०४८ रात्रिः

48. To night: for protection.

रात्रिः।
१-६ गोपथः। रात्रिः। अनुष्टुप्, १ त्रिपदाऽर्षी गायत्री, २ त्रिपदा विराडनुष्टुप्, ३ बृहतीगर्भाऽनुष्टुप्, ५ पथ्यापङ्क्तिः।

[As 47.—ṣaṭ. ānuṣṭubham: 1. 3-p. ārṣī gāyatrī; 2. 3-p. virāḍ anuṣṭubh; 3. bṛhatīgarbhā; 5. pathyāpan̄kti.]

Comment

Found also in Pāipp. vi., in connection with hymn 47, with which it also shares its liturgical application.

Translations

Translated: Griffith, ii. 305.

A hymn to Night for protection

Translation

1. Now then what things we note, or what things are within the box,
   those things we commit to thee.

Notes

The first pāda here differs widely from the traditional text, which
instead of cáyāmahe has ca yásmā (p. yásmāi) āha, or (a
minority) yásmāha; the comm’s text (according to SPP.) gives ca yasmā
ha, but his explanation implies instead yasmāi (explained as =
yasya); and SPP. accordingly reads in saṁhitā-text. ca yásmā ha,
and in pada-text ca: yásmāi: ha, which is altogether to be
condemned, since the two texts must correspond, and yásmā is also no
word. SPP. in a note proposes further emendation of our cáyāmahe to
ca yā́mahe (= īmahe or yācāmahe), which seems entirely
unacceptable, as regards both form and sense. The whole verse is so
obscure in meaning that we get little help from this element in
reconstruction of the text; yet it is plain that we do not commit to
another that which we do not possess, but are only wishing for. Ppp.
also fails us; its reading of a, b is atho yāni tamassahe yāni cā
’ntaṣ pareṇihi. The yā́nivāntáḥ of b is by the pada-mss.
strangely resolved into yā́n॰iva: antáḥ (but one of SPP’s has p.m.
yā́ni: vā: antáḥ). It is also strange that SPP. emends to cā ’ntáḥ,
on the sole authority of the comm., though as regards the sense there is
nothing to choose between ca and vā. All the mss. accent párīṇahi
(except our pada-mss., which have pariṇáhi; and one of SPP’s has
s.m. pári: ṇahi); but SPP. follows our emendation parīṇáhi. Nearly
half the mss. have at the end dadhmasi, and Ppp. agrees with them. The
comm. in his explanation connects the verse closely with 47. 9: there
one’s ⌊domestic⌋ animals were spoken of, here one’s very numerous
house-articles (bahiṣṭhāni gṛhavartīni…vastūni); and in two classes:
those out in open sight (anāvṛtadeśe), and those inside an enclosed
house or the like (parito naddhe pariśrite gṛhādāu).

Then all that we accumulate, all that the treasure-chest contains,. All this do we entrust to thee.

अथो॒ इति॑। यानि॑। च॒। यस्मै॑। ह॒। यानि॑। च॑। अन्तः॑। प॒रि॒ऽणहि॑। तानि॑। ते॒। परि॑। द॒द्म॒सि॒। ४८.१।

• रात्रिः
• गोपथः
• त्रिपदार्षी गायत्री
• रात्रि सूक्त

रात्रि में रक्षा का उपदेश।

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (च) और (अथो) फिर (ह) निश्चय करके (यानि) जिन [वस्तुओं] का (यस्म) हम प्रयत्न करें, (च) और (यानि) जो [वस्तुएँ] (अन्तः) भीतर (परीणहि) बाँधने के आधार [मञ्जूषा आदि] में हैं। (तानि) उन सबको (ते) तुझे (परि दद्मसि) हम सौंपते हैं ॥१॥

भावार्थभाषाः - मनुष्य अपने सब पदार्थों को रात्रि में सावधानी से रखकर रक्षा करें ॥१॥

टिप्पणी: बम्बई गवर्नमेन्ट छापे की पुस्तक के पदपाठ में (यस्म) पद के स्थान पर [यस्मै] छपा है, हमने (यस्म) मूल पद माना है ॥ १−(अथो) अपि च (यानि) वस्तूनि (च) (यस्म) यसु प्रयत्ने लेट्, अडभावश्छान्दसः। स उत्तमस्य। पा० ३।४।९८। उत्तमपुरुषस्य सकारस्य लोपः। प्रयत्नेन प्राप्नुयाम (ह) निश्चयेन (यानि) वस्तूनि (च) (अन्तः) मध्ये (परीणहि) परि+णह बन्धने-क्विप्। बन्धनाधारे मञ्जूषादौ (तानि) वस्तूनि (ते) तुभ्यम् (परि दद्मसि) समर्पयामः ॥

Translation

2. O night! mother! commit thou us to the dawn; let the dawn commit us
   to the day, the day to thee, O shining one (vibhādvarī).

Notes

Compare 50. 7, below*; also MB. i. 5. 15, where more such commitments
are given. The comm. reckons the first division of the verse to vs. 1.
The metrical definition of the Anukr. is mere arithmetic (12 + 10 + 8 =
30). The pada-text, both here and below, leaves vibhāvari undivided
(RV. vibhā॰vari). *⌊Also vi. 107. 1-4.⌋

Entrust thou us to Dawn, O Mother Night. May Dawn entrust us to the Day, and Day to thee, O splendid. One.

रात्रि॑। मातः॑। उ॒षसे॑। नः॒। परि॑। दे॒हि॒। उ॒षाः। नः॒। अह्ने॑। परि॑। द॒दा॒तु॒। अहः॑। तुभ्य॑म्। वि॒भा॒व॒रि॒। ४८.२।

• रात्रिः
• गोपथः
• त्रिपदाविराडनुष्टुप्
• रात्रि सूक्त

रात्रि में रक्षा का उपदेश।

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (रात्रि) रात्रि (मातः) माता ! तू (उषसे) उषा [प्रभात वेला] को (नः) हमें (परि देहि) सौंप। (उषाः) उषा (नः) हमें (अह्ने) दिन को, और (अहः) दिन (तुभ्यम्) तुझ को, (विभावरि) हे चमकवाली ! (परि ददातु) सौंपे ॥२॥

भावार्थभाषाः - मनुष्य तारों से शोभायमान रात्रि बीतने पर प्रातःकाल उठें और दिन के कर्तव्य करके रात्रि में रात्रि के कर्तव्य करें ॥२॥

टिप्पणी: यह मन्त्र कुछ भेद से आगे है-५०।७ ॥ –२−(रात्रि) (मातः) हे मातृतुल्ये (उषसे) प्रभातवेलायै (नः) अस्मान् (परि देहि) समर्पय (उषाः) प्रभातवेला (नः) अस्मान् (अह्ने) दिनाय (परि ददातु) समर्पयतु (अहः) दिनम् (तुभ्यम्) (विभावरि) वि+भा दीप्तौ-क्वनिप्। वनो र च। पा० ४।१।७। ङीब्रेफौ। हे दीप्तिमति ॥

Translation

3. Whatsoever flies here, whatsoever that is crawling (sarīsṛpá) is
   here, whatsoever creature is on the mountain—from that do thou, O night,
   protect us.

Notes

The third pāda is wholly corrupt. All the mss. read parvatāyāsatvam
(p. párvatāya: sáḥ: tvám), with some differences of accent
(-yāsátvam, or -yāsátvám, or -yā́sátvám); and the comm. and SPP.
(in saṁhitā) follow them (SPP. -yāsátvam; but in p., by emendation,
-tāya: asátvam, since the comm. so understands). Our text emends to
párvaṇy ā́saktam ‘what has fastened on the joint,’ which seems
extremely unsatisfactory. The translation above is perhaps hardly
better, but it implies a text much closer to the mss.—párvata (i.e.
-te, hence -tay) ā́ sattvám; and so it may pass for what it is
worth; it is by no means proposed as a definite solution of the
difficulty. Ppp. has padvad āsunvan, which gives no help. Ppp. also
reads yadi kim three times.

Whatever flying thing be here, whatever thing that creeps and. crawls. Whatever fastens on a joint, therefrom do thou protect us, Night.

यत्। किम्। च॒। इ॒दम्। प॒तय॑ति। यत्। किम्। च॒। इ॒दम्। स॒री॒सृ॒पम्। यत्। किम्। च॒। पर्व॑ताय। अ॒सत्व॑म्। तस्मा॑त्। त्वम्। रात्रि॑। पा॒हि॒। नः॒। ४८.३।

• रात्रिः
• गोपथः
• बृहतीगर्भानुष्टुप्
• रात्रि सूक्त

रात्रि में रक्षा का उपदेश।

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (यत् किम् च) जो कुछ (इदम्) यह (पतयति) उड़ता है, (यत् किम् च) जो कुछ (इदम्) यह (सरीसृपम्) टेढ़ा-टेढ़ा रेंगनेवाला [सर्प आदि] है। (यत् किम् च) और जो कुछ (पर्वताय) पहाड़ पर (असत्वम्) दुष्ट जन्तु [सिंह आदि] है, (तस्मात्) उससे, (त्वम्) तू (रात्रि) हे रात्रि ! (नः) हमें (पाहि) बचा ॥३॥

भावार्थभाषाः - मनुष्य घरों को ऐसा सुडौल बनावें कि रात्रि में सब प्रकार के हिंसक प्राणियों से रक्षा रहे ॥३॥

टिप्पणी: ३−(यत्) (किञ्च) किञ्चित् (इदम्) दृश्यमानम् (पतयति) उड्डीयते (यत्) (किञ्च) (इदम्) (सरीसृपम्) सृप्लृ गतौ-यङ्, पचाद्यच् कुटिलगतिशीलं सर्पादिकम् (यत् किम् च) (पर्वताय) सप्तम्यर्थे चतुर्थी पर्वते (असत्वम्) सत्त्वशब्दः प्राणिवाची। दुष्टं सत्त्वम् असत्त्वम्, व्याघ्रसिंहादिकम् (तस्मात्) पूर्वोक्तात् सर्वस्मात् (त्वम्) (रात्रि) (पाहि) रक्ष (नः) अस्मान् ॥

Translation

4. Do thou protect behind, thou in front, thou from above and from
   below; do thou guard us, O shining one; here we are, thy praisers.

Notes

So guard thou us from west and east, protect us from the north and south. O splendid One, preserve us: we, the singers of thy praise, are here.

सा। प॒श्चात्। पा॒हि॒। सा। पु॒रः। सा। उ॒त्त॒रात्। अ॒ध॒रात्। उ॒त। गो॒पाय॑। नः॒। वि॒भा॒व॒रि॒। स्तो॒तारः॑। ते॒। इ॒ह॒। स्म॒सि॒। ४८.४।

• रात्रिः
• गोपथः
• अनुष्टुप्
• रात्रि सूक्त

रात्रि में रक्षा का उपदेश।

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - [हे रात्रि !] (सा) सो तू (पश्चात्) पीछे से, (सा) सो तू (पुरः) सामने से, (सा) सो तू (उत्तरात्) ऊपर से (उत) और (अधरात्) नीचे से (पाहि) बचा। (विभावरि) हे चमकवाली ! (नः) हमारी (गोपाय) रक्षा कर, हम लोग (इह) यहाँ पर (ते) तेरी (स्तोतारः) स्तुति करनेवाले (स्मसि) हैं ॥४॥

भावार्थभाषाः - मनुष्यों को रात्रि में सावधानी के साथ सब ओर से रक्षा का प्रबन्ध रखना चाहिये ॥४॥

टिप्पणी: ४−(सा) पूर्वोक्तलक्षणा त्वम् (पश्चात्) (पाहि) रक्ष (सा) सा त्वम् (पुरः) पुरस्तात् (सा) (उत्तरात्) उपरिदेशात् (अधरात्) अधोदेशात् (उत) अपि च (गोपाय) रक्ष (नः) अस्मान् (विभावरि) म० २। हे दीप्तिमति (स्तोतारः) स्तावकाः (ते) तव (इह) अत्र (स्मसि) स्मः। भवामः ॥

Translation

5. They who follow (anu-sthā) the night, and who watch over beings,
   who defend all cattle—they watch over our selves (ātmán), they watch
   over our cattle.

Notes

The mss. accent jā́grati* in d and e, and in d the accent
might well enough be retained, on the principle of antithesis; SPP.
gives jāgrati, like us. Emendation to jāgratu would be decidedly
welcome in both pādas. Ppp. has considerable variations: for b,
yeṣu bhūteṣu jāgrabhi,† and, for d, e, tenā tvam asi jāgratu te
naṣ paśubhir jāgratu: corrupt, but supporting our proposed jāgratu.
*⌊It is very reasonable to suppose that in jā́grati at end of d
and e we have two cases of assimilation of an original jāgratu to
the jā́grati which stands correctly at the end of b (cf. note to
xix. 43. 7), each case being doubly faulty, in respect, namely, of
accent and of ending.⌋ †⌊In Roth’s Collation there is a note which
perhaps means that Ppp. reads jāgrati for rákṣanti at end of c;
but I am not at all sure.⌋

They who are followers of Night, and they who watch o’er living things. They who protect all cattle, they keep watch and ward over our lives, over our herds keep watch and ward.

ये। रात्रि॑म्। अ॒नु॒ऽतिष्ठ॑न्ति। ये। च॒। भू॒तेषु॑। जाग्र॑ति। प॒शून्। ये। सर्वा॑न्। रक्ष॑न्ति। ते। नः॒। आ॒त्मऽसु॑। जा॒ग्र॒ति॒। ते। नः॒। प॒शुषु॑। जा॒ग्र॒ति॒। ४८.५।

• रात्रिः
• गोपथः
• पथ्यापङ्क्तिः
• रात्रि सूक्त

रात्रि में रक्षा का उपदेश।

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (ये) जो [पुरुष] (रात्रिम्) रात्रि के (अनुतिष्ठन्ति) साथ चलते हैं [रात्रि में सावधान रहते हैं] (च) और (ये) जो (भूतेषु) सत्तावालों पर (जाग्रति) जागते हैं। (ये) जो (सर्वान्) सब (पशून्) पशुओं की (रक्षन्ति) रक्षा करते हैं, (ते) वे (नः) हमारे (आत्मसु) आत्माओं [जीवों] पर (जाग्रति) जागते हैं, (ते) वे (नः) हमारे (पशुषु) पशुओं पर (जाग्रति) जागते हैं ॥५॥

भावार्थभाषाः - मनुष्य रात्रि में सावधान रहकर संसार के सब पदार्थों, पशुओं और पुरुषों की रक्षा करें ॥५॥

टिप्पणी: ५−(ये) जनाः (रात्रिम्) (अनुतिष्ठन्ति) अनुसृत्य वर्तन्ते (ये) (च) (भूतेषु) भवनवत्सु। सत्तावत्सु (जाग्रति) सावधानाः सन्ति (पशून्) गवादीन् (ये) (सर्वान्) (रक्षन्ति) पालयन्ति (ते) जनाः (नः) अस्माकम् (आत्मसु) जीवेषु (जाग्रति) (ते) (नः) अस्माकम् (पशुषु) गवादिषु (जाग्रति) जागरिता भवन्ति ॥

Translation

6. Verily I know thy name, O night; thou art “ghee-dripping” (ghṛtā́cī)
   by name; as such Bharadvāja knows thee; do thou watch over our property.

Notes

In b, Ppp. combines vā ’si; in c and d it reads, with our
edition, tvā and jāgṛhi, while SPP. gives tvā́m and jāgrati, the
latter for jā́grati, as all the mss. ⌊save one⌋ read; our emendation
was a perfectly obvious one, and should have been followed by SPP. The
comm., to be sure, reads -rati, but, by the simple application of his
general rule, that any verb-form can be used for any other, he is able
to declare it = jāgartu—which SPP. has too much knowledge and
conscience to do. The pada-mss. have tvā́m, tvām, and tvám; our
tvā was an emendation, called for after tā́m. More than half of the
mss. accent bharadvājás. In our text, the accent-sign printed over
jā in d should be shifted to over dhi: it is a misprint.

Verily, Night, I know thy name, Dropper of Fatness art thou called. Thee Bharadvaja knew as such: as such be watchful o’er our wealth.

वेद॑। वै। रा॒त्रि॒। ते॒। नाम॑। घृ॒ताची॑। नाम॑। वै। अ॒सि॒। ताम्। त्वाम्। भ॒रत्ऽवा॑जः। वे॒द॒। सा। नः॒। वि॒त्ते। अधि॑। जा॒ग्र॒ति॒। ४८.६।

• रात्रिः
• गोपथः
• अनुष्टुप्
• रात्रि सूक्त

रात्रि में रक्षा का उपदेश।

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (रात्रि) हे रात्रि ! (ते) तेरा (नाम) नाम (वै) निश्चय करके (वेद) मैं जानता हूँ, तू (घृताची) घृताची [प्रकाश को प्राप्त होनेवाली] (नाम) नामवाली (वै) निश्चय करके (असि) है। (तां त्वा) उस तुझको (भरद्वाजः) भरद्वाज [विज्ञानपोषक महात्मा] (वेद) जानता है, (सा) सो आप (नः) हमारी (वित्ते) सम्पत्ति पर (अधि) अधिकारपूर्वक (जाग्रति) जागती रहें ॥६॥

भावार्थभाषाः - मनुष्य तारे आदि से युक्त रात्रि में वेदादि शास्त्रों का मनन करके ज्ञान से प्रकाशित होकर सबकी रक्षा करें ॥६॥

टिप्पणी: ६−(वेद) अहं जानामि (वै) निश्चयेन (रात्रि) (ते) तव (नाम) नामधेयम् (घृताची) घृ क्षरणदीप्त्योः-क्त+अञ्चु गतिपूजनयोः−क्विन्, ङीप्। घृतं दीप्तिम् अञ्चति प्राप्नोतीति सा (नाम) नाम्ना (वै) (असि) (ताम्) तादृशीम् (त्वाम्) (भरद्वाजः) भृञ् भरणे-शतृ। भरत् पोषकं वाजो विज्ञानं यस्य सः (वेद) वेत्ति (सा) सा भवती (नः) अस्माकम् (वित्ते) धने। सम्पत्तौ (अधि) अधिकृत्य (जाग्रति) जागर्तेर्लेटि अडागमः, गुणाभावश्छान्दसः। जागर्तु। सावधानो भवतु ॥