Rig-Veda Or Book of Hymns, by Par M. Langlois

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Part 1 of 8

NOTES
OF THE FIRST SECTION.
READING 1.
[English Version by Google Translate]

(1) There exist simultaneously two manners of dividing the Rig-Veda: these two manners are distinguished and at the same time merge sufficiently so that one cannot indicate them at the same time without inconvenience. They must have been introduced at different times or by different schools: one of these divisions, which we will follow, is in eight sections, called achtacas; an achtaca contains eight chapters or readings, adhyayas. Each reading contains about thirty, more or less, vargas. The varga is a collection of verses or couplets called rig, which vary from three to eight. The subdivision by hymn, soukta, does not belong to this system of division, but to the other system, which is that of the mandalas. There are ten mandalas, divided into anouvacas. Each anouvaca contains a number of hymns or souktas. We have not been able to fully admit either of these two divisions: we have taken the division by achtaca (section) and adhyaya (reading); then for the subdivision by vargas we have substituted that which is made by souktas (hymns). We have numbered these souktas according to the number contained in each adhyaya.

(2) Agni, ignis, is the god of fire. This beginning of the Rig-Veda, which begins with a hymn to Agni, gave rise to the mythological legend which brings the Rig-Veda out of the mouth of Agni. (Commentary by Sayana-Atcharya, copy of Paris, t. I, p. 5.)

(3) Hotri has a double meaning, depending on whether it is taken from the word hou, to sacrifice, or from the word hwe, to invoke, to call.

(4) The fire, kindled for the sacrifice, gives the gods a signal to which they hasten.

(5) This word angiras, like many other ancient names, does not seem to me to be of Sanskrit origin. However, the commentator seeks to explain it, sometimes by bringing it closer to the word angara, coal, sometimes by giving it the meaning of anganasila, endowed with ornament. It is the name of a sage, father of a priestly family. A legend identifies the richi Angiras with fire. As the word angiras can mean priest in general, it is not surprising that it is applied to Agni.

(6) This is, with regard to a god, a means of capture which will seem unworthy to our civilization. We shall see more than one example of this in the course of this work. Isn't this the character of one of those ancient religions, in which one takes by one's interest the god whom one adores, and who one breaks when he does not show himself favorable?

(7) The word rita has a number of varied and confusing meanings. As an adjective, it means pure, radiant. As a substantive, it is used for things and substances which can have these qualities, that is to say, light, fire, sacrifice, and, according to the commentator, water; morally, truth, justice. Forced to choose between these various meanings, and wanting to put a certain unity in my translation, I have almost always preferred the meaning of sacrifice, fire of sacrifice.

(8) Vayou is the god of wind or air.

(9) These liqueurs were made with grains that were allowed to ferment, or with the juice of asclepias acida [milkweed], called soma.

(10) Indra is the god of ether, considered as the first of the elements: it is the sky that envelops the world. Indra's name means king.

(11) These dishes consisted of butter (ghrita), quail (dadhi) mixed with flour, cakes. They are called here by the general name of prayas; elsewhere, named vadja.

(12) Mitra and Varouna are two forms of the sky, or rather of the sun. They are the sun by day and the sun by night: for the latter is supposed to return, during the darkness, to resume its place in the east. These two characters together represent the astronomical day; Mitra is the day, and Varuna the night.

(13) Or else: grant the prayer that accompanies the butter (of the sacrifice). In the other version, the word ghrita indicates rain, which is like butter intended to fertilize the earth.

(14) The Aswins or Cavaliers are two divinities by which two states are personified, two appearances of the sky. It is likely that these are the two twilights. The commentator has somehow confused them with the Sky and the Earth, and even with the Sun and the Moon, according to the authority of Yasca.

Yaska is the author of the Nirukta...

The Nirukta attempts to explain how certain words get to have their meanings, especially in the context of interpreting the Vedic texts.

-- Yāska, by Wikipedia

(15) With these gods, what the poet calls hands and arms are the rays of light.

(16) Translation of the two words dasra and nasatya, which are the ordinary names of the Aswins.

(17) The offerings were laid out, and the ministers of the sacrifice seated on layers of a turf called varhis, cousa, darbha (poa cynosuroides).

(18) Paraphrase indicated by the comment to render the word Rudra. I would gladly translate: following the road of Roudra, that is to say the way of the air.

(19) Vipra, the priest who presides over the sacrifice.

(20) I try to render the word hari in this way.

(21) The word viswa means everything. This collective name designates all the gods invoked elsewhere separately, and does not seem to apply to a particular class of divinities.

(22) Translation of the compound word ehimdyasah, on the origin of which commentators seem confused. They tell a little legend on this subject; they say that the fire, called Sotchica, having hidden himself in the waters because his three brothers had been killed, the Viswadevas called him back, saying: Ehi, ma yasih (Veni, ne abeas).

(23) Saraswati is the goddess of speech, vag devata. She is, in the sacrifice, accompanied by two goddesses, Ila and Bharati: Ila is the poetic word, the hymn; and Bharati, speech accompanied by gesture, declamatory action.

(24) The commentator would like this verse to refer to the Saraswati River. I could not share his opinion, and do not admit this confusion of characters. This flag that Saraswati raises, it seems to me that it is the fire kindled for the sacrifice. The myth of Saraswati does not seem to me yet form; Brahma is only the sacrifice; and if Saraswati was said to be daughter or wife of Brahma, it would mean that she is born of the sacrifice or that she accompanies him. The prayers pronounced in their honor are called Women of the Gods. However Saraswati is the name of one of the seven rivers often mentioned in hymns.

(25) I find this idea in the word dasma, which is in the 6th line of this hymn; and I borrow the sense that I give it, not from the commentary which makes it an epithet of Indra, but from the dictionary of Mr. Wilson.

(26) Literally: honored by a hundred sacrifices. The number one hundred is here for an indefinite number. Such is the explanation given by the commentator, who indicates two more, represented by the words bahoucarman and bahoupradjna. We did not yet know the fable which supposes that Indra is dispossessed of his celestial kingdom by the one who celebrated a hundred sacrifices called aswamedhas.

(27) Vritra is a name given to the enemy of Indra; it is the darkness of the clouds, which the power of the god dissipates. Indra makes war on the Vritras, as the Greek Jupiter does on the Titans.

(28) This quail is called dadhi.

(29) Allusion to the immensity of the sky, lit in the morning by the rays of the day.

(30) The chariot that one prepares for a god is the sacrifice.

(31) By means of these three epithets, the commentator, full of modern ideas, here forms a syncretism of Indra with the sun, the fire and the wind; he also identifies it with the stars that shine in the firmament. I see in this place only a poetic description of the sky, personified in Indra, and represented at the time of dawn.

(32) This invocation is called Swaha.

(33) The Marouts are the winds: we will see, later, that this name is given to a class of priests.

(34) I could not adopt the meaning of the comment.

(35) Here we give to the wind the same name as to the fire, Vahni. The idea is probably different.

(36) We are going to try to explain this image, which must be represented often. First, the word cow, in poetic language, is anything that provides an advantage; this benefit is the milk that is obtained from this cow. This name will therefore be given to the sacrifice, to the prayer, to the earth, to the cloud, to the libation, to the rays of the sun, etc. Here the cow must be the cloud, or rather the light, the ray. In the bosom of the night, represented as a vast cavern, are enclosed the rays], removed and guarded by the Asuras, children of Bala, and named Panis. Vrihaspati, otherwise Agni, the fire of sacrifice, claims these cows: a divine female dog, named Sarama, and who is only the voice of prayer (vag devi), is sent to discover. Indra, the god of the sky who begins to light up, walks with the Marouts and the Angiras (that is to say the priests), to the deliverance of these cows, and he breaks the cave where they are confined. From all these details a legend has been composed, of which we have just indicated a few features, and which may have some connection with the fable of Cacus. The cows that I call celestial seem to me here to be the rays of the sun: in other passages, this word will designate the clouds which spread water over the earth, which is for it a species of milk. I am very mistaken, if this explanation should not also be that of the story of the cow Io among the Greeks, which is given as a warning to Argus, the Sahasrakcha (millioculus).

(37) The sun, according to the commentator.

(38) I believe that the true meaning must be: docile to the voice of the priest who harnesses them in prayer; literally, harnessed by the word.

(39) What are these five classes of beings? The commentator thinks these are the four castes, to which he adds the Nichadas. He explains in the same way the word pantchadjanya, which will be presented later. But I believe that the castes did not yet exist at the time when these hymns were composed, and, moreover, the Nichadas were not a caste. Yasca supposes that by these five classes are meant Gandharvas, Pitris, Devas, Asuras and Rakchasas. Another author finds the five classes in the Devas, the Men, the Gandharvas, the Apsaras and the Serpents, or else in the Devas, the Men, the Pitris, the Quadrupeds and the Birds. On the other hand, the Indians recognize five elements. Would it not be the beings belonging to each of these elements? Mr. Wilson gives the word pantchadjanya an etymology which relates to this explanation. I must say that the same idea occurs in the 5th section, 8th reading, and these five classes are called children of Manu, pantcha Manouchah.

(40) Literally, with fists: the commentator indicates the meaning that I have adopted.

(41) Sousipra; this epithet is remarkable, and means having a beautiful nose or beautiful jaws. What relationship do these traits of beauty have with the particular character of Indra?

(42) Literal translation.

(43) The word arih corresponds to the Latin word herus. It is the master of the house bearing the cost of the sacrifice.

(44) This passage contains the word vansa, which means reed and family. The commentary, explaining this word in the first sense, says that the jumpers raise a reed, which is a kind of greasy pole. It seems to me, to me, that this reed must be like the staff of a flag. In the second sense, the commentary thinks that the vansa is a family brought up by the virtues of a father.

(45) Before the day of the sacrifice, the head of the family had to send to the mountains to fetch the soma (asclepias acida or sarcostema viminalis), collect the wood, and make all the arrangements for the offerings and the meal.

(46) Repetition required by the text.

(47) Cousica is a king of the solar race. He desired a son whose power was equal to that of Indra; Indra himself wanted to be born of him, and bore, in this incarnation, the name of Gadhi. Some authors form from the word cousica an adjective which would mean son of Cousa, and then the father of Gadhi would be called Cousanabha or Cousambha. Cosica would mean descendant of Cousa.

(48) The clouds are considered by the poet as cities inhabited by the Asuras. Indra strikes them with his lightning, to bring out the rain, which these enemies of the gods hold back.

(49) Souchna is the name of an Asura. This word means drying. By the word magic is meant the art with which he creates those physical appearances which seduce our eyes.

(50) Two pieces of wood compose the arani, and from the friction of these two pieces of wood one draws the fire of the sacrifice.

(51) Filthy spirits, enemies of gods and men.

(52) This passage must allude to the distinction of fires, which are three in number: Ahavaniya or sacrificial fire, Garhapatya or domestic fire, and Dakchina or fire placed on the southern side.

(53) Djouhou is a wooden vase in the shape of a crescent. I believe that this word is used here for the hearth vase itself, which is earthen.

(54) This hymn is devoted to a class of divinities called Apris: they are forms of the god Agni, and divine personifications of the things which contribute to the sacrifice. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 10th and 11th couplets are dedicated to Agni, under the names of Sousamiddha, Tanounapat, Narasansa, Ilita, Twachtri and Vanaspati. The 5th couplet celebrates the sacred turf; the 6th, the gates of the sacrificial enclosure; the 7th, night and dawn; the 8th, two deities who must preside over the sacrifice; the 9th, Ila, Saraswati and Bharati i.e. poetry, eloquence and declamation; the 12th, the Swaha, or exclamation employed at the time of the holocaust. These beings thus deified become like the ministers of the sacrifice offered in honor of a principal divinity: in this quality, they bear the name of Devas.

(55) That is to say, well ignited.

(56) This word Tanounapat receives several explanations. As the word napat can hardly be explained, wherever I see it, except by the meaning of child, of grandson, I understand that the word Tanounapat is understood as child of his body. Agni is born and lives at the expense of wood, which is like his body. Another meaning given to it is destructive of one's own body. I think I have to remove the sense of destroyer that we give to napat.

(57) This word means sing. Narasansa, above, means famous by men.

(58) The name Manu is taken in a general way to signify the man, or in a special way to designate the patriarch whom the Indians regard as the founder of their race. It seems to me that the institution of the worship of fire is attributed to him in several places. The expression Manourhita can still be translated as constitutes for man.

(59) The painting that the poet makes of these two divinities hardly allows me to identify them with the Aswins. These are, as the commentary indicates, two forms of Agni, the fire of the earth and the fire of the air. Wouldn't it be rather the two sacrifices of morning and evening?

(60) See note 23 above. Mahi, which means great, is an epithet of Bharati.

(61) Twachtri is Agni regarded as giving form; it is the plastic fire. He is attributed the works of art, he forges the thunderbolt of Indra: he is the Vulcan of this mythology. I suppose that Twachtri is the third form of Agni, diffused in the air and constituting the vital heat.

(62) Word for word, master of the wood. It is the fire presiding over the stake of the sacrifice, and even over the pieces of wood which are used there, youpagni.

(63) The swaha is an exclamation uttered at the time of the holocaust. They make her a wife of Agni, because the prayers are the wives of the gods.

(64) Canwa is an ancient sage, descended from a royal race: nothing in fact seems to me, in this work, to announce the distinction of castes. Canwa was a priest, and father of priests, but not a Brahman. His father was Apratiratha (perhaps also called Ghora), a descendant of Purou, prince of the lunar dynasty. He gave birth to Medhatithi, author of this hymn, from which came the Canwas, devoted to the service of the altars. The commentator sometimes regards the word Canwa as a common noun, meaning sage, priest.

(65) Mythological characters twelve in number: these are the twelve forms of the sun, regarded as the sons of Aditi.

(66) The chamu or tchamasa is a vase which contains the soma: it is also the spoon with which it is served. Sometimes this word is used for the skin filter through which the drink is passed to clarify it, and perhaps also for the press.

(67) The wives of the gods are the particular prayers that are said in honor of each of these gods.

(68) Exclamation used at the time of the Holocaust.

(69) Gods of the seasons, six in number.

(70) The name of this cup is potra: one of the priests is called potri.

(71) This word means conductor; it must be a name of the god Agni.

(72) The wife of Agni is a prayer, an invocation, like Swaha.

(73) The sacrifice takes place three times a day, in the morning, at noon, and in the evening: from the expression trichavana.

(74) The expression is gravahasta, lapidem manu tenens; and the word graven no doubt designates the earthen vessels used in the sacrifices. It could well also be the mortars or the stones which were used to clean the barley or to crush the soma: however the mortar seems to have been made of wood.

(75) That is, who gives wealth or strength.

(76) This cup is called nechtra; one of the priests, and Agni himself, bears the name of nechtri, leader.

(77) The word touriyam seems obscure to me. I noticed that the name of Dravinodas was invoked four times, and I made up my mind accordingly.

(78) See. footnote 52.

(79) These grains are called dhanah.

(80) I have moved away from the meaning given by the commentator, who does not distinguish between the three sacrifices.

(81) Gora means a white deer, goramriga.

(82) Vritra is the main name under which one personifies the cloud which covers the sky; it is therefore the enemy of Indra, who strikes him with his thunderbolt, and sends to the earth the water which he retained.

(83) Epithet of Agni, meaning master of the sacred thing, of sacrifice.

(84) Cakchivan is a holy Richi, considered as the putative son of a king of Calinga or Anga, who, overwhelmed by age, wanted to raise up for himself a son of Dirghatamas. The queen, blushing at accepting the king's wishes, substituted in her place her slave Ousidj, who bore Cakchivan. He later married the daughter of Prince Swanaya, son of Bhavayavya, named Vrichaya.

(85) Soma is not the god Lunus; it is the libation of the personified soma.

(86) Name of Agni. Voy. footnote 52.

(87) Another name of Agni, meaning master of the pious assembly.

(88) See footnote 56.

(89) This meaning was taken from Mr. Wilson's dictionary.

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Part 2 of 8

LECTURE II.
[French Version]

(1) Les Ribhous forment une classe de divinites. Suivant l’opinion de M. Neve, ce seraient d’anciens mortels eleves au rang des dieux. Fils de Soudhanwan, de la race d’Angiras, ils sont au nombre de trois: Ribhou, Vibhwan et Vadja. Il est a croire qu’ils etablirent des ceremonies religieuses, et changerent quelques uns des anciens usages. Peut-etre fonderent-ils une espece de culte en l’honneur des rayons du soleil, avec lesquels on les a personnifies en leur qualite de dieux. La legende leur attribue d’avoir ressuscite une vache (c’est-a-dire le sacrifice), d’avoir rendu la jeunesse a leurs deux vieux parents (c’est-a-dire d’avoir ramene le sacrifice du matin, qui redonne la vie au ciel et a |la terre), d’avoir fait des chevaux pour Indra, un char pour les Aswins (c’est-a-dire d’avoir celebre des sacrifices en leur honneur), enfin d’avoir divise en quatre parties l a coupe de Twachtri (c’est-a-dire d’avoir etabli quatre libations au lieu d’une). Je croirais que les Ribhous ne sont pas d’anciens Richis divinises, mais que ce sont les rites eux-memes, les ceremonies deifiees. J’avoue que les hypotheses sont chose trop facile, surtout avec l’instrument philologique; j’en donnerai un exemple que me fournit le nom meme des Ribhous. La grammaire nous apprend d’abord comment la voyelle ri se metamorphose en ar: ensuite la consonne bh, pour la valeur du son, correspond a ph ou f. Il resulte, de ces deux faits, que Ribhous se convertit tout naturellement en Arphous; et ce mot rappelle aussitot le nom d’Orphee, pretre et poete, qui a presidee a l'antique civilisation grecque.

(2) La coupe de bois du sacrifice, appelee tchamasa.

(3) Ou bien trois fois sept offrandes differentes. A l’occasion de ce vers, le commentateur explique que, dans le vase du sacrifice,  il y a trois especes d’offrandes, qu’il qualifie d 'offrandes superieures, d’offrandes du milieu, d’offrandes inferieures. Il distingue aussi trois classes (varga) de sacrifices: les haviryadjnas, les pacayadjnas, les somasansthanas. Il cite des sacrifices appartenant a chacune de ces trois classes, sacrifices dans lesquels les Ribhous etaient probablement invoques. Ailleurs, il dit qu’il y a sept offrandes appelees hotra, et accompagnees de l’exclamation vachat.

(4) Les Rakchasas, comme les Harpies, souillent et devorent les mets des sacrifices.

(5) Le commentateur parle d’une etoile, Savanagraha, qui avertit que le moment des libations est venu.

(6) Savitri est un nom du Soleil.

(7) Les mains et bras de ces dieux, ce sont leurs rayons. On conte a ce sujet une legende. Dans un sacrifice, Savitri s’acquittait des fonctions de pretre. Ses acolytes lui presentant une offrande appelee prasitra, la main du pretre se trouva coupee. On en fit une autre d’or, qu’on adapta a son bras. Voici l'explication de cette legende: le grand sacrifice accompli par le Soleil, c’est la fonction qu’il accomplit dans ce mondc. L’offrande prasitra, c’est le nuage qui intercepte et coupe les rayons du Soleil. Le Soleil, ce grand Papi, c’est-a-dire le grand buveur, ne peut manquer de recouvrer ces mains d'or qui ne lui ont ete enlevees qu’un moment.

(8) Le mot napat se presente souvent, et on le traduit de diverses manieres. Je n’ai pas cru que des auteurs pussent ainsi se jouer avec la langue, et donner a un meme mot, suivant leur caprice, un sens different. J’ai cherche pour le mot napatune signification uniforme, et qui convint a toutes les circonstances; je me suis decide pour le mot enfant, et j’ai rejete toutes les explications ingenieuses qui menaient a un autre sens. Dans la circonstance presente, Savitri, c’est-a-dire le Soleil, est l’enfant des libations, dans ce sens que le sacrifice donne naissance au feu terrestre, et ensuite au feu celeste, qui est le Soleil. C’est ce qu’on verra developpe plus loin dans beaucoup de passages.

(9) Nous avons vu, lecture 1, note 67, que les epouses des dieux etaient les prieres particulieres que l'on dit en l’honneur de chacun d’eux.

(10) Hotra, dit le commentateur, est l'epouse d’Agni, surnomme Homanichpada. C’est la personnification de l'nvocation faite au moment de l’holocauste. Ce mot signifie encore hymne.

(11) Bharati est donnee comme l’epouse d’Aditya. Voyez lecture 1, note 23.

(12) Varoutri est designe par le commentateur sous le synonyme de Varaniya; il semblerait que c’est la deesse qui preside a la priere par laquelle on demande une grace, vara. Varoutri est peut-etre un nom d’Ila.

(13) Dhichana est la pensee, l'intelligence, l'esprit. Ce mot s’emploie pour signifier priere. Le commentaire confond Dhichana avec Saraswati, appelee Vagdevi, deesse de la parole. Voy. lecture 1, note 23.

(14) Epouse d’Indra, de Varouna et d’Agni.

(15) Gandharva est, je crois, un nom d’Agni: c’est quelquefois  aussi une epithete du Soleil.

(16) Vichnou est un des noms du Soleil. Le texte porte le mot prithivi, qui s’emploie d’une maniere generale pour signifier toute espece de region, et d’une maniere particuliere pour signifier la terre. Le Soleil, en effet, semble partir de la terre, dont il peut se dire le fils.

(17) Le commentateur entend ici les sept especes de metres ou tchhandas qui servent a composer les hymnes. Ne serait-ce pas plutot une allusion aux sept rayons que l'on donne a la lumiere? Le poete n’a-t-il pas voulu representer le Soleil avec une aureole de sept rayons?

(18) Ce sol, c’est tantot la terre, tantot la voute du ciel, puisque les trois endroits foules par le Soleil sont l'orient, Samarohana ou la colline du levant; en second lieu, le midi, Vichnoupada ou le meridien celeste; et enfin, l’occident, Gayasiras ou les collines du couchant. Tels sont les trois pas ou stations de Vichnou, surnomme Trivicrama, qui ont donne naissance a une grande fiction pouranique.

(19) Autant qu’il me sera possible, je verrai dans le mot Souri le maitre de maison, le pere de famille. Il doit etre distingue du pretre qui accomplit le sacrifice, dont l’autre a fait les frais.

(20) Vayou, c’est le vent considere comme le dieu de l'air.

(21) Ces mille yeux representent l'extreme vigilance de ces dieux; ou bien, comme l’ether et l'air semblent etre le sejour des etoiles, ces yeux rappellent les astres innombrables qui tapissent la voute celeste. On ne connaissait pas, a cette dpoque, la legende obscene racontee dans le Ramayana sur l'origine de l'epithete Sahasrakcha donnee a Indra.

(22) Nom du Soleil.

(23) Prisni est un nom donne a la Terre consideree comme une divinite; c’est, en certains cas, un synonyme d’Aditi. Suivant les Indiens, les vents viennent de la terre, et par consequent ils en sont comme les enfants. Le mot Prisni, au masculin, est un nom du Soleil. Je pense que Prisni, mere des vents, c’est plutot le nuage, ou l'air charge de nuages.

(24) Ce sont les six saisons, qu’on nomme Ritous. Les noms des six Ritous sont le Vasanta et le Grechma, le Varchica et le Sarada, l'Hemantica et le Sesira. En les accouplant ainsi deux par deux, on peut n’en compter que trois.

(25) Le commentaire entend ces mots des femmes qui assistent le pere de famille dans les soins qu’il prend pour le sacrifice.

(26) Le mot deva signifie brillant, et ne repond pas au sens metaphysique que possede notre mot Dieu, lequel n’est pas traduit en sanscrit. Ce mot deva a plusieurs acceptions. Il s’emploie pour designer les diverses personnifications de la substance divine se manifestant dans les elements: en pareil cas je le traduis, avec regret, par dieu. Il se dit aussi pour distinguer les personnages remarquables dans l’ordre religieux ou dans l’ordre civil; alors je le traduirai par deva, auquel j’ajouterai quelquefois l’epithete de mortel, lorsqu’il y aura opposition entre les devas-dieux et les devas-hommes. Le mot amrita (immortel) s’emploie egalement avec ces deux significations. Mais vous noterez que bien souvent le poete donne le nom de Devas a ces personnifications de ceremonies et de rites, qu’il fait agir comme des etres reels et divins.

(27) Soma est la libation personnifiee. Ces eaux dont il est ici question se prennent quelquefois pour les differentes especes de libations, et je pense que toutes ces invocations s’adressent aux Eaux considerees dans le sacrifice. Ainsi, au vers 17, lorsque le poete parle des Eaux qui precedent la naissance du Soleil (Oupasourye), et de celles qui l’accompagnent, il me semble qu’il designe les libations du matin et celles de la journee. Au vers 18, les vaches desalterees par ces Eaux, ce sont les rayons d’Agni. Dans le vers present, il cite Soma et Agni, agents du sacrifice.

(28) L’imprecation, dans l’opinion des Indiens, est une arme terrible qui doit toujours produire son effet, meme lorsqu’elle est injuste.

(29) Le mot Aditi qui se trouve dans ce vers est le nom de la deesse qui represente la nature entiere, et quelquefois seulement la terre. De la on a imagine que l’auteur de cet hymne, Sounahsepa, fils d’Adjigarta, l’avait recite au moment ou il allait etre immole aux dieux. Etre rendu a la grande Aditi pour revoir son pere et sa mere, c’etait etre rendu a la terre pour aller dans un autre monde retrouver ses parents; ces mots etaient en meme temps un temoignage rendu a l'immortalite de l’ame. Je n’ai pas cru devoir adopter une traduction qui ne me parait pas en harmonie avec l'ensemble de l'hymne. Le sacrifice se fait le matin, et le but de ce sacrifice, c’est d’amener heureusement le jour: l'auteur du jour, c’est le Soleil, qui revele le ciel et la terre, appeles pere et mere. Voila ce que le poete desire de revoir, et, a peine remis des anxietes que donne la nuit, il demande une pleine jouissance de la nature; c’est ce que signifie le mot Aditi, lequel se retrouve dans ce sens au dernier vers de cet hymne. On a encore voulu trouver dans ce vers le desir de Sounahsepa de recouvrer sa liberte et de revoir sa famille. J’ai aussi rejete ce sens; je me suis attache a celui qui semblait ressortir de la composition tout entiere. Je crois done que etre rendu a la grande Aditi, c’est rentrer en possession complete des biens que nous presente la nature au lever du soleil. Agni, qui preside au sacrifice, est le dieu qui rend ce service aux hommes.

(30) Nom du Soleil.

(31) Autre nom du Soleil.

(32) Il faut bien remarquer que l’auteur distingue le Soleil de Varouna, qui en est l'ame et le directeur.

(33) Nirriti est la divinite du mal, Papa devata.

(34) Voile le passage sur lequel on se fonde pour penser que cet hymne est celui que Sounahsepa recita lorsqu’il etait prisonnier. Mais, en tous cas, la circonstance dont il est ici question est mentionnee comme deja passee, et le reste de l’hymne ne semble pas avoir le but special qu’on lui suppose. Pour ma part, je pense que cet etat de captivite de Sounahsepa, comme ailleurs l'etat de cecite de certains personnages, n’est qu’une metaphore qui peint l’abattement de l'homme incapable d’agir pendant la nuit, et en quelque sorte lie ou aveugle par les tenebres. Le sacrifice du matin vient lui rendre sa liberte et la lumiere.

(35) Ces mots sont la traduction du mot Asoura, dont l'explication la plus convenable m’a paru etre celle que je donne ici. On voit pour quelle raison cette epithete est attribute au Soleil et aux autres dieux; l'Asoura est l'etre doue de force et de mouvement, et communiquant la vie dont il est anime. Les nuages ont cette propriete; et quand le poete les a personnifies, les etres ennemis des dieux, et qui les animent, ont pu etre appeles Asouras. Ce mot a fini meme par designer plus souvent les adversaires des dieux, les Titans indiens. Je suppose que, plus tard, dans la composition du mot Asoura, qu’on avait perdu de vue, on a cru trouver un a privatif, et qu’on a ainsi forme le mot Soura, qui signifie Dieu.

(36) J’entends par ces mots que l’obscurite qui regne an ciel, sur la terre, dans les airs, est une triple chaine qui lie les hommes pendant la nuit.

(37) Le mot Aditi se trouve encore ici, et on le rend par salat, securite. Je sais que la meme expression peut avoir differentes significations; mais je n’aime pas que cette expression, dans des circonstances analogues, se trouve interpretee differemment. J’ai donne au mot Aditi le meme sens que dans le premier vers. Etre a Aditi, c’est, comme en francais, etre tout a la nature, jouir completement de la nature. Aditi, dans les idees indiennes, me semble etre l'ensemble de la matiere organisee, et animee d’un souffle divin: ce mot signifie complet, et est en opposition avec le mot diti, qui veut dire divise, incomplet. D’Aditi naissent les Adityas, ou formes du Soleil; de Diti, les Detyas, etres malfaisants qui animent les meteores celestes, et font la guerre aux Adityas et aux autres dieux. Le sens du mot Aditi, comme je l’ai dit, peut etre restreint h la signification de terre; et Aditi est alors confondu avec Prithivi. Ce meme mot Aditi, au masculin, est employe pour signifier l'ensemble des offrandes, le sacrifice.

(38) C’est un treizieme mois de quelques jours, ajoute pour rendre l'annee lunaire egale a l’annee solaire.

(89) Varouna est une forme d’Agni; le vers 10 le represente au sein des demeures humaines, ou il est le dieu sacrificateur.

(40) Voy. la note 36.

(41) On pourrait aussi traduire: qu’ils viennent s'asseoir sur notre cousa comme sur celui de Manou.

(42) Agni est appele fils de la Force, parce que c’est par la violence du mouvement qu’on l’extrait de l'arant. Voy. lecture 1, note 50. Cependant cette expression est employee pour d’autres personnages qu’Agni, et je pense qu’il ne faudrait y voir qu’une maniere de representer la force au superlatif: enfant de la Force serait synonyme de tres-fort, tres-robuste.

(43) Voy., pour la distinction des feux, lecture 1, note 52.

(44) Cette image bizarre s’explique par l'apparence meme de la flamme. Le commentateur dit quelque chose de plus: il ajoute que le feu, par l’influence de ses flammes, detruit les ennemis du devot, comme le cheval, par le mouvement de sa queue, donne la mort aux mouches qui le piquent.

(45) On pourrait modifier cette traduction, si l'on suivait l’idee enoncee plus haut, note 3, sur la distinction des trois offrandes. Il est possible aussi que ces trois genres d’offrandes placees dans le vase du sacrifice aient un rapport symbolique avec l’ether, l’air et la terre.

(46) Le mortier s’appelle ici ouloukhala. Voy. lecture 1, note 74. La pierre dont on vient de parler est le foyer destine au feu du sacrifice.

(47) Figure peu decente. Le dictionnaire de M. Wilson traduit ce mot par 1° mons Veneris, 2° the hip and loins.

(48) La mere de famille se chargeait des details du sacrifice relatifs au menage, des fleurs, du lait, du beurre, etc. Elle entrait dans la salle, et en sortait pour donner ses ordres au dehors.

(49) Voy. lecture 1, note 50. Avec le bois de sami on fait une piece cubique de cinq pouces de diametre, qui a une petite ouverture dans la partie superieure. On y introduit un morceau d’aswattha, que deux personnes tirent et font tourner par le moyen d’une laniere.

(50) Vanaspati veut dire arbre. Il m’a semble qu’ici ce mot signifiait un morceau de bois, et que ce morceau de bois, c’etait le pilon.

(51) Tel est le sens extraordinaire que j’ai cru devoir donner au mot hari. Il faut se rappeler qu’il est forme de hri.

(52) Je suppose que le mortier est de bois, comme le pilon; voila pourquoi le mot vanaspati est au duel.

(53) Ce mot n’est pas dans le texte. Il est donne par les commentateurs, qui croient, les uns, que c’est un dieu ainsi nomme, les autres, que c’est ou un ministre du sacrifice, ou le pere de famille lui-meme.

(54) Le Soma, presse par le pilon dans le mortier, etait jete dans un bassin (tchamou) (lecture 1, note 66); on le versait sur un filtre, qui etait une peau de vache percee.

(55) Voy. lecture 1, note 41.

(56) Satchivas est traduit ordinairement par puissant ou par sage. Mais comme on dit que Satchi est l’epouse d’Indra, et que les prieres sont les epouses des dieux, je donnerais volontiers a Satchi le sens de prieres: car satcha veut dire parler. Cependant j’expliquerais aussi ce mot par sagesse, reconnaissant la sagesse pour l’epouse d’Indra, comme Metis est celle de Jupiter.

(57) Le commentaire, en nous disant queces deux personnages sont les messageres d'Yama ou de la mort, ne donne pas d’autres details.

(58) Les deux Aswins representent les deux crepuscules, ou plutot le jour et la nuit. Leur char, c’est le ciel, dont une partie est eclairee, et l’autre plongee dans l'obscurite. Il en resulte que le poete dit qu’une des roues de ce char (une des deux surfaces celestes) est dans une region inaccessible, et l'autre dans notre atmosphere.

(59) Voy. lecture 1, note 5.

(60) Des deux pieces de l’arani nait le feu: ce sont la les deux meres qu’on donne a Agni.

(61) Dans la nomenclature des cinq elements, l'air est avant le feu. Je n’ai donc pu admettre le sens donne par le commentateur. Le Vent (Matariswan) apercoit le feu naissant; il vient de son souffle l’exciter, et augmenter sa force.

(62) Les anciens livres representent Manou comme un homme pieux et ami des sacrifices. Voy. lecture 1, note 58. Le sacrifice du matin, auquel preside Agni, amene la naissance du Soieil, lequel eclaire et revele le ciel a l'homme.

(63) Pourouravas, petit-fils de Manou, est renomme, dans l'antique histoire de l’lnde, pour avoir organise le culte du feu et pour avoir invente l'arani.

(64) Allusion a l'operation par laquelle on tire le feu de Varani.

(65) Le commentateur explique ce passage en rep resentant le feu ahavaniya porte a l'orient, et ensuite le feu garhapatya etabli a l’occident.

(66) Il est ici question, suivant le commentateur, des bipedes et des quadrupedes. Ne serait-ce pas plutot la nourriture solide et la nourriture liquide?

(67) Comme au vers 4 de cet hymne, ce sont les deux pieces de l’arani. On peut entendre qu’Agni brille entre le ciel et la terre, consideres comme pere et mere du monde.

(68) Tout ce passage fait allusion a une legende dont les details me sont incennus. Il paraitrait qu’Agni, incarne dans la famille d’Angiras, etait devenu le pretre protecteur de Manou et de ses descendants. Ila, fille de Manou et mere de Pourouravas, l’eut a son service. Sous Nahoucha, petit-fils d'Ila, ce meme Angiras exerca l'autorite et commanda les armees: c’est l’opinion du commentateur, qui donne le mot senapati pour synonyme de vispati. Remarquez que le nom d’Ila, fille de Manou, est aussi le nom de la priere dans le sacrifice, et que la legende, sous ce rapport, pourrait bien etre une allegorie; car cette incarnation d’Agni n’est autre chose que sa naissance dans le sacrifice.

(69) Cet hymne est l’ouvrage d’Hiranyastoupa, fils d’Angiras, et par consequent d’Agni incarne dans cette famille.

(70) Allusion aux quatre points principaux de l'horizon, vers lesquels le feu lance a la fois ses clartes.

(71) Dans ces anciens temps on immolait quelquefois une vache, pour complaire aux hoites que l’on recevait le jour d’un sacrifice solennel; de la vient qu’un hote se nommait Goghna. Nous verrons plus loin le sacrifice du cheval. Le commentateur indique un autre sens; il ne s’agirait pas d’une victime vivante, pasou, mais d’une offrande, d’un present fait a une personne vivante, par exemple, aux pretres assistants.

(72) Soit a cause de sa generosite, soit a cause de sou bonheur.

(73) Yayati est le cinquieme roi de la race lunaire.

(74) Ces grands exploits d’Indra sont des allegories toutes physiques. Ahi, c’est le nuage se developpant comme un serpent; Vritra, c'est le nuage obscur qui voile le soleil, avaraca.

(75) Voy. lecture 1, note 61.

(76) Les tricadrous sont, a ce qu’il parait, trois sacrifices; les jours ou ils arrivent sont appeles tricadrouca, autrement abhiplavica. Le commentaire parle de ces trois sacrifices, qui se nommeraient djyotih, goh, ayouh; mais il ne donue pas d'autres details. Le mot cadrou semblerait indiquer des ceremonies faites pendant un temps noire et couvert.

(77) Nom d’Indra, dispensateur des richesses.

(78) Le poete donne a la mere de Vritra le nom de Danou, comme qui dirait Donatrix. Je n’ose pas caracteriser cet etre allegorique. Serait-ce la vapeur dont se forme le nuage?

(79) Voy. lecture 1, note 36. Ce mot Pani doit avoir le sens d'avare.

(80) C’est le nombre ordinaire par lequel on designe en general les fleuves: tels le Gange et les autres, dit le commentaire.

(81) Nombre defini pour un nombre indefini.

 

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Part 2 of 8

LECTURE II.
[English Version by Google Translate]

(1) The Ribhous form a class of divinities. According to Mr. Neve's opinion, they would be former mortals raised to the rank of gods. Sons of Soudhanwan, of the race of Angiras, they are three in number: Ribhou, Vibhwan and Vadja. It is to be believed that they established religious ceremonies, and changed some of the ancient usages. Perhaps they founded a kind of cult in honor of the rays of the sun, with which they have been personified as gods. The legend attributes to them having resurrected a cow (i.e. the sacrifice), having restored youth to their two old parents (i.e. having brought back the morning sacrifice, who restores life to heaven and to earth), to have made horses for Indra, a chariot for the Aswins (that is to say, to have celebrated sacrifices in their honor), finally to have divides the cup of Twachtri into four parts (that is, of having established four libations instead of one). I would believe that the Ribhous are not deified ancient Rishis, but that they are the rites themselves, the deified ceremonies. I admit that hypotheses are too easy a thing, especially with the philological instrument; I will give an example provided by the very name of the Ribhous. The grammar first teaches us how the vowel ri metamorphoses into ar: then the consonant bh, for the value of the sound, corresponds to ph or f. It follows from these two facts that Ribhous is quite naturally converted into Arphous; and this word immediately recalls the name of Orpheus, priest and poet, who presided over the ancient Greek civilization.

(2) The cutting of sacrificial wood, called chamasa.

(3) Or three times seven different offerings. On the occasion of this verse, the commentator explains that, in the vase of sacrifice, there are three kinds of offerings, which he qualifies as upper offerings, middle offerings, lower offerings. He also distinguishes three classes (varga) of sacrifices: the haviryadjnas, the pacayadjnas, the somasansthanas. He cites sacrifices belonging to each of these three classes, sacrifices in which the Ribhous were probably invoked. Elsewhere he says that there are seven offerings called hotra, and accompanied by the exclamation vachat.

(4) The Rakchasas, like the Harpies, defile and devour the food of the sacrifices.

(5) The commentator speaks of a star, Savanagraha, which warns that the time for libations has come.

(6) Savitri is a name of the Sun.

(7) The hands and arms of these gods are their rays. A legend is told on this subject. In a sacrifice, Savitri performed the duties of a priest. His acolytes presenting him with an offering called prasitra, the priest's hand was cut off. They made another of gold, which they fitted to his arm. Here is the explanation of this legend: the great sacrifice performed by the Sun is the function it performs in this world. The prasitra offering is the cloud that intercepts and cuts off the rays of the Sun. The Sun, this great Grandpa, that is to say the great drinker, cannot fail to recover these golden hands which were only taken away from him for a moment.

(8) The word napat occurs often, and it is translated in various ways. I did not believe that authors could thus play with language, and give to the same word, according to their whim, a different meaning. I have sought for the word napat a uniform meaning which will suit all circumstances; I decided on the word child, and I rejected all ingenious explanations that led to another meaning. In the present circumstance, Savitri, that is, the Sun, is the child of libations, in the sense that the sacrifice gives birth to earthly fire, and then to celestial fire, which is the Sun. This is what we will see developed later in many passages.

(9) We have seen, reading 1, note 67, that the wives of the gods were the particular prayers that are said in honor of each of them.

(10) Hotra, says the commentator, is the wife of Agni, surnamed Homanichpada. It is the personification of the invocation made at the time of the holocaust. This word also means hymn.

(11) Bharati is given as the wife of Aditya. See Reading 1, note 23.

(12) Varoutri is referred to by the commentator as the synonym of Varaniya; it would seem that it is the goddess who presides over the prayer by which one asks for a grace, vara. Varoutri is perhaps a name of Ila.

(13) Dhichana is thought, intelligence, spirit. This word is used to mean prayer. The comment confuses Dhichana with Saraswati, called Vagdevi, goddess of speech. See reading 1, footnote 23.

(14) Wife of Indra, Varouna and Agni.

(15) Gandharva is, I believe, a name of Agni: it is sometimes also an epithet of the Sun.

Gandharva
by New World Encyclopedia
Accessed" 2/12/23

Gandharvas (from the Sanskrit: गंधर्व, gandharva, possibly meaning "fragrances") refers to a group of low-ranking male nature dieties that appear in both Hindu, Buddhist, and sometimes even Jain mythology. In all three traditions, the gandharvas are closely related to the wilderness as well as the creative arts, particularly music. Gandharvas also have symbolic connections with procreation and sexuality, including the Hindu institution of "Gandharva marriage," a consensual union of husband and wife who have cosummated their relationship before any sort of ceremonial union.

Early Conception

In the Hindu tradition, the term gandharva is used in both the singular and the plural to refer a particular divine being and a race of related demigods, respectively. The former sense of the term is prevalent earlier on in the Vedas, where the celestial gandharva acts as messenger between the divine and human worlds, commonly holding the secrets of the gods and revealing them to select beings. Fittingly, this gandharva is considered a personification of the light of the sun. In a similar role, gandharva prepared and guarded Soma, the intoxicating ritual beverage which was thought to bestow power on both gods and human beings alike.

Gandharvas as Nature Spirits

The term gandharva also came to denote an entire race of male nature spirits, 60 million in number, who, according to the Vishnu Purana, were the sons of Lord Brahma, the creator deity. Later on in the same text, gandharva are said to be the offspring of Kasyapa and Arishta, which would actually render them the grand-children of Brahma. The Padma Purana, meanwhile, considers the gandharvas to be children of Vac, the goddess of speech.

The nature of the Gandharvas is capricious, to say the least. They have incomparable healing powers and are identified in the Rg Veda as the physicians of the gods; but, in contrast, they are also capable of causing madness. In their more unnerving forms, they are said to haunt remote areas such as forest glades and ponds. As such, it was considered necessary to keep the gandharvas appeased with many offerings, obeisances and prayers. Some are part animal: often their face was that of a bird, and their hindquarters were those of a horse or donkey. This human-animal hybridity lead some nineteenth century scholars to draw a connection between the theonym gandharva and that of the Greek centaurs, although this ostensible association has been met with strong opposition from most Indo-Europeanists. The Gandharvas upheld an intense rivalry with another group of nature spirits, the Nagas, a mythological race of snake-like deities. In one encounter, the Gandharvas overthrew the kingdom of the Nagas, not only defeating the serpents in battle but also taking their jewels as well.

Gandharvas were said to be husbands of the Apsaras, nymph-like female nature spirits who held jurisdiction over the clouds and water. Numerous Puranas describe the Gandharvas as handsome, youthful men, and attribute them with superb musical and dramatic skills. As such, Gandharvas often filled the role of entertainers in the heavenly courts, appearing at banquets and other special events to create beautiful music for the gods while the Apsaras danced along. Such associations occur most frequently with the storm-god Indra, for whom the Gandharvas dance, sing and play games in Svarga ("the good kingdom"), his glorious abode atop the mythical Mount Meru. They also appear in a similar function at other events of mythological significance, such as the all-important horse sacrifice in the Mahabharata. Iconographical depictions attempt to synthesize all these aspects of their character, and so the gandharvas are commonly pictured in flight with their musical instruments abreast, scarves and flower garlands rippling behind them.

In conjunction with their musical abilities, Gandharvas are thought to be able to bestow beautiful singing voices upon girls. With this in mind, skilled singers both male and female who have mastered classical Indian music have been popularly referred to as "Gandharvas" as an homage to their divinely inspired abilities. However, true to their inconstant nature, the interaction of the Gandharvas with human beings does not always prove to be so benevolent. Among Hindus there is a prevailing belief that gandharvas will occasionally visit earth and persuade young unmarried women into amourous encounters, only to vanish after impregnating them, leaving their earthly lovers in misery.

Gandharva Marriage

In Hindu law, one of the eight legitimate types of marriage is referred to as a Gandharva marriage. This occurs when man and woman make mutually consensual love, but do so without formal approval from anyone else, most importantly their parents. This form of marriage is so-called because the Gandharvas, keeping an ever-watchful eye from the heavens, are said to be the only ones who bear witness the union. While this variation of marriage is considered valid, it is among the four "reprehensible" forms of legal union since it is carried out in the absence of parental validation, ritual affirmation, and is ultimately based upon lust. Such marriages are considered valid solely to provide a woman with the legal status of being a wife, and are certainly not intended to promote sexual activity outside or marriage. As such, Gandharva marriage is looked down upon and not intentionally practiced. Mythological Gandharva marriages of note include that resulting from the love affair between King Dushyanta and his eventual wife Shakuntala presented in the Mahabharata.

In Buddhism

Paralleling later Hinduism, Buddhist theology considers gandharvas (or, in Pāli, Gandhabba) to be a race of demi-gods, ranking among the lowest variations of devas. They are classed among the Cāturmahārājikakāyika devas, and are subject to the Great King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Guardian of the East. Buddhist gandharvas are also known for their skill as musicians, as well as their connection to the wilderness. Here they are among other wild beings that can potentially disturb a solitary monk in his attempts to meditate. They are connected with trees and flowers, and are described as dwelling in the scents of bark, sap, and blossom.

Among the notable gandharvas in Buddhist mythology are Timbarū, Pañcasikha, and Mātali. Timbarū was a chieftain of the gandharvas. Pañcasikha acts as a messenger for the Four Heavenly Kings, conveying news from them to Mātali. Matali, meanwhile, is the charioteer and representative for Śakra, Buddhist equivalent of Indra, and the Trayastrimsa devas over whom Sakra ruled. One popular love story in Buddhist lore links these three important gandharvas. Pañcasikha was immediatly stricken with the pangs of infatuation when he saw Timbarū's daughter Bhaddā Suriyavaccasā dancing before Śakra, but was unable to act upon his feelings, since Suriyavaccasā was at that point in love with Sikhandī, Mātali's son. Pañcasikha went to Timbarū's home and played a melody on his lute constructed of beluva-wood, singing a love-song into which he wove themes about the Buddha and his Arhats. Later, Śakra prevailed upon Pañcasikha to intercede with the Buddha so that Śakra might have an audience with him. As a reward for Pañcasikha's services, Śakra was able to get Suriyavaccasā, already pleased with Pañcasikha's display of skill and devotion, to agree to marry Pañcasikha.

Gandharvas are also closely related to Buddhist soteriology. According to the Janavasabha-sutta (DN.18), sentient beings are reborn among the Gandharvas as a consequence of having practiced the most basic form of ethics. Accordingly, it was considered embarrassing for a monk to be born in no better birth than that of a Gandharva. Accordingly, the term Gandharva or gandhabba is also used in a completely different sense, referring to a being (or, strictly speaking, part of the causal continuum of consciousness) in a liminal state between birth and death.

(16) Vishnu is one of the names of the Sun. The text bears the word prithivi, which is used generally to signify any kind of region, and in a particular way to signify the earth. The Sun, in fact, seems to start from the earth, of which it can be called the son.

(17) The commentator hears here the seven kinds of meters or tchhandas which are used to compose the hymns. Wouldn't this rather be an allusion to the seven rays that are given to light? Didn't the poet want to represent the Sun with an aureole of seven rays?

(18) This ground is sometimes the earth, sometimes the vault of the sky, since the three places crowded by the Sun are the east, Samarohana or the hill of the east; secondly, the south, Vishnoupada or the celestial meridian; and finally, the west, Gayasiras or the sunset hills. Such are the three steps or stations of Vishnu, nicknamed Trivicrama, which gave birth to a great fiction for the sake of it.

(19) As far as it will be possible for me, I will see in the word Smiled the master of the house, the father of the family. He must be distinguished from the priest who performs the sacrifice, for which the other has paid the price.

(20) Vayou is the wind considered as the god of the air.

(21) These thousand eyes represent the extreme vigilance of these gods; or else, as ether and air seem to be the abode of the stars, these eyes recall the innumerable stars which carpet the celestial vault. We did not know, at that time, the obscene legend told in the Ramayana about the origin of the epithet Sahasrakcha given to Indra.

(22) Name of the Sun.

(23) Prisni is a name given to the Earth considered as a divinity; it is, in some cases, a synonym of Aditi. According to the Indians, the winds come from the earth, and consequently they are like children. The word Prisni, in the masculine, is a name of the Sun. I think that Prisni, mother of the winds, is rather the cloud, or the air laden with clouds.

(24) These are the six seasons, which are called Ritous. The names of the six Ritous are the Vasanta and the Grechma, the Varchica and the Sarada, the Hemantica and the Sesira. By mating them two by two, we can count only three.

(25) The commentary hears these words from women who assist the father of the family in the care he takes for the sacrifice.

(26) The word deva means brilliant, and does not correspond to the metaphysical meaning that our word God has, which is not translated into Sanskrit. This word deva has several meanings. It is used to designate the various personifications of the divine substance manifesting itself in the elements: in such cases I translate it, with regret, by god. It is also said to distinguish the remarkable characters in the religious order or in the civil order; then I will translate it by deva, to which I will sometimes add the epithet of mortal, when there is opposition between the devas-gods and the devas-men. The word amrita (immortal) is also used with these two meanings. But you will notice that very often the poet gives the name of Devas to these personifications of ceremonies and rites, which he makes act as real and divine beings.

(27) Soma is libation personified. These waters here in question are sometimes taken for the different kinds of libations, and I think that all these invocations are addressed to the Waters considered in the sacrifice. Thus, in verse 17, when the poet speaks of the Waters which precede the birth of the Sun (Oupasourye), and of those which accompany it, it seems to me that he designates the libations of the morning and those of the day. In verse 18, the cows quenched by these Waters are the rays of Agni. In the present verse, he quotes Soma and Agni, agents of sacrifice.

(28) Imprecation, in the opinion of the Indians, is a terrible weapon which must always produce its effect, even when it is unjust.

(29) The word Aditi which is found in this verse is the name of the goddess who represents the whole of nature, and sometimes only the earth. Hence it has been imagined that the author of this hymn, Sounahsepa, son of Adjigarta, had recited it at the moment when he was about to be immolated to the gods. To be returned to the great Aditi to see his father and mother again was to be returned to earth to go to another world to find his parents; these words were at the same time a testimony to the immortality of the soul. I did not think I had to adopt a translation which did not seem to me to be in harmony with the whole of the anthem. The sacrifice is made in the morning, and the purpose of this sacrifice is to bring happiness to the day: the author of the day is the Sun, who reveals the sky and the earth, called father and mother. This is what the poet desires to see again, and, barely recovered from the anxieties that the night gives, he asks for a full enjoyment of nature; this is what the word Aditi means, which is found in this sense in the last line of this hymn. We still wanted to find in this verse the desire of Sounahsepa to recover his freedom and to see his family again. I also reject this meaning; I stuck to the one that seemed to stand out from the entire composition. I therefore believe that to be returned to the great Aditi is to return to complete possession of the goods that nature presents to us at sunrise. Agni, who presides over the sacrifice, is the god who renders this service to men.

(30) Name of the Sun.

(31) Another name for the Sun.

(32) It should be noted that the author distinguishes the Sun from Varouna, who is its soul and director.

(33) Nirriti is the deity of evil, Papa devata.

(34) This is the passage on which one relies to think that this hymn is the one Sunahsepa recited when he was a prisoner. But, in any case, the circumstance here in question is mentioned as already past, and the rest of the hymn does not seem to have the special purpose which it is supposed to have. For my part, I think that this state of captivity of Sounahsepa, like elsewhere the state of blindness of certain characters, is only a metaphor which paints the dejection of the man incapable of acting during the night, and somehow bound or blinded by darkness. The morning sacrifice comes to give him back his freedom and light.

(35) These words are the translation of the word Asura, whose most suitable explanation seemed to me to be the one I am giving here. We see why this epithet is attributed to the Sun and the other gods; the Asura is the being endowed with force and movement, and communicating the life by which it is animated. Clouds have this property; and when the poet personified them, the beings enemies of the gods, and who animate them, could be called Asuras. This word even ended up designating more often the adversaries of the gods, the Indian Titans. I suppose that, later, in the composition of the word Asoura, which we had lost sight of, we thought we had found a privative a, and that we thus formed the word Soura, which means God.

(36) I mean by these words that the darkness that reigns in the sky, on the earth, in the air, is a triple chain that binds men during the night.

(37) The word Aditi is still found here, and it is rendered as salat, security. I know that the same expression can have different meanings; but I do not like that this expression, in analogous circumstances, should be interpreted differently. I have given the word Aditi the same meaning as in the first verse. To be in Aditi is, as in French, to be completely in nature, to enjoy nature completely. Aditi, in Indian ideas, seems to me to be the whole of organized matter, and animated by a divine breath: this word means complete, and is in opposition to the word diti, which means divided, incomplete. From Aditi arise the Adityas, or forms of the Sun; of Diti, the Detyas, evil beings who animate the celestial meteors, and make war on the Adityas and other gods. The meaning of the word Aditi, as I said, can be restricted to the meaning of earth; and Aditi is then confused with Prithivi. This same word Aditi, in the masculine, is used to signify all the offerings, the sacrifice.

(38) It is a thirteenth month of a few days, added to make the lunar year equal to the solar year.

(89) Varuna is a form of Agni; verse 10 depicts him in human dwellings, where he is the sacrificial god.

(40) See. footnote 36.

(41) We could also translate: let them come and sit on our cousa as on Manu's.

(42) Agni is called son of the Force, because it is by the violence of the movement that one extracts him from the arant. Voy. reading 1, note 50. However, this expression is used for characters other than Agni, and I think that it should only be seen as a way of representing force in the superlative: child of the Force would be synonymous with very strong, very robust.

(43) See, for the distinction of fires, reading 1, note 52.

(44) This bizarre image is explained by the very appearance of the flame. The commentator says something more: he adds that fire, by the influence of its flames, destroys the enemies of the devotee, as the horse, by the movement of its tail, kills the flies that bite it.

(45) One could modify this translation, if one followed the idea stated above, note 3, on the distinction of the three offerings. It is also possible that these three kinds of offerings placed in the sacrificial vessel have a symbolic relationship with ether, air and earth.

(46) The mortar is called here ouloukhala. Voy. Reading 1, note 74. The stone just mentioned is the hearth destined for the fire of the sacrifice.

(47) Not very decent figure. Mr. Wilson's dictionary translates this word by 1° mons Veneris, 2° the hip and loins.

(48) The mother of the family took care of the details of the sacrifice relating to the household, the flowers, the milk, the butter, etc. She entered the room, and left it to give her orders outside.

(49) See. reading 1, note 50. With the sami wood we make a cubic piece five inches in diameter, which has a small opening in the upper part. A piece of aswattha is introduced into it, which two people pull and turn by means of a strap.

(50) Vanaspati means tree. It seems to me that here this word meant a piece of wood, and that this piece of wood was the pestle.

(51) Such is the extraordinary meaning that I thought I should give to the word hari. It must be remembered that it is in the form of hri.

(52) I suppose the mortar is of wood, like the pestle; this is why the word vanaspati is in the dual.

(53) This word is not in the text. It is given by commentators, who believe, some, that it is a god thus named, others, that it is either a minister of sacrifice, or the father of the family himself.

(54) The Soma, pressed by the pestle in the mortar, was thrown into a basin (tchamou) (reading 1, note 66); it was poured over a filter, which was a pierced cowhide.

(55) See. reading 1, footnote 41.

(56) Satchivas is usually translated as mighty or wise. But as it is said that Satchi is the wife of Indra, and that the prayers are the wives of the gods, I would gladly give to Satchi the meaning of prayers: for satcha means to speak. However I would also explain this word by wisdom, recognizing wisdom for the wife of Indra, as Metis is that of Jupiter.

(57) The commentary, telling us that these two characters are the messengers of Yama or of death, does not give any further details.

(58) The two Aswins represent the two twilights, or rather day and night. Their chariot is the sky, part of which is illuminated, and the other plunged into darkness. It follows that the poet says that one of the wheels of this chariot (one of the two celestial surfaces) is in an inaccessible region, and the other in our atmosphere.

(59) See. reading 1, footnote 5.

(60) From the two pieces of the arani is born the fire: these are the two mothers that are given to Agni.

(61) In the nomenclature of the five elements, air is before fire. I therefore could not accept the meaning given by the commentator. The Wind (Matariswan) sees the nascent fire; it comes from its breath to excite it, and to increase its strength.

(62) The old books represent Manu as a pious man and a friend of sacrifices. Voy. Reading 1, note 58. The morning sacrifice, over which Agni presides, brings about the birth of the Silk, which illuminates and reveals the sky to man.

(63) Pourouravas, grandson of Manu, is renowned in the ancient history of India for having organized the cult of fire and for having invented arani.

(64) Allusion to the operation by which fire is drawn from Varani.

(65) The commentator explains this passage by representing the ahavaniya fire carried to the east, and then the garhapatya fire established to the west.

(66) It is a question here, according to the commentator, of bipeds and quadrupeds. Wouldn't it be solid food and liquid food instead?

(67) As in verse 4 of this hymn, these are the two parts of the arani. We can hear that Agni shines between heaven and earth, considered as father and mother of the world.

(68) This whole passage alludes to a legend whose details are unknown to me. It seems that Agni, embodied in the family of Angiras, had become the protective priest of Manu and his descendants. Ila, daughter of Manu and mother of Pourouravas, had him in her service. Under Nahoucha, grandson of Ila, this same Angiras exercised authority and commanded the armies: this is the opinion of the commentator, who gives the word senapati as a synonym of vispati. Note that the name of Ila, daughter of Manu, is also the name of the prayer in the sacrifice, and that the legend, in this respect, could well be an allegory; for this incarnation of Agni is nothing other than his birth in sacrifice.

(69) This hymn is the work of Hiranyastupa, son of Angiras, and therefore of Agni incarnated in this family.

(70) Allusion to the four main points of the horizon, towards which the fire simultaneously throws its light.

(71) In those ancient times, a cow was sometimes immolated, to please the hosts that were received on the day of a solemn sacrifice; hence a guest was called Goghna. We will see later the sacrifice of the horse. The commentator indicates another meaning; it would not be a living victim, pasou, but an offering, a present made to a living person, for example, to the assistant priests.

(72) Either because of his generosity, or because of his happiness.

(73) Yayati is the fifth king of the lunar race.

(74) These great exploits of Indra are all physical allegories. Ahi is the cloud developing like a serpent; Vritra is the dark cloud that veils the sun, avaraca.

(75) See. reading 1, footnote 61.

(76) The tricadrous are, it seems, three sacrifices; the days on which they arrive are called tricadrouca, otherwise abhiplavica. The commentary speaks of these three sacrifices, which would be called djyotih, goh, ayouh; but he gives no further details. The word cadrou would seem to indicate ceremonies performed during dark and overcast weather.

(77) Name of Indra, dispenser of wealth.

(78) The poet gives Vritra's mother the name of Danou, as Donatrix would say. I dare not characterize this allegorical being. Could it be the vapor from which the cloud is formed?

(79) See. lecture 1, note 36. This word Pani must have the meaning of avaricious.

(80) It is the ordinary number by which rivers are generally designated: such as the Ganges and the others, says the commentary.

(81) Definite number for an indefinite number.

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Part 3 of 8

LECTURE III.
[French Version]

(1) Cette armee, dit le commentateur, ce sont les nuages. Je croirais que le poete designe ainsi la troupe des Marouts.

(2) Les mots perede famille servent de traduction au mot Arya, que je regarde comme fort important. Mon opinion particuliere est que la colonie indienne conduite par Manou, et qui s’est etablie dans l’Aryavartta, venait des contrees qui sont a l'occident de l’Indus, et dont le nom general etait Arie, Ariane, Hiran. Le mot simple arya, et le mot de descendance, arya, devaient etre la denomination generale des colons, qui devinrent proprietaires des terres. De la resulte que, dans la langue ordinaire, le mot Arya, cessant d’etre un nom de peuple, a conserve le sens de maitre; plus tard encore, le systeme des castes ayant ete etabli, les hommes attaches a la culture de la terre out conserve la denomination d'Arya, confondue avec celle de Vesya. Cependant les anciens habitants du sol indien avaient ete repousses sur les montagnes, et, contraints de vivre de depredations, ils avaient recu le nom de dasyou (brigand). Peut-etre aussi devaient-ils ce nom a leur caractere barbare, qui contrastait d'une maniere etonnante avec celui des Aryas, moral et religieux; tellement que le mot arya ou arya etait devnue synonyme de bon, de respectable. A mesure que les colonies ariennes se sont multipliees, le nom du peuple s’est perdu, pour faire place a des denominations nouvelles tirees des lieux ou des personnages; mais je pense que comme le mot Hellene a designe en general les peuples grecs, le mot Arya a longtemps aussi distingue les nations indiennes, et qu’on le trouve plus d’une fois avec cette signification dans les hymnes que je traduis. Ici Indra recoit cette epithete: c’est une maniere d’identifier le dieu avec la nation par le moyen d’un mot a double entente et cher k tous les souvenirs: Indra est maitre, il est Arya. Tel est le nom que l'on donna dans la suite a la deesse Parvati; elle fut aussi Arya.

(3) C’est-a-dire le Dasyou, comme tout a l'heure Indra etait appele Arya. On pourrait croire, en lisant cet hymne, que c’est un chant allegorique en l’honneur d’une victoire remportee sur les brigands de la montagne, sous la protection du dieu national Indra.

(4) Ainsi s’appellent les compagnons de Vritra. La mere de Vritra, Danou, tire son nom du verbe da, qui signifie donner. Le mot Sanaca a une etymologie analogue: san veut aussi dire donner. Serait-ce un simple effet du hasard, que le rapprochement de Danou et de Danae chez les Grecs?

(5) Ce mot est la traduction de Navagwa, qui semble etre le surnom d’une tribu d’Angirasas.

(6) Vritra est quelquefois appele Souchna (le Dessechant), parce qu’en retenant les eaux il cause la secheresse. Les mauvais genies ont des cornes comme les animaux sauvages, qu’au dernier vers de l'hymne precedent on appelle aussi Sringin. Voy lecture 1, note 49.  

(7) Voy lecture 1, note 48.

(8) Poete et Richi protege par Indra, qui le prit un jour sur son char.

(9) Les noms de Dasadyou et de Switra, sa mere, ne me sont connus que par les details que donne ici le poete.

(10) Le nombre trois, ainsi repete, fait allusion sans doute au trichavana, ou aux trois moments de la journee ou se font les sacrifices. La nuit, comme le jour, est partagee en trois epoques.

(11) Le commentateur pense qu’il est ici question de Soma, dieu de la lune, et de l'une des constellations considerees comme ses epouses. Je crois que Soma est la libation, et que sa bien-aimee est la flamme d’Agni. Ces aliments dont est charge le char des Aswins sont, ou les offrandes qu’on fait a ces dieux, ou les biens dont ils comblent les hommes.

(12) L'Aurore. Cependant ce pourrait etre la Nuit, qui, succedant au Jour, peut etre consideree comme la fille du Soleil.

(13) Jusqu’a quel point ces trois especes de medicaments n'auraient-ils point de rapport avec les trois especes de biens dont parle le vers 5, lecture 11, hymne 8?

(14) Ou bien: a celui pour qui je fais des libations; car le mot sounou a ces deux sens.

(15) Samyou, fils de Vrihaspati, est le type du bonheur. Ce mot signifie heureux.

(16) Ce sens est celui du commentaire; mais on peut en trouver un tout autre. Ces mots signifient tout simplement: triplex auxilium ferte. Les trois humeurs du corps, suivant le systeme indien, sont le vata, le pitta et le slechman, l’air, la bile et le phlegme.

(17) Le mot paravatas me semble designer la region qui est de l’autre cote de l’horizon, du cote oppose a celui ou nous sommes.

(18) Ce sens est entierement donne par le commentateur, qui suppose qu'il est ici question des trois Vedis, designes par les noms d'Echtica, de Pasouca et de Somica.

(19) Voy lecture II, note 80. Ces sept rivieres peuvent etre aussi les sept especes d’offrandes.

(20) Explication du commentaire.

(21) Ces trente-trois dieux sont, dit-on, les douze Adityas, les huit Vasous, les onze Roudras et les deux Aswins.

(22) L'opinion indienne est que le soleil ne quitte pas le ciel, mais qu’arrive a l'occident avec une face lumineuse, il retourne par la meme route a l'orient avec une face tenebreuse; ce que l'auteur exprime par l’idee de rayons noirs, crichna radjas.

(23) Voir la note precedente.

(24) Suivant le commentateur, ces trois mondes (dyavas) sont le dyouloca, le bhourloca et le monde d’Yama, ou les ames des morts se rendent par la route de l'air.

(25) Voy lecture II, note 35. Ce mot asoura se traduit par les mots sarvecham pranada.

(26) On est au moment du sacrifice qui precede l'aurore.

(27) Les points cardinaux, si l'on compte le zenith et le nadir, sont au nombre de dix. Les huit points que l'on marque a l’horizon sont les quatre principaux (disas) et les quatre intermediaires (pradisas). Le commentateur donne le nom de vidisas aux points intermediaires.

(28) Voy plus haut, note 80, lecture II.

(29) Voy lecture II, note 7.

(30) Voy lecture II, note 32.

(31) Plus haut, note 22.

(32) Le texte porte Medhyatithi; je crois que c’est le meme que Medhatithi, fils de l'ancien Canwa. On dit aussi que Medhatithi et Medhyatithi sont deux freres, fils de Canwa.

(33) Cette strophe renferme les noms de plusieurs personnages appeles radjarchis. Yadou est un des cinq fils d’Yayati, cinquieme roi de la race lunaire. Tourvasou, appele ici Tourvasa, etait son frere. Je ne sais rien d’Ougradeva ni des autres. Cette histoire antique cite plusieurs Vrihadrathas. Je pense que la memoire de ces princes, renommes pour leur piete, est ici evoquee par le poete reconnaissant; leurs manes sont invites a venir sieger au sacrifice.

(34) Ces mauvais genies portent ici le nom Yatoumavan; plus haut, au vers 10 de l'hymne precedent, e’etait Yatoudhanan.

(35) Ce Canwa, dont le nom est cite dans le cours de l’hymne, est-il le meme que celui dont nous avons parle, lecture I, note 64? Le mot Ghora, qui signifie terrible, et qui est le nom de son pere, peut avoir quelque analogie de sens avec le mot Apratiratha, qui implique l’idee d’invincible Cependant je pense qu’il faut distinguer le fils de Ghora et le fils d’Apratiratha; que ce dernier est un ancien Canwa, souche d’une famille sacerdotale, et pere de Medhatithi ou Medhyatithi, ici mentionne, et que le fils de Ghora est un membre moins ancien de la famille des Canwas, lequel rappelle, dans cet hymne, un des titres d’honneur de son aieul. Le commentateur dit quelque part que le fils de Ghora devint fils de son propre frere Canwa.

(36) Ces vaches, corame nous le savons, ce sont les nuages; leur lait, c’est la pluie.

(37) Le lieu de la naissance des Vents est la terre; consideree comme leur mere, la terre porte le nom de Prisni. Voir lecture II, note 23. L’air, place entre le ciel et la terre, recoit les Vents.

(38) Voy lecture II, note 33. Nirriti, deesse du mal, me semble etre ici la Maladie; la soif dont il est question doit etre celle de la fievre.

(39) Voy lecture I, note 83.

(40) Le poete emploie ici le mot sloca pour designer toute espece de vers.

(41) Voy lecture 1, note 83.

(42) Nous ne ferons plus d’observation sur cette locution connue du lecteur, et qui se rapporte aux efforts que l’on fait pour extraire le feu de l'arani. Voy lecture 2, note 42.

(43) Saraswati ou Ila, appelee ici Sunrita. Voy lecture 1, note 23.

(44) Le mot Ila est pris ici, par le commentateur, pour le nom de la fille de Manou. Voy lecture II, note 68. Je crois qu’il est question de la deesse Ila ou Saraswati.

(45) Le poete suppose que c'est Agni lui-meme qui fait la priere par la bouche du pretre, hotrimoukhe sthitah.

(46) Le commentateur fait rapporter toute cette strophe a Brahmanaspati. Les royaux protecteurs ici mentionnes, ce sont les Adityas.

(47) Je traduis le mot vimoutch par libation. Voy lecture II, note 8. Le commentateur le traduit par nuage. Si Pouchan est une forme du soleil, je ne concois pas qu’il suit l’enfant du nuage. Aussi le commentateur pretend-il qu’ici Pouchan, c'est la fecondite de la terre, qui est un effet de la pluie. Je n’ai pu adopter son explication.

(48) Roudra, dieu terrible et chef des vents, doit etre l'air personnifie. C’est sous d’autres noms, Vayou, Matariswan, Marout.

(49) Voy note 15.

(50) Soma, comme nous l’avons deja vu, est la libation personnifiee: on lui donne aussi le nom de Indou. Les deux memes noms s’appliquent encore a la lune.

(51) On explique ce mot de diverses manieres. Djatavedas est le dieu qui connait les choses nees, ou dont le bien est ne; c’est-a-dire le dieu qui penetre dans tous les etres pour les animer, ou qui est l’auteur de tous les biens parmi les etres. Je ne cite pas les autres explications.

(52) Prascanwa est le fils de Canwa, auteur de l'hymne precedent.

(53) Ou bien: un pretre qui est un mortel comme nous. C’est le double sens aussi du mot Manouchvat, qui est dans le vers suivant.

(54) Voy lecture III, note 21.

(55) Les Pouranas citent Priyavrata, mais non Priyamedha, comme fils de Manou Swayambhouva.

(56) Atri est un ancien Richi, ainsi qu’Angiras.

(57) Viroupa est un prince, fils d’Ambaricha, et arriere-petit-fils de Manou.

(58) Le texte porte Sindhoumatara: ce mot peut aussi signifier enfants de la mer; le ciel, represente par les Aswins semble sortir de la mer, et le poete peut la donner comme la mere de ces deux divinites.

(59) Les Aswins, naissant a l’horizon, sont censes devoir traverser une mer de vapeurs. Il est naturel que le poete leur donne un vaisseau; nous verrons meme plus loin que ce vaisseau a cent rames.

(60) Le soleil n’est pas encore leve, et le ciel est a peine visible. Cependant les libations sont toutes preparees.

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Part 3 of 8

READING III.
[English Version by Google Translate]

(1) This army, says the commentator, is the clouds. I would believe that the poet designates the troupe of the Marouts in this way.

(2) The words perede famille serve as a translation of the word Arya, which I regard as very important. My particular opinion is that the Indian colony led by Manu, and which was established in Aryavartta, came from the countries which are to the west of the Indus, and whose general name was Arie, Ariane, Hiran. The simple word arya, and the word of descent, arya, were to be the general denomination of the settlers, who became owners of the land. From the result that, in ordinary language, the word Arya, ceasing to be a name of a people, has retained the meaning of master; still later, the caste system having been established, the men attached to the cultivation of the land out retained the denomination of Arya, confused with that of Vesya. However, the ancient inhabitants of Indian soil had been pushed back to the mountains, and, forced to live by depredations, they had received the name of dasyou (brigand). Perhaps also they owed this name to their barbarous character, which contrasted in an astonishing way with that of the Aryas, moral and religious; so much so that the word arya or arya had become synonymous with good, respectable. As the Air colonies multiplied, the name of the people was lost, to make room for new denominations drawn from places or personages; but I think that as the word Hellene designated in general the Greek peoples, the word Arya has long also distinguished the Indian nations, and that we find it more than once with this meaning in the hymns that I translate. Here Indra receives this epithet: it is a way of identifying the god with the nation by means of a word with a double meaning and dear to all memories: Indra is master, he is Arya. Such is the name subsequently given to the goddess Parvati; she was also Arya.

(3) That is to say the Dasyou, as earlier Indra was called Arya. One might think, reading this hymn, that it is an allegorical song in honor of a victory won over the mountain brigands, under the protection of the national god Indra.

(4) Thus are called the companions of Vritra. Vritra's mother, Danou, takes her name from the verb da, which means to give. The word Sanaca has a similar etymology: san also means to give. Could it be a simple effect of chance, that the bringing together of Danou and Danae among the Greeks?

(5) This word is the translation of Navagwa, which seems to be the nickname of a tribe of Angirasas.

(6) Vritra is sometimes called Souchna (the Desiccant), because by retaining the waters it causes drought. Evil genies have horns like wild animals, which in the last line of the preceding hymn are also called Sringin. See reading 1, footnote 49.

(7) See reading 1, footnote 48.

(8) Poete and Richi protected by Indra, who took him one day on his chariot.

(9) The names of Dasadyou and Switra, his mother, are known to me only through the details given here by the poet.

(10) The number three, thus repeated, undoubtedly alludes to the trichavana, or to the three times of the day when the sacrifices are made. The night, like the day, is divided into three periods.

(11) The commentator thinks that it is a question here of Soma, god of the moon, and of one of the constellations considered as his wives. I believe that Soma is the libation, and his beloved is the flame of Agni. These foods with which the chariot of the Aswins is loaded are either the offerings that are made to these gods, or the goods with which they fill men.

(12) Aurora. However, it could be the Night, which, succeeding the Day, can be considered as the daughter of the Sun.

(13) To what extent would these three kinds of medicines have no relationship with the three kinds of goods spoken of in verse 5, reading 11, hymn 8?

(14) Or: to him for whom I make libations; for the word sounou has these two meanings.

(15) Samyou, son of Vrihaspati, is the type of happiness. This word means happy.

(16) This meaning is that of commentary; but one can find quite another. These words simply mean: triplex auxilium ferte [bring triple help]. The three body humours, according to the Indian system, are vata, pitta and slechman, air, bile and phlegm.

(17) The word paravatas seems to me to designate the region which is on the other side of the horizon, on the side opposite to that where we are.

(18) This meaning is entirely given by the commentator, who supposes that it is a question here of the three Vedis, designated by the names of Echtica, Pasouca and Somica.

(19) See Reading II, note 80. These seven rivers can also be the seven kinds of offerings.

(20) Explanation of comment.

(21) These thirty-three gods are, it is said, the twelve Adityas, the eight Vasous, the eleven Rudras and the two Aswins.

(22) The Indian opinion is that the sun does not leave the sky, but arrives at the west with a luminous face, it returns by the same route to the east with a dark face; what the author expresses by the idea of ​​black rays, crichna rajas.

(23) See previous note.

(24) According to the commentator, these three worlds (dyavas) are the dyouloca, the bhourloca and the world of Yama, where the souls of the dead travel by air.

(25) See Reading II, note 35. This word asura translates to the words sarvecham pranada.

(26) We are at the time of the sacrifice which precedes dawn.

(27) The cardinal points, if we count the zenith and the nadir, are ten in number. The eight points marked on the horizon are the four main (disas) and the four intermediate (pradisas). The commentator gives the name of vidisas to the intermediate points.

(28) See above, note 80, reading II.

(29) See Reading II, note 7.

(30) See reading II, note 32.

(31) Above, note 22.

(32) The text bears Medhyatithi; I believe it is the same as Medhatithi, son of the old Canwa. It is also said that Medhatithi and Medhyatithi are two brothers, sons of Canwa.

(33) This stanza contains the names of several characters called radjarchis. Yadou is one of the five sons of Yayati, fifth king of the lunar race. Turvasou, called Turvasa here, was his brother. I don't know anything about Ougradeva or the others. This ancient history cites several Vrihadrathas. I think that the memory of these princes, renowned for their piety, is here evoked by the grateful poet; their souls are invited to come and sit at the sacrifice.

(34) These bad geniuses here bear the name Yatoumavan; above, in verse 10 of the preceding hymn, it was Yatoudhanan.

(35) Is this Canwa, whose name is mentioned in the course of the hymn, the same as the one we have spoken of, reading I, note 64? The word Ghora, which means terrible, and which is the name of his father, may have some analogy in meaning with the word Apratiratha, which implies the idea of ​​invincible. However I think that we must distinguish the son of Ghora and the son of Apratiratha; that the latter is an old Canwa, stock of a priestly family, and father of Medhatithi or Medhyatithi, here mentioned, and that the son of Ghora is a less senior member of the family of Canwas, who recalls, in this hymn, a titles of honor from his ancestor. The commentator says somewhere that the son of Ghora became the son of his own brother Canwa.

(36) These cows, as we know, are the clouds; their milk is rain.

(37) The birthplace of the Winds is the earth; considered as their mother, the land bears the name of Prisni. See reading II, note 23. The air, placed between heaven and earth, receives the Winds.

(38) See reading II, note 33. Nirriti, goddess of evil, seems to me here to be Disease; the thirst in question must be that of fever.

(39) See Reading I, note 83.

(40) The poet here uses the word sloca to designate any kind of verse.

(41) See reading 1, footnote 83.

(42) We will no longer comment on this phrase known to the reader, and which relates to the efforts made to extract the fire from the arani. See reading 2, footnote 42.

(43) Saraswati or Ila, here called Sunrita. See reading 1, footnote 23.

(44) The word Ila is taken here, by the commentator, for the name of Manu's daughter. See Reading II, note 68. I believe it is about the goddess Ila or Saraswati.

(45) The poet supposes that it is Agni himself who makes the prayer through the mouth of the priest, hotrimukhe sthitah.

(46) The commentator refers this whole stanza to Brahmanaspati. The royal protectors mentioned here are the Adityas.

(47) I translate the word vimutch by libation. See reading II, note 8. The commentator translates it as cloud. If Pouchan is a form of the sun, I don't see him following the cloud child. Also the commentator claims that here Pouchan, it is the fertility of the earth, which is an effect of the rain. I couldn't accept his explanation.

(48) Rudra, terrible god and ruler of the winds, must be personified air. It is under other names, Vayou, Matariswan, Marout.

(49) See footnote 15.

(50) Soma, as we have already seen, is the libation personified: it is also given the name Hindu. The same two names still apply to the moon.

(51) This word is explained in various ways. Djatavedas is the god who knows things born, or from which good is born; that is to say, the god who penetrates into all beings to animate them, or who is the author of all good things among beings. I do not quote the other explanations.

(52) Prascanwa is the son of Canwa, author of the preceding hymn.

(53) Or else: a priest who is a mortal like us. It is also the double meaning of the word Manouchvat, which is in the following verse.

(54) See reading III, note 21.

(55) The Puranas cite Priyavrata, but not Priyamedha, as the son of Manu Swayambhuva.

(56) Atri is a former Richi, as well as Angiras.

(57) Viroupa is a prince, son of Ambaricha, and great-grandson of Manu.

(58) The text bears Sindhoumatara: this word can also mean children of the sea; the sky, represented by the Aswins, seems to come out of the sea, and the poet can give her as the mother of these two divinities.

(59) The Aswins, being born on the horizon, are supposed to have to cross a sea of ​​vapours. It is natural for the poet to give them a vessel; we will even see later that this ship has a hundred oars.

(60) The sun is not up yet, and the sky is barely visible. However, the libations are all prepared.

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Part 4 of 8

LECTURE IV.
[French Version]

(1) Soudas est un fils de Tchyavana. L’auteur l’appelle Soudas et non Soudasa, comme portent les Pouranas. Ce mot signifie liberal; le commentateur en fait un nom commun.

(2) Je suppose que l’auteur designe ici les biens qui peuvent provenir de l'air par les pluies, et du ciel par la chaleur du soleil.

(3) Ce passage renferme le mot vridjanam, dont le sens est embarrassant parce qu’il est varie. Il me semble qu’en recourant a la racine vridj (couvrir), on arrive a se rendre compte des diverses significations de vridjanam: c’est la chose qui couvre, qui protege, qui defend; c’est le ciel, le sacrifice, le combat. Dans un sens passif, c’est la chose dont il faut se garantir, comme le mal, la nuit.

(4) Ces vaches, nous le savons, sont les nuages qui rougissent au lever de l’aurore.

(5) Litteralement, le bipede.

(б) Ces chevaux, ce sont les rayons du soleil qui annoncent le jour. Voila pourquoi le poete leur donne le nom de Ketou.

(7) Le commentateur dit que le soleil, en un demi-clin d’oeil, fait 2,202 yodjanas.

(8) Le mot visah semblerait indiquer qu’on designe ici les Marouts, plebs divina.

(9) Turdus salica.

(10) Nauclea cadamba.

(11) La legende raconte qu’Indra, invoque par Medhatithi, fils de Canwa, vint, sous la forme d’un belier, boire le soma.

(12) Voy lecture II, note 1.

(13) Voy lecture I, note 36.

(14) Nom d’un ancien Richi. Renferme par les Asouras dans une maison de travail et de peine (pidayantragriha) qui avait cent portes, il souffrait de la chaleur: il fut miraculeusement rafraichi par une pluie que lui envoya Indra ou les Aswins.

(15) Vimada, Radjarchi, avait ete choisi pour epoux par la fille de Pouroumitra: ses rivaux voulurent lui enlever son epouse. Il fut protege par Indra ou par les Aswins.

(16) Voy lecture II, note 78. Dartou est la mere de Vritra, et son nom indique les biens dont le nuage est rempli. Le mot danoumat pourrait se traduire par riche et opulent.

(17) Nous avons vu ailleurs qu’un de ces Asouras porte le nom de Souchna, ou le Dessechant. L’absence des nuages, retenus par lui, entraine la secheresse, et la perte des biens de la terre.

(18) Nom d’un Asoura.

(19) Qualification des Asouras.

(20) Nom d’un prince.

(21) Voy lecture III, note 3.

(22) Voy lecture I, note 49.

(23) Nom d’un Asoura.

(24) Nom d’un saint Richi.

(25) Nom d’un Asoura.

(26) Voy lecture III, note 2.

(27) Nom d’un Richi, qui se trouva enterre sous une de ces fourmilieres si hautes qu’elles ressemblent a des huttes.

(28) Ousanas, autrement appele Soucra, est considere comme le precepteur des Asouras. C’est le nom qu’on donne a la planete de Venus. L’astre qui persiste le dernier dans le ciel semble vouloir resister a la puissance d’Indra.

(29) Saryata est un Radjarchi, fils de Saryati et petit-fils de Manou; il donna sa fille a Tchyavana.

(30) Voy lecture I, note 84.

(31) On peut supposer que Vrichanaswa est le meme que Vrihadaswa, prince de la dynastie solaire. Cependant cette legende me parait allegorique: Vrichaswa est une epithete du soleil.  

(32) Les Padjras sont une famille descendue d’Angiras; ils firent des sacrifices pour obtenir des troupeaux.

(33) Le mot vrichabha signifie aussi taureau.

(34) Ce Savya, fils d’Angiras, est, dit-on, Indra lui-meme. Angiras forma, dans un sacrifice, le voeu d’avoir un fils semblable a Indra. Il lui naquit Savya. Voy lecture II, note 68.

(35) Nom d’un Asoura.

(36) Une legende raconte que, dans un sacrifice qui va etre celebre en l’honneur des dieux, nait d’abord (c’est-a-dire est apporte) Agni, le feu du sacrifice, et, en second lieu, le mortier dans lequel on ecrase les graines; en troisieme lieu, nait une autre personne: c’est Soma ou la libation, qui prend le nom de Trita. Trita est dans la coupe du sacrifice: les Asouras arrivent, et placent des gardes pour empecher la consommation du sacrifice. Trita donne la mort a ces gardes.

(37) Voy lecture I, note 61.

(38) Yava; ce mot est ici pour toute espece de grains.

(39) Nom d’un Asoura.

(40) Voy plus haut, note 23.

(41) Deux noms d’Asouras.

(42) Autre Asoura.  

(43) Voy plus haut, note 20.

(44) J’ai mieux aime ces nombres indefinis que celui de 60,099. Voy plus bas, note 67.

(45) Nom d’un prince.

(46) Autre nom de prince.

(47) Voy lecture III, note 8.

(48) Voy plus haut, note 24.

(49) Ayou est un nom connu; il y eut plusieurs princes de ce nom. Le plus celebre fut le fils de Pourouravas.

(50) Le texte dit Maharadja.

(51) Indra porte ici le nom d’Asoura.

(52) Asoura, deja nomme.

(53) Nom d’un prince.

(54) Voy lecture III, note 33.

(55) Voy lecture III, note 33.

(56) Voy lecture III, note 33. Le commentaire dit que Tourviti etait de la famille des Vayyas.

(57) Deux sens sont presentes pour ce passage par le commentateur. Etasa est le nom d’un Richi, qui, porte sur son char, echappe au danger: ou bien, Indra aurait, dans un combat, sauve les chars et les chevaux des princes plus haut nommes; car le mot etasa signifie cheval. J’ai choisi le premier sens: on retrouve ailleurs ce personnage d’Etasa. Il eut une querelle et par suite un combat avec Sourya, fils de Swaswa, lequel, desirant un fils, fit un sacrifice au Soleil, et obtint que ce dieu s’incarnerait dans son enfant. Etasa fut, dans cette circonstance, protege par Indra.

(58) C’est le meme nombre de milliers que celui qui a ete mentionne plus haut, au vers 9 de l’hynme 7. C’est aussi le nombre des torrents formes par la pluie, lecture II, hymne 13, vers 14.

(59) Famille issue du sage Bhrigou, et qui a beaucoup d’importance dans l’antique histoire de l’Inde.

(60) Allusion aux sept offrandes ou libations qui ont lieu a raison des sept rayons que l’on reconnait au feu, et que l'on appelle ses sept langues; comme il y a aussi sept especes de chants qu’on lui adresse.

(61) On concoit que les offrandes et les mets du sacrifice entretiennent et nourrissent le feu.

(62) Nom d’Agni, qui signifie ami de tous les hommes.

(63) Voy lecture III, note 2.

(64) Nous avons deja vu ce mot, qui est un des noms allegoriques du nuage.

(65) Famille issue du sage Bharadwadja: un des membres de cette famille monta sur le trone de la dynastie solaire.

(66) Ce fils de Satavan est sans doute celui qui offre le sacrifice.

(67) Voy lecture II, note 60.

(68) Bhrigou est ici le nom d’un sacrificateur antique, qui allume le feu sacre, et l’excite avec le souffle du vent.

(69) Autre sage, dont les enfants ont forme une famille sacerdotale.

(70) Voy lecture I, note 61.

(71) Voy lecture I, note 67.

(72) Ce sont la les trois mondes, dit le commentateur.

(73) Voy lecture III, note 33.

(74) Voy plus haut, note 57.

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Part 4 of 8

READING IV.
[English Version by Google Translate]

(1) Soudas is a son of Tchyavana. The author calls it Soudas and not Soudasa, as the Puranas carry. This word means liberal; the commentator makes it a common name.

(2) I suppose that the author designates here the goods which can come from the air by the rains, and from the sky by the heat of the sun.

(3) This passage contains the word vridjanam, the meaning of which is embarrassing because it is varied. It seems to me that by resorting to the root vridj (to cover), we come to realize the various meanings of vridjanam: it is the thing which covers, which protects, which defends; it is the sky, the sacrifice, the combat. In a passive sense, it is the thing against which one must protect oneself, like evil, at night.

(4) These cows, we know, are the clouds that blush at dawn.

(5) Literally, the biped.

(б) These horses are the rays of the sun which announce the day. This is why the poet gives them the name of Ketou.

(7) The commentator says that the sun, in half the blink of an eye, is 2,202 yojanas.

(8) The word visah would seem to indicate that we here designate the Marouts, plebs divina.

(9) Turdus salica.

(10) Nauclea cadamba.

(11) The legend tells that Indra, invoked by Medhatithi, son of Canwa, came, in the form of a ram, to drink the soma.

(12) See reading II, note 1.

(13) Se. Reading I, note 36.

(14) Name of a former Richi. Locked up by the Asuras in a house of work and pain (pidayantragriha) which had a hundred doors, he suffered from the heat: he was miraculously refreshed by a rain sent to him by Indra or the Aswins.

(15) Vimada, Rajarchi, had been chosen as a husband by the daughter of Pouroumitra: his rivals wanted to take his wife away from him. He was protected by Indra or by the Aswins.

(16) See Reading II, note 78. Dartou is the mother of Vritra, and her name indicates the goods with which the cloud is filled. The word danoumat could be translated as rich and opulent.

(17) We have seen elsewhere that one of these Asuras bears the name of Souchna, or the Desiccant. The absence of clouds, retained by him, leads to drought, and the loss of the goods of the earth.

(18) Name of an Asura.

(19) Qualification of the Asuras.

(20) Name of a prince.

(21) See reading III, note 3.

(22) See Reading I, note 49.

(23) Name of an Asura.

(24) Name of a saint Richi.

(25) Name of an Asura.

(26) See reading III, note 2.

(27) Name of a Richi, who found himself buried under one of those anthills so high that they look like huts.

(28) Usanas, otherwise called Soucra, is considered the preceptor of the Asuras. This is the name given to the planet Venus. The star that persists last in the sky seems to want to resist the power of Indra.

(29) Saryata is a Rajarchi, son of Saryati and grandson of Manu; he gave his daughter to Tchyavana.

(30) See Reading I, note 84.

(31) It can be assumed that Vrichanaswa is the same as Vrihadaswa, prince of the solar dynasty. However, this legend seems allegorical to me: Vrichaswa is an epithet of the sun.

(32) The Padjras are a family descended from Angiras; they made sacrifices to obtain herds.

(33) The word vrichabha also means bull.

(34) This Savya, son of Angiras, is said to be Indra himself. Angiras formed, in a sacrifice, the wish to have a son similar to Indra. Savya was born to him. See Reading II, note 68.

(35) Name of an Asura.

(36) A legend tells that, in a sacrifice which is going to be celebrated in honor of the gods, is born first (that is to say is brought) Agni, the fire of the sacrifice, and, secondly, the mortar in which the seeds are crushed; in the third place, another person is born: it is Soma or the libation, which takes the name of Trita. Trita is in the cup of the sacrifice: the Asuras arrive, and place guards to prevent the consummation of the sacrifice. Trita kills these guards.

(37) See Reading I, note 61.

(38) Yava; this word is here for any kind of grain.

(39) Name of an Asura.

(40) See above, note 23.

(41) Two names of Asuras.

(42) Other Asura.

(43) See above, note 20.

(44) I liked these indefinite numbers better than 60.099. See below, note 67.

(45) Name of a prince.

(46) Other name of prince.

(47) See Reading III, note 8.

(48) See above, note 24.

(49) Ayou is a known name; there were several princes of this name. The most famous was the son of Poururavas.

(50) The text says Maharaja.

(51) Indra here bears the name of Asura.

(52) Asura, already named.

(53) Name of a prince.

(54) See reading III, note 33.

(55) See reading III, note 33.

(56) See lecture III, note 33. The commentary says that Tourviti was from the Vayya family.

(57) Two meanings are presented for this passage by the commentator. Etasa is the name of a Richi, who, carried on his chariot, escapes danger: or else, Indra would have, in a fight, saved the chariots and horses of the higher princes; because the word etasa means horse. I chose the first meaning: we find this Etasa character elsewhere. He had a quarrel and consequently a fight with Sourya, son of Swaswa, who, desiring a son, made a sacrifice to the Sun, and obtained that this god would incarnate in his child. Etasa was, in this circumstance, protected by Indra.

(58) It is the same number of thousands as that which was mentioned above, in verse 9 of hymn 7. It is also the number of the torrents formed by the rain, reading II, hymn 13, verse 14 .

(59) Family descended from the sage Bhrigou, and which has great importance in the ancient history of India.

(60) Allusion to the seven offerings or libations which take place because of the seven rays which are recognized in the fire, and which are called its seven languages; as there are also seven kinds of songs addressed to him.

(61) It is understood that the offerings and the food of the sacrifice maintain and nourish the fire.

(62) Name of Agni, which means friend of all men.

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Part 5 of 8

LECTURE V.
[French Version]

(1) Voy lecture I, note 5.

(2) Voy lecture I, note 36.

(3) Voy ibid. Sarama est la priere; et son nourrisson, c’est le sacrifice, c’est l’offrande.

(4) Voy ibid.

(5) Dans ce vers se trouvent deux mots dont le sens est assez problematique: dasagwa et navagwa (voy lecture III, note 5). Il parait que ce sont deux especes de pretres Angirasas, dont les uns faisaient des sacrifices pendant neuf mois, et les autres pendant dix mois. Une autre explication, que j’ai preferee, distingue ces Angirasas en deux classes, dont l'une chante sur des mesures de neuf syllabes, les autres sur des mesures de dix syllabes. (Les metres Vrihati et Pankti ont quatre padas, composes, dans le Vrihati de neuf, dans le Pankti de dix syllabes.) Ces pretres, dans l’exercice de leurs fonctions, seraient au nombre de sept, nombre sacre, comme nous l’avons deja vu (voy lecture IV, note 69, et alib.). Peut-etre aussi ces sept pretres ne sont-ils qu’une personnification des sept especes de metres ou tchhandas sur lesquels se composent les hymnes.

(6) C’est le Gauge et les autres, dit simplement le commentateur. C’est l'explication qu’il donnait aussi lorsqu’il etait question des sept rivieres (voy lecture II, note 80). Nous ne pouvons dire s’il est ici question de quatre fleuves principaux de l’lnde, ou de ces quatre fleuves qu’une mythologie plus moderne fait sortir du Manasarovara.

(7) Un des noms du soleil.

(8) Allusion aux images qui grossissent peu a peu, et se chargent d’une pluie bienfaisante.

(9) Je pense qu’il est question dans cette strophe des prieres et des invocations qui forment l'ensemble du culte adresse a Indra: on sait que les prieres sont considerees comme les epouses des dieux, et precisement cette strophe fait allusion a cette opinion. Le vers suivant semble devoir confirmer ce sens.

(10) Voy lecture III, note 8.

(11) Prince, fils de Mandhatri, de la dynastie solaire.

(12) Voy. lecture IV, note 1.

(13) Nom d’un Asoura, suivant le commentateur.

(14) Ils sont appeles Asouras.

(15) Ces mauvais genies portent le nom de Satwanas. Ils appartiennent a la classe des Bhoutas.

(16) J’ai pense que l’auteur designait ici l'offrande personnifiee, epouse d’Agni. Les vents semblent attendre que le sacrificateur les appelle a venir prendre part aux libations. Ce sont eux qui excitent le feu. C’est Matariswan qui l'apporte a Manou.

(17) Le poete designe ainsi ces nuages rougeatres qui annoncent le vent.

(18) Je ferai remarquer que le mot prichati signifie a la fois daim et goutte de pluie.

(19) Le commentaire dit que le dieu se cache dans l'Aswattha (aswatthagouha), bois dont est forme l’arani.

(20) Le mot pada contenu dans ce vers est amphibologique; il s’explique par pied dans ses deux significations, membre du corps humain et membre de vers.

(21) C’est- a-dire les libations.

(22) Je crois que c’est une allusion au bruit que fait le feu recevant les libations.

(23) Dieu de la libation.

(24) Il y a ici deux mots, tcharath et vasati, qui, suivant le commentaire, sont des invocations faites aux crepuscules. Je suppose que vasati est celle du soir, quand on va rentrer a la maison, et tcharath celle du matin, quand on se leve pour marcher et mettre les troupeaux en mouvement.

(25) Srouchti me semble etre le pere de famille qui dispose le sacrifice, et qu’il faut distinguer du pretre qui dirige les ceremonies. Voy lecture II, note 19.

(26) Le texte emploie le mot gouha, pour designer la retraite d’Agni au sein de l’arani (voy plus haut, note 19).

(27) J’ai pris adja dans le sens de voyageur.

(28) Avec les branches d’arbre qui forment le bucher, le feu est nourri, et le poete appelle ces branches les meres d’Agni. Cependant le mot prasouh, traduit par l’idee de mere, peut ne signifier que branches.

(29) Traduction du mot damounas, epithete d’Agni.

(30) Agni est produit par les pretres, et il devient pour eux un protecteur paternel.

(31) Suivant le commentateur, le mot visah a un sens plus etendu, et se rapporte au peuple des prieres appelees au sacrifice.

(32) Ce sens est peut-etre hasarde, je le crois juste: les choses mobiles et immobiles.

(33) Je suppose que l’auteur fait ici allusion a la coutume ou l'on pouvait etre de faire les sacrifices sur une colline.

(34) Soir et matin, c’est-a-dire aux moments ou la nuit commence et finit, le sacrifice a lieu. C’est dans cette circonstance que j’ai cherche le sens de kchapavan, nocte proeditus

(35) Il parait que cet hymne n’est pas acheve: il manque un vers.

(36) Il est ici question des Prieres, peut-etre de ces Ritchas, filles d’Angiras. Ces Ritchas doivent etre les prieres composees par Angiras, et, par consequent, le poete pourrait les appeler les soeurs des descendants de ce meme Angiras.

(37) Voy lecture I, note 36.

(38) Les soeurs, dont cette strophe fait mention, me semblent  representer les diverses especes d’offrandes. J’avoue que le sens de ce vers, considere materiellement, pourrait se rapporter aux parentes du pere de famille, chargees de pourvoir aux besoins du sacrifice.

(39) Voy lecture IV, note 68.

(40) Ces mots sont la traduction de l’epithete dwibarhah, qui s'entend d'une chose placee eutre deux objets, utrimque stipatus. On l’emploie de meme pour Indra ou pour l'air, places entre le ciel et la terre.

(41) Voy lecture II, note 80.

(42) Le lecteur a compris que ce prince, ne de la sentence d’Agni, c’est le soleil.

(43) Le soleil, dit-on, eu un demi-clin d’oeil, parcourt 2,202 yodjanas (lecture IV, note 7).

(44) C’est-a-dire aux beaux rayons.

(45) Hors du sacrifice, Agni est cache dans l'arani.

(46) Sans doute les Angirasas.

(47) Le sacrifice est compare a un char que construisent les pretres en l'honneur d’un dieu. Il semble donc, avant que le feu ait ete allume, que les sacrificateurs soient a pied, padavyah: car tel est le mot du texte. On peut supposer aussi que les pretres sont ainsi appeles, des padas ou pieds qui composent les hymnes.

(48) J’ai cru remarquer que le mot sarad devait quelque-fois signifier libation: la libation, en effet, a un point de comparison avec la pluie d’automne.

(49) Il m’a semble que ces Devas, Angirasas ou autres, etaient des personnifications des pratiques et des ceremonies qui accompagnent le sacrifice. Nous les voyons rechercher Agni, le trouver an sein de l’arani, le placer sur le foyer, et l’arroser de libations. Donnez un corps a ces rites divers, et vous verrez, suivant l’imagination du poete, agir des personnages que vous appellerez Devas, Angirasas, s’ils allument le feu, et Marouts, s’ils le soufflent.

(50) Ce sont les invocations qui accompagnent chacune des ceremonies.

(51) Ce nombre est mysterieux (voy lecture IV, note 60); c’est trois fois la quantite de rayons attribues au feu; on compose aussi de vingt et une buches le foyer du sacrifice. Voy lecture II, note 3.

(52) Voy lecture II, note 80. Les sources de ces fleuves sont au ciel.

(53) Voy lecture I, note 36.

(54) Voy lecture II, notes 29 et 37.

(55) Voy lecture I, note 5; lecture II, note 68.

(56) Le poete fait allusion a la legende d’Angiras.

(57) Voy lecture IV, note 69.

(58) Je pense que ce mot Rahougana est le meme que Raghougana. Raghougana est presente par le commentateur comme le pere de Gotama, auteur de cet hymne; ce Gotama etait le pourohita des rois Courou et Srindjaya.

(59) Cet hymne, en partie, celebre Agni, surnomme Vedyouta, c’est-a-dire cette forme du dieu repandue dans l'air, allumant la foudre et l’eclair, et penetrant dans toute la nature et dans nos corps meme, pour y porter la chaleur vitale. C’est peut-etre le meme que Twachtri, le dieu qui modele les formes et les anime.

(60) Ahi est la personnification du nuage, et surtout du nuage orageux.

(61) Il faut savoir que les pretres, apres avoir etabli Agni dans son foyer terrestre, travaillent ensuite a le transporter dans le soleil, qui va briller a l’horizon.

(62) Le poete donne a Agni l’epithete de Sahasrakcha (millioculus), que les Pouranas prodiguent pour Indra. Les yeux d’Agni, dit le commentateur, ce sont ses flammes.

(63) Le texte porte le mot Syena, qui est le nom de l'epervier, et en meme temps le nom d’un metre poetique. Le commentaire indique ce sens en representant le soma comme porte sur les ailes de la Gayatri. Sans cette indication du commentateur, j’aurais entendu que le soma est porte vers Indra par Agni, qui a la rapidite de l'epervier.

(64) Allusion aux formes variees et legeres que prennent les nuages apportes par le vent.

(65) Nombre indefini; ailleurs c’est 99. Voy lecture II, note 81.

(66) Le commentateur dit que ces vingt persounes sont les seize ministres du sacrifice, le maitre de maison et sa femme, le Sadasya ou maitre des ceremonies, et le Samitri, charge de l'arani.

(67) Voy lecture I, note 61; et plus haut, note 59.

(68) Nom d’un Richi, auquel on a attribue un quatrieme Veda. Le mot Manou, employe ici, est dans le sens d 'humanite.

(69) Ce sage est sans doute celui qu’on nomine aussi Dadhitcha ou Dadhitchi. La forme pure de ce mot est Dadhyantch, le nominatif Dadhyan, le genitif Dadhitchas. Les os de ce Richi servirent d’armes contre Vritra. Ce passage nous met sur la voie de l'explication a donner a la legende de Dadhyantch. Ces armes formees de ses os, ce sont les prieres, Ouktani, employees dans les sacrifices pour obtenir la pluie, ou, suivant le langage mythologique, la victoire sur Vritra. Il est a remarquer que le mot asthi, qui signifie os, a pour racine le mot asa, qui signifie lancer, et peut, par consequent, etre synonyme du mot trait. Le commentaire dit que Dadhyantch etait fils d’Atharvan; il l’appelle Atharvana. Nous retrouverons ce mot dans la lecture suivante.

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Part 5 of 8

READING V.
[English Version]

(1) See reading I, note 5.

(2) See reading I, note 36.

(3) See ibid. Sarama is prayer; and her infant is the sacrifice, the offering.

(4) See ibid.

(5) In this verse are two words whose meaning is quite problematic: dasagwa and navagwa (see reading III, note 5). It seems that they are two kinds of Angirasa priests, some of whom made sacrifices for nine months, and the others for ten months. Another explanation, which I have preferred, distinguishes these Angirasas into two classes, one of which sings in nine-syllable bars, the other in ten-syllable bars. (The Vrihati and Pankti meters have four padas, composed, in the Vrihati of nine, in the Pankti of ten syllables.) These priests, in the exercise of their functions, would be seven in number, a sacred number, as we have it. have already seen (see reading IV, note 69, and alib.). Perhaps also these seven priests are only a personification of the seven kinds of meters or tchhandas on which the hymns are composed.

(6) It's the Gauge and the others, the commentator says simply. This is the explanation he also gave when it came to the question of the seven rivers (see Reading II, note 80). We cannot say whether it is a question here of four main rivers of India, or of these four rivers which a more modern mythology brings out of Manasarovara.

(7) One of the names of the sun.

(8) Allusion to images that gradually grow, and take on a beneficial rain.

(9) I think that it is question in this stanza of the prayers and the invocations which form the whole of the cult addressed to Indra: we know that the prayers are considered as the wives of the gods, and precisely this stanza alludes to this opinion. The following verse seems to confirm this meaning.

(10) See reading III, note 8.

(11) Prince, son of Mandhatri, of the solar dynasty.

(12) See. reading IV, note 1.

(13) Name of an Asura, according to the commentator.

(14) They are called Asuras.

(15) These bad genies bear the name of Satwanas. They belong to the Bhuta class.

(16) I thought that the author meant here the personified offering, wife of Agni. The winds seem to be waiting for the priest to call them to come and partake of the libations. They are the ones who kindle the fire. It is Matariswan who brings it to Manou.

(17) The poet thus designates these reddish clouds which announce the wind.

(18) I will point out that the word prichati means both deer and raindrop.

(19) The commentary says that the god hides in the Aswattha (aswatthagouha), the wood from which the arani is formed.

(20) The word pada contained in this verse is amphibological; it is explained by foot in its two meanings, member of the human body and member of worms.

(21) That is to say the libations.

(22) I believe this is an allusion to the sound made by the fire receiving the libations.

(23) God of libation.

(24) There are two words here, charath and vasati, which, according to the commentary, are invocations made at twilight. I suppose that vasati is that of the evening, when we go home, and tcharath that of the morning, when we get up to walk and move the herds.

(25) Srouchti seems to me to be the father of the family who arranges the sacrifice, and who must be distinguished from the priest who directs the ceremonies. See reading II, note 19.

(26) The text uses the word gouha, to designate the retreat of Agni within the arani (see above, note 19).

(27) I took adja in the sense of traveler.

(28) With the tree branches that form the pyre, the fire is fed, and the poet calls these branches the mothers of Agni. However, the word prasouh, translated by the idea of ​​mother, can mean only branches.

(29) Translation of the word damounas, epithet of Agni.

(30) Agni is produced by the priests, and he becomes for them a paternal protector.

(31) According to the commentator, the word visah has a broader meaning, and relates to the people of the prayers called to sacrifice.

(32) This meaning is perhaps risky, I just think so: mobile and immobile things.

(33) I suppose that the author is referring here to the custom where one could be of making the sacrifices on a hill.

(34) Evening and morning, that is to say at the times when the night begins and ends, the sacrifice takes place. It is in this circumstance that I sought the meaning of kchapavan, nocte proeditus

(35) It seems that this hymn is not finished: a line is missing.

(36) It is a question here of the Prayers, perhaps of these Ritchas, daughters of Angiras. These Ritchas must be the prayers composed by Angiras, and therefore the poet might call them the sisters of the descendants of that same Angiras.

(37) See Reading I, note 36.

(38) The sisters, mentioned in this stanza, seem to me to represent the various kinds of offerings. I admit that the meaning of this verse, considered materially, could refer to the relatives of the father of the family, responsible for providing for the needs of the sacrifice.

(39) See reading IV, note 68.

(40) These words are the translation of the epithet dwibarhah, which means a thing placed between two objects, utrimque stipatus. It is also used for Indra or for the air, places between heaven and earth.

(41) See Reading II, note 80.

(42) The reader has understood that this prince, born of the sentence of Agni, is the sun.

(43) The sun, it is said, had a half blink of an eye, travels 2,202 yodjanas (reading IV, note 7).

(44) That is to say with beautiful rays.

(45) Out of the sacrifice, Agni is hidden in the arani.

(46) Probably the Angirasas.

(47) Sacrifice is compared to a chariot built by priests in honor of a god. So it seems, before the fire has been kindled, that the priests are on foot, padavyah: for such is the word of the text. We can also suppose that the priests are thus called, from the padas or feet which compose the hymns.

(48) I thought I noticed that the word sarad must sometimes mean libation: the libation, in fact, has a point of comparison with the autumn rain.

(49) It seems to me that these Devas, Angirasas or others, were personifications of the practices and ceremonies that accompany sacrifice. We see them seeking Agni, finding him in the bosom of the arani, placing him on the hearth, and showering him with libations. Give a body to these various rites, and you will see, according to the imagination of the poet, act of the characters whom you will call Devas, Angirasas, if they light the fire, and Marouts, if they blow it.

(50) These are the invocations that accompany each of the ceremonies.

(51) This number is mysterious (see reading IV, note 60); it is three times the quantity of rays attributed to fire; the hearth of the sacrifice is also composed of twenty-one logs. See reading II, note 3.

(52) See reading II, note 80. The sources of these rivers are in heaven.

(53) See Reading I, note 36.

(54) See reading II, notes 29 and 37.

(55) See Reading I, note 5; Reading II, note 68.

(56) The poet alludes to the legend of Angiras.

(57) See reading IV, note 69.

(58) I think this word Rahougana is the same as Raghougana. Raghougana is presented by the commentator as the father of Gotama, author of this hymn; this Gotama was the pourohita of kings Courou and Srinjaya.

(59) This hymn, in part, celebrates Agni, nicknamed Vedyouta, that is to say this form of the god spread in the air, igniting thunder and lightning, and penetrating in all nature and in our bodies. even, to carry there the vital heat. It is perhaps the same as Twachtri, the god who molds forms and animates them.

(60) Ahi is the personification of the cloud, and especially of the stormy cloud.

(61) It should be known that the priests, after having established Agni in his earthly hearth, then work to transport him into the sun, which will shine on the horizon.

(62) The poet gives Agni the epithet of Sahasrakcha (millioculus), which the Puranas lavish on Indra. Agni's eyes, says the commentator, are his flames.

(63) The text bears the word Syena, which is the name of the hawk, and at the same time the name of a poetic meter. The commentary indicates this meaning by representing the soma as the door on the wings of the Gayatri. Without this indication from the commentator, I would have heard that the soma is carried towards Indra by Agni, who has the swiftness of a hawk.

(64) Allusion to the varied and light forms taken by the clouds brought by the wind.

(65) Indefinite number; elsewhere it is 99. See lecture II, note 81.

(66) The commentator says that these twenty persons are the sixteen ministers of sacrifice, the householder and his wife, the Sadasya or master of ceremonies, and the Samitri, in charge of the arani.

(67) See Reading I, note 61; and above, note 59.

(68) Name of a Rishi, to whom a fourth Veda has been attributed. The word Manou, used here, is in the sense of humanity.

(69) This wise man is undoubtedly the one who is also called Dadhicha or Dadhitchi. The pure form of this word is Dadhyantch, the nominative Dadhyan, the genitive Dadhitchas. This Richi's bones served as weapons against Vritra. This passage puts us on the way of the explanation to be given to the legend of Dadhyantch. These weapons formed from his bones are the prayers, Ouktani, used in sacrifices to obtain rain, or, according to mythological language, victory over Vritra. It should be noted that the word asthi, which means bone, has as its root the word asa, which means to throw, and can therefore be synonymous with the word milk. The commentary says that Dadhyantch was son of Atharvan; he calls it Atharvana. We will find this word in the following reading.

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Part 6 of 8

LECTURE VI.
[French Version]

(1) Voy lecture III, note 2.

(2) Ce sont les prieres.

(3) Le commentateur explique ce mot par dhanamisrita.

(4) Cette strophe represente les prieres et les rites sacres remplissant leurs fonctions. Le dieu qu’ils honorent est Agni.

(5) Voy lecture I, note 36. Ce troupeau celeste, ce sont les nuages qui fertilisent la terre, et qui sont amenes au ciel par les prieres des Angiras.

(6) Atharvan (voy lecture V, note 68) me parait avoir institue les sacrifices du matin, dans lesquels on demande aux dieux la pluie que les Asouras retiennent prisonniere.

(7) Ce fils de Cavi, cet Ousanas, est le meme que Soucra (voy. lecture IV, note 27). Ousanas, regent de la planete de Venus, est aussi le precepteur des Asouras ou genies des tenebres, qu’il semble diriger le matin et le soir. Il soutient la cause de ses eleves cheris. Les Devas ont pour defenseur et pour maitre Vrihaspati, c’est-a-dire Agni. Ce nom de Vrihaspati a ete donne a la planete de Jupiter: quand on le rencontre dans ces hymnes, il me semble ne designer que le dieu Agni. Pour le nom de Cavi, je renvoie a la preface qui precede le deuxieme volume du Bhagavata-Pourana de M. Eug. Burnouf, Quant a moi, au lieu de reconnaitre un personnage de Cavi, peut-etre imaginaire, je traduirais volontiers le mot Cavya, qui est dans le texte, par ceux-ci: digne d'etre chante par le poete (stoutyah).

(8) Dadhyantch (voy lecture V, note 69), fils d’Atharvan, regia, comme lui, le culte des dieux, et fit des hymnes que l'on appela asthi ou plutot asthan, et avec lesquels on soutint une guerre toute spirituelle contre les mauvais genies. La legende a embelli ou denature ce simple recit; elle a, suivant l’usage, abuse des mots, personnifiant et allegorisant les choses au gre de son imagination. Dadhyantch, pendant sa vie, avait vaincu les Asouras, qui fuyaient seulement a le voir. Il mourut, et les Asouras remplirent la terre. Indra ne pouvait leur resister. Il se mit a la recherche du saint Richi, et apprit qu’il etait mort, mais que ses os avaient contre les Asouras le pouvoir de la foudre. Ce Dadhyantch avait ete une espece de centaure a tete de cheval. Au milieu des montagnes, dans le lac Saryanavan, on trouva sa tete, dont les os furent employes contre les ennemis d’Indra. Une autre legende dit que Dadhyantch avait appris le Cavatcha-vidya, et il devait perdre la tete, si jamais il le revelait. En faveur des Aswini-Coumaras, il manqua a sa promesse, et la menace eut son effet. Ceux ci remplacerent sa tete par une tete de cheval. Indra eut besoin plus tard, contre les Rakchasas, des os de cette tete: Dadhyantch consentit a mourir pour les lui fournir. Ces legendes me paraissent un voile bizarre, mais transparent; le mot que nous rendons ici par os n’est pas asthi, comme cela devrait etre, mais asthan. Or, on entend par sthana une division, un chapitre de livre. Il paraitrait que les prieres composees par Dadhyantch etaient detachees et sans suite: c’etaient en quelque sorte des melanges, asthan. Ce mot, confondu avec asthi, a donne naissance aux legendes. Un disciple peut-etre de Dadhyantch, nomme Aswasiras ou Tete de cheval, avait le depot de ces prieres; son nom aura donne lieu a un surcroit d’embellissement. (On cite le nom d’Aswalayana, comme celui d’un Richi qui a travaille au Rig-Veda.) Au reste, ces licences d’imagination sont communes dans les traditions anciennes: voyez, pour exemple, la fable des Tettiriyas. Il est encore possible que les prieres de Dadhyantch aient commence par le mot Aswasiras, ou bien qu’elles fussent consacrees aux Aswins. Voy lecture VIII, hymne 4, vers 12; et hymne 5, vers 22.

(9) Voy lecture II, note 81; et lecture V, note 65.

(10) Dans le pays de Couroukchetra.

(11) Tchandramas, c’est la lune, dont les rayons sont regardes comme glaces.

(12) Voy lecture II, note 23. Dans le vers suivant, on les appelle Go-matarah, mot que le commentateur entend par Fils de la terre.

(13) Ce pourrait etre aussi Enfants du sacrifice.

(14) Une des formes du Soleil.

(15) Dans le style poetique, ce miracle est tout simple: les Marouts ont souleve dans l’air et ensuite ouvert une montagne d’eau, c’est-a-dire un nuage. Mais cela ne suffisait pas aux legendaires. Ils disent donc que le Richi Gotama ayant soif, demanda de l’eau aux Marouts. A quelque distance etait un etang; les Marouts enleverent l'eau, et vinrent la verser dans une auge qu’ils creuserent a cote du saint. On raconte autrement qu’ils enleverent ud puits, et le transporterent dans l'ermitage de Gotama, et qu’au milieu de leur route, contraries par une montagne, ils la fendirent. Ce Gotama est plus ancien que le Gotama auteur de cet hymne. Voy lecture IV, note 69.

(16) C’est-a-dire les biens qui viennent de la terre, du ciel et de l’air. Voy lecture III, note 13; lecture II, notes 3 et 45.

(17) Il designe ou Rahougana son pere, ou l’ancien Gotama.

(18) Maroutam dhaman.

(19) Voy plus haut, note 15.

(20) Les mots Bhaga, Mitra, Aryaman, Varouna, nous sont deja connus pour etre des noms du Soleil. Aditi est la Terre, ou plutot la Nature. Dakcha doit etre uu nom du sacrifice personnifie, peut-etre la donation. Ce fut dans la suite le nom d’un Pradjapati et d’un saint Mouni. Le mot Asridh est considere par le commentateur comme synonyme de Marout, dieu des vents. Soma, c’est le dieu de la libation. Nous n’avons plus rien a dire sur les deux Aswins et Saraswati.

(21) Sans doute Indra.

(22) Nom d’un Aditya.

(23) Arichtanemi est un personnage mythologique que le commentateur semble confondre avec Garouda. Le Harivansa le represente comme fils de Casyapa et de Vinata, tandis que le Vichnou-Pourana le confond avec Casyapa lui-meme: telle serait aussi l’opinion de l’auteur du Mahabharata. Voy Vichnou-Pourana, p. 123, note 23. Tarkcha ou Trikcha est un nom de Casyapa, et l’epithete Tarkchya signifie fils de Tarkcha ou Trikcha.

(24) Vrihaspati est un des noms d’Agni.

(25) Adjectif remarquable dans le texte: car c’est le pluriel de Manou, Manavah.

(26) Il faut se rappeler la fonction d’Agni, qui recoit les offrandes destinees aux dieux.

(27) Litteralement: quand nos fils seront devenus nos peres. Peut-etre plus simplement: quand nos fits seront devenus peres.

(28) Voy lecture I, note 39. Ce passage sur Aditi me rappelle ce vers d’Orphee:

[x]

Le nom meme d’Aditi ne se retrouve-t-il pas dans cet autre vers:

[x]

(29) Le texte donne l’epithete Evayavah, que ce commentateur rapporte au dieu du vent.

(30) Epithete du dieu Agni. Voy lecture I, note 62.

(31) Sans doute les vaches celestes ou les nuages.

(32) Nous avons vu, lecture I, note 12, ce que c’etaient que Mitra et Varouna. Mitra preside au jour, et Varouna a la nuit; autrement, l'un est le soleil de jour, l’autre le soleil de nuit, couvert de voiles noirs. Quant a Aryaman, le commentateur le regarde comme le jour astronomique, Ahoratram.

(33) Voy lecture II, notes 16 et 18.

(34) Je ne pense pas que cet hymne soit consacre a la Lune; il est destine a celebrer le dieu de la libation, appele Soma et Indou, noms qui ont ete aussi donnes a la Lune. La puissance du Soma est celle du sacrifice lui-meme.

(35) Ce mot signifie liqueur.

(36) Nom donne a Agni, et que le poete emploie ici pour Soma. Voy lecture I, note 62.

(37) Ce sont les lueurs de l’aurore, colorant les nuages legers du matin.

(38) Ces deux divinites sont unies sous le nom d’Agnichoma, qui resume ainsi l’idee des deux principes humide et igne. La libation et le feu, ce sont la les deux elements du sacrifice.

(39) Voy lecture I, note 36.

(40) Le commentateur fait venir le mot Brisaya de brisi, qui, suivant lui, signifie vetement. Ce serait le meme sens que celui qu’on donne au mot Vritra.

(41) Le sacrifice amene la pluie, et rend au ciel sa serenite; c’est le sacrifice qui, le matin, allume les feux d’Agni sur la terre, et les feux du Soleil au ciel.

(42) Les pluies obtenues par la vertu des sacrifices rendent aux rivieres les eaux dont elles etaient privees par une espece de fatalite. Cette idee n’est pas assez simple pour le legendaire, qui dira qu’Indra, en donnant la mort a Vritra, qui est un fils de Brahmane, a encouru l'imprecation lancee contre quiconque commet un crime pareil; il impute sa faute a toute la nature, qui a besoin d’etre purifiee par Agni et Soma, c’est-a-dire par le sacrifice.

(43) Le vent excite le feu, et semble l’apporter avec lui.

(44) Au milieu des chants du sacrifice, le Soma passe du mortier dans les coupes. Voy lecture V, note 63.

(45) Les parwans sont certaines epoques du mois lunaire, comme la nouvelle lune, la pleine lune, le 8 et le 14 de chaque demi-mois.

(46) Ces enfants d’Agni, ce sont les rayons du feu.

(47) Litteralement: les bipedes et les quadrupedes.