III, 27

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

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MANDALA III, HYMN 27.

ASHTAKA III, ADHYÂYA 1, VARGA 28–30.

1. Forward (goes) your 1 strength tending heavenward, rich in offerings, with the (ladle) full of ghee. To the gods goes (the worshipper) desirous of their favour.

2. I magnify 1 with prayer Agni who has knowledge of prayers (?), the accomplisher of sacrifice, who hears us, and in whom (manifold wealth) has been laid down.

3. O Agni, may we be able to bridle thee the strong god 1; may we overcome (all) hostile powers.

4. Agni, inflamed at the sacrifice, the purifier who should be magnified, whose hair is flame—him we approach (with prayers).

5. With his broad stream of light the immortal Agni, clothed in ghee, well served with oblations, is the carrier of offerings at the sacrifice.

6. Holding the (sacrificial) ladles, performing the sacrifice they have with right thought pressingly brought Agni hither 1 for help.

7. The Hotri, the immortal god goes in front with his secret power 1, instigating the sacrifices 2.

8. The strong (horse, i. e. Agni) is set at the races. He is led forth at the sacrifices, the priest, the accomplisher of sacrifice.

9. He has been produced 1 by prayer, the excellent one. I have established 2 him, the germ of beings, for ever the father of Daksha 3.

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10. I have laid thee down 1, the excellent one, with the nourishment 2 of Daksha, O thou who art produced by power, O Agni, thee the resplendent one, O Usig 3.

11. The priests, eager to set to work the Rita 1, kindle with quick strength Agni the governor 2, him who crosses the waters 3.

12. I magnify 1 the child of vigour at this sacrifice, who shines under the heaven, the thoughtful Agni.

13. He who should be magnified and adored, who is visible through the darkness, Agni, the manly, is kindled 1.

14. Agni, the manly, is kindled, he who draws hither the gods like a horse. The (worshippers) rich in offerings magnify him.

15. We the manly ones will kindle thee the manly (god), O manly Agni who shinest mightily.

NOTES.

The same Rishi. The metre is Gâyatrî.—The position of the hymn in the collection shows that it is to be divided into Trikas, and this is confirmed by the ritual use of several of these Trikas (see Bergaigne, Recherches sur l’Histoire de la Liturgie Védique, 19, note 1). Some of the Trikas at least, however, do not seem to form independent hymns; verse 10 very probably stands in connection with verse 9, and the same seems to be the case with verses 12 and 13. Ludwig (IV, 305) and Bergaigne (loc. cit.) consider the whole Sûkta as a collection of Sâmidhenîs or verses to be recited for each piece of wood thrown into the fire. Comp. Hillebrandt, Neu- und Vollmondsopfer, 77.—Verse 1

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[paragraph continues] = TS. II, 5, 7, 2; TB. III, 5, 2, 1; MS. I, 6, 1; IV, 14, 3. Verses 2, 3 = TB. II, 4, 2, 4. 5; MS. IV, 11, 2. Verse 4 = TS. II, 5, 8, 6; TB. III, 5, 2, 3. Verses 5–6 = TB. III, 6, 1, 3; MS. IV, 10, 1 (verse 5 = MS. IV, 11, 2). Verses 7–9 = SV. II, 827–829. Verses 13–15 = SV. II, 888–890; TB. III, 5, 2, 2; AV. XX, 102, 1–3.

Verse 1.

Note 1. Of the priests and sacrificers?

Verse 2.

Note 1. The text has î´le.

Verse 3.

Note 1. Comp. above, II, 5, 1.

Verse 6.

Note 1. Comp. IV, 17, 18. vayám hí â´ te kakrimá sabâ´dhah.

Verse 7.

Note 1. Mâyáyâ: comp. H. O., Religion des Veda, 163, 294.

Note 2. Vidáthâni: comp. I, 31, 6, note 2.

Verse 9.

Note 1. This seems to mean, 'he has been set to work.'

Note 2. ´ dadhe must be first person (comp. ní dadhe, verse 10) for the bhûtâ´nâm gárbhah is Agni.

Note 3. Or, the father of intelligence. Daksha is the personified intelligence. Comp. vol. xxxii, p. 245 seq.; Bergaigne, Religion Védique, III, 93 seq.

Verse 10.

Note 1. See above, III, 23, 4.

Note 2. The text has ilâ´, the same word as in 24, 2.—Prof. Max Müller observes, 'Could it be, ni tvâ dadhe ilâ, I have placed thee on the altar with nutriment, son of the strength of Daksha?'

Note 3. Or, 'the willing one.'

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Verse 11.

Note 1. 'Setting to work the Right (Rita)' means here 'performing the sacrifice.' The sacrifice is considered as a sphere especially pervaded by the power of Rita. Comp. H. O., Religion des Veda, 197.

Note 2. Yantûram (comp. VIII, 19, 2. agním îlishva yantûram; Lanman, 486) must be the same as yantâ´ram (comp. μάρτυρ? [M. M.] See de Saussure, Mémoire sur le Système Primitif des Voyelles, p. 207; but comp. also Kretschmer, Kuhn's Zeitschrift, XXXI, p. 447). To me it seems to be an accommodation to aptúram, facilitated probably by the influence of the genitive yantúr. See Lanman, Noun-Inflection in the Veda, p. 486; Wackernagel in Kuhn's Zeitschrift, XXV, 287.

Note 3. See Pischel, Vedische Studien, I, 122 seq.; H. O., Göttingische Gelehrte Anzeigen, 1889, p. 4 seq.

Verse 12.

Note 1. The text has île. In the same way îlényah verse 13, îlate verse 14.

Verse 13.

Note 1. Observe sám idhyate here and verse 14, sám idhîmahi verse 15. The verses 13–15 form one Trika.