A.V. xvi. 9, 2. Tad Agnir āha tad u Somaḥ āha Pushā mā dhāt sukritasya loke "Agni says, and Soma says, 'may Pushan place me in the world of righteousness.""

A.V. xviii. 2, 53. Agnīshomā pathikṛitā syonam devebhyo ratnam dadhathur vi lokam | upa preshyatam Pūshanam yo vahāti ajayānaiḥ pathibhis tattra gachhatam | "Agni and Soma, makers of paths, ye have prepared for the gods, as a treasure, a beautiful world; go thither and send hither to us Pushan, who shall conduct us by direct roads." 269

grass;

In R.V. i. 23, 13 f. the glowing Pushan is prayed to bring hither, like a lost beast, the supporter of the sky, who is surrounded by brilliant 270 and is said to have found the king so designated, who had been concealed (a Pushan chitrabarhisham aghrine dharunam divaḥ āja nashṭam yathā paśum | 14. Pūshā rājānam āghṛinir apagūṛhaṁ guha hitam | avindach chitrabarhisham).

In one passage, i. 23, 8, the other gods are designated by the appellation of pusharāti, "bestowers of Pushan's gifts," or "having Pushan as their chief giver."

(2) Hymns addressed to Pushan.

I shall now translate some of the hymns addressed to Pushan, from which it will appear that the character of this god is not very distinctly defined; and that it is difficult to declare positively what province of nature or of physical action he is designed to represent, as is at once manifest in the case of Dyaus, Prithivī, Agni, Indra, Parjanya, and Surya:

i. 42, 1. Sam Pūshann adhvanas tira vi amho vimucho napāt | sakshva deva pra nas puraḥ | 2. Yo naḥ Pūshann agho vṛiko duśśevaḥ ādideśati | apa sma tvam patho jahi | 3. Apa tyam paripanthinam mushīvānam huraśchitam | dūram adhi sruter aja | 4. Tvam tasya dvayāvino aghaśamsasya kasya chit | pada 'bhi tishṭha tapushim | 5. Ā tat te dasra mantumaḥ Pūshann avo vṛinimahe | yena pitṛin achodayaḥ | 6. Adha no

289 Prof. Roth, s.v. takes ajayānaiḥ as = anjoyānaiḥ.

270 Professor Roth understands this epithet chitrabarhis to mean "having glittering straw," or "having around him straw in the form of jewels," and applies it to the moon. Prof. Benfey, following Sayana, considers that Soma is the deity intended, and renders the word chitrabarhis by “reposing on a rich covering." The reference seems obscure.

visvasaubhaga hiranyavāśīmattama | dhanāni sushanā kridhi | 7. Ati naḥ saśchato naya sugā naḥ supathā kṛinu | Püshann iha kratum vidaḥ | 8. Abhi suyavasam naya na navajvāro adhvane | Pushann... | 9. S'agdhi pūrdhi pra yamsi cha śiśīhi prūsi udaram | Pushann | 10. Na Pūshanam methāmasi sūktair abhi grinīmasi vasūni dasmam imahe | "1. Conduct us, Pushan, over our road; remove distress, son of the deliverer; 271 go on before us. 2. Smite away from our path the destructive and injurious wolf which seeks after us. 3. Drive away from our path the waylayer, the thief, the robber. 4. Tread with thy foot upon the burning weapon of that deceitful wretch, whosoever he be. 5. O wonder-working and wise Pūshan, we desire that help of thine wherewith thou did favour our fathers. 6. O god, who bringest all blessings, and art distinguished by thy golden spear, make wealth easy of acquisition. 7. Convey us past our opponents; make our paths easy to traverse; gain strength for us here. 8. Lead us over a country of rich pastures; let no new trouble (beset our) path. 9. Bestow, satiate, grant, stimulate us, fill our belly. 10. We do not reproach Pushan, we praise him with hymns; we seek riches from the wonder-working god.'

11 272

mean 66

The next hymn alludes at the beginning to Pushan in his character of tutelary god of travellers (comp. vi. 49, 8; x. 17, 3, 6; x. 59,. 7 ; x. 92, 13); but it is chiefly occupied with the poet's aspirations after a liberal patron, and with attempts to inflame the god's indignation against the niggards with whom he considered himself to be surrounded. 271 Vimucho napāt. Professor Benfey follows Sayana in loco in taking this to offspring of the cloud" (jala-vimochaka-hetor meghasya puttra). The Indian commentator, however, assigns another sense to the phrase in v. 55, 1, where it recurs, and where he explains it as "the son of Prajapati, who at the creation sends forth from himself all creatures" (vimunchati sṛishṭi-kāle svasakāśat sarvāḥ prajāḥ visṛijati iti vimuk Prajāpatiḥ | tasya puttra). In R. V. viii. 4, 15 f. Pūshan is called vimochana, the "deliverer," which Sayana interprets "deliverer from sin" papad vimochayitaḥ). Perhaps vimucho napāt means the same thing. Compare the words vi te munchantām vimucho hi santi, A.V. vii. 112, 3; and savaso napāt, and the other similar phrases quoted above in p. 52. In preparing my version of this hymn I have had the aid of Benfey, as well as of Sāyaṇa.

272 Professor Benfey refers here to a preceding note of his own on R.V. i. 41, 8, the sense of which is as follows: "I believe that this refers to a practice which we still find among barbarous, and even among partially civilized, races, of believing that they can compel their gods, by insults, and by blows inflicted on their images, to grant their desires, or if this be not accomplished, of thinking that they thereby take their revenge."

vi. 53, 1. Vayam u tvā pathas pate ratham na vājasātaye | dhiye Pushann ayujmahi | 2. Abhi no naryam vasu vīram prayata-dakshinam | vāmam gṛihapatim naya | 3. Aditsantam chid aghṛine Püshan dānāya chodaya | panes chid vi mrada manaḥ | 4. Vi patho vājasātaye chinuhi vi mṛidho jahi sādhantām ugra no dhiyaḥ | 5. Pari tṛindhi paṇīnām ārayā hṛidayā kave | athem asmabhyam randhaya | 6. Vi Pūshann ārayā tuda paner ichha hridi priyam | athem asmabhyam randhaya | 7. Ārikha kikirā kṛiņu paṇīnam hṛidayā kave | athem... | 8. Yām Pūshan brahmachodinīm ārām bibharshi ūghṛine | taya samasya hridayam ā rikha kikirā kṛinu | 9. Ya te ashṭrā goopaśā āghṛine paśusādhanī | tasyās te sumnam imahe | 10. Uta no goshanim dhiyam aśvasām vājasām uta | nrivat krinuhi vitaye |

"1. Pushan, we have attached thee, lord of roads, to our hymn, as a chariot (is yoked) for the acquisition of food. 2. Bring to us wealth suitable for men, and a manly estimable householder, who shall bestow on us gifts. 3. Impel to liberality, o glowing Pushan, even the man who would fain bestow nothing: soften the soul even of the niggard. 4. Open up paths by which we may obtain food; slay our enemies; let our designs succeed, o glorious god. 5. O wise god, pierce the hearts of the niggards with an awl; and then make them subject to us. 6. Pierce them with an awl, o Pushan; seek (for us) that which is dear to the niggard's heart; and then make them subject to us. 7. Penetrate and tear the hearts of the niggards, o wise god, and then subject them to us. 8. With that prayer-stimulating goad which thou carriest, glowing Pushan, penetrate and tear the heart of every such man. 9. From that goad of thine, which is furnished with leathern thongs, 273 and guides cattle, we seek for prosperity. 10. Grant that our hymn may produce for us cattle, horses, food, for our enjoyment abundantly."

vi. 54, 1. Sam Pūshan vidushā naya yo anjasā 'nuśāsati | yaḥ eva idam iti bravat | 2. Sam u Pūshnū gamemahi yo grihān abhiśasati | ime eva iti cha bravat | 3. Pūshnaś chakram na rishyati na kośo ava padyate | no asya vyathate paviḥ | 4. Yo asmai havishā 'vidhat na tam Pushā 'pi mrishyate | prathamo vindate vasu | 5. Pūshā gāḥ anu etu naḥ Pūshā rakshatu arvataḥ | Pūshū vājam sanotu naḥ | 6. Pushann anu pra gāḥ

273 See Bohtlingk and Roth, s.v. goopaśa.

ihi yajamānasya sunvataḥ | asmākam stuvatām uta | 7. Mākir nesat mākīṁ rishat mākīṁ sam̃ śāri kevaţe | atha arishṭābhir ā gahi | 8. Srinvantam Pushanam vayam iryam anashṭa-vedasam | īśānam rāyaḥ imahe 9. Pushan tava vrate vayam na rishyema kadāchana | stotāras te iha smasi | 10. Pari Pūshā parastād hastam dadhātu dakshinam | punar no nashtam ajatu |

6

"1. May we, o Pushan, meet with a wise man who shall straightway direct us, and say 'so it is.'274 2. May we meet with Pushan,275 who shall point out a house, and shall say it is this.' 3. Pushan's wheel is not shattered, nor does its box fall, nor is its rim broken. 4. Pūshan is not hostile to the man who offers him an oblation; that man is the first to obtain wealth. 5. May Pūshan follow our kine; may he protect our horses; may he give us food. 6. Pushan, follow the kine of the worshipper who offers soma-libations, and of us when we do the same. 7. Let nothing be lost, or injured, or fall into a pit; but come to us with (the cows) all safe. 8. We seek after Pushan who hears us, the alert, who never loses property, who is lord of wealth. 9. Pūshan, may we, through thy appointment, never fall into calamity; we are here, thy worshippers. 10. May Pushan stretch out his right hand far and wide, and drive hither our lost property."

vi. 55, 1. Ehi vām vimucho napad āghṛīne sam sachāvahai | rathir ritasya no bhava | 2. Rathitamam kaparddinam īsānam rādhaso mahaḥ | rāyaḥ sakhāyam imahe | 3. Rāyo dhārā 'si āghṛine vasoḥ rāśir ajāśva | dhivato dhivato sakhā | 4. Pūshanam nu ajāśvam upa stoshāma vājinam | svasur yo jāraḥ uchyate | 5. Mātur didhishum abravam svasur jāraḥ śṛiņotu naḥ | bhrātā Indrasya sakhā mama | 6. Ā ajāsaḥ Pūshanam rathe niśṛimbhās te janaśriyam | devam vahantu bibhrataḥ |

"1. Come hither, glowing god, the deliverer, may we meet; be the charioteer of our rite. 2. We seek riches from thee, the most skilful of charioteers, the god with braided hair, the lord of great wealth, and our friend. 3. Thou art a stream of opulence, a heap of riches, o glowing deity, drawn by goats, and the friend of every devout contemplator.

271 Sayana says that this verse is to be muttered by a man seeking for lost property (nashța-dhanam anvichhatā etaj japyam), and refers to Grihya Sūtras, iii. 9. He understands the wise man of one who shall point out the mode of recovering such property.

275 See Prof. Wilson's note in loco. Sayana explains: "May we by [the favour of] Pushan meet with a man who shall shew us the house in which our lost cattle are.'

4. Let us praise Pushan, the god drawn by goats, the giver of food, who is called the lover of his sister.276 5. I address the husband of his mother; 277 may he hear us, the lover of his sister, the brother of Indra, and my friend. 6. May the surefooted 278 goats, supporting Pushan, the god who visits mankind, bring him hither upon his chariot.".

vi. 56, 1. Yaḥ enam ādideśati "karambhād” iti Pūshanam | na tena devaḥ adise 2. Uta gha sa rathitamaḥ sakhyā satpatir yujā | Indro vṛitrāni jighnate | 3 (Nir. ii. 6). Uta adaḥ parushe gavi sūraś chakraṁ hiranyayam | ni airayad rathītamaḥ | 4. Yad adya tvā purushṭuta bravāma dasra mantumaḥ | tat su no manma sādhaya | 5. Imam cha no gaveshanam sataye sishadho ganam | ārāt Pūshann asi śrutaḥ | 6. A te svastim imaho āreaghām upāvasum | adya cha sarvatātaye svaś cha sarvatataye |

"1. By him who designates Pushan by saying 'this is the eater of meal and butter,' the god cannot be described. 2. Indra too, the lord of the good, the most skilful of charioteers, seeks to slay his enemies in company with his friend. 3. And this most skilful charioteer drove that golden wheel of the sun through the speckled cloud.27 279 4. Accomplish for us, o wonder-working and wise deity, that desire which we shall address to thee to-day. 5. And direct this exploring band of ours to the attainment of their object: for, Pushan, thou are renowned afar. 6. We seek thy blessing, which drives away calamity, and brings opulence near, for full prosperity to-day, and for full prosperity tomorrow."

vi. 57, 1. Indrā nu Pūshanā 280 vayam sakhyāya svastaye huvema vājasataye | 2. Somam anyaḥ upāsadat pātave chamvoḥ sutam | karambham 281

276 Ushas, according to Sayana; and Sūryā, according to Prof. Roth. See the last verse of vi. 58, below.

277 Sayana renders mātuḥ by nirmātryāḥ rātreḥ, “the constructress, Night." 278 Roth, s.v. says nisṛimbha perhaps means "sicher auftretend;" Wilson renders "harnessed;" Sayana nisrathya sambadhya hartāraḥ. All seems guess work.

279 Prof. Roth translates this verse as follows in his Illustrations of the Nirukta, p. 19: "Er hat dort durch den krausen Wolkenzug der Sonne goldenes Rad hindurchgelenkt, der trefliche Fuhrmann (Pūschan). "He has guided the golden wheel of the sun through the curled train of clouds, the excellent driver (Pūshan)." In his Lexicon he renders the word parusha by "variegated," etc.

280 Compare iii. 57, 2, and vi. 17, 11, where Pushan and Vishnu are said to have purified three bowls of Soma for Indra (Pūshū Vishnus trīnisa rām̃si dhāvan vṛitrahanam madiram am̃s'um asmai).

281 iii. 52 7.