Commentary on the Rig Veda

HYMN 10

Beginning with gāyanti, this is the third hymn--with twelve Riks-in Section three. The metre is anuştub, Rishi and Deity as before.

1. gāyanti tvā gāyatripoʻrcantyarkamarkiñaḥ, brahmānastvā satakrata udvamsamiva yemire.
   gāyanti tvā gāyatriņaḥ arcanti arkam arkinaḥ brahmānah tvā satakrato iti sata’krato ut vamsam’iva yemire.

satakrato O doer of many (indicated by the figure hundred) conscious actions; tvā thee; gāyatriņaḥ the singers; gāyanti hymn with samans; arkinaḥ adoring with the Rik mantras; arkam adorable thee; arcanti laud ; brahmāraḥ the seers of the mantras who have directly realised the mantra indicated by the term brahma; tvām thee; udyemire climb up and attain; an instance thereto: vamsamiva like the bamboo, as they ascend the stairway constructed of bamboo; vamsa is bamboo, the substance; its product, the stairway-means of ascension is also connoted by the bamboo, its substance. This is a common usage in the Veda. In "Mix the happy flowings with cows’ (9.46.4), Sayana explains: with cows, that is with the products of cows, the milk, soma is processed.’ The idea is that they ascend, step by step, Indra himself like a huge mountain with steps. The mantra yat sānoḥ sānum, from plateau to plateau, confirms this meaning clearly. The older interpretation is: just as the acrobats dancing at the top of the bamboo, raise the ripe bamboo high or just as those who tread the path of the good raise aloft their clan, even so. The coherence of meaning is to be searched for.

Tr. O Satakratu, the singers hymn thee, they who worship with Riks laud thee; the seers of the mantra rise and attain thee like the bamboo.

This is the second Rik.

2. yat sānoḥ sānumāruhadbhūryaspașța kartvam, tadindro artham cetati yüthena uṛṣnirejati.
   yat sānoḥ sānum ā aruhat bhūri aspașța kartvam tat indraḥ artham cetati pūthena vşşņiḥ ejati.

yat when; sānoh from one level of the hill; sānum another level, plateau situated higher ; āruhat climbs-the Rishi who travels on the path of the inner sacrifice (imperfect in the sense of the present tense); bhūri much; kartvam to be done (action) work of ascension; aspaşta he touched (spaś to touch, imperfect in the sense of the present tense); it became patent that there is much left yet to be climbed; tat then; indraḥ Indra; artham the object of the ascent, the purpose, the lofty home that is to say ; cetati awakens (causal is implied) makes conscious, manifest; and then vrsniḥ the showerer Indra; yūthena with the host, with the company of the gods who are his own emanations (the cohort of the Maruts according to Sayana); ejati he shakes, moves somewhat; that is he sets out towards the Rishi who desires him, to favour and to hear his words.

The intimate connection between these two Riks becomes clear in the context of the inner sacrifice and they have been commented upon as such. Further elaboration is not done for fear of length. When the embodied person gets to the upward path by following a gradual discipline, as he ascends higher and higher the much to be attained becomes clear. In that state Indra, the king of the gods, ’moves’, with his host to lead the devotee to the perfect destination of heaven. Having indicated a little secret of the sadhana, the Rishi praises Indra till the end of the hymn.

Tr. When he climbs from plateau to plateau, he contacts the much to be done. Then Indra manifests the objective, the showerer moves with his troop.

This is the third Rik.

3. yukşvā hi kesinā hari vrşaņā kakşyaprā, athā na indra somapā girāmupasrutim cara.
   yukṣva hi kesinā hari iti vſșaņā kakşya’prā atha naḥ indra soma’ pāḥ girām upa’srutim cara.

somapāḥ O drinker of soma; indra Indra ; hari thy pair of bay-steeds; yukṣva hi harness indeed (the elision of snam is Vedic); what kind of bay-steeds ? kesinā with manes, superb hair hanging in the region of the neck; again of what kind ? vịşanā who pour, who drench with their prowess; again of what kind? kaksyaprāḥ of developed limbs (kaksyā is the cord tied round the girth; they fill it; hence this adjective is to denote the plumpness of the body); atha then, after the marshalling of the yoked steeds ; naḥ our; girām of the lauds; upaśrutim within earshot; cara come, come within the ranges where our lauds become audible to thy ear. That the horse is the symbol of life-force is known to us. It is to be remembered that the steeds of Indra have a special brightness.

kesinau : by the mane are shaken off flies, mosquitoes, etc., the forces of inertia.

vṛşanau : who increase the strength of the inner sacrificer.

kakṣvaprā being well-nourished they carry the king of the Gods without fatigue to favour the sacrificer. The mode of grasping the meaning is indicated. The rest would be clear to the intelligent.

Tr. Indra, drinker of soma! yoke the bay steeds, maned, powerful, well-developed in limb; come within the earshot of our praises.

This is the fourth Rik.

4. ehi stomān abhi svarābhi grņihyā ruva, brahma ca no vaso sacendra yajñam ca vardhaya.
   ā ihi stomān abhi svara abhi grņihi ā ruva brahma ca naḥ vaso iti sacā yajñam ca vardhaya.

indra O Indra; ehi come ; stomān our praises; abhisvara face them and sound the word of approval Om; “Om is the word of approval, chanting Om he rises” say the followers of the Chandogya (svara does not mean the ordinary word, there is a speciality, it is to be noted it means sound of the chantful Om); thus after the approval, abhigrņihi āruva praise on all sides, sound everywhere (Skanda-swamin’s explanation that being a purposeful nominative, Indra is the subject in both the places, is more appropriate-you yourself chant, sound); vaso who art treasure, who art the treasure to be obtained by one and all (if possession is implied), wealthy one, (Skandaswamin explains the word vasiştha in Satapatha from vasu, as a superlative name); naḥ our ; brahma mantra; ca and; yajñam sacrifice; ca and ; sacā with; vardhaya make it increase.

The word of mantra is to be obtained by knowledge and is also the means of acquiring knowledge. Yajna is sacrifice; it is to be obtained by following the discipline of yoga and is also the means of acquiring that discipline. Both of these are attainable by the devotee by the grace of Indra. Therefore increase, is the prayer.

Tr. Come, Indra, sound thy approval of our praises; accept them on all sides. O treasure, increase our word of Mantra along with our sacrifice.

This is the fifth Rik.

5. ukthamindrāya samsyam vardhanam purunișşidhe, ś akro yathā suteșu ņo rāraṇat sakhyeșu ca.
   uktham indrāya samsyam vardhanam puruniḥ’sidhe sakrah yathā suteșu naḥ raranat sakyheșu ca.

indrāya to Indra; uktham the Rik called sastra ; samsyam is to be said; what kind of hymn ? vardhanam by signification increaser of Indra ; the deity to be adored increases in the practitioner when lauded; to Indra of what kind ? purunişşidhe to the annuller, dispeller of many enemies (the preposition niḥ has the meaning of ni, șid to go, kệt termination); how is it to be said ? even as the father delights in his children or a friend among his friends ; sakraḥ Indra the capable (from sak); naḥ in us; suteșu among sons; sakhyeşu and among friendships; yathā rāraṇat as he would sport; it is to be said as he would do so (rāraṇat, ram, reduplicated, ma becomes ņa, Vedic Present).

Tr. The Rik that increases is to be said to Indra the dispeller of many foes, that he, capable, may take delight in us as he would among sons and friendships.

This is the sixth Rik.

6. tamitsakhitva imahe tam rāye tam suvirye, sa sakra uta naḥ śakadindro vasu dayamānaḥ.
   tam it sakhi’tve imahe tam rāye tam su’virye sa ś akraḥ uta naḥ sakat indraḥ vašu dayamānāḥ.

tamit the very Indra ; sakhitve for friendship; (locative in the sense of purpose); imahe we seek; tam him; rāye for wealth (we seek); tam him; suvirye for auspicious capacity (locative in the sense of purpose) (we seek); uta and again; saḥ sakraḥ the mighty; indraḥ Indra; vasu treasure, divine and excellent; naḥ for us; dayamānaḥ spreading ; sakat becomes strong.

Tr. The very Indra we seek for friendship, for wealth, for auspicious capacity. And he, mighty Indra, becomes strong spreading wealth for us.

Thus ends the nineteenth group in the first Chapter of the first Eighth.

This is the seventh Rik.

7. suvivstam sunirajamindra tvādātamidyas aḥ, gavāmapa vrajam vşdhi kļrușva rādho adrivaḥ.
   su’vivịtam suniņajam indra tvā’dātam it yaśaḥ gavām apa vrajam vệdhi kļņușva rādhāḥ adri’vaḥ.

indra O Indra ; yaśaḥ thy glory (the pervasion spreading the prowess is just his yaśas); suvivịtam well unveiled, patent; sunirajam capable of coming out with ease, able to spread unobstructed (form derived from the root aj in the sense of movement with prepositions su and niḥ); tvādātam it cleansed by thee indeed (daip in the sense of cleaning, past passive participle used as predicate); Vritra and his powers who assail thy glory are dispelled; by that cleansing, thy glory shines around us unobstructed; this is the purport; hereafter he speaks of the action to be done by Indra himself; adrivaḥ O accompained by the thunderbolt denoted by the mountain, one who has the hill - Vedic possessive; the hill where the kine was concealed is now come under thy control, therefore it is meet that he is called as one with the hill, the master of the hill (the hill, be it remembered, is the symbol of the Inconscient); gavām of the rays of knowledge; vrajam dwelling place; apavşdhi open its doors; tādhaḥ wealth in the form of prosperity or of success; kļņușva make, acquire; rādha from rādh fourth or ninth conjugation.

The light that has spread around us is thy glory which is now cleansed by thyself with the elimination of the foes. Open the gates of their home and release for us the rays of the divine consciousness and thus get us fulfilment. This is the meaning in brief. In the gross interpretation yaśaḥ is taken as food and somehow a purport is brought out.

Tr. O Indra, thy glory is manifest well. Unobstructed in its movement it has been verily cleansed by thee. O master of the hill, open the gate of the home of the kine, get us wealth.

This is the eighth Rik.

8. na hi tvā rodasi ubhe rghāyamāņaminvataḥ, jeṣaḥ svarvatirapaḥ sangā asmabhyam dhūnuhi.
   na hi tvā rodasi iti ubhe iti rghāyamāṇam invataḥ jeṣaḥ svar’vatiḥ apaḥ sam gāḥ asmabhyam dhūnuhi.

O Indra ! rodasi heaven and earth, ubhe even both of them; rghāyamāņam standing formidable ; tvā thee; na hi invataḥ do not encompass, cannot hold (the particle nahi in the sense of negative); thou svarvatiḥ svar is sun of the sun-world, hence luminous ones of that world; apaḥ waters i.e., the powers flowing with light-symbolised by the word water-that sustain and nourish the universe; jeṣaḥ winnest (Vedic Present of jay, hope thou winnest; essentially, the act of conquest is at all times and so it is in the present tense) ; note that the conquest of waters of said features follows the breaking of the hill of Tamas in the form of Vritra covering the light of consciousness. Hence, he says, asmabhyam towards us; gāh the rays of Knowledge; sandhūnuhi impel.

ṛghāyamānam : the commentators say doing harm to the enemy: ’The killer of men is nshā, then na elides, ha changes to gha, so rgha; then the derivative to denote becoming what is not already there; then atmanepada, present participle – So runs Sayana’s derivation.

Tr. Indra, heaven and earth cannot encompass thee when formidable. Thou winnest the waters of Svar. Impel towards us the rays of knowledge.

This is the ninth Rik.

9. āśrutkarņa s rudhi havam nū ciddadhişva me giraḥ, indra stomamimam mama kşşvā yujaşcidantaram.
   aštut karņa srudhi havam nu cit dadhişva me giraḥ indra stomam imam mama kļşva yujaḥ cit antaram.

ā śrutkarna he whose ears listen from every-where; indra Indra; me my; havam call; śrudhi listen; nu soon; accustomed to quick hearing, his ears are sharp, not dull, hence quick hearing is prayed for; giraḥ cit even lauds; dadhisva bear (Vedic form) bear in mind; yujaḥ of the friend attached to thee; mama my; imam this; stomam laud; antaram cit even very close; kļşva make (antaram is near, hence ā sannam close, says Sayana; that is to say dear, cherished; the elision of ta, in the degrees of comparison tara and tama is Vedic; vide also the usage antamānām).

The hearing of the call, bearing of the praises in mind, accepting the laud as cherished - this is the process of three steps in the laud of the Rishi and its acceptance by Indra, it is to be noted, follows that process.

Tr. Hear my call, Indra of wide ears, hold also the praises, keep close too this laud of mine who am attached to thee.

This is the tenth Rik.

10. vidmā hi tvā vşşantamam vājeşu havanaśrutam, vrşantamasya hūmaha ūtim sahasrasā tamām.
    vidma hi tvā vşşan’ tamam vājeşu havana’srutam vşşan’tamasya hūmahe ūtim sahasra’sātamām.

indra O Indra; tvā thou; vȚşantamam showerer in plenty of divine wishes; vājeșu in opulences caused; havanaśrutam who hearest the call (both adjectives used predicatively); vidma we know (ma is substituted for maḥ); hi because we know this; vşşantamasya of thee who showerest plentifully; ūtim the increase by thee; hūmahe we call; what kind of increase? sahasrasātamām gives thousandfold in abundance; thousand indicates varied wealth.

Tr. O Indra, we know thee in opulences as the hearer of the call, as the superb Pourer. Hence we invoke the increase that gives thousandfold of the superb Pourer.

This is the eleventh Rik.

11. ā tū na indra kausika mandasānaḥ sutam piba, navyamāyuḥ pra sū tira kļdhi sahasrasāmpşim.
    ā tu naḥ indra kausika mandasānaḥ sutam piba navyam āyuḥ pra su tira kļdhi sahasra’sām rşim.

Citing the story that responding to the prayer of Kushika, son of Eshiratha Indra himself was born as his son, Vishvamitra, the commentators find it fit to take the word kausika in this Rik as vocative of Indra. In many of the hymns of the Rig Veda the Rishi, the adorer, calls the adored Deity by his own name. And this is the reason : as the adored Deity takes birth in the person who adores, the Rishi deals with that Deity, directly realised, by his own name. That is he looks upon the Deity as his own form. And again, when the Rishi calls the Deity by his own name or the name of his clan, it is the secondary meaning that is more apposite both to the Rishi and the Deity. Gotama, Jamadagni, Bharadwaja are the examples thereto. In the present case the son of the family of Kushika is Kaushika Madhucchandas. Kaushika is he who is born of the kośa, sheath of the Rishi, physical sheath or the universal sheath. Now the meaning of the Rik becomes clear.

indra O Indra; kauśika Kaushika; naḥ for us; ā come; lu for metrical exigency; being of what kind ? mandasānaḥ (the termination asānac on mand) delighting; having come, sutam piba drink the pressed out soma; navyam adorable, best, new or fresh; āyuḥ life (ours); prasutira increase superbly (according to Sayana, tar changed to tir) and also; sahasrasām enjoyer of thousand; rșim seer of the beyond the senses; krdhi do. When the sight of what is beyond the senses is achieved there comes the attainment of thousandfold riches; hence it is said get for me such seerhood.

Tr. Come for us, Indra, son of Kushika, delighting take the libation. Increase our new life, create the seer, enjoyer thousandfold.

This is the twelfth Rik.

12. pari tvā girvaro gira imā bhavantu visvataḥ, vsddhā vumanu vșddhayo juştā bhavantu juştayaḥ.
    pari tvā giovaſuḥ giraḥ imāḥ bhavantu visvataḥ vśddha’āyum anu vddhayaḥ juştāḥ bhavantu juştayaḥ.

girvaṇaḥ O adorable by songs, sharer of lauds; vişvataḥ in every way, in all states, in all adorations; imāḥ mine; giraḥ praises ; tvā pari around thee; bhavantu may attain; what kind of praises ? vsddhāyum of lengthened life (in us); anu following; vặddhayaḥ increasing; juştāḥ taken to, accepted by thee with love; juştayaḥ causes of love; bhavantu may they become (the secret is that thy love alone is the cause of our love).

Tr. Adorable by lauds, may my praises attain to thee on every side, in all states, increasingly following thee of lengthened life, may they, accepted with love, become the source of love.

Thus ends the twentieth group in the first Chapter of the first Eighth.