|
Hymn 80: Self-empire of Indra
Rişhi: Gotama
MANTRA (1.80.1): EXPELLED AHI FROM THE EARTH
Rightly in the presence of the intoxicating Soma,
The mantra has made you to increase (your power in us);
O most puissant thunderer, by your might,
You have expelled the serpent Ahi from the earth, singing
the rik in the law of self-empire.
itthā hi soma it made
appropriate it is, ., Soma, ., intoxicating,
brahmā chakāra vardhanam,
mantra, made, increase,
shavişhţha vajrin ojasā pŗthivyā niĥ
most mighty or puissant, one with vajra or thunderer,
valour, from earth, .,
shashā ahim archan anu svarājyam.
expelled, Ahi (the serpent), singing the rik,
vajra, your own, law of self-empire.
Details:
The power of the Delight and the
power of mantra make the Indra-power grow in us.
archan:
singing the rik, the Word of illumination.
niĥ+ shashāĥ:
expelled.
MANTRA (1.80.2): SOMA
BROUGHT BY THE FALCON (SOUL)
You became rapturous with the drink of the
Purified Soma, intoxicating and brought by the falcon;
Invigorated, you smote Vŗtra out of the waters,
O thunderer, singing the rik in the law of your
self-empire.
sa tva amadat vŗşhā
he (Soma), you, rapturous, poured forth or drink,
madaĥ somaĥ shyenābhŗtaĥ sutaĥ,
intoxicating, Soma, brought by the Falcon, pressed or purified,
yenā vŗtram niĥ adbhyo jagantha
by whom, Vŗtra, ., waters, smote,
vajrin ojasām archan anu svarājyam.
thunderer, invigorated, singing the rik, your own,
self-empire.
Details:
shyena:
the falcon, the mantric utterance arising from the soul of the
human aspirant and soaring upward. The power of the Word brings
down Soma from Heaven (the plane of the highest Consciousness).
There is no need to introduce the purāņic myth of the
divine bird, Garu˛a, bringing down the nectar.
Waters: denote the
midregion, plane of Prāņa, holding the potential of
Light, Power, etc.,
niĥ+ jaghantha:
struck down.
MANTRA (1.80.3): ADVANCE,
APPROACH AND OVERCOME (THE FOE)
Advance, approach and overcome the foes.
Your vajra cannot be checked in its goal,
O Indra, your puissance is a God-might; slay the coverer;
Conquer the waters, singing the rik in the law of your
self-empire.
prehi abhīhi dhŗşhņuhi
approach, advance, overcome (the foe),
na te vajro ni yamsate,
not, your, vajra, ., checked,
indra nŗmņam hi te shavo hano vŗtram
Indra, manly or God-might, ., your, puissance, slay, Vŗtra,
jayā apah archan anu svarājyam.
conquer, waters, ., ., .,
MANTRA (1.80.4): WATERS MAKE THE LIVING BLESSED
O Indra, you have removed Vŗtra from the earth,
And from the midregion;
Accompanied by
Maruts, release now the waters which bless the living,
Singing the
riks in the law of your self-empire.
niĥ indra bhūmyā adhi vŗtram
., Indra, earth, above, Vŗtra,
jaghantha niĥ divaĥ,
struck off, in, midregion,
sŗjā marutvatīĥ ava jīvadhanyā imā
release, Marut-accompanied, ., which make the living blessed or
fulfilled, these,
apo archan anu svarājyam.
waters, ., ., .
Details:
The Maruts are powers of Life who
have attained the pure Mind and become powers of Mind. They are
like brothers to Indra. Clearly the waters showered by
them are not mere rain waters.
ava + sŗjā:
release.
MANTRA (1.80.5): IMPELS THE WATERS TO FLOW
The hill of the shaking Vŗtra
Is struck by the offended Indra with his vajra;
Going in front, he smote (Vŗtra) impelling the waters to flow,
Singing the riks in the law of his self-empire.
indro vŗtrasya dodhataĥ sānum
Indra, of
Vŗtra, shaking, peak or height,
vajreņa hīļitaĥ,
with vajra, insulted (by Vŗtra),
abhikramya ava jighnate apaĥ sarmāya
going in front, ., strikes at, waters, to flow,
chodayan archan anu svarājyam
impelling, ., ., .,
Details:
Vŗtra's force is massive
like a hill. This force is metaphorically described as shaking
in its encounter with the force of Indra.
MANTRA (1.80.6): DESIRES A PATH
UPWARDS FOR HIS COMPANIONS
Vŗtra staying above (in the midregion) was struck
With the many-edged vajra (by Indra);
Exhilarated
with Soma, Indra
Desires a path
(to the light) for his companions, singing the rik in the
law of his self empire.
adhi sānau ni jighnate
above, peak, ., strikes,
vajreņa shataparvaņā
,
with vajra, many-edged,
mandāna indro andhasaĥ sakhibhyo
exhilarated, Indra, Soma, with friends,
gātum ichchhati archan anu svarājyam.
path (to svar), seeks, ., .,.
Details:
Note that the path, gātum,
is in the subtle body of the rişhi. The path is towards
the supreme state of Light, svar. The companions are the
other friendly powers of the Divine Indra.
MANTRA (1.80.7): THE DECEITFUL
BEAST
O Indra of the hill,
Thunderer,
unconquered might is yours;
With this might and
wisdom, you
have slain the deceitful beast,
Singing the rik in the law of your self-empire.
indra tubhyam it adrivaĥ
Indra, yours, ., (Indra) of the hill,
anuttam vajrin vīryam,
unconquered, thunderer, might,
yat ha tyam māyinam mŗgam tamu tvam māyaya
with this, .,
that, deceitful, beast, him, you, strategy or wisdom,
avadhīĥ archan anu svarājyamb.
have slain, ., ., .
Details:
adrivaĥ:
One with Hill; Indra has acquired the Hill, adri, where
the Rays (cows) are concealed. The Hill is the symbol of
inconscience and darkness.
māya:
knowledge which could be endowed with wisdom like that of Indra
or full of deceit as that of Vŗtra. The word is derived
from, ma, to measure or gauge. Magic is not an
appropriate translation for the word māya.
MANTRA (1.80.8): VAJR’S ALONG THE RIVERS
The vajrās set themselves abroad
Along the ninety rivers;
Vast is your energy; strength is established in your arms,
Singing the rik in the law of your self-empire.
vi te vajrāso asthiran
., your, vajrās, set or spread,
navatim nāvyā anu,
ninety rivers, towards,
mahat te
indra vīryam bāhvoĥte balam hitam
vast, your, Indra, might, arms, your strength, placed,
archan anu svarājyam.
singing the rik, (your) own, law of self-empire.
Details:
Vajrās
are used to release the flow of Waters. One vajra along
the rivers is regarded as many because of its repeated use.
Hence, the plural vajrāsaĥ.
MANTRA (1.80.9): THE MANTRA
ARISEN FROM INDRA
The thousand together sang the rik everywhere,
The twenty affirmed him.
The hundred chant continuously for Indra,
The mantra arisen from him, singing the rik in the law of
his self-empire.
sahasram sākam archata pari
thousands, together, sang the rik, every where,
şhţobhata vimshatiĥ,
affirmed, twenty,
shata enam anu anonavuĥ indrāya
hundred, him ., chant continuously, for Indra,
brahma udyatam archan anu svarājyam.
mantra arisen, ., ., .
Details:
The inspiration for the chants of
the rişhis comes from Indra himself.
anu anonuvuĥ:
chant continuously the hymns.
archata:
sang the song of illumination,
riks.
şhţobhata:
the affirming mantrās, the Sāma, are recited.
MANTRA (1.80.10): HE SLEW THE
FORCE WITH FORCE
Indra takes out of Vŗtra his energy;
He (slew) force with force;
Great is his virile strength.
Slaying Vŗtra, he released the waters, singing the
rik in the law of his self-empire.
indro vŗtrasya tavişhīm nirahan
Indra, of Vŗtra, energy, overcome or take out,
sahasā sahaĥ,
with (his own) strength, powerful,
mahat tat asya paumsyam vŗtram jaghanvān
great, that, his, manhood or virility, Vŗtra,
slew,
asŗjat archan anu svarājyam.
released (the waters), ., .
MANTRA (1.80.11): EARTH AND
HEAVEN TREMBLE AT YOUR WRATH
At your wrath,
these two (heaven and earth)
Tremble with great fear;
O Indra, O thunderer, by your might, along with Maruts,
You have smitten the coverer, singing the law of your
self-empire.
ime chit tava manyave
the two (heaven and earth), ., your, wrath,
vepete bhiyasā mahī,
tremble, with fear, great,
yat indra vajrin ojasā vŗtram marutvān
thunderer, might, Vŗtra, with, Maruts in you,
avadhīĥ archan anu svarājyam.
killed, ., ., .
MANTRA (1.80.12): VAJRA RUSHED
AT VRTRA
By his shaking or by his roaring,
Vŗtra did not terrify Indra.
The adamant and thousand-lustred vajra rushed at him
(Vŗtra),
Singing the rik in the law of your self-empire.
na vepasā na tanyata
not, shaking, not, roar,
indram vŗtro vi bībhayata
Indra, Vŗtra, ., scared,
abhi enam vajra āyasaĥ sahasrabhŗşhţiĥ
in front, at him, vajra, adamant, thousand-lustred,
āyata archan anu svarājyam.
rushed (at him), ., ., .
Details:
Vajra
is the all-powerful mantra which
rushes at the forces of ignorance and covering to destroy them.
abhi + āyata:
rushed in front (of Vŗtra).
MANTRA (1.80.13): YOUR PUISSANCE
When Vŗtra with his weapon
Fought with you with your vajra,
O Indra, you slew Ahi and
Your puissance became a fixed mass in heaven, singing the
rik in the law of your self-empire.
yat vŗtram tava cha ashanim
when, Vŗtra, your, and, weapon of Vŗtra,
vajreņa samayodhayaĥ,
with vajra, in combat,
ahim indra jighāmsato
Ahi, Indra, smote,
divi te badbadhe shavaĥ archan anu svarājyam.
in heaven,
your, became fixed puissance, ., ., .
MANTRA (1.80.14): ALL IN MOTION AND REST
O master of
the hill, at your roar,
All in motion and all at rest shake;
Even Tvaşhţŗ, at your passion,
Trembles exceedingly with fear-singing the rik in the law
of your self-empire.
abhişhţane te adrivo yat
roar, your, master of the hill, when,
sthā jagat cha rejate,
immobile, mobile, and, quake,
tvaşhţā chit tava manyava indra
Tvaşhţŗ , even, your, wrath or passion, Indra,
vevijyate bhiya archan anu svarājyam.
trembles exceedingly, fear, ., ., .
Details:
Tvaşhţŗ is the Divine architect
who builds the subtle structures in our subtle bodies.
MANTRA (1.80.15): OUR THOUGHTS
CANNOT FOLLOW HIM
We cannot follow him who moves everywhere;
Who can know him who by his prowess is situated for beyond.
The Gods have
established in him God-might, the will for execution
And the puissance--singing the rik in the law of your
self-empire.
nahi nu yāt adhīmasi
not, ., moves, pervades understand,
indram ko vīryā paraĥ,
Indra, who, prowess, far beyond,
tasmin nŗmņam uta kratum devā
in him, God-might, and, will for execution, Gods,
ojāmsi sandadhuĥ archan anu svarājyam.
puissances, established, ., ., .,
Details:
The first line is echoed later in
the Taittirīya Upanishad (2.4.1), ‘where the speech returns from
him unable to hold him, the thought also is unable to hold him.'
MANTRA (1.80.16): THOUGHT SHAPED BY ATHARVAN AND MANU
The sage Atharvan, our father Manu,
And Dadhichi spread the knowledge of Indra-power.
In Indra meet together, as of old, our mantrās and works of
laud--
Singing the rik in the law of your self empire.
yām atharvā manuĥ pitā
whom, seer Atharvan, Manu, father,
dadhyang dhiyam atnata,
Dadhyang, knowledge, spread or gave shape,
tasmin brahmāņi pūrvatha indra ukthā
in him, mantra-hymns, as of old, Indra, works of laud,
samagmata archan anu svarājyam
congregate, ., ., .
Details:
Atharva:
a seer of the family of Angirasas who generated the Agni
power by churning the lotus in his subtle body. Also, the seer
of the mantrās of Atharva Veda Samhita.
Manu:
ancient father of all.
Dadhyang:
a seer who figures prominently in
the doctrine of mystic honey or delight, madhu vidya,
mentioned in the Ashvin-hymns in RV (1.116.12), to be
discussed later, and also in the Bŗhadāraņyaka Upanishad
(I.5).
ukthā:
lauds which act like a weapon, shastra, and perform
specific tasks, termed miracles by persons not aware of the
occult knowledge. Hence, this word is translated as works of
laud.
|
