Indian Antiquary Vol 58

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

Page 113

June, 1929)
VEDIC STUDIES
103
devah esa iti hastena pradarsya rudro 'bhidhiyatetat tasmad eva karanád asya rudrasyaital lola prasiddhani bhitatabdo petam nama sampannam bhita patir iti bhutavan nama on AB. 3, 33, 1-2. 6,71,5: úd a ayán a pavakteva baha'
hiranyáyd savita' suprátika divó rohamsy aruhat pothivya'
Grora mat patayat kác cid abhxam || "He, Savitr, raised high his (two) golden well-formed arms, like a speaker ; he climbed over the heights of heaven and of the earth; he stopped all swift-moving beings." upavaktd= a speaker, one who harangues others, an orator, that is, one who calls for the attention of other people. To attract attention, such speaker holds his hands high ; compare Ratnapalanrpakathanaka (Bhavanagar ed., p. 5), st. 106: nivartayanti tumulam hastam utkşipya duratah avocat spa tavácaivam samrabdhan sarva-bhubhujah ; ZDMG. 54,-529, yogindraḥ sanais-sanair dhyanam muktvå hasann evam uvdca kimi kasmai pradiyate kas trdyate bhavárnavát 80 nara urdhra-bahur evam jagada | dhanáyáham tavdtithih ; Bharata-pañcadasopod ghata, p. 26: satyam satyam punah satyam uddhrtya bhujam ucyate bharatan na param sastram casti loke maharthadam. So also does Savits; compare 2,38, 2: visvasya hi trustáye devá ardhváh prá báhává prthúpdnih sisarti d'pas cid asya vratá a'ni' mrgrd ayám cid vd' to ramate párijman." He, the god (sc. Savitr) with wide-extending hands, holds forth his arms aloft for the hearing of the universe (that is, that the world may pay attention to him and hear him); even the Waters follow his law; this V&ta even stops in his course (at his command)". 46
I follow Sâyaņa in taking patayat as a participle. The sense of the third påda is, he checks, he causes to stop, all beings.' Compare 2, 38, 3: árframad átamanam cid étoh ahyársünám cin ny åyår avisya'm "He (sc. Savitr) stopped even the swift-moving (wind) from moving; he checked the course of even those who were pressing forward like ahis". Compare 2, 38, 2 explained above and algo 7, 56, 19: imé turám marito rdmayanti "These Maruts bring the swift-moving one to a halt". 1, 92, 5: praty arct' rusad asyd adarbi
vi tişthate bd'dhate korenám ábhvam svárum ná pédo vidáthesu añjáñ
citram divó duhita' bhaním aórt 1 “Her (sc. the Dawn's) bright light is seen; it spreads itself and dispels the black being. Adorning the sacrificial post in sacrifices as if with an ornament, the Daughter of Heaven has spread her brilliant light.”
46 Ludwig translates the first pada as, 'wie ein upsvaktar (priester) hat er die arme emporgestrecket', and, on p. 226 of vol. III (of his RV. Ober), too, writes as follows:
"VI, 71, 5. wie ein upevaktar hat er seine arme ausgestreckt, Savitar, der gott; dies kann nicht im allgemeinen wie ein herbeirufender' bedeuten, weil das ausstrecken der arme zunächst nichts das herbeirufen als solches charakterisierendes ist, wol aber wenn es sich um ein her beirufen im speciellen sinne handelt, bei welchem gewisse Suraerliche bewegungen regelmässig stattfinden und selbstverständlich sind, wie es eben das aus breiten der arme bei anrufung der götter überall ist (vgl. III, 14, 5. VL. 16, 46. 63, 3. X, 79, 2)."
This opinion seems to me to be incorrect. In the first place, the verses 3, 14, 5, eto., referred to by Ladwig, allade to the stretching or spreading of the arms in front (rednahasta); this is quite different from raising the arms on high which is a characteristic of one who wants to attract the attention of othors. Compare the p ages cited above. (As a matter of fact, the raising high of the arms is a gesture that is used overy. where by everyone, inoluding sohool children, to attract the attention of other peoplo). Secondly, not one of the Brauta ritual boolos prescribe that the upavalty (that is, the maitrdvaruna or praidat; see Oldenberg, Religion des Voda, 390 : Ludwig's suggestion that he is the acchdod ka is untonable) should raiso his hande higt on any occasion,