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Agni in Ṛgveda-Saṃhitā 9, 66 and 67

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2011

J. Gonda
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Extract

There are two passages in the Soma hymns of maṇḍala IX which deserve special attention. Both of them are concerned with Agni, who in this book is a rare and insignificant occurrence: in 9,5,11 he is, in a final line, said to witness, together with Vāyu, Bṛhaspati, Sūrya and Indra, a Soma ceremony; in 22, 2 and 88, 5 he figures in similes; in 96, 5 Soma is described as the father of Heaven, Earth, Agni, Sūrya, Indra and Viṣṇu. The more interesting are the two Agni passages in the last sūktas of the first part of this maṇḍala, viz. the triplet 9, 66, 19–21 and the six stanzas 9, 67, 22–27.

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Articles
Information
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society , Volume 111 , Issue 2 , April 1979 , pp. 137 - 152
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Asiatic Society 1979

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References

1 This text is as st. 11–13 part of AVP 19, 7 which is an aggregate composed of AVŚ 6, 63, 4 (imploring Agni to “bring good things”), 6, 64 (for concord), 6, 52 (for deliverance from unseen evil), 6, 24 (addressed to the Waters, for blessing), 6, 19 and 6, 18 (against jealousy).

2 For particulars see Gonda, J., The Savayajñas, Amsterdam, 1965, 308 f.Google Scholar; for a translation, ibid., 98.

3 See Gonda, , Savayajñas, 135Google Scholar; Caland, W., Altindisches Zauberritual, Amsterdam, 1900, 17, n. 3.Google Scholar

4 For a description see Dumont, P. E., L'aśvamedha, Paris and Louvain 1927, 232 ff.Google Scholar

5 See e.g. ŚB 12, 8, 1, 1 ff.; at 8 this ritual is said to be a means of purification (pavitram).

6 To this stanza corresponds ṚVKh 3, 11, 2 (Scheftelowitz, J., Die Apokryphen des Ṛgveda, Breslau, 1906, 98).Google Scholar

7 Geldner, K. F., Der Rig-Veda übersetzt, Cambridge, Mass., 1951, III, 57.Google Scholar

8 Renou, L., Études védiques et pāṇinéennes, VIII, Paris, 1961, 104.Google Scholar

9 If 9, 5, 8 (an āprī hymn) and 9, 81, 4 (an enumeration of deities) are left out of consideration.

10 See below.

11 The scope of this article does not allow me to enlarge upon the use of this section (anuvāka). Let it suffice to mention that in HGS 1, 10, 2 it is used when the teacher makes his pupil wash himself; in 1, 21, 5 in besprinkling the bride; in 2, 18, 9 and BaudhDhŚ 2, 5, 8, 11 in bathing rites; in the latter work 1, 6, 14, 15 to purify food that has been defiled.

12 For particulars see Scheftelowitz, , op. cit., 96.Google Scholar

13 For a complete translation see Gonda, J., The Ṛgvidhāna, Utrecht, 1951, 66 f.Google Scholar

14 The ṛṣi (poet) of st. 22–32 is according to the Sarvānukramaṇī Pavitra (“Means of purification, Purifier”) or (and) Vasiṣṭha; perhaps Pavitra of 22–27; Vasiṣṭha of the rest?

15 cf. Renou, , EVP, VIII, 52.Google Scholar

16 For an identification of Agni and Savitar see ŚB 6, 3, 1, 6 f.

17 For a detailed discussion of the relations between these gods see Gonda, J., The dual deities in the religion of the Veda, Amsterdam, 1974, 363 ff.Google Scholar

18 Bergaigne, A., La religion védique d'après les hymnes du Rig-Veda, I, Paris, 1878 (second edition 1963), 166Google Scholar. Compare Gonda, , Dual deities, 370 f. (also for ṚV 1, 95, 8;9, 71, 8 and other places).Google Scholar

19 Renou, , EVP, VIII, 52.Google Scholar

20 Bhawe, S. S., The Soma-hymns of the Ṛgveda, III, Baroda, 1962, 131.Google Scholar

21 See ṚV 3, 26, 8; not all passages quoted by Bhawe are relevant. For this spiritual clarification see Gonda, J., The vision of the Vedic poets, The Hague, 1963, 278 ff.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

22 cf. Renou, , EVP, VIII, 103Google Scholar; Wackernagel, J. and Debrunner, A., Altindische Grammatik, II, 2, Göttingen, 1954, 683 f.Google Scholar

23 ṚV 1, 94, 6; 2, 5, 2; 4, 9, 3; 7, 16, 5.

24 As stated above the stanza is in VS 19 placed between ṚV 23 and 25; both commentators (Uvaṭa and Mahīdhara) regard it as addressed to Soma and (as to the third pāda) to Vāyu. Then the three stanzas are successively meant for Agni, Soma and Savitar.

25 Renou, , EVP, VIII, 103.Google Scholar

26 Bhawe, , op. cit., 132.Google Scholar

27 Sāyaṇa on TB 1, 1,5, 10. See e.g. TB 1, 1, 5, 10–6, l, 3; BaudhŚS 2, 20; BhŚS 5, 13, 15 ff.; 14, 1 f.; ĀpŚS 5, 21, 1 (with Caland's, W. note, Das Śrautasūtra des Āpastamba, I, Göttingen and Leipzig, 1921, 163 f.Google Scholar); ŚB 2, 2, 1, 6 ff. (with Eggeling's note, The Śatapatha-Brāhmaṇa translated, Oxford, 1882, 1, 304).Google Scholar

28 See e.g. Caland, W. and Henry, V., L'agniṣṭoma, Paris, 1906, 272.Google Scholar

29 cf. e.g. ṚV 9, 39, 2; 49, 1; 3; 74, 3; 96, 14; 97, 17; see also ŚB 4, 2, 2, 15 etc.

30 See e.g. ṚV 9, 2, 9; ll, 3.

31 cf. e.g. ṚV 9, 4, 7; 8; 10; 8, 8; 9, 9; 20, 7; 40, 5; 20, 1; 32, 6; 44, 6; 85, 1; 8, 7; 61, 28; 61, 26; 70, 10; 56, 4; 9, 4; 96, 14; 4, 1–10. For a fairly complete survey of the Ṛgvedic texts see Nobel, J., Register zu K. F. Geldner, Der Rig-Veda, IV, Cambridge, Mass., 1957, 228 ff.Google Scholar

32 ṚV 9, 21, 2 (cf. 30, 3); 43, 6; 36, 3; 39, 2.

33 Geldner, , op. cit., III, Cambridge, Mass. 1951, 56.Google Scholar

34 cf. Gonda, , The vision of the Vedic poets, 105 f.Google Scholar

35 See above.

36 cf. Lüders, H., Varuṇa, Göttingen, 1951–1959, 560.Google Scholar

37 Caland, and Henry, , L'agniṣṭoma, 110 ff.Google Scholar; Gonda, , Dual deities, 386 ff.Google Scholar; see AiB 1, 30; KB 9, 5 f.; ĀśvŚS 4, 10; ŚŚS 5, 14.

38 This could perhaps be suggested by Geldner's translation of panipnatam “der viel Geschrei macht” (Sāyaṇa's atyantaṃ śabdāyamānam; cf. Bhawe, , op. cit., 120Google Scholar: “profusely singing”); however, “filling with power and hence worthy of praise or admiration” “miraculeux”, Caland, and Henry, , op. cit., 112Google Scholar; “merveilleux”, Renou, , EVP, VIII, 45 seems to be a more satisfactory rendering.Google Scholar

39 cf. also KauśS 58, 3; 11.

40 I refer to the explanatory notes by Geldner, Renou, and Bhawe.

41 According to BD 6, 131 Agni is in these three stanzas “incidental” (nipātabhāj).

42 See above.

43 “Das Feuer bewirkt… nicht nur die … Reinigung, sondern besitzt auch eine positiv heiligende und sogar lebenserneuernde Wirkung”, Widengren, G., Die Religionen Irans, Stuttgart, 1965, 33. Remember, for instance, a mantra such as MS 4, 7, 3: 96, 10; MŚS 7, 2, 2, 16; VŚS 3, 2, 1, 54 “O Agni, making longevity, thou art possessed of longevity, possessed of brilliant energy among the gods; make me possessed of longevity, possessed of brilliant energy among men”.Google Scholar

44 See e.g. van der Leeuw, G., Religion in essence and manifestation, London, 1938, 63 f.Google Scholar For fire as a cleansing agent see Frazer, J. G., The golden bough, abr. ed., London, 1957, 848 ff.Google Scholar; Heiler, F., Erscheinungsformen und Wesen der Religion, Stuttgart, 1961, 185 f.Google Scholar

45 cf. Gonda, J., Epithets in the Ṛgveda, 's-Gravenhage, 1959, 215.Google Scholar

46 Compare also Agni's pavitrāṇi (ṚV 3, 26, 8).

47 cf. ApŚS 5, 28, 3; TB 1, 3, 1, 3; 1, 6, 6, 1 (and see Caland, W., Das Śrautasūtra des Āpastamba, I, Göttingen and Leipzig, 1921, 174).Google Scholar

48 See above.

49 cf. Caland, and Henry, , op. cit., 126 f.Google Scholar

50 It seems worth noticing that VaitS 6, 11, in dealing with the oblation to be offered on the occasion of the establishment of the sacred fires (āgnyādheyikīṣv iṣṭiṣu) to Agni Pavamāna (Agni who is purifying himself), Agni Pāvaka (Agni the pure one), Agni Śuci (Agni the clear or bright one) and Aditi, prescribes the use of the above-mentioned AVŚ 6, 19, 2 as a consecratory formula for the first oblation.

51 For these three aspects of Agni see e.g. also MŚS 1, 5, 6, 1 ff.

52 For a longer discussion see Gonda, J., The mantras of the agnyupasthāna ceremony (to be published by the Amsterdam Academy).Google Scholar

53 Griffith, R. T. H., The texts of the White Yajurveda, Benares, 1927, p. 276Google Scholar; Geldner, , RV übers., III, 54Google Scholar; Caland, , Śr d. Āp., I, 158.Google Scholar

54 Renou, , EVP, VIII, 101.Google Scholar

55 Caland, , Śr. d. Āp., I, 158 translating the MS passage.Google Scholar

56 For some particulars on this rite see Dresden, M. J., Mānavagṛhyasūtra, thesis, Utrecht, 1941, 169 ff.Google Scholar

57 See Parpola, A., The Śrautasūtras of Lāṭyāyana and Drāhyāyaṇa and their commentaries, Helsinki Acad. (43, 2), 1969, 85.Google Scholar

58 For Agni granting longevity or continuance of life see e.g. ṚV 1, 36, 14; 44, 6; 94, 4; 16; 96, 8; 8, 44, 30.

59 For a complete translation see van Gelder, J. M., The Mānava Śrautasūtra translated, New Delhi, 1963, 159 f.Google Scholar

60 It may be recalled that the first of a group (in most cases a triad) of stanzas occurring in the Uttarārcika of the Sāmaveda is closely connected with the rest. For chronological particulars etc. see Gonda, J., Vedic literature, Wiesbaden, 1975, 318.Google Scholar