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
Beginning with yaccid is the second hymn of twenty-one Riks in the sixth Section, of Shunashepa in Gayatri metre. The deity is Varuna.
This is the first Rik.
deva O God; varuņa Varuna; viso yathā as men, as common men; yaccit if whatever; te thy; vratam code set on the path of Truth, according to the Divine Law, thy action; dyavidyavi day and day; praminimasi hurt by mistake, transgression itself is hurt, if it be hurt by us (min to hurt, 9th conj. mas becoming masi is Vedic)—that also is to be forgiven; this purport becomes clear in the next Rik.
Tr. O God, Varuna, whatever code of thine we, as common men, hurt day after day.
This is the second Rik.
jihiļānasya of thee having no consideration (had no consideration, according to Sayana); hatnave of the killer, dative in the sense of genitive, of thee, genitive in the possessive sense; vadhāya for the striking; naḥ us; mā rīradhaḥ do not subject; hrnānasya of thee who art angry; manyave for anger, ’do not subject us’ is the connection.
Varuna shows no consideration to those who transgress the divine law as described before. This disregard of Varuna makes for their destruction. May thou not make us objects of such disregard, is the prayer. That disregard consummates in anger. Therefore may we not become targets of that anger of thine who art getting angry is the prayer.
jihilānasya : hedľ to show disregard, perfect participle; reduplication, e becomes i , etc. - Vedic.
hatnave : the termination nu for kļ and han. This has been explained when krtnu occurred.
riridhaḥ: rādh to accomplish, aorist, elision of a on account of the particle mā.
hrnānasya : hrnih denotes the act of anger, present participle.
Tr. Subject us not the striking of thine, the killer showing no consideration, not to the wrath of thine, irate.
This is the third Rik.
varuņa O Varuna; mrļikāya to enhappy, to bring about the relief arising out of forgiveness of fault, termination ika of the root mrd; te thine; manaḥ mind; girbhiḥ with our praises; visimahi we bind specially, vin to bind, i is vedic, also substitution of Atmanepada; illustration thereto; rathiḥ the master of the chariot, i denotes possession; san sandatim ready; aśvam na like the horse (do to cut asunder, with the prefix sam; because of the prefix, the root means binding well); just as the charioteer harnesses the horse that is ready to the chariot, we bind thy mind with praises. Bound by the cords of devotion, the Lord becomes gracious—this ancient belief is to be noted here.
Tr. For getting relief, O Varuna, we bind your mind excellently with our praises like the charioteer, the ready horse.
This is the fourth Rik.
Addressed to Varuna, say the ancients; it can be self-addressed also. me my; vimanyavaḥ varied thinkings, all mental movements that is to say; parā patanti spread very far and high; hi for metrical exigency; vasya işğaye for the attainment of wealth (to attain the possessor of wealth; is on vasu to denote possessive, elision of i, then ya in the terminations, Vedic); the wealth, it must he noted, is divine and supreme; he gives an illustration; vayaḥ birds; vasatiḥ upa na just as they fly towards their own dwellings, similarly my mind-movements soar far in order to reach the abode of Varuna, the divine treasure.
This is not a mere metaphorical simile that thoughts soar like the birds. That the movements of the mind taking place in the sky-region is perceivable by the eye of the yoga is testified to by yogins and the moderns.
Tr. My thoughts soar far high to attain to the wealth like birds to their dwellings.
This is the fifth Rik.
mrļikāya for the relief attained on the forgive ness for wrongs; kadā at what time; kșatrasriyam the refuge of the valours of the hero; naram the leader God; urucakşasam seeing wide; varur am ā karāmahe can we turn towards us; the root kṛ by substitution is Parasmaipada.
Tr. When can we turn towards us for relief God Varuna, the leader, wide-seeing?
Thus ends the sixteenth Group in the second Chapter of the first Eighth.
This is the sixth Rik.
dhịtavratāya for him who upholds the divine code by mind, body and life; dāśușe for the sacrificer who has given himself to the gods according to their share-for his attainment of the objective; venantā desiring (vena in the sense of agreeable) Mitra and Varuna; tat it the Truth-Light denoted by the term ‘That’; samānam in common or equally; āśāte pervade (aś to pervade; perfect; Vedic usage); na prayucchataḥ do not commit mistake (yucch in the sense of mistake).
They never disregard the sacrificer so described, who upholds the law; on the other hand, they desire his attainment of the objective, they pervade it. This is the purport. The supreme Truth-Light denoted by the term “That’ is to be seen at times mentioned clearly, at times not so clearly in this Samhita. This has been considered elsewhere by us, in the Introduction, with illustrations from the Mantras.4
Tr. For the giver who upholds the law, they both desiring pervade That (Truth-Light) equally, they do not fail.
This is the seventh Rik.
antarikșeņa by the path of the skies; patatām going; vinām birds; padam station; yaḥ which Varuna; veda knows; samudriyaḥ Varuna who is stationed in the sea; nāvaḥ the boat (station of); veda knows-he sat, vide Rik 10 ahead, or “may he release our bonds” according to the old commentators.
The intended purport is that all that is unknown to us or difficult of understanding, is easily known to Varuna. In that case, if it be said that the station of the birds, the nest, being indeed known even to the common men, even as the station of the boat is known to the boatman, how can be stated that Varuna knows this station difficult to know? then : that the activities of the mind are compared to birds, before, is to be recalled. Here it has to be known that by the ellipsis of an object, its possessor is mentioned.
Thought-movements are denoted by the birds. The supreme station to be attained by all movements is difficult for us to know, but it is known to Varuna. Similarly the life-journey is indicated by the boat. The sea is the measureless lufinite Existence : dwelling there, Lord Varuna knows everything.
Tr. Who knows the station of the birds that fly through the skies, dweller in the sea who knows the station of the boat.
This is the eighth Rik.
Which God, dhịtavrataḥ upholder of his law, firm in his duty; prajāvataḥ of the being that is born; jan to manifest with the prefix pra; dvādaśa twelve, two and ten-compounded dually; māsaḥ months; mās used in the place of the word māsa; veda knows; and who yaḥ which month; upajāyate is in excess, that also; veda knows; the rest of the sentence as before.
The extra month is the one lunar month additional to the solar month. “The thirteenth extra month that comes at the approach of the year,” says Sayana. This becomes a subject for investigation by astrologers, the occurrence of an extra lunar month in relation to the solar measure. Here too what is spoken of is not merely Varuna’s knowledge of time; that is known to the human astrologer too. What then is intended to be conveyed? All movement, in the microcosm as well as in the macrocosm, goes on—within or without—according to a time schedule. That mystery of the course of Time is known to Varuna, the upholder of Law, the all-controller. This is the purport.
Tr. The upholder of Law, knows the twelve months of the one that is born; he knows the additional.
This is the ninth Rik.
uroḥ of the spread-out; rşvasya of the best; bịhataḥ of the great, by power and also by proportions, of the large that is to say; vātasya of the wind, life of the world; vartanim path; who veda knows; ye which Gods; adhi above; āsate are seated, them, too which Varuna veda knows; rest of the sentence as before.
ṛṣva means handsome, says Sayana; great, says Skandasvamin. In words like rşva’vīraḥ, rşva’ojāḥ ṛṣva in the sense of great appears to be more appropriate. Hence we have explained it as the best.
Tr. Who knows the path of the Wind, the extensive, the best and the great, who knows them who are seated above.
This is the tenth Rik.
dhṛtavrataḥ upholder of the divine law; varuṇaḥ God Varuna; pastyāsu in the divine dwellings; (pastya is a name for house, in people according to Sayana); ā pervading all sides; nişasāda is seated; why? sāmrājyāya for the quality of the sovereign, for conduct of sovereignty; of what kind? sukratuḥ accomplished doer or fully conscious-an accomplished, wise and firm power of will is needed for the conduct of universal sovereignty. That is why this adjective.
Tr. Upholder of Law, Varuna, takes his seat all over in the divine dwellings firm in will, for the conduct of suzerainty.
Thus ends the seventeenth Group in the second Chapter of the first Eighth.
This is the eleventh Rik.
ataḥ from here—above, seated in the ‘dwellings’ in order to rule; cikitvān knower (the subject Varuna to be understood); visvāni all; adbhutāni marvels; abhi paśyati beholds from all sides; yāni kṛtāni the wonders that have been; yā ca and those; kartvā wonders that are to be done—all these he sees well.
kartvā : participle of kṛ in the sense of ’to be done’.
cikitvān : kita in the sense of knowledge, perfect participle.
But Sayana thinks : who has known from Varuna here, the wise one who beholds the wonders; it seems the word cikitvān means some wise man!
Tr. From here, knowing, he beholds from all sides all the wonders, that are and that are to be done.
This is the twelfth Rik.
saḥ he (in the context); sukratuḥ perfect doer; ādityaḥ Varuna, son of Aditi; viśvāhā— residual form in the sense of on all days, always; naḥ us; supathā endowed with auspicious path; karat may he do; Vedic present of kr; Sayana says ’endowed with has to be understood; may he lead all our days on the auspicious path, not merely by and large always, but each day may he turn well-led—this is appropriate; naḥ our; āyūmși lives; pratārişat increase, may we be endowed with long life by the grace of Varuna; tỊ with the prefix pra means ’to increase’. ’
Tr. May he, Aditya, the perfect doer, lead all our days into auspicious paths; may he prolong our lives.
This is the thirteenth Rik.
hiraṇyayam the golden (in Veda, elision of ma in maya); drāpim cuirass; bibhrat wearing; varuṇaḥ Aditya; nirņijam pure form of his; vasta covers (vas to cover, imperfect. Omission of a in the sense of Present); spaśaḥ the rays touching the golden mail, indicators; pari on all sides of Varuna clad in the golden mail; niședire seated (spaś to touch, noun form) the root meaning is to clarify, to afford an analytical vision. That is why spaśa is generally taken as secret spies. The gross version is that the spies of King Varuna, seated all around him, tell him the wrongs committed by men for due punishment. But in fact, like the secret emissaries of a king, they are the rays or divine emanations that are seated to indicate the truth covered with the golden lid. The passage in the Isha Upanishad, hiraạmayena pātreņa with golden lid, is to be recollected here.
Tr. Wearing the golden mail, Varuna covers his pure own form; the rays are seated all around.
This is the fourteenth Rik.
dipsavaḥ wanting to strike, the titans (the termination u on the desiderative of the root dambh to strike, to deceive or to subjugate); yam devam na dipsanti which God they do not strike—as Varuna is beyond the realm of the titans, those enemies of the Gods are not able to hurt or deceive him; hence knowing the futility of such intention, or knowing the in- accessibility of Varuna the Supreme, they do not seek to kill him; not those alone, but janānām of men; druvhāṇaḥ harmers also (druḥ to strike, Participle) enemies of humans, the demons or particular beings; na do not; which devam God strike; abhimātayaḥ even sins; abhimati is the well-known term in the .scriptures for sin; they do not touch Varuna.
Tr. Which God the hurters do not hurt, nor the enemies of men nor the sins.
This is the fifteenth Rik.
uta and again, yaḥ Varuna; mānușeșu among all men; yaśaḥ established glory, greatness or honour; ā everywhere; cakre has done; and doing so, he à everywhere; asāmi made complete, nothing wanting; he not merely established it generally in mankind but asmākam especially in us Rishis; udareșu in the bodies, by a part of the bodies, the body is indicated; ā did—this is the relation.
The Varuna who has established the human race, that Lord has also established ’glory’ or greatness in the bodies of the Rishis-this is the superb import of the Mantra. The ritualist commentary based upon the word udara (belly) in the Mantra leads to the lowering of this meaning. Sayana has it that yaśaḥ is food obtained by the grace of Varuna to fill the belly. In that case, voicing forth by the seer of the Mantra in this despicable manner the dissatisfaction over filling the belly in the midst of Riks of profound meaning leads to bathos. If critics cast an aspersion that the Rishis had no shame or its awareness, how can it be unjustified? Following the principle of sample inspection employed in testing a grain to find whether the whole pot of rice is cooked, we have shown here that even for the purposes of the ritualistic explanation such low drawing of purport is not necessary.
Tr. And he who accomplished glory in mankind everywhere in all-round fulfilment, accomplished as well in our bodies. Thus ends the eighteenth Group in the second Chapter of the first Eighth.
This is the sixteenth Rik.
urucakşasam of wide eye, seer of the universe, Varuna; icchantiņ desiring to attain; me mine; dhitayaḥ thoughts; parā yanti go far-note that this very thing was said in the Mantra ’parā hi me vimanyavaḥ (far reaching are my thinkings); illustration : gāvo na just as cows; gavyūtiḥ anu go towards their stalls.
gavyūtiḥ : where the cows congregate. The substitution ava is Vedic.
Note the comment on the Rik usrā ivá svasarāņi (like kine to their stalls) 1.3.8.
Tr. Yearning for the wide-eyed one, my thoughts go far like cows to their stalls.
This is the seventeenth Rik.
yataḥ since; me by me; interchange of case; madhu Soma-honey; ābhịtam brought, secured; and thou priyam that honey; hoteva like the performer of sacrifice for the sacrificer; kşadase eatest as per thy share (kșadati ‘making into piecés’ is the sense, used in the sense of allotting; therefore we say the intention is partaking as per share); therefore, nu soon; punaḥ samvocāvahai again converse as we attain mutual dialogue.
I have brought the honey; contented you have accepted it; henceforth let the inner dealings between us both proceed. This is the speech reflecting the confidence of Rishi Shunashepha in God Varuna.
vocāvahai : Aorist in the Veda in the sense of Imperative. The termination ai as suitable to Imperative. The rest is Vedic.
Tr. Some-honey I have brought and you partake that cherished as the Invoker in sacrifice Let us again converse.
This is the eighteenth Rik.
višvadarśatam he whose sight is the universe, Varuna; (termination atac on drs); darśam nu I have beheld indeed (aorist of drś absence of a); adhi above; kşami on earth (absense of à Vedic), in the mid-region above; ratham the vehicle of Varuna; darśam I have beheld; etāh me giraḥ these my lauds; juşata accepted lovingly, he Varuna (Imperfect of juş, absence of a) on earth itself I beheld the vision of Varuna in car in the mid-region, and my lauds were accepted by him. This is the purport.
Tr. On earth I beheld Varuna the all-regarding in his car above; he accepted my lauds.
This is the nineteenth Rik.
varuņa O Varuna; me my; imam havam this call; śrudhi listen (i is lengthened in the Samhita text; elision of conjugation sign is Vedic) and also, adya ca now or on this day; mrlaya enhappy; avasyuḥ seeking protection (the affix ya on avas termination u is Vedic); tvām thee God; ā facing thee; towards thee; cake I have cried (kai gai to make noise, Vedic form in Perfect).
Tr. Lisen to this call of mine, O Varuna, this day be gracious; I have cried to thee seeking protection.
This is the twentieth Rik.
medhira O wise Varuna; tvam thou; visvasya of all universe; divasca of the heavenly world; gmasca of the earth-world (for) gmā name of earth; elision of ā is Vedic; rājasi thou shinest, thou art the king of all; saḥ such thou; yāmani in thy voyage; pratisrudhi hearken, respond to my call, king of the universe, thou goest everywhere.
Tr. Wise one, thou art the resplendent of all, the earth and heaven; in thy voyage do thou respond.
This is the twenty-first Rik.
The purport of this Rik is to be found in the commentary of the Rik, uduttamam varuņa pāśam. (1.24.15).
O Varuna,naḥ our; uttamam upper knot in the head preventing glory of the heaven-world; pāśam bond of that form; unmumugdhi pull out and free (muclſ to release, 3rd conj. Vedic); madyamam the bond of the middle knot obstructing the flow of the great purified life-force of the mid-world; vicſta loosen and destroy (cști to hurt or to tie, 6th conj.); adhamāni bonds below that are ties of earth, basic knots that obstruct the action of the higher splendour; avacrta pluck them up and destroy; why? jivase for our divine living.
jivase : the termination ase in place of tum is Vedic.
Tr. Release our upper bond, loosen the middle, untie those below for our living.
Thus ends the nineteenth Group in the second Chapter of the first Eighth.
Home
Disciples
T V Kapali Sastry
Books
Collected Works
Share your feedback. Help us improve. Or ask a question.