{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/sbe46/sbe46012.htm","path":"hin/sbe46/sbe46012.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/sbe46/sbe46012.htm","text":"Vedic Hymns, Part II (SBE46), by Hermann Oldenberg [1897]\n1. The strength-begotten immortal never grows tired 1, when he, the Hotri, has become the messenger of Vivasvat 2. He passes through the air on the best paths. In the divine world he invites (the gods) with the sacrificial food.\n2. Seizing his own food the undecaying, greedy (Agni) stands on the brushwood wishing to drink. When he has been sprinkled (with ghee), he shines like a racer with his back 1. Thundering he has roared like the ridge of heaven.\n3. As soon as 1 the Rudras, the Vasus have made him their Purohita, the immortal sitting down as Hotri, the conqueror of wealth, pressing forward like a chariot among the clans, among the \u00c2yus 2, the god in due course discloses desirable boons.\n4. Stirred by the wind he spreads among the brushwood lightly 1,(driven forward) by the sacrificial ladles, with his sickle 2, loudly roaring. When thou, O Agni, thirstily rushest on the wooden sticks like a bull 3, thy course, O never-aging god with fiery waves, becomes black 4.\n5. He who has fiery jaws, stirred by the wind, blazes down on the forest 1 as a strong bull (rushes) on the herd. When he proceeds 2 with his stream of light to the imperishable atmosphere, then what is moveable and immoveable (and) the winged (birds) are afraid.\n6. The Bhrigus have placed thee among men, who art beautiful like a treasure, who art easy to\ninvoke for people; thee the Hotri, O Agni, the excellent guest, a delightful friend like Mitra to the divine race!\n7. I worship with good cheer Agni the steward 1 of all treasures, whom the seven ladles 2 (of the priests), the worshippers choose as the Hotri, the best sacrificer at the rites, and I pray for treasure 3.\n8. Son of strength, great like Mitra, grant to-day flawless protection to us who magnify thee. Agni! guard from distress with strongholds of iron him who praises thee, O offspring of vigour!\n9. Be a shelter to him who praises thee, O resplendent one; be protection, generous giver, to the generous. Agni! guard him who praises thee from distress. May he who gives wealth for our prayer, come quickly in the morning 1.\nThe hymn is ascribed to Nodhas Gautama, who is considered as the Rishi of the whole collection, I, 58\u201364. This tradition is based on, and confirmed by, several passages of the text: I, 61, 14; 62, 13; 64, 1.\nThe metre is Gagat\u00ee verses 1\u20135, Trishtubh verses 6\u20139. None of the verses of this hymn occurs in the other Samhit\u00e2s.\nNote 1. I believe that Professor Aufrecht (Kuhn's Zeitschrift, XXV, 435) is right in reading n\u00fb\u00b4 kit sahah-g\u00e2\u00b4h amr\u00edtah n\u00fa tandate. Comp. as to n\u00fb\u00b4 kit n\u00fa, I, 120, 2; VI, 37, 3; VII, 22, 8. Agni is frequently called \u00e1tandrah d\u00fbt\u00e1h or similarly. Possibly we might read, instead of n\u00fa tandate, n\u00ed tandate, though parallel passages for the combination of this root with n\u00ed are not known.\u2014Prof. Max\n[paragraph continues] M\u00fcller's opinion is different. He writes: We say, der Funke schl\u00e4gt oder f\u00e4ngt. Why should not the Hindu have said that Agni strikes out. That would be vi tundate, Agni schl\u00e4gt aus im Augenblick. But even ni tundate may have been used in the sense of the spark striking down on the tinder\u2014the atas\u00e2s, mentioned in verse 2\u2014which he ignites. I should translate: 'The strength-begotten immortal strikes down or breaks forth (vi) quickly, whenever the Hotri (Agni) becomes the messenger of the sacrificer (?).'\nNote 2. I cannot follow Aufrecht in his translation 'zum boten des opfernden.' Comp. on Agni as the messenger of Vivasvat, Bergaigne, Rel. V\u00e9dique, I, 87; H. O., Religion des Veda, 122, 275.\nNote 1. Literally, his back shines like a racer. On this kind of comparison, see Bergaigne, M\u00e9langes Renier, 86; Pischel, Vedische Studien, I, 107.\nNote 1. Kr\u00e2n\u00e2\u00b4: comp. von Bradke, Dy\u00e2us Asura, Ahura Mazd\u00e2 und die Asuras, p. 36; Pischel, Vedische Studien, I, 70.\nNote 2. Bergaigne, Rel. V\u00e9dique, I, 59 seq.\nNote 1. On vr\u00edth\u00e2, see Geldner, Vedische Studien, I, 116; Neisser, Bezzenberger's Beitr\u00e4ge, XIX, 148 seq.\nNote 2. The meaning is: with his flames which are sharp like a sickle. Sr\u00edni is written here as a paroxytonon; in several other passages it is an oxytonon. Such differences are not quite rare, and there is no reason for taking on this account sr\u00edny\u00e2 as an instr. plur. fem. of the adjective sr\u00ednya, 'mit verk\u00fcrzter Endung' (Geldner, loc. cit.). 'His sickle is the sharp edge of Agni.' M. M.\u2014On guh\u00fb\u00b4bhih, comp. Pischel, Vedische Studien, II, 111.\nNote 3. As to vrish\u00e2y\u00e1se with the accusative, comp. Gaedicke, 74. RV. X, 44, 4. \u00fbrg\u00e1h skambh\u00e1m \u2026 vrish\u00e2yase.\nNote 4. With the last P\u00e2da comp. IV, 7, 9. krishn\u00e1m te \u00e9ma r\u00fbsatah pur\u00e1h bh\u00e2\u00b4h.\nNote 1. That is, among the fuel.\nNote 2. I think that we have here probably\u2014(though, of course, this explanation can be avoided)\u2014an anacoluthon. The poet began with the nominative (abhivr\u00e1gan), and then he changed the construction and went on as if he had begun with the ablative, taking sth\u00e2t\u00fah kar\u00e1tham (comp. Lanman, 422) as the subject instead of Agni.\u2014Patatr\u00ednah seems to be nom. pl.; comp. I, 94, 11 (see below).\nNote 1. The translation of arat\u00ed is only approximative and conjectural.\nNote 2. Comp. Pischel, Ved. Studien, II, 113.\nNote 3. Comp. III, 54, 3. sapary\u00e2\u00b4mi pr\u00e1yas\u00e2 y\u00e2\u00b4mi r\u00e1tnam.\nNote 1. The last P\u00e2da is the standing conclusion of the Nodhas hymns.","title":"Vedic Hymns, Part II (SBE46): I, 58","type":"page"}