Commentary on the Rig Veda

HYMN 16

ā tvā vahantu begins the fifth hymn (of nine Riks) in the fourth Section. The Rishi and the metre are as before. The deity is Indra.

This is the first Rik.

1. ā tvā vahantu harayo vşşanam somapitaye, indra tvā sūracakşasaḥ.
   ā tvā vahantu harayaḥ vșşaņam soma’pitaye indra tvā sūra’cakşasaḥ.

O indra Indra vsṣaṇam showerer; tvā thee; harayaḥ thy horses; somapitaye to drink the Soma; āvahantu may they bring; tvā thee ; sūracakşasaḥ those whose eye is like the sun, that is with vision like that of the sun (the termination as in cakşa is Vedic); may those horses bring : this is the connection. The double repetition of tvā is to denote respect, also because of the separate half-Rik. The sights of the horses of Indra, like that of the sun, are far-reaching and illumined. Some comment that they have the vision of the sun; that is not wrong either. Sayana says they are priests, Ritviks, of solar sight. In that case they cannot be human. The priests who adorn the sacrificial chamber, chant the Veda as prescribed and at the termination of the sacrificial ritual, receive the prescribed gifts as per their labours in the ceremony and return happy, are certainly not those who have vision like the sun. If then these are gods as priests, then this is not their function. The carriers of Indra are the steeds, not priests (Ritviks). Agni is lauded as one who brings all the gods. And it is known that Indra comes along with all the gods. Where is it heard that the gods becoming priests bring Indra ? The illumined seers’ may be Rishis who have attained Godhead. That is not relevant here. There is no doubt that it is the horses of Indra that are relevant here ; and later too in the hymn it is the laudation of the horses of Indra that is the subject-matter. It is not proper to say that priests with solar vision are called to bring Indra.

Tr. May the steeds bring thee, showerer, to drink the Soma; thee, O Indra, the luminous-eyed.

This is the second Rik.

2. imā dhānā ghṛtasnuvo hari ihopa vakşataḥ, indram sukhatame rathe.
   imāḥ dhānāḥ ghsta’ snuvaḥ hari iti iha upa vakşataḥ indram sukha’tame rathe.

imāḥ these in the front, prepared of ghee and hence; ghṛtasnuvaḥ dripping with ghee; towards those dhānāḥ parched barley and rice grains; hari steeds of Indra; iha in this sacrificial action; indram Indra; sukhatame rathe seating in the happiest car; upavakşataḥ may they bring near to the altar; Vedic present in the sense of prayer usually expressed by Benedictive or Imperative.

Being well fried in ghee, the parched barley and rice grains drip with the ghee. They are to enthuse the steeds. Skandasvamin has it that they are the share of the steeds, in the sacrifice, the residue of Soma and grains. In this purport according to the external sacrifice, its essential term dhānāḥ, grains, means customarily fried barley and rice. What we had stated earlier in this connection must be recollected here viz., substances used in sacrifice like ghee, milk, curds are symbolic; barley, rice and preparations from them like parched rice, ground rice, denote connection with the material body. Though dhānam, dhāni and dhānāḥ are, all three of them, forms of the root dadh to hold, by differentiation in usage, dhānam or dhāni means holding vessel or seat; but not so dhānāh. But still this sustaining of the body, the dripping of ghee meaning the brilliance of the intelligence, are to be understood by reason of their constituent significance, symbolic meaning and the use of the term ghặtasnuvaḥ as an adjective. In the outer sacrifice, dhānāḥ, grains are the eats of the horses. In the inner sacrifice they are special sustaining powers in the physical body enjoyable by luminous life-powers. Generally it is spoken of everywhere in the Rik Samhita that the dhānāḥ grains are cooked for Indra himself. It is only in works on ritual that the grains are said to be the share of the horses. Even then the inner significance is demonstrated. There are many Mantras that are conclusive that dhānāḥ, grains, are for Indra himself. It must be understood that the ’ghee-dripping grains to be received by Indra are special luminous powers of the intellect lodged in the material body. Such grains are fit to be received by Indra the master of the divinely illumined Mind-plane. Submitting to Indra, these grains, mutually well-combined, the Rishi prays daily · Eat’; ’Day by day eat the grains that are befitting’ (3.35.3). Elsewhere, ’He who presses Soma, this day, for Indra, cooks the brew and fries the grains’ (4.24.7). When the symbolic nature of the substances used in sacrifice is considered, the constituent significance of terms like milk, grain, etc. opens the door on the esoteric meaning. This somewhat detailed elucidation has been done while considering the term drānāḥ, grains, in order to show that the Mantras meant for the inner sacrifice deliberately set substances like grains as symbolic and proceed thereupon.

Tr. These are the grains dripping with ghee; here may the coursers bring Indra in his happiest car.

This is the third Rik.

3. indram prātarhavā maha indram prayatyadhvare, indram somasya pitaye.
   indram prātaḥ havāmahe indram pra’yati adhvare indram somasya pitaye.

indram Indra; prātaḥ at the commencement of the libation; havā mahe we call; adhvare in the sacrifice; prayati in progress ; indram Indra we call; indram Indra; somasya pitaye for the drinking of Soma we call.

The essence of all our experience, denoted by the term Soma, is offered to Indra; therefore when the libation is started, is in progress and ended, at all times to call Indra is our means and refuge. This is the idea.

Tr. Indra we call at morn, Indra when the sacrifice is on; Indra to drink the Soma.

This is the fourth Rik.

4. upa naḥ sutamā gahi haribhirindra kesibhiḥ, sute hi tvā havā mahe.
   upa naḥ sutam ā gahi hari’bhiḥ indra kesi bhiḥ sute hi tvā havā mahe.

O indra Indra; naḥ our; sutam to the Soma pressed out by us; upā gahi come close; by which carriers ? kesibhiḥ haribhih by long-maned coursers; hi because; sute as the Soma is pressed out (locative to denote cause); tvām thee; havāmahe we call, therefore come close.

The purpose of maned, adjective of hari (horses) has been said before.

Tr. Indra, come with thy long-maned coursers here to our Soma that is pressed out; we call thee as the Soma is pressed.

This is the fifth Rik.

5. semam naḥ stomamā gahyupedam savanam sutam, gauro na tṛşitaḥ piba.
   saḥ imam naḥ stomam ā gahi upa idam savanam sutam gauraḥ na tṛșitaḥ piba.

The visarga is dropped in the Samhita text in saḥ imam. saḥ thou; naḥ our; imam stomam this laud; āgahi come near, that is, listen and accept; sutam Soma that is pressed out; idam savanam this libation; upa come near; coming near, tṛṣitaḥ intensely thirsty; gauro na like the stag; piba drink the Soma.

Tr. Indra, come to this our laud, come near this libation that is pressed; drink like a stag that is thirsty.

Thus ends the thirtieth group in the first Chapter of the first Eighth

This is the sixth Rik.

6. ime somāsa indavaḥ sutāso adhi barhiși, tān indra sahase piba.
   ime somā saḥ indavaḥ sutā sah adhi barhişi tān indra sahase piba.

ime somāsaḥ these Soma-juices; indavaḥ (formed from und to moisten) succulent, juicy, pleasant ; barhişi on the seat of the inner altar; adhi upon; sutāsaḥ are pressed, abide; tān the Soma-juices thus purified for thy drinking and kept in different vessels signifying their many parts; O indra, Indra; sahase for strength; piba drink.

Here adhi means in excess, pressed out, barhişi in sacrifice, says Sayana. The meaning given by us to adhi barhiși does not detract from the gross interpretation as the term barhi is current by usage in ritual in the sense of darbha, sacred grass. Skandaswamin also says: adhi, above the altar.

Tr. Pressed out on the altar are these succulent Soma-juices; drink them, Indra, for strength.

This is the seventh Rik.

7. ayam te stomo agriyo hțdisprgastu santamaḥ, athā somam sutam piba.
   ayam te stomaḥ agriyaḥ hrdi’sp;k astu sam’tamaḥ atha somam sutam piba.

O Indra, ayam our; stoma special laud; agriyaḥ excellent; te thine ; hșidispsk touching the heart (aluk samāsa as termination is retained frequently when derived from roots) heart-warming; santamaḥ most happy; astu may it be; atha after accepting this special laud, most happy and heart-touching; sutam pressed, somam piba drink the Soma.

Tr. May this hymn of affirmation, excellent, happy, touch thy heart; thou drink the Soma pressed out.

This is the eighth Rik.

8. visvamitsavanam sutamindro madāya gacchati, vstrahā somapitaye.
   visvam it savanam sutam indraḥ madāya gacchati vstra’hā soma’pitaye.

vṛtrahā slayer of Vritra, the titan embodied in an all-covering darkness, enemy of the collective forces of Light and Knowledge; indraḥ Indra; somam where is pressed out the Soma; viśvam it to all; savanam sacrifice; somapitaye to drink the Soma; madāya for the delight from taking it for bliss is the meaning; gacchati attains.

Wherever there takes place sacrifice to the Gods with Soma, there in all those places, is present Indra ready to accept it.

Tr. Indra, the slayer of Vritra, comes to every sacrifice where Soma is pressed out, to drink the Soma for delight.

This is the ninth Rik.

9. semam naḥ kāmamā pṛņa gobhirasvaiḥ satakrato stavā ma tvā svādhyaḥ.
   saḥ imam naḥ kāmam ā pṛņa gobhiḥ aśvaih śatakrato iti śata’krato stavāma tvā su’ādhyaḥ.

O satakrato many-actioned or multiply conscious; saḥ thou of that kind; naḥ our ; imam kāmam this desired object; āprņa fulfil (pṛn to please, this is the form); gobhiḥ aśvaiḥ with cows and horses—he fulfils our desire; we svādhyaḥ well-devoted to contemplation ; tvā thee; stavāma we praise.

dhyai to contemplate with the prefixes su and ā gives the form svādhiḥ in nominative singular; svādhya is the plural form.

According to the gross interpretation, the cows and the horses are the quadruped animals that are desired. We hold, everywhere, that the term go, cow, indicates rays of consciousness; the term aśva, horse, indicates carriers of life-strength originating energies of action, endowed with capacity for enjoyment.

Tr. O Indra of hundred deeds, fulfil this desire of ours with illumination and life-strength. Full of contemplation we laud thee.

Thus ends the thirty-first group in the first Chapter of the first Eighth.