RV 2.38: A Problem Hymn Author(s): Samuel D. Atkins Source: Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 81, No.

2 (Apr. - Jun., 1961), pp. 77-86 Published by: American Oriental Society Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/595047 Accessed: 23/04/2010 09:39
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RV 2.38: A PROBLEMEYMN
D. ATEINS SA:MUEL
PRINCETION UNIVEBSITY

of ACHIENTEMENTS DESPITETHE BRILLIANT overthe years,despitethe monuVedic scholarship mental translationand exegesis by Geldner,and despite the excellent work being carried on now by such men as Renou, Thieme, Gonda,Ruiper, and others, there still remain in the Rig Veda lines and stanzasand groupsof many problematic stanzas and, in addition, numerous problematic hymns. These hymns may be divided into two broadcategories:there are hymnsthat are totally or almost totally obscureand enigmatic obvious puzzles-, and then there are hymns which seem correctlyin the main, but to havebeen interpreted wronglyin varying have, in fact, been interpreted degreesfor various reasons. I believe that 2. 38 belongs in this category and therefore requires
I.
* i

disturbs the fised order of the day's course (9).-The concluding stanzas (which may not have been part of the original hymn) pray to Savitar for gifts.

re-examma

;lon.

The main lines of the commonand conventional understandingof the hymn appearto have been establishedby Roth in 1870 in ZDMG, 24. 306-8 to a translation,he where,in commentsappended Abendliedan Savitar, wrote: " Ein merkwurdiges dessen Bedeutsamkeitnach dieser Seite hin, so viel ich weiss, noch nicht beachtetwurde.... In unserem Stuck ist nur diejenige Seite hervorgehoben,nach welcherSavitar durch seine Ankunft am Abenddie Nacht einleitet; ...." Roth'ssummary of the hymn is this:
In the morning and in the evening Savitar is the one who impels or sets in motion; in the morning he issues the summons to work, in the evening the summons to rest ( 1 ) . When he commandingly stretches his arm over the world, then everything hastens to obey him. Even water and wind subside in the stillness of the oncoming night (2). The wanderer comes to a halt, the bird of prey rests (3). The diligent work of men is brought to a sudden end, for the god divides day and night (4). Now everywhere one sees the fires glimmering. The homecoming son of the house receives his supper (5). Everything seeks its habitat (6). The fish seeks its habitat, so does the bird, and the herd seeks the stable ( 8 1) . No other godly or ungodly power 1 Roth considered stanzas 7 and 8 as variations of the same thought and believed it quite unlikely that they In his opinion stanza 7 is were originally jtaposed. an interpolation and stanza 8 is the original because it contains a reference to the evening (Xtmrr of the sun or of the day) whereas 7 does not.

In 1875 Roth presentedin the GFeldner-liaegi SiebenztgLtederdes Rigreda,46-8, essentiallythe sametranslation(thereare a few minorchangesin wording) and the same interpretation. In the same year Bergaigne reviewedthe 70 Lieder in Revue Crittqued'Eistoire et de Ltfterature,18. 385-94, and offered (386-7) critical comments upon the details of the translation of 2.38 but theoryand generalsumnone upon the Abendlted mary. He did, however,indicate a differentview of the hymn's structureby speakingof a Part I comprisingstanzas1-6 and a Part II made up of stanzasT-11. ubersetzt, in his Rzy-Vedsl, In 1876 Grassmann, 49, headedhis translationof the hyannwith "An influSavitar,Abendlied." He was very probably enced by Roth's views. His translationdoes not markedlyfrom Roth's2 and, indeed, shows dif3Ter verbalechoesin stanzas1, 3, 4, 5, somenoteworthy stanzas 6, 8, and 9. Also, like Roth, he considered 10 and 1l, and possibly7 or 8, as later additions. It is clearthat by 1883 Bergaignehad accepted for he wrote in part the Abendliedinterpretation, in volume 3 of La RelzytonVedtque,56: "Les fonctions de Savitri comme dieu de la nuit font le sujet des sis premiersvers de l'hymne II, 38 The theory was now firmly established ...." of outstandand continuedto gain the acceptance ing scholars. In 1895 Hopkins in his The Reltgtonsof Indta, 46, spokeof 2.38 as " an evening in his Vedic song to Savitar." In 1897 Macdonell Mythologystated (33-4): "Ee [Savitar] is, indeed, estolled as the setting sun (2.38)." That IIillebrandtwas convincedas early as 1902 that the interpretationwas right is revealed by a sentencein the third volumeof the first edition of
2As does Ludwig's translation, which also appeared in 1876, in the first volume of his Der R*gveda, 145-6. The fourth volume, Commentor zur Rtgveda-8bersetzung 1. Tetl, appeared in 1881. The notes to 2. 38 cite Grassmann and 70. Lteder often and seem to indicate, both by critical comments and by what they leave unsaid, that Ludwig had not been convinced by the Abendlied theory.

seltsam,

dass er [Savitar]

Arauta-Ritual

nur

ATEINS:

Hymn RV B.38: A Problem

and a mothergives The eveningmeal is prepared, a choice bit to her hungry son. Certain lines am Abend beteiligt wird und im Einklang mit der remindone of Gray'sElegy." ihm RY II, 38 zugewiesenen iELolle nur als The Abendliedhypothesiswas now so influennivesanojayatas gefeiert wird." 3 In 1908 Geld- tial that it becamea criterionfor lexicographical rubriner, in his Fedtsmusund Brahman1,smus,4 judgment. In 1924 Neisser, discussingaramati " in his Zun on der Gottergebenheit cated his translation with "Abendlied an Savitr " Personifikati interpreted stanzas 1-6 as showing 2, 38." DELe des Rgveda, 1.96, indicated that he Worterbuch understanding of the word in how Savitar in the evening brings a halt to men's rejected iELothis activities, and stanzas 7 and 8 as showing by indi2.38.4 as "nicht ruhend) (=4-ramamana,after to vidual ezamples "wie er diese Tatigkeit reguliert Sayana) becausethe sense was not appropriate hat und wie er die Naturreiche verteilt hat." the god of the evening" als der geradehier [2. 38] Zeom- Sav. gekennzeichnetist " and because he was Again, in 1909 in Der Rtgvedatn Ausqsahl, a new mentar,4l, he repeated his agreement with iELoth's skepticalaboutthe necessityfor establishing passage. single view: "Das Lied ist, wie iELoth(ZDMG. 24,306) this for word theory erkannt hat, ein ausgesprochenes Abendlied." The It was not until 1931 that the Abendlted same opinion was expressed in his 1923 translawas seriouslyquestionedby a competentscholar. tion of the first four books of RAT, 293: "lH:ier M. Winternitz presented a provocativenew infor the and commentary [2. 38] wird vorzugsweise sein Wirken am Abend trarlslation, terpretation, geschildert." As is well krlown, Geldner's translahymn in Archtv Ortentalnt,3. 296-302. It is, in ny opinion,a perceptiveesercise in esegesis and tion of the entire Rig Veda and cozninentary thereto were cotnpleted in this period of the nineessentially correct for the Srst Sve stanzas, alteen twenties but were not published until 1951 though it does not seein to have receivedthe conOrtentalSeries, voluines 33-5). (in the HarvGl,rd siderationit deserves in fact, as far as I can appreciably completely. altered not it has beenoverlooked determine, His esegesis of 2. 38 was the hyinn is not that declared and, strictly speaking, belongs here in the Abendflatly Winternitz the greatlied chronology. However, I have postponed an an evening-song but one that describes account of it until sotnewhat later because the date ness of Savitarin its totality, alternatelydepicting of publication, the etninence o the series in which his ascent in the Inorningand his descentin the it is issued, the reputation of its author, and the evening (1-3), then again his tnight at the breaLr scope and lnerit of the work, all guarantee to of day (4-6) and once more at the onset of night Geldner's views and interpretations overwhelining (7-8). His fuller summary,stanza by stanza,is authority and lasting influence. this: his VedischeBythologte, 132: "Immerhin ist es
Also in the year 1923 there appeared H. D. Griswold's The Religion af the Rig-Veda. One finds in it an iinaginative and chariningly romantic interpretation of 2. 38 inspired by the Abendlied theory. One reads (274): c;As a specimen of an evening hyinn to Savitar the ollowing stanzas are given from II. 38: [here there is a translation of stanzas 4-8 which I do not quote] These stanzas present a delightful picture of the Vedic hotnecoming at the close of day, when not only man but also fish, beast and bird seek, each, their place of rest. Half-finished tasks are laid down, and the genial hearth-fire is seen glowing far and wide. s The wording remains unchanged in the secondedition of l929:II.118. Lesebuch ( edited by A. 4 In Relipionyeschichtliches Bertholet), 108. God Savitar rises in the morning and propels all creatures, as it is his business to do, and apportions all goods (1) . He stands on high at the zenith and everything submits to his will (2). At the coming of evening he unyokes his steeds and night falls (3). In the morning the darkness which Night wove is again set aside by Savitar suddenly appearing in the heavens (4). With the coming of dawn the sacrificial fire is kindled in all houses and Agni receives the Agnihotra according to Savitar's ordinance (5). Now the fire burns in every household; the traveller yearns for his domestic hearth; even the evil-doers abandon their nocturnal activities and go home at Savitar's behest ( 6 ) . Savitar has assigned to every creature its place ( 7 ) . As Savitar commands, Alaruna withdraws in the evening to his cloud-home and every animal gives itself up to rest (8).- A short prayer (9-11) to Savitar for good-fortune and wealth is added to this glorification of the god.

views seetned As I have indicated,Winternitz's to receiveno recognition,certainlyno acceptance.

AT1i:INS:

Elyrnn RV 2.38: A Problens

Seven years later R. N. Dandekar,in an article dealing with Savitar'snature,5remarked(304): " The activity of savitr is requentlyconnected with the setting of the sun (2.38.1-5). savitr is said to bring forth night (2. 38. 3 fl.) ... ." In 1942 V. M. Apte stated:6 ". . . in the present hymn (II.38) he [Savitar] is estolled as the set7 to his ting sun." And in 1947 Renou,in preface translationof the hyinn, observed: "Dieu 'incitateur,' Savitr fait se lever les etres vivants au matin et les fait se reposerquandla nuit totnbe: c'est ce second aspect qui est ici decrit, a partir de la troisiemestrophe...." The latest formulationof Geldner'sinterpretation, written in the nineteen-twentiesbut published in 1951 (MOS, 33.325), is, in summary, this:
Hymn 2. 38 especially depicts Savitar's activity in the evening. Gods and men daily receive from him their respective portions ( 1 ) . All nature obeys him (2 ) . Now that it is evening he has ordered a cessation of work and everything and everybody come to a halt ( 3-6) . Savitar has assigned animals their respective realms and they now seek their accommodationsfor the night (7-8). Even the gods are subordinate to him (9). The conclusion is a veiled prayer for goodly recompense for the hymn ( 10-11) .

My own views on the nature, significance,and structure of 2.38 are set forth in detail in the following section which presentstest, translation, and commentary. / sastatII. I. ud lb sya devah savita savaycF tamatn tadapa vahnir asthat / nunarndevebEyo stastalb v1,t1hotram / athabhajad vt hz dhatiratnam This God Savitar (i.e., he who quickens), for the purposeof quickening(i. e., for the purposeof arousingand itnpellingthe worldto activity), has just risen this latest tiine [in the seriesof his everrecurringrisings], he who has this as his work,he the Conveyor. For he [is the one who] now distributesthe gift (-offering) atnongthe gods, and he [is the one who] bestoweda sharein good fortune upon him who issues the summons (to the offering. gods) to the sacrificial a. The combinationud "up" plus the aorist
6 "New Light on the Vedic God Savitr," Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, 20. 293316 ( 1938-39) . 6 "All about ' Vrati ' in the Rgveda," Bqxlletinof the Deccan CollepeResearch Institute, 3. 454. TAntholopie Sanskrite, 12.

asthat in b refers to the god's morning" standing up, rising" and signals an action that has just 4d + stha- is employed recently taken or ascendthe Inounting passimin RV to designate ing of flaines,rays of light, the dawn,and so forth. In an attemptto avoid"has arisen" whichwould not suit an Abendlied,Geldner (MOS, 33.325) " and apparently rendersby "hat sich aufgemacht conceivesof Savitar as setting forth towardevening.9 That "has risen," and not "has set forth" or "fahrt herauf" (thus Roth), is the correctinclear as we proceedwith will becozne terpretation, of the hymn'sstructure. the exatnination is from sastat "continuallyreb. sastattamarn a term often appliedto peating, ever-recurring," -tama the Dawns (e. g., I. Il8. Ild). The su:fEs has an ' ordinal' force. The meaning is " that rankin a seriesof repeating whichhas preeminent events,"or better "the latest in a series of ever10 Tadapa refers to recurring happenings." to ud . . . asthat and to savayaand also probably the attendant activities which follow it in titne and are designatedby vt . . . dhati in c and a . . . abhajadin d. vahnir (vah-, and never ahdespiteNeisser BB, 18. 301-24) is a verbaladjective and is sitnilar in fortnationto t1irni" speeding," dharnt"supporting,"prenz"loving," etc.1l Sayanaglossed it with vodhajagatam. It is applied in RV to huinan priests, to draft aniinals, and to gods such as Indra,the Asvins,the Maruts, Sotna,and aboveall to Agni-in fact, in the later languagevahni-means" fire." When (epic-classic) used of Agni, it appearsto refer only to his funcand the othergodsto the sacrifice tion of conveying not to his function of conveyingthe sacrificeto the gods.l2 Certainly,in a large nutnberof its
place.8

8 L. Renou, Grammaire de la Langt4e Vediqt4e, 428 (Lyon and Paris, 1952); T. Burrow, The Sanskrit Langt4age, 295 (London, 1955).-For u+aorist as a reinforcing signal of recent past see A. A. Macdonell, A Vedic Grammarfor Stt4dents,220-1 (Oxford, 1916). Rommentar, 42 9 In Der Rigveda in At4swahl, II, (Stuttgart, 1909), he cites 6.71.4, particularly calling attention to pratidosam therein, and adds this note: " 4t asthat: vgl.denselben Ausdruck in 4c und 4rdhvah in 2. Sav. richtet sich in seinem M7agenhoch auf, um mit Hand und Mund Feierabend zu gebieten." 1O Renou, Grammaire, 220 note 1; Studes Vediqabes I.52 note 2, III.48 (Paris, 1955). et Paynineennes, 11J. Wacknagel-A. Debrunner, Altindische Grammatik, Band II. 2 572b ( Gottingen, 1954) . 12 H. Oldenberg, ZDMG, 50. 424-5 (1896) and W. Neisser, BB, 18. 301-24 (1892) .

80

ATEINS:

RV

2. 38: A Problem Hymn

renderit as 'ordinance " which would fit well in all five passages. lIowever,Eanns-PeterSchmidt has accorded vrata-a thorough, penetrating investigationin a monograph 13 in whichhe demonstrates that the wordmeant ';vow'' in RV (as well as in later literature). With regardto the worshipper and his gods, it is the vow or solemnpromisethat the godsgive to protectand blessman and to work for his benefitthroughthe exerciseof their characteristic functions thus to rule, direct, and guard the world-in return for a vow given by man to supportthe gods obediently with sacrifices. The vrata-,then, is basicallya vow of loyalty exchangedbetweenruler and subject, a kind of reciprocalpromissoryoath.- nztnrgrah is a hapax legornenon and the rendering"obedient" (;'submissive to ") is mere conjectureadoptedby most translators. It may derive from nz+mrj which ordinarilyin RV means "turn over to (some one else) " or "appropriate (to one's self)," "take possession of," but in T.26*3 (jantr iva patir ekah san? anah / nt rnarnrjepqiratndrah su s&rsdh ) possiblyhas some such force as "lay low," ';make prostrate." 14 This stanzacarrieson the idea of the god7sprogression. A key-word is urdSv&h in a (glOssed by Sayana as udgatah san), possessingin RV the values " erect,"" standingupright,"" aloft" " on high." Whatever the exact nuance,the emphasis is upon Savitar'sfull stature. He is in a commanding, overlookingposition.l6 If the initial part of stanza 1 with its Jud +stha- suggests beginning-point,the initial section of stanza 2 suggests mid-point.16In cd the watersand the wind are examples of obedience.17 The poet selects
13 Vedisch vrat und aupesttsch urouata (= Alt- und Neu-Indtsc7we Studten, herausgegeben vom SeIninar fur Rultur und Geschichte Indiens an Universitat Hamburg, 9 ), Hamburg, 1958, 157 pages. For his treatment of the stanzas of 2. 38 in which vrat occurs see particularly 26 and 81. 14 For further discussion see Renou, EtqxdesVed. et Pan. IV. 121. 15 Winternitz ( 301 ) suggests a position of zenith. 16Ludwig (4.136) has this in mind when he points out for d that the breeze usually dies down toward noon in the hot season. .. 17 Roth ( 307 ) interprets " selbst Wasser und \Vind legen sich in der Stille der anbrechendenNacht " and Geldner (BOS, 33. 325) speaks of the " in 2 beginnenden Schilderung von Savitr's abendlichen Wirken." Not at all ! The subrrLission of water and the quiescence of wind have nothing to do with the evening nor any par-

occurrences the term is intimatelyassociated with prayer and the sacrifice. In our passage it has been translated variously, e. g., ;'im Wagen," "Wagenfahrer," "zu Wagen fahrend,""conduisant (son char)," " Lenker,"" Fuhrer,' " priest." Whatever its precisevalue, it seemsquite possible that it is connectedprolepticallywith Savitarns servicesas distributorof ratnarnto the gods in c and apportioner of good fortuneto the vttthotrarn in d. It is probable(despitethe word'srestricted neaning when used as an epithet of Agni) that vahniralludesto Savitaras " carrier " of the offer ing to the gods and of good fortune to the priest. c. nunarn,i.e., in contrast to Savitar?srising which belongs to the immediatepast.-hz introduces an explanationof vahnir. dhatzis taken as 3rd sg. present indicative active of the }oot class.-q^&tna?n, on the basis of 4. 54. 2, is interpretedby many as referringto " immortality." Geldner (g0$n 33. 325) leaves the choice open between" immortality ?) and " sacrificial o:Rering " (cf. 10. 85.19); Winternitz(296) prefersthe latter in view of the senseof d. WhenSavitarrises in the morning,he arouses men to the sacrifice and therebythe gods securethe offeringand the priest obtainshis wage. Whenone views the stanzaas a whole,the poet appearsto be saying: This God Savitar, the one visible to us at this very moment,has just risen, as he alwaysdoesmorningafter morning,in order to performhis characteristic function of waking the world and setting it into motion. Such is his task. lIe is the conveyor,for he now distributes the offering among the gods, and, when he was here at the sacrificea while ago, he gave to the invokingpriest a sharein good fortune in return for his and the othergods' sharein the sacrifice.Thus interpreted, the stanzasuggestsSavitar'srecurringearly morningmanifestationand his continuationuponcourse It puts the god on his feet and starts him moving. 2. vtssasya hz srustaye deva urdEvah/ pra bahavaprthqipanih stsarti / apas cid asya vrata a nz?nrgrah / ayarncid vato ramateparijrnan The God,indeed, erect, broad-handed, stretches out his arms for all to obey. Even the waters under (the influenceof) his voware obedient, even this wind stops in its circulation. c. vrata: For otheroccurrences ill the hymn see stanzas 3, 6, 7, and 9. One might be tempted to

ATKINS:

DV

2.

Bymn 38: A Problem

81

them as elementswhich are by very naturein con- said, in describingthe action, satatarngacchanstant motion. The motion of even these ceasesin tam) . The shift rom subjunctive used with to Savitar'svow (to esecute one of his future force in a to the aorist (here and in c) obedience may be signifi)-for, Savitar, the god recountingwhat has just happened characteristicfunctions who sets all things in motion, obviouslyalso has cant. Perhapsit is a case of " no soonersaid than the powerto stop motion,and is committedby his done" = " Now the god will unhitch. Look! IIe esercise of such power. has unhitched. He hcls curbedthe ardor of the vrata- to the appropriate From such examplesthe poem proceedsnaturally horses." It is by suchmeansthat the imageof the wouldbe and time's progression in the nest stanzato a temporalinstanceof cessa- god's progression tion, brought about by Savitar, which occurs at mamtamec .. the end of the day. is a hapax 1. and has been renc. akycirsun2rn 3. asubhiscid yan vt rnucatinunam/ arlrarnad dered variously.20 The comrnonview that the birds or birds cin ny ayan referenceis to birds, snake-spearing cid eto.h / akyarsunarn atarnanarn of prey in general, makes little sense. I believe vratarnsavitur rnokyagat avtsyam/ anms Even though travelling along with swift ones that Ludwig (4. 137) was right in declaring" die sind eben die Rosse." So too Bergaigne (i.e., steeds), he will now unhitch [them]. He clEyar.sms 'qui s'elancesur ". . . ahi-arshms 2.3tS2): (lP:V, " ) " travels (or hurries which that has made even aus chevausdu on (i. e., his chariot) cease moving. IIe has les serpents,'[l'epithete]appliquee curbed the ardor of even the serpent-tramplers soleil, II, 38, 3," and Winternitz (297): " der Rosse." I take the secwith the schlangenzerstampfenden (i. e., his spiritedhorses). In accordance vow of Savitar the Releaser18(i.e., Nigllt) has ond memberas a u-stemverbaladjectivefrom the . base that appears in rsati " push, thrust" and arrlvec .. 21 = (; of a. Geldner (FIOS, 33. 325) and Renou (An- understandthe compoundas a tatpurusa or possin22 Ahi?) (or snakes who trample those of vt thologie Sanskrite, 12) assume the subject 7nucatito be a human. Sayana was correct in bly "who slash snakes (with sharphoofs)." The taking it to be Savitar. The sense is this: Even Vedic evidencefor a concept of horses that kill though Savitar travels his course in a chariot snakes consists of: (1) RV.117.9; 118.9 where drawnby swift horses,the time inevitablycomes the Asvins are said to have given Pedu a white when the journeyends and he has to check their (svetarn) steed that receivesthe epithet ahihana swift motion and unhitch them-he will do that "snake-killing'7;(2) RV 9.88.aI where Soma is said to be the killer of what are called ahi just as nows horsePaidvais the killer of such; and (3) AV the b. Sayana assigned atarnanarnto a human particularly scholars, agent,and so do most modern Sayana: ahim ahantaram satrum arsanti gacchants those who adoptthe Abendliedinterpretation. In iti ahyarsavah; PW s. v. " schlangengleich gleitend, right -schiessend"; Roth ( 306): " des Schlangenstbssers"; 137) is very probably my opinionLudwig (3x. kannnur der Wagen Grassmann ( WB s. v. ): " wie eine Schlange [ah] whenhe says: ;; Der atarnana "der sein." Winternitz (297) acceptsLudwig. Thus dahinschiessend [arsu] "; Ludwig (1.146): drachenschnellen'; Geldner (BOS, 33. 325): " der the poet restatesthe result of the actionof a some- Schlangenspiesser"; Renou (Antholopie Sanskrit, 12): what differently. The god has brought his own " des piquers de serpents." See Oldenberg, RV Notex, 1-6 Buch, 219 (Berlin, chariotto a stop-that chariotwhosevery nature . 1909) like and horses, the like motion,l9 and function is In RV r.sati is combined most often with n; and is the waters and the wind in 2 (Sayana himself usually interpreted as "fill, stuS (into) " in the pas. , .

20

21

22

ticular time of day. Here they are events viewed nontemporally. 18 In mokt there is undoubtedly a play on v* mucatt of a. The word might be translated " she whe unhitches." of b (and a) see P. 18 For a similar interpretation Peterson, A Second Selection of Hymns from the RigVeda, 159 (Bombay Sanskrit Series) No. 58, Bombay, 1899 ) .

sages where it occurs. On the other hand the noun rsts " and the uses of the means " weapon used for thrustingb verb in A+Tindicate the meaning " thrust, stab." Probably the value of the RV n-rs&ts derives from " thrust down hard, tamp down Srmly, pack solidly, cram full by packing down.' The values of rs&ts undoubtedly vary with the nature of the instrument used for thrusting. Eorses' hoofs suggest " stamp on, trample ' (possibly

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ATKINS:

RV 2. 38: A Problem Myrnn a. Sayana correctly interpreted vayantt " she who weaves " as Night: vastrarnvayantz nartva ratrih. The line is related in thought to the last line of the precedingstanzawhichsaid that Night had arrived. Here it is implied that she departs, after folding togetheronce more (as she has done countlesspreviousmornings) the fabric of darkness which she had spreadout over the world. b. Althoughdhtrahsometimes refersto humans in RV, it is more often used as an epithet applied to various gods, and here designates Savitar. Again the time-setting,as in a, and clearlyin cd, is the morning. The cycle is complete. Savitar has madeNight withdraw;oncemorein the neverending series he has risen- and this is precisely the statementof c.

lO.3I,a charm directedagainst snakes and their poisons, where in stanza 3 it is said: ava svete padAjahi purvenaccivparena "White one! Strike [the snake] with the forefoot and the hindfoot," and wherein stanzas5 and 7 Paidvais alludedto as slayer of snakes.-asqsyarn is anotherhapax 1. It is relatedto asqsyati"be eager,strive for " and avisyu "greedy." It describesthe spirited, restless eagerness of Savitar's horses to keep in motion. Like b, so too c is a restatement,in differentterms, of a.

d. The result of the cessationdescribed in abc is the arrival of night. Taken as a whole, the stanza representsthe third and final stage of Savitar'simaginedjourneyfrom the beginningof day to the end of day. So then, the structureof this first triad is: 1 =rising or starting point; 2 = a point somewhere relativelyfar along course, c. Savitar has risen and thus has separated night from day. ut . . . asthad is an exact echo probably mid-point;3 = end-point. of ud . . . asthat in ab of stanza 1, just as cigatin at punahsarnavyadv1,tatarn vayantt/ rnadAya the following d is an exact echo of agat in d of kartorny adhacchakrna dh1,rah / zut sarnhayasthad stanza 3. In this mannerstanza 4, which begins a new unit of thought,is linked with the opening vy rt?inradardhah / aramatihsavita deva agat The Weaver (i.e., Night) has rolled together and close of the precedingunit. again that which was spreadout (i. e., the web or d. The word aramatih, which occurs only in fabricof darkness). In the midst of [her] activity RV, i& troublesome. The consen&u& of scholar& is the Wise One (i. e., Savitar) has su&pended [her] that as a feminine noun it means "properthinkpower. Bestirringhimself, he has risen. He has ing, devotion,"is derived from &arn " proper, divided the time-periods (i. e., day and night). ready" and matth "thought," and i& related to God Savitar, aramatih (" not resting" or " not staying" ?) has arrived.23 he unfortunately rejected in later publications: " die
This difficult and crucial stanza, particularly ab, has been misinterpreted by the majority of scholars. It hardly seems worthwhile to list the various erroneous views. Two translations will serve as representatives: IIillebrandt, who goes astray in b (Lieder des Rgveda, 91, Gottingen and Leipzig, 1913): " Die Weberin [die Nacht] faltete ihr Gearebe wieder zusammen. Mitten in der Arbeit legte der Kunstler sein Werk nieder [die Sonne am Abend] . Sich erhebend stieg er empor und schied die Jahreszeiten. Ohne zu ruhen kam Savitr herbei." And Geldner, wllo misses the mark completely in ab (BOS, 33. 325): " Die bVebende [wohl clie menschliche Weberin] hat das ausgebreitete ( GenTebe ) wieder zugedeckt; mitten in der Arbeit hat der [menschliche] Kunstler sein Werk niedergelegt. Er [Savitr] ruhrt sich und hat sich erhoben; er hat die Zeiten geschieden. Rasch entschlossen ist Gott Savitr gekommen." I have found only three translations that are essentially correct. One of these is, interestingly, by Geldner who in 1892 (Vedische Studien, 2. 189, 257, Stuttgart) had what I consider the right interpretation of ab which
23

Webende (= die Nacht) rollte wieder zusammen das ausgespannte ( Gewebe ); mitten in ihrer Arbeit beseitigte ihr Werk der kluge (Savitar). Sich aufrichtend ist es aufgestanden, das punktliche (flinke) Gebet hat die Zeiten auseinander gehalten: der Gott Sav. ist eben erschienen." Another is M. Bloomfield's ( The Religiorw of the Veda, 74, Ne^JYork and London, 1908): " Weaving Night hath folded up her woof, In the midst of her performance wise Savitar suspends ller work. He riseth from his couch and sets the seasons, With fitting plan God Savitar hath come hither." The third is by Winternitz ( 302): " Wieder hat die Weberin ( Nacht ) ihr ausgebreitetes Gelvebe ( das Dunkel) zusammengewickelt; mitten in der Arbeit hat der kluge (Savitar) ihr Werk beiseite geschaft. Mit einem Ruck hat er sich erhoben Aramati hat ( ja ) die Zeiten geschieden Gott Savitar ist gekommen." The closely parallel passage 1. 11a. 4 and such passages as 7. 63. 1, 2. 17. 4cd, and 4. 13. 4ab are extremely important for 2. 38. 4ab (as Winternitz, 298, points out ) . For a full discussion see my remarks in JAOS, 58. 428-31 ( 1938) .

ATEINS:

Byrnn RV 2.38: A Problern

83

Sayana, however,took it as an Av. ar?naitust.24 adjectivein this passageand glossedwith anuparatih "not stopped,not ceasingmotion." In view of the relativelylarge numberof hapax legomena in this hymn it is quite conceivablethat this is with the anotheronc an adjectivehomophonous noun.25 The componentswould be privative aand the adjectiveramati " staying still, not straying " which occursin AV T.TS.2 and TS 1. 6. 3. 1, from the base applied to cattle, and is derived26 ram- (cf. lines 2d and 3b of this hymn). Certainly " not staying still," " not resting" is appropriate for Savitar, the god who, in a sense, is motion personified. It must be admitted, however, that the accentuationas it stands provides alongwith an argumentagainstsuch an analysis,27
24 M. Mayrhofer, Kurzgefasstes etymolopisches WorterDuch des Alttndtschen s. v. Heidelberg, 1953 ff. ); W. Wust, Gotttnpische Gelehrte Anzetpen, 196.20-2 (1934). See also Renou, Etudes Ved. et P&n., I. 1-2. (Zum WB des RV, 1. 96) remarks: 25 Neisser "Abgesehen davon, dass dieser Sinn [" nicht ruhend "] dem Gotte des Abends, als der gerade hier Sav. gekennzeichnet ist, nicht sonderlich angemessen erscheint, werden wir gegen Ansatz neuen Worts mit Berg. uns skeptisch verhalten, wenn kein Zwang ersichtlich." But, if the hymn is not an Abendlted and if Savitar is not characterized as " Gott des Abends," the argument loses its force. It is to be noted that Renou (Etudes Ved. et Pan., IV. 94) says: " Mais le mot figure aussi comme masc., ep. de Savitr . . . 2. 38, 4." J. 26 Debrunner-Wackernagel,Az. Gr., II. 2 466c. Hertel (Abh. d. Sachs. Ak. d. Wtss., 40, Nr. 2, p. 103, 1929) points to a substantive use of ramatz at TS 7. 1. 12.1. Wust (GGA, 196.9) suggests that ramatz (and the noun ramats " stopping-place" AV 6. 73. 2d, 3d) may be new formations based on aramatt and comparable to aditz-: ditz-, as1hra-:sura-, asita-: sita-. 27F. Knauer, ZVS, 27.35-6 (1885). But Hertel (op. cit. 59, 98, 104) thinks that the accentuation of aramatz as transmitted depends upon a folk-etymological connection (in Vedic times) with ara- and is false, and points to the fact that the author of the Padapatha does not divide the word into its elements, presumably because its etymology was not clear to him. His view is that Av. armattz contains the preverb a and the root ram- ( cf. Av. a + ram- " beruhigen," Vedic a +ram- " eine Pause machen,"aramana " Ruheplatz ") and designates " durch Herrschaft gegen Rauber gesicherte Siedelung der Viehzuchter," while RV aramatt contains the privative aand the root ram- and means " Unrast,, Trift, Nomadenleben." Wust (op. cit. 1-39), however, writes a bitter, devastating, but mostly sound critique of Hertel's monograph in which he demolishes (to my satisfaction) the a- + ram- derivation (as well as the meaning " Unrast " ) for aramati in all passages except 2. 38. 4d. Here his interpretation, colored by the Abendlied theory, is: "Aramati die rechte [Abend-] andacht" (10, note 1).

the fact that none of the -ati formations(it is true that they are not numerous) show the prefixal negative a(n)-. Nor is it any more likely that with the componentsa aramati is a bahzurrthi ramati "not possessinga stoppingplace." ayuh / vt {sthate dibryo vtsqtam S. rsanaukarnsi prabhavahsoko agneh / jyestham mata sunave savitra bhagamadhat / anv asya ketamtstfi6rn flame of Agni, springingup, for The household an entire lifetime is distributed individually amongthe dwellings[of men]. [IIis] mother (i. e., Usas "Dawn") has assignedthe best portion [of the sacrifice]to [her] son (i. e., Agni) in accordance with his appetitewhich has been stimulated by Savitar. ab. Agni, in his domesticaspect, appearsseparately28in countless householdswhere he has a perpetualresidenceand a continuousfunction29 as recipient and conveyorof the daily sacrifices. for the home of Agni is one and yet is many,30 has its individualAgni. everyworshipper cd. Sayana correctlyidentified mata as Usas, jyestham bhagamas prathamamagnthotrakEyamJ and sunaveas Agni. So too Ludwig (4.138) and Winternitz (299-300). The common view that the descriptionis of a human mother giving her hungry son a fine supperby the glowing hearthfire is not convincing. There is nothing in the
28 p.

Thieme is certainly right when he insists that

nana always belongs to the subject ( Untersuchungen zur Wortkunde und Auslepung des Rigveda, 53 note 2,

Halle / Saale, 1949). (Baltimore, 1939): 29 See P.-E. Dumont, L'Agnihotra " Mais ce qui fait l'importance de l'agnihotra, c'est que c'est un sacrifice quotidien et un sacrifice perpetuel " (v) . " Bien que l'on distingue deux agnihotras: celui du soir et celui du matin, ces deux agnihotras ne sont en realite que les deux parties d'un seul et meme sacrifice. D'autre part, comme il faut que le sacrifiant offre l'agnihotra chaque soir et chaque matin, sa vie durant, que l'obligation d'offrir ce sacrifice ne cesse qu'avec la mort ou quand le sacrifiant, devenu vieux, renonce au monde pour mener la vie d'un ascete mendiant, et que son fils, a son tour, offre, chaque jour, soir et matin, le m8me sacrifice, on peut considerer l'agnihotra comme un sacrifice perpetuel." (vii ) 30 There are many references in RV to domestic Agni's multiplicity, e. g.: 3. 55. 4 samano raja vtbhrtah purutra " one and the same king everywhere diSused "; 5. 1. 5 dame-dame sapta ratna dadhano " bestowing his seven gifts upon every household"; 7. 15. 2 yah . . . nisasada dSme-dame " who has settled down in every household"; Val. 10. 2 eka evagnir bahudha samiddha " There is only one Agni though manifoldly kindled."

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ATE:INS:

RV 2.38: A Problem Hymn

stanza, as there is nothing in the entire hymn, savitur . . . agat (3d). As the one who starts and for cyclic reguwhich suggestshumanactors. As for the setting, stopsmotion Savitaris responsible it is not nocturnal but matutinal. Savitar has larity and periodicityin all activitiesand with his risen oncemore (stanza4); the Dawnhas assigned vrata-acceptsthat responsibility. the morningagnihotra to the domesticAgni whose The unit, as a whole, may be summarizedas follows: Savitar's suspensionof Night's activity appetitehas been stimulatedby Savitar. 6. samavavarti v*sthito jigtsuh / vtsvesam and his rising and arrivalat the morningsacrifice kamas caratam amabhi4t/ savan apo vtkrtaqn are spoken of in stanza 4. The composerthen directshis attentionto Agni, god of the sacrificial hitsy agat / ambvratarn savitiirdaivyasya fire and associateof Savitarin the day'sbeginning He (i. e., Agni) who was dispersed[amongthe dwellingsof men], desirous of obtaining[the sacri- ( 5 ) . He speculatesmystically and in riddling ficial offering], comes single and whole [to the fashionaboutAgni's multiple distribution(S, 6a) sacrifice]. The object of desire of all moving and singlefoldpresenceat the sacrifice,a presence things has been at home (or "in his owi home," vowedby Savitar (6). The mentionof Agni's disi. e., the sacrificer's house). Ever recurring, giving tribution leads naturally to the distributionsdeup the workseparately done (i. e., the diversework scribedin the next unit. T. tvayahitamapyamapsau bhagam / dhan?)anv done by him in countless households), he has vt tasthq4h / vananivtbhyonakir asya arrived [at the sacrifice]in accordance with the a mrgayaso tani / vrata devasyasavitqxr minanti vow of divine Savitar. [have spread] throughoutthe a. Oldenberg was right in saying " samava?)arti Water-creatures (zu vrt) und vtsthitoentsprechen sich als Gegen- domain establishedby you in the waters. The satze." 31 (:ertainlyvtsthito refers to Agrli (thus wild beasts have spread over the dry land. The Ludwig,4.138, and Winternitz, 300) and Sayana's forests (i.e., the trees of the forest) are for the yqsddharthaqn prasthitah"one who has set forth birds. None of them changes34these his vows,, for battle,"blindly acceptedby most interpreters, [the vows] of God Savitar. is incorrect. The multiple Agni whose dispersion a. For want of a better explanationof gramis mentioned in the preceding stanza (5ab: vt matical structure I follow (unhappily) one of proposals(RV Coten, 1-6 Buch, 221) tisthate) comesas a single entity to the sacrifice. Oldenberg's and take cepyarn " that whichbelongsvn the water b. I follow Ludwig (4.138 ) who interprets ="water-creatures" as nominative singular neukamasas eqviivalent to Agni and as meaningnot "desire" but "object of desire.7'32Agni who is ter and hitam as accusativesingularmasculinein with bhclgam whichwouldbe in parallel abroad everywhere as household flamehas alsobeen agreement construction with dhanva of b. Winternitz(300) at home.33 confessed that he did not know how to overcome cd. Agrli as the ever-recurrent fire of the daily the difficulties in this verse any better than Hillemorning sacrificehas arrived,as Savitar has arbrandt and Geldner. Renou's translation 35 iS esrived (cf. stanza4: agat), here at this particular cellent. lIe seems to have followed Grassmann.36 sacrifice,cmpelled by the efficacy of Savitar'svow The sense of the stanza, which is the opening and by the efficacyof this hymn. The full power of the third unit, is quite clear. It describes how of the god in all his onenessis here,not elsewhere. creatures are distributed by Savitar to their proper It is to be noted that this secondconceptualunit (stanzas4-6) closeswith agat / anu vratatnsavtttir spheres of activity, their domains of motionas the first conceptual unit closeswith anu vratarn
RV Noten, 1-6 Buch, 219. 32 Cf. *ste ( 1. 143. 8 ) " O object of desire," said to Agni. 33 The house in which Agn; is kept is often called " his own home." (Sompare, e. g., 1. 1. 8 vardhamanam sse danze " growing strong in your own home "; 1. 94. 14 sanzidd71a7.w sve dame " kindled in your own home "; 3. 1. 14 v.rddhmsedas* sse " grown strong in llis own abode."
31

S For m- " change Ca thing by substituting something else]," also " deceive, betray " and " deceitfully break or or violate " and so, with the negative, = " scrupulously observe or obey" see Thieme "Die beiden Verben tnt," ZDMG, 95. 82-114 ( 1941 ) . ss Anthologie Sanskrite, 13: " c'est to; qui as fise leur domaine dans l'eau aux 8tres aquatiques." 36 R*g-Veda, ubersetzt Part I, 50 and 570. Grassmann boldly cut the Gordian knot by stating: " bhaga hier Neutrum."

ATEINS:

RV B.38: A ProblernSIyrnn

85

to the water, beasts to the land, waters') midst King Varuna travels; 1.161.14 water-creatures / ayam vato anbirdsto the trees. diva yanti maruto bhqimyagnth yati / adbhtr yati varunah samt4drath y6nirnapyam/ antsitarn tariksencb vart4no 8. yadradhyarn vrajarna " The Marutstravel in heaven,Agni on the earth, / vtsto mfi6rtando nimtss jarbht4ranah Varunain the waters, this wind in the atmosphere, pasur gat / sthas6janmanisavita vy akah with what is granted (or " so far the seas.*'39 In our passage Varuna apparently In accordance the beings of his realm, the wateras it is granted") [by Savitar] Varuna [has gone symbolizes40 to] his abodein the waters,neverstopping,darting creatures. The statement,whichis metaphorically has gone to is that everywater-creature here and there in a flash; everybird [has gone to expressed, its nest]; the beast of the field has gone to its pen. its water-home.41 Lines abc are, more or less, a restatement (a to their according creatures Savitarhas distributed commonVedic device) of Tabcwith ab = Tswand properstations. ab. y2dradhyamis a hapax 1. Wackernagel c= Tbc. There is a substitutionof domesticated ) and analyzesit as yat " in soweitals" plus radhyaand beast (pasur) for wild beast (m.rgayaso translatesit: "so schnell als moglich . . . (eig. there is an alterationin the orderof presentation: ist)."37 Oldenberg(RV water-creature:waters, dry land: wild beasts, soweit es durchfuhrbar water-house, Noten, I-6 Buch, 220) denies that radhya is a trees: birdsin 7, but water-creatures: beasts in 8. In 7 gerundiveformation,says that it is a secondary bird: nest, pen: domesticated areasthat various ), and translates: the referenceis to the difEerent from radha ( = radhas derivative " sofern es verliehen ist, d. h. sofern Savitars types (water,land, air) of creaturesrange. In 8 radhah (v. 1lb) vorliegt (Adj. zu yonim oder the referenceis to the abodeor station of a creaAdverb?)." Winternits (300-1), following Lud- ture, the base, so to speak, from which it starts wig, conjectures yat radhyam and construes: its operationsand to which it returnsupon cessa" Varuna ist in seine ihm angemesseneWasser- tion of motion. Savitar as gOd who incites to heimatstattegegangen,"and explains: " Varuna motionassignsdomainsof motion (7), and as god aufgesucht,d. h. es ist Nacht with the powerof stoppingmotionassignsstations hat sein Wolkenmeer 388 note) trans- (8) . geworden."Renou ( Grammaire lates: "autant qu'on peut atteindre." I follow 9. na yasyendrovaruno na mitrah / vratam but take the word with c as well as aryamana rninantirudrah/ naratayastarnidam Oldenberg, with ab. Varuna,everybird, and the beast of the ssastz / huve devamsavita namobEih field receivetheir abodesas gifts from Savitar. Whosevow neitherIndra [and] Varuna= Trueis an adverbmeaning "without rest, in- Speech42 nor Mitra= Contract ant,sitarn 42 [and] Aryaman literally " = " never stopping." nimz6.st cessantly means " in the wink of an eye" = " instantane39 For a discussion of "Varuna und die Wasser im ously, in a flash."38 In RV Varuna is closely Rgveda " see E. Luders, Varxna, I. 50-4 (Gottingen of 2.38.8 is: "So weit es associatedwith the waters; in fact, water is his 1951). Eis translation (50) moglich ist, geht Varuna ( am Abend) in das Wasser(referringto apo of heim, er, der unaufhorlich jeden Augenblick sich hin element,e. g. T.49. 3a yasalnb yati madhye"In whose (i.e. the und her bewegt, jeder Vogel ( in sein Nest ), das Vieh d) raja varqzno
Ai. Gr., II. 1, p. 324 122a note. See also II. 2, p. 802 647. 38 H. Lommel, Acta Orientalia 11.134-9 ( 1933) , has shown convincingly that Varuna's supposed close connection with ni-rnis ( a point made by Geldner and Oldenberg) has no significance for an understanding of this stanza. However, he goes on to speak of the depiction ( in cd ) of tlle homecoming of birds and other animals to their resting-places, and his translation of ab seems to indicate that he is thinking of a homecoming in the evening: " Auch Varuna (begibt sich ) so gut als moglich zu seinem Ruhelager, (aber) er rastet nicht, (sondern noch) im Einschlummernblinkt er auf (zuckt er hell leuchtend auf) ."
37

in den Pferch. Nach ihren Standorten hat Savitr die Arten der Geschopfe gesondert." 40 For a similar view, held earlier but later rejected by Eillebrandt, see his Vedische Alytholopie, II2. 20-1, note 5. 41 The question whether the waters are heavenly or earthly is poetically unimportant.- " Himmlische und irdische Wasser sind also miteinander identisch, und es ist kein Widerspruch, wenn Varuna bald in den irdischen Flussen und Meeren, bald in Eimmel erscheint; auch dort weilt er in den Wassern." (Luders, Varqhna ' 12) . 42 See Thieme, Mitra and Argaman (= Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, 41.1-96, New Eaven, 1957), particularly pages 61-2 (for Varuna),

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RV B.38: A Problem Myrnn aid us)-may we, [I say], be beloved of God Savitar so that there may be a coming of prosperity, a confluence of riches. 11. asrnabEyam tad divo adbEyah prthivyah/ tvaya dattarn kamyarnradha a gat / sarn yat stotrbEya apaye bhavati / qzrqzsarnsaya savitar yarstre From Heaven, from the Waters, from Earth, may this gift of what we want, bestowedby you, cometo us, [this gift] which shall be a blessingto the bards,to the friend,to the singerwhosepraises [of you] reachfar and wide, O Savitar. These two concluding stanzas voice the usual prayerfor all good things. They are outside the triadie structure.
. .. . *

=Hospitality42 nor Rudra [and] the Malignities change,him I summonhere [to the sacrifice]for our prosperity with reverent salutations, God Savitar. abed. Just as the wild creaturesof the world whoserangesand stationsare fixed by Savitar do not change (nakir . . . minanti, beginningof the third unit, in T) his vows, so neither do divine powers,beneficent and maleficent,changehis vow (na . . . minanti,end of the third unit). 10. bhagarndhtyarnvajayantahpurarndhtm / narasarnsogrsci,spatir no avyah / aye vamasya sarngathe raytnam/ priya devasyasavituh syama May we, stimulating to action (or perhaps "may they, the previouslymentionedgods, set in motion") Good Fortune, Prayer, Puramdhi43(may Narasamsa,who is husbandof a goddess,
18-71 also (1959), " Mitra between his solemn Aryarnan the tween When text the the of god N7ho guest speaking the very his ( for Mitra ), in and the the Contract' covenants he must 72-91 ( for Aryaman ) . Compare 3.144-51 remarks particularly ' [God] men, nature, promises.... ' [God] protects and of sacrifice, contract the guests, ... host, Mitra the Hospitality' the on and poet betN7een to ." offer ( 147 ) if upon domain, knowledge, mean and trutllful, oaths." we posit as must instigation poetry, (148) the evia solemn which is, just as naturally, bebased. conto, and give and Indo-Iranian following: protects between be a contracts, men protector and of treaties gods. vows By and Joqmrnal,

III. This hymn, as interpretedby almost all scholars,has suppliedmuch of the Rig-Vedicevidence for Savitar'sclose connectionwith evening and night. If it is not an Abendlied,as I hope that I have shown,then that aspect of his nature and functionrequiresre-examination.44 Certainly the Rig-Veda,combedand thoroughly workedover by seholarsas it has been, still remainsa fertile field for investigation.
44 Hillebrandt ( Vedische Alytholopie, IIa. 102), in discussing " Savitr im Ritual," says: " Aus dieser Angabe folgt, dass die Stelle des Savitragraha vom Morgen auf den Abend verlegt worden ist . . . ," and later (118) remarks: " Immerhin ist es seltsam, dass er im srautaRitual nur am Abend beteiligt wird und im Einklang mit der ihm RV II, 38 zugewiesenen Rolle nurs als nivesano japatas gefeiert wird; denn das widerspricht seiner Stellung in andern Mandala's wie IV und V und ist offenbar einem der vielen Kompromisse, unter denen das Ritual entstand, zuzuschreiben." But, of course, if the interpretation presented in this article is correct, 2. 38 assigns no such exclusive role to Savitar and it does not contradict his position in other books such as IV and V.

vows, hospitality

exchanged is the alludes host, to

Aryarnan thinks man, sacrifices of, as

within and the and

primordial gods, as

rewards " A11 varu)zadivinized dently and as be

respectively this becomes

understandable ' and whose of correct and of word 308-9 that vo^7s see and du 79. look

' true-speech ' True-Speech,' conveyance of the sacred,

Varuna then,

protection ^7ell
43

as tllis WB sur and

protection difficult

For

Mayrhofer, references Rgveda 288-9

Kur:pefasstes there; (Pondichery, Renou, 1958)

etyr>T. Etudes s. v.;

d. le

Ai.,

Vocabulaire JAOS,

BurroN7,

( 1959

) .