MANDALA I, HYMN 59.

ASHTAKA I, ADHYAYA 4, VARGA 25.

1. The other Agnis (the other fires) are verily thy branches, O Agni. In thee all the immortals enjoy themselves . Vaisvanara! Thou art the centre of human settlements; like a supporting column thou holdest men .

2. The head of heaven, the navel of the earth is Agni; he has become the steward of both worlds. Thee, a god, the gods have engendered, O Vaisvanara, to be a light for the Arya.

3. As in the sun the rays are firmly fixed, thus in Agni Vaisvanara all treasures have been laid down . (The treasures) which dwell in the mountains, in the herbs, the waters, and among men--of all that thou art the king.

4. As the two great worlds to their son , like a Hotri, like a skilful man, (we bring) praises--manifold (praises) to him who is united with the sun, to the truly strong one, new (praises) to Vaisvanara, the manliest god.

5. Thy greatness, O Gatavedas, Vaisvanara, has exceeded even the great heaven. Thou art the king of the human tribes; thou hast by fighting gained wide space for the gods.

6. Let me now proclaim the greatness of the bull whom the Purus worship as the destroyer of enemies . Agni Vaisvanara, having slain the Dasyu, shook the (aerial) arena and cut down Sambara.

7. Agni Vaisvanara, extending by his greatness over all dominions, who is to be worshipped, the bright one, rich in loveliness, is awake (or, is praised) among the Bharadvagas, in the homestead of Purunitha Satavaneya, with his hundredfold blessings.

NOTES.

The same Rishi as in I, 58. Metre, Trishtubh. None of the verses of this hymn occurs in the other Samhitas.

Verse 1.

Note [1:59:1:1]1. Comp. VII, 11, 1. na rite tvat amritah madayante, 'the immortals do not enjoy themselves without thee.'

Note [1:59:1:2]2. Literally, 'the navel.' Comp. Muir, V, 214.

Note [1:59:1:3]3. Comp. IV, 5, 1 (see below). upa stabhayat upamit na rodhah.

Verse 2.

Note [1:59:2:1]1. Comp. the remark on I, 58, 7 (note 1).

Verse 3.

Note [1:59:3:1]1. I cannot follow Prof. von Roth (Zeitschrift der D. Morgenl. Gesellschaft, XLVIII, 116), who explains dadhire as a third person sing. of dhri.

Verse 4.

Note [1:59:4:1]1. The incompleteness both of the construction and of the metre shows that the text of the first Pada is corrupt. I doubt whether it ever will be possible to restore the correct reading with full certainty, but I shall be glad if others succeed better than I did--and I may add, better than Prof. von Roth (Zeitschrift der D. Morg. Gesellschaft, XLVIII, 117 seq.) seems to me to have succeeded--in correcting and in interpreting the text. I think that after sunave