CWTVKS Volume 6

HYMN 22

prātar yujā, etc. begins the fifth hymn, of twenty one Riks, in the fifth Section. The Rishi and the metre are as before. The particular deities will become clear then and there in the course of the commentary.

This is the first Rik.

1. prātaryujā vi bodhayāśvināvehå gacchatām, asya somasya pitaye.
   prātaḥyujā vi bodhaya aśviñau à iha gacchatām asya somasya pitaye.

In this hymn the first four Riks are devoted to the Ashvins. prātaryujā conjoined in the morning at the beginning of the sacrifice (at the morning libation, in the external sense), come together (joined in the morning, prātar yunjāte, therefore prātaryujau); aśvinau Ashvin Gods; vibodhaya awake them; this direction is to oneself; thus too says Skandasvamin. This is to oneself only because of the direction of the inner self; or of Agni as he is the hotr; awakened, both of them iha to the sacrifice; āgacchatam may they come; why? asya of this pressed out; somasya pitaye to drink the Soma.

The Ashvins spoken of before are familiar to us.

Tr. Awake the Ashvins who join at morn; may they come hither to drink the Soma.

This is the second Rik.

2. yā surathā rathitamobhā devā divisprśā, asvinā tā havāmahe.
   yā su’rathā rathitamā ubhā devā divi’sprśā aśvinā tā hayāmahe.

yā which; ubhā both; devā Gods; aśvinā Ashvins; surathā of auspicious car, they whose car is auspicious; rathitamā superbly charioted; divisprśā having their touch in the heavens (the compound is aluk) they are palpable in the heavens, that is to say, dwellers in heaven; tā them; havāmahe we call.

The letter à in dual found in yā, etc. is Vedic.

Tr. We call the Ashvins, of auspicious car, superbly charioted, the Gods who reach the heavens.

This is the third Rik.

3. yā vām kaśā madhumatyasvinā sūnrtavati, tayā yājñam mimikșatam.
   yā vām kaśā madhumati aśvinā sūnștāvati tayā yājñam mimikșatam.

aśvinā O Ashvins; vām your; madhumati sweet; sūnſtāvati and of happy truth; kaśā (name of speech); yā the speech that is; tayā by that speech capable of impelling the steeds; yajñam this present sacrifice; mimikșatam moisten (form of mihi to sprinkle).

It is to be remembered that Usha, daughter of Heaven, is the spouse of the Ashvins and that Goddess Usha has been described by terms denoting form and nature like of happy birth, full of truth, full of lustre, etc. The optional sense given to kaśā by Sayana favours the meaning ’speech’. The meaning of the Mantra is : Moisten this sacrifice, make this drip with delight by speech that is full of sweetness, of happy truth and hence full of savour.

The whip by which the horse is goaded, kaśā, with which to beat the horse, is well-known. Here even speech has that capacity, hence, kaśā is read in the sense of speech. Here the purport of the ritualist commentary may be noted for a comparative study of the thoughtful (reader). kaśā the horsewhip is watery (madhumati), is it not? How? It is soaked with the perspiration that flows from the horse in speed. If it be asked how is the horsewhip of happy truth, it is said : the sound that ensues from a rapid whipping of the horse, the shout that is made by the rider while thrashing the horse, are both dear to the sacrificer. How? Because both the report of the thrashing and the shouting are causes of rapid advance.

Tr. O Ashvins, your speech sweet and of happy truth, with that moisten the sacrifice.

This is the fourth Rik.

4. nahi vämasti dūrake yatrā rathena gacchathaḥ aśvinā somino grham.
   nahi vām asti dūrake yatra rathena gacchathaḥ asvinā sominaḥ grham.

aśvinā O Ashvins; yatra in which sacrifice, towards the house of sacrifice; rathena by car of rapid speed; vām you; gacchathaḥ go; that sominaḥ grham home of the sacrificer with Soma; dūrake far; nahi asti is indeed not.

With rapid speed nothing is far even for a moment. Then how can the house of the sacrificer with Soma, the physical body which is the pedestal of the life-body, etc. be far?

Tr. O Ashvins, as you go thither in car, the home of the sacrificer with Soma is not far indeed.

Now follow four Riks to God Savitri. This is the first of them, fifth in the hymn.

5. hiraṇyapāņimūtaye savitāramupahvaye, sa cettā devatā padam.
   hiranya’pāņim ūtaye savitāram upa hvaye saḥ cettā devatā padam.

hiranyapāņim of golden hands; savitāram Surya the creator; ūtaye for increase; upahvaye I call; saḥ cettă he becomes the knower or he causes to be known (causal sense implied); he devatā the All-God, becomes the deity treated by all the Vedas; he padam becomes the goal to be attained.

Savitr the Sun is the golden Person, he is himself the knower, himself the deity, himself the goal to be reached—this is affirmed. Note that hands, feet, arms, etc. denote the rays. It is the perception of the Rishis and time-long settled doctrine that the golden form of Savitr, the Person Highest, the God of all Gods can be realised directly.

Tr. I call Savitr, the golden-armed, for increase; he is the knower, the God, the goal.

Thus ends the fourth group in the second Chapter of the first Eighth.

This is the sixth Rik in the hymn.

6. apām napātamavase savitāramupa stuhi, tasya vratānyuśmasi.
   apām napātam avase savitāram upa stuhi tasya vratāni uśmasi.

It must be noted that Riks like “Waters alone were all this at the beginning”, the state before the creation of the universe is sought to be described in terms of a quick movement providing the basic material for the universe. Though Savitr has really no birth as such, his being the child of the Waters is spoken of in the context of the creation of the universe.

Even as in man the sacrificer, Agni is the child of the forces of strength, light, etc. forming the equipment for creation which are symbolised by the term waters, so too Savitr is born the offspring subsequently. The word napāt means son, also son’s son. Thus is Savitr spoken of as the son of the Waters both in the macrocosm and the mircrocosm. In the gross view, the sun comes to birth by rising from the ocean in the morning, hence Savitr is the son of the waters.

apām napātam savitāram God Savitr, son of the waters; avase for thy increase; upastuhi approach and adore with praise; this is the direction of the inner being; tasya of Savitr; vratāni deeds (eternal); uśmasi we long for.

Tr. Praise close Savitr, son of the Waters, for increase; we long for his deeds.

This is the seventh Rik.

7. vibhaktāram havāmahe vasościtrasya rādhasaḥ, savitāram nṛcakşasam.
   vibhaktāram havāmahe vasoḥ citrasya rādhasaḥ savitāram nr’cakşasam.

citrasya of many kinds; rādhasaḥ of treasure of all accomplishments (rādh, sādh to accomplish); vasoḥ of wealth (the substance providing dwelling in the luminous world); vibhaktāram who apportions and gives; savitāram the God who creates; havāmahe we call; of what kind? nșcakşasam seer of men, he who sees men is the seer of men, him (cakştakes the termination as).

Though both vasu and rādha mean wealth, their distinction is to be noted. It has been mentioned earlier in ‘citram rādhaḥ ’(varied wealth)’, ’vibhu prabhu’ (pervading, mastering).

Tr. We call the distributor of the varied store of wealth, Savitr the seer of men.

This is the eighth Rik.

8. sakhāya ă ni si data savitā stomyo nu naḥ, dātā rādhāmsi sumbhati.
   sakhāyaḥ ā ni sidata savitā stomyaḥ nu naḥ dātā rādhāmsi sumbhati.

O sakhāyaḥ address to the friends engaged in the common inner sacrifice; ā hitherward; nişidata sit, wait upon the adorable God; savitā God Savitr; naḥ our; nu soon; stomyaḥ deserves our hymn of affirmation; saḥ he; dātā giver of the wealth causing dwelling in the divine world, of treasure that gives all fulfilment; rādhāmsi wealth of the kind spoken of; śumbhati lights up, brings to light, shows it available to us.

śumbhati to shine, to be lustrous; causal is implied. Some commentators say sumbhati means gives.

Tr. O comrades, sit around in adoration, Savitr is soon to be lauded; the giver manifests the treasures.

This is the ninth Rik.

9. agne. patnirihāvaha devānāmuśatirupa, tvaşțāram somapitaye.
   agne patniḥ iha ā vaha devānām uśatiḥ upa tvaștāram soma’pitaye.

agne O Flame; devānām of Indra and the like; patniḥ Indrani and others; iha in this sacrifice; upa near; āvaha bring; of what kind? uśatiḥ desiring the offering of the sacrificer (vas to attract, present participle, feminine); likewise tvaştāram Tvastri the divine architect (bring near); for what purpose? somapitaye to drink Soma.

We have spoken before regarding female deities. The wife is the doer, the executor of the work of God the lord who causes it to be done.

Tr. O Agni, bring hither the spouses of the Gods, desiring; and Tvastri, to the drink of Soma.

This is the tenth Rik.

10. ā gnā agna ihāvase hotrām yaviştha bhāratim, varutrim dhişaņām vaha.
    ā gnāḥ agne iha avase hotrăm yaviştha bhāratim varutrim dhişanām vaha.

agne O Agni; avase for increase, for our growth; gnāḥ spouses of the Gods; iha in this sacrifice; āvaha fetch; yaviştha 0 most youthful, capable, of bringing; hotrām speech, being the speech of call; likewise bharatim the light of Bharata, the Sun; bring the Truth-Light endowed with the vastness and brilliance of the wide light of Truth; varutrim covers, who shines enveloping all; dhişaņām conscious (Bharati, do bring).

We have discussed about Bharati earlier in the Apri hymn and elsewhere. She is the truth-lustre of the Vast Light, the foundation of Revelation and Inspiration, Ila and Sarasvati. Here by mentioning Hotra, Varutri, Dhisana (call of speech, envelopper, consciousness) the forces that indicate her power and form, a concord equally applying to these with Bharati is demonstrated. Thus by not mentioning the governed word it helps to lay stress on and explain the import. But Sayana thinks that hotrā is spouse of Agni carrying out the Homa, Bharati spouse of Aditya, Varutri Dhisana is Sarasvati.

Tr. Agni, bring to this sacrifice for increase the spouses of the Gods, O youthful one, speech of call and Bharati, pervasive and conscious.

Thus ends the fifth group in the second Chapter of the first Eighth.

This is the eleventh Rik in the hymn.

11. abhi no deviravasā mahaḥ śarmaņā nrpatnih, acchinnapatrāḥ sacantām.
    abhi naḥ deviḥ avasā mahaḥ śarmaņā nr’patnih acchinna’patrāḥ sacantām.

deviḥ Goddesses, spouses of the Gods treated in this, gnāḥ; naḥ us; avasā with increase; mahaḥ with great (mah in worship, as is substituted in instrumental singular); sarmaņā and with happiness; abhisacantām may they favour turned towards us; of what kind? nrpatniḥ spouses, powers of the Gods; acchinnapatrāḥ whose wings are unclipped—there is no severance of the wings with which these course in the sky; of tireless carriage, says Skandasvamin; may they favour us with increase and great happiness, is the purport.

Tr. May the Goddesses, spouses of the Gods, favour us with increase and great happiness, their wings unclipped.

This is the twelfth Rik.

12. ihendrānimupa hvaye varuņānīm svastaye, agnāyim somapītaye.
    iha indrānim upa hvaye varuņānim svastaye agnāyim soma’pitaye.

iha in this sacrifice; svastaye for the weal; indrānim spouse of Indra; varuņānim spouse of Varuna; agnāyim spouse of Agni; upahvaye I call; why? somapitaye to drink the Soma; verily, by their drinking of the Soma is effected the weal of the sacrificer; hence ’for the weal’.

Tr. Here I call for weal, spouse of Indra, spouse of Varuna, spouse of Agni, to drink the Soma.

This is the thirteenth Rik.

13. mahi dyauḥ přthivi ca na imam yajñam mimikșatam, pipṛtānno bharimabhiḥ.
    mahi dyauḥ prthivi ca naḥ imam yajñam mimikșatām pipṛtām naḥ bhari’mabhiḥ.

Heaven and Earth are the deities of this and the next Rik

mahi the Vast (elision of the word at is Vedic, feminine of the word mahat); dyauḥ the deity of the heaven-world; prthivi ca and the deity of the Earth; naḥ our; imam yajñam this sacrifice; mimikșatām may they desire to bedew (the form of mih in the sense of sprinkle); bharimabhiḥ with feeds, nourishments (termination iman on the root bhr); naḥ us; pipſtām fill (Imperative form of the root pr to fill; the i in the repetitive form is Vedic).

May both Heaven and Earth make us soaked with happiness, full of delight with the sap of their own essence, may they fill us with their nourishing feeds.

Tr. May the vast Heaven and Earth bedew this our sacrifice; may they fill us with nourishments.

This is the fourteenth Rik.

14. tayoridghſtavatpayo viprā rihanti dhitibhiḥ, gandharvasya dhruve pade.
    tayoḥ it ghịtaʼvat payaḥ viprāḥ rihanti dhitibhiḥ gandharvasya dhruve pade.

tayorit of Heaven and Earth alone; ghrtavat lustrous; payaḥ essential sap; viprāḥ the wise; dhitibhiḥ with faculties of consciousness capable of bearing; rihanti lick, taste (ra for la is Vedic); the gross, matter-located earth-consciousness is indicated by the term prthivi, Earth; the subtler mind-located divine consciousness is indicated by dyauḥ, Heaven; the essence, the immortal sap of both is lustrous ‘ghṛtavat payaḥ; the wise taste it with their special faculties of consciousness; but then, where do they ‘lick’ that sap? gandharvasya of Gandharva; dhruve stable; pade in the station; Sayana says : the place of the Gandharva is the mid-region, the sky; in the sky are the Heaven and Earth; and related to them is the ghee-like water which the wise taste. Yaska holds thus : the ray of the sun of great happiness is called ’go’ cow; who bears that Soma, is the Gandharva; by his delightfulness he is famed at times as the moon. “Here verily in the home of the moon, (the wise) knew the secret name of the ray-cow of the Fashioner Sun” (1.84.15). This will be mentioned later on. That is why more detail is not desired here. But this must be understood here : in the station of Soma where the luminous Truth-ray shines constantly (vide 1.154.5 the fount of sweetness in the highest step of Vishnu), “the wise sip the lustrous sap’, partake of shining immortal sap.

Tr. The wise sip the lustrous sap of them with their faculties of thought in the stable station of Soma.

This is the fifteenth Rik.

15. syonā pṛthivi bhavānſkṣarā niveśani, yacchā naḥ śarma saprathaḥ.
    syonā pṛthivi bhava anſkṣarā ni’veśani yaccha naḥ śarma sa’prathaḥ.

The deity of this is Prithivi, Earth. pṛthivi O Earth; you syonā happy (syonam means happiness); anrkṣarā without thorn (;kṣara is thorn); niveśani dwelling, bhava be a fit dwelling place to us; that is, be a happy dwelling bereft of enemies; naḥ our; saprathaḥ wide (pratha to propagate, termination as); sarma refuge; yaccha give.

Tr. O Earth, be a happy and thornless dwelling; give us wide refuge.

Thus ends the sixth Group in the second Chapter of the first Eighth.

Now follow six Riks to Vishnu. .

This is the sixteenth Rik in this hymn.

16. ato devă avantu no yato vişnurvicakrame, prthivyāḥ sapta dhāmabhiḥ.
    ataḥ devāḥ avantu naḥ yataḥ vişnuḥ vi’cakrame prthivyāḥ sapta dhāma’bhih.

The highest Sun, Vishnu the supreme Lord is referred to.

ataḥ (indeclinable from etat) from here; it should be taken in the sense of that; for, that, tat, and which, yat, have a constant relation and the word yataḥ is mentioned later in the Rik; devāḥ the gods, Indra and others; naḥ us;avantu may they increase; yataḥ from which place, vişnuḥ (the termination nu on viş to pervade) the pervading God; prthivyāḥ (genetive denoting relation) of the earth; sapta seven (interchange of case); dhāmabhiḥ through stations; vicakrame superbly placed his steps, ’overstrode’ is the meaning.

The store of Light, from which station Vishnu extended and strode over the seven places of the earth is also the station of the gods who have that one fount. May they, severally manifest according to the difference in function, give us the progress in their keeping—this is the prayer.²

Tr. Thence may the gods increase us whence Vishnu strode the seven regions of the earth.

This is the seventeenth Rik.

17. idam vişnurvicakrame tredhā ni dadhe padam samülhamasya pāmsure.
    idam vişnuḥ vi cakrame tredhā ni dadhe padam sam’ūlham asya pamsure.

idam all this universe; vişnuḥ Pervader, the supreme God; vicakrame has strode; he says how he strode; tredhā in three ways, on earth, in mid-region and in the heaven-world; padam nidadhe he placed the foot; what took place by that? asya of Vishnu; pāmsure in the region having the dust of his feet (raḥ denotes possessive sense); samülham firmly established was all this (Past Participle of vaḥ with sam, change of semi-vowel to vowel); tredhā from the word tri, the suffix edhā.

Tr. This Vishnu strode, thrice he placed his foot; in the dust of his feet was all firmly established.

This is the eighteenth Rik.

18. triņi padā vi cakrame vişnurgopā adābhyaḥ, ato dharmāņi dhārayan.
    triņi padā vi cakrame vişnuḥ gopāḥadābhyaḥ ataḥ dharmāņi dhārayan.

gopāḥ protector of the whole world; adābhyaḥ not subduable, unassailable; vişnuḥ Vishnu; trīņi padā three steps; vicakrame superbly strode; whence? ataḥ from here, the earth; doing what? dharmāņi laws, actions to be upheld in all this universe; dhā rayan upholding (he strode).

Here the substratum of the triple world is the earth, hence by stepping from here he guards the eternal laws to be upheld in the triple world.

Tr. Vishnu, guardian, inviolable, strode three steps from here upholding the Laws.

This is the nineteenth Rik.

19. vişnoḥ karmāņi paśyata yato vratāni paspase, indrasya yujyaḥ sakhā.
    viṣnoḥ karmāņi paśyata yataḥ vratāni paspase indrasya yujyaḥ sakhā.

The address is to co-practitioners. vişnoḥ Vishnu’s; karmāņi deeds of valour; paśyata behold; yataḥ by these deeds of striding the three worlds, (he, Vishnu) vratāni deeds for sustaining the three worlds, forming the restraints and injunctions; paspaśe touched, that is made patent (spas meaning touch, Perfect); the eternal laws for the activities of the world are hidden, touched by the action of Vishnu’s valour they are made manifest; he indrasya of Indra the sovereign of the triple world; leader of action; yujyaḥ to be yoked (yaḥ on yuj, no guņa as weak termination); sakhā having equal communication.

Tr. Behold the deeds of Vishnu by which the Laws are patent; comrade, be yoked to Indra.

This is the twentieth Rik.

20. tad vişnoḥ paramam padam sadā pasyanti sūrayaḥ, divīva cakșurătatam.
    tad vişnoḥ paramam padam sadā pasyanti sūrayaḥ divi’iva cakṣuḥ ā’tatam.

sūrayaḥ the wise; vişnoḥ Vishnu’s; tat denoted by the term tat; paramam supreme; padam step; sadā always, without break in time; pasyanti behold; he cites an illustration; deviva as in the sky; ātatam spread wide; cakṣuḥ eye. The wise always behold that supreme step of Vishnu, firm, set like the eye in the high skies, pervading everywhere, perceivable by all. Vide Introduction IV.

Tr. The wise always behold that supreme step of Vishnu, like an eye extended in heaven.

This is the twenty-first Rik.

21. tadviprāso vipanyavo jāgļvāmsaḥ samindhate, vişnoryatparamam padam.
    tad viprāsaḥ vipanyavaḥ jāgr’vāmsaḥ sam indhate, vişnoủ yat paramam padam.

viprāsaḥ the wise, the illumined; vipanyavaḥ especial laudators (pan in the sense of praise, belongs to uņādi class and so the suffix yu); jāgļvāmsaḥ (jāgr in the sense of removal of sleep, Perfect participle) sleepless, always winkless (becoming); yat what is said before; vişnoḥ paramam padam the supreme step of Vishnu; tat that celebrated; samindhate they light up well.

The supreme step ever lit becomes lighted up again in the illumined seers who realise it, ever winkless and awake; their ceaseless manifestation of it is itself re-lighting; hence it is said they light it well (samindhate). Such Riks of patent lofty import are at times the bases and form the seeds of sentences like ’that is said by the Rishis’, ’that is well said by the Rik’, of the Rishis of the Upanishad.

Tr. The illumined seers, superb chanters, awake, light well that supreme step of Vishnu.

Thus ends the seventh Group in the second Chapter of the first Eighth.