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IV. 10. COMMENTARY.
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Stanga 7. d. We have taken pūrusha in the sense which it frequently has in the Veda, namely, 'menial, servitor.' Cf. RV. X, 97, 4; AV. X. 1, 17; Sat. Br. VI, 3, 1, 22 ; and probably also RV. VI, 39, 5 (discussed erroneously by Pischel, Vedische Studien, I, 43). Ludwig,' und dein leben, o mensch ;' Grill, 'auch deinen lebensgeist, du mann!' Sayana reads půrushas with some MSS. (both Samhita and Padapatha), all of which, however, present the word as an enclitic without udatta. With the nominative the sense is, may I as thy servitor (O salve) obtain horses, &c.'
Stanza 8. For balása, see the discussion in the note on V, 22, 11. The poison of the serpent is considered as a disease; hence it is mentioned along with takmán and balása.
Stansa 9. Cf. Tait. År. VI, 10, 2; Hir. Grih. I, 11, 5.
IV, 10. COMMENTARY TO PAGE 62. The hymn is employed at Kaus. 58, 9 in connection with a practice for bestowing long life and prosperity upon the young Brahmanical disciple after the investiture: While reciting IV, 10 an amulet of pearl is fastened (upon the youth).' Cf. also Sântikalpa in the introduction to XIX, 34.
The hymn has been translated by Ludwig, Der Rigveda, III, 462 ; Grill?, pp. 36, 124 ff. Cf. also Pischel in Zeitschr. d. Deutsch. Morg. Gesellsch. XXXVI, 135 ff. The Anukramani, sankhamanisäktam.
Stanza 1. In this and the subsequent stanzas the fanciful sources of the pearl, some of which become commonplace in the later literature, are paralleled with great fidelity in the imaginations of Arabic and classical writers; see Pischel, 1.c. The glint on the surface of both pearl and shell
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