39 (40). In praise of Sarasvant (?).
[Praskaṇva.—mantroktadevatyam. trāiṣṭubham.]
Found also in Pāipp. xx. Kāuç. (24. 9) employs it in a rite for prosperity, with offering to Indra of the omentum of a best bull; the verse is reckoned (note to 19. 1) to the puṣṭika mantras.
Translated: Henry, 14, 69; Griffith, i. 344.
1. [Him], the heavenly eagle, milky, great, embryo of the waters, bull of the herbs, gratifying with rain from close by (?), in our cow-stall standing in wealth may [one] establish.
The first three pādas are, with variants, RV. i. 164. 52 a, b, c (also TS. iii. 1. 113). Our very senseless payasám in a is RV. vāyasám (TS. vay-); our vṛṣabhám (so TS.) in b is RV. darçatám; and RV. (not TS.) has vṛṣṭíbhis in c. Then, for d, RV. has sárasvantam ávase johavīmi (TS. nearly the same), which makes the whole verse one consistent construction; our d fits very badly. Ppp. reads samudram for suparṇam in a, and has, for c, d, abhīptaṁ rayyā tapanti sarasvantaṁ rahiṣṭhyā (i.e. rayiṣṭhām) sādaye ’ha. The comm. understands Sarasvant to be intended throughout the verse, and supplies indras as subject for the concluding verb; abhīpatas he explains variously: sarvataḥ saṁgatā āpo ‘smin or abhipatanaçīlān vṛṣṭikāmān sarvaprāṇinaḥ. Henry renders "those who invoke him."
40 (41). Prayer and praise to Sarasvant.
[Praskaṇva.—dvyṛcam. sārasvatam. trāiṣṭubham: 1. bhurij.]
Found also in Pāipp. xx. Kāuç. makes no use of the hymn; but it is quoted by Vāit. (8. 2), with hymn 68, as accompanying offerings to Sarasvatī and Sarasvant at the full-moon sacrifice.
Translated: Henry, 14, 70; Griffith, i. 345.
1. [He] whose [established] course all the cattle go, in whose course stand the waters, in whose course the lord of prosperity is entered—him, Sarasvant, we call to aid.
The verse is found in several other texts: TS. (iii. 1. 113), MS. (iv. 10. 1), AÇS. (iii. 8. 1), ÇÇS. (vi. 11. 8); and it is a supplement (Aufrecht,2 p. 678) to RV. vii. 96. All these agree in reading vratám in b, puṣṭipátis (the comm. also has this) in c, and huvema at the end. Ppp. has vrate in a and vratam in b, and juhuvema at the end.
2. We, putting on abundance of wealth [and] ambition (?), would ⌊here⌋ call hither to [us] Sarasvant, a bestower coming to meet his bestower (dāçvā́ṅs), lord of prosperity, standing in wealth, seat of wealths.
The translation implies substitution of the Ppp. reading, çravasyam, for -syúm in c: the construction is hard enough, even with that change. Ppp. also has rayīṇām for rayiṣṭhām in b, and vasānam (which seems better) at end of c. SPP. reads in a the impossible form dāçváṅsam (the comm. has -vāṅs-), alleging for it the support of most of his authorities; if any of ours have it, the fact was overlooked. ⌊Bp.1 has dāçvàṅsam; Bp.2 dāçvàṅssam!⌋
