Hymns of Vaisvamitra: Introduction
Disclaimer: An authentic translation of Rigveda would take a realized soul. I am merely riding on the shoulders of the Sanskrit dictionaries of Apte, Macdonell, and Monier Williams, that are now available online. Whatever the success in translation is entirely due to God’s grace. The errors are all mine.
Madhuchchanda Vaisvamitra was the son of Visvamitra, the great Rishi. From his hymns, ten were chosen to be the first ten of the 1026 hymns of Rigveda, by Vyasa Maharishi. This is their importance. Seven of the hymns are dedicated to Indra, while the first three deal with Agni and other deities. This essay brings out salient features of his hymns. The original is cited in text, the padapatham along with word by word meaning is given in footnotes.
The first thing to be noted is that although a hymn is dedicated to a deity, it often deals with a wide range of topics, some connected with the deity, others not, while some verses are acutely personal. For instance in the verse 8 of hymn 8 dedicated to Indra, the sage says:
एवा ह्यस्य सूनृता विरप्शी गोमती मही | पक्का शाखा न दाशुषे || (1.008.8)[1]
For your gratification (I am reporting) an event: (I heard) an excellent song as the copious Gomati waters flowed; it was from a tribal offshoot not from the pious.
Clearly, the hymn has nothing to do with Indra. Usually, however, the matters dealt with are connected with holiness, and are not as secular as the above hymn. This pattern of apparently extraneous matters entering a hymn is revealed in the first Hymn itself which is formally dedicated to Agni.
[1] एवा हि - अस्य सूनृता विरप्शी गोमती मही | पक्का शाखा न दाशुषे ||
Word meaning: Merely (एवा) to gratify (हि) happen (अस्य) An excellent song (सूनृता) copious (विरप्श = विरप्शी) Gomati (गोमती) waters (मही) | tribal (पक्कश = पक्का) branch (शाखा) not (न) pious (दाशुषे)
Contact details ; Full essay
Continued : Importance of Rigveda
Also see: Ideal Wife and Role, Sage, Poet and Man, Against drinking, Against fear of yoga, Other obstacles to yoga, Tapas, Teacher and Disciple, Bragging, Gluttony and Debates, Indra and Siva, Asvins, Visnu, Respect for Visnu and Siva, Saraswati, Indra Vayu, Mitra Varuna, Vishvadeva, Agni
Disclaimer: An authentic translation of Rigveda would take a realized soul. I am merely riding on the shoulders of the Sanskrit dictionaries of Apte, Macdonell, and Monier Williams, that are now available online. Whatever the success in translation is entirely due to God’s grace. The errors are all mine.
Madhuchchanda Vaisvamitra was the son of Visvamitra, the great Rishi. From his hymns, ten were chosen to be the first ten of the 1026 hymns of Rigveda, by Vyasa Maharishi. This is their importance. Seven of the hymns are dedicated to Indra, while the first three deal with Agni and other deities. This essay brings out salient features of his hymns. The original is cited in text, the padapatham along with word by word meaning is given in footnotes.
The first thing to be noted is that although a hymn is dedicated to a deity, it often deals with a wide range of topics, some connected with the deity, others not, while some verses are acutely personal. For instance in the verse 8 of hymn 8 dedicated to Indra, the sage says:
एवा ह्यस्य सूनृता विरप्शी गोमती मही | पक्का शाखा न दाशुषे || (1.008.8)[1]
For your gratification (I am reporting) an event: (I heard) an excellent song as the copious Gomati waters flowed; it was from a tribal offshoot not from the pious.
Clearly, the hymn has nothing to do with Indra. Usually, however, the matters dealt with are connected with holiness, and are not as secular as the above hymn. This pattern of apparently extraneous matters entering a hymn is revealed in the first Hymn itself which is formally dedicated to Agni.
[1] एवा हि - अस्य सूनृता विरप्शी गोमती मही | पक्का शाखा न दाशुषे ||
Word meaning: Merely (एवा) to gratify (हि) happen (अस्य) An excellent song (सूनृता) copious (विरप्श = विरप्शी) Gomati (गोमती) waters (मही) | tribal (पक्कश = पक्का) branch (शाखा) not (न) pious (दाशुषे)
Contact details ; Full essay
Continued : Importance of Rigveda
Also see: Ideal Wife and Role, Sage, Poet and Man, Against drinking, Against fear of yoga, Other obstacles to yoga, Tapas, Teacher and Disciple, Bragging, Gluttony and Debates, Indra and Siva, Asvins, Visnu, Respect for Visnu and Siva, Saraswati, Indra Vayu, Mitra Varuna, Vishvadeva, Agni