MANDALA V, HYMN 27.

ASHTAKA IV, ADHYAYA 1, VARGA 21.

1. The good lord has presented me with two oxen together with a car, the most brilliant Asura among the liberal givers . Tryaruna, the son of Trivrishan, O Agni Vaisvanara , has distinguished himself by (his gift of) ten thousand (cows?) .

2. To him who gives me one hundred and twenty cows and two fallow steeds, harnessed and well-yoked, to Tryaruna grant thy protection, Agni Vaisvanara, who art highly praised and grown strong.

3. Thus, O Agni, desiring thy favour , Trasadasyu (sings) for the ninth time to thee the youngest (god)--Tryaruna who responds to my, the strong-born's, many hymns with (the gift of) a yoked (chariot) --

4 . Who may thus announce me to Asvamedha the liberal (prince): may he give to him who with his verse strives for gain; may he give to him who lives in the Rita for (acquiring) wisdom --

5. Asvamedha whose gifts, a hundred speckled bulls, delight me like Soma juices with threefold admixture .

6. Indra-Agni! Bestow on Asvamedha, the giver of a hundred (bulls), abundance of heroes and mighty royal power, like the never-ageing Sun in heaven.

NOTES.

The Rishis are Tryaruna Traivrishna, Trasadasyu Paurukutsya, and Asvamedha Bharata, or, according to others, Atri alone. The metre is Trishtubh in verses 1-3, Anushtubh in verses 4-6.

The position of this Sukta shows that it is a later addition to the original collection.

Verse 1.

Note [5:27:1:1]1. With Delbruck, Grassmann, von Bradke (Dyaus Asura, p. 67) I read maghonam instead of maghonah. Cf. III, 3, 4. asurah vipah-kitam.

Note [5:27:1:2]2. On the invocation of Agni in Danastutis, comp. H. O., Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenlandischen Gesellschaft, XXXIX, 87.

Note [5:27:1:3]3. Geldner (Ved. Studien, I, 268) is right in observing: 'Hier ist unter sahasrani eine bestimmte Geldoder Wertsumme zu verstehen,' and in adding that it is not necessary that such a sum consisted in cows.

Verse 2.

Note [5:27:2:1]1. On sata', 'one hundred,' compare Delbruck. Altindische Syntax, p. 82.

Verse 3.

Note [5:27:3:1]1. Cf. X, 148, 3. sumatim kakanah.

Note [5:27:3:2]2. That is, very probably, a descendant of Trasadasyu.

Note [5:27:3:3]3. I do not adopt Sayana's explanation navamam = navatamam, though I do not know what the number 'nine' means here. Ludwig is absolutely right in observing 'dass man eben hier, wo es sich um specielle concrete, uns aber sonst her nicht bekannte verhaltnisse und ereignisse handelt, eben sich bescheiden muss, nichts

zu wissen.'--Prof. Max Muller believes that navishthaya makes navamam for navatamam excusable: 'to the newest god the newest song.'

Note [5:27:3:4]4. Sayana supplies to yuktena, not rathena, but manasa.

Verse 4.