MANDALA V, HYMN 15.

ASHTAKA IV, ADHYAYA 1, VARGA 7.

1. I bring a prayer to the worshipper, the renowned sage, the glorious, ancient one. Agni is the highly gracious Asura, taking his seat in ghrita, the holder of wealth, supporting goods.

2. By Rita they have supported the supporting Rita, near the powerful (performer) of sacrifice, in highest heaven, the men who sit on the supporting support of the sky, and who with born (men) attained to the unborn.

3. Dispelling anguish they spread out for the ancient one his bodies , mighty vital power, difficult to overcome. May he, the new-born, traverse the spaces. They have stood round him as round an angry lion.

4. When thou carriest, spreading out, man after man like a mother, for their nourishment and for their sight, when thou growest old assuming life after life, thou goest around by thyself in manifold shapes.

5. May gain protect now the boundaries of thy strength, the wide, firmly supporting milkstream of wealth, O god! Putting down thy foot in secret like a thief , thou hast enlightened and freed Atri for the sake of wealth mightily .

NOTES.

The Rishi is Dharuna Angirasa (cf. dharunah vasvah agnih, verse 1; ritam dharunam, divah dharman dharune, verse 2; dogham dharunam, verse 5); the metre, Trishtubh.--No verse of this hymn occurs in the other Samhitas.

Verse 2.

Note [5:15:2:1]1. It may be asked whether saka, beside its meaning 'the powerful (helper),' may also mean 'the power.' This would suit very well, V, 30, 10. sam ta'h (scil. ga'h) indrah asrigat asya sakaih; VI, 19, 4. tam vah indram katinam asya sakaih iha nunam vagayantah huvema. The translation then would be: 'by the power of sacrifice.' Bohtlingk-Roth conjecture sa'ke.

Note [5:15:2:2]2. I believe that sedushah stands for the nominative, cf. deva'h abibhyushah, I, 11, 5; S. B. E. XXXII, p. 28. This sedushah led on to a second accusative standing for the nominative, nri'n.--The men sitting on the support of the sky seem to be the forefathers who have established the universal laws, the Angiras.

Verse 3.

Note [5:15:3:1]1. I consider amhoyuvah as nom. plur. masc., but it may also be gen. sing. masc., or acc. plur. fem., as an epithet either of Agni or of his tanvah.

Note [5:15:3:2]2. The ancient one (purvya) seems to be Agni (cf. verse i).

Note [5:15:3:3]3. Cf. VI, 46, 12. yatra su'rasah tanvah vitanvate.

Verse 4.

Note [5:15:4:1]1. I think, like Ludwig, that garase should be accented.

Verse 5.

Note [5:15:5:1]1. These are accusatives.--Cf. on this passage, Pischel, Vedische Studien, I, 39 seq.

Note [5:15:5:2]2. Cf. H. O., Prolegomena, p. 73.

Note [5:15:5:3]3. Cf. VI, 1, 2. mahah raye kitayantah.--See Geldner, Ved. Studien, I, 268.