Vedic Hymns, Part II (SBE46), by Hermann Oldenberg [1897], at sacred-texts.com
Vedic Hymns, Part II (SBE46), by Hermann Oldenberg [1897], at sacred-texts.com
1. The joy-giving Hotri has taken his place at the sacrifices 1, He the true, the sacrificer, the highest sage, the worshipper. Agni whose chariot is lightning, the son of strength, whose hair is flame, has spread forth his light over the earth.
2. It 1 has been offered to thee—be pleased with the adoring speech 2—to thee who is observant of it, O righteous, strong one. Bring hither thou who art wise, the wise (gods). Sit down on the sacrificial grass in the middle (of it) for bliss, O worshipful one!
3. To thee, Agni, Night and Dawn who further thy strength 1, shall hasten on the paths of the wind. When (the mortals) anoint the ancient one 2 with offerings, they 3 stand in the house as on a chariot-seat 4.
4. Mitra and Varuna, O strong Agni, and all the Maruts shall sing to thee a pleasant song, when thou, O son of strength, standest with thy flames, a sun spreading out men 1 over the (terrestrial) dwellings.
5. We have given thee thy desire to-day, sitting down near thee adoringly with outstretched hands 1: sacrifice thou to the gods as a priest with thy mind most skilled in sacrifice, with unerring thoughts, O Agni!
6. From thee indeed, O son of strength, proceed manifold divine blessings and gains 1. Give us thousandfold true wealth according to thy guileless word, O Agni!
7. What we have done here for thee at this sacrifice, we mortals, O skilful and thoughtful god, take thou notice of all that, O (god) with the good chariot 1; make all this (sacrificial food) here savoury, immortal Agni!
The same Rishi. The metre is Trishtubh.—Verse 5 = VS. XVIII, 75.
Note 1. On vidátha, comp. I, 31, 6, note 2.
Note 1. The subject to be supplied seems to be námah-uktih.
Note 2. The words námah-uktim gushasva form a parenthesis, as Ludwig has seen.
Note 1. It is possible that here, as in several other passages, a confusion between the two verbs vâgáyati and vâgayáti has taken place. If the reading were vâgayántî, we should have to translate, 'Night and Dawn who are striving together (as if running a race against each other?).'
Note 2. The ancient one is Agni.
Note 3. The two goddesses, Night and Dawn.
Note 4. The Padapâtha has vandhúrâ-iva, which may be the dual of vandhúr (I, 34, 9). But more probably it should be vandhúre-iva (nom. dual, neuter or loc. sing.), comp. I, 64, 9. â´ vandhúreshu … tasthau; I, 139, 4. ádhi vâm sthâ´ma vandhúre; III, 43, 1. vandhureshthâ´h, and see III, 6, 10. adhvaréva. On contracted Pragrihya vowels, see H. O., Die Hymnen des Rig-veda, I, p. 456.
Note 1. On nrî´n and the different theories proposed for this word, see above, I, 146, 4, note 5.
Note 1. Comp. X, 79, 2. uttânáhastâh.
Note 1. For this hemistich, comp. VI, 13, 1; 34, 1.
Note 1. The traditional text has tvám vísvasya suráthasya bodhi, which can only mean, 'take thou notice of every one who has a good chariot'—which Bergaigne (Quelques observations sur les figures de rhétorique dans le Rig-veda, p. 15) explains: 'Le char en question est la prière qui amène le dieu au sacrifice.' I believe that the text is corrupt; instead of suráthasya I think we should read surathâsya (= suratha asya).