III, 12. To Indra-Agnî | Sacred Texts Archive

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

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MANDALA III, HYMN 12.

ASHTAKA III, ADHYÂYA 1, VARGA 11–12.

TO INDRA-AGNÎ.

1. Indra-Agni, in consequence of our prayers come hither to the pressed (Soma), to the precious cloud 1. Drink of it incited by our thoughts (i. e. by our prayers).

2. Indra-Agni, the brilliant 1 sacrifice of him who praises you goes forward together (with the Soma libations, the praises, &c.). Thus drink this pressed (Soma)!

3. By this stirring sacrifice I choose Indra and Agni who show themselves as sages 1; may they here satiate themselves with Soma.

4. I call the bounteous 1, the killers of foes 2, the united conquerors, unconquered, Indra-Agni, the greatest winners of booty.

5. The praisers rich in hymns, knowing all the ways (of the sacrifice), laud you. Indra-Agni, I choose the food (which you give).

6. Indra-Agni, you have hurled down by one deed the ninety strongholds together of which the Dâsas were the lords.

7. Indra-Agni, the thoughts (of the worshippers) go forward towards (you) from the work (of sacrifice) along the paths of Rita.

8. Indra and Agni, yours are powerful abodes and delights. You cross the waters: this is the deed which belongs to you 1.

9. Indra and Agni, you display the lights of heaven in your deeds of strength; that mighty deed of yours has been known far and wide.

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NOTES.

The same Rishi and metre. The hymn is addressed to the couple Indra and Agni.—Verses 1–3 = SV. II, 19–21. Verse 1 = VS. VII, 31; TS. I, 4, 15, 1; MS. I, 3, 17. Verses 4–6 = SV. II, 1052–1054. Verses 5–8 = SV. II, 925–928. Verse 5 = MS. IV, 11, 1. Verse 6 = TS. I, 1, 14, 1; MS. IV, 10, 5. Verses 9, 7, 8 = SV. II, 1044–1045. Verse 9 = TS. IV, 2, 11, 1; 3, 13, 8; TB. III, 5, 7, 3; MS. IV, 10, 4; 11, 1.

Verse 1.

Note 1. 'Cloud,' of course, means that which comes from the cloud. In the Soma hymns of the ninth Mandala, the word nábhah seems frequently to refer to the water with which the Soma is mixed (see IX, 69, 5; 71, 1. 3; 74, 4; 83, 5; 86, 14; 97, 21; Prof. Hillebrandt's opinion on these passages is different, see his Vedische Mythologie, I, 212). Perhaps we should go too far in believing that in our verse the poet invited the gods to come and drink that water, but possibly the mixture of water and of the juice of the Soma plant descending from heaven and nourished by the heavenly waters represented itself to the poet's mind as something coming from, and thus being identical with, the cloud.

Verse 2

Note 1. On kétanah, Prof. Max Müller remarks, 'perhaps which appeals to you … so that they take note of it.'

Verse 3.

Note 1. There may be doubts about kavikkhádâ. Prof. Max Müller remarks, 'is it, wishing for sages?' I think that my translation is recommended by X, 81, 1. prathamakkhát.

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Verse 4.

Note 1. Comp. I, 169, 5. râ´yah tosátamâh; VIII, 38, 2. tosâ´sâ rathayâ´vânâ … índrâgnî, and Brugmann in Kuhn's Zeitschrift, XXIV, 24.

Note 2. Or, the killers of Vritra.

Verse 8.

Note 1. On aptúr and aptû´rya, comp. Pischel, Vedische Studien, I, 122 seq., and H. O., Göttingische Gelehrte Anzeigen, 1889, 4 seq.