Rig Veda

Text & Audio

MAṆḌALA 1

Sūkta 65

2. Audio

▪   by South Indian brahmins
▪   by Sri Shyama Sundara Sharma and Sri Satya Krishna Bhatta. Recorded by © 2012 Sriranga Digital Software Technologies Pvt. Ltd.

1. 1946¹

1.65.1-2. He hides himself like a thief with the cow of vision in the secret cavern, he takes to himself our adoration, and thither he carries it². The thinkers take a common joy in him, they follow him by his footprints; all the Masters of sacrifice come to thee, O Flame, in the secrecy.

1.65.3-4. The Gods follow after him the law of the workings of Truth. He stands encompassing all as heaven the earth. The Waters make him grow increasing in his bulk by their toil³, the Flame well-born in their womb, in the abode of the Truth.

1.65.5-6. He is as if a delightful thriving, he is like the earth our wide dwelling-place. He is enjoyable like a hill and bliss-giving like fast-running water. He is like a charger in the battle rushing to the gallop and like a flowing river⁴, who shall hedge in his course?

1.65.7-8. He is the close comrade of the Rivers as is a brother of his sisters. He devours the earth’s forests as a king his enemies. When driven by the breath of the wind he ranges around the forests, the Flame tears asunder the hairs of Earth’s body.

1.65.9-10. He breathes in the Waters like a seated swan. Waking in the dawn he has power by the will of his works to give knowledge to the peoples. He is like the God of the Wine, born of the Truth and a creator. He is like a cow with her new-born. He is wide-spreading and his light is seen from afar.

2. February 1920⁵

1. He hides himself like a thief with the Cow of vision in the secret cavern of being taking to himself and bearing thither our adoration.

2. The thinkers nurse a common joy in him in their hearts and follow in his way by her footprints. All the Masters of sacrifice come to thee, O Flame, in the secrecy.

3. The Gods follow after him the ways and works of the Truth. He shall stand encompassing the earth like heaven.

4. The Waters increase by their toil growing in his bulk the Flame because he was born perfect in their womb in the house of Truth.

5. He is like delightful increase and like the wide earth our dwelling-place. He is enjoyable like a hill and bliss-giving like fast-running water.

6. He is like a horse in the battle-charge urged to the gallop and like a rushing river, and who then shall hedge in his course?

7. He is the close comrade of the Rivers as a brother of his sisters. He devours Earth’s pleasant woods as a king devours his enemies.

8. When driven by the breath of the wind he stands about in all the woodland, the Flame tears asunder the hairs of earth’s body.

9. He breathes in the Waters like a seated swan. Awake in the dawn he has power by the will of his works to give knowledge to the peoples.

10. He is like the god of the nectar-wine and born of Truth and a creator. He is like the Cow with her child. He is all-pervading and his light is seen from a far distance

3. Circa 1917–20⁶

1.65.1-2

तायुः thief with the cow in mountain cave .. (query, one who forms, creates पश्वा by the cow of vision)

गुहा चतंतं. See parallel passages. S. अब्रूपायां गुहायां or अश्वत्थगुहायां Taitt. स निलायत सोऽपः प्राविशत् or (sruti) अग्निर्देवेभ्यो निलायत । अश्वो रूपं कृत्वा सोऽश्वत्थे संवत्सरमतिष्ठत्

चतंतं S. going = वर्तमानं. चततिर्गतिकर्मा. Perhaps “hiding” cf चतुः four = originally, side, wall

Data चत् 1 ask, request 2 go

Caus. to cause to hide scare, terrify

चतित hidden, made to disappear चातन driving away, removing चातनं removing, scaring away .. tormenting, afflicting चतुल depositing, placing चत्वर a quadrangular place or courtyard, a levelled spot of ground for sacrifice, a place where many roads meet, a collection of four chariots. चत्वालः a hole in the ground prepared for oblation or sacrificial fire, Kusha grass, womb. चतुर clever .. swift .. charming चतुरः round pillow .. crooked gait .. elephant’s stable (also चतुरं). चतुरं cleverness. See also चट् , चण् , चंड् and their derivatives.

गुहा

नमः S. offering food; really “obeisance, devotion”

युजानं 1. आत्मना संयुजानं. So “taking to himself”; may it not = प्रयुज् ?

Parallel passages.

धीराः. S. The intelligent gods. Simply the thinkers — possibly the Angiras Rishis.

सजोषाः समानप्रीतयः

पदैः. S. Tracks.

Parallel passages.

यजत्राः. S. यजनीयाः to be worshipped with sacrifice. But he also takes it active elsewhere.

उपसीदन् S. समीपं प्राप्नुवन् । ददृशुरित्यर्थः. But simply “came” or “came up to thee” or else “came for the knowledge”

1.65.3-4

ऋतस्य S. गतस्य पलायितस्याग्नेः. Absurd. ऋतस्य व्रता = परमसत्यस्य धर्मान् , or else सत्यस्याग्नेर्धर्मान् . Is ऋत ever adjective in R.V.?

ऋतस्य व्रता Parallel passages

व्रता S. कर्माणि. But it means “a regular or fixed course of action” = धर्म. S. says his actions of going, sitting, lying etc अन्वेष्टुमगमन् — cf such expressions as दृढानि व्रतानि which means “firm, unchanging courses or laws of action” or अदब्धानि व्रतानि. Hence the later meaning of व्रत

परिष्टिः. S. परितः सर्वतोऽन्वेषणं — इषु इच्छायां. No .. Agni became परितः स्थितः all encompassing as the heaven encompasses the earth. Cf अभिष्टिः. गविष्टिः is different in formation.

द्यौर्न भूम. S. Earth became like heaven. But it means “as earth heaven” or “a great wideness like heaven” or “encompassing the earth like heaven”.

वर्धंति. S. The waters increase him, ie so keep him that the gods cannot see him, but that would rather show than hide him.

पन्वा. S. स्तोत्रेण. I take it as “working, toil”. The waters increase him by their working. Cf Greek πόνος toil, Tamil paṇ. to do, act. पण् to deal, traffic, trade and its derivatives. पनुः = toil

सुशिश्विं. S. सुष्ठु प्रवर्धितं

ऋतस्य S. यज्ञस्यान्नस्य वा योनौ कारणभूते जले. योनिरित्युदकनाम गर्भे गर्भस्थाने Sayana says the Fish gave news of him. Taitt. तं देवताः प्रैषमैच्छन् । तं मत्स्यः प्राब्रवीत्

1.65.5-6

पुष्टिर्न रण्वा S. (1) delightful (हृद्या) as the increase of desired fruits, because all dealings with both worlds depend upon Agni.

or (2) गंतव्यः or शब्दनीयः स्तुत्यः — ie Agni is got in the sacrifice by offerings as increase is got. स्तुत्यः not possible — cf 66.2

गिरिर्न भुज्म भोजयिता with its fruits and roots, as Agni by cooking our food, or as Agni gives enjoyment of Paradise or as a mountain protects people in famine by its fruits and nuts, so Agni delivers from sin.

शंभु सुखकरं

अज्मन् battle — why not course, race? अत्यः सततगमनशीलो जात्यश्वः

सर्गप्रतक्तः विसर्जनेन प्रगमितः to the man who has to be killed; instr. compound तृतीया कर्मणीति पूर्वपदप्रकृतिस्वरत्वं तंचु गतौ

सिंधुः न क्षोदः स्यंदनशीलमुदकमिवायमपि शीघ्रगामी क्षोदः = उदकं क्षुद् to tread on, trample, strike against, crush, bruise, pound. At. [Atmanepada] to move, be agitated.

क्षोदः pounding .. mortar .. flour .. dust .. small particle

क्षोदस् water.

को वराते को वारयेत्

1.65.7-8

सिंधूनां स्यंदनशीलानामपां

जामिः बंधुः because they are born of him तथाम्नातं । अग्नेरापः or because he hid in them and then became very friendly with them,

भ्राता as a brother is हितकरः to his sisters

इभ्यान् S. 1. enemies — भियं यंतीति. 2 rich men — by taking from them their wealth. In either case हिनस्ति.

इभः (इ-भन्-किच्च) elephant; Vd [Veda] fearless power or servants, dependants

इभ्य wealthy (Dk [Dashakumaracharita]) .. belonging to one’s servants

इभ्यः a king, elephant driver, acc. to S. enemy

इभ्या a female elephant .. olibanum tree, boswellia serrata.

इभ्यक wealthy, rich.

Suggestions to follow, go (elephant cf T. [Tamil] yanai) .. to attack (enemy) .. to rule (ईश्) so king, rich or powerful man .. power .. The servants, retinue from sense of to go with, follow

दाति छिनत्ति

1.65.9-10

श्वसिति. S. He breathes there when he runs away from the gods, ie is hidden.

क्रत्वा S. ज्ञानहेतुनात्मीयेन प्रकाशेन

चेतिष्ठः S. with विशां — अतिशयेन ज्ञापयिता — ie by the light he gives at night.

क्रतु in sense of knowledge

चेतिष्ठः Parallel passages.

वेधाः S. विधाता स्रष्टा. Soma creates the plants which are eaten भोग्यजातं, Agni is the eater भोक्तृ, as सोमो वा ओषधीनां राजा and Taitt. अग्निरन्नादोऽन्नपतिः and in Vajasaneyaka एतावद्वा इदमन्नं चैवान्नादश्च सोम एवान्नमग्निरन्नादः

Does ववेधा = creator?

ऋतजातः born from water

शिश्वा S. (1) शयानः. Agni has contracted like an animal in the waters (2) (the cow) with the calf

विभुः प्रभूतः when born as opposed to contraction or प्रभूतावयवः like the cow in his birth — all this to be connected with श्वसिति

¹ Hymns to the Mystic Fire, 1946 // CWSA.– Vol. 16.– Hymns to the Mystic Fire.– Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, 2013, pp. 31-113.

Back

² Or better, he takes to himself our surrender, he carries with him our surrender.

Back

³ Or, by their chant,

Back

⁴ Or, like a sea in its motion,

Back

⁵ Parashara’s Hymns to the Lord of the Flame // CWSA.– Vol. 15.– The Secret of the Veda.– Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, 1998, pp. 576-578. 1-st published: Arya: A Philosophical Review. Monthly.– Vol.6, No 7 – February 1920, pp. 447-448.

Back

⁶ CWSA.– Vol. 14.– Vedic and Philological Studies.– Pondicherry: Sri Aurobindo Ashram, 2016, pp. 448-455. (Part 4 № 4).

Back

Please, start with Introduction
Without knowledge of some things, reading Rigveda will be unproductive. We strongly recommend that you begin your acquaintance with Rigveda by reading the Introduction.