Vedic Hymns, Part I (SBE32): Vedic Hymns: I, 2. To V&acir... | Internet Sacred Text Archive

MANDALA I, HYMN 2.

ASHTAKA I, ADHYÂYA 1, VARGA 3-4.

To Vâyu.

1. Come hither, O Vâyu, thou beautiful one 1! These Somas are ready, drink of them, hear our call!

2. O Vâyu, the praisers celebrate thee with hymns, they who know the feast-days 1, and have prepared the Soma.

3. O Vâyu, thy satisfying stream 1 goes to the worshipper, wide-reaching, to the Soma-draught.

4. O Indra and Vâyu, these (libations of Soma) are poured out; come hither for the sake of 1 our offerings, for the drops (of Soma) long for you.

5. O Indra and Vâyu, you perceive the libations, you who are rich in booty 1; come then quickly hither!

6. O Vâyu and Indra, come near to the work 1 of the sacrificer, quick, thus is my prayer 2, O ye men!

7. I call Mitra, endowed with holy strength 1, and Varuna, who destroys all enemies; who both fulfil a prayer accompanied by fat offerings 2.

8. On the right way, O Mitra and Varuna, you have obtained great wisdom, you who increase the right and adhere to the right 1;

9. These two sages, Mitra and Varuna, the mighty, wide-ruling, give us efficient strength.

NOTES.

Ascribed to Madhukkhandas Vaisvâmitra, and addressed to Vâyu (1-3), Indra and Vâyu (4-6), and to Mitra and Varuna (7-9). Metre, Gâyatrî. Verse 4 = VS. VII, 8; XXXIII, 56; TS. I, 4, 4, 1; MS. I. 3, 6. Verse 7 = SV. II, 197; VS. XXXIII, 57: Verse 8 = SV. II, 198. Verse 9 = SV. II, 199.

This hymn, with the hymn I, 3, belongs to the Pra-uga ceremony. It consists of three trikas.

Verse 1.

Note 1. Darsata, as applied to the wind, may be intended for visible, but its more general meaning is conspicuous, clarus, insignis.

Verse 2.

Note 1. Aharvid, which Benfey translates by tagekundig, Grassmann, die des Tages (Anbruch) kundig, seems to have two meanings. When applied to men, poets or priests, it means those who know (vid) the right days or seasons for every sacrifice, but when it is applied to certain deities, particularly those of the morning, it means finding (vind), bringing back the day, like lucifer. Thus the Asvins are called aharvidâ (VIII, 5, 9; 21). The power (daksha) of Vishnu is called aharvid, conquering, or bringing, the light of the day (I, 156, 4). The priests, as inviting these gods, might possibly themselves be called aharvid, bringing back the light of day, but this seems doubtful.

Verse 3.

Note 1. This verse, though it seems easy, is really full of difficulties. The meaning of dhenâ is very doubtful. It is explained as lips by native authorities, and would in that case be derived from dhe, to suck. But though this meaning is possible in some passages, particularly where dhene occurs in the dual, in other passages dhenâ seems clearly to