१५८

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सायण-भाष्यम्

॥ श्रीगणेशाय नमः ॥

यस्य निःश्वसितं वेदा यो वेदेभ्योऽखिलं जगत् ।

निर्ममे तमहं वन्दे विद्यातीर्थमहेश्वरम् ॥

अथ तृतीयाध्याय आरभ्यते’। ‘वसू रुद्रा’ इत्येतत् अनुवाकापेक्षया द्वितीयं सूक्तं षडृचं दैर्घतमसम् । पूर्वत्र ‘ आश्विनं तु ’ इत्युक्तत्वात् इदमप्याश्विनम् । अनादेशपरिभाषया त्रैष्टुभम् । ‘ दीर्घतमा मामतेयः’ इत्यन्त्या अनुष्टुप् । तथा चानुक्रान्तं - ‘ वसू अन्त्यानुष्टुप् ’ इति ॥ अस्य विशेषविनियोगो लैङ्गिकः ॥

Jamison Brereton

158
Aśvins
Dīrghatamas Aucathya
6 verses: triṣṭubh 1–5, anuṣṭubh 6
This is an elusive hymn, but a particularly interesting one since it appears to be auto biographical—although whether it refers to the actual life of the poet or to the life of the poet as his own literary creation is not entirely clear. The best starting point may be the final verse, in which the poet describes himself as old, but nevertheless as the “chariot-driver” of the waters and a “formulator (of the truth).” He is still a poet and a powerful one at that. The problem the hymn addresses, therefore, could be an attempt by the poet’s patrons or fellow poets to retire him, and therefore he calls upon the Aśvins to help him show his mettle as a poet. One of the wondrous acts of the Aśvins is to rejuvenate, and therefore it is not surprising that he would turn to them.
Even if this is the right approach to the hymn, a fair number of difficulties remain. In verse 2 the poet asks who will serve the Aśvins, if not he, so that the two gods will take their place “in the track of the cow.” As often elsewhere, the cow is the inspired hymn, and therefore the “track of the cow” should be the place of the sacrifice, where the inspired hymn is recited. In praising the Aśvins

the poet alludes to the two gods’ great deeds of rescue, which turn on the theme of water. In verse 3 the poet mentions the story of Bhujyu, who was rescued from the water by the Aśvins. In verse 5 is the story of a man whom Dāsas bound and tossed into the rivers. The story is unknown, but presumably that person was also rescued from the waters. These rescues anticipate the poet’s final claim in verse 6 to be the master of the waters. The significance of this is not clear, but it may mean that he can bring the rain through the power of his recitations and rituals. These stories of drowning, of too much water, also contrast to the poet’s plea in verse 4 not to be dried out by time and not to be burnt up, as if he were like kindling. Despite his age the poet is and wishes to remain vital, not to become a dried-out old stick of a man.
The Br̥haddevatā (IV.21–25) presents the story or stories mentioned in verse 5 as the story of Dīrghatamas himself. According to it, his slaves (dāsas) tied up the old, blind Dīrghatamas and immersed him in the waters of the river. One of them, called Traitana, tried to strike him with sword, but ended up cutting to pieces his own head, shoulders, and chest. Eventually Dīrghatamas washed up near the country of the Aṅgas, where he was rescued. Later he had a son, Kakṣīvant, by a servant of the king. It is unlikely that this is the story known to the R̥gveda or even that verse 5 tells the story of Dīrghatamas, unless metaphorically. Still, the reference to the Dāsas seems to be of particular significance. The earlier part of the hymn develops a repetitive phonological pattern with daśasyátam (1b), dásrā (1c), dāśat (2a), and dáśatayaḥ (4c). These words, most of which have a marked position in the pāda, seem to lead toward the story of the Dāsas. These Dāsas did try to destroy someone but ended up destroying themselves, and perhaps this is the message that the poet wishes to impress upon those who are trying to push him aside.

01 वसू रुद्रा - त्रिष्टुप्

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व᳓सू रुद्रा᳓ पुरुम᳓न्तू वृध᳓न्ता
दशस्य᳓तं नो वृषणाव् अभि᳓ष्टौ
द᳓स्रा ह य᳓द् रे᳓क्ण औचथियो᳓ वाम्
प्र᳓ य᳓त् सस्रा᳓थे अ᳓कवाभिर् ऊती᳓

02 को वाम् - त्रिष्टुप्

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को᳓ वां दाशत् सुमत᳓ये चिद् अस्यइ᳓
व᳓सू य᳓द् धे᳓थे न᳓मसा पदे᳓ गोः᳓
जिगृत᳓म् अस्मे᳓ रेव᳓तीः पु᳓रंधीः
कामप्रे᳓णेव म᳓नसा च᳓रन्ता

03 युक्तो ह - त्रिष्टुप्

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युक्तो᳓ ह य᳓द् वां तौग्रिया᳓य पेरु᳓र्
वि᳓ म᳓ध्ये · अ᳓र्णसो धा᳓यि पज्रः᳓
उ᳓प वाम् अ᳓वः शरणं᳓ गमेयं
शू᳓रो न᳓ अ᳓ज्म पत᳓यद्भिर् ए᳓वैः

04 उपस्तुतिरौचथ्यमुरुष्येन्मा मामिमे - त्रिष्टुप्

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उ᳓पस्तुतिर् औचथिय᳓म् उरुष्येन्
मा᳓ मा᳓म् इमे᳓ पतत्रि᳓णी वि᳓ दुग्धाम्
मा᳓ मा᳓म् ए᳓धो द᳓शतयश् चितो᳓ धाक्
प्र᳓ य᳓द् वाम् बद्ध᳓स् त्म᳓नि खा᳓दति क्षा᳓म्

05 न मा - त्रिष्टुप्

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न᳓ मा गरन् नदि᳓यो मातृ᳓तमा
दासा᳓ य᳓द् ईं सु᳓समुब्धम् अवा᳓धुः
शि᳓रो य᳓द् अस्य त्रैतनो᳓ वित᳓क्षत्
स्वयं᳓ दास᳓ उ᳓रो अं᳓साव् अ᳓पि ग्ध

06 दीर्घतमा मामतेयो - अनुष्टुप्

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दीर्घ᳓तमा मामतेयो᳓
जुजुर्वा᳓न् दशमे᳓ युगे᳓
अपा᳓म् अ᳓र्थं यती᳓ना᳐म्
ब्रह्मा᳓ भवति सा᳓रथिः