{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/sbe32/sbe3220.htm","path":"hin/sbe32/sbe3220.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/sbe32/sbe3220.htm","text":"Vedic Hymns, Part I (SBE32), by Max M\u00fcller, [1891]\n1. When you thus from afar cast forwards your measure 1, like a blast of fire, through whose wisdom is it, through whose design 2? To whom do you go, to whom, ye shakers (of the earth)?\n2. May your weapons be firm to attack, strong also to withstand. May yours be the more glorious power, nor that of the deceitful mortal.\n3. When you overthrow what is firm, O ye men, and whirl about what is heavy, you pass 1 through the trees of the earth, through the clefts of the rocks 2.\n4. No real foe of yours is known in heaven, nor on earth, ye devourers of foes! May power be yours, together with your race 1! O Rudras, can it be defied 2?\n5. They make the rocks tremble, they tear asunder the kings of the forest 1. Come on, Maruts, like madmen, ye gods, with your whole tribe.\n6. You have harnessed the spotted deer to your chariots, a red one draws as leader 1; even the earth listened 2 at your approach, and men were frightened.\n7. O Rudras, we quickly desire your help for our race. Come now to us with help, as of yore; thus now for the sake of the frightened Kanva 1.\n8. Whatever fiend, roused by you or roused by men, attacks us, deprive him of power, of strength, and of your favours 1.\n9. For you, chasing and wise Maruts, have wholly\nprotected 1 Kanva. Come to us, Maruts, with your whole favours, as lightnings 2 (go in quest of) the rain.\n10. Bounteous givers, you carry whole strength, whole power, ye shakers (of the world). Send, O Maruts, against the wrathful enemy of the poets an enemy, like an arrow 1.\nThis hymn is ascribed to Kanva, the son of Ghora. The metre varies between Brihat\u00ee and Satobrihat\u00ee, the odd verses being composed in the former, the even verses in the latter metre. Each couple of such verses is called a B\u00e2rhata Prag\u00e2tha. The Brihat\u00ee consists of 8 + 8 + 12 + 8, the Satobrihat\u00ee of 12+ 8 + 12+ 8 syllables. No verse of this hymn occurs in SV., VS., AV.; verse 5 = TB. II, 4, 4, 3.\nNote 1. M\u00e2\u00b4na, which I translate by measure, is explained by S\u00e2yana as meaning strength. Wilson: 'When you direct your awful vigour downwards from afar, as light (descends from heaven).' Benfey: 'Wenn ihr aus weiter Ferne so wie Strahlen schleudert euren Stolz (das worauf ihr stolz seid: euren Blitz).' Langlois: 'Lorsque vous lancez votre souffle puissant.' I doubt whether m\u00e2\u00b4na is ever used in the Rig-veda in the sense of pride, which no doubt it has, as a masculine, in later Sanskrit: cf. Hal\u00e2yudha, ed. Aufrecht, iv, 37. M\u00e2\u00b4na, as a masculine, means frequently a poet in the Rig-veda, viz. a measurer, a thinker or maker; as a neuter it means a measure, or what is measured or made. Thus V, 85, 5, we read:\nm\u00e2\u00b4nena-iva tasthi-v\u00e2\u00b4n ant\u00e1rikshe v\u00ed y\u00e1h mam\u00e9 prithiv\u00ee\u00b4m s\u00fb\u00b4ryena.\nHe (Varuna) who standing in the welkin has measured the earth with the sun, as with a measure.\nIn this passage, as well as in ours, we must take measure, not in the abstract sense, but as a measuring line, which is cast forward to measure the distance of an object,\u2014a simile, perfectly applicable to the Maruts, who seem with their weapons to strike the trees and mountains when they them, selves are still far off. Another explanation might be given, if m\u00e2\u00b4na could be taken in the sense of measure, i. e. shape or form, but this is doubtful.\nNote 2. V\u00e1rpas, which has generally been translated by body or form, is here explained by praise. Benfey puts Werk (i. e. Gesang, Gebet); Langlois, maison. V\u00e1rpas, which, without much reason, has been compared to Latin corpus, must here be taken in a more general sense. Thus VI, 44, 14, asy\u00e1 m\u00e1de pur\u00fa v\u00e1rp\u00e2msi vidv\u00e2\u00b4n, is applied to Indra as knowing many schemes, many thoughts, many things, when he is inspired by the Soma-juice; see I, 19, 5.\nNote 1. Benfey takes v\u00ed y\u00e2thana in a causative sense, you destroy, you cause the trees to go asunder. But even without assigning to y\u00e2 a causative meaning, to go through, to pierce, would convey the idea of destruction. In some passages, however, vi-y\u00e2 is certainly used in the simple sense of passing through, without involving the idea of destruction:\nVIII, 73, 13. r\u00e1thah viy\u00e2\u00b4ti r\u00f3das\u00ee (\u00edti).\nYour chariot which passes through or between heaven and earth.\nIn other passages the mere passing across implies conquest and destruction:\nI, 116, 20. vi-bhind\u00fan\u00e2 \u2026 r\u00e1thena vi p\u00e1rvat\u00e2n \u2026 ay\u00e2tam.\nOn your dissevering chariot you went across, or, you rent, the mountains (the clouds).\nIn other passages, however, a causative meaning seems equally, and even more applicable:\nVIII, 7, 23. v\u00ed vritr\u00e1m parva-s\u00e1h yayuh vi p\u00e1rvat\u00e2n.\nThey passed through Vritra piecemeal, they passed through the mountains (the clouds); or, they destroyed Vritra, cutting him to pieces, they destroyed the clouds.\nLikewise I, 86, 10. v\u00ed y\u00e2ta v\u00edsvam atr\u00ednam.\nWalk athwart every evil spirit, or destroy every evil spirit! See before, I, 19, 7; 37, 7.\nWe must scan v\u012d \u0233\u00e2\u0306th\u0103n\u0103 v\u0103n\u012dnah pr\u012dth\u0304ivy\u0306\u00e2\u0304h.\nNote 2. It might seem preferable to translate \u00e2\u00b4s\u00e2h p\u00e1rvat\u00e2n\u00e2m by the spaces of the clouds, for p\u00e1rvata means clouds in many places. Yet here, and still more clearly in verse 5, where p\u00e1rvata occurs again, the object of the poet\nis to show the strength of the Maruts. In that case the mere shaking or bursting of the clouds would sound very tame by the side of the shaking and breaking of the forest trees. Vedic poets do not shrink from the conception that the Maruts shake even mountains, and Indra is even said to have cut off the mountain tops: IV. 19, 4. \u00e1va abhinat kak\u00fabhah p\u00e1rvat\u00e2n\u00e2m. In the later literature, too, the same idea occurs: Mah\u00e2bh. Vana-parva, ver. 10974, dyauh svit patati kim bh\u00fbmir d\u00eeryate parvato nu kim, does the sky fall? is the earth torn asunder, or the mountain?\nNote 1. S\u00e2yana was evidently without an authoritative explanation of t\u00e1n\u00e2 yug\u00e2\u00b4. He tries to explain it by 'through the union of you may strength to resist be quickly extended.' Wilson: 'May your collective strength be quickly exerted.' Benfey takes t\u00e1n\u00e2 as adverb and leaves out yug\u00e2\u00b4: 'Zu allen Zeiten, O Furchtbare!\u2014sei im Nu zu \u00fcberw\u00e4lt\u2019gen euch die Macht.' Yug\u00e2\u00b4, an instrumental, if used together with another instrumental, becomes in the Veda a mere preposition: cf. VII, 43, 5; 95, 4. r\u00e2y\u00e2\u00b4 yug\u00e2\u00b4; X, 83, 3. t\u00e1pas\u00e2 yug\u00e2\u00b4; X, 102, 12. v\u00e1dhrin\u00e2 yug\u00e2\u00b4; VII, 32, 20. p\u00faram-dhy\u00e2 yug\u00e2\u00b4; VI, 56, 2. s\u00e1khy\u00e2 yug\u00e2\u00b4; VIII, 68, 9. tv\u00e2\u00b4 yug\u00e2\u00b4. As to the meaning of t\u00e1n, see B. R. s. v., where t\u00e1n in our passage is explained as continuation. The offspring or race of the Maruts is mentioned again in the next verse.\nNote 2. I take n\u00fa kit \u00e2-dhr\u00edshe as an abrupt interrogative sentence, viz. Can it be defied? Can it be resisted? See V, 87, 2:\nt\u00e1t vah marutah n\u00e1 \u00e2-dhr\u00edshe s\u00e1vah.\nYour strength, O Maruts, is not to be defied.\nNote 1. Large trees of the forest are called the kings or lords of the forest. Instead of pr\u00f3 \u00e2rata, the Taitt. Br. II, 4, 4, 2, reads pr\u00f3 varata, which S\u00e2yana explains by pro, prakarshena, av\u00e2rata dh\u00e2vata.\nNote 1. Pr\u00e1shti is explained by S\u00e2yana as a sort of yoke in the middle, when three horses or other animals are harnessed to a car; r\u00f3hita as a kind of red deer. Hence Wilson remarks that the sense may be, 'The red deer yoked between them aids to drag the car.' But he adds that the construction of the original is obscure, and apparently rude and ungrammatical. Benfey translates, 'Sie f\u00fchrt ein flammenrothes Joch,' and remarks against Wilson that S\u00e2yana's definition of pr\u00e1shti as yoke is right, but that of r\u00f3hita as deer, wrong. If S\u00e2yana's authority is to be invoked at all, one might appeal from S\u00e2yana in this place to S\u00e2yana VIII, 7, 28, where pr\u00e1shti is explained by him either by quick or by pramukhe yugyam\u00e2nah, harnessed in front. The verse is\ny\u00e1t esh\u00e2m p\u00edshat\u00eeh r\u00e1the pr\u00e1shtih v\u00e1hati r\u00f3hitah.\nWhen the red leader draws or leads their spotted deer in the chariot.\nVI, 47, 24. pr\u00e1shtih is explained as tripada \u00e2dh\u00e2rah; tadvad vahant\u00eeti prashtayo\u093dsv\u00e2h. In I, 100, 17, pr\u00e1shtibhih, as applied to men, means friends or supporters, or, as S\u00e2yana explains, p\u00e2rsvasthair anyair rishibhih.\nLudwig (IV, ad 25, 8) adds some useful information. He quotes from the comm. on Taitt. S. I, 7, 8; v\u00e2madakshinayor asvayor madhya \u00eesh\u00e2dvayam pras\u00e2rya tayor madhye sapty\u00e2khyag\u00e2tiviseshopetam asvam yu\u00f1gy\u00e2t. The right horse is said to be the arv\u00e2, the left v\u00e2g\u00ee, the middle saptih. L\u00e2ty\u00e2yana II, 7, 23, calls the two side-horses prasht\u00ee. According to S\u00e2yana (Taitt. S. I, 7, 8, p. 1024) prashti means originally a tripod for holding a pot (see above), and afterwards a chariot with three horses. In that case we should have to translate, the red chariot moves along.\nNote 2. Aufrecht derives asrot from sru, to shake, without necessity, however; see Muir's Sanskrit Texts, IV, p. 494.\nLudwig also remarks that asrot might be translated by the earth trembled or vibrated. Similar passages occur RV. I, 127, 3. v\u00eel\u00fa kit y\u00e1sya s\u00e1m-ritau sr\u00favat v\u00e1n\u00e2-iva y\u00e1t sthir\u00e1m, at whose approach even what is firm and strong\nwill shake, like the forests. Roth translates, the earth yielded, got out of your way.\nNote 1. Kanva, the author of the hymn.\nNote 1. The abhva, fiend, or, as Benfey translates it very happily, Ungeth\u00fcm, may have been sent by the Maruts themselves, or by some mortal. With reference to yushm\u00e9shita it is said afterwards that the Maruts are to withdraw their help from him. I have adopted Wilson's and Ludwig's interpretation of vi yuyota, with the instrumental.\nNote 1. The verb dad\u00e1 is the second pers. plur. of the perfect of da, and is used here in the sense of to keep, to protect, as is well shown by B. and R. s. v. da 4, base dad. S\u00e2yana did not understand the word, and took it for an irregular imperative; yet he assigned to the verb the proper sense of to keep, instead of to give. Hence Wilson: 'Uphold the sacrificer Kanva.' Benfey, less correctly, 'Den Kanva gabt ihr,' as if Kanva had been the highest gift of the Maruts.\nNote 2. The simile, as lightnings go to the rain, is not very telling. It may have been suggested by the idea that the lightnings run about to find the rain, or the tertium comparationis may simply be the quickness of lightning. Wilson: 'As the lightnings bring the rain.' Benfey: '(So schnell) gleichwie der Blitz zum Regen k\u00f6mmt.' Lightning precedes the rain, and may therefore be represented as looking about for the rain. Ludwig proposes some bold conjectures. He would change k\u00e1nvam to ranvam, and take the words from as\u00e2mibhih to ganta as a parenthesis. He translates: 'For nothing imperfect, you highly to be revered Maruts, no, something delightful you gave\u2014(with perfect aids, Maruts, come to us)\u2014as lightnings give rain.'\nNote 1. Wilson: 'Let loose your anger.' S\u00e2yana: 'Let loose a murderer who hates.'\nPari-many\u00fa, which occurs but once in the Rig-veda, corresponds as nearly as possible to the Greek \u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u03af\u03b8\u03c5\u03bc\u03bf\u03c2. Many\u00fa, like \u03b8\u03c5\u03bc\u03cc\u03c2, means courage, spirit, anger; and in the compound parimany\u00fa, as in \u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u03af\u03b8\u03c5\u03bc\u03bf\u03c2, the preposition p\u00e1ri seems to strengthen the simple notion of the word. That p\u00e1ri is used in that sense in later Sanskrit is well known; for instance, in parilaghu, perlevis, pariksh\u00e2ma, withered away: see Pott, Etymologische Forschungen, second edition, vol. i, p. 487. How p\u00e1ri, originally meaning round about, came to mean excessive, is difficult to explain with certainty. It may have been, because what surrounds exceeds, but it may also have been because what is done all around a thing is done thoroughly. See Curtius, Grundz\u00fcge, fifth edition, p. 274. Thus we find in the Veda, VIII, 75, 9, p\u00e1ri-dveshas, lit. one who hates all around, then a great hater:\nm\u00e2\u00b4 nah \u2026 p\u00e1ri-dveshasah amhat\u00edh, \u00fbrm\u00edh n\u00e1 n\u00e2\u00b4vam \u00e2\u00b4 vadh\u00eet.\nMay the grasp of the violent hater strike us not, as the wave strikes a ship.\nAgain, pari-spr\u00eddh means literally one who strives round about, then an eager enemy, a rival (fem.):\nIX, 53, 1. nud\u00e1sva y\u00e2\u00b4h pari-spr\u00eddhah.\nDrive away those who are rivals.\nPari-kros\u00e1 means originally one who shouts at one from every side, who abuses one roundly, then an angry reviler. This word, though not mentioned in B. R.\u2019s Dictionary, occurs in\nI, 29, 7. s\u00e1rvam pari-kros\u00e1m gahi.\nKill every reviler!\nThe same idea which is here expressed by pari-kros\u00e1, is in other places expressed by pari-r\u00e1p, lit. one who shouts round about, who defies on every side, a calumniator, an enemy, one who 'be-rattles.'\nII, 23, 3. \u00e2\u00b4 vi-b\u00e2\u00b4dhya pari-r\u00e1pah.\nHaving struck down the enemies.\nII, 23, 14. v\u00ed pari-r\u00e1pah ardaya.\nDestroy the enemies.\nIn the same way as the words meaning to hate, to\noppose, to attack, are strengthened by this preposition, which conveys the idea of round about, we also find words expressive of love strengthened by the same preposition. Thus from pr\u00eet\u00e1h, loved, we have p\u00e1ri-pr\u00eetah, lit. loved all round, then loved very much: I, 190, 6. p\u00e1ri-pr\u00eetah n\u00e1 mitr\u00e1h; cf. X, 27, 12. We also find IX, 72, 1. pari-pr\u00edyah, those who love fully or all around, which may mean great lovers, or surrounding friends.\nIn all these cases the intensifying power of p\u00e1ri arises from representing the action of the verb as taking place on every side, thoroughly, excessively; but in other cases, mentioned by Professor Pott, particularly where this preposition is joined to a noun which implies some definite limit, its magnifying power is no doubt due to the fact that what is around, is outside, and therefore beyond. Thus in Greek \u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u03af\u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2 expresses the same idea as \u1f51\u03c0\u03ad\u03c1\u03bc\u03b5\u03c4\u03c1\u03bf\u03c2 (loc. cit. p. 488), but I doubt whether p\u00e1ri ever occurs in that sense in Sanskrit compounds.","title":"Vedic Hymns, Part I (SBE32): Vedic Hymns: I, 39. To the Maruts (The Storm-gods)","type":"page"}