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116
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(APRIL, 1921
There is similarly a verse by another lady, the sister of the sage Agastya, in the first half of a heterogenous hymn of twelve verses in the tenth Mandala (10, 60). The first half is & panegyric of a king named Asamáti and the last verse of it (sixth in the whole hymn) is by Agastya's sister, the mother of Bandhu and others, who are the seers of this hymn along with their mother. She prays to the king thus:-"Thou dost yoke two ruddy steeds for (the defence of) Agastya's scions. Thou, O King, didst rout the niggardly Panis -- all of them." The verse points to women taking part in celebrating glories of kings.
The Anukramani ascribes another verse in a hymn of various authors (8.1. 34) to a lady pamed Çaçvatî, but it seems to be rather composed by others about her. Similarly, the Anukramani ascribes hymn 10. 109 to a lady named Juh û or the sage Urdha nâbha, but in reality it appears to be a story composed by the latter about Juhů and her husband Brahaspati. So, putting aside the ladies Juhů and Çacvati, as not being actual verse. writers, we should like to refer to two characteristic verses on love by Lopamudrå (1. 179. 1-2) addressed to her husband Agastya, who replies in two other verses, after which a disciple of the latter brings the hymn to a close with two more verses. It is not therefore a hymn addressed to any particular deity. Lopamudrå speaks to her ascetic husband :-"Those of old, who were defenders of the eternal Law and declared laws with the gods, abided by them, (but) did not attain the end : (80) will (now) wives be united with their husbands?" With this verse and another Lopamudrá tries to turn her ascetic lord into a loving husband. Agastya's reply is in the same spirit.
There is a similar but indelicate conversation between king Bhavayavya and his wife Romaça, being two verses added, without any apparent connection, to hymn 1. 126, composed by the sage Kakshîvân about the generosity of the king. They are in a different metre from the preceding verses and might very well be a fragment of a popular song, as Griffith has suggested.
So much for hymns by women. In the tenth Mandala there are two simple incantations (10. 145, 159), supposed to be by Indrâni and Çachi respectively, the subject being the overpowering of rival co-wives. Both Indrani and Sachi are mythical names, but Çachi means "action" according to the Nirukta and it had probably a historical background. Here is a verse by Çachi: “My sons are destroyers of enemies, and my daughter supreme and I too victorious. Mine is the highest esteem with my husband" (10. 159. 3). Rivalry of co-wives is a matter of every day experience and it is not surprising to have a poem on the subject by the victorious party like that of Cachi. Çachi's tone is exultant indeed-" There rises the Sun, there my Fortune is up" (10. 159. 1).
Then we must note of some doubtful names. In the hymns concerned the seer is mentioned as the deity as well, in the Anukramaņi Of the poem on Craddha "faith" (10.151), Craddha is the traditional composer. In the Anukramani, the invocation of Ratri "Night" (10. 127) is however ascribed to Ratri or the sage Kuçika, and the poem on Dakshiņa, "Sacrificial gift” (10. 107) to Dakshina or the sage Divya. The latter names are the real authors in these cases. Sårparâjnî is another doubtful name with which hymn 10. 189 is associated. The deity of the hymn is said to be Sårparâjni herself or the Sun In the Aitareya Brahmana (5 2 4. 4) the word Sâr parajni is explained as "sarpato râjni,': "the queen of all that moves," or the earth. This bespeaks the legendary character of the name. Surya (10.85), Indramâtarah, “Mothers of Indra," and Yami (10. 153. 154) are three other such names.
