Indian Antiquary Vol 57

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

Page 168

146
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
..
[ August, 1928
As regards however the above-mentioned contention itself, it must be admitted that there is some force in it; but, as yaksha does not mean 'pupil of the eye' but 'sacrifice (or perhaps utsava) here, it makes in effect no difference whether cakshushah is construed with priya or not. In the first case, the meaning is, “May I be pleasing to your eye like a sacrifice". In the second case, the meaning is, "May I be pleasing to you as a sacrifice is pleasing to the eye"; and the expression may I be pleasing to you 'here obviously means 'may I be pleasing to your eye'. In any case, therefore, the sense of the mantra is," May I be dear to your eyes as a grand sacrifice; may you have as much pleasure in looking at me as people have in looking at a grand sacrifice or other similar utsava". Compare RV. 7, 84, 3: krtám no yajñám vidátheshu cd'rum krtám bráhmdni surishu prasasta' Make our sacrifice handsome (or beloved) amongst assemblies, make our hymns laudable amongst poets '; 10, 100, 6: yajñaś ca bhad vidáthe ca'rur antamah May the sacrifice be handsome (or dear) and most cherished in the assembly'; and the expression câ'rum adhvarám in 1, 19, 1 and 5, 71, 1. See also Mahâbhârata, 14, 90, 43, cited above from which we learn that the people of all countries flocked to see the sacrifice celebrated by Yudhishthira and 2, 72, 1 in ibid. where the epithet pritikara is applied to the sacrifice.
Compare also ibid., 2, 71, 44-45 :
lokesmin sarva-viprds ca vaisyah fudra nrpádayah sarve mlecchah sarvajands tv adi-mahyantajas tatha || 44 || ndnadeśa-samudbhutair nánajátibhir agataih .
paryd pta iva lokoyam Yudhishthira-nivesane il 45 ! "All the Brahmanas in this world and all Kshattriyas, Vaisyas and Sadras, all Mlecchas, and all people of all castes, the highest, lowest and middle castes, (were there). From the people, born in different countries and of different castes, that were present there, it seemed as if the whole world was contained in the dwelling of Yudhisthira"'; and ibid., 2, 71, 16 :
Jambidvi po hi sakalo nandjanapadayulah
rdjann adrśyataikastho rajñas tasmin mahákratau The whole of Jambůdvipa with all its different countries, O king, was seen assembled at one place in the grand sacrifice of that king'. These grand sacrifices were thus so beloved that the people used to flock to them.
I take the word dcarya parishadam as a dvandva compound meaning the teacher and his entourage AV. 11, 6, 10: divam brúmo nákshatrdni bha'mim yaksha'ni párvalán
samudra' nadyò veśanta's té no muncantv ámhasah || "We praise the sky, the constellations of stars, the earth, the trees, and the mountains. The oceans, rivers and ponds—may they free us from evil.” The word yakshani here has been explained as Yakshas followers of Kubera) by M. Henry (Les Livres X, XI et XII de l' Athar. vaveda, pp. 118 and 155) and Prof. Bloomfield (Hymns of the Atharu-veda, p. 161) and as
Naturwunder und Naturschönheiten wie die grossen Bäume" by Geldner (.c. p. 143). Geldner's explanation is almost correct, but the way by which he arrives at it is not, in my opinion, the proper way. Yakshani signifies trees here not because yaksha means 'Wunder', citra, but because the trees are here regarded as the abode of yakshas or superhuman beings.
I have said above (p. 59) that the temples dedicated to Yakshas had the name of caitva also. This name, caitya, it may be remarked, is applied to trees also, to trees that are wellgrown and rich in foliage and are regarded as being the abodes of superhuman beings; op. Trikândajesha, 2,4, 2: caityo devatarur devává se karabha-lcuñjarau: Mahabharata, 12, 68, 44. caityåndm sarvatha tyajyam api patrasya pátanam |44|| devanam asrayas caitya yaksha-rákshasabhogindm i pisdca-pannagåndin oa gandharvá psarasam api raudra dm caiva bhaldnan tasmat Idn parivarjayetl and also the Mahabharata verse given in 1, 49, Hidimbavadha in Bopp's