MANDALA IV, HYMN 10.

ASHTAKA III, ADHYAYA 5, VARGA 10.

1 . O Agni! May we to-day successfully perform, with thy heedfulness , this praise which touches thy heart, which is like a horse, like auspicious power of the mind.

2. For verily thou, O Agni, hast become the charioteer of auspicious power of the mind, of real ability, and of the mighty Rita.

3. Through these our hymns direct thyself hither-wards to us like the sun with its light , O Agni, gracious with all thy faces.

4. May we to-day worship thee, O Agni, praising thee with these songs. Thy roarings thunder like (the thunder) of Heaven.

5. Thy sweetest aspect, O Agni, shines near us for glory's sake, now by day, now by night, like gold.

6. Like purified ghrita is thy stainless body; (it is) brilliant gold: that (body) of thine has shone , O self-dependent one, like gold.

7. For even a malice which one has committed, thou verily drivest away entirely, O righteous Agni, from the sacrificing mortal .

8. May our friendship, O Agni, our brotherhood with you, the gods, be blessed. This is our navel (i. e. relation) in our seat, in this udder .

NOTES.

The same Rishi. The metre is stated to be Padapankti (verses 4, 6, 7, Padapankti or Ushnih; verse 5, Mahapadapankti; verse 8, Ushnih): see on this metre M. M., vol. xxxii, p. xcviii seq.; H. O., Prolegomena, p. 98; Kuhnau, Die Trishtubh-Gagati-Familie, p. 234 seq.--Verse 1 = SV. I, 434; MS. I, 10, 3. Verses 1-3 = SV. II, 1127-1129; VS. XV, 44-46. Verses 1-4 = TS. IV, 4, 4, 7. Verse 1, 2, 4 = MS. II, 13, 8. Verse 3 = MS. IV, 10, 2. Verse 6 = TS. II, 2, 12, 7; MS. IV, 12, 4.

Verse 1.

Note [4:10:1:1]1. The Avasana in this verse ought to stand before hridisprisam, not after this word, as the traditional text places it. Ridhyama, consequently, cannot be accented.

Note [4:10:1:2]2. Dr. Neisser's opinion on oha is different (Bezzenberger's Beitrage, XVIII, 312).

Note [4:10:1:3]3. I read stomam, which is frequently found as the object of the verb ridh, and which in several passages receives the epithet hridispris.

Verse 3.

Note [4:10:3:1]1. On the syntactical form of this comparison, see Bergaigne, Melanges Renier, p. 95.

Verse 6.

Note [4:10:6:1]1. Or rokate, 'shines'?

Verse 7.

Note [4:10:7:1]1. The Avasana ought to stand before martat. Cf. above, verse 1, note 1.

Verse 8.

Note [4:10:8:1]1. Cf. above, IV, 7, 7. The meaning seems to be: in this sacrificial place, where the cows give milk.