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Hymn 119: Car and Vāmadeva
Rişhi: Kakşhīvān Dairghatamasaĥ Aushijaĥ
MANTRA (1.119.1): CAR OF ASHVINS
I call your car which does wondrous acts and is speedy as mind;
It has swift-horses and is invocable in yajňa;
Its presence recalls thousand-fold wealth; it is
endowed with bliss and varieties of riches;
It is endowed with high hearing and felicities; the car leads us
to the enjoyable objects (needed for a Divine Life).
ā vām ratham purumāyam
manojuvam
., your, car, wondrous acts, speedy as mind,
jīrāshvam yajňiyam jīvase
huve;
one with a swift horse, invocable in yajňa, (Divine) Life, call,
sahasraketum vaninam
shatadvasum
recalling thousand-fold riches, endowed with bliss, along with a
thousand types of wealth,
shruşhţīvānam varivodhām abhi
prayaĥ.
with high hearing, bearing felicity or happiness, towards,
enjoyable objects.
Details:
The reason for the poet's calling the car is in the last line of
the translation, i.e., the car provides the felicities needed
for leading a Divine Life.
MANTRA (1.119.2): MIND IS ONE-POINTED
As the car moves up(to the higher planes), his mind for praising
the deities is also raised up;
And all the directions join together (in the direction of
Truth);
I sweeten the body (fit for enjoyment by the Gods) and the
helping Gods come here;
O Ashvins, Urjani, the daughter of Sun has climbed into
your car.
ūrdhvā dhītiĥ praty asya prayāmany adhāyi
(moves) up to higher planes, intelligence, ., of that (car),
journey, lifted up or established,
shasmant samayanta ā
dishaĥ;
praise, gather together, everywhere or all, the quarters,
svadāmi gharmam prati
yanty ūtaya ā
sweeten, the heated (body), towards, come, protecting Gods, .,
vām ūrjānī ratham ashvin āruhat .
you, Urjani or the great energy, car, Ashvins, has
ascended.
Details:
The mind of the rişhi has become one pointed and ready to
travel to the high plane of Truth.
ūrjani:
According to S. it is the name of the daughter of the Sun. Its
literal meaning is, "great energy or one endowed with it'.
prati + adhāyi:
raised up.
MANTRA (1.119.3): CAR CARRIES GIFTS
The numerous sacrificers, who are mutually contending for glory,
come together
In the auspicious task of the battle with the foes (of the
Gods); they are also victorious;
Then on the earth is perceived your car;
It brings choice boons to the illumined seer.
sam yan mithaĥ
paspŗdhānāso
together, when, mutual, contending for glory,
agmatha shubhe makhā amitā
jāyavo raņe;
come, auspicious, sacrificers, numerous, victorious, battle,
yuvor uha pravaņe chekite
ratho
you, car, in the slope or Earth, knows, car,
yad ashvinā vahathaĥ sūrim
āvaram.
when, Ashvins, bring, to the seers, choice boon.
Details:
sam + agmata:
come together.
MANTRA (1.119.4): BHUJYU
With your winging steeds the dying Bhujyu, immersed in
the waters,
Was carried by you by special methods
To the dwelling of his ancestors which was highly secluded; O
Showerers,
Famed is your great aid given to Divodāsa.
yuvam bhujyum bhuramāņam vibhir
gatam
you, Bhujyu, dying, winging steeds, immersed (in the
waters),
svayuktibhir nivahantā pitŗbhya
ā;
by special efforts devised by you, carried, his ancestors, .,
yāsişhţam varti vŗşhaņā
vijenyam
came, house, showerers, free of people or secluded,
divodāsāya mahi cheti vām
avaĥ.
Divodasa,
great, famed, your, aid.
MANTRA (1.119.5): SURYA CHOOSES ASHVINS
O Ashvins, your admirable speech yoked by you
Made the car reach the goal of Solar Light;
The conquering lady Sūryā who came for your companionship
Chose you for husbands declaring, "you are my lords.'
yuvor ashvinā vapuşhe
yuvāyujam ratham
your, Ashvins, handsome form, yoked by you, car,
vāņī yematur asya
shardhyam;
admirable speech, bore or reached, its (car), goal (solar
light),
ā vām patitvam sakhyāya
jagmuşhī
you, status of husband, companionship, came,
yoşhā vŗnīta jenyā yuvām patī.
woman (Sūryā), chose, conquering, you, husbands or lords.
Details:
The car is steedless as stated in (1.120.10). It is powered by
the potent word mantra or vāņī.
The hymn (10.85) describes in great detail the symbolic marriage
of Sūryā.
MANTRA (1.119.6): REBHA, ATRI AND VANDANA
You released Rebha from confinement;
You quenched with cold the scorching heat suffered by Atri;
In Shayu's cow you increased the milk which offers protection;
Vandana
was blessed with prolonged life.
yuvam rebham parişhuter
uruşhyatho
you, Rebha, confinement, released,
himena gharmam paritaptam
atraye;
with cold, scorching heat, quenched, seer Atri,
yuvam shayor avasam pipyathur
gavi pra
you, seer Shaya, protecting milk or knowledge, increased,
cow, .,
dīrgheņa vandanas tāry
āyuşhā.
prolonged, Vandana, increased, life.
MANTRA (1.119.7): VANDANA AND VAMADEVA
You restored (youth) to Vandana suffering from old age,
Like (refurbishing) a car, O Skilled workers and doers of
(great) deeds;
On (hearing) his lauds, you brought forth the sage (Vāmaveda)
from the (Divine Womb);
May you do the (wondrous) deeds for him who serves you.
yuvam vandanam nirŗtam
jaraņyayā
you,Vandana, suffering, old age,
ratham na dasrā karaņā
saminvathaĥ;
car, like, skilled workers, doers of (great) deeds, restored,
kşhetrād ā vipram janatho vipanyayā
divine) womb, ., sage (Vāmadeva), brought forth, by the
lauds,
pra vām atra vidhate damsanā
bhuvat.
you, here, who serves you, deeds, done.
Details:
In line 3, we are dealing neither with a human birth nor a human
womb. To enter the Divine Life, the rişhi is entering the
Divine Womb in the inner body. Sage Vāmadeva
explicity mentions it in RV (4.26.1).
Ashvins can remove the effects of old age as easily and
systematically as refurbishing an old car.
MANTRA (1.119.8): BHUJYU
You went to him who was praying from afar
Distressed at being abandoned by his own father (Tugra);
Hence your luminous and wondrous protections
Are desired by all.
agachchhatam kŗpamāņam
parāvati
went, praying, afar,
pituĥ svasya tyajasā nibādhitam ;
father, his, abandoned, distressed,
svarvatīr ita ūtīr yuvor aha
luminous,., protections, your, .,
chitrā abhīke abhavann abhişhţayaĥ.
wondrous, near, is, desired.
MANTRA (1.119.9): DOCTRINE OF MYSTIC HONEY
That honey-bee praised you;
Aushija
calls you in the ecstasy of Soma;
You illumined the mind of the seer Dadhyan;
And with the head of horse, he spoke to you(the madhu vidya).
uta syā vām madhuman makşhik ārapan
., that, your, honied, bees, praised,
made somasyo aushijo huvanyati;
ecstasy, of Soma, of Aushija, calls (you),
yuvam dadhīcho mana āvivāsatho athā
your, seer Dadhyan, mind, illumined, thus,
shiraĥ prati vām ashvyam vadat.
head, separated, by you, related to a horse, spoke.
Details:
Kakshivān,
the seer of the Honey-knowledge, is symbolised by the honey-bee
and he praises Ashvins.
The symbolism of the anecdote of Dadhīcha or Dadhyan
has been mentioned earlier at the end of hymn 116.
MANTRA (1.119.10): STEED FOR PEDU
O Ashvins, you gave the king Pedu the white horse desired
by many for his service (to you);
It carries across the contestants;
Its light is invincible in battles among warriors;
It is repeatedly usable and it overcomes the foes like Indra.
yuvam pedave puruvāram ashvinā
you, to the King Pedu, desired by many, Ashvins,
spŗdhām shvetam tarutāram duvasyathaĥ;
contestants, white(horse), carrying across, gave for
service,
sharyair abhidyum pŗtanāsu duşhţaram
warriors, luminous, in battles, invincible,
charkŗtyam indram iva charşhaņīsaham.
repeatedly
usable, Indra, like, overcomes of strivers (foes).
Details:
All the
epithets in the verse can be understood in the symbolic sense.
The battle is of course, not physical, but symbolic.
spŗdham
refers to contestants or persons involved in the inner yajňa
who are all eager to help in the march to the Divine Life.
They are not participants in an ordinary tournament. |
