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HYMN TO INDRA AND THE MARUTS (THE

STORM-GODS).

1. Those who stand around him while he moves on, harness the bright red steed; the lights in heaven shine forth.2

2. They harness to the chariot on each side his (Indra's)1 two favourite bays, the brown, the bold, who can carry the hero.

3. Thou who createst light where there was no light, and form, O men!1 where there was no form, hast been born together with the dawns.2

4. Thereafter1 they (the Maruts), according to their wont, assumed again the form of new-born babes,* taking their sacred name.

an Indra), who with the rays of the morning, gives sense to the senseless, and to the formless, form.

BENFEY: Licht machend-Männer!-das Dunkele und kenntlich das Unkenntliche, entsprangst du mit dem Morgenroth.

LANGLOIS: O mortels, (voyez-le) mettant l'ordre dans la confusion, donnant la forme au chaos. O Indra, avec les rayons du jour tu viens de naître.

4. WILSON: Thereafter, verily, those who bear names invoked in holy rites, (the Maruts,) having seen the rain about to be engendered, instigated him to resume his embryo condition (in the clouds).

BENFEY: Sodann von freien Stücken gleich erregen wieder Schwangerschaft die heilgen Namen tragenden.

LANGLOIS: A peine la formule de l'offrande a-t-elle été prononcée, que les (Marouts), dont le nom mérite d'être invoqué dans les sacrifices, viennent exciter (de leur souffle) le feu à peine sorti du sein (de l'aranî).

5. Vilú kit ârugatnú-bhih gúhâ kit indra váhni-bhih, ávindah usríyâh ánu.

6. Deva-yántah yáthâ matím ákkha vidát-vasum gírah, mahẩm anûshata srutám.

7. Índrena sám hí dríkshase sam-gagmânáh ábibhyusha, mandu (íti) samâná-varkasâ.

8. Anavadyaíh abhídyu-bhih makháh sáhasvat arkati, ganaíh indrasya kẩmyaih.

9. Átah pari-gman a gahi diváh vâ rokanất ádhi, sám asmin ringate gírah.

5. WILSON: Associated with the conveying Maruts, the traversers of places difficult of access, thou, Indra, hast discovered the cows hidden in the cave.

BENFEY: Mit den die Festen brechenden, den Stürmenden fandst, Indra, du die Kühe in der Grotte gar.

LANGLOIS: Avec ces (Marouts), qui brisent tout rempart et supportent (la nue) Indra, tu vas, du sein de la caverne, délivrer les vaches (célestes).

6. WILSON: The reciters of praises praise the mighty (troop of Maruts), who are celebrated, and conscious of the power of bestowing wealth in like manner as they (glorify) the counsellor (Indra).

BENFEY: Nach ihrer Einsicht verherrlichend besingen Sänger den Schätzeherrn, den berühmten, gewaltigen.

LANGLOIS: Voilà pourquoi l'hymne qui chante les dieux célèbre aussi le grand (dieu des vents), qui assiste (Indra) de ses conseils, et découvre les heureux trésors.

7. WILSON: May you be seen, Maruts, accompanied by the undaunted (Indra); both rejoicing, and of equal splendour.

5. Thou, O Indra, with the swift Maruts1 who break even through the stronghold," hast found even in their hiding-place the bright cows3 (the days).

6. The pious singers1 (the Maruts) have, after their own mind,2 shouted towards the giver of wealth, the great, the glorious (Indra).

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7. Mayest thou1 (host of the Maruts) be verily seen2 coming together with Indra, the fearless: you are both happy-making, and of equal splendour.

8. With the beloved hosts of Indra, with the blameless, heavenward-tending (Maruts), the sacrificer1 cries aloud.

9. From yonder, O traveller (Indra), come hither, or down from the light of heaven; the singers all yearn for it;-

BENFEY: So lass mit Indra denn vereint, dem furchtlosen, erblicken dich, beide erfreu'nd und glanzesgleich.

LANGLOIS: Avec l'intrépide Indra, (ô dieu,) on te voit accourir; tous deux pleins de bonheur, tous deux également resplendissants.

8. WILSON: This rite is performed in adoration of the powerful Indra, along with the irreproachable, heavenwardtending, and amiable bands (of the Maruts).

BENFEY: Durch Indra's liebe Schaaren, die untadligen, himmelstürmenden, strahlet das Opfer mächtiglich.

LANGLOIS: Notre sacrifice confond, dans un homage aussi empressé, Indra et la troupe (des Marouts) bienfaisante, irréprochable, et brillante des feux (du matin).

9. WILSON: Therefore circumambient (troop of Maruts), come hither, whether from the region of the sky, or from the solar sphere; for, in this rite, (the priest) fully recites your praises.

BENFEY: Von hier, oder vom Himmel komm ob dem Ether, Umkreisender! zu dir streben die Lieder all.

10. Itál vâ sâtím imahe diváh vâ parthivât ádhi, índram maháh vâ rágasah.

LANGLOIS (Dieu des vents), qui parcours le monde, viens vers nous, ou de ton séjour habituel, ou de la demeure céleste de la lumière; notre voix aujourd'hui t'appelle.

10. WILSON: We invoke Indra,-whether he come from this earthly region, or from the heaven above, or from the vast firmament,-that he may give (us) wealth.

COMMENTARY.

This hymn is ascribed to Kanva, the son of Ghora. The metre is Gâyatrî throughout.

Verse 1, note1. The poet begins with a somewhat abrupt description of a sunrise. Indra is taken as the god of the bright day, whose steed is the sun, and whose companions the Maruts, or the storm-gods. Arushá, meaning originally red, is used as a proper name of the horse or of the rising sun, though it occurs more frequently as the name of the red horses or flames of Agni, the god of fire, and also of the morning light. In our passage, Arushá, a substantive, meaning the red of the morning, has taken bradhná as an adjective, bradhná meaning, as far as can be made out, bright in general, though, as it is especially applied to the Soma-juice, perhaps bright-brown or yellow. Names of colour are difficult to translate from one language into another, for their shades vary, and withdraw themselves from sharp definition. We shall meet with this difficulty again and again in the Veda.

The following passages will illustrate the principal meaning of arushá, and justify the translation here adopted.

Arushá as an Adjective.

Arusha is used as an adjective in the sense of red: vii. 97, 6. tám sagmasah arushasah ásvâh bríhaspátim saha-vẩhah vahanti,—nábhah ná rûpám arushám vásânâh.

10. Or we ask Indra for help from here, or from heaven, above the earth, or from the great sky.

BENFEY: Von hier, oder vom Himmel ob der Erde begehren Spende wir, oder, Indra! aus weiter Luft.

LANGLOIS: Nous invoquons aussi la libéralité d'Indra; (qu'il nous entende), soit d'ici-bas, soit de l'air qui enveloppe la terre, soit du vaste séjour de la lumière.

Powerful red horses, drawing together draw him, Brihaspati: horses clothed in red colour like the sky. iii. 1, 4. svetám gagñânám arushám mahi-tva. Agni, the white, when born; the red, by growth. iii. 15, 3. krishnasu agne arusháh ví bhâhi.

Shine, O Agni, red among the dark ones.

iii. 31, 21. antár (íti) krishnan arushaíh dhẩma-bhih gât. He (Indra) went among the dark ones with his red companions.

vi. 27, 7. yásya gấvau arushấ.

He (Indra) whose two cows are red.

vii. 75, 6. práti dyutânẩm arushẩsah ásvâh kitrẩh adrisran ushásam váhantah.

The red horses, the beautiful, were seen bringing to us the bright dawn.

v. 43, 12. híranya-varnam arushám sapema.

Let us worship the gold-coloured, the red, i. e. Brihaspati (the fire).

i. 118, 5. pári vâm ásvâh vápushah patangẩh váyah vahantu arushah abhike.

May the winged beautiful horses, may the red birds bring you (the Asvins) back near to us.

iv. 43, 6. ghrina váyah arushẩsah pári gman.

The red birds (of the Asvins) came back by day.

v. 73, 5. pári vâm arushẩh váyah ghrina varante â-tápah. The red birds shield you (the Asvins) around by day from the heat.

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