Indian Antiquary Vol 04

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 90

80
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MARCH, 1875.
In the Rigveda some passages occur which in part convey the same or a similar idea. Thus in ii. 11. 12, it is said : tve Indra apy abhúma vipráh, “O Indra, we sages have been in thee;" and in x. 142. 1, Ayam Agne jarita tve abhúd api sahasah súno nahy anyad asty apyam, "This worshipper, O Agni, hath been in thee: 0 son of strength, he has no other kinship;" and in viii. 47. 8, Yushme deváh api smasi yudhyantah iva varmasu, “We, O gods, are in you as if fighting in coats of mail." Prof. Roth assigns to the words api smasi in the last passage the sense of being in any thing," being closely connected with. To the similar phrases apy abhima and abhúd api in the other two texts he ascribes the sense of having a share in,' which is, no doubt, the meaning in some passages where the compound verb occurs. In any case close connection is intended. And in viii. 81. 32, the worshipper says to Indra, tvam asmákasi tava smasi, "thou art ours, and we thine."
The following are some instances in which I think Dr. Lorinser's renderings are erroneous:
Ind. Ant. vol. II. p. 288: "He is far from darkness" (viii. 9).
p. 289: "Light of lights, far from darkness is his name" (xiii. 17).
"God is light, and in him is no darkness at all" (1 John i. 5). The words here translated "far from darkness" (tamasak parastát) would be better rendered by "beyond the darkness." They are not peculiar to this passage, but occur also in the Munda Upanishad, ii. 2. 6, and Mahabhárata, v. 1712. The words tamasas pari, meaning "above, or beyond, the darkness," occur also in Rigveda i. 50. 10: "Gazing towards the upper light beyond the darkness, we have ascended to the highest luminary, Sûrya, a god among the gods." In the line of the Bhagavad Gita, the words tamasah parastát are immediately preceded by aditya-varnam," "the sun-coloured," “beyond the darkness." The Indian writer had thus no need to borrow this epithet from the Bible. It may be remarked, besides, that the verse vii. 9 contains many other epithets of Krishna as the supreme deity.
p. 291: "But if I were not constantly engaged in work, unwearied .... these worlds would perish if I did not work my work" (iii. 23, 24).
"My Father worketh hitherto, and I work" (John v. 17).
This is quoted as one of the passages which contain a characteristic expression of the New Testament with a different application;" but as the author translates it the application seems to be nearly the same, as he renders the words utsideyur ime lokáḥ,"these worlds would perish," or "would sink" (versünken) ; whereas the whole context (vv. 21ff.) points to the influence exercised by the example of an eminent man on the people around him, and leads to the conclusion that the words should be rendered "these men would be discouraged," or led into error, if I did not perform good works as an example for their imitation. In Râmânuja's commentary the words are paraphrased sarve sishtalokah, &c. : "all good people." The sentiment expressed in v. 21 is also to be found in Rámdyana ii. 109. 9 (Bombay ed.).
p. 291 :"I who am the highest way" (vii. 18). "I am the way... No man cometh unto the Father but by me." (John xiv. 6.)
“I am the way" (John xiv. 6). I am the first and the last" (Rev. i. 17).
p. 292: "Dead in me" (x. 9). "Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God" (Col. iii. 3).
The phrase here rendered "dead in me" is mad-gata-prânáh. It is explained by RÂmânuja as mad-gata-jivitáh | maya vind atmi-dharanam alabhamanah ity arthah "Having your life gone to me. The sense is, not obtaining a support for your soul or self without me." The participle gata, followed by prúna (gata-prána) undoubtedly means "dead," i.e. one whose breath is gone, just as gatásu (i.e.gata +asu) does. But with a word preceding it gata means "gone to; "thus hrid-gata means "gone to, or abiding in, the heart." The compound before as therefore signifies whose breath rests in, or depends on, me." It is preceded by mach chittah, "having your hearts in me." Lorinser quotes Mr. Cockburn Thomson as supporting the sense he gives, but it is not adopted by Schlegel or Burnouf.
p. 293: "I am the way, beginning, and ond" ix. 18; (the German of the two last words should be rendered "origin and dissolution)."
The word here translated " way" is in both passages gati. This I regard as incorrect. Gati means "going," and so, no doubt, stands for "path," but bere, as in many other passages