, O Gâtavedas, Vaisvânara, has exceeded even the great heaven. Thou art the king of the human tribes; thou hast by fighting gained wide space for the gods.

6. Let me now proclaim the greatness of the bull whom the Pûrus worship as the destroyer of enemies 1. Agni Vaisvânara, having slain the Dasyu, shook the (aerial) arena and cut down Sambara.

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7. Agni Vaisvânara, extending by his greatness over all dominions, who is to be worshipped, the bright one, rich in loveliness, is awake (or, is praised) among the Bharadvâgas, in the homestead of Purunîtha Sâtavaneya, with his hundredfold blessings.

NOTES.

The same Rishi as in I, 58. Metre, Trishtubh. None of the verses of this hymn occurs in the other Samhitâs.

Verse 1.

Note 1. Comp. VII, 11, 1. ná rité tvát amrítâh mâdayante, 'the immortals do not enjoy themselves without thee.'

Note 2. Literally, 'the navel.' Comp. Muir, V, 214.

Note 3. Comp. IV, 5, 1 (see below). úpa stabhâyat upamít ná ródhah.

Verse 2.

Note 1. Comp. the remark on I, 58, 7 (note 1).

Verse 3.

Note 1. I cannot follow Prof. von Roth (Zeitschrift der D. Morgenl. Gesellschaft, XLVIII, 116), who explains dadhire as a third person sing. of dhri.

Verse 4.

Note 1. The incompleteness both of the construction and of the metre shows that the text of the first Pâda is corrupt. I doubt whether it ever will be possible to restore the correct reading with full certainty, but I shall be glad if others succeed better than I did—and I may add, better than Prof. von Roth (Zeitschrift der D. Morg. Gesellschaft, XLVIII, 117 seq.) seems to me to have succeeded—in correcting and in interpreting the text. I think that after sûnáve

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ródasî clearly one syllable is wanted to complete the Pâda: possibly we should read therefore sûnáve ródasyoh (comp. verse 2, Pâda 2, aratíh ródasyoh, which words form the end of the Pâda). Agni, as is well known, is the son of the two worlds, the sûnúh ródasyoh. In the beginning of the Pâda brihatî´ must either refer to the two worlds: in this case we have to read brihatyóh (instead of brihatî´ iva); or brihatî´ may refer, as this adjective frequently does, to the gírah, and we shall possibly have to read brihatî´h vah (as to vah, comp. Delbrück, Altindische Syntax, 206). But of course all these are mere guesses. In every case the verb on which the accusative gírah depends ('we bring,' or something like that) must be supplied.

Verse 6.

Note 1. Or, as the killer of Vritra. See H. O., Religion des Veda, 135, note 2.