Indian Antiquary Vol 56

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

Page 77

APRIL, 1927)
VEDIC STUDIES
VEDIC STUDIES. By A. VENKATASUBBIAH, M.A., Ph.D. (Continued from page 38.)
2. sunam. Amongst the words nitya, sva, nija, priya, edma, and jushta that have been mentioned in the preceding article as signifying both (1) own, sviya, and (2) dear, pleasing, etc., priya, should be included the word óuna also.
This word is enumerated by the author of the Nighantu amongst the synonyms of sukha, happiness; and this meaning sukha or the derived meaning sukhakara is repeated by Sayana in the course of his commentary on all the RV. passages where the word occurs. In 3, 30, 22, however, he has in addition explained bunam as sinam utadhena praorddham, thus connecting the word with the verb sú or Svay, 'to swell.' This derivation is given in the PW by Roth who explains the word as ' (adv.) glücklich, mit Erfolg, zum Gedeihen ; (n.) Erfolg, Gedeihen and by Grassmann who explaing it as '(1) Wachsthum, Gedeihen ; (2) Gedeihen, Woblergehen, Glück, Segen ; (3) (adv.) zum Gedeihen, zum Wohlergehen, zum Segen.' Geldner, on the other hand, has suggested (RV. Glossar.) that the word is related to fivam, and has explained it as Heil, zum Heil (svastaye).' And this suggestion seems to have found favour with Hillebrandt who has translated sunam as 'zum Heil'in Lieder des Rgveda, p. 106. Later, however, Geldner himself has translated (RV. Übersetzung) the word in this passage by
gedeihlich, zum Gedeihen ' and in 3, 30, 22 by 'mit Erfolg'and seems therefore to have abandoned his suggestion and gone back to the meanings proposed by Roth.
None of the above-mentioned meanings, however, suits the context in a passage of the Maitr. Sam. (1,4, 11 ; p. 60, 1. 3f.) which reads as follows:
na vai tad vidma yadi brahmand vd smo 'brahmaná vd | yadi tasya va rsheh smo 'nyasya od yasya brúmahe yasya ha tv eva bruvano yajate tam tad ishtam agacchati nelaram upanamati | tat pratare pravaryamáne brûyát devah pitarah pitaro deva yo'smi sa san yaje yo 'ami sa san karomi tunam ma ishtam sunam santam sunam kytam bhúyát iti tad ya eva kasca sa san yajate tam tad ishtam agacchati netaram upanamati |
The mantra devdh pitarah..... occurring in this passage is found in the Ait. Br.. Tait. Br., and Kathaka-namhitâ also, but in a slightly different form, namely, as devd pitarah pitaro deva yo 'smi sa san yaje yasydomi na tam antar emi svam ma ishtam suam dattam svam pûrtam svam srantam svam hutam in Tait. Br. 3, 7, 5, 4 and Âp. Sr. Sûtra 4, 9, 6 and as devih pitarah pitaro devd yo 'smi sa san yaje tad vah prabravimi tasya me vitta avam ma ishtam astu tunam santam svam lortam in KS. 4, 14. The word bunam in the MS. reading of the mantra is thus parallel to the word svam in the TB. reading of it, and is obviously equivalent to it. The above passage from the MS. therefore means: "We do not know whether we are Brahmaņas or not Brahmanas, whether we are (the descendants) of the shi whom we name or of another. But (the fruit of) the sacrifice goes to (the descendant of) him who is named and to no other. Therefore when the lineage (pravara) is being proclaimed (?), he should recite: 'O Gods, O Fathers, O Fathers, O Gods, it is I, whoever I may be (that is, whosesoever descendant I may be), that sacrifice; it is I, whoever I may be, that perform. Let (this) sacrifice of mine be (my) own, (this) work (my) own, (this) act (my) own. In this way, whoever he be who sacrifices, (the fruit of) the sacrifice goes to him and to no other."
Similarly, it is equally obvious that óunam=sram (with which it is parallelly used) in the KS. reading of the mantra : deváh pitarah pitaro devú yo 'smi sa san yaje tad vah prabravimi tasya me vitta spam ma ishtam astu tunam santam suam krtam: "O Gods, O Fathers, O Fathers, O Gods, it is I, whoc vor I way be, that sacrifice; this I declare unto you; bear witness to this