{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/sbe46/sbe46011.htm","path":"hin/sbe46/sbe46011.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/sbe46/sbe46011.htm","text":"Vedic Hymns, Part II (SBE46), by Hermann Oldenberg [1897]\n1. Sacrifice here, thou, O Agni, to the Vasus, the Rudras, and the \u00c2dityas, to the (divine) host that receives good sacrifices 1, the Ghrita-sprinkling offspring of Manu 2.\n2. The wise gods, O Agni, are ready to listen to the worshippers: conduct them hither, the thirty-three, O lord of red horses, thou who lovest our praises.\n3. As thou hast heard Priyamedha and Atri 1, O G\u00e2tavedas, as thou hast heard Vir\u00fbpa and A\u1e45giras, thus hear the invocation of Praskanva, O lord of high laws.\n4. The Mahikerus 1, the Priyamedhas have invoked for their protection the lord of worship, Agni with his bright splendour.\n5. O thou to whom Ghrita oblations are poured out, good (Agni), hear these praises with which the sons of Kanva invoke thee for their protection.\n6. O Agni, whose glory is brightest, beloved of many, the people in the clans invoke thee, the radiant-haired, to convey the sacrificial food.\n7. The priests have established thee, O Agni, in the striving for day 1, as their Hotri, the ministrant, the greatest acquirer of wealth, with attentive ears, the most widely extended 2.\n8. The wise who have pressed Soma have made thee speed hither to the feast (which is offered to the gods), bringing great light 1 and sacrificial food, O Agni, on behalf of the mortal worshipper.\n9. O strength-made, good (Agni), make the gods who come in the morning, the divine host, sit down here to-day on our sacrificial grass, O Vasu, to drink the Soma.\n10. Sacrifice, O Agni, with joint invocations, and bring hither the divine host. This is the Soma, O rain-giving gods. Drink (the Soma) which has been kept over night 1.\nThe hymn is ascribed to Praskanva. It is evidently addressed to Agni in his matutinal character; comp. the note on I, 44. The metre is Anushtubh. Verse 1 = SV. I, 96. Verse 6 = VS. XV, 31; TS. IV, 4, 4, 3; MS. II, 13, 7.\nNote 1. Comp. VIII, 5, 33. \u00e1kkha svadhvar\u00e1m g\u00e1nam.\nNote 2. As to the gods being considered here as offspring of Manu, comp. especially X, 53, 6. m\u00e1nuh bhava gan\u00e1ya da\u00edvyam g\u00e1nam, 'become Manu, procreate the divine hosts.' See also Bergaigne, Rel. V\u00e9dique, I, 69.\nNote 1. This passage is one of those which show that the Atris stood in especially friendly connection with the Kanvas. Of the Priyamedhas the same may be said, or perhaps we may even go further and consider them as one branch of the Kanvas. For a fuller discussion of these questions I refer to my paper, 'Ueber die Liedverfasser des Rig-veda,' Zeitschr. der D. Morg. Gesellschaft, XLII, 213 seq.\nNote 1. M\u00e1hikeravah, which I have translated as a proper name, may be an adjective belonging to Priy\u00e1medh\u00e2h. Possibly it is derived from the root kar, 'to praise:' 'the\n[paragraph continues] Priyamedhas with mighty hymns.' Comp. Bartholomae, Kuhn's Zeitschrift, XXVII, 341.\nNote 1. As g\u00f3-ishti means 'the striving for cows,' thus d\u00edv-ishti means 'the striving for day,' or possibly 'the striving for heaven.' Ludwig (III, 383) takes it for 'morgenopfer,' and it is true that most of the passages, in which the word occurs, are addressed to matutinal deities. Thus our passage belongs to a hymn addressed to the matutinal Agni; I, 48, 9 is addressed to Ushas; I, 139, 4; VII, 74, 1; VIII, 87, 3 to the Asvins; IV, 46, I; 47, 1 to V\u00e2yu who was invoked in the Pra\u00fcga-sastra belonging to the Pr\u00e2tah-savana, and who received the Soma offering before the other deities. There is, nevertheless, at least one passage which shows that Ludwig has gone too far: VIII, 76, 9. p\u00edba \u00edt indra mar\u00fatsakh\u00e2 sut\u00e1m s\u00f3mam d\u00edvishtishu, 'Drink, O Indra, with the Maruts thy friends the Soma which has been pressed at the divishtis.' The Soma oblation offered to Indra Marutvat formed part of the second (midday) Savana.\nNote 2. 'Sapr\u00e1thastamam, the most renowned, r\u00e9pandu.' M. M.\nNote 1. Comp. IV, 5, 1. kath\u00e2\u00b4 d\u00e2sema agn\u00e1ye brih\u00e1t bh\u00e2\u00b4h, 'how may we offer great light to Agni?'\u2014which seems to mean, 'how may we make Agni brilliant?' Thus in our passage the meaning seems to be: the priests kindle Agni and perform oblations.\nNote 1. The tir\u00e1h-ahnya Soma, which was kept from one day to the next day (not, as Ludwig translates, 'der von vorgestern'), was offered to the Asvins at the Atir\u00e2tra sacrifice. Comp. Rig-veda I, 47, 1; III, 58, 7; VIII, 35, 19; K\u00e2ty\u00e2yana Srautas\u00fbtra XII, 6, 10; XXIV, 3, 42. There the commentary says, \u00e2svinasastrakay\u00e2gasambandhinah kamasasth\u00e2h som\u00e2h p\u00fbrvadinanishpannatv\u00e2t tirohny\u00e2 ity ukyante.","title":"Vedic Hymns, Part II (SBE46): I, 45","type":"page"}