Indian Antiquary Vol 56

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 39

FEBRUARY, 19271
VEDIO STUDIES
of Indra (PW), but Indra's own abode', the domain that he rules over and that is known as Indraloka or svarga in later literature which Pratardana won through his valour in battle (see Macdonnell in Vedic Index, s.v. Pratardana). The allusion here is to the well-known belief of the Indian writers that those who die in battle fighting valiantly go to heaven; compare Manu, 7, 89 : dhaveshu mitho' nyonyin jighamsanto mahikshitah | yudhyamanah param baktyd svargam yanty apardimulchah, and Kautilya's Arthasastra, 10, 3 (p. 366): vedeshu apy anu. brûyate-samdpta-dakshinanam yajanám avabhrtheshu sa te gatir ya buranam iti.... yan yajñasanghais tapasd ca viprah svargaishinah pátracayai ca yanti kshanena tan apy apiyinti surah prdnan suyuddheshu parityajantah.
Ait. Br. 6, 20, 9-10: etena vai vasishtha indrasya priyam dhåmopagacchat sa paramam lokam ajayat upendrasya priyam dháma (Aufrecht's edition reads lokam here which is incorrect) gacchati jayati paramam lokam ya evam veda || "By means of this (srikta ; bymn of praise), verily, Vasishtha attained the own abode of Indra, he won the highest world; he who knows this goes to Indra's own abode, wins the highest world."
And similarly, in ibid., 5, 2,5 : etena vai grtsamada indrasya priyan dhamo pagacchat; 5, 2, 12: gayah platah visvesham devánäin priyam dhamopagacchat; 1, 21, 6: etábhir habvinoh kakshivan priyam dhamopagacchat; TS. 5, 2, 1, 6: etena vai vatsaprir bhálandano''gneh priyam dhamavdrunddha ; ibid. 5, 2, 3, 4: etena vai visvamitro'gneh priyam dhamdvdrunddha ; and in ibid., 5, 3, 11, 3, I take priya in the sense of own' and dhama in the sense of 'abode. With regard to the latter word, the meaning of Persönlichkeit, Wesen, Form', suggested by Geldner is however not unsuitable in these passages which can be translated as "By means of this (hymn of praise) Grtsamada attained verily the own personality of Indra ", etc.; for, in similar passages in later literature that describe the virtue of hymns of praise (slotru) or of mantras, we read not only that the author of the hymn of praise and the others that made use of the stotra or mantra in question (compare upa agneh, indrasya, devandin, priyam dhama gacchati ya evam veda in the above passages) attain the world of the particular deity (sayujyam gaochati, salokatam &pnoti) that is addressed by the stotra or mantra, but also that they become such deity itself (sarûpatam apnoti). Compare for instance, Lalitásahasranamastotra (Nirnaya-sågara ed., v. 289 ff.): pratimasam paurņamásyam ebkir namashasrakaih rdtrau yas cakrardjastham arcayet paradevatam | sa eva lalitarû pas tadrú på lalita svayam i na tayor vidyate bhedo bhedakrt på pakrd bhavet || ; Avyaktopanishat, Kh. 7: ya imam vidydm adhite....dehante tamasah param dhama prdpnuydt | yatra virat vşsinho'vabhasate..... tatsvarupa-dhydnapard munaya akalpante tasminn eva liyante ; Tirpurât&pin Upanishad, 4: om namas tiváyeti yájushamantropásako rudratvam prdpnoti; and Râmarahasyopanishat, Ch. 5: rdmamantranam kertapurafcarano rdmacandro bhavati.
Priya means 'own' in the other passages too given in PW. Thus, VS. 1, 31: dhama namasi priyam devanam " Thou art the gods' own form and name "; ibid., 2, 6: priyena dhamnd priyam aadı doi di "Sit in thy own seat in thy own form "; priyd dhamani and priya pdthamsi in VS. 21. 46 ff. mean 'own abodes, own domains'; Sata. Br. 3, 4, 2, 5: te devd jushtas tanah priyani dhamani sardham samavadadire " The gods took together portions from their own selves, from their own powers"; ibid., 10, 1, 3, 11 : etad dhasya priyam dhama yad yavishtha iti " This is indeed his own name, that of youngest'"; and ibid. 2, 3, 4, 24 : ahutayo vd asya priyam dhama " The oblations are indeed the own essence of him "; priyeņaivainam dhamnd samardhayati 8.3mg parsayati, pratyeti, etc.) “ With his own body (or form, or nature, etc.) he makes him thrive (covers him, etc.)."
The word sva, which, like nitya, primarily means own', seems likewise to be used in the senge of priya in some passages. Instances of such usage are : 2, 8, 7: máh sva' ya dha' yase krnuta'm rtvig rtvljam 1
stómam yajítám câ'd áram vanémd rarima' vayam ||