Page Text
________________
1
xiv
VEDIC HYMNS.
von Roth translates sushma by whistling, and arkanti by sounding, I must demur. Whistling is different from breathing, nor do I know of any passage where ark with sushma or with any similar word for sound means simply to sound a whistle. Why not translate, they sing their strength, i.e. the Maruts, by their breathing or howling, proclaim themselves their strength? We find a similar idea in I, 87, 3, 'the Maruts have themselves glorified their greatness.' Neither Grassmann nor Ludwig venture to take sushma in the sense of whistle, or arkanti in the sense of sounding. Bergaigne seems to take vrishanah as a genitive, referring to Indra, 'ils chantent la force à Indra,' which may have been the original meaning, but seems hardly appropriate when the verse is placed in the mouth of Indra himself (Journ. Asiat. 1884, p. 199). Sushma never occurs as an adjective. The passages in which von Roth admits sushma as an adjective are not adequate. Does mitgeboren in German convey the meaning of sánîlâh, 'of the same nest?'
Verse 2.
The second verse contains few difficulties, and is well rendered by von Roth:
'An wessen Sprüchen freuen sich die Jungen?
Wer lenkt die Marut her zu seinem Opfer? Gleich Falken streichend durch den Raum der LüfteWie bringt man sie mit Wunscheskraft zum Stehen?'
Verse 3.
The third verse is rendered by von Roth: 'Wie kommt es, Indra, dass du sonst so munter, Heut' ganz alleine fährst, sag an Gebieter ! Du pflegtest auf der Fahrt mit uns zu plaudern;
Was hast du wider uns, sprich, Rosselenker!' Von Roth takes kútah in a causal sense, why? I believe that kútah never occurs in that sense in the Rig-veda. If it does, passages should be produced to prove it.
Mahinah can never be translated by 'sonst so munter.' This imparts a modern idea which is not in the original.
Digitized by Google
| SR No. | 007685 |
| Book Title | Grihya Sutras |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | Hermann Oldenberg |
| Publisher | Oxford |
| Publication Year | 1886 |
| Total Pages | 2642 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 49 MB |