Erikepaius is a likely ortholog of none other than our Vṛṣākapi, who is celebrated in RV 10.86. He is described as a friend of Indra and was later identified with Viṣṇu (we do not know if that identification already existed in the RV). The great patriot Tilak identified him with the Orion region of the sky that is more commonly associated with the Hindu protogonic deity Prajāpati. We agree that this is a valid identification, and it suggests a link between the two in the ancient past. We believe that Vṛṣākapi is a rare surviving memory of a protogonic entity linked to Indra in the RV and incorporated into Zeus in the Greek world. The watery haviṣ (mentioned in the sUkta) might be linked to the carrying of the seed of the gods by Erikepaius.
A memory of the engulfment of Erikepaios and the regeneration of the universe from Zeus, is implied in this fragment of laud of the god in the Orphic tradition:
Zeus was born first, Zeus last, ruler of the thunderbolt.
Zeus is the head, Zeus the middle, from Zeus are all things made.
Zeus is the foundation of earth and starry heaven.
Zeus was male, Zeus was an immortal nymph
Zeus is the breath of all, Zeus is the thrust of tireless fire.
Zeus is the root of the sea; Zeus is the sun and moon.
Zeus the king, Zeus the ruler of all, ruler of the thunderbolt.
For after he had hidden them all away,
again into the glad light from his holy heart he brought them up,
performing mighty acts.
The importance of the heart in this tradition is paralleled by an incantation in the soma rite, where the essence of the universe is said to be distilled into indra’s heart via soma:
०७ नाभा पृथिव्या ...{Loading}...
नाभा॑ पृथि॒व्या, ध॒रुणो॑ म॒हो दि॒वो॒३॒॑,
ऽपाम् ऊ॒र्मौ (खगङ्गा-)सिन्धु॑ष्व् अ॒न्तर् उ॑क्षि॒तः ।
इन्द्र॑स्य॒ वज्रो॑, वृष॒भो वि॒भू-व॑सुः॒
(मृगशीर्षस्थश् चन्द्रो वा) सोमो॑ हृ॒दे प॑वते॒ चारु॑ मत्स॒रः(=मादयिता) ॥
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अधिमन्त्रम् - sa
- देवता - पवमानः सोमः
- ऋषिः - हरिमन्तः
- छन्दः - जगती
Thomson & Solcum
ना꣡भा पृथिव्या꣡ धरु꣡णो महो꣡ दिवो꣡
अपा꣡म् ऊर्मउ꣡ सि꣡न्धुषु अन्त꣡र् उक्षितः꣡
इ꣡न्द्रस्य व꣡ज्रो वृषभो꣡ विभू꣡वसुः
सो꣡मो हृदे꣡ पवते चा꣡रु मत्सरः꣡
Vedaweb annotation
Strata
Normal
Pāda-label
genre M
genre M
genre M
genre M
Morph
dharúṇaḥ ← dharúṇa- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}
diváḥ ← dyú- ~ div- (nominal stem)
{case:ABL, gender:M, number:SG}
maháḥ ← máh- (nominal stem)
{}
nā́bhā ← nā́bhi- (nominal stem)
{case:LOC, gender:F, number:SG}
pr̥thivyā́ḥ ← pr̥thivī́- (nominal stem)
{case:GEN, gender:F, number:SG}
antár ← antár (invariable)
{}
apā́m ← áp- (nominal stem)
{case:GEN, gender:F, number:PL}
síndhuṣu ← síndhu- (nominal stem)
{case:LOC, gender:M, number:PL}
ukṣitáḥ ← √vakṣ- (root)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG, non-finite:PPP}
ūrmaú ← ūrmí- (nominal stem)
{case:LOC, gender:M, number:SG}
índrasya ← índra- (nominal stem)
{case:GEN, gender:M, number:SG}
vájraḥ ← vájra- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}
vibhū́vasuḥ ← vibhū́vasu- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}
vr̥ṣabháḥ ← vr̥ṣabhá- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}
cā́ru ← cā́ru- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:N, number:SG}
hr̥dé ← hā́rdi ~ hr̥d- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:N, number:SG}
matsaráḥ ← matsará- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}
pavate ← √pū- (root)
{number:SG, person:3, mood:IND, tense:PRS, voice:MED}
sómaḥ ← sóma- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}
पद-पाठः
नाभा॑ । पृ॒थि॒व्याः । ध॒रुणः॑ । म॒हः । दि॒वः । अ॒पाम् । ऊ॒र्मौ । सिन्धु॑षु । अ॒न्तः । उ॒क्षि॒तः ।
इन्द्र॑स्य । वज्रः॑ । वृ॒ष॒भः । वि॒भुऽव॑सुः । सोमः॑ । हृ॒दे । प॒व॒ते॒ । चारु॑ । म॒त्स॒रः ॥
Hellwig Grammar
- nābhā ← nābhi
- [noun], locative, singular, feminine
- “navel; hub; kinship; beginning; origin; umbilical cord; nābhi [word]; friendship; center.”
- pṛthivyā ← pṛthivyāḥ ← pṛthivī
- [noun], genitive, singular, feminine
- “Earth; pṛthivī; floor; Earth; earth; pṛthivī [word]; land.”
- dharuṇo ← dharuṇaḥ ← dharuṇa
- [noun], nominative, singular, masculine
- “holding; supportive.”
- maho ← mahaḥ ← mah
- [noun], genitive, singular, masculine
- “great; great; distinguished; much(a); adult; long; high.”
- divo ← divaḥ ← div
- [noun], genitive, singular, masculine
- “sky; Svarga; day; div [word]; heaven and earth; day; dawn.”
- ‘pām ← apām ← ap
- [noun], genitive, plural, masculine
- “water; body of water; water; ap [word]; juice; jala.”
- ūrmau ← ūrmi
- [noun], locative, singular, masculine
- “wave; billow.”
- sindhuṣv ← sindhuṣu ← sindhu
- [noun], locative, plural, masculine
- “river; Indus; sindhu [word].”
- antar
- [adverb]
- “inside; in; antar [word]; midmost; between; among.”
- ukṣitaḥ ← ukṣ
- [verb noun], nominative, singular
- “sprinkle; wet.”
- indrasya ← indra
- [noun], genitive, singular, masculine
- “Indra; leader; best; king; first; head; self; indra [word]; Indra; sapphire; fourteen; guru.”
- vajro ← vajraḥ ← vajra
- [noun], nominative, singular, masculine
- “vajra; Vajra; vajra; vajra; lightning; abhra; vajramūṣā; diamond; vajra [word]; vajrakapāṭa; vajra; vaikrānta.”
- vṛṣabho ← vṛṣabhaḥ ← vṛṣabha
- [noun], nominative, singular, masculine
- “bull; Vṛṣabha; Vṛṣabha; best.”
- vibhūvasuḥ ← vibhūvasu
- [noun], nominative, singular, masculine
- somo ← somaḥ ← soma
- [noun], nominative, singular, masculine
- “Soma; moon; soma [word]; Candra.”
- hṛde ← hṛd
- [noun], dative, singular, neuter
- “heart; heart; mind; breast; hṛd [word].”
- pavate ← pū
- [verb], singular, Present indikative
- “purify; filter; blow; purify; purge; sift.”
- cāru
- [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
- “pleasant; beautiful; beloved; agreeable; cāru [word].”
- matsaraḥ ← matsara
- [noun], nominative, singular, masculine
- “intoxicant; invigorating; hostile.”
सायण-भाष्यम्
महः महतः दिवः द्युलोकस्य धरुणः धारकोऽयं सोमः पृथिव्याः विस्तीर्णाया भूमेः नाभा नाभौ नाभिस्थानीये उच्छ्रिते पदे ’ यदुत्तरवेदीनाभिः ’ ( ऐ. ब्रा. १. २८) इत्याम्नानात् उत्तरवेदिस्थान ऋत्विग्भिर्निहितः सिन्धुषु स्यन्दमानासु नदीषु अपाम् उदकानाम् ऊर्मौ संघे अन्तः मध्ये उक्षितः सिक्तः । अन्तरिक्षस्थानमध्ये वर्तमान इत्यर्थः । तादृशः इन्द्रस्य वज्रः वज्रस्थानीयः वृषभः कामानां वर्षिता अत एव विभूवसुः व्याप्तधनः सोमः चारु कल्याणं यथा भवति तथा इन्द्रस्य मत्सरः मादयिता सन् हृदे मनसे सुखाय पवते आगच्छति ॥
मानसतरङ्गिणीकृत्
The nave of the earth, the support of the vast heaven,
the wave of water, the one moistened in the rivers,
the vajra of indra, the showerer with much wealth
the auspiciously exhilarating soma distills into [indra’s] heart.
Wilson
English translation:
“The supporter of the vast heaven, (plural ced) upon the navel of the earth, moistened among the rivers in the wave of the waters, the thunderbolt of Indra, the showerer (of benefits), the possessor of wealth, Soma auspiciously exhilarating distils into (Indra’s) heart.”
Jamison Brereton
On the navel of earth is the buttress of great heaven. In the wave of the waters and within the rivers he is sprinkled.
The mace of Indra, the bull possessing conspicuous goods, the
invigorating soma purifies himself in a way dear to the heart.
Jamison Brereton Notes
The first pāda gives a classic description of Soma as a pillar reaching from earth (specifically the ritual ground) to heaven, as the support of the latter.
In d cā́ru must be adverbial.
Griffith
Earth’s central point, sustainer of the mighty heavens, distilled into the streams, into the waters’ wave,
As Indra’s thunderbolt, Steer with farspreading wealth, Soma is flowing on to make the heart rejoice.
Geldner
Im Nabel der Erde ward der Träger des großen Himmels im Gewoge der Gewässer, in den Flüssen benetzt, des Indra Keule, der schatzreiche Bulle, der Soma läutert sich angenehm für das Herz, der Berauschende.
Grassmann
Des grossen Himmels Stütze in der Erde Schooss, in Wasserwogen, in den Strömen hochgestellt, Des Indra Blitz, der Stier, der reiche Güter hat, berauschend strömt der Soma hell, dem Herzen lieb.
Elizarenkova
На пупе земли опора великого неба,
(Сома,) был вылит в реки, в волну вод.
Ваджра Индры, бык, владеющий обильными благами,
Сома, опьяняющий, очищается приятно для сердца.
अधिमन्त्रम् (VC)
- पवमानः सोमः
- हरिमन्तः
- निचृज्जगती
- निषादः
आर्यमुनि - पदार्थः
पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (इन्द्रस्य वज्रः) रुद्ररूप परमात्मा (वृषभः) सब कामनाओं की वृष्टि करनेवाला तथा (विभूवसुः) परिपूर्ण एश्वर्यवाला और (चारु मत्सरः) जिसका सर्वोपरि आनन्द है, वह उक्त (सोमः) परमात्मा (हृदे) हमारे हृदय को (पवते) पवित्र करे। (पृथिव्या नाभा) जो परमात्मा पृथिवी की नाभि में स्थिर है और (महो दिवः) बड़े द्युलोक का (धरुणः) धारण करनेवाला है तथा (अपाम् ऊर्मौ) जल की लहरों में और (सिन्धुषु) समुद्रों में (अन्तः उक्षितः) अभिषिक्त किया गया है।उक्त गुणविशिष्ट परमात्मा हमको पवित्र करे॥७॥
आर्यमुनि - भावार्थः
भावार्थभाषाः - जो लोग उक्त गुण से विशिष्ट परमात्मा का उपासन करते हैं और उसमें अटल विश्वास रखते हैं, परमात्मा उनको अवश्यमेव पवित्र करता है और जो हतविश्वास होकर ईश्वर के नियम का उल्लङ्घन करते हैं, परमात्मा उनके मद को चूर्ण करने के लिये वज्र के समान उद्यत रहता है ॥७॥
आर्यमुनि - पदार्थः
पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (इन्द्रस्य वज्रः) रुद्ररूपः (वृषभः) कामानां वर्षकः (विभूवसुः) पूर्णैश्वर्ययुक्तः (चारु मत्सरः) सर्वोपरि प्रमोदरूपः पूर्वोक्तः (सोमः) जगदीशः (हृदे) मद्हृदयं (पवते) पवित्रयतु। (पृथिव्या नाभा) यः परमेश्वरः पृथिव्या नाभौ स्थिरः अथ च (महो दिवः) महतो द्युलोकस्य (धरुणः) धारकोऽस्ति। तथा (अपाम् ऊर्मौ) जलतरङ्गेषु (सिन्धुषु) समुद्रेषु च (अन्तः उक्षितः) अभिषिक्तोऽस्ति स परमात्मा मां पवित्रयतु ॥७॥
One may also consider the triShTubh incantation of our ancient clansman, the kAvya describing indra as the heart of the gods:
०३ अहं सत्येन सयुजा ...{Loading}...
अहं सत्येन सयुजा चराम्य्
अहं देवीम् अनुमतिं प्र वेद ।
इन्द्रो देवानां हृदयं वो अस्तु
सध्रीचीनं(←सध्र्यङ् = सहचरं) वो मनो ऽस्तूग्रम् ॥