०३३

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सायण-भाष्यम्

‘श्वित्यञ्चः ’ इति चतुर्दशर्चं षोडशं सूक्तम् । अत्रेयमनुक्रमणिका— श्वित्यञ्चः षळूना संस्तवो वसिष्ठस्य सपुत्रस्येन्द्रेण वा संवादः’ इति । आदितो नवानां वसिष्ठ ऋषिः । वसिष्ठपुत्राणां स्तूयमानत्वात्त एव देवता । “विद्युतो ज्योतिः’ इत्यादिभिर्दशम्यादिभिः स्वपुत्रैर्वसिष्ठः स्तूयते । अतो वसिष्ठो देवता । त एव ऋषयः । ‘ या तेनोच्यते’ इति न्यायात् । अनुक्तत्वात् त्रिष्टुप् ॥

Jamison Brereton

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Vasisṭha’s Sons (1–9); Vasis ̣ ṭha (10–14) ̣
Vasiṣṭha Maitrāvaruṇi (1–9), Vasiṣṭha’s sons (10–14)
14 verses: triṣṭubh
This famous hymn, coming at the very end of the Vasiṣṭha Indra cycle, treats the mystical birth of Vasiṣṭha and the accomplishments of Vasiṣṭha and his descen dants, particularly the feat of attracting Indra to the side of King Sudās and ensur ing Indra’s support in the Battle of the Ten Kings, the battle treated at length in VII.18. The Anukramaṇī identifies the poet of verses 1–9 as Vasiṣṭha and the “deity” as Vasiṣṭha’s sons, with the opposite identifications for verses 10–14, but this does not seem the most perspicuous assignment of roles. Rather, it seems that the hymn falls into three parts: 1–6, 7–9, 10–14, starting with a time close to the (semi mythical) present and moving backward to the deep mythical past.
The first six verses celebrate the Vasiṣṭhas’ successful invitation of Indra to their soma sacrifice and Indra’s subsequent aid to Sudās and the Tr̥tsus in the Ten Kings battle. Indra himself appears to be the speaker in verses 1 and 4. The first two verses depict one of the themes running through this set of Indra hymns: competing sacri
fices. Here, Indra seems actually to rise from his seat at another sacrifice to go to the Vasiṣṭhas in verse 1, with his journey described in verse 2. Verses 3–6 treat his aid to Sudās in the Ten Kings battle, with all credit given to the Vasiṣṭhas’ poetic skill for bringing this aid (vss. 3–5), and Indra himself declaring this in verse 4.
The next section begins with a trio of riddles based on the number three (vs. 7), with the last pāda of that verse asserting that it is exactly this knowledge that the Vasiṣṭhas control—a nice meta-comment on what Vedic poets were supposed to know. There is no consensus (modern or ancient) on the answers to these three riddles. The three producers of semen may be the three soma-pressings, or heaven (with its rain), soma, and man—and other answers have also been suggested. The three Ārya “creatures” with light in front could be the three ritual fires, or the fire, the sun, and dawn—and, again, there are other possible solutions. As for the three “heats,” these could again be the ritual fires, or the sun, the fire, and the gharma924 VII.33
drink, or some other triad. It is perhaps pleasing that the Vasiṣṭhas’ esoteric knowl edge has remained safe with them for over three millennia! This skill of theirs at decoding secrets and putting them in proper verbal form is celebrated further in verse 8 and the first half of verse 9.
The second half of verse 9 provides the transition to the last section, concern ing the birth of Vasiṣṭha. What the Vasiṣṭhas are weaving (a motif recurring almost verbatim in vs. 12) is not entirely clear, but we are inclined to think it concerns the institution and performance of the sacrifice. It is clear why they are approaching the Apsarases (the heavenly “nymphs” of Vedic and later Indian culture): one of the Apsarases’ number, Urvaśī, is their mother (see vss. 11–12), with Mitra and Varuṇa as their father (see vss. 11, 13), in the first of their forefather Vasiṣṭha’s births. Both births are referred to in verse 10, both that from Mitra and Varuṇa and that when Agastya presented him to the clan. To say that the details of the births are murky is an understatement, and we will not attempt here to interpret all the mysteries in these verses. The last verse (14) is traditionally taken as Agastya’s words, introduc
ing Vasiṣṭha to his adoptive clan, the Tr̥tsus, and outlining Vasiṣṭha’s ritual role. The address to “you thrusters forth” (pratr̥daḥ) is most likely a pun on their name.

Jamison Brereton Notes

Vasiṣṭha and the Vasiṣṭhids On the structure and thematics of this famous hymn see the published introduction, as well as the introductory remarks of both Oldenberg and Geldner With VII.18, the account of the Battle of the Ten Kings, it bookends the Indra hymns of VII and contributes its own background to the (fragmentary) narrative of King Sudās and the Ten Kings Battle.

The name vásiṣṭha- appears in every vs. of this hymn, primarily at the end of the d pāda: vss. 1, 2, 3, 4, (not 5, 6, though vásiṣṭha- appears in both c pādas,) 7, (not 8, though it’s in middle of d,) 9, (not 10 though in c, nor 11 though in a,) 12, 13, 14.

01 श्वित्यञ्चो मा - त्रिष्टुप्

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श्वित्य᳓ञ्चो मा दक्षिणत᳓स्कपर्दा
धियंजिन्वा᳓सो अभि᳓ हि᳓ प्रमन्दुः᳓
उत्ति᳓ष्ठन् वोचे प᳓रि बर्हि᳓षो नॄ᳓न्
न᳓ मे दूरा᳓द् अ᳓वितवे व᳓सिष्ठाः

02 दूरादिन्द्रमनयन्ना सुतेन - त्रिष्टुप्

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दूरा᳓द् इ᳓न्द्रम् अनयन्न् आ᳓ सुते᳓न
तिरो᳓ वैशन्त᳓म् अ᳓ति पा᳓न्तम् उग्र᳓म्
पा᳓शद्युम्नस्य वायत᳓स्य सो᳓मात्
सुता᳓द् इ᳓न्द्रो अवृणीता व᳓सिष्ठान्

03 एवेन्नु कम् - त्रिष्टुप्

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एवे᳓न् नु᳓ कं सि᳓न्धुम् एभिस् ततार
एवे᳓न् नु᳓ कम् भेद᳓म् एभिर् जघान
एवे᳓न् नु᳓ कं दाशराज्ञे᳓ सुदा᳓सम्
प्रा᳓वद् इ᳓न्द्रो ब्र᳓ह्मणा वो वसिष्ठाः

04 जुष्थी नरो - त्रिष्टुप्

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जु᳓ष्टी नरो ब्र᳓ह्मणा वः पितॄणा᳓म्
अ᳓क्षम् अव्ययं न᳓ कि᳓ला रिषाथ
य᳓च् छ᳓क्वरीषु बृहता᳓ र᳓वेण
इ᳓न्द्रे शु᳓ष्मम् अ᳓दधाता वसिष्ठाः

05 उद्द्यामिवेत्तृष्णजो नाथितासोऽदीधयुर्दाशराज्ञे - त्रिष्टुप्

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उ᳓द् द्या᳓म् इवे᳓त् तृष्ण᳓जो नाथिता᳓सो
अ᳓दीधयुर् दाशराज्ञे᳓ वृता᳓सः
व᳓सिष्ठस्य स्तुवत᳓ इ᳓न्द्रो अश्रोद्
उरुं᳓ तृ᳓त्सुभ्यो अकृणोद् उलोक᳓म्†

06 दण्डा इवेद्गोअजनास - त्रिष्टुप्

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दण्डा᳓ इवे᳓द् गोअ᳓जनास आसन्
प᳓रिछिन्ना भरता᳓ अर्भका᳓सः
अ᳓भवच् च पुरएता᳓ व᳓सिष्ठ
आ᳓द् इ᳓त् तृ᳓त्सूनां वि᳓शो अप्रथन्त

07 त्रयः कृण्वन्ति - त्रिष्टुप्

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त्र᳓यः कृण्वन्ति भु᳓वनेषु रे᳓तस्
तिस्रः᳓ प्रजा᳓ आ᳓रिया ज्यो᳓तिरग्राः
त्र᳓यो घर्मा᳓स उष᳓सं सचन्ते
स᳓र्वाँ इ᳓त् ताँ᳓ अ᳓नु विदुर् व᳓सिष्ठाः

08 सूर्यस्येव वक्षथो - त्रिष्टुप्

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सू᳓र्यस्येव वक्ष᳓थो ज्यो᳓तिर् एषां
समुद्र᳓स्येव महिमा᳓ गभीरः᳓
वा᳓तस्येव प्रजवो᳓ ना᳓निये᳓न
स्तो᳓मो वसिष्ठा अ᳓नुएतवे वः

09 त इन्निण्यम् - त्रिष्टुप्

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त᳓ इ᳓न् निण्यं᳓ हृ᳓दयस्य प्रकेतइः᳓
सह᳓स्रवल्शम् अभि᳓ सं᳓ चरन्ति
यमे᳓न तत᳓म् परिधिं᳓ व᳓यन्तो
अप्सर᳓स उ᳓प सेदुर् व᳓सिष्ठाः

10 विद्युतो ज्योतिः - त्रिष्टुप्

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विद्यु᳓तो ज्यो᳓तिः प᳓रि संजि᳓हानम्
मित्रा᳓व᳓रुणा य᳓द् अ᳓पश्यतां त्वा
त᳓त् ते ज᳓न्म उत᳓ ए᳓कं वसिष्ठ
अग᳓स्त्यो य᳓त् त्वा विश᳓ आजभा᳓र

11 उतासि मैत्रावरुणो - त्रिष्टुप्

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उता᳓सि मैत्रावरुणो᳓ वसिष्ठ
उर्व᳓श्या ब्रह्मन् म᳓नसो᳓ ऽधि जातः᳓
द्रप्सं᳓ स्कन्न᳓म् ब्र᳓ह्मणा दइ᳓वियेन
वि᳓श्वे देवाः᳓ पु᳓ष्करे त्वाददन्त

12 स प्रकेत - त्रिष्टुप्

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स᳓ प्रकेत᳓ उभ᳓यस्य प्रविद्वा᳓न्
सह᳓स्रदान उत᳓ वा स᳓दानः
यमे᳓न तत᳓म् परिधिं᳓ वयिष्य᳓न्न्
अप्सर᳓सः प᳓रि जज्ञे व᳓सिष्ठः

13 सत्रे ह - त्रिष्टुप्

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सत्रे᳓ ह जाता᳓व् इषिता᳓ न᳓मोभिः
कुम्भे᳓ रे᳓तः सिषिचतुः समान᳓म्
त᳓तो ह मा᳓न उ᳓द् इयाय म᳓ध्यात्
त᳓तो जात᳓म् ऋ᳓षिम् आहुर् व᳓सिष्ठम्

14 उक्थभृतं सामभृतम् - त्रिष्टुप्

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उक्थभृ᳓तं सामभृ᳓तम् बिभर्ति
ग्रा᳓वाणम् बि᳓भ्रत् प्र᳓ वदाति अ᳓ग्रे
उ᳓पैनम् आध्वं सुमनस्य᳓माना
आ᳓ वो गछाति प्रतृदो व᳓सिष्ठः