III, 4. Âprî Hymn

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

p. 236

MANDALA III, HYMN 4.

ASHTAKA II, ADHYÂYA 8, VARGA 22–23.

ÂPRÎ HYMN.

1. Log by log 1 be kind towards us. Flash by flash grant us thy, the Vasu's, favour 2. Bring hither, O god, the gods that we may sacrifice. Sacrifice, O Agni, as a kind friend to thy friends.

2. Thou whom the gods, Varuna, Mitra, Agni, thrice every day bring hither by sacrifice day by day, Tanûnapât, make this our sacrifice honey-sweet, having its abode in ghee 1, (this sacrifice) which worships (the gods).

3. (Our adoring) thought rich in all boons goes forward for worshipping as the first the Hotri of the sacred food (il), for saluting the strong bull with adoration and homage. May he, the best sacrificer, incited (by our prayers) sacrifice to the gods 1.

4. Upwards your 1 course has been directed at the worship; upwards (your) flames 2 are gone; ready (for receiving you) is the air 3. Or the Hotri has sat down at heaven's navel. We spread out the sacrificial grass which receives the gods.

5 1. Choosing in their mind the sevenfold work of the Hotris 2, enlivening everything (the gods) came hither in the right way. (The divine doors 3) with men as their ornaments 4, born at the sacrifices 5, have come hither and thither to this sacrifice, many of them.

6. Hither (shall come) the two Dawns 1, the neighbourly (goddesses) of glorious appearance 2.

p. 237

[paragraph continues] Of different forms, they both smile. (They shall come) that Mitra and Varuna may be satisfied with us, and Indra accompanied by the Maruts with their powers 3.

7. I catch hold of the two divine Hotris first. The seven strong ones 1 rejoice according to their wont. Teaching the right, they proclaim the right, the guardians of law, contemplating the law.

8 1. May Bhâratî, in concord with the Bhâratîs, Ilâ with the gods, Agni with men, Sarasvatî with all (beings) belonging to Sarasvatî (come) hither; may the three goddesses sit down on this sacrificial grass.

9. O divine Tvashtri, grant us and send forth this our seed which is to thrive: (the seed) from which a manly son is born able and skilful, who sets to work the press-stones, loving the gods.

10. O tree 1, send (the offering) forth to the gods. May Agni the slaughterer make the offering ready. May the same, the very true Hotri, sacrifice according as he knows the generations of the gods.

11. Agni, being kindled, come hither, on one chariot with Indra, with the quick gods. May Aditi, the mother of noble sons, sit down on our sacrificial grass. With Svâhâ may the immortal gods rejoice.

NOTES.

The same Rishi. Metre, Trishtubh.—Verse 9 = TS. III, 1, 11, 1; MS. IV, 13, 10. Verse 10 = VS. XXVII, 21; TS. IV, 1, 8, 3; MS. II, 12, 6.

p. 238

Verse 1.

Note 1. Agni is invoked as personified in each log of fuel which is put on the sacrificial fire.

Note 2. Comp. VII, 39, 1. sumatím vásvah.

Verse 2.

Note 1. Comp. II, 3, 11. ghritám asya yónih.

Verse 3.

Note 1. Comp. X, 110, 3. sáh enân yakshi ishitáh yágîyân (cf. also X, 110, 9).

Verse 4.

Note 1. The text has the dual vâm. But who are the two beings addressed? According to Sâyana, Agni and the Barhis, which does not seem very probable. The structure of the phrase gives the impression—though this impression is by no means certain—that vâm, which belongs to gâtu, is to be supplied to sokî´mshi also. If we are right in this supposition, are not the two beings in question the two first of the three sacred fires, the Âhavanîya and Gârhapatya? These two fires are frequently spoken of in the ritual texts as of a dyad, with the omission of the third fire.—Prof. Max Müller proposes to change vâm into vâ. According to him the meaning may be: Either the road has been made upward, i. e. the flames have gone upward to the sky, or Agni has sat down at heaven's navel.

Note 2. Comp. VII, 43, 2. ûrdhvâ´ sokî´mshi devayû´ni asthuh.

Note 3. Possibly the words ûrdhvâ´ sokî´mshi prásthitâ rágâmsi may form one clause, 'upwards (your) flames are gone towards the sky.' M. M.

Verse 5.

Note 1. On this verse, comp. Pischel, Vedische Studien, II, 115 seq.

Note 2. On the seven priests of the ancient Soma sacrifice, comp. H. O., Religion des Veda, 383 seq.

p. 239

Note 3. That this subject is to be supplied, is shown by the regular composition of the Âprî hymns. It is confirmed by the word pûrvî´h, which is evidently an epithet of the divine doors; comp. I, 188, 5; VII, 2, 5.

Note 4. 'In human form.' M. M.

Note 5. The text has vidátheshu.

Verse 6.

Note 1. I. e. Night and Dawn.

Note 2. Comp. above, I, 142, 7.

Note 3. Comp. M. M., vol. xxxii, p. 196 seq.

Verse 7.

Note 1. Comp. above, I, 127, 5, note 1. Pischel (Vedische Studien, I, 96) may be right in taking the seven prikshâ´sah as the Aṅgiras, the saptá víprâh.

Verse 8.

Note 1. The verses 8–11 are repeated in VII, 2, 8–11.

Verse 10.

Note 1. The tree is the sacrificial post (yûpa).