००३

• देवता - रुद्रः
• ऋषिः - वामदेवो गौतमः
• छन्दः - त्रिष्टुप्

आ᳓ वो रा᳓जानम् अध्वर᳓स्य रुद्रं᳓
हो᳓तारं सत्यय᳓जं रो᳓दसीयोः
अग्नि᳓म् पुरा᳓ तनयित्नो᳓र् अचि᳓त्ताद्
धि᳓रण्यरूपम् अ᳓वसे कृणुध्वम्

Strata
Strophic

Pāda-label
genre M
genre M
genre M
genre M

Morph
ā́ ← ā́ (invariable)

adhvarásya ← adhvará- (nominal stem)
{case:GEN, gender:M, number:SG}

rā́jānam ← rā́jan- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:M, number:SG}

rudrám ← rudrá- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:M, number:SG}

vaḥ ← tvám (pronoun)
{case:ACC, number:PL}

hótāram ← hótar- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:M, number:SG}

ródasyoḥ ← ródasī- (nominal stem)
{case:GEN, gender:F, number:DU}

satyayájam ← satyayáj- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:M, number:SG}

acíttāt ← acítta- (nominal stem)
{case:ABL, gender:M, number:SG}

agním ← agní- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:M, number:SG}

purā́ ← purā́ (invariable)

tanayitnóḥ ← tanayitnú- (nominal stem)
{case:ABL, gender:M, number:SG}

ávase ← ávas- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:N, number:SG}

híraṇyarūpam ← híraṇyarūpa- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:M, number:SG}

kr̥ṇudhvam ← √kr̥- (root)
{number:PL, person:2, mood:IMP, tense:PRS, voice:MED}

आ । वः॒ । राजा॑नम् । अ॒ध्व॒रस्य॑ । रु॒द्रम् । होता॑रम् । स॒त्य॒ऽयज॑म् । रोद॑स्योः ।
अ॒ग्निम् । पु॒रा । त॒न॒यि॒त्नोः । अ॒चित्ता॑त् । हिर॑ण्यऽरूपम् । अव॑से । कृ॒णु॒ध्व॒म् ॥

एति॑ । वः॒ । राजा॑नम् । अ॒ध्व॒रस्य॑ । रु॒द्रम् । होता॑रम् । स॒त्य॒यज॒मिति॑ सत्य-यज॑म् । रोद॑स्योः ॥ अ॒ग्निम् । पु॒रा । त॒न॒यि॒त्नोः । अ॒चित्ता॑त् । हिर॑ण्यरूप॒मिति॒ हिर॑ण्य-रू॒प॒म् । अव॑से । कृ॒णु॒ध्व॒म् ॥

• ā
• [adverb]
• “towards; ākāra; until; ā; since; according to; ā [suffix].”

• vo ← vaḥ ← tvad
• [noun], genitive, plural
• “you.”

• rājānam ← rājan
• [noun], accusative, singular, masculine
• “king; Kshatriya; rājan [word]; best; rājāvarta; Yakṣa.”

• adhvarasya ← adhvara
• [noun], genitive, singular, masculine
• “yajña; ceremony; adhvara [word].”

• rudraṃ ← rudram ← rudra
• [noun], accusative, singular, masculine
• “Shiva; Rudra; eleven; rudra [word]; eleventh.”

• hotāraṃ ← hotāram ← hotṛ
• [noun], accusative, singular, masculine
• “Hotṛ.”

• satyayajaṃ ← satya
• [noun]
• “true; real; real; faithful; good.”

• satyayajaṃ ← yajam ← yaj
• [noun], accusative, singular, masculine
• “sacrificing.”

• rodasyoḥ ← rodasī
• [noun], genitive, dual, feminine
• “heaven and earth; Earth.”

• agnim ← agni
• [noun], accusative, singular, masculine
• “fire; Agni; sacrificial fire; digestion; cautery; Plumbago zeylanica; fire; vahni; agni [word]; agnikarman; gold; three; jāraṇa; pyre; fireplace; heating.”

• purā
• [adverb]
• “once; earlier; first; purā [indecl.].”

• tanayitnor ← tanayitnoḥ ← tanayitnu
• [noun], ablative, singular, masculine

• acittāddhiraṇyarūpam ← acittāt ← acitta
• [noun], ablative, singular, masculine
• “unexpected.”

• acittāddhiraṇyarūpam ← hiraṇya
• [noun], neuter
• “gold; jewelry; hiraṇya [word]; gold.”

• acittāddhiraṇyarūpam ← rūpam ← rūpa
• [noun], accusative, singular, masculine
• “form; appearance; beauty; look; shape; shape; symptom; feature; nature; guise; rūpa [word]; one; appearance; likeness; color; kind; vowel; type; disguise; aspect; form; derivative; omen; vision.”

• avase ← av
• [verb noun]
• “support; help; prefer; prefer; like.”

• kṛṇudhvam ← kṛ
• [verb], plural, Present imperative
• “make; perform; cause; produce; shape; construct; do; put; fill into; use; fuel; transform; bore; act; write; create; prepare; administer; dig; prepare; treat; take effect; add; trace; put on; process; treat; heed; hire; act; produce; assume; eat; ignite; chop; treat; obey; manufacture; appoint; evacuate; choose; understand; insert; happen; envelop; weigh; observe; practice; lend; bring; duplicate; plant; kṛ; concentrate; mix; knot; join; take; provide; utter; compose.”

हे ऋत्विग्यजमानाः अध्वरस्य यज्ञस्य राजानम् अधिपतिं होतारं देवानामाह्वातारं रुद्रं रोरूयमाणं द्रवन्तं शत्रून् रोदयन्तं वा । यद्वा । एषा वा अग्नेस्तनूर्यद्रुद्रः’ इति रुद्रात्मकं रोदस्योः द्यावापृथिव्योः सत्ययजं सत्यस्यान्नस्य दातारम् । यद्वा । सत्ययजं सत्येन हविषा देवान् यजन्तम् । यद्वा । रोदस्योर्व्याप्य वर्तमानम् ‘हिरण्यरूपं सुवर्णप्रभम् एवंविधम् अग्निं वः युष्माकम् अवसे रक्षणाय तनयित्नोः । तनयित्नुरशनिः स ह्याकस्मिकः । तत्सदृशात् अचित्तात् । न विद्यते चित्तं यस्मिन् तदचित्तम् । चित्तोपलक्षितसवेंन्द्रियोपसंहारो मरणमिति यावत् । तस्मान्मरणात् पुरा प्रागेव आ कृणुध्वम् । यूयं समन्ताद्धविर्भिरग्निं भजध्वम् ॥ रुद्रम् । रोदयतेः ‘रोदेर्णिलुक्च’ ( उ. सू. २. १७९ ) इति रक्प्रत्ययः । तनयित्नोः । तनिः शब्दार्थः । चुरादिरदन्तः । ‘स्तनिशुधिपुषिगमिमनिभ्यो मेरित्नुच् ’ ( उ. सू.३. ३०९ ) इति इत्नुच्प्रत्ययः । चित्स्वरेणान्तोदात्तः । सुपा सहैकादेशे एकादेशस्वरः । कृणुध्वम् । कृवि हिंसाकरणयोः ‘। लोटि रूपम् ॥

English translation:

“Secure Agni, the king of sacrifice, the afflicter (of foes), the invoker (of the gods), the distributor of food through heaven and earth, the golden-formed, for your protection before (surprised by) sudden death.”

Commentary by Sāyaṇa: Ṛgveda-bhāṣya

Purā tanayitnor acittāt = liṭ, before the unconsciousness of the thunderbolt; this implies a state of unconsciousness, or death as sudden as if the work of the thunderbolt

Make [=ignite] him here, the king, the Rudra of your ceremony, the Hotar whose sacrifice comes true in the two world-halves,
Agni of golden form—(make him) for help for you in the face of
unexpected thundering.

I render vs.-final kṛṇudhvam twice – once with vs.-initial ā́in the meaning ‘make = kindle’, rather than with most tr. ‘bring here’, and once with the quasiinfinitival dat. ávase.

It is not entirely clear why Agni is identified as Rudra here. The word is most likely to be construed with the gen. adhvarásya as “the Rudra of the/your ceremony,” on the basis of I.114.4 rudráṃ yajñasā́dham “Rudra bringing the sacrifice to success” and III.2.5 (also of Agni) rudráṃ yajñā́nāṃ sā́dhadiṣṭim “the Rudra of the sacrifices, bringing success to the offerings.” Perhaps the point of comparison is Rudra’s healing powers and, esp. here, his ability to ward off threats of all sorts, in this case the “unexpected thundering” (tanayitnór acíttāt) of pāda c.

ródasyoḥ can be either gen. (with most tr.) or loc. (so published translation). There is little riding on the choice.

As most interpr. take it, “unexpected thundering” is probably a reference to all sorts of unforeseen dangers, rather than specifically of a sudden storm.

WIN, to assist you, Rudra, Lord of worship, Priest of both worlds, effectual
Sacrificer,
Agni, invested with his golden colours, before the thunder strike and lay you senseless.

Draw Rudra hither for your protection 1, the king of sacrifice, the truly sacrificing Hotri of the two worlds 2, the golden-coloured Agni, before the unseen thunderbolt (strikes you).

Den König eures Opfers, den Rudra, den wahrhaft opfernden Hotri beider Welten, den goldfarbigen Agni gewinnet zur Gunst, noch rechtzeitg vor dem unerwarteten Donnerschlag.

Des Opfers König, ihn den hehren Agni, der recht verehrt, den Priester beider Welten, Eh’ noch der laute Donnerer gewahrt wird, schafft euch zur Hülfe her, den goldgefärbten.

Царя обряда, Рудру,
Хотара обоих миров, истинно жертвующего, –
Агни цвета золота привлеките (нам) на помощь,
Прежде (чем грянет) неожиданный удар грома!

• अग्निः
• वामदेवो गौतमः
• निचृत्त्रिष्टुप्
• धैवतः

अब सोलह ऋचावाले तीसरे सूक्त का वर्णन है उसके प्रथम मन्त्र में सूर्य्यरूप अग्नि के दृष्टान्त से राज प्रजाजनों के कृत्य का वर्णन करते हैं ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - हे यथार्थवक्ता विद्वानो ! जैसे हम लोग (वः) आपके (अध्वरस्य) न नष्ट करने योग्य राज्य के (अवसे) धर्मात्माओं की रक्षा और दुष्टों के नाश करने के लिये (होतारम्) देने (सत्ययजम्) सत्य ही को प्राप्त होने और (रुद्रम्) दुष्टों के रुलानेवाले (अचित्तात्) जिसमें चित्त नहीं स्थिर होता, ऐसी (तनयित्नोः) बिजुली के (हिरण्यरूपम्) तेजरूप के समान रूपवाले वा (रोदस्योः) अन्तरिक्ष और पृथिवी के मध्य में (अग्निम्) सूर्य्य के सदृश (राजानम्) प्रकाशमान न्याय (पुरा) प्रथम करें, वैसा हम लोगों के बीच राजा आप लोग (आ, कृणुध्वम्) सब प्रकार करें ॥१॥

भावार्थभाषाः - इस मन्त्र में वाचकलुप्तोपमालङ्कार है। हे विद्वान् लोगो ! राजा और प्रजाजनों के साथ एक सम्मति करके जैसे ईश्वर ने ब्रह्माण्ड के मध्य में सूर्य्य को स्थित करके सब का प्रियसुख साधन किया, वैसे ही हम लोगों के मध्य में उत्तम गुण, कर्म और स्वभावयुक्त को राजा करके हम लोगों के हित को आप लोग सिद्ध करो, जिससे आप लोगों का भी प्रिय सिद्ध होवे ॥१॥

अन्वय: हे आप्ता विद्वांसो ! यथा वयं वोऽध्वरस्यावसे होतारं सत्ययजं रुद्रमचित्तात् तनयित्नोर्हिरण्यरूपं रोदस्योरग्निमिव राजानं पुरा कुर्याम तथाभूतमस्माकं नृपं यूयमाकृणुध्वम् ॥१॥

अथ सूर्य्यरूपाग्निदृष्टान्तेन राजप्रजाजनकृत्यमाह ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (आ) (वः) युष्माकम् (राजानम्) प्रकाशमानम् (अध्वरस्य) अहिंसनीयस्य राज्यस्य (रुद्रम्) दुष्टानां रोदयितारम् (होतारम्) दातारम् (सत्ययजम्) यः सत्यमेव यजति सङ्गच्छते तम् (रोदस्योः) द्यावापृथिव्योर्मध्ये (अग्निम्) सूर्य्यमिव वर्त्तमानम् (पुरा) पुरस्तात् (तनयित्नोः) विद्युतः (अचित्तात्) अविद्यमानं चित्तं यत्र तस्मात् (हिरण्यरूपम्) हिरण्यस्य तेजसो रूपमिव रूपं यस्य तम् (अवसे) धर्मात्मनां रक्षणाय दुष्टानां हिंसनाय (कृणुध्वम्) ॥१॥

भावार्थभाषाः - अत्र वाचकलुप्तोपमालङ्कारः। हे विद्वांसो ! राजप्रजाजनैरेकसम्मतिं कृत्वा यथेश्वरेण ब्रह्माण्डस्य मध्ये सूर्य्यं स्थापयित्वा सर्वस्य प्रियं साधितं तथाभूतं राजानमस्माकं मध्ये शुभगुणकर्मस्वभावाऽन्वितं नृपं कृत्वाऽस्माकं हितं यूयं साधयत यतो युष्माकमपि प्रियं सिध्येत् ॥१॥

या सूक्तात अग्नी, राजा व प्रजा यांच्या कृत्याचे व गुणांचे वर्णन असल्यामुळे या सूक्ताच्या अर्थाबरोबर पूर्व सूक्तार्थाची संगती जाणावी.

भावार्थभाषाः - या मंत्रात वाचकलुप्तोपमालंकार आहे. हे विद्वानांनो! जसे ईश्वराने ब्रह्मांडात सूर्य स्थित करून सर्वांचे प्रिय सुख साधन निर्माण केलेले आहे. तसे राजा व प्रजा यांच्या संमतीने आमच्यातील गुणकर्मस्वभाव उत्तम असेल त्याला राजा करून आमचे हित साधा. ज्यामुळे तुमचेही हित व्हावे ॥ १ ॥

• देवता - अग्निः
• ऋषिः - वामदेवो गौतमः
• छन्दः - त्रिष्टुप्

अयं᳓ यो᳓निश् चकृमा᳓ यं᳓ वयं᳓ ते
जाये᳓व प᳓त्य उशती᳓ सुवा᳓साः
अर्वाचीनः᳓ प᳓रिवीतो नि᳓ षीद
इमा᳓ उ ते सुअपाक प्रतीचीः᳓

Strata
Strophic

Pāda-label
genre M
genre M;; repeated line
genre M
genre M

Morph
ayám ← ayám (pronoun)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}

cakr̥má ← √kr̥- (root)
{number:PL, person:1, mood:IND, tense:PRF, voice:ACT}

te ← tvám (pronoun)
{case:DAT, number:SG}

vayám ← ahám (pronoun)
{case:NOM, number:PL}

yám ← yá- (pronoun)
{case:ACC, gender:M, number:SG}

yóniḥ ← yóni- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}

iva ← iva (invariable)

jāyā́ ← jāyā́- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:F, number:SG}

pátye ← páti- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

suvā́sāḥ ← suvā́sas- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:F, number:SG}

uśatī́ ← √vaś- (root)
{case:NOM, gender:F, number:SG, tense:PRS, voice:ACT}

arvācīnáḥ ← arvācīná- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}

ní ← ní (invariable)

párivītaḥ ← √vyā- (root)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG, non-finite:PPP}

sīda ← √sad- (root)
{number:SG, person:2, mood:IMP, tense:PRS, voice:ACT}

imā́ḥ ← ayám (pronoun)
{case:NOM, gender:F, number:PL}

pratīcī́ḥ ← pratyáñc- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:F, number:PL}

svapāka ← svapāka- (nominal stem)
{case:VOC, gender:M, number:SG}

te ← tvám (pronoun)
{case:DAT, number:SG}

u ← u (invariable)

अ॒यम् । योनिः॑ । च॒कृ॒म । यम् । व॒यम् । ते॒ । जा॒याऽइ॑व । पत्ये॑ । उ॒श॒ती । सु॒ऽवासाः॑ ।
अ॒र्वा॒ची॒नः । परि॑ऽवीतः । नि । सी॒द॒ । इ॒माः । ऊं॒ इति॑ । ते॒ । सु॒ऽअ॒पा॒क॒ । प्र॒ती॒चीः ॥

• ayaṃ ← ayam ← idam
• [noun], nominative, singular, masculine
• “this; he,she,it (pers. pron.); here.”

• yoniś ← yoniḥ ← yoni
• [noun], nominative, singular, masculine
• “vagina; vulva; uterus; beginning; origin; reincarnation; birthplace; family; production; cause; race; grain; raw material; birth; kind; caste; kinship; bed.”

• cakṛmā ← kṛ
• [verb], plural, Perfect indicative
• “make; perform; cause; produce; shape; construct; do; put; fill into; use; fuel; transform; bore; act; write; create; prepare; administer; dig; prepare; treat; take effect; add; trace; put on; process; treat; heed; hire; act; produce; assume; eat; ignite; chop; treat; obey; manufacture; appoint; evacuate; choose; understand; insert; happen; envelop; weigh; observe; practice; lend; bring; duplicate; plant; kṛ; concentrate; mix; knot; join; take; provide; utter; compose.”

• yaṃ ← yam ← yad
• [noun], accusative, singular, masculine
• “who; which; yat [pronoun].”

• vayaṃ ← vayam ← mad
• [noun], nominative, plural
• “I; mine.”

• te ← tvad
• [noun], dative, singular
• “you.”

• jāyeva ← jāyā
• [noun], nominative, singular, feminine
• “wife; jāyā [word].”

• jāyeva ← iva
• [adverb]
• “like; as it were; somehow; just so.”

• patya ← patye ← pati
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “husband; overlord; king; deity; īśvara; ruler; pati [word]; commanding officer; leader; owner; mayor; lord.”

• uśatī ← vaś
• [verb noun], nominative, singular
• “desire; agree; call; care; like; love.”

• suvāsāḥ ← su
• [adverb]
• “very; well; good; nicely; beautiful; su; early; quite.”

• suvāsāḥ ← vāsāḥ ← vāsas
• [noun], nominative, singular, feminine
• “clothing; fabric; garment; feather; dress; envelope.”

• arvācīnaḥ ← arvācīna
• [noun], nominative, singular, masculine
• “favorable; backward; inclined(p).”

• parivīto ← parivītaḥ ← parivye ← √vye
• [verb noun], nominative, singular
• “surround; surround.”

• ni
• [adverb]
• “back; down.”

• ṣīdemā ← sad
• [verb], plural, Present optative
• “sit down; break down; slow; sink; crumble; fracture; perish; ride; stop; besiege; tire.”

• u
• [adverb]
• “ukāra; besides; now; indeed; u.”

• te ← tvad
• [noun], dative, singular
• “you.”

• svapāka
• [noun], vocative, singular, masculine

• pratīcīḥ ← pratyañc
• [noun], nominative, plural, feminine
• “western; facing; westbound; backward; pratyañc [word]; inverted.”

हे अग्ने ते त्वदर्थं यम् उत्तरवेदिलक्षणं प्रदेश वयं ‘चकृम कुर्मः। अयं योनिः तव स्थान भवति । तत्र दृष्टान्तः । जायेव । यथा पत्य उशती पतिं कामयमाना सुवासाः शोभनवस्रोपेता जाया स्वात्मसमीपे तस्य स्थानं करोति तद्वत् । हे स्वपाक स्वपस्क सुकर्मन्नने त्वं परिवीतः यष्टव्यदेवैस्तेजोभिर्वा परिवीतः अर्वाचीनः अस्मदभिमुखः सन् नि षीद उत्तरवेद्यामुपविश । तत्र स्थितस्य ते तव इमाः ज्वालाः स्तुतयः वा प्रतीचीः वदभिमुखाः प्रवर्तन्ते । उ पूरण:४॥ चकृम । करोतेलिटि रूपम् । वाक्यभेदान्निघाताभावः । अर्वाचीनः ।’ विभाषाब्वेदिकु०’ इति खः । परिवीतः । ‘ व्येषु संवरणे ’ । कर्मणि निष्ठा । यजादित्वात् संप्रसारणम् । “ गतिरनन्तरः’ इति गतेः स्वरः ॥

English translation:

“This is the altar which we have decorated for you, as a wife attached to her husband puts on elegant garments (to gratify him); maturer of good works, sit down in our presence invested (with radiance), while your flames incline towards you.”

Here is the womb that we made for you. (It is/You are) like an eager wife, richly dressed, for her husband.
Enveloped, sit down facing our way: here are (hymns) facing you, o very knowing one.

All the standard tr. take the rel. cl. of pāda a (cakṛmā́yáṃ vayám te “[the womb] which we have made for you”) as the frame for the simile in b, with “we” matching the eager wife (jā́yā … uśatī́) and “you” (Agni) matching the husband. Oldenberg (SBE) goes so far as to supply “marriage-bed” as the match for the womb: “… as a well-dressed loving wife (prepares the marriage-bed) for her husband.” This is one possible reading, but I don’t think it is the only (or even the dominant) one; in fact, I think the simile can be matched to four different entities in the verse.

Let us begin by noting that pāda b, the self-contained simile, is found three times elsewhere (I.124.7 of Dawn, X.71.4 of Vāc, and X.91.13 of praise [suṣṭutí-] seeking Agni), in all cases of females or of entities conceived as female. An obvious “entity conceived as female” is found in the nominal main clause of pāda a, ayáṃ yóniḥ “here is the womb”: the womb, though grammatically masc., is a female accoutrement and can be matched with the wife in the simile in b. This “womb” (=fireplace) is well prepared (“richly dressed” suvā́sāḥ) and ready to receive Agni as her husband. For womb = wife, cf. III.53.4 jāyéd … séd u yóniḥ “The wife – just she is the womb.” But suvā́sāḥ elsewhere occurs in the same pāda with párivītaḥ (found in our pāda c): III.8.4a yúvā suvā́ sāḥ párivīta ā́ gāt “As a youth, richly dressed, engirded, he has come here.” Although the referent there is the sacrifical post, the vocabulary is also appropriate to Agni. Therefore it could be the Agni of c who is like a wife, eager for her husband identified with the womb in pāda a – a gender reversal that would appeal to the Rigvedic poets. (Note that the standard reading, where “we” the ritualists match the wife, also requires some gender reversal.) Finally let us consider pāda d. The subj. of d is fem., expressed by imā́u te … pratīcī́h “these facing you.” Geldner (/Witzel Gotō) supply “Frauen,” but in n. 2d Geldner suggests gíraḥ (inter alia); Renou supplies “louanges.” I think gíraḥ must be correct: there are a number of imā́u tvā/te … gíraḥ passages (e.g. VI.45.25, 28, VII.18.3, VIII.3.3), and Geldner/Renou adduce V.12.1 for gir- as well: gíram bhare vr̥ṣabhā́ ya pratīcī ́ m. As was noted above, in 2 of its 4 occurrences the “eager wife” simile has speech/praise as its comparandum, so in fact that simile in our b works best with the hymns in d: these hymns face towards you, like an eager wife to(wards) her husband.

Bloomfield discusses the simile at length ad I.124.7. He is rather sour about our passage: the construction is “very loose indeed”; “the metaphor limps decidedly.” Contra Bloomfield I consider the deployment of the simile here as an example of the poet’s extreme cleverness, with the simile applicable to every single entity in the vs. To reflect the polyvalent status of the simile, the published translation should probably be changed to “(It is / we are / you are / they are) like …,” though this would be very clumsy.

As for párivīta- ‘enveloped’ in c, the question is what Agni is enveloped in. It could be the paridhi sticks that surround the ritual fire (see, e.g., Geldner ad I.128.1, endorsed for that passage by Thieme [Unters. 19]); Witzel Gotō suggest dawn’s light or hymns; Oldenberg (SBE) offerings and prayers. It’s useful to note that párivīta- occurs twice with the loc. of yóni-: once in an Agni hymn X.46.6 párivīto yónau sīdad antáḥ (note √sad here as well) and once in the riddle hymn I.164.32 sá mātúr yónā párivīto antáḥ, so that the two concepts seem to be connected (“enveloped within the womb”).

This could fit the paridhi sticks forming a border of the fireplace conceived as a womb. It might also refer to the kindling sticks, within which fire is hidden until he is ignited (/born), hence also his womb. There is another important parallel in nearby 1.7 ananté antáḥ párivīta ā́gāt “enveloped within the limitless, he has come here”; see comm. there. On the multiple meanings of párivīta- in Agni context, see Thieme (Unters., 19-20).

Modern tr. (almost) universally take the voc. svapāka- as ‘having a lovely backside’ vel sim., related to ápāñc- ‘turned backwards’ and here implicitly contrasting with pratīcī́ḥ ‘turned towards, facing’. The one exception is Oldenberg, who in SBE (1897) tr. “O most skilful one,” an interpr. that he swiftly disavowed (ZDMG 55 [1901]: 301 [=KlSch. 760]) as “nicht zu denken” – without admitting he had in fact thought it previously. Nonetheless, I think this is a more appealing interpr. than the current standard. I take it as built to a negated á-pāka- ‘not naïve, not callow’ to pā́ka- ‘naïve, callow, simple’ – like ámūra- ‘not stupid’: mūrá- ‘stupid’. ámūra- is found three times in the Agni hymns of this maṇḍala (IV.4.12, 6.2, 11.5), always of Agni. The semantically similar ádṛpita- ‘undistracted’ in the next pāda (3a) supports this interpr. There are two other occurrences of svápāka- (VI.11.4, 12.2), both analyzed by the Pp as sú ápāka- (both adduced by Oldenberg, SBE), both modifying Agni.

In neither case does a “having a lovely backside” impose (or even suggest) itself, and I propose to include them under this stem.

This shrine have we made ready for thy coming, as the fond dame attires her for her husband.
Performer of good work, sit down before us, invested while these flames incline to meet thee.

This is the home which we have prepared for thee as a well-dressed, loving wife (prepares the marriage-bed) for her husband 1. Directed hitherward, dressed (in offerings and prayers?) 2 sit down. These (sacrificial ladles or prayers?) are turned towards thee, O most skilful one 3!

Dies ist der Schoß, den wir dir bereitet haben wie das schöngekleidete Weib voll Verlangen dem Gatten. Nimm uns zugetan Platz, rings umlegt. Diese Frauen kommen dir entgegen, der du eine schöne Rückseite bietest.

Hier ist der Schooss, den wir dir zubereitet, wie dem Gemahl die will’ge schöne Gattin, Setz nieder dich, recht nahe rings umhüllter; auch diese Tränke nah’n sich dir, willkommner.

Вот лоно, которое мы приготовили для тебя,
Словно нарядная, жаждущая жена для мужа.
Сядь, обращенный к нам, обложенный (дровами)!
Эти (молитвы?) устремлены тебе навстречу, о ты, прекрасный сзади.

• अग्निः
• वामदेवो गौतमः
• विराट्त्रिष्टुप्
• धैवतः

फिर उसी विषय को अगले मन्त्र में कहते हैं ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - हे राजन् ! (वयम्) हम लोग (ते) आपके (यम्) जिस गृह को (चकृम) बनावें सो (अयम्) यह (योनिः) गृह (पत्ये) स्वामी के लिये (उशती) कामना करती हुई (सुवासाः) सुन्दर वस्त्रों से शोभित (जायेव) मन की प्यारी स्त्री के सदृश (अर्वाचीनः) इस वर्त्तमानकाल में हुआ (परिवीतः) सब प्रकार व्याप्त उत्तम गुण जिसमें ऐसा हो, उसमें आप (नि, सीद) निवास करो और (स्वपाक) हे उत्तम प्रकार परिपक्व ज्ञानवाले ! (प्रतीचीः) प्रतीति को प्राप्त होती हुई (इमाः) यह वर्त्तमान प्रजा (उ) और (ते) आपके भक्त हों ॥२॥

भावार्थभाषाः - इस मन्त्र में उपमालङ्कार है। राजा को चाहिये कि ऐसा गृह बनावे कि जो पतिव्रता सुन्दरी मन की प्यारी स्त्री के सदृश सब ऋतुओं में सुख देवे और वहाँ स्थित हुआ ऐसे कर्म करे कि जिन कर्मों से अपनी प्रजा अनुरक्त होवें ॥२॥

अन्वय: हे राजन् ! वयं ते यं चकृम सोऽयं योनिः पत्य उशती सुवासा जायेवार्वाचीनः परिवीतोऽस्तु, तत्र त्वं निषीद। हे स्वपाक ! प्रतीचीरिमा उ ते भक्ता भवन्तु ॥२॥

पुनस्तमेव विषयमाह ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (अयम्) (योनिः) गृहम् (चकृम) कुर्य्याम। अत्र संहितायामिति दीर्घः। (यम्) प्रासादम् (वयम्) (ते) तव (जायेव) हृद्या स्त्रीव (पत्ये) स्वामिने (उशती) कामयमाना (सुवासाः) शोभनवस्त्रालङ्कृता (अर्वाचीनः) इदानीन्तनः (परिवीतः) सर्वतो व्याप्तशुभगुणः (नि) (सीद) निवस (इमाः) वर्त्तमानाः प्रजाः (उ) (ते) तव (स्वपाक) सुष्ठ्वपरिपक्वज्ञान (प्रतीचीः) प्रतीतमञ्चन्त्यः ॥२॥

भावार्थभाषाः - अत्रोपमालङ्कारः। राज्ञेदृशं गृहं निर्मातव्यं यत्पतिव्रता सुन्दरी हृद्या जायावत्सर्वेष्वृतुषु सुखं दद्यात्। तत्राऽऽसीन ईदृशानि कर्माणि कुर्य्या यैस्स्वप्रजा अनुरक्तास्स्युः ॥२॥

भावार्थभाषाः - या मंत्रात उपमालंकार आहे. जशी पतिव्रता प्रिय पत्नी सर्व ऋतूमध्ये सुख देते तसे राजाने घर बांधावे व ज्या कर्माने प्रजा संतुष्ट होईल असे कर्म करावे. ॥ २ ॥

• देवता - अग्निः
• ऋषिः - वामदेवो गौतमः
• छन्दः - त्रिष्टुप्

आशृण्वते᳓ अ᳓दृपिताय म᳓न्म
नृच᳓क्षसे सुमृळीका᳓य वेधः
देवा᳓य शस्ति᳓म् अमृ᳓ताय शंस
ग्रा᳓वेव सो᳓ता मधुषु᳓द् य᳓म् ईळे᳓

Strata
Strophic

Pāda-label
genre M
genre M
genre M
genre M

Morph
ádr̥pitāya ← ádr̥pita- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

āśr̥ṇvaté ← √śru- (root)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG, tense:PRS, voice:ACT}

mánma ← mánman- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:N, number:SG}

nr̥cákṣase ← nr̥cákṣas- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

sumr̥ḷīkā́ya ← sumr̥ḷīká- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

vedhaḥ ← vedhás- (nominal stem)
{case:VOC, gender:M, number:SG}

amŕ̥tāya ← amŕ̥ta- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

devā́ya ← devá- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

śaṁsa ← √śaṁs- (root)
{number:SG, person:2, mood:IMP, tense:PRS, voice:ACT}

śastím ← śastí- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:F, number:SG}

grā́vā ← grā́van- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}

īḷé ← √īḍ- ~ √īḷ- (root)
{number:SG, person:1, mood:IND, tense:PRS, voice:MED}

iva ← iva (invariable)

madhuṣút ← madhuṣút- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}

sótā ← sótar- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}

yám ← yá- (pronoun)
{case:ACC, gender:M, number:SG}

आ॒शृ॒ण्व॒ते । अदृ॑पिताय । मन्म॑ । नृ॒ऽचक्ष॑से । सु॒ऽमृ॒ळी॒काय॑ । वे॒धः॒ ।
दे॒वाय॑ । श॒स्तिम् । अ॒मृता॑य । शं॒स॒ । ग्रावा॑ऽइव । सोता॑ । म॒धु॒ऽसुत् । यम् । ई॒ळे ॥

• āśṛṇvate ← ā ← a
• [adverb]
• “not; akāra; a [taddhita]; a [word]; a; a.”

• āśṛṇvate ← śṛṇvate ← śru
• [verb noun], dative, singular
• “listen; come to know; hear; hear; listen; study; heed; learn.”

• adṛpitāya ← a
• [adverb]
• “not; akāra; a [taddhita]; a [word]; a; a.”

• adṛpitāya ← dṛpitāya ← dṛp
• [verb noun], dative, singular

• manma ← manman
• [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
• “hymn; idea; purpose.”

• nṛcakṣase ← nṛ
• [noun], masculine
• “man; man; nṛ [word]; crew; masculine.”

• nṛcakṣase ← cakṣase ← cakṣas
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “eye; look; radiance.”

• sumṛﾱīkāya ← su
• [adverb]
• “very; well; good; nicely; beautiful; su; early; quite.”

• sumṛﾱīkāya ← mṛﾱīkāya ← mṛḍīka
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “compassion; favor.”

• vedhaḥ ← vedhas
• [noun], vocative, singular, masculine
• “Brahma; creator; believer [worshipper]; Vishnu.”

• devāya ← deva
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “Deva; Hindu deity; king; deity; Indra; deva [word]; God; Jina; Viśvedevās; mercury; natural phenomenon; gambling.”

• śastim ← śasti
• [noun], accusative, singular, feminine
• “hymn; praise.”

• amṛtāya ← amṛta
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “immortal; amṛta; imperishable.”

• śaṃsa ← śaṃs
• [verb], singular, Present imperative
• “recommend; tell; praise; approve; communicate; recite; commend; bode; name; agree.”

• grāveva ← grāvā ← grāvan
• [noun], nominative, singular, masculine
• “stone; millstone; grindstone; mountain.”

• grāveva ← iva
• [adverb]
• “like; as it were; somehow; just so.”

• sotā ← sotṛ
• [noun], nominative, singular, masculine

• madhuṣud ← madhuṣut
• [noun], nominative, singular, masculine

• yam ← yad
• [noun], accusative, singular, masculine
• “who; which; yat [pronoun].”

• īḍe ← īḍ
• [verb], singular, Present indikative
• “praise; invite; raise.”

वेधः स्तोत्राणां कर्तर्हे स्तोतः आशृण्वते स्तोत्राकर्णनपराय अदृपिताय अदृप्तायाप्रमत्ताय नृचक्षसे नृणां द्रष्ट्रे सुमृळीकाय सुसुखाय अमृताय मरणधर्मरहिताय देवाय तस्मा अग्नये मन्म स्तोत्रं शस्तिं शस्त्रं च शंस । मधुषुत् मदकरस्य सोमस्य सोता । तत्र दृष्टान्तः । ग्रावेव । यथा ग्रावा सोमस्य सोता तद्वत् । सोमाभिषवं कुर्वाणो यजमानः यम् अग्निम् ईळे स्तौति । तस्मै शंसेति समन्वयः। यद्वा। मधुषुत् सोमसुद्यजमानोऽग्निमीळे स्तौति । तत्र दृष्टान्तः । यथा ग्रावा सोमस्य सोता शब्दं करोति । ‘ प्रैते वदन्तु प्र वयं वदाम ग्रावभ्यः’ (ऋ. सं. १०. ९४. १ ) इत्यत्र ग्राव्णां शब्दकर्तृत्वं श्रुतमिति ॥ आशृण्वते । ‘ शतुरनुमः’ इति विभक्तेरुदात्तत्वम् । ईळे। ईड स्तुतौ ’ । लटि ‘ लोपस्त आत्मनेपदेषु ’ इति तलोपः । यद्वा । लिटि तशब्दस्य एशादेशे कृते रूपम् ॥

English translation:

“Repeat, oḥ priest, the praise, the prayer, to the attentive, the affable Agni, the beholder of man, the giver of felicity, the divine, the immortal; to him whom the effuser of the libation, like the (bruising) stone, adores aloud.”

To him [=Agni] who listens undistracted to the thought, to the one drawing the gaze of men, the very gracious one—o ritual adept—
to the god, the immortal, chant the chant, the god whom the (human) presser invokes like the honey-pressing pressing stone.

Geldner takes the voc. vedhaḥ as the poet’s self-address, which is certainly possible; he is commanding himself to recite (śaṃsa). This does not solve the question of the person of the verb īḷé in d. Although this form is universally rendered (incl. in the published tr) as a 3rd sg. (and analyzed, because of its accent, as the only perfect form to this root, against root pres. ī́ḷe, ī́ṭṭe; see Kümmel 122), it could of course also be a 1st sg. pf., with sótā an appositive to the underlying 1st ps. subj. (“I the presser”). Since the surrounding vss. (2 and 4) have explicit 1st persons (though pl.), I would be inclined to emend the published translation to “whom I, the presser, invoke …” Pāda d plays on the standard Rigvedic notion that the soma-pressing stones are very noisy and that their noise is like that of the priestly recitation and singing happening at the same time. The question here is which of the three terms in the phrase grā́veva sótā madhuṣút belongs to the simile and which to the frame. On the basis of X.64.15 grā́vevā yátra madhuṣúd ucyáte bṛhát, I take grā́vā … madhuṣút “the honey-pressing (pressing) stone” as a discontinuous simile, with the frame represented by sótā in between. Geldner, Renou, Witzel Gotō, Kümmel (122), and Scarlatta (615) take the simile to be grā́veva sótā and the frame madhuṣút; Oldenberg (SBE) confines the simile to grā́vā with the frame sótā madhuṣút. Either of these configurations avoids a discontinuous simile, but such similes are not rare and the phraseology of X.64.15 supports my analysis. Little rests on it, however.

A hymn, O Priest, to him who hears, the gentle, to him who looks on men, exceeding gracious,
A song of praise sing to the God Immortal, whom the stone, presser of the sweet juice, worships.

To him who hears us, who is not proud, who beholds men, to the merciful, immortal god recite a prayer, O worshipper, a hymn—(to Agni) whom the presser (of Soma), the Madhu-presser, magnifies like the pressing-stone 1.

Ihm, der nicht zerstreut zuhört, trag, o Meister, das Gedicht vor, dem gnädigen mit dem Herrenauge, dem unsterblichen Gotte das Preislied, den der Honigpresser ruft wie der pressende Stein.

Dem holdgesinnten, welcher hört und aufmerkt, dem männerschaunden sprich Gebet, Verehrer; Dem Gotte, dem Unsterblichen ein Loblied, ihn ruf’ ich, wie der Stein, der Soma keltert.

Для прислушивающегося, нерассеянного, взирающего на мужей,
Очень сочувственного, о устроитель (обряда),
Бога произнеси молитву (и) и хвалу бессмертного,
(Для того,) кого зовет выжиматель сладкого (сомы), как и давильный камень.

• अग्निः
• वामदेवो गौतमः
• विराट्त्रिष्टुप्
• धैवतः

फिर उसी विषय को अगले मन्त्र में कहते हैं ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - हे (वेधः) बुद्धिमान् राजन् ! (यम्) जिसकी मैं (ईळे) स्तुति करता हूँ (आशृण्वते) सब प्रकार सुनते हुए (अदृपिताय) मोहरहित (नृचक्षसे) सत्य और असत्य व्यवहारों को करते हुए जनों के साक्षात् देखने और (सुमृळीकाय) उत्तम प्रकार सुख देनेवाले, सुख और (अमृताय) जल के सदृश शान्तस्वरूप (देवाय) उत्तम गुणों से युक्त आपके लिये (मन्म) विज्ञान का मैं उपदेश देता हूँ, वैसे आप (ग्रावेव) मेघ के सदृश (मधुषुत्) मधुरताओं के उत्पन्न करनेवाले (सोता) अभिषेक करनेवाले हुए (शस्तिम्) प्रशंसा की (शंस) स्तुति कीजिये अर्थात् प्रबन्ध से कहिये ॥३॥

भावार्थभाषाः - वह ही राजा उत्तम होता है कि जो मोह आदि दोषों से रहित होकर सब वचनों का सुनने, सत्य और असत्य का देखने और मेघ के सदृश प्रजा में अनेक प्रकार का भोग प्राप्त करानेवाला न्यायाधीश होवे ॥३॥

अन्वय: हे वेधो राजन् ! यमहमीळ आशृण्वतेऽदृपिताय नृचक्षसे सुमृळीकायाऽमृताय देवाय ते मन्माहमुपदिशेय तथा त्वं ग्रावेव मधुषुत्सोता सञ्छस्तिं शंस ॥३॥

पुनस्तमेव विषयमाह ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (आशृण्वते) समन्ताच्छ्रवणं कुर्वते (अदृपिताय) अमोहिताय (मन्म) विज्ञानम् (नृचक्षसे) सत्याऽसत्यकर्तॄणां जनानां साक्षाद्द्रष्ट्रे (सुमृळीकाय) सुसुखप्रदाय सुखस्वरूपाय (वेधः) मेधाविन् राजन् (देवाय) दिव्यगुणसम्पन्नाय (शस्तिम्) प्रशंसाम् (अमृताय) जलवच्छान्तस्वरूपाय (शंस) स्तुहि (ग्रावेव) मेघ इव (सोता) अभिषवस्य कर्त्ता (मधुषुत्) यो मधूनि मधुराणि सुनोति सः (यम्) (ईळे) स्तौमि ॥३॥

भावार्थभाषाः - स एव राजोत्तमो भवति यो मोहादिदोषरहितः सर्वेषां वचनानां श्रोता सत्याऽसत्ययोर्द्रष्टा मेघवत्प्रजायां विविधभोगप्रापको न्यायेशः स्यात् ॥३॥

भावार्थभाषाः - जो मोह इत्यादी रहित, सर्वांचे बोलणे ऐकणारा श्रोता, सत्य व असत्य द्रष्टा व मेघवृष्टीप्रमाणे प्रजेला अनेक प्रकारचे भोग प्राप्त करवून देणारा न्यायाधीश असेल तर तोच राजा श्रेष्ठ असतो. ॥ ३ ॥

• देवता - अग्निः
• ऋषिः - वामदेवो गौतमः
• छन्दः - त्रिष्टुप्

तुवं᳓ चिन् नः श᳓मिया अग्ने अस्या᳓
ऋत᳓स्य बोधि ऋतचित् सुआधीः᳓
कदा᳓ त उक्था᳓ सधमा᳓दियानि
कदा᳓ भवन्ति सखिया᳓ गृहे᳓ ते

Strata
Strophic

Pāda-label
genre M
genre M
genre M
genre M

Morph
agne ← agní- (nominal stem)
{case:VOC, gender:M, number:SG}

asyā́ḥ ← ayám (pronoun)
{case:ABL, gender:F, number:SG}

cit ← cit (invariable)

naḥ ← ahám (pronoun)
{case:ACC, number:PL}

śámyāḥ ← śámī- (nominal stem)
{case:GEN, gender:F, number:SG}

tvám ← tvám (pronoun)
{case:NOM, number:SG}

bodhi ← √budh- (root)
{number:SG, person:2, mood:IMP, tense:AOR, voice:ACT}

r̥tacit ← r̥tacít- (nominal stem)
{case:VOC, gender:M, number:SG}

r̥tásya ← r̥tá- (nominal stem)
{case:GEN, gender:N, number:SG}

svādhī́ḥ ← svādhī́- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}

kadā́ ← kadā́ (invariable)

sadhamā́dyāni ← sadhamā́dya- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:PL}

te ← tvám (pronoun)
{case:DAT, number:SG}

ukthā́ ← ukthá- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:PL}

bhavanti ← √bhū- (root)
{number:PL, person:3, mood:IND, tense:PRS, voice:ACT}

gr̥hé ← gr̥há- (nominal stem)
{case:LOC, gender:M, number:SG}

kadā́ ← kadā́ (invariable)

sakhyā́ ← sakhyá- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:PL}

te ← tvám (pronoun)
{case:DAT, number:SG}

त्वम् । चि॒त् । नः॒ । शम्यै॑ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । अ॒स्याः । ऋ॒तस्य॑ । बो॒धि॒ । ऋ॒त॒ऽचि॒त् । सु॒ऽआ॒धीः ।
क॒दा । ते॒ । उ॒क्था । स॒ध॒ऽमाद्या॑नि । क॒दा । भ॒व॒न्ति॒ । स॒ख्या । गृ॒हे । ते॒ ॥

• tvaṃ ← tvam ← tvad
• [noun], nominative, singular
• “you.”

• cin ← cit
• [adverb]
• “even; indeed.”

• naḥ ← mad
• [noun], genitive, plural
• “I; mine.”

• śamyā ← śamyāḥ ← śamī
• [noun], genitive, singular, feminine
• “Prosopis spicigera Linn.; śamī [word]; Acacia sundra; attempt; labor.”

• agne ← agni
• [noun], vocative, singular, masculine
• “fire; Agni; sacrificial fire; digestion; cautery; Plumbago zeylanica; fire; vahni; agni [word]; agnikarman; gold; three; jāraṇa; pyre; fireplace; heating.”

• asyā ← asyāḥ ← idam
• [noun], genitive, singular, feminine
• “this; he,she,it (pers. pron.); here.”

• ṛtasya ← ṛta
• [noun], genitive, singular, neuter
• “truth; order; fixed order; ṛta [word]; law; custom; custom.”

• bodhy ← bodhi ← budh
• [verb], singular, Aorist imperative
• “understand; notice; wake up; observe; detect; attend to; awaken; attend.”

• ṛtacit ← ṛta
• [noun], neuter
• “truth; order; fixed order; ṛta [word]; law; custom; custom.”

• ṛtacit ← cit
• [noun], nominative, singular, masculine

• svādhīḥ ← svādhī
• [noun], nominative, singular, masculine
• “devout; heedful; prudent.”

• kadā
• [adverb]
• “when; kadā [word].”

• ta ← te ← tvad
• [noun], dative, singular
• “you.”

• ukthā ← uktha
• [noun], nominative, plural, neuter
• “hymn; praise; uktha [word]; encomium.”

• sadhamādyāni ← sadhamādya
• [noun], nominative, plural, neuter

• kadā
• [adverb]
• “when; kadā [word].”

• bhavanti ← bhū
• [verb], plural, Present indikative
• “become; be; originate; transform; happen; result; exist; be born; be; be; come to life; grow; elapse; come to mind; thrive; become; impend; show; conceive; understand; stand; constitute; serve; apply; behave.”

• sakhyā ← sakhya
• [noun], nominative, plural, neuter
• “friendship; aid; company.”

• gṛhe ← gṛha
• [noun], locative, singular, neuter
• “house; palace; temple; home; place; family; family; stable.”

• te ← tvad
• [noun], genitive, singular
• “you.”

हे अग्ने त्वं चित् त्वमेव शम्यै। शमीशब्दः कर्मनाम। अस्याः शम्यै नः अस्मत्संबन्धिनोऽस्य कर्मणो देवता भवसि । हे ऋतचित् सत्यज्ञ हे अग्ने स्वाधीः सुकर्मा सुध्यानो वा त्वम् ऋतस्य बोधि अस्मदीयं स्तोत्रं बुध्यस्व । ते तव सधमाद्यानि सहमदनिमित्तानि उक्था शस्त्राणि कदा कस्मिन् काले भवन्ति भविष्यन्ति । तथास्मदीये गृहे ते त्वया सह सख्या सख्यानि कदा भविष्यन्ति ॥ सधमाद्यानि । मादयतेर्ण्यन्तस्य ‘अचो यत्’ इति यत् । ‘सध मादस्थयोः’ इति सहस्य सधादेशः । भवन्ति । “ विभाषा कदाकर्ह्योः’ (पा. सू. ३. ३. ५) इति भविष्यदर्थे लट् ॥

English translation:

“You Agni, preside over this our rite; do you who are cognizant of truth, and the author of good works, recognize this our adoration, whenever these exhilarating prayers (are addressed) to you whenever friendly relations with you are (established) in our dwelling.”

Agni, at least become aware of this (ritual) labor of ours, of (our expression of) truth, o perceiver of truth, as one who is very
concerned.
When will our solemn words become your feasting companions? When will your fellowship (come to) be in our house?

My “at least” for cid follows Geldner (“wenigstens”). This somewhat testy note seems to introduce the next part of the hymn, with its anxious or annoyed questions to Agni about his relationship to the sacrificers and how he will represent it to the other gods.

The śámī- and the ṛtá- here presumably refer to the complementary physical and verbal aspects of the sacrifice. On ṛtá- as “Kultlied” in this and similar passages, see Lüders (esp. 442-43).

Even as true knower of the Law, O Agni, to this our solemn rite he thou attentive.
When shall thy songs of festival be sung thee? When is thy friendship shown within our dwelling?

Thou who art well-intentioned, give heed to this our toiling 1, to this Rita 2, O observer of Rita! When will our hymns share in thy rejoicings? When will our friendship dwell in thy house?

Merke du wenigstens auf diesen Opferdienst von uns, o Agni, wohlmeinend auf das rechte Werk, des Rechten Kundiger! Wann werden dir die Loblieder zum Mittrunk recht sein? Wann wird deine Freundschaft im Hause sein?

Beachte recht dies unser Werk, o Agni, den frommen Brauch, o Kenner frommen Brauches; Wann tönen dir die frohen Festgesänge? wann schliesst sich Freundschaft dir in deinem Hause?

Хоть бы ты, о Агни, заметил благожелательно это наше
Старание (при обряде), порядок, о знаток порядка!
Когда же гимны, произнесенные при совместном опьянении (сомой, понравятся) тебе?
Когда (твои) дружеские чувства будут в доме (у нас)?

• अग्निः
• वामदेवो गौतमः
• स्वराड्बृहती
• मध्यमः

फिर उसी विषय को अगले मन्त्र में कहते हैं ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - हे (अग्ने) अग्नि के सदृश वर्त्तमान राजन् (त्वम्) आप (नः) हम लोगों की (अस्याः) इस प्रजा के (ऋतस्य) सत्य के (शम्यै) कर्म्म के लिये (स्वाधीः) उत्तम प्रकार सब प्रकार विचार करने और (ऋतचित्) सत्य का संग्रह करनेवाला होते हुए (कदा) कब (बोधि) जानो और (चित्) भी (ते) आपके (गृहे) गृह में (सधमाद्यानि) मेल के स्थानों में श्रेष्ठ और (उक्था) उचित भी (ते) तुम्हारे (सख्या) मित्रों के कर्म्म वा अभिप्राय (कदा) कब (भवन्ति) होते हैं ॥४॥

भावार्थभाषाः - हे राजन् ! आप जब प्रजा के सत्य न्याय को करेंगे, तब ही आपकी आज्ञा के अनुकूल वर्त्ताव करके प्रजा एकसम्मति से होंगीं ॥४॥

अन्वय: हे अग्ने राजंस्त्वं नोऽअस्या ऋतस्य शम्यै स्वाधीर्ऋतचित्सन्कदा बोधि चिदपि ते गृहे सधमाद्यान्युक्था चिदपि ते सख्या कदा भवन्ति ॥४॥

पुनस्तमेव विषयमाह ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (त्वम्) (चित्) अपि (नः) अस्माकम् (शम्यै) कर्मणे (अग्ने) पावकवद्वर्त्तमान (अस्याः) प्रजायाः (ऋतस्य) सत्यस्य (बोधि) बुध्यस्व (ऋतचित्) य ऋतं सत्यं चिनोति सः (स्वाधीः) यः सुष्ठु समन्ताच्चिन्तयति (कदा) (ते) तव (उक्था) उचितानि (सधमाद्यानि) सहस्थानेषु साधूनि (कदा) (भवन्ति) (सख्या) सखीनां कर्माणि भावा वा (गृहे) (ते) ॥४॥

भावार्थभाषाः - हे राजंस्त्वं यदा प्रजायाः सत्यं न्यायं करिष्यसि तदैव तवाऽऽज्ञायां वर्त्तित्वा प्रजा एकमत्या भविष्यन्ति ॥४॥

भावार्थभाषाः - हे राजा ! तू जेव्हा प्रजेचा सत्य न्याय करशील तेव्हाच तुझी प्रजा तुझ्या अनुकूल वर्तन करून एका विचाराने वागेल. ॥ ४ ॥

• देवता - अग्निः
• ऋषिः - वामदेवो गौतमः
• छन्दः - त्रिष्टुप्

कथा᳓ ह त᳓द् व᳓रुणाय त्व᳓म् अग्ने
कथा᳓ दिवे᳓ गर्हसे क᳓न् न आ᳓गः
कथा᳓ मित्रा᳓य मीळ्हु᳓षे पृथिव्यइ᳓
ब्र᳓वः क᳓द् अर्यमणे᳓ क᳓द् भ᳓गाय

Strata
Strophic

Pāda-label
genre M
genre M
genre M
genre M

Morph
agne ← agní- (nominal stem)
{case:VOC, gender:M, number:SG}

ha ← ha (invariable)

kathā́ ← kathā́ (invariable)

tát ← sá- ~ tá- (pronoun)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG}

tvám ← tvám (pronoun)
{case:NOM, number:SG}

váruṇāya ← váruṇa- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

ā́gaḥ ← ā́gas- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG}

divé ← dyú- ~ div- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

garhase ← √gr̥h- (root)
{number:SG, person:2, mood:SBJV, tense:PRS, voice:MED}

kát ← ká- (pronoun)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG}

kathā́ ← kathā́ (invariable)

naḥ ← ahám (pronoun)
{case:ACC, number:PL}

kathā́ ← kathā́ (invariable)

mīḷhúṣe ← mīḍhváṁs- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

mitrā́ya ← mitrá- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

pr̥thivyaí ← pr̥thivī́- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:F, number:SG}

aryamṇé ← áryaman- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

bhágāya ← bhága- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

brávaḥ ← √brū- (root)
{number:SG, person:2, mood:SBJV, tense:PRS, voice:ACT}

kát ← ká- (pronoun)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG}

kát ← ká- (pronoun)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG}

क॒था । ह॒ । तत् । वरु॑णाय । त्वम् । अ॒ग्ने॒ । क॒था । दि॒वे । ग॒र्ह॒से॒ । कत् । नः॒ । आगः॑ ।
क॒था । मि॒त्राय॑ । मी॒ळ्हुषे॑ । पृ॒थि॒व्यै । ब्रवः॑ । कत् । अ॒र्य॒म्णे । कत् । भगा॑य ॥

• kathā
• [adverb]
• “how.”

• ha
• [adverb]
• “indeed; ha [word].”

• tad ← tat ← tad
• [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
• “this; he,she,it (pers. pron.); respective(a); that; nominative; then; particular(a); genitive; instrumental; accusative; there; tad [word]; dative; once; same.”

• varuṇāya ← varuṇa
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “Varuna; varuṇa [word]; Crataeva religiosa Forst.; Varuṇa; varuṇādi.”

• tvam ← tvad
• [noun], nominative, singular
• “you.”

• agne ← agni
• [noun], vocative, singular, masculine
• “fire; Agni; sacrificial fire; digestion; cautery; Plumbago zeylanica; fire; vahni; agni [word]; agnikarman; gold; three; jāraṇa; pyre; fireplace; heating.”

• kathā
• [adverb]
• “how.”

• dive ← div
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “sky; Svarga; day; div [word]; heaven and earth; day; dawn.”

• garhase ← garh
• [verb], singular, Present indikative
• “blame; reject; reprimand.”

• kan ← kad ← ka
• [noun], nominative, singular, neuter
• “what; who; ka [pronoun].”

• na ← naḥ ← mad
• [noun], genitive, plural
• “I; mine.”

• āgaḥ ← āgas
• [noun], nominative, singular, neuter
• “sin; evildoing; mistake.”

• kathā
• [adverb]
• “how.”

• mitrāya ← mitra
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “friend; Mitra; mitra [word]; sun; ally.”

• mīḍhuṣe ← mīḍhvas
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “big.”

• pṛthivyai ← pṛthivī
• [noun], dative, singular, feminine
• “Earth; pṛthivī; floor; Earth; earth; pṛthivī [word]; land.”

• bravaḥ ← brū
• [verb], singular, Present conjunctive (subjunctive)
• “say; tell; describe; speak; state; answer; call; explain; address; proclaim; talk; talk; choose.”

• kad ← ka
• [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
• “what; who; ka [pronoun].”

• aryamṇe ← aryaman
• [noun], dative, singular
• “Aryaman; aryaman [word]; sun.”

• kad ← ka
• [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
• “what; who; ka [pronoun].”

• bhagāya ← bhaga
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “Bhaga; vulva; good fortune; vagina; bhaga [word]; sun; well-being; happiness; overlord.”

हे अग्ने त्वं तत् अस्मदीयं पापं वरुणाय कथा गर्हसे । केन हेतुना गर्हापूर्वमवेदयेः । ह इति पूरणः । दिवे द्युलोकाय द्योतमानाय सूर्याय वा कथा कथं तत्पापमावेदयेः । नः अस्माकम् आगः तत्पापं कत् किमस्ति । त्वत्परिचरणान्नास्तीत्यर्थः । तथा मीळ्हुषे अभिमतफलसेक्त्रे मित्राय पृथिव्यै च कथा ब्रवः कथमागो ब्रूयाः । अर्यम्णे देवाय भगाय एतन्नामकाय च देवाय कत् कथं ब्रूयाः ॥ कथा । किंशब्दात् ‘था हेतौ च छन्दसि’ इति थाप्रत्ययः । ‘ प्राग्दिशो विभक्तिः’ इति विभक्तिसंज्ञायां: किमः कः ’ ( पा. सू. ७. २. १०३ ) इति कादेशः । मीळ्हुषे । मिह सेचने ’ । क्वसौ ’ दाश्वान् साह्वान् मीढ्वांश्च ’ इति निपातितः । ब्रवः । ‘ ब्रूञ् व्यक्तायां वाचि’। लेटि ‘लेटोऽडाटौ ’ इत्यडागमः । पादादित्वादनिघातः । आगमस्यानुदात्तत्वात् धातुस्वरः ॥ ॥ २० ॥

English translation:

“Why, Agni, do you reproach us (for our sin) to Varuṇa, why to the heaven? what is our offence? why repeat it to the bountiful Mitra, to earth, to Aryaman, or to Bhaga?”

How will you complain about this to Varuṇa, o Agni, how to Heaven? What is our offense?
How will you speak to Mitra the rewarder, to Earth? What to
Aryaman, to Fortune?

The last pāda would be more accurately rendered “What to Aryaman, what to Fortune?”

Why this complaint to Varuna, O Agni? And why to Heaven? for what is our transgression?
How wilt thou speak to Earth and bounteous Mitra? What wilt thou say to Aryaman and Bhaga?

How wilt thou, O Agni, before Varuna, and how wilt thou, and which sin of ours wilt thou blame before Dyaus? How wilt thou speak to bountiful Mitra, to the Earth? What (wilt thou say) to Aryaman, to Bhaga?

Wie magst du, Agni, uns dafür bei Varuna, wie bei dem Himmel verklagen? Welches ist unser Vergehen? Wie wirst du zum gnädigen Mitra, zu der Erde sprechen, was zu Aryaman, was zu Bhaga?

Wie klagst du das dem Varuna, o Agni? warum dem Himmel? was ist unsre Sünde? Warum dem gnäd’gen Mitra und der Erde? was sagst du nun dem Arjaman und Bhaga?

Как же можешь ты на это Варуне, о Агни,
Как ты можешь небу жаловаться? Что за вина у нас?
Как Митре щедрому, земле
Ты скажешь? Что Арьяману? Что Бхаге?

• अग्निः
• वामदेवो गौतमः
• निचृत्त्रिष्टुप्
• धैवतः

अब उपदेशक विषय को अगले मन्त्र में कहते हैं ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - हे (अग्ने) अग्नि के सदृश वर्त्तमान ! (त्वम्) आप (ह) ही (कथा) किस प्रकार (वरुणाय) श्रेष्ठ की (गर्हसे) निन्दा करते हो (कथा) किस प्रकार (दिवे) प्रकाशमान के लिये निन्दा करते हो (नः) हम लोगों के (आगः) अपराध की (कत्) कब निन्दा करते हो (मीळ्हुषे) सुख बढ़ानेवाले (मित्राय) मित्र के लिये (कथा) किस प्रकार निन्दा करते हो (पृथिव्यै) पृथिवी के सदृश वर्त्तमान स्त्री के लिये (तत्) उस वचन को (कत्) कब (ब्रवः) कहो (अर्य्यम्णे) न्यायाधीश के लिये और (भगाय) ऐश्वर्य्य के लिये (कत्) कब कहो ॥५॥

भावार्थभाषाः - हे विद्वानो ! जो राजा श्रेष्ठ वा विद्वानों की निन्दा करे, वह आप लोगों से रोकने योग्य है और सब राजकर्मों की सिद्धि के लिये समयव्यवस्था करनी चाहिये और जब-जब जो-जो कर्म करना हो तब-तब वह-वह कर्म करना चाहिये । इस प्रकार राजा को उपदेश करना चाहिये, जब मित्रद्रोह का आचरण करे तभी उसको शिक्षा देनी चाहिये, ऐसा करने पर राजा और प्रजा दोनों की निरन्तर उन्नति होवे ॥५॥

अन्वय: हे अग्ने ! त्वं ह कथा वरुणाय गर्हसे कथा दिवे गर्हसे न आगः कद् गर्हसे मीळ्हुषे मित्राय कथा गर्हसे पृथिव्यै तद्वचः कद् ब्रवोऽर्य्यम्णे भगाय च कद् ब्रवः ॥५॥

अथोपदेशकविषयमाह ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (कथा) केन प्रकारेण (ह) किल (तत्) (वरुणाय) श्रेष्ठाय (त्वम्) (अग्ने) पावकवद्वर्त्तमान (कथा) (दिवे) प्रकाशमानाय (गर्हसे) निन्दसि (कत्) कदा (नः) अस्माकम् (आगः) अपराधम् (कथा) (मित्राय) सख्ये (मीळ्हुषे) सुखवर्धकाय (पृथिव्यै) पृथिवीवद्वर्त्तमानायै स्त्रियै (ब्रवः) ब्रूयाः (कत्) कदा (अर्यम्णे) न्यायाधीशाय (कत्) कदा (भगाय) ऐश्वर्य्याय ॥५॥

भावार्थभाषाः - हे विद्वांसो ! यदि राजा श्रेष्ठस्य विदुषां वा निन्दां कुर्य्यात् तदैव भवद्भिर्निरोद्धव्यः सर्वेषां राजकर्म्मणां सिद्धये समयव्यवस्था कार्य्या यदा यदा यत् यत्कर्म कर्त्तव्यं भवेत्तदा तदा तत्तत्कर्म्म कर्त्तव्यमिति राजोपदेष्टव्यो यदा मित्रद्रोहमाचरेत् तदैव शिक्षणीय एवं कृते राजप्रजयोः सततमुन्नतिर्भवेत् ॥५॥

भावार्थभाषाः - हे विद्वानांनो ! जो राजा श्रेष्ठ किंवा विद्वानाची निंदा करतो त्याला रोखले पाहिजे. सर्व राजकर्म सिद्ध करण्यासाठी वेळेची तरतूद केली पाहिजे व जेव्हा जेव्हा जे कर्म करावयाचे तेव्हा तेव्हा ते कर्म केले पाहिजे अशा प्रकारचा राजाला उपदेश करावा. जेव्हा मित्रद्रोहाचे आचरण घडेल तेव्हा शिक्षण दिले पाहिजे. असे केल्याने राजा व प्रजा या दोन्हींची उन्नती होते. ॥ ५ ॥

• देवता - अग्निः
• ऋषिः - वामदेवो गौतमः
• छन्दः - त्रिष्टुप्

क᳓द् धि᳓ष्णियासु वृधसानो᳓ अग्ने
क᳓द् वा᳓ताय प्र᳓तवसे शुभंये᳓
प᳓रिज्मने ना᳓सतियाय क्षे᳓
ब्र᳓वः क᳓द् अग्ने रुदरा᳓य+ नृघ्ने᳓

Strata
Strophic

Pāda-label
genre M
genre M
genre M
genre M

Morph
agne ← agní- (nominal stem)
{case:VOC, gender:M, number:SG}

dhíṣṇyāsu ← dhíṣṇya- (nominal stem)
{case:LOC, gender:F, number:PL}

kát ← ká- (pronoun)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG}

vr̥dhasānáḥ ← vr̥dhasāná- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}

kát ← ká- (pronoun)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG}

prátavase ← prátavas- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

śubhaṁyé ← śubhaṁyā́- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

vā́tāya ← vā́ta- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

kṣé ← kṣám- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

nā́satyāya ← nā́satya- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

párijmane ← párijman- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

agne ← agní- (nominal stem)
{case:VOC, gender:M, number:SG}

brávaḥ ← √brū- (root)
{number:SG, person:2, mood:SBJV, tense:PRS, voice:ACT}

kát ← ká- (pronoun)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG}

nr̥ghné ← nr̥hán- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

rudrā́ya ← rudrá- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

कत् । धिष्ण्या॑सु । वृ॒ध॒सा॒नः । अ॒ग्ने॒ । कत् । वाता॑य । प्रऽत॑वसे । शु॒भ॒म्ऽये ।
परि॑ऽज्मने । नास॑त्याय । क्षे । ब्रवः॑ । कत् । अ॒ग्ने॒ । रु॒द्राय॑ । नृ॒ऽघ्ने ॥

• kad ← ka
• [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
• “what; who; ka [pronoun].”

• dhiṣṇyāsu ← dhiṣṇyā
• [noun], locative, plural, feminine

• vṛdhasāno ← vṛdhasānaḥ ← vṛdh
• [verb noun], nominative, singular
• “increase; grow; vṛdh; increase; succeed; strengthen; grow up; spread.”

• agne ← agni
• [noun], vocative, singular, masculine
• “fire; Agni; sacrificial fire; digestion; cautery; Plumbago zeylanica; fire; vahni; agni [word]; agnikarman; gold; three; jāraṇa; pyre; fireplace; heating.”

• kad ← ka
• [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
• “what; who; ka [pronoun].”

• vātāya ← vāta
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “vāta; wind; fart; Vayu; air; draft; vāta [word]; Vāta; rheumatism; Marut.”

• pratavase ← pratavas
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine

• śubhaṃye ← śubhaṃyā
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine

• parijmane ← parijman
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “encompassing(a).”

• nāsatyāya ← nāsatya
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “Asvins; nāsatya [word].”

• kṣe ← kṣā
• [noun], dative, singular, feminine
• “Earth; Earth.”

• bravaḥ ← brū
• [verb], singular, Present conjunctive (subjunctive)
• “say; tell; describe; speak; state; answer; call; explain; address; proclaim; talk; talk; choose.”

• kad ← ka
• [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
• “what; who; ka [pronoun].”

• agne ← agni
• [noun], vocative, singular, masculine
• “fire; Agni; sacrificial fire; digestion; cautery; Plumbago zeylanica; fire; vahni; agni [word]; agnikarman; gold; three; jāraṇa; pyre; fireplace; heating.”

• rudrāya ← rudra
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “Shiva; Rudra; eleven; rudra [word]; eleventh.”

• nṛghne ← nṛ
• [noun], masculine
• “man; man; nṛ [word]; crew; masculine.”

• nṛghne ← ghne ← han
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “killing; curative; destroying; removing; māraka; stabbing.”

हे अग्ने धिष्ण्यासु आग्नीध्रीयादिधिष्ण्येषु वृधसानः घृताद्याहुतिभिर्वर्धमानस्त्वं कत् कथं ब्रूयाः । प्रतवसे प्रकृष्टबलाय शुभंये शुभस्य प्रापयित्रे परिज्मने परितो गन्त्रे नासत्याय सत्यस्य नेत्रे। यद्वा न विद्यतेऽसत्यं यस्य तस्मै । वाताय वायवे । यद्वा नासत्याय इति वचनव्यत्ययः । नासत्याभ्यामश्विभ्याम् । क्षे। क्षा इति पृथिवीमाह। क्षियन्ति निवसन्त्यस्यां प्राणिन इति । तस्यै क्षे पृथिव्यै च कत् कथं ब्रूयाः । हे अग्ने नृघ्ने नृणां पापकृतां हन्त्रे रुद्राय देवाय कत् कथमागः ब्रवः ब्रूयाः ॥ वृधसानः । वृधु वर्धने’ । असानच्’ इत्यनुवृत्तौ ‘ऋञ्जिवृधिमन्दिसहिभ्यः कित्’ इति असानच्प्रत्ययः । कित्त्वादगुणः । चित्त्वादन्तोदात्तः । शुभंये । ’ या प्रापणे ’ । विच् । ‘तत्पुरुषे कृति बहुलम् ’ इति द्वितीयायाः अप्यलुक् । कृत्स्वरः । क्षे । ‘ क्षि निवासगत्योः । ‘ अन्येभ्योऽपि दृश्यते ’ इत्यधिकरणे डः । ततष्टाप् । चतुर्थ्येकवचने ’ आतो धातोः’ इत्यत्र ‘ आतः’ इति योगविभागात आकारलोपः। नृघ्ने । हन हिंसागत्योः । ‘ बहुलं छन्दसि’ इति क्विप् ॥

English translation:

“Why repeat it when exalted in holy ceremonies? why tell it to the mighty, benevolent, circumambient, truthful wind? why, Agni, to earth, why to man-destroying Rudra?”

Commentary by Sāyaṇa: Ṛgveda-bhāṣya

To man-destroying Rudra: rudrāya nṛghne, the man-slayer, Rudra, the slayer of wicked men

What (will you say), Agni, having grown strong on the holy places [=ritual hearths], what to the Wind projecting strength, charging to beauty,
(what) to the earth-circling (chariot) of the Nāsatyas, for it to appear? What will you say, Agni, to man-smiting Rudra?

Note that all four pādas rhyme: agne# (a), śubhaṃyé# (b), kṣé# (c), nṛghné (d); also 7ab pūṣṇé# … havirdé#, an unusual effect in RVic verse.

The so-called “double stem” vṛdhasāná- is morphologically anomalous, but belongs to a fairly large group of stems with apparent middle part. in -asāná-. This is not the place to treat the origin of these stems at length, but, with Insler (KZ 82 [1968]), I think the starting point is sahasāná- (5x, 4x of Agni) ‘displaying might’, which he takes as a metathesized form of a pf. mid. part. *sasahāná-, beside sāsahāná- (1x) and the younger type sehāná- (3x). This metathesis was reinforced by the very common s-stem sáhas-, and several other -asāná-stems have s-stems alongside (śavasāná-: śávas-, rabhasāná-: rábhas-, jrayasāná-: jráyas-) and fall into the same general semantic field of strength, power, or violent action (though not one of the best attested, mandasāná- ‘becoming exhilarated’ nor, e.g., dhiyasāná- [2x]).

There is unfortunately no neut. s-stem *vṛ́dhas-, though there is a single attestation of an infinitival dat. vṛdháse with suffixal accent. See also disc. of vṛdhasnú- ad IV.2.3.

Pāda c is problematic, both metrically (it lacks a syllable) and grammatically: this is the only place in the RV where nā́satya- appears in the sg., not the du., and the identity of pāda-final kṣé is disputed. The metrical problem and the kṣé problem can be easily solved together if we adopt the suggestion of Hoffmann registered in Schindler (Root nouns, s.v. kṣā́-) that kṣé is a haplologized form of datival inf. *yakṣé ‘to appear’ in the environment (nā́sati )yāya [ya]kṣé. (Note that yakṣám ‘apparition’ appears in 13a.) This interpr. is also reflected in Witzel Gotō’s rendering, and one way or other it goes back to Ludwig; see Oldenberg (SBE, Noten). The published translation should have an asterisk before “to appear.” As for sg. nā́satyāya, although this analysis is emphatically rejected by both Oldenberg (Noten) and Debrunner (AiG II.2.136), I have adopted Henry’s old suggestion that the form is a vṛddhi adj. of appurtanance whose vṛddhi is invisible because the base already has initial-syllable vṛddhi. We would of course expect the accent to shift to the final syllable (AiG II.2.133ff.), hence *nāsatyá-, but the dominance of the initially accented noun could have altered the accent, possibly redactionally. I supply ‘chariot’ in this dat. expression, since the Aśvins’ chariot is esp. prominent and párijman- modifies their chariot elsewhere (I.20.3, X.41.1). Cf. esp. I.20.3 tákṣan nā́satyābhyām párijmanaṃ sukháṃ rátham “They fashioned the earth-circling wellnaved chariot for the Nāsatyas.”

What, when thou blazest on the lesser altars, what to the mighty Wind who comes tobless us,
True, circumambient? what to Earth, O Agni, what wilt thou say to man-destroying Rudra?

What wilt thou say, O Agni, when thou hast grown strong on the Dhishnya altars 1? What to strong Vâta who goes forward in triumph 2? To the Nâsatya 3 who goes round the earth 4, to … 5? What, O Agni, to Rudra, the man-killer?

Was willst du, Agni, der du auf den Feuerstätten groß wirst, was dem gewaltigen, prunkvoll fahrenden Vata, dem herumfahrenden Nasatya, der Erde, was willst du, Agni, dem männertötenden Rudra sagen?

Was willst, o Agni, an Altären wachsend, dem mächt’gen Wind du sagen, der zum Schmuck eilt, Der ringsum wandelt, dem wahrhaft’gen Stiere, dem Rudra, Agni, ihm, der Männer tödtet?

Что можешь ты сказать, о Агни, растя в очагах,
Что Вате крепчающему, великолепно выезжающему,
Насатье, странствующему кругом, земле,
Что, о Агни, Рудре, убивающему мужей?

• अग्निः
• वामदेवो गौतमः
• पङ्क्तिः
• पञ्चमः

फिर उसी विषय को अगले मन्त्र में कहते हैं ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - हे (अग्ने) अग्नि के सदृश प्रकाशमान आप ! (धिष्ण्यासु) बुद्धि में उत्पन्न क्रियाओं में (वृधसानः) बढ़नेवालों का विभाग करते हुए (प्रतवसे) श्रेष्ठ बल और (वाताय) विज्ञान के लिये (कत्) कब (ब्रवः) कहो (अग्ने) हे विद्वन् राजन् ! (परिज्मने) सब ओर भूमि जिसके उस (शुभंये) कल्याण को प्राप्त होनेवाले (नासत्याय) असत्य आचरण से रहित के लिये (कत्) कब कहो (क्षे) पृथिवी राज्य के लिये विद्यमान जिसमें उसमें (नृघ्ने) शत्रुओं के नायकों के नाश करने और (रुद्राय) दुष्ट पुरुषों को रुलानेवाले के लिये (कत्) कब कहो ॥६॥

भावार्थभाषाः - राजा आदि अध्यक्षों के प्रति अध्यापक, उपदेशक और मन्त्रीजन ऐसा उपदेश देवें कि आप लोग बुद्धि के कामों में वृद्ध, बलिष्ठ, उत्तम आचरणवाले, सत्यवादी और दुष्ट पुरुषों के नाश करनेवाले कब होओगे और उत्तम आचरण करने और दुष्ट आचरण के त्याग में विलम्ब न करो ॥६॥

अन्वय: हे अग्ने ! त्वं धिष्ण्यासु वृधसानः सन् प्रतवसे वाताय कद् ब्रवः। हे अग्ने ! परिज्मने शुभंये नासत्याय कद् ब्रवः क्षे नृघ्ने रुद्राय कद् ब्रवः ॥६॥

पुनस्तमेव विषयमाह ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (कत्) कदा (धिष्ण्यासु) धिष्णायां बुद्धौ भवासु क्रियासु (वृधसानः) यो वृधान् वर्धकान् विभजति (अग्ने) विद्वन् राजन् (कत्) कदा (वाताय) विज्ञानाय (प्रतवसे) प्रकृष्टबलाय (शुभंये) यः शुभं याति प्राप्नोति तस्मै (परिज्मने) परितः सर्वतो ज्मा भूमिर्यस्य तस्मै (नासत्याय) अविद्यमानासत्याचाराय (क्षे) भूमी राज्याय विद्यते यस्मिंस्तस्मिन्। अत्रार्श आदिभ्योऽच् (ब्रवः) ब्रूयाः (कत्) (अग्ने) पावकवद्देदीप्यमान (रुद्राय) दुष्टानां रोदयित्रे (नृघ्ने) यः शत्रूणां नायकान् हन्ति तस्मै ॥६॥

भावार्थभाषाः - राजादीनध्यक्षान् प्रत्यध्यापकोपदेशकमन्त्रिणः एवमुपदिशेयुर्भवन्तो प्रज्ञाकर्म्मसु वृद्धा बलिष्ठाश्शुभाचरणाः सत्यभाषिणो दुष्टान् घातुकाः कदा भविष्यन्ति शुभाचरणे दुष्टाचारत्यागे विलम्बं मा कुर्वन्तु ॥६॥

भावार्थभाषाः - अध्यापक, उपदेशक व मंत्री लोकांनी राजाला असा उपदेश करावा की, तू बुद्धीच्या कामात वृद्ध, (अनुभवी) बलवान, उत्तम आचरण करणारा, सत्यवचनी व दुष्ट पुरुषांचा नाश करणारा कधी बनशील? उत्तम आचरण करण्यास व दुष्ट आचरणाचा ताबडतोब त्याग करण्यास विसरू नकोस ॥ ६ ॥

• देवता - अग्निः
• ऋषिः - वामदेवो गौतमः
• छन्दः - त्रिष्टुप्

कथा᳓ महे᳓ पुष्टिम्भरा᳓य पूष्णे᳓
क᳓द् रुद्रा᳓य सु᳓मखाय हविर्दे᳓
क᳓द् वि᳓ष्णव उरुगाया᳓य रे᳓तो
ब्र᳓वः क᳓द् अग्ने श᳓रवे बृहत्यइ᳓

Strata
Strophic

Pāda-label
genre M
genre M
genre M
genre M

Morph
kathā́ ← kathā́ (invariable)

mahé ← máh- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

pūṣṇé ← pūṣán- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

puṣṭimbharā́ya ← puṣṭimbhará- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

havirdé ← havirdā́- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

kát ← ká- (pronoun)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG}

rudrā́ya ← rudrá- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

súmakhāya ← súmakha- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

kát ← ká- (pronoun)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG}

rétaḥ ← rétas- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG}

urugāyā́ya ← urugāyá- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

víṣṇave ← víṣṇu- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

agne ← agní- (nominal stem)
{case:VOC, gender:M, number:SG}

brávaḥ ← √brū- (root)
{number:SG, person:2, mood:SBJV, tense:PRS, voice:ACT}

br̥hatyaí ← br̥hánt- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:F, number:SG}

kát ← ká- (pronoun)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG}

śárave ← śáru- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:F, number:SG}

क॒था । म॒हे । पु॒ष्टि॒म्ऽभ॒राय॑ । पू॒ष्णे । कत् । रु॒द्राय॑ । सुऽम॑खाय । ह॒विः॒ऽदे ।
कत् । विष्ण॑वे । उ॒रु॒ऽगा॒याय॑ । रेतः॑ । ब्रवः॑ । कत् । अ॒ग्ने॒ । शर॑वे । बृ॒ह॒त्यै ॥

• kathā
• [adverb]
• “how.”

• mahe ← mah
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “great; great; distinguished; much(a); adult; long; high.”

• puṣṭimbharāya ← puṣṭimbhara
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine

• pūṣṇe ← pūṣan
• [noun], dative, singular
• “Pushan; pūṣan [word]; sun.”

• kad ← ka
• [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
• “what; who; ka [pronoun].”

• rudrāya ← rudra
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “Shiva; Rudra; eleven; rudra [word]; eleventh.”

• sumakhāya ← su
• [adverb]
• “very; well; good; nicely; beautiful; su; early; quite.”

• sumakhāya ← makhāya ← makha
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine

• havirde ← haviḥ ← havis
• [noun], neuter
• “Havya; offering; ghee; havis [word].”

• havirde ← de ← dā
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “giving.”

• kad ← ka
• [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
• “what; who; ka [pronoun].”

• viṣṇava ← viṣṇave ← viṣṇu
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “Vishnu; Krishna; Viṣṇu; Om; Shiva.”

• urugāyāya ← urugāya
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine

• reto ← retaḥ ← retas
• [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
• “semen; sperm.”

• bravaḥ ← brū
• [verb], singular, Present conjunctive (subjunctive)
• “say; tell; describe; speak; state; answer; call; explain; address; proclaim; talk; talk; choose.”

• kad ← ka
• [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
• “what; who; ka [pronoun].”

• agne ← agni
• [noun], vocative, singular, masculine
• “fire; Agni; sacrificial fire; digestion; cautery; Plumbago zeylanica; fire; vahni; agni [word]; agnikarman; gold; three; jāraṇa; pyre; fireplace; heating.”

• śarave ← śaru
• [noun], dative, singular, feminine
• “arrow.”

• bṛhatyai ← bṛhat
• [noun], dative, singular, feminine
• “large; great; loud; high; much(a); exalted; abundant; intensive; strong; huge.”

हे अग्ने महे महते पुष्टिंभराय पुष्टिधारकाय पूष्णे एतन्नामकाय देवाय ‘कथा केन हेतुना पापं ब्रवीथाः । सुमखाय सुपूजनीयाय सुयज्ञाय वा हविर्दे अग्निरूपेण देवानां हविर्दात्रे । यद्वा स्विष्टकृत्त्वाद्धविषो दात्रे । रुद्राय कत् कथं ब्रूयाः। तथा उरुगायाय उरुभिर्बहुभिः गीयमानाय यद्वा प्रभूतकीर्तये विष्णवे रेतः क्षयहेतु पापं कत् कथं वदेः । शरवे । शृणाति पक्वा ओषधीरिति शरुः शरत् संवत्सरः । यद्वा । हिंसिका निर्ऋतिः । बृहत्यै महत्यै शरदे निर्ऋत्यै वा कत् कथं पापं ब्रवः ब्रूयाः ॥ पुष्टिंभराय। ’ डुभृञ् धारणपोषणयोः ’ संज्ञायां भृतॄवृजि ’ इत्यादिना खच् । ‘ अरुर्द्विषदजन्तस्य मुम्’ इति पूर्वपदस्य मुमागमः। चित्त्वादन्तोदात्तः । समासे कृत्स्वरः । हविर्दे । ‘ अनुदात्तस्य च यत्रोदात्तलोपः’ इति सुप उदात्तत्वम् । शरवे। ‘शॄ हिंसायाम्। ‘शॄस्वृस्निहित्रप्यसि इत्यादिना उप्रत्ययः । ‘ नित् ’ इत्यनुवृत्तेराद्युदात्तः ॥

English translation:

“Why to the great and nutriment-conveying Pūṣan? why to Rudra, the object of worship, the giver of the oblation (to the gods)? why to the many-hymned Viṣṇu? why tell our sin to the extensive year?”

Commentary by Sāyaṇa: Ṛgveda-bhāṣya

To the extensive year: śarave bṛhatyai: śaruḥ, śarat, saṃvatsaraḥ; or, śaru = nirṛti, the feminine le person nification of evil; niṛṛti also occurs as a masculine (nirṛtir yajñavighāti rākṣasaḥ, an evil spirit disturbing sacrifice : Taittirīya Yajus. 1.2,11);

Nirṛti = nairṛta; nirṛtir sva nairṛta iti vā (Amarakośa 1.1,56); narṛtos tu khasaputro rakṣaso nirṛtis ca saḥ, Nairṛta, the son of Khasa, a rākṣasa, he is also Nirṛti (Ratnakośa)

How (will you speak) to great Pūṣan who brings prosperity, what to Rudra, the good combatant [/very generous], for him to give the oblation,
what to wide-striding Viṣṇu, (for him to give) semen? What will you say, Agni, to (Rudra’s) lofty arrow?

On the benevolent Rudra see comm. ad vss. 5-8. It is not clear why or how Rudra is the giver of the oblation. Oldenberg (see also Witzel Gotō’s n.) suggests that it is in his capacity as paśupati-: he provides the beast for sacrifice. This is possible: though he is not so called in the RV (where the word is not found), this epithet is applied to him in AV (e.g., XI.2.28) and VS (e.g., XXVI.28).

In c rétaḥ ‘semen’ is somewhat surprising, esp. if it is to be construed as the object of brávaḥ – so much so that Grassmann (tr., not Wö.) suggested emendation to répaḥ ‘stain’, an emendation accepted by Oldenberg (SBE, Noten) and Lüders (622) and maintained tentatively by Scarlatta (214). Renou keeps the transmitted form but interprets it as a way of referring to negative speech: “Quelle semence (de blâme dirais-tu) …?” But in a culture so fixated on fertility, semen is basically always a positive concept. Important is the fact noted by Geldner (n. 7c) that Viṣṇu is elsewhere the protector of semen (cf., e.g., VII.36.9 víṣṇuṃ niṣiktapā́m “Viṣṇu, protector of the poured-out [semen]”). In his n.

(and contra his tr.) Renou suggests an alternative interpr. of rétaḥ here as a truncated

*retodhe (cf. retodhā́- 5x) or *retode (Renou does not accent either proposed form). This seems the correct solution, with the -de extracted from havirdé, which ended the preceding pāda.

In d Renou suggests that śárave bṛhatyaí is the “état pré-compositionnel” of a bahuvrīhi *bṛhatśarave (no accent provided and no application of sandhi), whose referent is Rudra. Although the arrow is surely Rudra’s as all standard interpr.

recognize, there is no reason to substitute the god for his symbolic accoutrement. Just as Agni can speak to the chariot of the Aśvins (6c, by my interpr.), he can also speak to Rudra’s arrow.

Geldner (n. 7d) points out the contrast between Viṣṇu as creator (c) and Rudra as destroyer (d).

How to great Pusan who promotes our welfare,- to honoured Rudra what, who gives oblations?
What sin of ours to the far-striding Visnu, what, Agni, wilt thou tell the Lofty Arrow.

How (wilt thou speak) to great Pûshan who brings prosperity? What (wilt thou say) to martial Rudra, the giver of offerings 1? What sin 2 wilt thou announce to wide-ruling Vishnu, what, O Agni, to the mighty weapon (of the gods)?

Wie wirst du zum großen Pusan sprechen, dem Nahrungsbringer? Was zu Rudra, dem Freigebigen, der die Opfer austeilt? Welchen Samen wirst du dem weitschreitenden Visnu empfehlen, welchen dem hohen Geschoß überantworten, o Agni?

Was willst dem grossen Nahrungbringer Puschan, dem kampfgeübten Somatrinker Rudra, Dem Weithinschreiter Vischnu welches Unrecht, was, Agni, sagen du dem grossen Speergott?

Как (скажешь ты) великому Пушану, несущему процветание?
Что (скажешь) Рудре, очень воинственному, дающему жертву?
О каком семени скажешь Вишну широкошагающему?
Что, о Агни, высокому выстрелу?

• अग्निः
• वामदेवो गौतमः
• विराट्त्रिष्टुप्
• धैवतः

अब विद्यार्थियों की परीक्षा विषय को अगले मन्त्र में कहते हैं ॥७॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - हे (अग्ने) विद्वन् पुरुष ! आप (रेतः) जल के सदृश शान्त अर्थात् कोमलचित्त होके (महे) बड़े (पुष्टिम्भराय) पुष्टि धारण कराने (पूष्णे) पोषण करनेवाले के लिये (कथा) किस प्रकार (ब्रवः) कहो (सुमखाय) उत्तम प्रकार यज्ञसम्पादन करने और (हविर्दे) देने योग्य वस्तुओं को देनेवाले के लिये तथा (रुद्राय) शत्रुओं में प्रबल के लिये (कत्) कब कहो (उरुगायाय) बहुत प्रशंसा करने योग्य (विष्णवे) व्यापक परमेश्वर के लिये (कत्) कब कहो (शरवे) दुष्टों के नाश करनेवाली (बृहत्यै) बड़ी सेना के लिये (कत्) कब कहो ॥७॥

भावार्थभाषाः - अध्यापक लोगों को विद्यार्थियों को पढ़ा के प्रत्येक अठवाड़े, प्रत्येक पक्ष, प्रतिमास, प्रतिछमाही और प्रतिवर्ष परीक्षा यथायोग्य करनी चाहिये, जिससे कि राजकुमारादि सब भ्रमरहित, ज्ञानविशिष्ट, उत्तमस्वभावयुक्त शरीर और आत्मा के बल सहित धर्मिष्ठ सौ वर्ष जीने और न्याय से राज्य के पालन करनेवाले होवें ॥७॥

अन्वय: हे अग्ने ! त्वं रेत इव सन् महे पुष्टिम्भराय पूष्णे कथा ब्रवः सुमखाय हविर्दे रुद्राय कद् ब्रवः। उरुगायाय विष्णवे कद् ब्रवः शरवे बृहत्यै कद् ब्रवः ॥७॥

अथ शिष्यपरीक्षाविषयमाह ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (कथा) केन प्रकारेण (महे) महते (पुष्टिम्भराय) (पूष्णे) पोषकाय (कत्) कदा (रुद्राय) शत्रुषूग्राय (सुमखाय) सुष्ठु यज्ञसम्पादकाय (हविर्दे) यो हवींषि दातव्यानि ददाति तस्मै (कत्) कदा (विष्णवे) व्यापकाय परमेश्वराय (उरुगायाय) बहुप्रशंसाय (रेतः) उदकमिव शान्तो मृदुर्भूत्वा (ब्रवः) (कत्) (अग्ने) विद्वन् (शरवे) दुष्टानां हिंसकाय (बृहत्यै) महत्यै सेनायै ॥७॥

भावार्थभाषाः - अध्यापकैर्विद्यार्थिनोऽध्याप्य प्रत्यष्टाऽहं प्रतिपक्षं प्रतिमासं प्रत्ययनं प्रतिवर्षञ्च तेषां परीक्षा यथार्हा कर्त्तव्या येन राजकुमारादयः सर्वे निर्भ्रमज्ञानाः सन्तः सुशीलाः शरीरात्मबलयुक्ताः धर्मिष्ठाः शतायुषो न्यायेन राज्यपालकाः स्युः ॥७॥

भावार्थभाषाः - अध्यापकांनी विद्यार्थ्यांना शिकवून प्रत्येक आठवडा, प्रत्येक पंधरवडा, प्रत्येक मास, प्रत्येक सहामाही व प्रत्येक वर्षी यथायोग्य परीक्षा घ्यावी. ज्यामुळे राजकुमार इत्यादी सर्वजण भ्रमरहित, ज्ञानविशिष्ट, उत्तम स्वभाव-युक्त शरीर व आत्मा बलयुक्त, धार्मिक शतायुषी व न्यायाने राज्याचे पालन करणारे व्हावेत. ॥ ७ ॥

• देवता - अग्निः
• ऋषिः - वामदेवो गौतमः
• छन्दः - त्रिष्टुप्

कथा᳓ श᳓र्धाय मरु᳓ताम् ऋता᳓य
कथा᳓ सूरे᳓ बृहते᳓ पृछ्य᳓मानः
प्र᳓ति ब्रवो अ᳓दितये तुरा᳓य
सा᳓धा दिवो᳓ जातवेदश् चिकित्वा᳓न्

Strata
Strophic

Pāda-label
genre M
genre M
genre M
genre M

Morph
kathā́ ← kathā́ (invariable)

marútām ← marút- (nominal stem)
{case:GEN, gender:M, number:PL}

r̥tā́ya ← r̥tá- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

śárdhāya ← śárdha- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

br̥haté ← br̥hánt- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:N, number:SG}

kathā́ ← kathā́ (invariable)

pr̥chyámānaḥ ← √praś- (root)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG, tense:PRS, voice:PASS}

sūré ← svàr- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:N, number:SG}

áditaye ← áditi- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:F, number:SG}

bravaḥ ← √brū- (root)
{number:SG, person:2, mood:SBJV, tense:PRS, voice:ACT}

práti ← práti (invariable)

turā́ya ← turá- 1 (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

cikitvā́n ← √cit- (root)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG, tense:PRF, voice:ACT}

diváḥ ← dyú- ~ div- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:F, number:PL}

jātavedaḥ ← jātávedas- (nominal stem)
{case:VOC, gender:M, number:SG}

sā́dha ← √sādh- ~ sidh- (root)
{number:SG, person:2, mood:IMP, tense:PRS, voice:ACT}

क॒था । शर्धा॑य । म॒रुता॑म् । ऋ॒ताय॑ । क॒था । सू॒रे । बृ॒ह॒ते । पृ॒च्छ्यमा॑नः ।
प्रति॑ । ब्र॒वः॒ । अदि॑तये । तु॒राय॑ । साध॑ । दि॒वः । जा॒त॒ऽवे॒दः॒ । चि॒कि॒त्वान् ॥

• kathā
• [adverb]
• “how.”

• śardhāya ← śardha
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “troop.”

• marutām ← marut
• [noun], genitive, plural, masculine
• “Marut; vāta; wind; Vayu.”

• ṛtāya ← ṛta
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “timely; honest.”

• kathā
• [adverb]
• “how.”

• sūre ← svar
• [adverb]
• “sun; sky; sunlight.”

• bṛhate ← bṛhat
• [noun], dative, singular, neuter
• “large; great; loud; high; much(a); exalted; abundant; intensive; strong; huge.”

• pṛcchyamānaḥ ← pracch
• [verb noun], nominative, singular
• “ask; ask; ask; consult; interrogate.”

• prati
• [adverb]
• “towards; per; regarding; respectively; according to; until.”

• bravo ← bravaḥ ← brū
• [verb], singular, Present conjunctive (subjunctive)
• “say; tell; describe; speak; state; answer; call; explain; address; proclaim; talk; talk; choose.”

• ‘ditaye ← aditaye ← aditi
• [noun], dative, singular, feminine
• “Aditi; aditi [word].”

• turāya ← tura
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “powerful; noble; noble.”

• sādhā ← sādh
• [verb], singular, Present imperative
• “promote; succeed.”

• divo ← divaḥ ← div
• [noun], genitive, singular, masculine
• “sky; Svarga; day; div [word]; heaven and earth; day; dawn.”

• jātavedaś ← jātavedaḥ ← jātavedas
• [noun], vocative, singular, masculine
• “Agni; fire.”

• cikitvān ← cit
• [verb noun], nominative, singular
• “notice; observe; attend to; intend.”

हे अग्ने ऋताय गन्त्रे सत्यभूताय वा मरुतां शर्धाय बलभूताय गणाय कथा केन हेतुना मदीयमागः प्रतिब्रूयाः । तेन पृच्छ्यमानः सन् तस्मै बृहते महते सूरे सूर्याय कथा कथं वदेः । तथा अदितये देव्यै तुराय त्वरितगमनाय वायवे च। अदितयेऽदीनाय तुराय वा । प्रति ब्रवः । मदीयमागः कथं प्रतिब्रूयाः । यस्मादेवं तस्मात् हे जातवेदः अग्ने चिकित्वान् एतत्सर्वं जानानस्त्वं दिवः दीप्तान् देवान् साध साधय गच्छ । यद्वा । दिवो द्युलोकस्य यज्ञवहनलक्षणं कार्यं साध कुरु॥ सूरे । सर्वविधीनां छन्दसि विकल्पितत्वात् ङेर्यत्वाभावः । ‘ अतो गुणे ’ इति पररूपत्वम् । पृच्छ्यमानः । ’ प्रच्छ ज्ञीप्सायाम् । कर्मणि यक् । ग्रहिज्यादिना संप्रसारणम् । शानचो लसार्वधातुकानुदात्तत्वे यक्स्वरः । साध। ‘राध साध संसिद्धौ ’ । अन्तर्भावितण्यर्थस्य लोटि व्यत्ययेन शप् ॥

English translation:

“Why tell it to the veracious company of the Maruts? why, even when asked, to the mighty sun? why repeat it to Aditi, or to the swift wind? fulfil, all-knowing Jātavedas, (the worship) of heaven.”

How (will you speak) to the troop of Maruts, for truth? How to the lofty Sun? When you are asked,
(how) will you answer to Aditi, to powerful (Indra?)? Send (our thought) to its goal, all the way to heaven—(you are) the observant one, o Jātavedas.

Although it is tempting to take ṛtā́ya as an adj. modifying śárdhāya (so, e.g., Geldner “der rechtwandelnden Schar,” sim. Witzel Gotō, Oldenberg SBE), the stem ṛtá- is overwhelmingly a neut. noun. It is possible, with Renou, to take it as an appositive with the Marut troop: “Ordre (incarné)” or, with Lüders (623), as a separate entity to whom Agni’s speech is directed, but I think it more likely that it is a dative of purpose, like (ya)kṣé in 6d, havirdé in 7b: “for truth,” that is, for the Maruts to attain or ascertain the truth.

The masc. (/neut.) turā́ya cannot modify fem. áditaye (pace Oldenberg SBE). Geldner supplies “heaven”; Witzel Gotō suggest the sun. With Renou I opt tentatively for Indra, who is frequently modified by this adj. and who is otherwise absent from this fairly comprehensive list of important gods (see Geldner n. 8c). Brereton (Ādityas, 205-6) instead thinks turā́ya represents an Āditya, probably Varuṇa, and takes áditaye not as the name of the goddess but as a common noun ‘innocence’, with the dative phrase meaning “for the mighty one (=Varuṇa) to (ascertain our) innocence.” This assertion of innocence at the end of a series of questions about potential blame would set the stage for the request that Agni make our sacrifice succeed (pāda d). This suggestion is appealing, but I am not convinced that áditi- ever means ‘innocence’, and further in this sequence the purpose datives are only pāda-final, which áditaye is not.

Pāda d poses some syntactic challenges. The first is that sā́dhā, by all accounts a 2nd sg. act. impv. to √sādh, has no expressed obj., though act. forms of this root are fundamentally tr. (but sometimes, esp. in the participle, used in absolute sense “assuring success”; cf. nearby IV.1.9). I supply dhíyam ‘thought’ vel sim. as the object, since forms of dhī́- or other words for thought/prayer are regularly construed with √sādh. The other problem is what to construe gen./abl. diváḥ with. (It cannot be acc. pl. because of the accent.) The standard solution has been to take it with cikitvā́n (e.g., Geldner “der du den Himmel kennst”), but as Renou points out, cikitvā́n is never otherwise construed with a gen. His solution is to supply an obj. for sā́dhā on which diváḥ is dependent: “Mène droit au but (les affaires) du ciel.” My interpr.

requires a slight emendation, from sā́dhā diváḥ to *sā́dhā́diváḥ – that is, sā́dha ā́ diváḥ, with ā́+ ABL in the meaning “all the way to.” Cf. I.92.17 yaú … ślókam ā́ diváḥ … cakráthuḥ “you two who made your signal-call (reach) all the way to heaven”; sim. III.61.4. See comm. ad locc. An asterisk should be inserted before “all the way.”

What wilt thou tell the truthful band of Maruts, how answer the great Sun when thou art questioned?
Before the Free, before the Swift, defend us: fulfil heaven’s work, all-knowing Jatavedas.

How wilt thou answer, when thou art asked, to the righteous 1 host of the Maruts? How to the mighty Sun, to the quick Aditi 2? Accomplish thy work, O Gâtavedas, thou who knowest the Heaven!

Wie wirst du der rechtwandelnden Schar der Marut, wie dem hohen Sonnengott antworten, wenn du gefragt wirst, wie der Aditi, dem mächtigen Himmel? Richte deine Sache gut aus, der du den Himmel kennst, o Jatavedas!

Wie gibst der heil’gen Marutschar du Antwort, wenn du gefragt wirst? wie der hohen Sonne? Dem kräftigen und schrankenlosen Gotte? zum Himmel schreite weiser Wesenkenner.

Как (ответишь ты) толпе Марутов, закону?
Как высокому солнцу, когда тебя спросят?
(Как) ответишь ты Адити, могучему (богу)?
Иди прямо к цели, о Джатаведас, в небе!

• अग्निः
• वामदेवो गौतमः
• निचृत्त्रिष्टुप्
• धैवतः

अब अगले मन्त्र में राजविषय को कहते हैं ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - हे (जातवेदः) प्रसिद्ध उत्तम ज्ञानयुक्त (सूरे) सूर्य्य के सदृश वर्त्तमान सेना में (पृच्छ्यमानः) पूँछे गए आप (मरुताम्) पवनों का जैसे वैसे (ऋताय) सत्य के और (बृहते) बढ़ते हुए (शर्धाय) बल के लिये (कथा) किस प्रकार से (ब्रवः) कहो (तुराय) शीघ्रता करते हुए (अदितये) नहीं नाश होनेवाले अन्तरिक्ष के लिये (कथा) किस प्रकार से (प्रति) निश्चित कहो (चिकित्वान्) ज्ञानवान् होकर (दिवः) प्रकाशों को (साध) सिद्ध करो ॥८॥

भावार्थभाषाः - इस मन्त्र में वाचकलुप्तोपमालङ्कार है। जो राजा लोग वायु के सदृश अपने बल को बढ़ाते, योधा लोगों के शिक्षक और परीक्षकों का सत्कार करते और प्रश्नोत्तर से सब को जान उनके द्वारा कार्य सिद्ध करते हैं, वे सूर्य्य के सदृश ऐश्वर्य के प्रकाशक होते हैं ॥८॥

अन्वय: हे जातवेदः ! सूरे पृच्छ्यमानस्त्वं मरुतामिवर्ताय बृहते शर्धाय कथा ब्रवः तुरायाऽदितये कथा प्रति ब्रवश्चिकित्वान्सन् दिवः साध ॥८॥

अथ राजविषयमाह ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (कथा) (शर्धाय) बलाय (मरुताम्) वायूनामिव (ऋताय) सत्याय (कथा) (सूरे) सूर्य्य इव वर्त्तमाने सैन्ये (बृहते) वर्द्धमानाय (पृच्छ्यमानः) (प्रति) (ब्रवः) ब्रूयाः (अदितये) अविनष्टायाऽन्तरिक्षाय (तुराय) त्वरमाणाय (साध)। अत्र द्व्यचोऽतस्तिङ इति दीर्घः। (दिवः) प्रकाशान् (जातवेदः) प्रसिद्धप्रज्ञान (चिकित्वान्) ज्ञानवान् भूत्वा ॥८॥

भावार्थभाषाः - अत्र वाचकलुप्तोपमालङ्कारः। ये राजानो वायुवत्स्वबलं वर्धयन्ति योद्धॄणां शिक्षकान् परीक्षकान् सत्कुर्वन्ति प्रश्नोत्तराभ्यां सर्वान् विज्ञाय तैः कार्य्याणि साध्नुवन्ति ते सूर्य्य इवैश्वर्य्यप्रकाशका भवन्ति ॥८॥

भावार्थभाषाः - या मंत्रात वाचकलुप्तोपमालंकार आहे. जे राजे वायूप्रमाणे आपले बल वाढवितात. योद्धे, शिक्षक व परीक्षकांचा सत्कार करतात. प्रश्नोत्तराद्वारे सर्व जाणून त्याद्वारे कार्य सिद्ध करतात ते सूर्याप्रमाणे ऐश्वर्याचे प्रकाशक असतात. ॥ ८ ॥

• देवता - अग्निः
• ऋषिः - वामदेवो गौतमः
• छन्दः - त्रिष्टुप्

ऋते᳓न र्तं᳓ नि᳓यतम् ईळ आ᳓ गो᳓र्
आमा᳓ स᳓चा म᳓धुमत् पक्व᳓म् अग्ने
कृष्णा᳓ सती᳓ रु᳓शता धासि᳓नैषा᳓
जा᳓मर्येण · प᳓यसा पिपाय°

Strata
Strophic

Pāda-label
genre M
genre M
genre M
genre M

Morph
ā́ ← ā́ (invariable)

góḥ ← gáv- ~ gó- (nominal stem)
{case:ABL, gender:F, number:SG}

īḷe ← √īḍ- ~ √īḷ- (root)
{number:SG, person:1, mood:IND, tense:PRS, voice:MED}

níyatam ← √yam- (root)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG, non-finite:PPP}

r̥tám ← r̥tá- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:M, number:SG}

r̥téna ← r̥tá- (nominal stem)
{case:INS, gender:M, number:SG}

agne ← agní- (nominal stem)
{case:VOC, gender:M, number:SG}

āmā́ ← āmá- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:F, number:SG}

mádhumat ← mádhumant- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG}

pakvám ← pakvá- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG}

sácā ← sácā (invariable)

dhāsínā ← dhāsí- (nominal stem)
{case:INS, gender:M, number:SG}

eṣā́ ← eṣá (pronoun)
{case:NOM, gender:F, number:SG}

kr̥ṣṇā́ ← kr̥ṣṇá- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:F, number:SG}

rúśatā ← rúśant- (nominal stem)
{case:INS, gender:M, number:SG}

satī́ ← √as- 1 (root)
{case:NOM, gender:F, number:SG, tense:PRS, voice:ACT}

jā́maryeṇa ← jā́marya- (nominal stem)
{case:INS, gender:N, number:SG}

páyasā ← páyas- (nominal stem)
{case:INS, gender:N, number:SG}

pīpāya ← √pī- 1 (root)
{number:SG, person:3, mood:IND, tense:PRF, voice:ACT}

ऋ॒तेन॑ । ऋ॒तम् । निऽय॑तम् । ई॒ळे॒ । आ । गोः । आ॒मा । सचा॑ । मधु॑ऽमत् । प॒क्वम् । अ॒ग्ने॒ ।
कृ॒ष्णा । स॒ती । रुश॑ता । धा॒सिना॑ । ए॒षा । जाम॑र्येण । पय॑सा । पी॒पा॒य॒ ॥

• ṛtena ← ṛta
• [noun], instrumental, singular, neuter
• “truth; order; fixed order; ṛta [word]; law; custom; custom.”

• ṛtaṃ ← ṛtam ← ṛta
• [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
• “truth; order; fixed order; ṛta [word]; law; custom; custom.”

• niyatam ← niyam ← √yam
• [verb noun], accusative, singular
• “control; cure; niyāmay; fix; tie; fixate; render; regulate.”

• īḍa ← īḍe ← īḍ
• [verb], singular, Present indikative
• “praise; invite; raise.”

• ā
• [adverb]
• “towards; ākāra; until; ā; since; according to; ā [suffix].”

• gor ← goḥ ← go
• [noun], genitive, singular, masculine
• “cow; cattle; go [word]; Earth; bull; floor; milk; beam; sunbeam; leather; hide; horn; language; bowstring; earth; ox; Svarga.”

• āmā ← āma
• [noun], nominative, singular, feminine
• “uncooked; unfestering; unburnt; green; undigested; fusty; raw.”

• sacā
• [adverb]
• “jointly.”

• madhumat
• [noun], nominative, singular, neuter
• “sweet; honeyed; sweet; pleasant.”

• pakvam ← pakva
• [noun], nominative, singular, neuter
• “heated; pakva; ripe; cooked; festering; baked; developed; doomed; digested; pakva [word]; suppurative; gray; fruiting; done.”

• agne ← agni
• [noun], vocative, singular, masculine
• “fire; Agni; sacrificial fire; digestion; cautery; Plumbago zeylanica; fire; vahni; agni [word]; agnikarman; gold; three; jāraṇa; pyre; fireplace; heating.”

• kṛṣṇā ← kṛṣṇa
• [noun], nominative, singular, feminine
• “black; dark; dark; blue; black.”

• satī ← as
• [verb noun], nominative, singular
• “be; exist; become; originate; happen; result; be; dwell; be born; stay; be; equal; exist; transform.”

• ruśatā ← ruśat
• [noun], instrumental, singular, masculine
• “white; bright; bright.”

• dhāsinaiṣā ← dhāsinā ← dhāsi
• [noun], instrumental, singular, masculine
• “food.”

• dhāsinaiṣā ← eṣā ← etad
• [noun], nominative, singular, feminine
• “this; he,she,it (pers. pron.); etad [word].”

• jāmaryeṇa ← jāmarya
• [noun], instrumental, singular, neuter

• payasā ← payas
• [noun], instrumental, singular, neuter
• “milk; milky juice; water; fluid; juice; payas [word]; drink.”

• pīpāya ← pyā
• [verb], singular, Perfect indicative
• “swell; abound; swell.”

हे अग्ने ऋतेन सत्यभूतेन यज्ञेन नियतम् अनुस्यूतम् ऋतम् उदकं गोः धेनोः पयः आ ईळे आयाचे । सांनाय्यादिहविरर्थं गव्यं पयस्त्वां याचे इत्यभिप्रायः । आमा अपक्वा सा गौः मधुमत् माधुर्योपेतं पक्वं पयः सचा सह धारयति । कृष्णा कृष्णवर्णा सती एषा गौः रुशता श्वेतेन धासिना प्राणिनां धारकेण जामर्येण । जायन्त इति जाः प्रजाः । तासाम् अमर्येण अमरणनिमित्तेन तेन पयसा पीपाय प्रजाः प्याययति । तवैष महिमा यद्रसान् परिणामयन्नेवं करोषि । पीपाय । प्यायतेर्लिटि ’ लिड्यङोश्च ’ इति पीभावः ॥

English translation:

“I solicit, Agni, the milk of the cow, essential for the sacrifice; yet immature, (she possesses) the sweet and ripe (fluid); black though she be, yet with her white nutritious milk she maintains mankind in existence.”

With truth I reverently invoke the (mystical) truth set down [=acquired] from the cow: the raw one [=cow] and the cooked, honeyed (milk) belong together, Agni.
Though she is black, she is swollen with the gleaming gush, with milk for nourishing offspring.

This vs. expresses the beloved paradox about cows and milk, that the cow is “raw” but her milk “cooked” (that is, ready to consume), and further that a black cow can still give white milk. These paradoxes describe in the first instance the production of the ritual offering, the milk that will produce the ghee to be poured into the ritual fire. But it may also (esp. the 2nd hemistich) characterize the transition from the night (black cow) to dawn (the gleaming milk) at the dawn sacrifice; see Janert (Dhāsi, 29ff.).

The standard interpr. (save for Witzel Gotō) take ṛténa as the agent with the ppl.

níyatam (e.g., Renou “L’Ordre a été fixé par l’Ordre (même)”). Because the flg. 3 vss.

also begin with ṛténa, interpreting the first one outside of the pattern established by the rest seems misguided, esp. given the usual function of initial ṛténa (see comm. above on vss. 9-12).

I take the ṛtám that I reverently invoke (īḍe) to represent the paradoxes just discussed – the mystical truth of the cow’s nature – and I interpr. ā́góḥ as an ablative phrase, referring to the source of this truth. Most take góḥ as a gen., but this makes ā́hard to construe. (The phrase ā́góḥ occurs 3x elsewhere, always pāda final, twice in this maṇḍala [IV.22.4, 23.6] and once in X [X.100.12]; nowhere is it clear.) At least acdg. to Oldenberg (SBE) and Geldner, the ṛtám is actually a reference to the milk. I am skeptical.

On dhāsí- see comm. ad I.62.3, 140.1.

The hapax jā́marya- is opaque; see EWA s.v. My tr. follows Janert’s analysis (Dhāsi, 33ff.), that it is a secondary derivative to jām-ara- “die die Nachkommen Nährende.” Geldner’s suggestion (n. 9d) that it is related to YAves. zǝmar ‘on/in the earth’ (in zǝmar-gūz-), hence ‘earthly’ (versus heavenly milk = rain), fits the passage less well.

I crave the cow’s true gift arranged by Order: though raw, she hath the sweet ripe juice, O Agni.
Though she is black of hue with milk she teemeth, nutritious, brightly shining, all-sustaining.

I magnify 1 the Rita of the cow 2 ruled by Rita and also by the raw one 3, the honey-sweet, ripe (milk), O Agni. Though being black this (cow) swells of bright drink, of … 4 milk.

Ich bitte mir die von Rechts wegen bestimmte, gesetzmäßige Milch der Kuh aus. Zusammen gehören die rohe Kuh und die süße gekochte Milch, o Agni. Obwohl sie schwarz ist, strotzt sie von weißer Nahrung, von der irdischen Milch.

Durch Recht erstreb’ ich rechte Gab’ der Milchkuh, die rohe strebt nach garem süssen Safte; Die dunkle schwillt vom schimmernden Getränke, von nahrungsreicher (?) Milch, o Agni, strotzend.

Я прошу об установленном по закону законном (молоке) от коровы,
Вместе (связаны) сырая (корова и) сладкое вареное молоко о Агни.
Будучи черной, она набухла
От белой струи, земного (?) молока.

• अग्निः
• वामदेवो गौतमः
• विराट्त्रिष्टुप्
• धैवतः

अब मनुष्य को ब्रह्मचर्य्य आदि से पुरुषार्थ सेवना चाहिये, इस विषय को अगले मन्त्र में कहते हैं ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - हे (अग्ने) अग्नि के सदृश प्रकाशमान विद्वान् पुरुष ! जिस प्रकार से मैं (गोः) पृथिवी वा वाणी के (ऋतेन) सत्य से (नियतम्) नियमयुक्त (ऋतम्) सत्य की (ईळे) स्तुति वा ढूँढ करता हूँ, वैसे आचरण करते हुए आप पृथिवी के मध्य में (सचा) प्रसङ्ग से (मधुमत्) श्रेष्ठ मधुर आदि गुणों से युक्त (आमा) कच्चे और (पक्वम्) पक्के पदार्थों की (आ, पीपाय) अच्छे प्रकार वृद्धि करो और जैसे (एषा) यह (कृष्णा) श्याम वर्ण (सती) सज्जन पण्डिता पतिव्रता स्त्री (रुशता) उत्तम स्वरूप से (जामर्येण) जीवन में निमित्त (पयसा) दुग्ध और (धासिना) अन्न से बढ़ती है, वैसे आप वृद्धि को प्राप्त होओ ॥९॥

भावार्थभाषाः - इस मन्त्र में वाचकलुप्तोपमालङ्कार है। जो मनुष्य ब्रह्मचर्य से विद्या और उत्तम शिक्षा को प्राप्त होके और धर्मयुक्त व्यवहार से धर्म का अन्वेषण और इन्द्रियजित् होने से नियम से भोजन करनेवाले होकर पुरुषार्थ करते हैं, वे स्नेही स्त्री और पुरुष के सदृश आनन्दित होकर सब प्रकार वृद्धि को प्राप्त होते हैं ॥९॥

अन्वय: हे अग्ने ! विद्वन् यथाऽहं गोरृतेन नियतमृतमीळे तथाऽऽचरँस्त्वं पृथिव्या मध्ये सचा मधुमदामा पक्वं चापीपाय। यथैषा कृष्णा सती विदुषी पतिव्रता रुशता जामर्येण पयसा धासिना वर्धते तथा त्वं वर्धस्व ॥९॥

अथ मनुष्यैर्ब्रह्मचर्य्यादिना पुरुषार्थः संसेव्य इत्याह ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (ऋतेन) सत्येन (ऋतम्) सत्यम् (नियतम्) निश्चितम् (ईळे) स्तौम्यध्यन्विच्छामि (आ) (गोः) पृथिव्या वाण्या वा (आमा) अपरिपक्वम्। अत्र विभक्तेराकारादेशः (सचा) प्रसङ्गेन (मधुमत्) प्रशस्तमधुरादिगुणयुक्तम् (पक्वम्) (अग्ने) (कृष्णा) श्यामा (सती) (रुशता) सुस्वरूपेण (धासिना) अन्नेन (एषा) (जामर्येण) जामस्येदं जामं तदृच्छति येन तेन (पयसा) दुग्धेन (पीपाय) वर्द्धस्व ॥९॥

भावार्थभाषाः - अत्र वाचकलुप्तोपमालङ्कारः। ये मनुष्या ब्रह्मचर्य्येण विद्यासुशिक्षे प्राप्य धर्म्येण व्यवहारेण धर्ममन्विष्य जितेन्द्रियत्वेन मिताऽऽहारा भूत्वा पुरुषार्थयन्ति ते हृद्यौ दम्पती इवाऽऽनन्दिता भूत्वा सर्वतो वर्धन्ते ॥९॥

भावार्थभाषाः - या मंत्रात वाचकलुप्तोपमालंकार आहे. जी माणसे ब्रह्मचर्याने विद्या व सुशिक्षण प्राप्त करून धर्मयुक्त व्यवहाराने धर्माचे अन्वेषण करतात व जितेन्द्रिय, मिताहारी बनून पुरुषार्थ करतात ती प्रेमळ स्त्री-पुरुषाप्रमाणे आनंदित होऊन सर्व प्रकारे वृद्धी करतात. ॥ ९ ॥

• देवता - अग्निः
• ऋषिः - वामदेवो गौतमः
• छन्दः - त्रिष्टुप्

ऋते᳓न हि᳓ ष्मा वृषभ᳓श् चिद् अक्तः᳓
पु᳓माँ अग्निः᳓ प᳓यसा पृष्ठि᳓येन
अ᳓स्पन्दमानो अचरद् वयोधा᳓
वृ᳓षा शुक्रं᳓ दुदुहे पृ᳓श्निर् ऊ᳓धः

Strata
Strophic

Pāda-label
genre M
genre M
genre M
genre M

Morph
aktáḥ ← √añj- (root)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG, non-finite:PPP}

cit ← cit (invariable)

hí ← hí (invariable)

r̥téna ← r̥tá- (nominal stem)
{case:INS, gender:M, number:SG}

sma ← sma (invariable)

vr̥ṣabháḥ ← vr̥ṣabhá- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}

agníḥ ← agní- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}

páyasā ← páyas- (nominal stem)
{case:INS, gender:N, number:SG}

pr̥ṣṭhyèna ← pr̥ṣṭhyà- (nominal stem)
{case:INS, gender:N, number:SG}

púmān ← púmaṁs- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}

acarat ← √carⁱ- (root)
{number:SG, person:3, mood:IND, tense:IPRF, voice:ACT}

áspandamānaḥ ← áspandamāna- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}

vayodhā́ḥ ← vayodhā́- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}

duduhe ← √duh- (root)
{number:SG, person:3, mood:IND, tense:PRF, voice:MED}

pŕ̥śniḥ ← pŕ̥śni- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}

śukrám ← śukrá- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG}

ū́dhar ← ū́dhar- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:N, number:SG}

vŕ̥ṣā ← vŕ̥ṣan- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}

ऋ॒तेन॑ । हि । स्म॒ । वृ॒ष॒भः । चि॒त् । अ॒क्तः । पुमा॑न् । अ॒ग्निः । पय॑सा । पृ॒ष्ठ्ये॑न ।
अस्प॑न्दमानः । अ॒च॒र॒त् । व॒यः॒ऽधाः । वृषा॑ । शु॒क्रम् । दु॒दु॒हे॒ । पृश्निः॑ । ऊधः॑ ॥

• ṛtena ← ṛta
• [noun], instrumental, singular, neuter
• “truth; order; fixed order; ṛta [word]; law; custom; custom.”

• hi
• [adverb]
• “because; indeed; for; therefore; hi [word].”

• ṣmā ← sma
• [adverb]

• vṛṣabhaś ← vṛṣabhaḥ ← vṛṣabha
• [noun], nominative, singular, masculine
• “bull; Vṛṣabha; Vṛṣabha; best.”

• cid ← cit
• [adverb]
• “even; indeed.”

• aktaḥ ← añj
• [verb noun], nominative, singular
• “smear; anoint; mix; color.”

• pumāṃ ← puṃs
• [noun], nominative, singular, masculine
• “man; masculine; man; puṃvajra; puruṣa; son; puṃs [word].”

• agniḥ ← agni
• [noun], nominative, singular, masculine
• “fire; Agni; sacrificial fire; digestion; cautery; Plumbago zeylanica; fire; vahni; agni [word]; agnikarman; gold; three; jāraṇa; pyre; fireplace; heating.”

• payasā ← payas
• [noun], instrumental, singular, neuter
• “milk; milky juice; water; fluid; juice; payas [word]; drink.”

• pṛṣṭhyena ← pṛṣṭhya
• [noun], instrumental, singular, neuter

• aspandamāno ← a
• [adverb]
• “not; akāra; a [taddhita]; a [word]; a; a.”

• aspandamāno ← spandamānaḥ ← spand
• [verb noun], nominative, singular
• “quiver.”

• acarad ← acarat ← car
• [verb], singular, Imperfect
• “car; wander; perform; travel; bore; produce; make; dwell; dig; act; observe; enter (a state); observe; cause; crop; behave; practice; heed; process; administer.”

• vayodhā ← vayodhāḥ ← vayodhas
• [noun], nominative, singular, masculine
• “fortifying.”

• vṛṣā ← vṛṣan
• [noun], nominative, singular, masculine
• “bull; Indra; stallion; Vṛṣan; man.”

• śukraṃ ← śukram ← śukra
• [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
• “bright; clear; white; light; pure.”

• duduhe ← duh
• [verb], singular, Perfect indicative
• “milk.”

• pṛśnir ← pṛśniḥ ← pṛśni
• [noun], nominative, singular, feminine
• “Pṛśni; beam.”

• ūdhaḥ ← ūdhas
• [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
• “udder; ūdhas [word]; night.”

वृषभः अभिमतफलवर्षकः पुमान् श्रेष्ठः सः अग्निः ऋतेन सत्यभूतेन पृष्ठ्येन धारकेण पयसा अक्तः सिक्तो भवति । हि ष्म चित् त्रयः पूरणाः। वयोधाः अन्नदः सोऽग्निः अस्पन्दमानः एकत्रावस्थितः सन् एव अचरत् सर्वत्र तेजसा चरति । तथा वृषा अपां वर्षकः पृश्निः सूर्यः शुक्रं पयः ऊधः अन्तरिक्षं मेघं वा दुदुहे दोग्धि ॥ अक्तः । ‘ अञ्जू व्यक्तिम्रक्षणगतिषु’। कर्मणि निष्ठा । दुदुहे। द्विकर्मकोऽयं धातुः । ऊधः । ‘ अकथितं च ’ इति कर्मसंज्ञा ॥ ॥ २१॥

English translation:

“The male Agni, the showerer (of benefits), has been sprinkled by the genitive ine sustaining milk; the giver of food proceeds unswerving (from his course), and the sun, the shedder of rain, has milked the white (fluid) of the udder (of the firmament).”

Commentary by Sāyaṇa: Ṛgveda-bhāṣya

The sun milked: duduhe pṛśnir udhas: prśni = Sūrya

Because by truth even the bull, the male Agni, was anointed with the milk on the top [=cream, that is, butter],
not bucking, he went about conferring vigor: the bull as Pr̥śni milked gleaming (milk/semen) from his udder.

This 2nd vs. in the truth-formulation sequence both continues the mystical description of the dawn sacrifice and presents another paradox. With regard to the sacrifice, the milk produced in vs. 9 becomes the butter oblation poured on the sacrificial fire, as Geldner discusses. Geldner’s explanation of the phrase páyasā pṛṣṭhyèna lit.

“the milk belonging to the back” is ingenious and (to me) convincing: it is the milk on the top (the image is of a four-legged animal), i.e., the cream, which is made into butter. With the offering of the butter, the fire flames up – allowing it to go about “conferring vigor” (vayodhā́-) in c.

Pāda c also inaugurates the paradox that is most clearly expressed in d. Agni is characterized as áspandamāna- in c. As Geldner points out (n. 10c), √spand ‘kick, lunge, jerk’ is only used in Vedic of cows when they are being milked, so Agni is both bull (vṛṣabhá- [a], vṛ́ṣan- [d]) and cow. This paradoxical double identity is sharpened in d, where Agni is identified not only as a bull but as Pṛśni, the cow who is the mother of the Maruts, and he is the subj. of the quintessential “cow” verb √duh ‘milk’ and acts on the quintessential cow body part ū́dhar- ‘udder’. The substance s/he produces from this udder is śukrám, a word that can refer not only to ‘gleaming’ milk, but is also used to refer to semen. A similar gender-bending milking scenario involving Pṛśni and Rudra, the Maruts’ father, is found in II.34.2; see that passage and the comm. thereon. Here Agni may be being identified with Rudra; see the AgniRudra equation in vs. 1 and also the focus on Rudra in the “question” vss. (6d, 7b, 7d). There are a number of passages in the Agni hymns of IV that should be brought into the conversation, though unfortunately what they have to say is obscure: see the “gleaming udder” (śúcy ū́dhaḥ) in IV.1.19 and a neut. entity (quite possibly her udder) belonging to Pṛśni in IV.5.7, 10.

What – if anything – this refers to naturalistically is unclear. The tendency among interpr. has been to take it as a reference to rain (see Geldner n. 10d) or to some other celestial phenomenon (Lüders 390), but I find Bloomfield’s suggestion (Rig-Veda Repetitions 213) more appropriate to the passage, that the fire, blazing up, “shoots out his flames from his bright udder; he, a bull, is thereby – mirabile dictu – also a pṛ̥çni, the heavenly, yielding cow, par excellence.” Bloomfield also suggests that śukrá- here mean ‘semen’, with a zeugma of duduhe: “As a bull he hath spurted semen, as a Pṛ̥çni cow he hath milked his udder.”

Agni the Bull, the manly, hath been sprinkled with oil upon his back, by Law eternal.
He who gives vital power goes on unswerving. Prsni the Bull hath milked the pure wiiite udder.

With Rita indeed, with the milk of the back 1, the bull has been anointed, Agni the man. Without trembling he moved on bestowing his vigour. The speckled bull has poured out his bright udder 2.

Von Rechts wegen ward ja der Stier, der männliche Agni, mit der rahmigen Milch gesalbt. Der Kraftspender pflegte nicht auszuschlagen, als Prisnikuh hat der Stier sein helles Euter ausgemolken.

Denn traun der Stier durch rechte Milch gesalbet auf seinem Rücken, Agni, er der Mannheld, Nicht gleitend wandert er, der Kraftverleiher, der Same strömt dem Stier, der Kuh das Euter.

По закону ведь, в самом деле, бык, мужественный
Агни помазан горним молоком.
Не дергаясь, двигается (этот) наделитель жизненной силой.
Бык-Пришни выдаивает свое вымя, (давая) чистое (молоко).

• अग्निः
• वामदेवो गौतमः
• निचृत्त्रिष्टुप्
• धैवतः

• देवता - अग्निः
• ऋषिः - वामदेवो गौतमः
• छन्दः - त्रिष्टुप्

ऋते᳓न अ᳓द्रिं वि᳓ असन् भिद᳓न्तः
स᳓म् अ᳓ङ्गिरसो नवन्त गो᳓भिः
शुनं᳓ न᳓रः प᳓रि षदन्न् उषा᳓सम्
आविः᳓ सु᳓वर् अभवज् जाते᳓ अग्नउ᳓

Strata
Strophic

Pāda-label
genre M
genre M
genre M
genre M

Morph
ádrim ← ádri- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:M, number:SG}

asan ← √as- 2 (root)
{number:PL, person:3, mood:INJ, tense:AOR, voice:ACT}

bhidántaḥ ← √bhid- (root)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:PL, tense:AOR, voice:ACT}

r̥téna ← r̥tá- (nominal stem)
{case:INS, gender:M, number:SG}

ví ← ví (invariable)

áṅgirasaḥ ← áṅgiras- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:PL}

góbhiḥ ← gáv- ~ gó- (nominal stem)
{case:INS, gender:F, number:PL}

navanta ← √nu- ~ nū- (root)
{number:PL, person:3, mood:INJ, tense:IPRF, voice:MED}

sám ← sám (invariable)

náraḥ ← nár- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:PL}

pári ← pári (invariable)

sadan ← √sad- (root)
{number:PL, person:3, mood:INJ, tense:AOR, voice:ACT}

śunám ← śuná- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG}

uṣā́sam ← uṣás- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:F, number:SG}

abhavat ← √bhū- (root)
{number:SG, person:3, mood:IND, tense:IPRF, voice:ACT}

agnaú ← agní- (nominal stem)
{case:LOC, gender:M, number:SG}

āvís ← āvís (invariable)

jāté ← √janⁱ- (root)
{case:LOC, gender:M, number:SG, non-finite:PPP}

svàr ← svàr- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG}

ऋ॒तेन॑ । अद्रि॑म् । वि । अ॒स॒न् । भि॒दन्तः॑ । सम् । अङ्गि॑रसः । न॒व॒न्त॒ । गोभिः॑ ।
शु॒नम् । नरः॑ । परि॑ । स॒द॒न् । उ॒षस॑म् । आ॒विः । स्वः॑ । अ॒भ॒व॒त् । जा॒ते । अ॒ग्नौ ॥

• ṛtenādriṃ ← ṛtena ← ṛta
• [noun], instrumental, singular, neuter
• “truth; order; fixed order; ṛta [word]; law; custom; custom.”

• ṛtenādriṃ ← adrim ← adri
• [noun], accusative, singular, masculine
• “mountain; rock; seven; stone; adri; grindstone; adri; rock.”

• vy ← vi
• [adverb]
• “apart; away; away.”

• asan ← as
• [verb], plural, Present conjunctive (subjunctive)
• “be; exist; become; originate; happen; result; be; dwell; be born; stay; be; equal; exist; transform.”

• bhidantaḥ ← bhid
• [verb noun], nominative, plural
• “break; incise; burst; divide; cut; cleave; destroy; cure; disturb; lance; break; distinguish; disclose; pierce; tear; separate; transgress; break open; scratch; penetrate; sever; bribe; grind; betray; fester; strike.”

• sam
• [adverb]
• “sam; together; together; saṃ.”

• aṅgiraso ← aṅgirasaḥ ← aṅgiras
• [noun], nominative, plural, masculine
• “Aṅgiras; Aṅgiras; Brahman; Atharva-Veda; aṅgiras [word]; Aṅgiras.”

• navanta ← nū
• [verb], plural, Present injunctive
• “praise; shout.”

• gobhiḥ ← go
• [noun], instrumental, plural, masculine
• “cow; cattle; go [word]; Earth; bull; floor; milk; beam; sunbeam; leather; hide; horn; language; bowstring; earth; ox; Svarga.”

• śunaṃ ← śunam ← śuna
• [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
• “well-being; success.”

• naraḥ ← nṛ
• [noun], nominative, plural, masculine
• “man; man; nṛ [word]; crew; masculine.”

• pari
• [adverb]
• “from; about; around.”

• ṣadann ← ṣadan ← sad
• [verb], plural, Thematic aorist (Ind.)
• “sit down; break down; slow; sink; crumble; fracture; perish; ride; stop; besiege; tire.”

• uṣāsam ← uṣas
• [noun], accusative, singular, feminine
• “Ushas; dawn; uṣas [word]; morning.”

• āviḥ ← āvis
• [adverb]
• “openly; obviously.”

• svar
• [adverb]
• “sun; sky; sunlight.”

• abhavaj ← abhavat ← bhū
• [verb], singular, Imperfect
• “become; be; originate; transform; happen; result; exist; be born; be; be; come to life; grow; elapse; come to mind; thrive; become; impend; show; conceive; understand; stand; constitute; serve; apply; behave.”

• jāte ← jan
• [verb noun], locative, singular
• “become; originate; be born; transform; happen; result; grow; beget; produce; create; conceive; separate; cause; give birth; grow; produce; generate; be; become; arise; come on.”

• agnau ← agni
• [noun], locative, singular, masculine
• “fire; Agni; sacrificial fire; digestion; cautery; Plumbago zeylanica; fire; vahni; agni [word]; agnikarman; gold; three; jāraṇa; pyre; fireplace; heating.”

अङ्गिरसः मेधातिथिप्रभृतयः ऋतेन यज्ञेन हेतुना गवां निरोधकम् अद्रिं पर्वतं भिदन्तः विदारयन्तः सन्तः व्यसन् व्यक्षिपन् । ततस्ते गोभिः सं नवन्त समगच्छन्त । नरः कर्मणां नेतारः ते शुनं सुखेन उषसं परि सदन् परितः प्राप्नुवन् । ततः स्वः सूर्योऽपि आविः अभवत् । सर्वमेतत् अग्नौ त्वयि जाते मथनेन निष्पादिते सत्यभूदिति ॥ असन् । अस्यतेर्लुङि च्लेः ‘ अस्यतिवक्ति° ’ इत्यादिना अङादेशः । ‘ अनित्यमागमशासनम् ’ इति थुगभावः ॥

English translation:

“By the sacrifice, the Aṅgirasas, rending the mountain asunder, have thrown it open, and returned with the cows; the leaders (of holy rites) have arrived happily at the dawn, and the sun was manifest as Agni was engendered.”

Commentary by Sāyaṇa: Ṛgveda-bhāṣya

The sun was manifest: an allusion to the early morning sacrifice with fire, probably instrumental tuted by the Aṅgirasas

By truth they threw open the rock, having split it. The Aṅgirases roared along with the cows.
For blessing the men besieged the dawn; the sun became visible when the fire was born.

The third truth-formulation vs. sets up the Vala myth as the model for the coming of dawn: just as the Aṅgirases breached the Vala cave and let loose the cows, so the human sacrificers break Dawn out of her confinement by kindling the ritual fire. This is the third step in the depiction of the morning ritual. As noted elsewhere (see esp. the published introduction to Maṇḍala IV and to IV.1), the Vala myth and the Aṅgirases play an outsize role in the Agni cycle of IV.

Despite the injunctives of pāda a (vy àsan) and c (pári ṣadan), I am tempted, with Grassmann, to read anavanta in b, to produce 11 syllables. (Consider the augmented impf. in d, abhavat.) Oldenberg (Noten) considers this restoration possible but not necessary. Hoffmann (Injunk., 209) gives a typical treatment of the vs. in his interpretational system, assuming an injunc. navanta in b.

By Law the Angirases cleft the rock asunder, and sang their hymns together with the cattle.
Bringing great bliss the men encompassed Morning: light was apparent at the birth of Agni.

1 By the Rita the Aṅgiras have broken the rock and cleft it asunder; they have shouted together with the cows. Prosperously the men have surrounded 2 the Dawn. The Sun appeared when Agni (the fire) had been born 3.

Von Rechts wegen haben sie spaltend den Fels gesprengt; die Angiras brüllten zusammen mit den Kühen. Mit Glück umlagerten die Männer die Usas; die Sonne kam zum Vorschein, als Agni geboren war.

Durch Recht zerstückten sie den Fels, ihn spaltend, die Angirasen jauchzten mit den Kühen; Zum Heil umsassen sie die Morgenröthe, hell ward der Himmel bei des Agni Zeugung.

По закону, раскалывая скалу, они взорвали ее.
Ангирасы взревели вместе с коровами.
Мужи успешно окружили Ушас.
Стало видно солнце, когда родился Агни.

• अग्निः
• वामदेवो गौतमः
• पङ्क्तिः
• पञ्चमः

• देवता - अग्निः
• ऋषिः - वामदेवो गौतमः
• छन्दः - त्रिष्टुप्

ऋते᳓न देवी᳓र् अमृ᳓ता अ᳓मृक्ता
अ᳓र्णोभिर् आ᳓पो म᳓धुमद्भिर् अग्ने
वाजी᳓ न᳓ · स᳓र्गेषु प्रस्तुभानः᳓
प्र᳓ स᳓दम् इ᳓त् स्र᳓वितवे दधन्युः

Strata
Strophic

Pāda-label
genre M
genre M
genre M
genre M

Morph
ámr̥ktāḥ ← ámr̥kta- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:F, number:PL}

amŕ̥tāḥ ← amŕ̥ta- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:F, number:PL}

devī́ḥ ← devī́- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:F, number:PL}

r̥téna ← r̥tá- (nominal stem)
{case:INS, gender:M, number:SG}

agne ← agní- (nominal stem)
{case:VOC, gender:M, number:SG}

ā́paḥ ← áp- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:F, number:PL}

árṇobhiḥ ← árṇas- (nominal stem)
{case:INS, gender:N, number:PL}

mádhumadbhiḥ ← mádhumant- (nominal stem)
{case:INS, gender:N, number:PL}

ná ← ná (invariable)

prastubhānáḥ ← √stubh- (root)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG, tense:AOR, voice:MED}

sárgeṣu ← sárga- (nominal stem)
{case:LOC, gender:M, number:PL}

vājī́ ← vājín- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}

dadhanyuḥ ← √dhanⁱ- (root)
{number:PL, person:3, mood:OPT, tense:PRF, voice:ACT}

ít ← ít (invariable)

prá ← prá (invariable)

sádam ← sádam (invariable)

srávitave ← √sru- (root)
{case:DAT, number:SG}

ऋ॒तेन॑ । दे॒वीः । अ॒मृताः॑ । अमृ॑क्ताः । अर्णः॑ऽभिः । आपः॑ । मधु॑मत्ऽभिः । अ॒ग्ने॒ ।
वा॒जी । न । सर्गे॑षु । प्र॒ऽस्तु॒भा॒नः । प्र । सद॑म् । इत् । स्रवि॑तवे । द॒ध॒न्युः॒ ॥

• ṛtena ← ṛta
• [noun], instrumental, singular, neuter
• “truth; order; fixed order; ṛta [word]; law; custom; custom.”

• devīr ← devīḥ ← deva
• [noun], nominative, plural, feminine
• “divine.”

• amṛtā ← amṛtāḥ ← amṛta
• [noun], nominative, plural, feminine
• “immortal; amṛta; imperishable.”

• amṛktā ← amṛktāḥ ← amṛkta
• [noun], nominative, plural, feminine
• “new; undamaged; complete.”

• arṇobhir ← arṇobhiḥ ← arṇas
• [noun], instrumental, plural, neuter
• “body of water; water.”

• āpo ← āpaḥ ← ap
• [noun], nominative, plural, feminine
• “water; body of water; water; ap [word]; juice; jala.”

• madhumadbhir ← madhumadbhiḥ ← madhumat
• [noun], instrumental, plural, neuter
• “sweet; honeyed; sweet; pleasant.”

• agne ← agni
• [noun], vocative, singular, masculine
• “fire; Agni; sacrificial fire; digestion; cautery; Plumbago zeylanica; fire; vahni; agni [word]; agnikarman; gold; three; jāraṇa; pyre; fireplace; heating.”

• vājī ← vājin
• [noun], nominative, singular, masculine
• “horse; bird; seven; hero; achiever; aphrodisiac.”

• na
• [adverb]
• “not; like; no; na [word].”

• sargeṣu ← sarga
• [noun], locative, plural, masculine
• “Creation; metempsychosis; discharge; torrent; birth; undertaking.”

• prastubhānaḥ ← prastubh ← √stubh
• [verb noun], nominative, singular

• pra
• [adverb]
• “towards; ahead.”

• sadam
• [adverb]
• “always.”

• it ← id
• [adverb]
• “indeed; assuredly; entirely.”

• sravitave ← sru
• [verb noun]
• “discharge; issue; run; filter; discharge; liquefy; ejaculate; fail; disappear; leak; fester.”

• dadhanyuḥ ← dhan
• [verb], plural, Perfect optative

हे अग्ने अमृताः अमरणहेतवः अमृक्ताः रक्षःप्रभृतिभिरबाधिताः मधुमद्भिः माधुर्योपेतैः अर्णोभिः उदकैर्युक्ताः देवीः देव्यो नद्यः ऋतेन सत्येन यज्ञेन वा हेतुना आपः आप्तव्याः सत्यः सदमित् सदैव स्रवितवे स्रवणाय प्र दधन्युः प्रगच्छन्ति । तत्र दृष्टान्तः । वाजी न । यथा सर्गेषु प्रेरणेषु प्रस्तुभानः प्रोत्साह्यमानः अश्वः प्रगच्छति तद्वत् ॥ आपः। ‘ आप्लृ व्याप्तौ । ‘ आप्नोतेः क्विप् ह्रस्वश्च ’ इति कर्मणि क्विप् । ‘अप्तृन्’ इत्यादिना जसि दीर्घः । प्रस्तुभानः । स्तोभतिरर्चतिकर्मा ॥

English translation:

“By sacrifice, Agni, the divine rivers, immortal, unobstructed, continue perpetually to flow with sweet waters, like a horse that is being urged in his speed.”

By truth the immortal, unharmable goddesses, the waters with their honeyed floods, o Agni—
like a competitor beating a tattoo at the start(ing posts)—should set to running, to stream forever.

The ritual application of this final ṛténa vs. is less clear than for the first three. It may simply refer to the waters used at the first soma pressing. Or the ritual aspect may be muted, and the point is to make room for the Vṛtra myth next to the Vala myth in vs. 11. However, the opt. dadhanyuḥ seems to reflect a movement from what has happened (the injunctives and preterite indicative of the last few vss.) to what should now happen, which suggests that there should be a ritual application.

The athem. mid. part. -stubhāná- is isolated, beside the act. them. 1st cl. pres.

stóbhati, and it is therefore impossible to determine its exact value – including whether it is passive (so, e.g., Oldenberg [SBE], Geldner, Renou) or not. Gotō (1st cl., 332 and n.

808. argues against such a value, on the basis of the intrans. sense of the root, and I have followed him in the non-passive assessment. My tr. “beat a tattoo” reflects my sense that √stubh is associated esp. with rhythm. As for sárga-, lit. ‘surge, gush’, it can refer to the instant when the surge is released, hence here the start of a race.

By Law the Immortal Goddesses the Waters, with meath-rich waves, O Agni, and uninjured,
Like a strong courser lauded in his running, sped to flow onward swiftly and for ever.

By the Rita the immortal, uninjured 1 goddesses, the Waters, O Agni, with their honey-sweet waves have sped forward 2 for ever to flow (along their course), like a racer incited by shouting when (the race-horses) are let loose.

Von Rechts wegen sollen die unsterblichen, göttlichen, unversehrten Gewässer mit ihren süßen Fluten wie ein ermunterter Preisrenner im Rennen sich in Lauf setzen, um für immer zu fließen, o Agni.

Durch Recht auch strömten unversehrt, unsterblich die Wasser vor mit honigsüssen Fluten, So wie ein schnaubend Ross in schnellem Wettlauf, die Göttinnen zu ew’gem Strom, o Agni.

По закону божественные, бессмертные, невредимые
Воды с (их) медовыми струями, о Агни,
Словно конь, добывающий награду, поощряемый криками на скачках,
Помчались вперед, чтобы течь вечно.

• अग्निः
• वामदेवो गौतमः
• निचृत्त्रिष्टुप्
• धैवतः

अब सङ्गदोष, अदोष और रक्षा विषय को अगले मन्त्र में कहते हैं ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - हे (अग्ने) विद्वान् पुरुष जैसे (ऋतेन) सत्य से (मधुमद्भिः) बहुत मधुर आदि गुणों से युक्त (अर्णोभिः) जलों के साथ (अमृक्ताः) नहीं शुद्ध किये गए (देवीः) उत्तम श्रेष्ठ (अमृताः) कारणरूप से नाशरहित (आपः) प्राणरूप पवन (स्रवितवे) जाने को (सदम्) प्राप्त वस्तु (प्र, दधन्युः) धारण करते हैं, वैसे (इत्) ही (सर्गेषु) किये हुए कार्य्यों में (वाजी) बहुत अन्नवाले के (न) सदृश (प्रस्तुभानः) अत्यन्त धारण करते हुए आप प्रकट हूजिये ॥१२॥

भावार्थभाषाः - इस मन्त्र में उपमा और वाचकलुप्तोपमालङ्कार हैं। हे मनुष्यो ! जैसे शुद्ध जल सुखकारी और अशुद्ध दुःख देनेवाले होते हैं, वैसे ही उत्तम गुणों का सङ्ग आनन्ददायक और दोषों का सङ्ग दुःख देनेवाला होता है। और जैसे ऐश्वर्य्ययुक्त धार्मिकजन कृपा से बुभुक्षित आदि का पालन करता है, वैसे ही सज्जन लोग सब की रक्षा करते हैं ॥१२॥

अन्वय: हे अग्ने ! यथर्त्तेन मधुमद्भिरर्णोभिस्सहाऽमृक्ता देवीरमृता आपो स्रवितवे सदं प्रदधन्युस्तथेदेव सर्गेषु वाजी न प्रस्तुभानः सँस्त्वं भव ॥१२॥

अथ सङ्गदोषादोषौ रक्षणविषयञ्चाह ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (ऋतेन) सत्येन (देवीः) दिव्याः (अमृताः) कारणरूपेण नाशरहिताः (अमृक्ताः) अशोधिताः (अर्णोभिः) जलैः (आपः) प्राणाः (मधुमद्भिः) बहुभिर्मधुरादिगुणयुक्तैः (अग्ने) विद्वन् (वाजी) बह्वन्नवान् (न) इव (सर्गेषु) सृष्टेषु कार्येषु (प्रस्तुभानः) प्रकर्षेण धरन् (प्र) (सदम्) प्राप्तं वस्तु (इत्) एव (स्रवितवे) स्रोतुं गन्तुम् (दधन्युः) धरन्त। अत्र वाच्छन्दसीति नुडागमो यासुडभावः ॥१२॥

भावार्थभाषाः - अत्रोपमावाचकलुप्तोपमालङ्कारौ। हे मनुष्या ! यथा शुद्धा आपः सुखकारिण्योऽशुद्धा दुःखप्रदा भवन्ति तथैव शुभगुणसङ्ग आनन्दप्रदो दोषसङ्गो दुःखप्रदश्च भवति। यथैश्वर्यवान् धार्मिको जनः कृपया बुभुक्षितादीन् पालयति तथैव सज्जनाः सर्वान् रक्षन्ति ॥१२॥

भावार्थभाषाः - या मंत्रात उपमावाचकलुप्तोपमालंकार आहेत. हे माणसांनो । जसे शुद्ध जल सुखदायक व अशुद्ध दुःखदायक असते, तसेच सद्गुणांचा संग आनंददायक व दोषांचा संग दुःखदायक असतो व जसे ऐश्वर्ययुक्त धार्मिक जन कृपा करतात व भुकेल्या माणसांचे पालन करतात, तसेच सज्जन लोक सर्वांचे रक्षण करतात. ॥ १२ ॥

• देवता - अग्निः
• ऋषिः - वामदेवो गौतमः
• छन्दः - त्रिष्टुप्

मा᳓ क᳓स्य यक्षं᳓ स᳓दम् इ᳓द् धुरो᳓ गा
मा᳓ वेश᳓स्य प्रमिनतो᳓ मा᳓ आपेः᳓
मा᳓ भ्रा᳓तुर् अग्ने अ᳓नृजोर् ऋणं᳓ वेर्
मा᳓ स᳓ख्युर् द᳓क्षं रिपो᳓र् भुजेम

Strata
Strophic

Pāda-label
genre M
genre M
genre M
genre M

Morph
gāḥ ← √gā- (root)
{number:SG, person:2, mood:INJ, tense:AOR, voice:ACT}

hurás ← hurás (invariable)

ít ← ít (invariable)

kásya ← ká- (pronoun)
{case:GEN, gender:M, number:SG}

mā́ ← mā́ (invariable)

sádam ← sádam (invariable)

yakṣám ← yakṣá- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:M, number:SG}

āpéḥ ← āpí- (nominal stem)
{case:GEN, gender:M, number:SG}

mā́ ← mā́ (invariable)

mā́ ← mā́ (invariable)

praminatáḥ ← √mī- 1 (root)
{case:GEN, gender:M, number:SG, tense:PRS, voice:ACT}

veśásya ← veśá- (nominal stem)
{case:GEN, gender:M, number:SG}

agne ← agní- (nominal stem)
{case:VOC, gender:M, number:SG}

ánr̥joḥ ← ánr̥ju- (nominal stem)
{case:GEN, gender:M, number:SG}

bhrā́tuḥ ← bhrā́tar- (nominal stem)
{case:GEN, gender:M, number:SG}

mā́ ← mā́ (invariable)

r̥ṇám ← r̥ṇá- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG}

veḥ ← √vī- 1 (root)
{number:SG, person:2, mood:INJ, tense:PRS, voice:ACT}

bhujema ← √bhuj- 2 (root)
{number:PL, person:1, mood:OPT, tense:AOR, voice:ACT}

dákṣam ← dákṣa- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:M, number:SG}

mā́ ← mā́ (invariable)

ripóḥ ← ripú- (nominal stem)
{case:GEN, gender:M, number:SG}

sákhyuḥ ← sákhi- (nominal stem)
{case:GEN, gender:M, number:SG}

मा । कस्य॑ । य॒क्षम् । सद॑म् । इत् । हु॒रः । गाः॒ । मा । वे॒शस्य॑ । प्र॒ऽमि॒न॒तः । मा । आ॒पेः ।
मा । भ्रातुः॑ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । अनृ॑जोः । ऋ॒णम् । वेः॒ । मा । सख्युः॑ । दक्ष॑म् । रि॒पोः । भु॒जे॒म॒ ॥

• mā
• [adverb]
• “not.”

• kasya ← ka
• [noun], genitive, singular, masculine
• “what; who; ka [pronoun].”

• yakṣaṃ ← yakṣam ← yakṣa
• [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
• “apparition; monster; apparition.”

• sadam
• [adverb]
• “always.”

• iddhuro ← id
• [adverb]
• “indeed; assuredly; entirely.”

• iddhuro ← huras
• [adverb]

• gā ← gāḥ ← gā
• [verb], singular, Aorist inj. (proh.)
• “go; enter (a state); arrive.”

• mā
• [adverb]
• “not.”

• veśasya ← veśa
• [noun], genitive, singular, masculine
• “whorehouse; prostitute; neighbor; braid.”

• praminato ← praminataḥ ← pramī ← √mī
• [verb noun], genitive, singular
• “destroy.”

• māpeḥ ← mā
• [adverb]
• “not.”

• māpeḥ ← āpeḥ ← āpi
• [noun], genitive, singular, masculine
• “friend.”

• mā
• [adverb]
• “not.”

• bhrātur ← bhrātuḥ ← bhrātṛ
• [noun], genitive, singular, masculine
• “brother; bhrātṛ; relative.”

• agne ← agni
• [noun], vocative, singular, masculine
• “fire; Agni; sacrificial fire; digestion; cautery; Plumbago zeylanica; fire; vahni; agni [word]; agnikarman; gold; three; jāraṇa; pyre; fireplace; heating.”

• anṛjor ← anṛjoḥ ← anṛju
• [noun], genitive, singular, masculine
• “dishonest; evil.”

• ṛṇaṃ ← ṛṇam ← ṛṇa
• [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
• “debt; debt; ṛṇa [word].”

• ver ← veḥ ← vī
• [verb], singular, Present injunctive
• “approach; ask; desire; go; drive.”

• mā
• [adverb]
• “not.”

• sakhyur ← sakhyuḥ ← sakhi
• [noun], genitive, singular, masculine
• “friend; companion; sakhi [word].”

• dakṣaṃ ← dakṣam ← dakṣa
• [noun], accusative, singular, masculine
• “Dakṣa; ability; cock; fitness; will; purpose; disposition; cock.”

• ripor ← ripoḥ ← ripu
• [noun], genitive, singular, masculine
• “punic; deceitful; unfriendly.”

• bhujema ← bhuj
• [verb], plural, Aorist optative
• “eat; enjoy; consume; eat; love; burn; run down; enjoy; live on.”

हे अग्ने हुरः अस्माकं हिंसकस्य कस्य कस्यचिदपि जन्तोः यक्षं यज्ञं सदमित् सदैव मा गाः कदाचिदपि मा गच्छ। प्रमिनतः हिंसकस्य वेशस्य प्रातिवेश्यस्य यज्ञं मा गाः । तथा आपेः मद्व्यतिरिक्तस्य बन्धोर्यज्ञं मा गच्छ। तथा अनृजोः कुटिलचित्तस्य भ्रातुः ऋणम् ऋणवद्देयं हविः मा वेः मा कामयेथाः । तथा वयमपि सख्युः मित्रस्य रिपोः शत्रोः दक्षं भोगसमर्थं धनं मा भुजेम मा भुञ्जीमहि । किंतु त्वया दत्तं धनं भुञ्जीमहि ॥ हुरः। ‘हृ प्रसह्यकरणे’। क्विप् । ‘ बहुलं छन्दसि’ इति उत्वम्। ‘सावेकाचः ’ इति विभक्तेरुदात्तत्वम् । भुजेम । ‘भुज पालनाभ्यवहारयोः ’ । आशीर्लिङि व्यत्ययेन परस्मैपदम् । लिङ्याशिष्यङ्’ इति अङ्प्रत्ययः ॥

English translation:

“Go not ever, Agni, to the sacrifice of any one who injures us; nor to that of a malevolent neighbour, nor to that of an (unnatural) relation; accept not the due (oblation) from an insincere brother; let us not derive enjoyment from the enemy of a friend.”

Don’t ever chase after (us, as) the specter of a nobody, a crooked man— neither of a tricky neighbor, nor of a friend. Do not pursue the debt of a dishonest brother (against us), Agni. May we not pay for the “skill” of a cheating partner.

This vs. is very difficult. As I see it, the point of the vs. is to demand that Agni not track down and punish the speaker for the transgressions of others, esp.

others who are close to the speaker and could be mistaken for him. In the first hemistich this notion is expressed by GEN yakṣá- “the specter/apparition of X,” where yakṣá- could perhaps best be rendered as Doppelgänger.

The first problem one encounters is kásya and the puzzle of how an interrogative would interact with the prohibitive mā́. The standard solution is to treat kásya as an indefinite, without the usual particle (cid, caná) to mark this value – e.g., Renou “… de qui (que ce soit).” But when the negative ná is used, the indefinite ‘no one, nothing’ always has the particle. I propose instead to read *akásya ‘of (a) nobody’.

With an accent like that of akútra ‘nowhere’, this interpr. does not require emending the Saṃhitā text (which would read mā́kásya), only the Pp., and the same stem is found three times elsewhere in the same context, at least by my interpr.: V.70.4 mā́ kásya (in a passage very similar to this one), mā́kásya in VII.94.8, and I.120.8 mā́ kásmai, parallel to mā́kútrā where the Pp. analyzes the first as mā́kásmai but the 2nd as mā́akútra. The apparent presence of mā́-akútra in this last passage reinforces my interpr. of mā́kásya / kásmai as also containing a privative a-. It might be argued that nákis, nákīm (the former of which is very common) and mā́kis, mā́kīm lack the indefinitizing particle, but all these forms show univerbation and loss of the accent on the 2nd element.

The form huráḥ has been variously analyzed. Oldenberg (etc) takes it as an adv., and Geldner (etc.) as the gen. of a root noun. (For detailed disc. see Scarlatta [123], who vacillates.) I follow the latter view, but see it not as an abstract but as a personal gen. referring to one of the transgressors. (This seems to be the Witzel Gotō interpr., too.) In d Oldenberg suggests emending dákṣam to yakṣám (matching the same form in pāda a and found elsewhere with bhujema), but it is hard to see how this error could have arisen. I think rather that dákṣa- is used here ironically or sarcastically.

On mā́with the apparent opt. bhujema, see Hoffmann (Injunk., 95-97), who explains this grammatical anomaly (found several times) as a misinterpr. of expressions with the dat. inf. bhujé.

Go never to the feast of one who harms us, the treacherous neighbour or. unworthy kinsman.
Punish us not for a false brother’s trespass. Let us riot feel the might of friend or foeman.

Go never on thy crooked way to the spirit (which avenges the guilt) of anybody 1, of a vassal who has trespassed, or of a friend. Require not (of us),a sinful brother’s debt 2. May we not have to suffer under the spirit which avenges a friend’s or a (hostile) deceiver’s guilt 3.

Geh nicht zu der Heimlichkeit irgend eines Unehrlichen, eines täuschenden Insassen oder Freundes! Suche nicht die Schuld eines unredlichen Bruders an uns heim, o Agni! Wir möchten nicht den Anschlag eines schelmischen Freundes auskosten!

Verfolg als Rächer nicht des Menschen Unrecht nicht falscher Freunde oder Hausgenossen, Nicht, Agni, räch die Schuld des sünd’gen Bruders, nicht komm uns Noth von feindlichen Genossen.

Не преследуй (нас) никогда за чье-(нибудь) колдовство, обманы,
Ни члена племени, нарушающего (закон), ни товарища!
Не (взыскивай), о Агни, за вину нечестного брата!
Да не испытаем мы силы действия друга-предателя!

• अग्निः
• वामदेवो गौतमः
• विराट्त्रिष्टुप्
• धैवतः

अब बुद्धिमानों के बुद्धिमत्ता विषय को कहते हैं ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - हे (अग्ने) अग्नि के सदृश प्रकाशमान ! आप (अनृजोः) कुटिल (कस्य) किसी (प्रमिनतः) अत्यन्त हिंसा करनेवाले (वेशस्य) प्रवेश के (हुरः) कुटिल कार्यसम्बन्धी (सदम्) वस्तु को (मा) मत (गाः) प्राप्त होओ और कुटिल (आपेः) प्राप्त हुए के (यक्षम्) प्राप्त होने योग्य वस्तु को (मा) मत प्राप्त होओ, कुटिल (भ्रातुः) बन्धु के प्राप्त होने योग्य वस्तु को (मा) मत प्राप्त होओ, कुटिल (सख्युः) मित्र के (दक्षम्) बल को (मा) मत (वेः) प्राप्त होओ, कुटिल (रिपोः) शत्रु के (ऋणम्) ऋण को (मा) मत प्राप्त होओ, जिससे हम लोग सुख का (इत्) ही (भुजेम) व्यवहार करें ॥१३॥

भावार्थभाषाः - उन्हीं लोगों को बुद्धिमान् समझना चाहिये कि जो अन्याय से किसी का वस्तु, दुष्टवेश, हिंसा करनेवाले का सङ्ग, न्याय से प्राप्त हुए धन का व्यर्थ खर्च, दुष्ट बन्धु का सङ्ग और शत्रु का विश्वास नहीं करके आनन्द का भोग करें ॥१३॥

अन्वय: हे अग्ने ! त्वमनृजोः कस्यचित्प्रमिनतो वेशस्य हुरस्सदं मा गाः। अनृजोरापेर्य्यक्षं सदं मा गा अनृजोर्भ्रातुर्यक्षं सदं मा गाः। अनृजोः सख्युर्दक्षं मा वेरवृजो रिपोर्ऋणं मा वेः। येन वयं सुखमिद्भुजेम ॥१३॥

बुद्धिमत्ताविषयमाह ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (मा) (कस्य) (यक्षम्) सङ्गन्तव्यम् (सदम्) वस्तु (इत्) एव (हुरः) कुटिलस्य (गाः) प्राप्नुयाः (मा) (वेशस्य) प्रवेशस्य (प्रमिनतः) प्रकर्षेण हिंसतः (मा) (आपेः) प्राप्तस्य (मा) (भ्रातुः) बन्धोः (अग्ने) अग्निरिव प्रकाशमान (अनृजोः) कुटिलस्य (ऋणम्) (वेः) प्राप्नुयाः (मा) (सख्युः) मित्रस्य (दक्षम्) बलम् (रिपोः) शत्रोः (भुजेम) अभ्यवहरेम ॥१३॥

भावार्थभाषाः - त एव धीमन्तो विज्ञेया येऽन्यायेन कस्यचिद्वस्तु दुष्टवेशं हिंसकसङ्गं न्यायेन प्राप्तस्य धनस्याऽन्यथा व्ययं दुष्टबन्धोः सङ्गं शत्रुविश्वासमकृत्वाऽऽनन्दं भुञ्जीरन् ॥१३॥

भावार्थभाषाः - जे अन्यायाने कुणाचीही वस्तू, दुष्टवेश, हिंसा करणाऱ्यांचा संग, न्यायाने प्राप्त झालेल्या धनाचा व्यर्थ खर्च, दुष्ट बंधूचा संग करीत नाही व शत्रूवर विश्वास ठेवत नाहीत आणि आनंदाचा भोग करतात, त्याच लोकांना बुद्धिमान समजले पाहिजे. ॥ १३ ॥

• देवता - अग्निः
• ऋषिः - वामदेवो गौतमः
• छन्दः - त्रिष्टुप्

र᳓क्षा णो अग्ने त᳓व र᳓क्षणेभी
रारक्षाणः᳓ · सुमख प्रिणानः᳓°
प्र᳓ति ष्फुर वि᳓ रुज वीडु अं᳓हो
जहि᳓ र᳓क्षो म᳓हि चिद् वावृधान᳓म्

Strata
Strophic

Pāda-label
genre M
genre M
genre M
genre M

Morph
agne ← agní- (nominal stem)
{case:VOC, gender:M, number:SG}

naḥ ← ahám (pronoun)
{case:ACC, number:PL}

rákṣa ← √rakṣⁱ- (root)
{number:SG, person:2, mood:IMP, tense:PRS, voice:ACT}

rákṣaṇebhiḥ ← rákṣaṇa- (nominal stem)
{case:INS, gender:N, number:PL}

táva ← tvám (pronoun)
{case:GEN, number:SG}

prīṇānáḥ ← √prī- (root)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG, tense:PRS, voice:MED}

rārakṣāṇáḥ ← √rakṣⁱ- (root)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG, tense:PRF, voice:MED}

sumakha ← súmakha- (nominal stem)
{case:VOC, gender:M, number:SG}

áṁhaḥ ← áṁhas- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG}

práti ← práti (invariable)

ruja ← √ruj- (root)
{number:SG, person:2, mood:IMP, tense:PRS, voice:ACT}

sphura ← √sphr̥̄- (root)
{number:SG, person:2, mood:IMP, tense:PRS, voice:ACT}

ví ← ví (invariable)

vīḷú ← vīḷú- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:N, number:SG}

cit ← cit (invariable)

jahí ← √han- (root)
{number:SG, person:2, mood:IMP, tense:PRS, voice:ACT}

máhi ← máh- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG}

rákṣaḥ ← rákṣas- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG}

vāvr̥dhānám ← √vr̥dh- (root)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:SG, tense:PRF, voice:MED}

रक्ष॑ । नः॒ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । तव॑ । रक्ष॑णेभिः । र॒र॒क्षा॒णः । सु॒ऽम॒ख॒ । प्री॒णा॒नः ।
प्रति॑ । स्फु॒र॒ । वि । रु॒ज॒ । वी॒ळु । अंहः॑ । ज॒हि । रक्षः॑ । महि॑ । चि॒त् । व॒वृ॒धा॒नम् ॥

• rakṣā ← rakṣ
• [verb], singular, Present imperative
• “protect; guard; keep; stow; govern; guard; spare; accumulate.”

• ṇo ← ṇaḥ ← mad
• [noun], accusative, plural
• “I; mine.”

• agne ← agni
• [noun], vocative, singular, masculine
• “fire; Agni; sacrificial fire; digestion; cautery; Plumbago zeylanica; fire; vahni; agni [word]; agnikarman; gold; three; jāraṇa; pyre; fireplace; heating.”

• tava ← tvad
• [noun], genitive, singular
• “you.”

• rakṣaṇebhī ← rakṣaṇebhiḥ ← rakṣaṇa
• [noun], instrumental, plural, neuter
• “protection; care; iron; prevention; preservation.”

• rārakṣāṇaḥ ← rakṣ
• [verb noun], nominative, singular
• “protect; guard; keep; stow; govern; guard; spare; accumulate.”

• sumakha ← su
• [adverb]
• “very; well; good; nicely; beautiful; su; early; quite.”

• sumakha ← makha
• [noun], vocative, singular, masculine

• prīṇānaḥ ← prī
• [verb noun], nominative, singular
• “delight; gladden; satisfy; nutrify; comfort.”

• prati
• [adverb]
• “towards; per; regarding; respectively; according to; until.”

• ṣphura ← sphur
• [verb], singular, Present imperative
• “glitter; bounce; quiver; pulsate.”

• vi
• [adverb]
• “apart; away; away.”

• ruja ← ruj
• [verb], singular, Present imperative
• “break; bend.”

• vīḍv ← vīḍu
• [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
• “hard; firm.”

• aṃho ← aṃhaḥ ← aṃhas
• [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
• “trouble; sin.”

• jahi ← hā
• [verb], singular, Present imperative
• “abandon; decrease; want; kill; deteriorate; get rid of; exclude; lose; avoid; remove; leave; abandon; neglect; leave; discard; apostatize; discontinue; weaken; abandon; assail; subtract; foreswear; pour away; withdraw; depart; reduce.”

• rakṣo ← rakṣaḥ ← rakṣas
• [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
• “Rākṣasa; Rakṣas; rakṣas [word].”

• mahi
• [noun], accusative, singular, neuter
• “great; firm.”

• cid ← cit
• [adverb]
• “even; indeed.”

• vāvṛdhānam ← vṛdh
• [verb noun], accusative, singular
• “increase; grow; vṛdh; increase; succeed; strengthen; grow up; spread.”

सुमख सुयज्ञ सुधनेति वा हे अग्ने ररक्षाणः भृशमस्माकं रक्षिता प्रीणानः हविर्भिः प्रीतः त्वं तव रक्षणेभिः त्वदीयैरवनैः नः अस्मान् रक्ष पालय । प्रति स्फुर अस्मान् प्रति दीप्यस्व। वीळु दृढम् अंहः पापं वि रुज विशेषेण नाशय। किंच महि चित् महदपि वावृधानं वर्धमानं वृद्धं वा बाधकं रक्षः जहि ॥ नः । ‘ नश्च धातुस्थोरुषुभ्यः’ इति संहितायां णत्वम् । ररक्षाणः । रक्षेर्यङ्लुकि चानशि रूपम् । जहि । ‘हन हिंसागत्योः’। लोटि ‘हन्तेर्जः’ इति जादेशः । आभाच्छास्त्रीयस्यासिद्धत्वात् ‘अतो हेः’ इति लुक् न भवति ॥

English translation:

“Agni, worthily worshipped, counservator, conciliated (by our offerings), protect us with your protections; enlighten us; entirely extirpate our sin; overcome the great and exulting rākṣasas.”

Guard us, Agni, with your guards, ever guarding when you are gratified, you good combatant [/very generous].
Spring toward rigid constraint and break it apart; smash demonic force, even though it has grown great.

Once again in this hymn Agni seems to be indirectly identified with Rudra, here by the use of the adj. súmakha-, used explicitly of Rudra in 7b. The ambiguity of this word works well here also.

O Agni, keep us safe with thy protection, loving us, honoured God! and ever guarding.
Beat thou away, destory severe affliction slay e’en the demon when he waxes mighty.

Protect us, O Agni, with all thy protection, thou who art protected, O martial one 1, and art gladdened (by us). Sparkle forth, and destroy even strong evil! Slay the Rakshas even though it has grown large.

Schütz uns, Agni, mit deinen Schutzmitteln schützend, wenn du befriedigt bist, du Freigebiger! Stoße zurück, zerbrich die starke Not, erschlag den bösen Geist, auch wenn er mächtig erstarkt ist!

Behüt, o Agni, uns durch deine Huten, und holdgesinnt, o Held, du starker Hüter, O stoss hinweg, zerbrich das harte Drangsal, und das Gespenst, auch wenn es hoch sich aufthürmt.

Защити нас, о Агни, мощно защищающий своими
Защитами, когда тебе угодили, о очень воинственный!
Оттолкни, разбей сильную нужду!
Убей ракшаса, даже если он мощно возрос!

• अग्निः
• वामदेवो गौतमः
• विराट्त्रिष्टुप्
• धैवतः

अब राज्यपालन विषय को अगले मन्त्र में कहते हैं ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - हे (सुमख) उत्तम न्याय व्यवहार के पालन करनेवाले (अग्ने) राजन् ! आप (नः) हम लोगों की (रक्ष) रक्षा करो और (महि) बड़े (वावृधानम्) अत्यन्त वृद्धि को प्राप्त हुए की (रारक्षाणः) रक्षा करते (प्रीणानः) प्रसन्न होते वा प्रसन्न करते हुए, (प्रति, स्फुर) पुरुषार्थ करो और शत्रु को (वीळु) दृढ़ (वि, रुज) विशेषता से अच्छे प्रकार भग्न करो और (अंहः) पाप का (जहि) नाश करो (रक्षः) दुष्ट शत्रु का भङ्ग करो और जिससे (तव) आपके (चित्) भी (रक्षणेभिः) अनेक प्रकार के उपायों से हम लोग सुखी होवें ॥१४॥

भावार्थभाषाः - वे ही राजा लोग यश के भागी हैं कि जो दुष्ट पुरुषों की दुष्टता को दूर कर और श्रेष्ठ पुरुषों की श्रेष्ठता बढ़ा के राज्य का निरन्तर पिता के समान अर्थात् पिता अपने पुत्र की पालना करता, वैसे पालन करें ॥१४॥

अन्वय: हे सुमखाऽग्ने ! त्वं नो रक्ष महि वावृधानं रारक्षाणः प्रीणानः सन् प्रति स्फुर। शत्रुं वीळु विरुज अंहो जहि रक्षो विरुज यतस्तव चिद्रक्षणेभिर्वयं सुखिनः स्याम ॥१४॥

अथ राज्यपालनविषयमाह ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (रक्ष) पालय। अत्र द्व्यचोऽतस्तिङ इति दीर्घः। (नः) अस्मान् (अग्ने) राजन् (तव) (रक्षणेभिः) अनेकविधैरुपायैः (रारक्षाणः) भृशं रक्षन्त्सन् (सुमख) सुष्ठुन्यायव्यवहारपालकः (प्रीणानः) प्रसन्नः प्रसादयन् (प्रति) (स्फुर) पुरुषार्थाय (वि) (रुज) प्रभग्नं कुरु (वीळु) दृढम् (अंहः) पापम् (जहि) (रक्षः) दुष्टं शत्रुम् (महि) महान्तम् (चित्) अपि (वावृधानम्) भृशं वर्धमानम् ॥१४॥

भावार्थभाषाः - त एव राजानः कीर्त्तिभाजो ये दुष्टानां दुष्टतां निवार्य्य श्रेष्ठानां श्रेष्ठतां वर्धयित्वा राज्यं सततं पितृवत्पालयेयुः ॥१४॥

भावार्थभाषाः - जे दुष्टांची दुष्टता दूर करून श्रेष्ठांची श्रेष्ठता वाढवून राज्याचे निरंतर पित्याप्रमाणे पालन करतात, तेच राजे कीर्तिमान असतात. ॥ १४ ॥

• देवता - अग्निः
• ऋषिः - वामदेवो गौतमः
• छन्दः - त्रिष्टुप्

एभि᳓र् भव सुम᳓ना अग्ने अर्कइ᳓र्
इमा᳓न् स्पृश म᳓न्मभिः शूर वा᳓जान्
उत᳓ ब्र᳓ह्माणि अङ्गिरो जुषस्व
सं᳓ ते शस्ति᳓र् देव᳓वाता जरेत

Strata
Strophic

Pāda-label
genre M
genre M
genre M
genre M

Morph
agne ← agní- (nominal stem)
{case:VOC, gender:M, number:SG}

arkaíḥ ← arká- (nominal stem)
{case:INS, gender:M, number:PL}

bhava ← √bhū- (root)
{number:SG, person:2, mood:IMP, tense:PRS, voice:ACT}

ebhíḥ ← ayám (pronoun)
{case:INS, gender:M, number:PL}

sumánāḥ ← sumánas- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}

imā́n ← ayám (pronoun)
{case:ACC, gender:M, number:PL}

mánmabhiḥ ← mánman- (nominal stem)
{case:INS, gender:N, number:PL}

spr̥śa ← √spr̥ś- (root)
{number:SG, person:2, mood:IMP, tense:PRS, voice:ACT}

śūra ← śū́ra- (nominal stem)
{case:VOC, gender:M, number:SG}

vā́jān ← vā́ja- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:M, number:PL}

aṅgiraḥ ← áṅgiras- (nominal stem)
{case:VOC, gender:M, number:SG}

bráhmāṇi ← bráhman- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:N, number:PL}

juṣasva ← √juṣ- (root)
{number:SG, person:2, mood:IMP, tense:AOR, voice:MED}

utá ← utá (invariable)

devávātā ← devávāta- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:F, number:SG}

jareta ← √gr̥̄- 1 (root)
{number:SG, person:3, mood:OPT, tense:PRS, voice:MED}

sám ← sám (invariable)

śastíḥ ← śastí- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:F, number:SG}

te ← tvám (pronoun)
{case:DAT, number:SG}

ए॒भिः । भ॒व॒ । सु॒ऽमनाः॑ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । अ॒र्कैः । इ॒मान् । स्पृ॒श॒ । मन्म॑ऽभिः । शू॒र॒ । वाजा॑न् ।
उ॒त । ब्रह्मा॑णि । अ॒ङ्गि॒रः॒ । जु॒ष॒स्व॒ । सम् । ते॒ । श॒स्तिः । दे॒वऽवा॑ता । ज॒रे॒त॒ ॥

• ebhir ← ebhiḥ ← idam
• [noun], instrumental, plural, masculine
• “this; he,she,it (pers. pron.); here.”

• bhava ← bhū
• [verb], singular, Present imperative
• “become; be; originate; transform; happen; result; exist; be born; be; be; come to life; grow; elapse; come to mind; thrive; become; impend; show; conceive; understand; stand; constitute; serve; apply; behave.”

• sumanā ← sumanāḥ ← sumanas
• [noun], nominative, singular, masculine
• “benevolent; cheerful; happy; satisfied.”

• agne ← agni
• [noun], vocative, singular, masculine
• “fire; Agni; sacrificial fire; digestion; cautery; Plumbago zeylanica; fire; vahni; agni [word]; agnikarman; gold; three; jāraṇa; pyre; fireplace; heating.”

• arkair ← arkaiḥ ← arka
• [noun], instrumental, plural, masculine
• “Calotropis gigantea Beng.; sun; copper; Surya; hymn; twelve; fire; beam.”

• imān ← idam
• [noun], accusative, plural, masculine
• “this; he,she,it (pers. pron.); here.”

• spṛśa ← spṛś
• [verb], singular, Present imperative
• “touch; enter (a state); reach; touch.”

• manmabhiḥ ← manman
• [noun], instrumental, plural, neuter
• “hymn; idea; purpose.”

• śūra
• [noun], vocative, singular, masculine
• “hero; cock; śūra; Śūra; Vatica robusta; Plumbago zeylanica; warrior; hero; attacker; lentil; wild boar; lion; dog.”

• vājān ← vāja
• [noun], accusative, plural, masculine
• “prize; Vāja; reward; reward; Ribhus; vigor; strength; contest.”

• uta
• [adverb]
• “and; besides; uta [indecl.]; similarly; alike; even.”

• brahmāṇy ← brahmāṇi ← brahman
• [noun], accusative, plural, neuter
• “brahman; mantra; prayer; spell; Veda; Brahmin; sacred text; final emancipation; hymn; brahman [word]; Brāhmaṇa; study.”

• aṅgiro ← aṅgiraḥ ← aṅgiras
• [noun], vocative, singular, masculine
• “Aṅgiras; Aṅgiras; Brahman; Atharva-Veda; aṅgiras [word]; Aṅgiras.”

• juṣasva ← juṣ
• [verb], singular, Present imperative
• “enjoy; endow; possess; frequent; accompany; induce; consume; approve; affect; attend; befit; blend; contract.”

• saṃ ← sam
• [adverb]
• “sam; together; together; saṃ.”

• te ← tvad
• [noun], genitive, singular
• “you.”

• śastir ← śastiḥ ← śasti
• [noun], nominative, singular, feminine
• “hymn; praise.”

• devavātā ← deva
• [noun], masculine
• “Deva; Hindu deity; king; deity; Indra; deva [word]; God; Jina; Viśvedevās; mercury; natural phenomenon; gambling.”

• devavātā ← vātā ← van
• [verb noun], nominative, singular
• “obtain; gain; desire; get; like; love; overcome.”

• jareta ← jṛ
• [verb], singular, Present optative
• “sing.”

हे अग्ने एभिः मदीयैः अर्कैः अर्चनीयैः शस्त्रैः सुमनाः शोभनमनस्कः भव । हे शूर इमान् अस्मदीयान् हविर्लक्षणान् वाजान् अन्नानि मन्मभिः स्तोत्रैः सह स्पृश प्रतिगृहाण । उत अपि च अङ्गिरः । अङ्गति हवींषि प्राप्नोतीत्यङ्गिरा अग्निः । यद्वा । ‘ येऽङ्गारा आसंस्तेऽङ्गिरसोऽभवन् । ( ऐ. ब्रा. ३. ३४ ) इति ब्राह्मणम् । तेषामङ्गिरसां कारणत्वादग्नेरङ्गिरस्त्वम् । तत्कारणत्वे च मन्त्रः ‘ ये अङ्गिरसः सूनवस्ते अग्नेः परि जज्ञिरे ’ ( ऋ. सं. १०. ६२. ५) इति । तादृश हे अग्न ब्रह्माणि मन्त्रान् जुषस्व सेवस्व । देववाता । देवार्थं गता देवान् स्तोतुं प्राप्तेत्यर्थः । तादृशी शस्तिः शंसनं ते त्वां सं जरेत संवर्धयतु ॥ स्पृश । ‘ स्पृश संस्पर्शने ’ । तुदादिः । देववाता । ‘ वा गतिगन्धनयोः । ‘ गत्यर्थाकर्मक ’ इति कर्तरि कः । देवः । पचाद्यजन्तः । क्ते च ’ इति चतुर्थ्यन्तस्य पदस्य प्रकृतिस्वरः ॥

English translation:

“Be propitiated, Agni, by these hymns, accept, hero, these (sacrificial) viands (presented) with praises; be plural ased, Aṅgiras, by our prayers; may the adoration addressed to the gods exalt you. (Taittirīya Samhitā 10.62.5)”

By reason of these recitations become well disposed, Agni; by reason of our thoughts caress these prizes, o champion.
And enjoy the sacred formulations, Aṅgiras. May the chant favored by the gods bring harmony to you.

Vs. 3 also contains forms of both mánman- and śastí-.

On sám √jṛ see Gotō (1st cl., 154-55), who considers the two instances of this lexeme (also in the next hymn, IV.4.8) an individual use of this poet, in the meaning ‘be welcome’ [willkommen sein]. In both cases it has a verbal product of the poet as subj. (śastí- here, gír- IV.4.8). My ‘bring harmony’ is meant to capture the ‘sing’ feature of the root √jṛ. Perhaps ‘be harmonious’ would have been better. For further disc. see ad IV.4.8 below.

Through these our songs of praise be gracious, Agni; moved by ourprayers, O Hero, touch our viands.
Accept, O Angiras, these our devotions, and let the praise which Gods desire address thee.

Be gracious, O Agni, through these our hymns. Touch, O hero, this wealth moved by our prayers. And accept, O Aṅgiras, our sacred words. May the praise, beloved by the gods, resound to thee 1.

Werde durch diese Preislieder freundlich gesinnt, o Agni; leg mit unseren Gebeten Hand auf jene Belohnungen, du Tapferer! Und freue dich an den erbaulichen Reden, o Angiras! Möge dein Lobpreis bei den Göttern gut aufgenommen Anklang finden.

Durch diese Lieder sei uns hold, o Agni, berühr, o Held, erbetner, diese Speisen; Und die Gebet’ empfang, o Himmelsbote, dir rausche zu das gottgefäll’ge Loblied.

Будь милостиво настроен, о Агни, благодаря этим восхвалениям!
Коснись этих наград с помощью (наших) прозрений, о герой!
А также наслаждайся молитвами, о Ангирас!
Пусть имеет успех хвала, угодная богам!

• अग्निः
• वामदेवो गौतमः
• निचृत्त्रिष्टुप्
• धैवतः

फिर उसी विषय को अगले मन्त्र में कहते हैं ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - हे (अङ्गिरः) प्राण के सदृश वर्त्तमान (शूर) वीर (अग्ने) विद्वन् राजन् ! आप (एभिः) इन धार्मिक रक्षक और विद्यावान् (अर्कैः) सत्कार करने योग्य (मन्मभिः) विद्वानों के साथ (सुमनाः) उत्तम मन युक्त (भव) हूजिये और (इमान्) इन (वाजान्) प्राप्त होने योग्य उत्तम गुण, कर्म और स्वभाववालों को (स्पृश) ग्रहण करिये (उत) और (ब्रह्माणि) बड़े-बड़े धनों का (सम् जुषस्व) अच्छे प्रकार सेवन करिये जिससे कि (ते) आपकी (देववाता) विद्वानों से की गई (शस्तिः) प्रशंसा (जरेत) प्रशंसित हो अर्थात् अधिक विख्यात हो ॥१५॥

भावार्थभाषाः - हे राजन् ! आप यथार्थवक्ता विद्वानों का सङ्ग निरन्तर करिये और उनके उपदेश से न्यायपूर्वक राज्य का पालन करके प्रशंसित हूजिये ॥१५॥

अन्वय: हे अङ्गिरः शूराग्ने राजंस्त्वमेभिरर्कैर्मन्मभिस्सह सुमना भवेमान् वाजान् स्पृश उत ब्रह्माणि सञ्जुषस्व यतस्ते देववाता शस्तिर्जरेत ॥१५॥

पुनस्तमेव विषयमाह ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (एभिः) धार्मिकै रक्षकैर्विद्वद्भिः सह (भव) (सुमनाः) शोभनं मनो यस्य सः (अग्ने) विद्वन् (अर्कैः) सत्कर्त्तव्यैः (इमान्) (स्पृश) गृहाण (मन्मभिः) विद्वद्भिः (शूरः) (वाजान्) प्राप्तव्याञ्छुभगुणकर्मस्वभावान् (उत) (ब्रह्माणि) महान्ति धनानि (अङ्गिरः) प्राण इव वर्त्तमान (जुषस्व) सेवस्व (सम्) (ते) तव (शस्तिः) प्रशंसा (देववाता) देवैर्विद्वद्भिः कृता (जरेत) प्रशंसिता भवेत् ॥१५॥

भावार्थभाषाः - हे राजन् ! भवानाप्तानां विदुषां सङ्गं सततं कुरु तदुपदेशेन न्यायेन राज्यं पालयित्वा प्रशंसितो भवतु ॥१५॥

भावार्थभाषाः - हे राजा! तू निरंतर आप्त विद्वानांचा संग निरंतर कर व त्यांच्या उपदेशाने न्यायपूर्वक राज्याचे पालन करून प्रशंसित हो. ॥ १५ ॥

• देवता - अग्निः
• ऋषिः - वामदेवो गौतमः
• छन्दः - त्रिष्टुप्

एता᳓ वि᳓श्वा विदु᳓षे तु᳓भ्यं वेधो
नीथा᳓नि अग्ने निणिया᳓ व᳓चांसि
निव᳓चना कव᳓ये का᳓वियानि
अ᳓शंसिषम् मति᳓भिर् वि᳓प्र उक्थइः᳓

Strata
Strophic

Pāda-label
genre M
genre M
genre M
genre M

Morph
etā́ ← eṣá (pronoun)
{case:ACC, gender:N, number:PL}

túbhyam ← tvám (pronoun)
{case:DAT, number:SG}

vedhaḥ ← vedhás- (nominal stem)
{case:VOC, gender:M, number:SG}

vidúṣe ← √vid- 2 (root)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG, tense:PRF, voice:ACT}

víśvā ← víśva- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:N, number:PL}

agne ← agní- (nominal stem)
{case:VOC, gender:M, number:SG}

niṇyā́ ← niṇyá- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:N, number:PL}

nīthā́ni ← nīthá- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:N, number:PL}

vácāṁsi ← vácas- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:N, number:PL}

kaváye ← kaví- (nominal stem)
{case:DAT, gender:M, number:SG}

kā́vyāni ← kā́vya- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:N, number:PL}

nivácanā ← nivácana- (nominal stem)
{case:ACC, gender:N, number:PL}

áśaṁsiṣam ← √śaṁs- (root)
{number:SG, person:1, mood:IND, tense:AOR, voice:ACT}

matíbhiḥ ← matí- (nominal stem)
{case:INS, gender:F, number:PL}

ukthaíḥ ← ukthá- (nominal stem)
{case:INS, gender:N, number:PL}

vípraḥ ← vípra- (nominal stem)
{case:NOM, gender:M, number:SG}

ए॒ता । विश्वा॑ । वि॒दुषे॑ । तुभ्य॑म् । वे॒धः॒ । नी॒थानि॑ । अ॒ग्ने॒ । नि॒ण्या । वचां॑सि ।
नि॒ऽवच॑ना । क॒वये॑ । काव्या॑नि । अशं॑सिषम् । म॒तिऽभिः॑ । विप्रः॑ । उ॒क्थैः ॥

• etā ← etad
• [noun], accusative, plural, neuter
• “this; he,she,it (pers. pron.); etad [word].”

• viśvā ← viśva
• [noun], accusative, plural, neuter
• “all(a); whole; complete; each(a); viśva [word]; completely; wholly.”

• viduṣe ← vid
• [verb noun], dative, singular
• “know; diagnose; perceive; know; accord; notice; deem; mind; learn; specify; watch; recognize; detect; call.”

• tubhyaṃ ← tubhyam ← tvad
• [noun], dative, singular
• “you.”

• vedho ← vedhaḥ ← vedhas
• [noun], vocative, singular, masculine
• “Brahma; creator; believer [worshipper]; Vishnu.”

• nīthāny ← nīthāni ← nītha
• [noun], accusative, plural, neuter
• “song; hymn.”

• agne ← agni
• [noun], vocative, singular, masculine
• “fire; Agni; sacrificial fire; digestion; cautery; Plumbago zeylanica; fire; vahni; agni [word]; agnikarman; gold; three; jāraṇa; pyre; fireplace; heating.”

• niṇyā ← niṇya
• [noun], accusative, plural, neuter
• “hidden; concealed; confidential.”

• vacāṃsi ← vacas
• [noun], accusative, plural, neuter
• “statement; command; speech; words; advice; word; voice.”

• nivacanā ← nivacana
• [noun], accusative, plural, neuter
• “expression.”

• kavaye ← kavi
• [noun], dative, singular, masculine
• “poet; wise man; bard; Venus; Uśanas; kavi [word]; Kavi; prophet; guru; Brahma.”

• kāvyāny ← kāvyāni ← kāvya
• [noun], accusative, plural, neuter
• “poetic; divine.”

• aśaṃsiṣam ← śaṃs
• [verb], singular, Athematic is aor. (Ind.)
• “recommend; tell; praise; approve; communicate; recite; commend; bode; name; agree.”

• matibhir ← matibhiḥ ← mati
• [noun], instrumental, plural, feminine
• “intelligence; decision; mind; hymn; purpose; idea; opinion; belief; desire; wish; conviction; plan; devotion.”

• vipra ← vipraḥ ← vipra
• [noun], nominative, singular, masculine
• “eloquent; stimulated; divine.”

• ukthaiḥ ← uktha
• [noun], instrumental, plural, neuter
• “hymn; praise; uktha [word]; encomium.”

वेधः विधातर्हे अग्ने विदुषे कर्मविषयज्ञानवते कवये क्रान्तदर्शिने तुभ्यं नीथानि फलप्रापकाणि: निण्या नेयार्थानि गूढानि निवचना नितरां वक्तव्यानि काव्यानि कविभिर्मेधाविभिः कृतानि एता विश्वा एतानि सर्वाणि वचांसि वाक्यानि मतिभिः मननीयैः स्तोत्रैः उक्थैः शस्त्रैश्च सहितः विप्रः प्राज्ञोऽहम् अशंसिषम् अवोचम् । तानि सेवस्वेत्यर्थः ॥ ॥ २२ ॥

English translation:

“Agni, creator, to you who are wise, acquainted with the past, I address, oḥ sage, these soliciting mysterious words, (these) ever-to-be-recited poems, together with praises and prayers.”

Commentary by Sāyaṇa: Ṛgveda-bhāṣya

Ever to be recited poems: nivacanā(ni) kāvyāni: nitarām vaktavyāni kavibhiḥ kṛtāni, those which are made by poets ever to be recited

All these devices, the secret words, are for you who know, o ritual adept, Agni—
the enigmas, the poetic compositions are for you, the wise poet. I, the inspired one, have pronounced them in composed thoughts and
solemn speeches.

On this vs., see published introduction.

To thee who knowest, Agni, thou Disposer, all these wise secret speeches have I uttered,
Sung to thee, Sage, the charming words of wisdom, to thee, O Singer, with. my thoughts and Praises.

I, the priest, have rehearsed to thee the omniscient one, O Agni, worshipper (of the gods), all these songs, these inmost words, these recitations and words of wisdom, to thee the wise one, with prayers and hymns.

Alle diese Weisungen, versteckten Reden habe ich dir, dem Kundigen, o Meister Agni, und die vertraulichen Worte, die Seherworte dir dem Seher in Gedichten und Lobliedern redekundig vorgetragen.

Gesungen hab’ ich alle diese Lieder, o Ordner, Agni, und geheime Worte; dem weisen Seher weisheitsvolle Reden, o Priester, dir mit Sprüchen und Gebeten.

Для тебя, знатока, о устроитель (обряда), все эти
Способы вести (гимн), о Агни, тайные слова,
Скрытые выражения, поэтические прозрения, для поэта,
Возвестил я, вдохновенный, в молитвах (и) гимнах.

• अग्निः
• वामदेवो गौतमः
• पङ्क्तिः
• पञ्चमः

अब प्रजा विषय को अगले मन्त्र में कहते हैं ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - हे (वेधः) बुद्धिमान् (अग्ने) राजन् ! (विप्रः) मेधावी जन मैं (उक्थैः) प्रशंसा करने योग्य (मतिभिः) विद्वानों के साथ जो (काव्यानि) कवियों ने रचे शास्त्र उनकी (अशंसिषम्) प्रशंसा करता हूँ और उन (विश्वा) सम्पूर्ण (एता) इन (निण्या) निर्णय किये गये (निवचना) अत्यन्त अर्थों को कहनेवाले (वचांसि) वचनों को (विदुषे) विद्वान् (कवये) उत्तम बुद्धिवाले (तुभ्यम्) आपके लिये (नीथानि) प्राप्त किये गये प्रशंसूँ अर्थात् वह आपको प्राप्त हुए ऐसी प्रशंसा करूँ ॥१६॥

भावार्थभाषाः - वही निश्चित प्रशंसा जानने योग्य है कि जो धार्मिक विद्वानों से की जाय। अध्यापक और उपदेशक जनों को चाहिये कि पढ़ने और उपदेश देनेवालों को सदा ही सत्यवादी और विद्वान् करें ॥१६॥ इस सूक्त में अग्नि, राजा और प्रज्जदिकों के कृत्य और गुणों का वर्णन होने से इस सूक्त के अर्थ की पूर्व सूक्तार्थ के साथ सङ्गति जाननी चाहिये ॥१६॥ यह तीसरा सूक्त और बाईसवाँ वर्ग समाप्त हुआ ॥

अन्वय: हे वेधोऽग्ने ! विप्रोऽहमुक्थैर्मतिभिः सह यानि काव्यान्यशंसिषं तानि विश्वैता निण्या निवचना वचांसि विदुषे कवये तुभ्यं नीथानि प्रशंसेयम् ॥१६॥

अथ प्रजाविषयमाह ॥

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (एता) एतानि (विश्वा) सर्वाणि (विदुषे) (तुभ्यम्) (वेधः) मेधाविन् (नीथानि) प्रापितानि (अग्ने) राजन् (निण्या) निर्णीतानि (वचांसि) वचनानि (निवचना) नितरामुच्यन्तेऽर्था यैस्तानि (कवये) विक्रान्तप्रज्ञाय (काव्यानि) कविभिर्निर्मितानि (अशंसिषम्) प्रशंसेयम् (मतिभिः) विद्वद्भिस्सह (विप्रः) मेधावी (उक्थैः) प्रशंसितुमर्हैः ॥१६॥

भावार्थभाषाः - सैव निश्चिता प्रशंसा वेदितव्या या धार्मिकैर्विद्वद्भिः क्रियेत, अध्यापकोपदेशकैरध्येतार उपदेश्याश्च सदैव सत्यवादिनो विद्वांसो विधातव्या इति ॥१६॥ अत्राग्निराजप्रजादिकृत्यगुणवर्णनादेतदर्थस्य पूर्वसूक्तार्थेन सह सङ्गतिर्वेद्या ॥१६॥ इति तृतीयं सूक्तं द्वाविंशो वर्गश्च समाप्तः॥

भावार्थभाषाः - धार्मिक विद्वानांनी केलेली प्रशंसा निश्चित जाणण्यायोग्य असते. अध्यापक व उपदेशक लोकांनी अध्ययन व उपदेश घेणाऱ्यांना सदैव सत्यवादी विद्वान करावे. ॥ १६ ॥