Volume 6 : English translation of Rig Veda Samhita, Mandala I, Suktas 20 - 32 (with commentaries) by T. V. Kapali Sastry
Volume 6 : English translation of Rig Veda Bhashya - commentaries on Rig Veda Samhita, Mandala I, Suktas 20 - 32 by T. V. Kapali Sastry
Sixth in the fifth Section, tivrä, etc. is a hymn of twenty-four Riks. The Rishi is Medhatithi himself. The deities are Vayu, etc. as will become clear in the commentary. Here twenty-one Riks are in gāyatri metre, the variation in metres among the rest is to be noted in the commentary.
This is the first Rik of the hymn.
Vayu is the deity. vāyo O Life of the world, life specially embodied in the sacrificer, tivrāḥ sharp, that is tending to move ceaselessly with speed (tij to sharpen, suffix ra lengthening of ti and ja become vaḥ); ime somāsaḥ these soma-juices; sutāḥ are pressed out; they āś îrvantaḥ are mixed with curds and grains (explained in 1.5.5.); ägahi come to receive them; prasthitān set to flow; these soma-juices set out to occupy and fill the entire body of the sacrificer, inner and outer; tān piba drink them.
It is only by Vayu’s acceptance of the soma-juice that the body holding the weight of delight becomes a vessel for the play of the action of subsequent deities.
Tr. These fine soma-juices mixed with curd and grain are pressed out; come, O Vayu, drink them ready.
This is the second Rik.
divispṛśā touching the heaven (termination i used in hrid and dyu; aluk compound in seventh case), dwelling in the heaven-world; ubha both; deva gods; indravāyū Indra the deity presiding over the Mind and Vayu over the Life; havāmahe we call; for what purpose? asya somasya pitaye the meaning is clear—to drink this Soma.
Though Vayu belongs to the Mid-region, he is lauded as of the heaven because of association with Indra. First Vayu and now Indra and Vayu are called to drink the Soma. Varuna and Mitra will be referred to now. The inner purport of all this has been discussed earlier in the second Hymn of the first Section, by Madhucchandas. So also what was said in the third Section regarding Marutvan is to be borne in mind in the Mantras that are being commented upon.
Tr. We call both gods who touch the heaven, Indra and Vayu, to drink this Soma.
This is the third Rik.
manojuvā mind-speeded, with a movement like the mind’s (juv denotes movement); indravāya both the gods, Indra and Vayu; viprāḥ the illumined ones; ūtaye for increase; havante call; of what kind are they? sahasrākṣā they who have a thousand eyes, much-seeing; by association with the thousand-eyed; dhiyah of the upbearing intelligence; pati protectors -here too association with Indra is the cause.
Tr. Indra and Vayu, swift as mind, the illumined call for increase; the thousand-eyed, lords of Intelligence.
This is the fourth Rik.
vayam sacrificers; somapitaye for drinking the Soma; mitram varuņam both Mitra and Varuna; havāmahe we call; of what kind are they? jajñānā being born, taking birth in the sacrifice; pūtadakṣasā pure in skilled discernment (these two words are explained before).
Tr. To drink Soma we call Mitra and Varuna, taking birth, pure in discernment.
This is the fifth Rik.
yau who; ṛtena by truth (of their own); ṛtāvṛdhau increase the truth in the sacrifice; ṛtasya of the truth; jyotişaḥ of the light of the Supreme bṛhat); pati protectors; tā them; mitrāvaruņā Mitra and Varuna; huve I call.
Mitra and Varuna have been considered before.
Tr. We call Mitra and Varuna who increase truth by truth, protectors of the Truth-Light. Thus ends the eighth Group in the second Chapter of the first Eighth.
This is the sixth Rik in the hymn.
varuṇaḥ God Varuna; our prāvitā superb increaser; bhuvat may become (Vedic Present); mitraḥ and God Mitra; viśvābhiḥ with all; ūtibhiḥ with prosperities, may he be the increaser; and both, nah us; surādhasaḥ of auspicious wealth; karatām make.
Tr. May Varuna become the superb increaser and Varuna with all prosperities, may they make us of auspicious wealth.
This is the seventh Rik.
Indra with the Maruts is the deity of these three Riks.
marutvantam superb amongst the host of Maruts, (he has the Maruts, vat suffix for possessive); indram Indra; somapitaye to drink the Soma; ā havāmahe we call; this Indra gaṇena with the host of Maruts; sajūḥ with uniform satisfaction; tṛmpatu may he be sated (trp, tſmp to sate, Imperative).
sajūḥ : jus in the sense of satisfaction with suffix. Prefix sa to denote equality, Bahuvrihi compound. The natural accent of the first word affected by the acute accent of the latter.
What was said of Indra with the host of Maruts in the hymn of Madhucchandas is to be recollected.
Tr. We call Indra with the host of Maruts to drink the Soma; may he of uniform satisfaction with the host be sated.
This is the eighth Rik.
indrajyeșthāḥ they of whom Indra is the eldest; marudgaņāḥ companies of Maruts as hosts; pūşa rātayaḥ the god who nourishes is Pushan, they to whom Pushan is the giver; (when by the prowess of God Pushan the sacrificer is nourished, the host of Maruts become manifest, hence he is called the giver, rātih); viśve even all; devāsaḥ O gods; mama havam my call; śruta hearken. (Vedic lengthening in the Samhita text. Imperative second person plural. Suffix a. Rest is Vedic.)
Tr. Hosts of Maruts with Indra as the eldest, Gods in the giving of Pushan, you all hearken to my call.
This is the ninth Rik.
sudānavaḥ O auspicious givers (dānu like bhānu belongs to Unadi class, so nu) ; hosts of Maruts; sahasa forceful (possessive sense is implied); yuja yoked (yuj to join, suffix); indreņa with Indra; vſtram Titan of this name; hata destroy (Imperative of han, second person plural); duḥsamsaħ ill-will, any whatsoever; naḥ towards us; mā iśata may not be the master (is to rule. Imperfect for Aorist in the Veda; absense of a because of use with mā).
Tr. Along with forceful Indra, O auspicious givers, destroy Vritra; may not ill-will master us.
This is the tenth Rik.
marutaḥ named Maruts; visvān devān these hosts; somapītaye to drink Soma; havāmahe we call; and those Maruts, ugrāḥ of fiery strength; prșnimataraḥ they whose mother is the Cow of variegated hue, sons of Prishni; hi in the sense of well-known.
It is to be kept in mind that though they are powers of mental energies illumined by the force of Indra’s valour, the Maruts are primarily born of life-force, increasers of nerve-strengths, who have arrived on the field of Mind; this has been discussed before. Their mother is the Cow of variegated hue, called Prishni. Now the symbolic meaning becomes clear. Field for the play of manifestation of the Life-Force, delivering the inheld mental energies, extended in the infinite spaces of the Mid-region as Aditi, capable of multiple manifestation, this Power of living beings, the Mother of Maruts is Prishni, the Cow of variegated hues.
Tr. We call Maruts, all the Gods, to drink the soma; forceful are they with Prishni for their mother. Thus ends the ninth Group in the second Chapter of the first Eighth.
This is the eleventh Rik.
naraḥ O leaders, Maruts; yat when; śubham to the beautiful or luminous station; yāthana you attain (thana is substituted. Present of yā to go, the form is second person plural); then marutām your; tanyatuḥ the word that spreads (tan to spread, suffix, yatu) jayatāmiva like that of the conquering heroes;
dhṛṣnuyā : being bold; eti. i goes forth. dhrşnuyā; ni dhrs to be bold, suffix nu First person singular, ya is substituted. The journey of the Maruts to the auspicious is hero-voiced.
Tr. Leaders, when you go to the Auspicious, the voice of you Maruts goes forth loud like the conqueror’s.
This is the twelfth Rik.
haskārāt from the laughing luminous i.e., laughter here means lighting or illumination (the suffix on has then a on kļ to do); vidyutaḥ from especial revealing; ataḥ from this mid-region; pari everywhere; jātāḥ born; marutaḥ gods; naḥ us; avantu may increase; they naḥ us; mộlayantu enhappy.
Tr. May the Maruts, manifest everywhere from the revealing illuminations in the Mid-region, increase us, enhappy us.
This is the thirteenth Rik.
Now these are three Riks to Pushan. God Pushan is one of the Adityas. His function will be clearly elaborated in the hymn sampūşan, etc. of Ghora Kanva to Pushan; hence we do not go into detail here.
pūşan O Pushan; āghrne luminous from all sides (ghrniḥ as the ray is well known; or light in the sense of lūminous); citrabarhişam he whose seat is of variegated hue of multiple splendour; divaḥ of the heaven-world, that is of the gods dwelling there; dharuņam upbearer, Soma, the nectarian essence, Soma, being the food of the gods, is their sustainer; 1.2.10 (40) [1.5.23 ā ā aja attain or bring (causal is implied. By the repetition of the preposition, what is said is repeated, aj is a root meaning movement); he cites an illustration -yathā naștam paśum just as the herdsman searches for, finds and brings the animal like goat which is lost to sight, so O Pushan, look for the hidden Soma and bring; this is the sense. By this is declared the ability of Pushan to bring the Soma; further on will be told that he attains to the Soma kept concealed and accomplishes.
Tr. O luminous Pushan, fetch the sustainer of heaven, of many-hued seat, like a lost animal.
This is the fourteenth Rik.
āghrņiḥ luminous (commented already); pūsā God Pushan; apagūļham most hidden (guḥ to enclose, past participle); guhā in the cave, in the secret place difficult of access; hitam laid by the coverers, titans; rājānam Soma; avindat he attained; of what kind? citrabarhișam commented upon already.
Tr. Luminous Pushan found the most hidden Soma of many-hued seat laid in the cave.
This is the fifteenth Rik.
uto and also (uta from u, substitute same as u); saḥ Pushan; mahyam for the sacrificer; indubhiḥ (und to moisten, already said) with the Soma juices; yuktan united; șaț the six, excluding the earth from the seven stations, earth, etc. it becomes six-the glories of the six stationed above in me the sacrificer on earth; anuseșidhat effecting in due order (the root șidh meaning movement with prefix anu; reduplication. This is not a verb, but present participle, num is prohibited) he is; illustration : na in simile, just as the plougher; gobhiḥ with bulls; yavam for grain (the word yava denotes by indication grain); carkrșat ploughs again and again, even so.
carkrșt : krs to drag with a plough, reduplication, Vedic present, the sense is present.
This is the greatness of Pushan; he brings the Soma nectar—the food of the Gods-stolen and concealed by the dark enemies of the Gods, nourishes the sacrificer, attains again and again to the glories of the upper worlds, full of Soma, plane by plane and renders him full of Soma.
Tr. And he brings unto me in order the Soma-filled Six just as the plougher with the bulls for grain.
Thus ends the tenth Group in the second Chapter of the first Eighth.
This is the sixteenth Rik in this hymn.
From now till the end of the hymn, the Riks are devoted to the deities āpaḥ, Waters-excepting the half Rik payasvān agne in the 23rd and the last one.
adhvarīyatām of us desiring the sacrifice; ambayaḥ mothers, motherly Waters (the word ambi means ambā, mother); adhvabhiḥ by the ordained paths; yanti go; similarly, jāmayaḥ sisterly Waters (also go); what do they do? madhună with the sweet, delightful sap; payaḥ milk of the cow i.e., (by indication) the cluster of the rays of knowledge; prâcatiḥ mixing (interchange of case, prc to come into contact, present participle feminine).
Full of delight, born of the same womb, currents of power, and these motherly ones indicated by ap, Waters, flow towards the sacrificer by the ordained paths and come filling the consciousness with the sap of delight.
Tr. The Mothers and the sisters go by the ordained paths to those who seek the sacrifice, mingling the milk of Knowledge with the honey of Delight.
This is the seventeenth Rik.
yāḥ amūḥ which waters; sūrye in the luminous sun, impeller of all; upa are stationed near; yābhiḥ vā and by which waters (or for which); saha along with; süryaḥ the sun is; tāḥ those waters; naḥ our; adhvaram sacrifice; hinvantu may they increase (hi in the sense of going or increase). hinvantu means let them please—says Sayana. What has been said earlier on svarvatiḥ apaḥ is to be kept in mind.
Tr. The waters that are near the sun or along with which is the sun, may they increase our sacrifice.
This is the eighteenth Rik.
apaḥ the strong powers as characterised by us; deviḥ Goddesses; upahvaye I call; yatra in which Waters; naḥ our; gāvaḥ rays of knowledge; pibanti take the sap; and by that, full of strength, they grow (them I call); sindhubhyaḥ from these flowings having taken the essence; haviḥ substance of offering; kartvam is to be made (by us).
kartvam : tva on kṛ in the sense of ’to be done’.
Tr. Waters, Goddesses, I call in whom our Cows drink; from the streams the oblation is to be made.
This is the nineteenth Rik.
If the beginning letter of the Rik is the twelfth letter of the first foot, it is pura ușnik, say the knowers of the prosody. The metre of this Rik is pura ușnik.
apsu in the Waters described before; antaḥ in their essential core; amſtam the deathless eternal substance is there; apsu so too in the waters; bheșajam the substance that cures all disease is there; uta and further; apām of such divine powers; prasastaye for the laudation; devāḥ O ye Gods; vājinaḥ full of plenitude; bhavata become.
All the Gods, bountiful and full, must be, must come for partaking of the Waters containing nectar, curing all distress. The Waters are praiseworthy since accepted by the bounteous gods, they make them contented. If there be deficiency in the fullness of the gods who partake, the greatness of the Waters may not be entirely understood—this is the purport. Therefore, it is said, ’Become full of plenitude for the praise of the Waters.’ Here Waters are to be taken symbolically. Some with medical knowledge say that even earthly water has these qualities and they it is that are lauded in the Veda in metaphorical language. May be or may not. We are neutral here. The main sense, however, is as we have said; this is to be understood.
Tr. Nectar is in the Waters, the healing balm is in the Waters; to give them praise, O Gods, become full of plenitude.
This is the twentieth Rik.
This is of anușțubh metre. The Rishi, inner sacrificer, speaks. apsu in the waters described; antaḥ within; viśvāni all; bheșajā medicines curing all ills, there are; me to me; somaḥ the God of delight; abravit counselled; so too agnim ca God Agni also; viſvasambhuvam who minds the happiness of all creatures of the universe—he spoke (adjective used predicatively); āpaśca the Powers mentioned; visvabheșajih themselves medicines of all (ills).
visvasambhuvam : causal is implied in bhav; then suffix.
visvabheșajiḥ : they in whom are all the medicines. Always feminine; belongs to the group of nine, kevala, etc.; interchange of second case.
’Waters are medicines to all’ is a separate sentence.
Tr. Soma has said to me : all medicines are in the Waters, and Agni is the weal-giver of all and the Waters are medicines to all.
Thus ends the eleventh Group in the second Chapter of the first Eighth.
This is the twenty-first Rik.
āpaḥ O Waters; mama tanve for my body; varūtham halo-like, like an enclosing armour of protection; bheśajam medicine removing all ill; prņita fill; and also jyok long; süryam supreme Light; dụse ca to see (fill with medicine).
It is not earthly medicine for the protection of the body that is meant. In medical treatment, the taking of medicine is primary, hence the request is for serving the medicine alone. The medicine which gives strength for a long vision of the Sun is not worldly. It is clear that what is spoken of is a medicine of the Waters with glory divine, attainable by the inner sacrificer.
Tr. O Waters, fill with medicine, as armour for my body; and for long vision of the Sun.
This is the twenty-second Rik.
The metre is anușțubh.
āpaḥ O Waters; mayi yat kim ca duritam whatever sin there be in me (remaining unknown to me or done by me in ignorance); vā or; yat aham abhidudroha whatever betrayal I have done or desired to strike; yat vā sepe or what I have cursed in passion; uta anţtam or falsehood I have spoken; idam all that; pravahata take away fully; by your flowing wash away our sin of every kind—this is the prayer of the sacrificer Rishi.
Tr. O Waters, take away what evil there be in me or what betrayal or cursing or falsehood be.
This is the twenty-third Rik.
The metre is anușțubh. Waters are the deities of the first half and Agni of the second.
āpaḥ Waters (interchange of accusative case); adya · now; anvacārișam following or without interruption, I have attained (car in the sense of movement); Skandasvamin says : the greatness of Waters that is, is manifested; the commentator cites : ’It is to be remembered that whatever deity one speaks intensely of, in that deity one experiences the sense of becoming itself. Therefore he attains the state of becoming itself. It is all right, what is the result of this attainment? He says : rasena with the essence of Waters; samagasmahi we have united (gam with prefix sam Atmanepada; Aorist; the dropping of nasal and other elisions Vedic); and now, agne payasvān O Agni, thou full of cows, the rays of Wisdom; āgahi come; and coming tam mām such me; varcasă with the brilliance; samsrja join.
Lord Agni, having experienced identity with the essence of Waters, I am fit for the fulfilment of union with the brilliance of thy making.
Tr. I have now attained the Waters, we have become one with their essence; O Agni, rich with rays of Wisdom, come and with thy splendour join me.
This is the twenty-fourth Rik.
agne O Agni; mă me; varcasă with brilliance; samsrja join; prajayā sam with progeny join; āyuşā sam with life join; note that the splendour is divine brilliance, progeny is the succession of the knowledge of the inner sacrifice, life is living for God; asya me of me the sacrificer, the desired state or wealth prayed for and bestowable; devāḥ gods generally; vidyuḥ they know, may the gods know our needs; knowing they will surely bestow—this is the idea; having said gods in a general way, it is said indro vidyāt saha rşibhiḥ, may Indra know with the Rishis. This is said to emphasise the speciality. The Rishis are the cooperators with Indra for the uplift of mankind, men only who have attained to godhood or else, Godseers who are presiding over mankind. It is like saying Brahmanas have come, Visishtha also is come.
Tr. Join me, O Agni with splendour, with progeny, with life; may the Gods know of me thus, may Indra know along with the Rishis.
Thus ends the twelfth Group in the second Chapter of the first Eighth.
THUS ENDS THE FIFTH SECTION OF THE FIRST CIRCLE.
Home
Disciples
T V Kapali Sastry
Books
Collected Works
Share your feedback. Help us improve. Or ask a question.