Commentary on the Rig Veda

HYMN 17

This is the sixth hymn in the fourth Section, with nine Riks, beginning with indrāvaruņayoḥ. The deities are Indra and Varuna. The Rishi and the metre are as before. The speciality here is that the two Riks beginning with yuvāku hi are cast in the metre of name pādanicṛn.

This is the first Rik.

1. indrāvaruņayoraham samrăjorava ā vịne, tā no mṛļāta idṛse.
   indrāvarunayoḥ aham sam’rājoḥ avaḥ ā vrne tā naḥ mṛļātaḥ idṛse.

aham I; samrājoh of the resplendent; indrā-varuņayoḥ of Indra and of Varuna ; avaḥ increase-in me; āvṛne I pray for ; tā those two Gods ; idṛśe by reason of our seeking of this kind ; naḥ us; mpļātaḥ make happy.

ava: the termination as to the root av, in the sense of protection or increase. The birth of gods and their increase within the worshipper are among the fruits of the inner sacrifice.

mṛļātaḥ: mặd to please. Vedic Present in the sense of Benedictive to denote prayer.

Though stationed in Heaven, Indra is the monarch of Intelligence by his divine Mind. But Varuna is homed in Truth, increases the Truth, touches the Truth, full of Light; this characteristic of his is to be noted. The characteristics of both are dwelt upon in the first Section.

Tr. I seek the increase of the resplendent Indra and Varuna ; such, they make us happy.

This is the second Rik.

2. gantārā hi stho’vase havam viprasya māvataḥ, dhartārā carşaņinām.
   gantārā hi sthaḥ’avase havam viprasya mā’vataḥ dhartārā carşaninām.

O Indra and Varuna, you, avase to increase (se in the sense of infinitive of purpose on av) for the increase of those who perform the inner sacrifice; māvataḥ of those like me (in the topic on vatup, the supplement says that the usage in the Veda is for resemblance); viprasya of the illumined: seer; havam the call; gantārau who attain; sthaḥ be; of what kind ? carşaņinām dhartārā upholders of persons who see the subtle truth or the secret of the gods.

carṣaniḥ in the act of seeing. The gods, Indra and Varuna carry the weal of the seer Rishis. carṣanayaḥ is not to be taken to denote the common man.

Tr. Attain to the call of the illumined seer like me for increase, upholders of the seers of truth.

This is the third Rik.

3. anukāmam tarpayethāmindrāvarura rāya ā, tā vām nedişthamimahe.
   anu’kāmam tarpayethām indrāvaruņa rāyaḥ ā tā dām nediştham imahe.

O indrāvarunā Indra and Varuna (the short a is in the Samhita text); both of you, Indra and Varuna; anukā mam after desire—anu preposition governing a noun. Sayana holds that anu here can be taken in the sense of ’as much as’; anu kāmam can be properly split as after the desire. In the former case it means as much as desired; in the latter, it means after the fulfilment of the desire for hearing of the hymn of affirmation, for drinking the Soma, etc. This is precisely what Skandaswamin holds : after Soma, after its drink to satisfaction. In both the cases, it means in our context, the desire of Indra-Varuna ; that is, as much as desired by them or after the fulfilment of their desire; rāyaḥ (genetive in the sense of the instrumental) with your divine wealth; ātarpayethām make us completely sated; tā those; vām you; nediştham closest ; imahe we beg.

The purport is to be understood in the sense of we beg of you your closest proximity, by appreciating that verbs having the sense of begging have two objects. Or it may be, we beg of you the intimacies, your wealth. All the old commentators have conflicting views in explaining the term nediştham. In the next Rik, yuvāku hi, is expounded covertly the divine wealth that is prayed for. The storehouse of opulence of intelligence and strength, the wealth of intimacy nediștha rāyaḥ. We will presently apprise.

Tr. O Indra and Varuna, on satisfaction, with your wealth make us fulfilled; we seek your closest proximity.

This is the fourth Rik.

4. ¹⁴

yuvāku hi sacinām yuvāku su’ matinām bhūyāma vāja’dāvnām.

hi because ; sacinām of the powers; yuvāku virility; sumatinām of right thinkings; yuvāku virility ; bhūyāma may we become (Benedictive to denote prayer. The elision of s is Vedic); therefore ’we seek Indra and Varuna closest’ (in the previous Rik); of Powers or of right thinkings, of what kind ? vājadāvnām they who give dadati, plenitude vāja, is vājadāvānaḥ (termination vanip, Vedic). May we be the beings of strength of the Powers that give plenitude, of the auspicious or good activities of Intelligence, is the purport. Let us be possessed of or become the strength itself that belongs to the Powers that gift plenitude or to the activities of Intelligence. Therefore we desire them closest so that this may come to be. Commented upon otherwise, there is no connection with the previous Rik. This is that: because we are the strength of the Powers, because we are the strength of right thinkings, therefore may we be among the gods who gift the plenitude.

Tr. As the strength of the Powers, the strength of the right thinkings, may we be of the donors of plenitude.

This is the fifth Rik.

5. indraḥ sahasradāvnām varuṇaḥ samsyānām, kraturbhavatyukthyaḥ.
   indraḥ sahasra’dāvnām varuṇaḥ śamsyānām kratuḥ bhavati ukthya”.

indraḥ Indra; sahasradāvnām thousand indicates plenty, of the givers of various plenty of knowledge, strength and the like; kratuḥ who becomes the strong will to give, the maker of the gift or its author; varuṇaḥ Varuna; śamsyānām of the laudable; ukthyaḥ superbly laudable; bhavati becomes.

ukthyaḥ: uktham praise, there becoming as laudable; ya is Vedic in the sense of becoming.

Tr. Of the givers of plenty, Indra is the Will to give ; of the laudable, Varuna is the excellently laudable. Thus ends the thirty-second group in the first Chapter of the first Eighth.

This is the sixth Rik.

6. tayoridavasā vayam sanema ni ca dhimahi, syāduta prarecanam.
   tayoḥ it avasā vayam sanema ni ca dhimahi syāt uta pra’recanam.

tayoḥ it of both, Indra the author who is the Will of all who give and Varuna the most excellently laudable ; avasā by their increase in us; vayam we avid of divine riches; sanema may we attain, obtain what is to be obtained ; and what is obtained nidhimahi ca let us lay by as store what remains after enjoyment as that is immense; that wealth is more than what is desired for enjoyment, hence it is guarded as safe deposit; further, it exceeds even what is possible for us to lay aside; in this sense he continues : uta and even; prarecanam superbly exceeding; syāt may it be. The purport is that the divine wealth that is obtained by the growth of the said Indra and Varuna in us is unlimited.

Remember here the Mantra of Maducchandas évibhu prabhu’ (Rv. 1.9.5.). Here too ‘citrāya rādhase’, for the variety of wealth, is spoken of in the next verse.

Tr. By their increase may we attain and store by; may it be superbly exceeding.

This is the seventh Rik.

7. indrāvaruņa vāmaham huve citrāya rādhase, asmāntsu jig yuşaskſtam.
   indrāvarunā vām aham huve citrāva rādhase asmān su jig yuşaḥ kṣtam.

O indrāvarunā Indra and Varura (the shortening in the Samhita text is Vedic); vām you both; aham huve I invoke; for what purpose ? citrāva for varied ; rādhas wealth; note that is a variegated wonderful divine wealth; asman us who are worshippers of God set on divine action ; sujig yuşaḥ endowed with perfect victory; kstam make.

jigyuṣaḥ: Perfect Participle of ji to conquer in the sense of Perfect. kstam : Imperative second person dual of kſ to do; the application tam as Present is Vedic.

Tr. O Indra and Varuna, I invoke you for the varied wealth; endow us with perfect victory.

This is the eighth Rik.

8. indrā varuna nū nu vām sişāsanti şu dhişvā asmabhyam sarma yacchatam.
   indrāvarurā nu nu vām siśāsanti şu dhișu ā asmabhyam sarma yacchatam.

indrāvarunā O Indra and Varuna (the shortening is in Samhita text); dhi şu in our thoughts; vām you; sisāsanti şu desirous to participate (Desiderative of the root şan, then present participle feminine); asmabhyam to us; sarma happiness; āyacchatam give on all sides; nu nu soon, repetition in the sense of exceedingly (the lengthening of the first nu in the Samhita text is Vedic).

Tr. Indra and Varuna, in our thoughts desirous to participate with you, give us happiness anon.

This is the ninth Rik.

9. pra vāmasnotu suşțutirindrāvaruņa yām huve, yāmsdhāthe sadhastutim.
   pra vām aśnotu suºstutiḥ indrāvaruna yām huve yām sdhāthe iti sadha’stutim.

indrāvaruņā O Indra and Varuna ; suştutiḥ this my auspicious laud; vam you; pra aśnotu may it attain ; yām for the acceptance of which happy laud; huve I call you; yām sadhastutim which rite of the inner sacrifice along with with laudation; şdhāthe may you increase.

sadhastutim : transmutation of ha into dha, Bahuvrihi compound with the natural accent on the first word. Therefore it is explained as the rite of the inner sacrifice wherein there is the laudation having the accompaniment of Indra and Varuna. In every way in the compound the sense other than that of its constituents is important. It is the Rik that is sadhastuti, holds Sayana.

ṛdhāte: ṛdh to increase ; transmutation in conjugation; the sense of causal is implied; in that case this is the purport of this half-Rik: that sadhastuti’ Rik or rite of inner sacrifice which you increase, may it attain to you superbly.

Tr. Indra and Varuna, may the happy laud attain to you for which I call, the laud of accompaniment you increase.

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