०७८

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सायण-भाष्यम्

‘विप्रासः’ इत्यष्टर्चं दशमं सूक्तम् । पञ्चम्याद्यास्तिस्रो द्वितीया चेति चतस्रो जगत्यः । शिष्टाश्चतस्रस्त्रिष्टुभः । पूर्ववदृषिदेवते । तथा चानुक्रान्तं – विप्रासो द्वितीया पञ्चम्याद्याश्च तिस्रो जगत्यः इति । गतो विनियोगः ॥

Jamison Brereton

78 (904)
Maruts
Syūmaraśmi Bhārgava
8 verses: triṣṭubh and jagatī
This hymn has the same unusual meter as X.77 and, like X.77, is structured as a series of similes. In fact, this hymn goes further than the previous hymn in both features. The only standard triṣṭubh verse is the final one (8), which also breaks the rhetorical pattern. And the similes not only continue throughout the hymn (until vs. 8) but are under more rigid syntactic control. It is worth discussing in some detail how the poet has crafted his hymn and how the apparently rigid repetitive structure, with each pāda containing exactly one simile, still allows the possibility of forward momentum and rhetorical climax. (See also Jamison 2007: 77–79.)
Each of the first seven verses of this eight-verse hymn contains four pāda-length similes, each marked with ná “like,” and with the point of comparison almost always positioned at pāda-end. Since in runs of similes it is common to alternate between the simile-markers ná and iva, the complete avoidance of iva in this hymn is noteworthy and the regular repetition of ná contributes to the sense of regimenta
tion. Furthermore, the ná is almost exclusively in second position in the pāda and is generally the last syllable of the opening (before an often irregular break: see the introduction to X.77).
All of these similes are in the nominative plural masculine, with the Maruts always the subject. This rigid syntactic structure, reinforced by its coinciding exactly with metrical units, has an almost claustrophobic effect—an effect signifi cantly enhanced by the fact that the first six verses are entirely nominal in their syntax: in these twenty-four separate clausal similes there is not one finite verb or even predicated participle. (This exclusively nominal style cannot be entirely captured in translation.) This syntactic stasis contrasts markedly with the nature of the subjects being celebrated, for the Maruts are the most active gods in the R̥gveda. Moreover, many of the similes in this hymn concern the Maruts’ uncon
trollable energy, despite the motionless quality of the poetic form. The disjunc tion between content and form produces a remarkable aesthetic effect. Yet the effect is not of complete stasis even in these verses, for the subjects of the similes modulate from verse to verse, while the complexity of imagery increases gradu ally. For examples, the winds appear in verses 2 and 3 in different images, likewise bride-seeking young men in verses 4 and 5, with two types of stones and two types of mothers in verse 6.
And then finally in verse 7 the straitjacket of nominal style is broken: though this verse, too, contains four pāda-length similes, both hemistichs end with finite verbs, 7b vy àśvitan “they have shone forth,” 7d mamire “they have measured.” While maintaining the underlying structure that unifies the hymn, the poet manages, by strictly grammatical means, to build to a climax. The energy kept suppressed by the nominal style is finally released by the finite verbs of verse 7.

The last verse (8), which is, as noted, the only standard triṣṭubh, abandons the structure of the rest of the hymn, and in conventional terms asks the gods for the usual gifts, as so often in final verses. But it is noteworthy for containing the first and only occurrence of the name marút in the hymn. Retroactively we can see that the hymn also functions as a very long riddle, whose answer is given only in this last verse. This verse is linked to what precedes by a small and subtle verbal device. As noted, twenty-five of the twenty-eight preceding pādas begin X ná, with the simile marker in second position; verse 8 begins X no (i.e., naḥ “us”). The poet invites us to expect yet another simile, but substitutes the phonetically similar 1st-person plu ral enclitic pronoun in its place. Thus, though the verse is cast in entirely different stylistic terms from the rest of the hymn, its integral connection to what precedes is signaled by the playful naḥ. (Note that the naḥ is entirely unnecessary in this verse, since it redundantly doubles and anticipates the full pronoun asmā́n opening the second pāda.)

01 विप्रासो न - त्रिष्टुप्

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वि᳓प्रासो न᳓ म᳓न्मभिः सुआधि᳓यो
देवावि᳓यो न᳓ यज्ञइः᳓ सुअ᳓प्नसः
रा᳓जानो न᳓ चित्राः᳓ सुसंदृ᳓शः
क्षितीनां᳐᳓ न᳓ म᳓र्या अरेप᳓सः

02 अग्निर्न ये - जगती

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अग्नि᳓र् न᳓ ये᳓ भ्रा᳓जसा रुक्म᳓वक्षसो
वा᳓तासो न᳓ स्वयु᳓जः सद्य᳓ऊतयः
प्रज्ञाता᳓रो न᳓ ज्य᳓यिष्ठाः+ सुनीत᳓यः
सुश᳓र्माणो न᳓ सो᳓मा ऋतं᳓ यते᳓

03 वातासो न - त्रिष्टुप्

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वा᳓तासो न᳓ ये᳓ धु᳓नयो जिगत्न᳓वो
अग्नीनां᳐᳓ न᳓ जिह्वा᳓ विरोकि᳓णः
व᳓र्मण्वन्तो न᳓ योधाः᳓ शि᳓मीवन्तः
पितॄणां᳐᳓ न᳓ शं᳓साः सुरात᳓यः

04 रथानां न - त्रिष्टुप्

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र᳓थानां᳐ न᳓ ये᳡ ऽराः᳓ स᳓नाभयो
जिगीवां᳓सो न᳓ शू᳓रा अभि᳓द्यवः
वरेय᳓वो न᳓ म᳓र्या घृतप्रु᳓षो
अभिस्वर्ता᳓रो अर्कं᳓ न᳓ सुष्टु᳓भः

05 अश्वासो न - जगती

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अ᳓श्वासो न᳓ ये᳓ ज्य᳓यिष्ठास+ आश᳓वो
दिधिष᳓वो न᳓ रथि᳓यः सुदा᳓नवः
आ᳓पो न᳓ निम्नइ᳓र् उद᳓भिर् जिगत्न᳓वो
विश्व᳓रूपा अ᳓ङ्गिरसो न᳓ सा᳓मभिः

06 ग्रावाणो न - जगती

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ग्रा᳓वाणो न᳓ सूर᳓यः सि᳓न्धु-मातर
आ-दर्दिरा᳓सो+++(=दारणशीला)+++ अ᳓द्रयो न᳓ विश्व᳓-हा ।
शिशू᳓ला न᳓ क्रीळ᳓यः सु-मात᳓रो
महा-ग्रामो᳓ न᳓ या᳓मन्न्+++(=गमने)+++ उत᳓ त्विषा᳓ ॥

07 उषसां न - जगती

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उष᳓सां न᳓ केत᳓वो अध्वरश्रि᳓यः
शुभंय᳓वो न᳓ अञ्जि᳓भिर् वि᳓ अश्वितन्
सि᳓न्धवो न᳓ ययि᳓यो भ्रा᳓जदृष्टयः
पराव᳓तो न᳓ यो᳓जनानि ममिरे

08 सुभागान्नो देवाः - त्रिष्टुप्

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सुभागा᳓न् नो देवाः कृणुता सुर᳓त्नान्
अस्मा᳓न् स्तोतॄ᳓न् मरुतो वावृधानाः᳓
अ᳓धि स्तोत्र᳓स्य सखिय᳓स्य गात
सना᳓द् धि᳓ वो रत्नधे᳓यानि स᳓न्ति