Upabrmhana and Rgveda Interpretation

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

Page 62

The Hymn of Agastya and Lopāmudra (1. 179)
for in the preceeding verse, which is spoken by Lopamudrā according to Thieme, is an argument pointing out the futility of asceticism, for the earlier poets did dot reach the end, 'na hi antam āpuḥ.' If Lopāmudrā has been 'saśramaņā' so bas Agastya been 'sränta'. Agastya wants Lopāmudrā to carry on the struggle against Kāma, the villain who attacks in many forms and new ways, He is speaking of spiritual conquests in 'jayāva'. The war terminology has been deliberately and appropriately used.)
nadas ya mā rudhataḥ kama ugannita ajāto amutaḥ kutascit / lopamudra vrşanam ni rinati dhiramadhira dhayati śvasantam // 4
To me roaring and obstructing, Desire produced from worldly surroundings here or from beyond somewhere, has overcome. Lopamudra embraces her husband. The eager one embraces the controlled one, panting with passion.
(Agastya picks up the war terminology used by Lopamudra in the pre. ceeding verse. He has been all these days fighting with kama' and persuing the life of 'dharma'. He was victorious all these days and therefore was a roaring warrior obstructing the entry and the onslought of 'Kama'. But now he has been overcome by the Kama who has entered him and taken possession of him. In so many words he acknowledges defeat and consents to do what Lopamudrā wants him to do. The first line is spoken by Agastya while the second line is from the poet giving us the result. 'nadasya' and Srudhatah' roaring and obstructing - genetive absolutes showing the scant coustesy shown by Kama to his fighting spirit. 'ita, amutaḥ, kutaścit shows the surprising attack from unknown and unexpected quarters. Agastya is about to end his life of denial, continence and to take up a new life of desires, hence is somewhat apologetic in his tone. The consequence of this frank and open admission of defeat by Agastya is relenting of Lopamudrā as narrated in the second line. I také svasantam' as 'panting with passion' and 'dhiram' as suggesting his holy life, wisdom and stature. The pbrase "adhira' in the context of Lopāmudrã is a beautiful one suggesting the woman's total surrender to the husband out of deep love and also out of a sense of duty. The word "vrsanam' indicates the husband as it does in the first and the second verse. There is nothing of erotic slang here. The Mahābhārata tells us that desire overcame Agastya when he saw the beauty of Lopāmudrā after her bath, 'snatam dadarśa'. It is not necessary to read 'adhīrā' as 'unwise' in the context of Lopamudrā who has tempted her husband, as Thieme does. “adhira' to me would indicate that psychological state of a women about to meet her husband for the first time, fear, curiosity, eagerness, love and respect. Sāyaṇa understands 'nadasya' in the sense of one meditating and "rudhatah' as one controlling, checking - in any case representing Agastya's effort to fight and keep off Kāma. Sāyaṇa takes the second line also as