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Hymn 54: The supreme light and might
Rişhi: Savya Angirasa
MANTRA (1.54.1): THE WORLDS
QUAKE IN FEAR
O Maghavan, neglect us not in these fights with the evil;
Your might cannot be surpassed;
The rivers and woods reverberate with your roar;
How can the
(three) worlds which fear you, fail to come together?
mā no asmin maghavan pŗtsu amhasi
(neglect) not, us, these, Maghavan, battles, with evil,
nahi te antaĥ shavasaĥ parīņashe;
not, your, end, luminous might, to surpass or enclose,
akrandayo nadyo roruvat vanā
roar, the rivers, reverberate, the woods,
kathā, na kşhoņīĥ bhiyasā samārata
how, not, (three) earth's, in fear, come together.
Details:
The last line is echoed in the
Taittirīya U. (2.8.1): "From fear of Him (Brahman),
does the wind blow, from fear of Him does the Sun rise.'
MANTRA (1.54.2): WORSHIP INDRA
WITH HIS SHAKTI
Worship the powerful Shakra with his shakti;
Praise and adore Indra who hears our chants,
Who with his
assaulting might is gladdening both heaven and earth and
Who is
(celebrated) as the champion, the bountiful showerer.
archā shakrāya shākine shachīvate
worship, Indra, powerful, along with his consort or shakti,
shŗņvantam indram mahayan abhi şhţuhi;
hears, Indra, adoring, in front, praise or chant,
yo dhŗşhņunā shavasā rodasī ubhe
who, assaulting, might, heaven and earth, two,
vŗşhā vŗşhatvā vŗşhabho nyŗňjate.
in plenty, showerer (of light and might), champion, is
gladdening.
Details:
Shachī:
shakti of Indra. It is name of spouse of Indra in
the purāņās, which came into form existence much later
than the Vedās.
MANTRA (1.54.3): MIND LIKE SELF-BORN MIGHT
Chant happy praise for vastly luminous Indra,
Who assaults with his mind (concentrated) like self-born might;
He of great renown, powerful, repeller of enemies, adorable and
the showerer, hastens here with his steeds.
archā dive bŗhate shūşhyam vachaĥ
utter, luminous, vastly, happy, speech,
svakşhatram yasya dhŗşhato dhŗşhat manaĥ;
self-born, whose, assaults, might, mind,
bŗhat shravā asuro barhaņā
great, renown, mighty, repeller (of foes),
kŗtaĥ puro haribhyām vŗşhabho ratho hi şhaĥ.
., ., steeds, showerer, hastens, ., he.
Details:
puraĥ+ kŗtaĥ:
puraskŗtaĥ, adored.
asura:
mighty one, not necessarily a demon. This word is used in Veda
for Gods also unlike in purāņās.
MANTRA (1.54.4): SHAKE THE PEAK
OF THE GREAT HEAVEN
You have
shaken the peak of the great heaven.
Assaulting, you have slain Shambara by
Obtaining the gladdening (Soma); the assembled cunning evil
forces
Were smashed with your sharpened and bright-rayed
vajra weapon.
tvam divo bŗhataĥ sānu kopayaĥ
you, heaven, great, peak, shaken,
ava tmanā dhŗşhatā shambaram bhinat;
., , by self, assaulting, Shambaram, slain,
yat mayino vrandino mandinā dhŗşhat
When, cunning group of demons, gladdening, obtaining,
shitām gabhastim ashanim pŗtanyasi.
sharpened, bright-rayed, vajra, hurl or battle.
Details:
Just as one dislodges a stray
object on a tree by shaking it, Indra shakes the heaven to
dislodge the unwelcome visitors.
vrandiņaĥ:
the assembled group of titans.
shambara:
titan, mentioned in (1.51.6).
ava + bhinat:
slain.
kopayaĥ:
shake.
MANTRA (1.54.5): YOU ACT WITH
YOUR OPULENT MIND
Roaring, you pour delightful (waters) on the summits of prāņa
And also on the demon Shuşhņa, along with his cohorts.
As of old, even today you act with your opulent mind.
Who can excel you?
ni yat
vŗņakşhi shvasanasya mūrdhani
., ., (you) pour, Vāyu or prāņa, head or summit,
shuşhņasya chit vrandino roruvat vanā;
of Shuşhņa, ., host of titans, roaring, delightful,
prāchīnena manasā barhaņāvatā yat adyā chit
as of old, mind, opulent, when, today, even,
kŗņavaĥ kaĥ tvā pari.
acts, who, you, can excel.
Details:
Indra pours the delightful Waters
or Energies on the summits of life-sustaining prāņa, both
in the Cosmos and in the human aspirant and renders the world of
the human aspirant replete with power. Likewise, he pours them
on the evil force Shuşhņa, with his associates, thereby
neutralising his penchant for drying up the essence, with the
result that the world of the yajamāna delights in
abundance. Indra has been doing this from ancient times and does
so even today. Nobody can excel him.
shvasanasya:
of Vāyu, the deity of the midregion, both in the subtle body of
human as well as the cosmos, and the upholder of all the
life-energies, prāņa, and their actions, both in humans
and in cosmos.
MANTRA (1.54.6): BENEFACTOR TO NARYA AND OTHERS
You have protected Narya, Turvasha, Yadu, Turvīti and Vayya,
Performer of numerous deeds;
You have protected Etasha and Ratha in winning the wealth;
You have demolished ninety-nine cities (of the demons).
tvam āvitha naryam turvasham yadum
you, protected, Narya, Turvasha, Yadu,
tvam turvītim vayyam shatakrato;
you, Turvīti, Vayya, O doer of many deeds,
tvam ratham etasham kŗtvye dhane
you, Ratha, moving, winning, wealth,
tvam puro navatim dambhayo nava.
you, city, ninety, demolished, nine.
Details:
narya:
benefactor of men.
turvasha
and turvīti: of winning
gait.
vayya: skilled in extending
the realm of yajňa, the co-operative effort.
Etasha:
moving, or the name of a person
Ratha:
name of a person, one who is speedy,
ninety-nine:
indicates something incomplete;
Etasha Ratha:
the moving Ratha (alternate meaning).
MANTRA (1.54.7): LORD OF ALL EXISTENCE
The human aspirant prospers and becomes (powerful) like a king
and the guardian of all creatures
By offering oblations (to Indra) and conforming to his law.
To him who recites the hymns of praise with devotion,
The bounteous
Indra showers from heaven the gifts of light and might belonging
to the higher worlds.
sa ghā rājā satpatiĥshūshuvat jano
he, ., royal,
guardian of all creatures, prospers, yajamāna,
rātahavyaĥ prati yaĥ shāsam invati,
offers oblations, ., who, conforms to the law, attains,
ukthā vā yo abhigŗņāti rādhasā
hymns, ., he, recites with faith, with his wealth or capacity,
dānuĥ asmā uparā pinvate divaĥ.
bounteous (Indra), to him (the singer), (the wealth) above,
showers, from heaven.
Details:
uparā:
cloud, according to ritualists; the meaning of "on high, or,
above' given is more suitable. It refers to the wealth of the
Rays and Might in Heaven.
satpatiĥ:
lord of all existence. sat means Existence as in
Upanishad.
MANTRA (1.54.8): PERSONS WITH INSUFFICIANT DELIGHT
Unequalled is his might, unequalled is his wisdom.
May those of insufficient Soma become full by their acts.
O Indra, the giver of offerings increases your
Vast might and
ample vigour.
asamam kşhatram asamā manīşhā
unequalled, might, unequalled, (his) wisdom,
pra somapā apasā santu neme;
., Soma drinker, by their acts, become full, half or
insufficient,
ye ta indra daduşho vardhayanti
he, your, Indra, the giver, increases,
mahi kşhatram sthaviram vŗşhņyam cha.
vast, might,
ample, vigour, and.
Details:
The purport is that those who do
not have the power of appreciating the Delight of existence
i.e., those who have insufficient Soma can develop that capacity
fully by increasing the power of Indra in themselves. This
increase is effected by their generous self-giving to Indra.
The term offerings should not be restricted to material
offerings only. It includes all offerings.
neme:
translated here as half or insufficient, based on Yāska,
Durga, etc.
MANTRA (1.54.9): THE DELIGHT IN
THE STONES RELEASED
This plentiful Soma pressed with stones is readied,
Contained in vessels for Indra's drink;
(O Indra), accept them and fulfill your desire;
Later be mindful to give us the felicities.
tubhya it ete bahulā adridugdhāĥ
for you, .,
these, plentiful, pressed with stones,
chamūşhadaĥchamasā indrapānāĥ,
contained in the vessels, Somas, for Indra's drink,
vyashnuhi tarpayā kāmam eşhām
accept (them), fulfill, (your) desire, your,
athā mano vasudeyāya kŗşhva.
later, mindful, to give us wealth, become.
Details:
In the inner context, the two
stones, adri, used for pressing out the esoteric Soma are
the outer and the inner (or subtle) bodies of the human
aspirant. Soma (Delight) hidden in the bodies is drawn out and
poured. When Indra is satiated, the manifestation of Indra power
in the seeker is complete.
MANTRA (1.54.10): THE HILL IS WITHIN VRTRA
Darkness obstructed the flow of waters.
The hill was within the stomach of Vŗtra.
Indra precipitated all the waters
Concealed by
Vŗtra in the hollows in several tiers.
apām atişhţhat dharuņahvaram tamaĥ
waters, caused, obstruction of the flow, darkness,
antaĥ vŗtrasya jaţhareşhu parvataĥ;
inside, of Vŗtra, stomach, hill or inconscient,
abhi im indro nadyo vavriņā,
these, Indra, waters, by Vŗtra,
hitā vishvā anuşhţāĥpravaņeşhu jighnate.
concealed, all, in succession, in the hollows, precipitated.
Details:
The hill, parvata,
symbolising the state of inconscience or inertia is within
Vŗtra, clearly indicating the symbolism of Vŗtra. The
waters are the currents of light; they are obstructed by
darkness (which is opposed to light).
The rock in which the waters are
concealed has several plateaus and accordingly the waters come
down from level to level in succession.
vavri:
the coverer Vŗtra; cloud for the ritualists.
MANTRA (1.54.11): LIGHT THAT
PROMOTES PEACE AND HAPPINESS
Bestow on us, O Indra, the might that promotes peace, happiness
and
The great might that subdues the host of foes;
Protect us by making us wealthy; guard us by making us wise;
Uphold for us
the wealth with impulsions, resulting in the continuation of our
auspicious activities.
sa shevŗdham adhidhā dyumnam asme
you, promotes peace, bestow, light, on us,
mahi kşhatram janāşhāt indra tavyam;
great, might, that subdues the foes, Indra, increases,
rakşhā cha no maghonaĥ pāhi sūrīn
protect, and, us, wealthy, guard, (making us) wise,
raye cha naĥ svapatyā işhe dhāĥ
wealth, and, us, of happy succession, impulsions, uphold for us.
Details:
Note that Indra's might not
only promotes peace and happiness but also subdues the foes. It
cannot be purely physical.
svapatyā: su + apatyā, auspicious succession,
continuation of our auspicious activities.
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