4. Extolling the sun.
[(Brahman.—ādhyātmam; rohitādityadevatyam. trāiṣṭubham.*) ṣaṭ paryāyāḥ. mantrokta drvatyāḥ.]
⌊Partly prose, and vss. 14-15, 22-26, and 46-56 are so designated in W's Index, p. 6.⌋ This hymn is not found in Pāipp., nor noticed either in Kāuç. or in Vāit. *⌊Here, indeed (but cf. introd. to hymn 3), the general definition for the whole kāṇḍa as "trāiṣṭubham" does not seem to apply.⌋
Translated: Henry, 17, 51; Griffith, ii. 154.
[Paryāya I.—trayodaça. 1-11. prājāpatyā ’nuṣṭubh; 12. virāḍ gāyatrī; 13. āsury uṣṇih.]
1. He goes [as] impeller (Savitar) to the heaven (svàr), looking down upon the back of the sky.
2. To the cloud-mass (nábhas) brought by rays he goes [as] great Indra, covered.
3. He [is] the Creator (dhātṛ́), he the disposer, he Vāyu, the upraised (ut-çri) cloud-mass.
A syllable is lacking, unless we make harsh resolution, in a.
4. He [is] Aryaman, he Varuṇa, he Rudra, he the great god.
5. He [is] Agni, he also the Sun, he indeed great Yama.
Parts of this verse are quoted as examples under Prāt. ii. 21, 24; iii. 35, 36; iv. 116.
6. On him wait (upa-sthā) young ones (vatsá), ten, united, having one head.
Henry acutely suggests emendation in b to -ṇo ‘yútā dáça 'ten myriads'—i.e. of rays, all heading in the sun itself. It seems probable that the original text had ékaçīrṣās: cf. dáçaçīrṣas, iv. 6. 1; the verse as it stands is redundant.
7. From behind they stretch on forward; when he rises, he shines forth.
Vibhā́sati would seem a better reading at the end.
8. His is this troop of Maruts; he goes sling-made.
That is (?), 'as if hung in slings ' ⌊OB. 'an Schnüre gehängt'⌋. Henry makes a venturesome and unacceptable emendation, and regards the adjective as referring to the 'troop '—which is not impossible.
9. To the cloud-mass brought by rays he goes [as] great Indra, covered.
This is a repetition of vs. 2; all the mss. give it in full.
10. His are these nine vessels (kóça), the props set nine-fold.
The pada-text reads viṣṭambhā́ḥ, undivided.
11. He looks abroad for living creatures (prajā́), both what breathes and what does not.
Cf. vs. 19, below; 'for,' apparently 'for the advantage of.'