Rig-Veda-Sanhita: The Sacred Hymns of the Brahmans

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Trübner, 1869 - 319 pages

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Page 230 - Aditi, an ancient god or goddess, is in reality the earliest name invented to express the Infinite ; not the Infinite as the result of a long process of abstract reasoning, but the visible Infinite, visible by the naked eye, the endless expanse, beyond the earth, beyond the clouds, beyond the sky.
Page 243 - ... and when the idea had once arisen that the departed or blessed among men joined the company of the gods, then they also might be transferred to the east. In some such sense...
Page 231 - The dawn seemed to them to open golden gates for the sun to pass in triumph, and while those gates were open their eyes and their mind strove in their childish way to pierce beyond the limits of this finite world. That silent aspect awakened in the human mind the conception of the Infinite, the Immortal, the Divine.
Page 121 - In vr/shan we have one of those words which it is almost impossible to translate accurately. It occurs over and over again in the Vedic hymns, and if we once know the various ideas which it either expresses or implies, we have little difficulty in understanding its import in a vague and general way, though we look in vain for corresponding terms in any modern language. In the Veda, and in ancient languages generally, one and the same word is frequently made to do service for many. Words retain their...
Page 103 - Augmenters of rain, they drive with golden wheels the clouds asunder, as elephants'' (in a herd break down the trees in their way) : they are honoured with sacrifices, visitants of the hall of offering, spontaneous assailers (of their foes), subverters of what are stable, immovable themselves, and wearers of shining weapons.
Page 75 - Every one hears their noise. The lightning roars like a parent cow that bellows for its calf, and the rain is set free by the Maruts. Maruts, as you have vigor, invigorate mankind ! Aswins (Waters), long-armed, goodlooking Aswins ! bearers of wealth, guides of men, harness your car ! Ambrosia is in you, in you are medicinal herbs.
Page ix - Sayawa in many cases teaches us how the Veda ought not to be, rather than how it ought to be understood. But for all that, who does not know how much assistance may be derived from a first translation, even though it is imperfect, nay, how often the very mistakes of our predecessors help us in finding the right track ? If now we can walk without...
Page 160 - ... 5. This hymn is known to be the same as that which GOTAMA recited, MARUTS, in your (praise), when he beheld you seated in your chariots with golden wheels, armed with iron weapons, hurrying hither and thither, and destroying your mightiest foes. 6. This is that praise, MARUTS, which, suited (to your merits), glorifies every one of you. The speech of the priest has now glorified you, without difficulty, with sacred verses, since (you have placed) food in our hands.
Page 68 - The sacred kusa grass (Poa cynosuroides), after having had the roots cut off, is spread on the Vedi or altar, and upon it the libation of Soma juice, or oblation of clarified butter, is poured out. In other places, a tuft of it in a similar position is supposed to form a fitting seat for the deity or deities invoked to the sacrifice. According to Mr. Stevenson, it is also strewn over the floor of the chamber in which the worship is performed.
Page 17 - The verse speaks of a horse by way of comparison only, and says that the sacrificers clean or trim Agni, the fire, as people clean a horse. We cannot join arusham in the next pada with arvantam in the preceding pada, for the second na would then be without any construction. The construction is certainly not easy, but I think it is safer to translate : they trim him (Agni), day by day, as they clean a strong horse, as they clean Arusha, the child of Dyu. In fact, as far as I know, arusha is never...

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