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THE SURYASATAKA OF MAYŪRA
151
āsādyā "padyate yam punar api ca jagad yāuvanam sadya
udyann
uddyoto dyotitadyāur dyatu divasakṛto 'sāv avadyāni vo 'dya
The rising splendor of (Sürya), Maker of Day, is praised by
Gandharvas with
words of ming
prose and
verse, [to the accompaniment of] musical instruments of the
ātodya [type],
And is also praised with discrimination by the ancient seers,
famed for their knowledge, chief of whom is Närada,'
And furthermore, the universe, upon coming in contact with this
(splendor), at once obtains again the loveliness of youth.
May this rising splendor of (Sürya), Maker of Day,-a splendor
that illumines the sky-to-day mow down your sins!
Notes. 1. Note in this stanza the alliteration (anuprāsa) of dy-20
times. 2. In the Rig Veda, the term Gandharva is commonly applied to
a male being, 'the heavenly (divya) Gandharva,' who is associated prin-
cipally with Soma, but in several passages is connected with some form
of celestial light. In this latter conception he is brought into relation with
Sürya (cf. Rig Veda, 10. 123.7 and 10. 177.2), and in Rig Veda, 1. 163. 2,
he is said to grasp the bridle of Sürya's steed. In other passages of the
Rig, the Gandharvas are spoken of in the plural. Their number is fixed
as 27 in some of the Yajus texts, but in Atharva Veda (11. 5. 2) is said
to be 6333. On the whole subject of the Gandharvas, see A. A. Macdonell,
Vedic Mythology (p. 136-137), in Bühler's Grundriss, Strassburg, 1897, and
the concise yet comprehensive account in Monier-Williams, Skt.-Engl.
Dict. s.v. gandharva. In the Epic and Puranic literature, the Gandharvas
are regularly regarded as the celestial choristers; so also in this stanza of
the Süryaśataka; cf. Markandeya Purana, 106.63 (Pargiter, p. 571);
Mahabharata, 1. 123. 54; S. Sörensen, Index to the Names in the Mahabha-
rata, part 6, London, 1911, s.v. Gandharva. Bühler has noted that in stanza
2 of Prasasti of Vatsabhatti, Sürya is praised by Gandharvas, Kim-
naras, Siddhas, etc., and he compares Saryafataka, stanzas 6, 13, 36, 52,
67 and 81, where it is likewise stated that Sürya is praised by various of
the semi-divine beings; see Bühler, Die indischen Inschriften (p. 14-15),
as cited in stanza 6, note 8. 3. The commentary says that the com-
pound gadyapadya. hrdyam is to be regarded as an adverb.
4. The
commentary says that atodyavadyani, 'the atodya musical instruments,' are
of four types, exemplified respectively by the lute, the cymbal, the drum,
and the flute; cf. Rajah Tagore, Hindu Music (Calcutta, 2d ed., 1882),
esp. p. 191, where the vind, 'lute,' is portrayed. 5. Lit. vibhidya means
'having divided,' 'having discriminated.' 6. I take vedavedydir as mean-
ing 'famed for their knowledge.' The commentary, however, takes veda
151
āsādyā "padyate yam punar api ca jagad yāuvanam sadya
udyann
uddyoto dyotitadyāur dyatu divasakṛto 'sāv avadyāni vo 'dya
The rising splendor of (Sürya), Maker of Day, is praised by
Gandharvas with
words of ming
prose and
verse, [to the accompaniment of] musical instruments of the
ātodya [type],
And is also praised with discrimination by the ancient seers,
famed for their knowledge, chief of whom is Närada,'
And furthermore, the universe, upon coming in contact with this
(splendor), at once obtains again the loveliness of youth.
May this rising splendor of (Sürya), Maker of Day,-a splendor
that illumines the sky-to-day mow down your sins!
Notes. 1. Note in this stanza the alliteration (anuprāsa) of dy-20
times. 2. In the Rig Veda, the term Gandharva is commonly applied to
a male being, 'the heavenly (divya) Gandharva,' who is associated prin-
cipally with Soma, but in several passages is connected with some form
of celestial light. In this latter conception he is brought into relation with
Sürya (cf. Rig Veda, 10. 123.7 and 10. 177.2), and in Rig Veda, 1. 163. 2,
he is said to grasp the bridle of Sürya's steed. In other passages of the
Rig, the Gandharvas are spoken of in the plural. Their number is fixed
as 27 in some of the Yajus texts, but in Atharva Veda (11. 5. 2) is said
to be 6333. On the whole subject of the Gandharvas, see A. A. Macdonell,
Vedic Mythology (p. 136-137), in Bühler's Grundriss, Strassburg, 1897, and
the concise yet comprehensive account in Monier-Williams, Skt.-Engl.
Dict. s.v. gandharva. In the Epic and Puranic literature, the Gandharvas
are regularly regarded as the celestial choristers; so also in this stanza of
the Süryaśataka; cf. Markandeya Purana, 106.63 (Pargiter, p. 571);
Mahabharata, 1. 123. 54; S. Sörensen, Index to the Names in the Mahabha-
rata, part 6, London, 1911, s.v. Gandharva. Bühler has noted that in stanza
2 of Prasasti of Vatsabhatti, Sürya is praised by Gandharvas, Kim-
naras, Siddhas, etc., and he compares Saryafataka, stanzas 6, 13, 36, 52,
67 and 81, where it is likewise stated that Sürya is praised by various of
the semi-divine beings; see Bühler, Die indischen Inschriften (p. 14-15),
as cited in stanza 6, note 8. 3. The commentary says that the com-
pound gadyapadya. hrdyam is to be regarded as an adverb.
4. The
commentary says that atodyavadyani, 'the atodya musical instruments,' are
of four types, exemplified respectively by the lute, the cymbal, the drum,
and the flute; cf. Rajah Tagore, Hindu Music (Calcutta, 2d ed., 1882),
esp. p. 191, where the vind, 'lute,' is portrayed. 5. Lit. vibhidya means
'having divided,' 'having discriminated.' 6. I take vedavedydir as mean-
ing 'famed for their knowledge.' The commentary, however, takes veda