you all drink together to-day of our effused Soma juices.1

4. Your protection, leaders (of rites), yields no detriment to him whom you defend in battles: may your latest favour return to us: come quickly, eager to drink the Soma.

5. Do you whose riches are connected together come to partake of the (sacrificial) viands, for, MAruts, I offer to you these oblations, therefore go not away to any other (sacrifice).

6. Sit down on our sacred grass: come to bestow upon us desirable riches: doing no harm, MARUTS delight in the sweet Soma libation presented at this

season.

7. May the MARUTS yet unrevealed, decorating Varga XXX. their persons, descend like black-backed swans: let

the entire company gather round me like happy men rejoicing together at a solemn rite.

8. The man, MARUTS, who wounds our feelings, he who, rebuked by all, yet seeks, VASUS, to kill us, he would bind us in the bonds of (VARUNA), the avenger (of iniquity), such a man do you destroy with a consuming fatal weapon.

9. MARUTS, destroyers of foes, this oblation is designed for you do you, who are the devourers of enemies, (coming) with your protections, graciously accept it.

10. Objects of domestic worship, munificent MARUTS, come with your protections: go not away.

1 Sáma Veda, 1. 241.

11. MARUTS, of independent strength, who are farseeing, glorious as the sun,' come hither, come hither, I invoke you to the sacrifice.

3

12. We worship TRYAMBAKA,2 whose fame is fragrant, the augmenter of increase :* may I be liberated from death, and, like the Urváruka from its stalk, but not to immortality :7 let us worship TRYAMBAKA,

2

1 The text has Súrya twachas, literally, sun-skinned.

According to the scholiast the term means the father, ambuka, of the three deities, Brahmá, Vishnu, and Rudra: the Rig-vidhán identifies him with Mahadeva; but the authority is of no great weight.

Sugandhim is explained, prasáritapunya kútim, whose fame of virtue is spread; or as illustrated by another text quoted in the comment, in like manner as the fragrance of a tree full in flower sheds sweetness, so spreads the fragrance of holy actions; the memory of the just, smells sweet and blossoms in the dust.

4 Pushti varddhanam, the augmenter of nutrition, is interpreted, jagad-vijam, the seed of the world; but the simple meaning of the multiplier of good things subservient to objects of bodily enjoyment, as wealth, sṣariradhanádivishayán varddhayati yah, is preferable.

5 Mrityor mokshiya may also mean, may I be liberated from the world, or the revolutions of life and death: may I attain moksha.

6 The urráruka is called also the karkati, a species of cucumber.

7 Mámṛitat má á amrita, not to or until the immortal or immortality, understanding thereby either the long life of the gods or swarga, paradise, the wish expressed being for final emancipation this notion, and the denomination Tryambaka, are, in my opinion, decisive of the spuriousness of this stanza: the repetition of the half stanza to make up a whole is something unusual; the verse occurs in the Yajur-Veda, 3. 60, and is, in

whose fame is fragrant, the augmenter of increase: may I be liberated from death like the Urváruka from its stalk, but not unto immortality.

ADHYAYA V.

MANDALA VII. CONTINUED.

ANUVÁKA IV. CONTINUED.

SÚKTA V. (LX.)

The deities are MITRA and VARUNA, except in the first verse, in which SURYA is the divinity; the Rishi is, as throughout, VASISHTHA; the metre Trishṭubh.

1. SÚRYA, when rising to-day, declare the truth to Varga I. MITRA and VARUNA, that we are void of sin: may we, ADITI, be (approved of) among the gods: praising thee, ARYAMAN, may we be dear to thee.

2. This SURYA, the beholder of man, rises, MITRA and VARUNA, upon both (heaven and earth), moving (in the sky): he who is the preserver of all that is stationary or moveable, witnessing the upright acts or the sins of mortals.

3. He has harnessed his seven bay steeds, MITRA and VARUNA, (to come) from your common dwelling

some instances, differently interpreted; Tryambaka is termed netratrayopetam Rudram, the triocular Rudra: sugandhim, divya gandhopetam, of celestial fragrance: the urváruka is said to mean the karkandhu, which, when ripe, falls of itself from its stalk.

Varga II.

place, (the firmament): the horses that, shedding water, convey that SURYA who, friendly to you both, (contemplates all) regions, and looks carefully upon living creatures as (a herdsman) upon the herd.

4. For you, (MITRA and VARUNA), the sweetflavoured viands have been prepared: the sun has ascended the shining firmament, for whom the ÁDITYAS and the consentient MITRA, VaruṆA, ARYAMAN, make ready the paths.

5. These (deities), MITRA, ARYAMAN, VARUNA, are the detecters of much untruth: these unconquered sons of ADITI, dispensers of happiness, are magnified in the hall of sacrifice.

6. These, the unsubdued MITRA, VARUNA, and ARYAMAN, animate with energies the unconscious (sleepers): repairing to the intelligent performer (of pious acts), they lead (him) by safe paths (to heaven), removing all iniquity.

7. (Beholding) with unclosing eyes, and cognisant (of the things) of heaven and earth, they conduct the ignorant man (to duty): in the lowest depth of the river, (through them), there is a bottom: may they lead us to the opposite shore of the vast expanse.1

8. Including our sons and grandsons in that preserving and auspicious felicity which ADITI, MITRA, and VARUNA confer upon the liberal donor (of the

1

Vishpitasya páram: the former is explained only by vyáptitasya, expanded: Sáyana supplies the substantive karmanah, act, duty.

oblation), may we never, acting precipitately, incur the displeasure of the deities.

9. Let my adversary desecrate the altar by (illexpressed) praises: repelled by VARUNA, may he (undergo) various sufferings: may ARYAMAN defend us from those who hate us: confer, showerers (of benefits), a vast region upon the liberal donor (of oblations).

10. The association of these (three deities) is of mysterious lustre: by their secret strength they overcome (all enemies): showerers (of benefits), through fear (of you our opponents) are trembling: have mercy upon us in the mightiness of your strength.

11. These munificent (deities) conjointly accept the praise of the worshipper, and bestow a spacious mansion for a dwelling upon him who, for the sake of food and excellent riches, devotes his mind to your glorification.1

12. Excellent MITRA and VARUNA, to you this adoration at sacrifices is addressed: remove from us all difficulties, and ever cherish us with blessings.

SÚKTA VI. (LXI.)

Deities and metre as before.

1. Spreading around the beautiful light, MITRA Varga III. and VARUNA, of you two divinities, SÚRYA rises: he

1 Yo brahmane sumatim ayajate is explained, yo yajamáno dadáti şobhanám buddhim yushmat stoharúpáya, the institutor of the rite, who gives pure or pious understanding to the nature or form of your praise.