०८६

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सायण-भाष्यम्

’ धीरा त्वस्य ’ इत्यष्टर्चं षोडशं सूक्तं वसिष्ठस्यार्षं त्रैष्टुभं वरुणदेवत्यम्। तथा चानुक्रान्तं- ’ धीराष्टौ वारुणं ह ’ इति । गतो विनियोगः ।।

Jamison Brereton

86 (602)
Varuṇa
Vasiṣṭha Maitrāvaruṇi
8 verses: triṣṭubh
This hymn and the following three hymns (VII.87–89) are justly famous because they have an unusually intimate tone and because the poet Vasiṣṭha as a literary creation of the poem emerges as a distinct personality. Jamison (2007: 91–118) offers a detailed study of the hymns in this group and of the creation of the poet’s personality. Like the other hymns in this small collection, this poem centers on just two figures, the poet—Vasiṣṭha according to tradition—and the god Varuṇa, and Vasiṣṭha speaks personally, even confessionally with Varuṇa. Apparently Vasiṣṭha has been suffering from some kind of affliction, which, he has been told, is the pun ishment of King Varuṇa for an offense. He begs Varuṇa to accept his offerings and repentance, to forgive his transgressions, which he says were not intentional (vs. 6), and to restore him to prosperity and health.
The relationship between Vasiṣṭha and Varuṇa constantly shifts as the hymn unfolds. The literary strategy of the poem most clearly appears in its use of pro nouns and other markers of person, as Jamison (2007: 96–100) shows in her analysis. Use of the 3rd person distances the speaker and the object, while addressing another as “you” is a token of closeness and presence to one another. The poet deploys these pronouns first to distance Vasiṣṭha and Varuṇa, then to bring them close, and finally to separate them once again. So in verse 1 Vasiṣṭha is absent because there is no reference to the speaker, and Varuṇa is distanced by the 3rd singular pronoun asya. His absence is mitigated only by fact that unaccented asya should be anaphoric and therefore might point to the previous presence of the god. Otherwise, the relation
ship between Vasiṣṭha and Varuṇa is completely broken. In verse 2 Vasiṣṭha is present (1st sg. in each of the four lines), and Varuṇa remains distanced. In verse 3 Vasiṣṭha is present once again (1st sg.) and Varuṇa is partly present: he is addressed in the vocative but he is also mentioned in the 3rd person. In verse 4 both Vasiṣṭha (1st sg.) and Varuṇa (2nd sg.) are present. Then there begins a retreat from their full presence to one another. In verse 5 Vasiṣṭha is less present (the 1st pl. generalizes rather than personalizes the speaker) and Varuṇa is present (through the vocative address and 2nd sg. imperative). This verse reverses 3, in which Vasiṣṭha was fully present but Varuṇa partly present. In verse 6 Vasiṣṭha is distanced (note especially svá “one’s own,” not “my own”), and Varuṇa is present (through the vocative address). Again this verse reverses 2, in which Vasiṣṭha was present and Varuṇa was distanced. In verse 7 Vasiṣṭha is present (1st sg.), but Varuṇa is distanced (3rd sg.). This partially reverses 1 insofar as Vasiṣṭha was absent there but is present here. Varuṇa remains distanced in both verses 1 and 7. The last verse (8), is a concluding, extra-hymnic verse, a coda that stands outside the main structure of the hymn.
This analysis also shows the omphalos structure of the hymn. Verse 1 corresponds to 7, verse 2 to 6, verse 3 to 5, and verse 4 is the center. It is the thematic heart of the hymn because it is in this verse that the poet and the god are both present and pres ent to one another. It also signifies the determination of Vasiṣṭha, who anticipates the resolution of his conflict with Varuṇa. Varuṇa will—perhaps even in the sense of “must”—proclaim what Vasiṣṭha has done, and Vasiṣṭha promises to make amends to the god to receive the god’s forgiveness. Although the hymn moves away from this encounter between Vasiṣṭha and Varuṇa, the last verse suggests that the problem has been resolved. Varuṇa has returned to the distance, but he and Vasiṣṭha now mutually support one another. Varuṇa has enlightened Vasiṣṭha (vs. 7c), and Vasiṣṭha ritually serves the god to his greater “wealth,” his power and glory (7d).
In verse 2b the meaning of váruṇe “within Varuṇa” may play on the possible ety mological relation of váruṇa and vratá “commandment.” That is, “within Varuṇa” has the sense of “under, or in conformity with, the commandment of Varuṇa.” The poet wants to be no longer at odds with Varuṇa. At the same time the hope for closeness to the god or even for envelopment by the god, which is suggested in the phrase, looks forward to the increasing intimacy of Vasiṣṭha and Varuṇa. The state is both parallel to and contrasts with the situation in verse 6c where the elder is “within the misdeed of the younger.”
In verse 4d, we read áva…īyām, from ava + √yā “make recompense,” instead of the transmitted but metrically faulty áva…iyām.

Jamison Brereton Notes

Varuṇa

01 धीरा त्वस्य - त्रिष्टुप्

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धी᳓रा तु᳓ अस्य महिना᳓ जनूं᳓षि
वि᳓ य᳓स् तस्त᳓म्भ रो᳓दसी चिद् उर्वी᳓
प्र᳓ ना᳓कम् ऋष्वं᳓ नुनुदे बृह᳓न्तं
द्विता᳓ न᳓क्षत्रम् पप्र᳓थच् च भू᳓म

02 उत स्वया - त्रिष्टुप्

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उत᳓ स्व᳓या तनु᳓वा सं᳓ वदे त᳓त्
कदा᳓ नु᳓ अन्त᳓र् व᳓रुणे भुवानि
कि᳓म् मे हव्य᳓म् अ᳓हृणानो जुषेत
कदा᳓ मॄळीकं᳓+ सुम᳓ना अभि᳓ ख्यम्

03 पृच्छे तदेनो - त्रिष्टुप्

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पृछे᳓ त᳓द् ए᳓नो वरुण दिदृ᳓क्षु
उ᳓पो एमि चिकितु᳓षो विपृ᳓छम्
समान᳓म् इ᳓न् मे कव᳓यश् चिद् आहुर्
अयं᳓ ह तु᳓भ्यं व᳓रुणो हृणीते

04 किमाग आस - त्रिष्टुप्

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कि᳓म् आ᳓ग आस वरुण ज्य᳓यिष्ठं+
य᳓त् स्तोता᳓रं जि᳓घांससि स᳓खायम्
प्र᳓ त᳓न् मे वोचो दूळभ स्वधावो
अ᳓व त्वानेना᳓ न᳓मसा तुर᳓ इयाम्

05 अव द्रुग्धानि - त्रिष्टुप्

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अ᳓व द्रुग्धा᳓नि पि᳓त्रिया सृजा नो
अ᳓व या᳓ वयं᳓ चकृमा᳓ तनू᳓भिः
अ᳓व राजन् पशुतृ᳓पं न᳓ तायुं᳓
सृजा᳓ वत्सं᳓ न᳓ दा᳓मनो व᳓सिष्ठम्

06 न स - त्रिष्टुप्

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न᳓ स᳓ स्वो᳓ द᳓क्षो वरुण ध्रु᳓तिः सा᳓
सु᳓रा मन्यु᳓र् विभी᳓दको अ᳓चित्तिः
अ᳓स्ति ज्या᳓यान् क᳓नीयस उपारे᳓
स्व᳓प्नश् चने᳓द् अ᳓नृतस्य प्रयोता᳓

07 अरं दासो - त्रिष्टुप्

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अ᳓रं दासो᳓ न᳓ मीळ्हु᳓षे कराणि
अहं᳓ देवा᳓य भू᳓र्णये अ᳓नागाः
अ᳓चेतयद् अचि᳓तो देवो᳓ अर्यो᳓
गृ᳓त्सं राये᳓ कवि᳓तरो जुनाति

08 अयं सु - त्रिष्टुप्

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अयं᳓ सु᳓ तु᳓भ्यं वरुण स्वधावो
हृदि᳓ स्तो᳓म उ᳓पश्रितश् चिद् अस्तु
शं᳓ नः क्षे᳓मे श᳓म् उ यो᳓गे नो अस्तु
यूय᳓म् पात सुअस्ति᳓भिः स᳓दा नः