Commentary on the Rig Veda

HYMN 14

In the fourth Section, the third hymn of Medhatithi, son of Kanva, has twelve Riks in gāyatri. It will be clear in the commentary how it is addressed to many deities like Agni.

This is the first Rik.

1. aibhiragne duvo giro viśvebhiḥ somapitaye, devebhiryāhi yakși ca.
   ā ebhih agne duvaḥ giraḥ višvebhiḥ soma’pitaye devebhiḥ yāhi yakşi ca.

agne O Agni; ebhiḥ with these; visvebhiḥ all; devebhiḥ gods; by ebhiḥ all the gods specified before have to be deduced; āyāhi come; yakşi ca and sacrifice (imperative of yaj, Vedic); for what purpose ? somapi laye to drink the Soma; duvaḥ to the act of our endeavour; giraḥ to our lauds, come to them. Come with the gods to receive the delight which is denoted by the word Soma, full of sap, which is the essence of all our lauds and becoming thyself the sacrificer, conduct the sacrifice. That is the purport.

Tr. Agni, come with all these gods to our endeavour, to our lauds, to drink the Soma ; and sacrifice.

This is the second Rik.

2. ā tvā kanvā ahūşata grņanti vipra te dhiyaḥ, devebhiragna ā gahi.
   ā tvā kanvāḥ ahūșata grºanti vipra te dhiyaḥ derebhiḥ agne ā gahi.

ā to be joined with the verb ahūşata ; agne O Agni; tvā thee; kanvāḥ those of intelligence (or we of the Kanva clan); ahūșata call (aorist form of root hve, Vedic, in the sense of the present tense); vipra O illumined one; again, te thy; dhiyaḥ understandings-activities of thy consciousness capable of holding ; grņanti praise; devebhiḥ with the gods āgahi come. Not the ordinary ones, but the specially wise ones, capable of invoking, call thee, hence come with the gods.

Tr. Agni, men of intelligence call thee; O illumined one, they praise thy understandings ; come with the gods.

This is the third Rik.

3. indravāyū bịhaspatim mitrāgnim pūṣaṇam bhagam; ādityān mārutam garam.
   indravā vā iti bịhaspatim mitrā agnim pūṣaṇam bhagam ādityān mā rutam gaṇam.

By the specific mention of the accusative we are to understand it to mean: I call for drinking the soma all those gods with whom I have invoked Agni to come. Now the gods are indicated by names.

indravāyū Indra and Vayu ; bịhaspatim Brihaspati (according to the Vārtikā of the sutra pāraskara prabhștini ca sanjñāvām, the ta of bịhat is dropped and sa substituted); mitrā Mitra and Varuna (the dual is to indicate the inclusion of Varuna by reason of his association with Mitra); agnim Agni; pūṣaṇam Pushan; bhagam Bhaga; ādityān progeny of Aditi; mārutam gaṇam the host of Maruts; I call them.

Tr. I call Indra and Vayu, Brihaspati, Mitra and Varuna, Agni, Pushan, Bhaga, Adityas and the host of Maruts.

This is the fourth Rik.

4. pra vo bhriyanta indavo matsarā mādayişnavaḥ; drapsā madhvascamūşadaḥ.
   pra vaḥ bhriyante indavaḥ matsarāḥ mā dayişnavaḥ drapsāḥ madhvaḥ camū’ sadaḥ.

vaḥ for your sake (dative in the sense of " for the sake of’), for the sake of Indra and others in the present context; prabhriyante are carried excellently; which ? indavaḥ moistening soma juices; of what kind ? matsarāḥ satisfying (the termination sara on mand satisfy like kļsara, dhūsara); mādayişņavaḥ exhilarating; again what are they? drapsāḥ draught-drops; madhvaḥ sweet to taste, delicious (madhva, change in gender and absence of guņa); camūsadaḥ they rest in the vessel of the body.

The idea is that the somas are in vessel of the body of the sacrificer which is denoted by words like camū, camasa, etc. The juices gathered, drop by drop in the vessel of this mind-life-body of the sacrificer, become plenty and are collected for offering to the gods; these gladdeningly moist, satisfying and exhilarating pressings get ready.

The word drapsa derived from the root dru, in the sense of impulsion, movement, denotes at times the flag as in 4.13.2: High has the God Savita spread his lustre, the flag. But usually it is seen to be used in the sense of drop, spark, tip of flame denoting a minute portion. Hence the word drapsa is taken in the sense of a moving or fast flying drop. That is why it is said the somas are collected in driblets.

We will discuss later while commenting upon the hymn to Ribhus how the vessel denoted by camū, camasa, etc. indicates in the inner sacrifice, the body.

Tr. For you, are carried the juices, satisfying and exhilarating, draught drop, sweet of taste, settling in the body.

This is the fifth Rik.

5. iļate tvāmavasyavaḥ kanvāso vặktabarhişaḥ ; havişmanto aramkſtaḥ.
   iļate tvām avasyavaḥ kanvāsaḥ výkta’barhișaḥ havişmantaḥ aram’ kṛtaḥ.

O Agni, tvām thou ; iļate they adore; who? avasyavaḥ desirous of growth; kanvāsaḥ men of intelligence or we of the clan of Kanva; of what kind ? vşktabaxhişaḥ with seats spread out (for the gods); havişmantaḥ with oblations ready for the gods; aramkſtaḥ they make it adequate (upapada samāsa) who prepare without deficiency, of opulent doings.

Tr. We of the Kanva clan adore thee, desirous of growth, with seat spread out, oblations ready, fully adequate.

This is the sixth Rik.

6. ghṛtapṛṣthā manoyujo ye tvā vahanti vahnayaḥ; ā devāntsomapitaye.
   ghṛta’pṛṣthāh manaḥ yujaḥ ye tvā vahanti vahnayaḥ ā devān soma’ pitaye.

O Agni! ghṛtaprṣthāḥ they whose surface is luminous, whose outer bodies are luminous; manoyujaḥ yoked by the mind; ye vahnayaḥ which steeds; tvā vahanti bear thee; by these vehicles, means of bringing devān gods like Indra; somapitaye to drink soma; ā fetch.

That these steeds of Flame are yoked by the mind of the sacrificer has been said before. That two horses of Indra are yoked by Mantra has been explained earlier. Both indicate an idea of the same order.

Tr. The steeds, luminous on back, yoked by mind, which carry thee, by them do thou fetch the gods to drink the soma.

Thus ends the twenty-sixth group in the first Chapter of the first Eighth.

This is the seventh Rik.

7. tān vajatrān ștāvſdho’gne patnivataskļdhi ; madhvaḥ sujihva pāyaya.
   tān yajatrān ștā’vşdhaḥ agne patni’vataḥ kṣdhi madhvaḥ su’ jihva pāyaya.

agne O Agni; tān Indra and others; yajatrān to be sacrified to; ștāvşdhaḥ increasers of the Truth; patnivataḥ joined with their spouses ; kṛdhi make; O, sujihva of happy speech; Agni, those gods madhvaḥ portion of the sweet soma; pāvaya make them drink (causal of pā to drink).

Here this is to be noted. Gods like Indra, etc. are males. Their powers are goddesses Indrani, etc. This matter has been made known in the Introduction. The greatness of the male God is blazoned by his Shakti the Goddess; the manifestation of the glory of the God is carried on by the Goddess. Hence the manifestation of a God is difficult without the Goddess Shakti of which he is the holder-sakta. Join the gods who increase the Truth in the sacrificer, the gods who are sacrificed to, Indra, etc. with their Shaktis, powers that effectuate their work. This is the purport.

Tr. Join them to their spouses, O happy-speeched one, them who are to be sacrificed to, who increase the Truth, make them drink the portion of the sweet soma.

This is the eighth Rik.

8. ye yajatrā ya idyāste te pibantu jihvayā ; madhoragne vaṣatkṛti.
   ye yajatrāḥ ye idyāḥ te te pibantu jihvayā madhoḥ agne vaṣaťkṛti.

agne O Agni; ye yajatrāḥ those to be sacrificed to; ye idyāḥ those who are to be praised, lauded for adoration; te those gods; te with thy; jihvayā speech of the form of flame; madhoh portion of the sweet soma ; pibantu may drink; vașațkſti in the sacrifice characterised by the exclamation of vaşaț.

vaṣațkṛti : abstract noun of kar is kṛti ; in the sacrifice in which the act of vașat is there. Exclamation of vașaț like the exclamation of svāhā is used while making the offerings to the gods.

Tr. O Agni, may they who are to be sacrificed to, they who are to be adored, may they drink with thy speech of flame-form, the sweet soma in sacrifice with vaṣat.

This is the ninth Rik.

9. ākim süryasya rocanā dviśvāndevān uşarbudhaḥ; vipro hoteha vaksati.
   ākim sūryasya rocanāt visvān devān uşah’budhaḥ vipraḥ hotā iha vakșati.

ākim particle in the sense of ā, to be connected with the proper verb; vipraḥ the wise one; hotā summoner, Agni; sūryasya of the highest God, the Impeller of all; rocanāt from the shining realm of Svar; uşarbudhaḥ those who awake at dawn (when the manifesation of the Truth-Light is nearing all the gods get ready to be present at the sacrifice of the sacrificer); visvān devān all Gods; iha here; vakşati may bring. (Vedic present in the sense of benedictive tense of the root vah.)

Tr. May the Wise One, the Summoner, bring here all Gods awaking at dawn from the shining realm of the Sun.

This is the tenth Rik.

10. viśvebhiḥ somyam madhvagna indreņā vāyunā; pibā mitrasya dhāmabhiḥ.
    viśvebhiḥ somyam madhu agne indreņa vāyunā; piba mitrasya dhāma’bhiḥ.

agne O Agni; višvebhiḥ with all Gods; indreņa with Indra; vāyunā with Vayu; mitrasya of the God of this name; dhāmabhiḥ with especial lustres; somyam of soma; madhu sweet, pleasant juice; piba drink.

The termination of mayaț for ’made out of soma’

Tr. Agni! drink the sweet draught of soma along with all Gods, Indra, Vayu and lustres of Mitra.

This is the eleventh Rik.

11. tvam hotā manurhito’gne yajñeșu sidasi ; semam no adhvaram yaja.
    tvam hotā manuḥ hitaḥ agne yajñeșu sidasi saḥ imam naḥ adhvaram yaja.

agne O Agni; tvam thou; hotā summoner of the gods; manurhitaḥ established by Manu, the thinker (or by Mantra); yajñeşu in sacrifices; si dasi becomes stationed; saḥ such one thou; naḥ our; imam adhvaram coming to this sacrifice of ours; yaja conduct the sacrifice.

semam: in joining sa is dropped and guna operates.

manurhitaḥ has been explained before.

Tr. Established by Manu, O Agni, thou the summoner of the gods, abideth in our sacrifices ; conduct thou this our sacrifice.

This is the twelfth Rik.

12. yukşvā hyaruși rathe harito deva rohitaḥ; tābhirdevān ihā vaha.
    yukṣva hi arușiḥ rathe haritaḥ deva rohitaḥ tābhiḥ devān iha ā vaha.

deva O Agni; rathe to the car; yukṣva yoke ; what? your rohitaḥ steeds known by the term rohit ; of what kind; aruși” glistening; haritaḥ capable of carrying; tābhiḥ with those horses; devān gods; iha to this sacrifice; āvaha bring.

Here the old commentators see from the gross point of view, following the external sense, and say: rohitaḥ: Agni’s steeds named rohit are well-known; aruși speeding, word derived from ? in the sense of gati movement; haritaḥ able to carry those who mount the horses.

Here this is to be pondered upon. Nobody would doubt the speed of the horses or their capacity to carry the men that mount on them. If we were to take it that it is only speed and the like that are meant, then the purposeful use of the adjective would be lost sight of by the thinkers. What then ? For fear of length only a little is said here. By the term aruşa the seer points to the glistening red hue of the dawn; by the term harit the desirable yellow hue of Indra; by the term rohit the steed or steeds of Agni of crimson hue. Bring thou all the gods along with their respective, characteristic vehicular powers.

Tr. God, yoke to the car the glistening steeds of carriage, the Rohitas, by them bring here the gods.

Thus ends the twenty-seventh Group in the first Chapter of the first Eighth.