Upabrmhana and Rgveda Interpretation

Author(s): T G Manikar
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 44

The Hymn of Mudgala Bhurmyaśva (X. 102)
on the very face of it seems to be foreign to the hymn in general and the rk in particular. Geldner is right in so far as he takes Mudgala to be the subject here. Mudgala's proper weapon appears to have been the drughana, but that was required to play the part of a bull and so firmly bound in the leather-strap, the 'varatra'. The weapon, therefore he used was the goad, the astra', hence he was 'astravi'. Thus in spite of the fact that the charioteer was his wife, a wooden dummy was yoked on one side of the chariot to play the part of an animal, an associate animal of the only bull that he was left with, Mudgala moved on happily. When he saw his cows he gained strength, put on a manly and heroic attitude and mixing the roles of the gods Puṣan and Indra, worked a wondrous deed for many people, the deed of recovering of cows from his enemies. In three verses we see Mudgala as offering prayers (1. 3. 12) and in the present one we see him as the victor and indeed it is his victory that the hymn is seen asserting twice (5,9). There is propriety in thinking of the hero in terms of Indra and Pușan for here we have fight for the cattle, 'paśu')
imam tam pasya vṛṣabhasya yuñjam kāṣṭhāyā madhye drughanam sayānamj yena jigāya satavat sahasram gavam mudgalaḥ pṛtanajyeṣu|| (9)
Look at this companion of the bull, the drughana, the wooden mace, lying in the middle of the battlefield, through which Mudgala won a hundred and thousand more in the battles.
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(According to Sayaṇa from this verse onwards begins the description of the 'drughaṇa', 'pūrvam vṛṣabho varnitaḥ atra drughano varṇyate/Further, Sayaṇa thinks that this verse is addressed to one who is ridiculing the victory of King Mudgala when he had army and the like. Vṛşabhasya yuñjam' conveys the sense that it accomplished whatever the bull accomplished. It is therefore that we get yena jigaya sahasram' in the context of the bull as well as in the context of the 'drughana'. After the battle was
over, the 'drughana' was allowed to lie on the battlefield itself, practically neglected hence 'kasthāyā madhye sayanam'. 'Pṛtanajyeşu' is rendered by Sayana as 'samgrameşu'. The idea appears to be that after the event, the bull as well as the 'drughana' were released from the chariot and the bull only was taken to the resting place and looked after in a manner befitting the victor, the animal that brought victory. In contrast the 'drughana' was lying on that battlefield itself, though it also was equally the cause of victory. Ludwig has conjectured that the King threw down the mace, but we know that the mace was yoked to the chariot.)
are agha ko nvittha dadarsa yam yuñjanti tamva sthapayanti | nāsmai tṛṇam nodakamabharantyuttaro dhuro vahati pradediśat // (10)