1. Prāṇāya namo yasya sarvam idam vaśe | yo bhūtaḥ sarvasyeśvaro yasmin sarvam pratishṭhitam | 2. Namas te Prāṇa krandāya namas te stanayitnave | namas te Prūna vidyute namas te Prāna varshate | 3. Yat Prānaḥ stanayitnunā abhikrandati oshadhiḥ (compare A.V. viii. 7, 21) | praviyante garbhān dadhate atho bahrir vi jāyante | 4. Yat Pranaḥ ṛitāv agate abhikrandati oshadhīḥ | sarvam tadā pramodate yat kincha bhūmyām adhi | 5. Yada Prano abhyavarshad varshena prithicim mahīm | paśavas tat pra modante "maho vai no bhavishyati" | 6. Abhivrishṭaḥ oshadhayaḥ Prunena samavādiran | "ayur vai naḥ prātītaraḥ sarvaḥ naḥ surabhir akaḥ" | 7. Namas te astu ayate namo 'stu parāyate | namas te Prāna tishṭhate āsīnāyota te namaḥ | 9. Yā te Prāna priyā tanur yā te Prāna preyasi | atho yad bheshajam tava tasya no dhehi jivase | 10. Prāṇaḥ prajāḥ anu vaste pitā putram iva priyam | Prāno ha sarvasyeśvaro yach cha prānati yach cha naḥ | 11. Prano mrityuḥ Prānas takmā Prānam devāḥ upăsate | Prāno ha satyavādinam uttame loke a dadhat | 12. Prāno Virāṭ Prāno Deshṭrī Prānam sarve upāsate | Prano ha suryaś chandramaḥ Pranam ahuḥ Prajāpatim |.... 15. Prāṇam āhur Mātariśvānam Vāto ha Prāṇaḥ uchyate | Prūne ha bhūtam bhavyam cha Prane sarvam pratishthitam | 16. Atharvaṇīr āngirasīr daivir manushyajāḥ uta | oshadhayaḥ prajāyante yadā tvam Prāna jinvasi.... 18. Yas te Prana idam veda yasmimś chasi pratishthitaḥ | sarve tasmai balim harān amushmin loke uttame | 19. Yathā Prāna balihṛitas tubhyam sarvāḥ prajāḥ imāḥ | eva tasmai balim̃ harān yas trā śrinavat suśravaḥ |

"Reverence to Prana, to whom this universe is subject, who has become the lord of all, on whom all is supported. 2. Reverence, Prana, to thy shout, to thy thunder, to thy lightning, and to thyself when thou rainest. 3. When Prāna calls aloud to the plants with thunder, they are impregnated, they conceive, they produce abundantly. 4. When the season has arrived, and Prāna calls aloud to the plants, then everything rejoices, which is upon the earth (compare R.V. v. 83, 10, above, p. 140). 5. When Prāna has watered the great earth with rain, then the beasts rejoice, and [think] that they shall have strength. 6. When watered by Prāṇa, the plants burst forth [saying], 'Thou hast prolonged our life, thou hast made us all fragrant.' 7. Reverence to thee, Prana, coming, and to thee going, and to thee standing, and to thee sitting.... 9. Communicate to us thy dear form, thy dearest,

with thy healing power, that we may live. 10. Prana clothes the creatures, as a father his dear son. Prana is the lord of all, both of what breathes and what does not breathe. 11. Prana is death, Prāna is fever. The gods worship Prāna. Prāna places the truth-speaker in the highest world. 12. Prana is Virāj, Prāna is Deshṭrī. All worship Prāṇa. Prāna is sun and moon. They call Prajapati Prāna . . . . 15. They call Matariśvan Prana; the Wind is called Prana. The past, the future, everything is supported upon Prāna. 16. The plants of Atharvan, of Angiras, of the gods, and of men, grow when thou, Prāṇa, quickenest. . . . 18. Whoever, o Prāṇa, knows this [truth] regarding thee, and on what thou art supported-all will offer him tribute in that highest world. 19. As, o Prāṇa, all these creatures offer thee tribute, so shall they offer tribute in that highest world to him who hears thee with willing ears.'

(10) Rohita.

Rohita, probably a form of the Fire and of the Sun (though he is also distinguished, in the hymn I am about to quote, from both these gods), is another deity who is highly celebrated in the Atharva-veda, where one hymn (xiii. 1) and parts of others are appropriated to his honour. The following are some of the verses in which his power is described, xiii. 1, 6:

6. Rohito dyāvā-pṛithivī jajāna tatra tantum Parameshṭhī tatāna | tatra śiśriye Ajaḥ Ekapādo adṛimhad dyāvā-prithivi balena | 7. Rohito dyava-prithivi adriñhat tena svaḥ stabhitam tena nākaḥ | tenantariksham vimitā rājamsi tena devāḥ amṛitatvam avindan | 13. Rohito yajnasya janitā mukham cha Rohitāya vāchā śrotrena maṇasā juhomi | Rohitam devāḥ yanti sumanasyamānāḥ | .... 14. Rohito yajnam vyadadhād Viśvakarmane tasmāt tejām̃si upa mā imāny āguḥ | .... 25. Yo Rohito vrishabhas tigmasringaḥ pari Agnim pari Sūryam babhūva | yo vishṭabhnati prithivim divam cha tasmād devāḥ adhi sṛishtiḥ srijante | 26. Rohito divam aruhad mahataḥ pari arnavāt | sarvāḥ ruroha Rohito ruhaḥ | 37. Rohite dyāvā-prithivi adhi śrite vasujiti gojiti |.... 55. Sa yajnaḥ prathamo bhūto bhavyo ajāyata | tasmād ha jajne idam sarvam yat kincha idam virochate Rohitena ṛishina "bhṛitam |

"Rohita produced heaven and earth: there Parameshthin stretched

the cord. There Aja Ekapāda was sustained. He established heaven and earth by his force. 7. Rohita established heaven and earth; by him the sky was supported, by him the heaven. By him the atmosphere, by him the regions were meted out. Through him the gods obtained immortality. 13. Rohita is the generator, and the mouth of sacrifice. To Rohita I offer my oblation with voice, ear, and mind. To Rohita the gods resort with gladness. . . . 14. Rohita offered a sacrifice to Viśvakarman. From it these fires have reached me. . . . . 25. The gods frame creations out of that Rohita who is a sharphorned bull, who surpasses Agni and Surya, who props up the earth and the sky. 26. Rohita ascended the sky from the great ocean; he ascended all ascents.5 581 37. In Rohita, who is the conqueror of wealth and cows.... ... the heaven and earth are sustained.... 55. He first became the sacrifice, both past and future. From him sprang all this whatever there is which shines, developed by Rohita, the rishi."

In the second hymn of the same book, in which the sun is celebrated, Rohita is also named in the following verses:—

39. Rohitaḥ kālo abhavad Rohito 'gre Prajapatiḥ | Rohito yajnānām mukham Rohitah svar ābharat | 40. Rohito loko abhavad Rohito 'tyatapad divam | Rohito raśmibhir bhūmim samudram anu sam charat | 41. Sarvaḥ diśaḥ samacharad Rohito 'dhipatir divaḥ | divam samudram ād bhūmim sarvam bhūtam vi rakshati |

"39. Rohita became Time; Rohita formerly became Prajapati. Rohita is the mouth of sacrifices. Rohita produced the sky. 40. Rohita became the world; Rohita shone beyond the sky; Rohita traversed the earth and ocean with his rays. 41. Rohita traversed all the regions. Rohita is the ruler of the sky. He preserves heaven, ocean, and earth-whatever exists."

And yet the gods are said to have generated Rohita (A.V. xiii. 3, 23 yad Rohitam ajanayanta devāḥ).

(11) Uchhishta.

In the hymn which follows divine power is ascribed to the remains of the sacrifice (Uchhishta):

A.V. xi. 7, 1: Uchhishte nāma rūpam cha uchhishte lokaḥ ahitaḥ |

581 Here, as well as in verses 8 and 9, there is a play on the connection of Rohita with the root, ruh, to "ascend," or "grow."

...

....

uchhishte Indraś cha Agniś cha viśvam antaḥ samāhitam | 2. Uchhishte dyāvā-pṛithivi viśvam bhūtam samāhitam | āpaḥ samudraḥ Uchhishte chandramāḥ vāṭaḥ āhiṭāḥ | 3. Sann Uchhishte asamś chobhau mṛityur vājaḥ Prajāpatiḥ | 4. ... Brahma viśvasrijo daśa | nābhim iva sarvatas chakram Uchhishte devatāḥ śritāḥ | .... 14. Nava bhūmīḥ samudrāḥ Uchhishṭe 'dhi śritāḥ divaḥ | ā suryo bhati Uchhishțe ahorătre api tan mayi | 15. Upahavyam Vishūvantam ye cha yajnāḥ guhā hitāḥ | bibhartli bharta viśvasya Uchhishto janituḥ pita | 16. Pitā janitur Uchhishto asoḥ pautraḥ pitāmahaḥ | sa kshiyati viśvasya īśāno vṛishā bhūmyām atighnyaḥ | 17. Ṛitam satyam tapo rāshṭram śramo dharmaś cha karma cha | bhutām bhavishyad Uchhishte viryam lakshmir balam bale | 20. Ardhamāsāś cha māsāścha ārtavāḥ ṛitubhiḥ saha | Uchhishte ghoshaṇīr āpaḥ stanayitnuḥ śrutir mahī | śarkarāḥ sikatāḥ aśmānaḥ oshadhayo virudhas tṛinā | 21. Abhrāni vidyuto varsham Uchhishte samśritā śritā | .... 23. Yach cha prānati prānena yach cha pasyati chakshusha | Uchhishtāj jajnire sarve divi devāḥ diviśritaḥ | 24. Richaḥ sāmāni chhandāmsi purāṇam yajushā saha | Uchhishṭāj—| 25. Prānāpānau chakshuḥ śrotram akshitiś cha kshitiś cha yā | Uchhishṭāj—| 26. Ānandāḥ modāḥ pramudo abhimoda-mudaś cha ye | Uchhishṭāj—| 27. Devāḥ pitaro manushyāḥ gandharvāprarasaś cha ye | Uchhishṭāj | "In the Uchhishta (remains of the sacrifice) are contained name, form, the world, Indra and Agni, the universe, (2) heaven and earth, all that exists, the waters, the sea, the moon, and the wind. 3. In the Uchhishta are both the existent and the non-existent (san, asamś cha, masculine), death, food (or strength), Prajapati .... 4. Brahma, the ten creators of all things, 53 the gods, are fixed on all sides to the Uchhishta as [the spokes] of a wheel to the nave." So, too, the Rik, Saman, Yajus, the hymns, the different sorts of sacrifices, and parts of the ceremonial, etc., are comprehended in it (verses 5-13). 14. Nine earths, oceans, skies, are contained in the Uchhishta. The sun shines in the Uchhishța, and in me the Uchhishta are day and night. 15. The Uchhishta (masculine), the sustainer of the universe, the father of the generator, upholds the Upahavya, the Vishuvat, and

552

582 See verse 12 of the hymn to Purusha, A.V. x. 2, above.

583 Are these the ten Maharshis mentioned by Manu, i. 34 f.? In A V. xi. 1, 1, 3, mention is made of the seven Rishis, the makers of all things (bhūta-kṛitaḥ). See also A.V. xii. 1, 39; and the 1st vol. of this work, pp. 37 and 41, notes.

the sacrifices which are secretly presented. 16. The Uchhishța, the father of the generator, the grandson of spirit (asu), the primeval parent, the lord of the universe, the bull, dwells triumphant (?) on the earth. 17. Ceremonial, truth, rigorous abstraction, dominion, effort, righteousness and works, past, future, strength, prosperity, force, reside in the Uchhishta, which is force (compare x. 7, 1, above). 20. In the Uchhishta are embraced the resounding waters, thunder the great śruti, pebbles, sand, stones, plants, grass, (21) clouds, lightnings, rain. 23. From the Uchhishta sprang whatever breathes and sees, with all the celestial gods, (24) the Rich and Saman verses, metres, Purānas, and Yajus, two of the vital airs (prāna and apāna), the eye, the ear, imperishableness, perishableness, (26) pleasures, enjoyments, (27) the Fathers, men, Gandharvas, and Apsarases." (Compare A.V. xi. 3, 21.)

(12) Sacrificial Implements, etc., etc.

Similar divine powers are ascribed to different sacrificial ladles in A.V. xviii. 4, 5: The Juhu has established the sky, the Upabhrit the atmosphere, and the Dhruva the stable earth" (Juhur dadhāra dyam upabhṛid antariksham dhruvā dadhāra prithivīm pratishṭhām). In R.V. vi. 51, 8, it is said of namas, "adoration," that it has supported the earth and the sky, and rules the gods" (namo dadhāra pṛithivīm uta dyām | namo devebhyo namaḥ ise eshām). See also A.V. iv. 35, 3-6, where the odana oblation is said to support heaven and earth, etc.; A.V. xix. 32, 9, where a similar power is ascribed to the sacrificial grass; and A.V. x. 10, 4, 26, 30, 34, where wonderful attributes are predicated of the Vaśā (cow).

(13) Anumati.

In a hymn to Anumati (according to Professor Roth the goddess of good will, as well as of procreation), A.V. vii. 20, she is thus identified with all things (verse 6): "Anumati was all this [universe], whatever stands or walks, and everything that moves. May we, o goddess, enjoy thy benevolence; for thou, Anumati, dost favour us" (anumatiḥ sarvam idam babhuva yat tishthati charati yad u cha viśvam ejati | tasyās te devi sumatau syāma Anumate anu hi mam̃sase naḥ).