2023-02-23 18:48:59 by ambuda-bot
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THE SŪRYAŚATAKA OF MAYŪRA
nirvyājam tāyamāne haritimani nije sphitaphenāhitaśrīr
aśreyāmsy aśvapańktiḥ śamayatu yamunevā 'parā tāpanī vaḥ
164
The Heater's¹ (Sürya's) row of horses is like a second [River]
Yamunā.
For the horses <move along with sportive restlessness>,² and <are
brought under control by the elder brother of (Garuda),
Tamer of Snakes>,³
And the Yamuna <flows along with restless dalliance>, and <was
dragged [from its bed] by the elder brother of (Kṛṣṇa),
Subduer of the Snake>";
The horses, <by the speed of their car>, <gain decisive victory in
the matter of speed over the River of Heaven»,?
And the Yamunā, <by the speed of its current>, <gains decisive
victory in the matter of speed over the Ganges> ;
To the horses <a beauty is truly imparted by the copious froth
that flecks the green color [of] their [bodies]>,³
And to the Yamunā <a beauty is truly imparted by the abundant
foam on the green expanse [of] its [waters]>.
May the Heater's (Sürya's) row of horses destroy your sins!
Notes. 1. Or, tapant may mean 'the Illuminator's.' 2. The term
helalolam, which I have rendered as 'with sportive restlessness,' and 'with
restless dalliance,' is here taken adverbially, as the commentary suggests;
for compounds used as adverbs, cf. Whitney, Skt. Grammar, 1311. 3.
The 'Tamer of Snakes' was Garuda. The story of the origin of his
enmity for the tribe of serpents is told in Mahabharata, 1. 20-34, and runs
as follows: Once on a time Vinatã, mother of Aruna and Garuda (cf.
stanza 8, note 1), had a wager with her sister and co-wife Kadru over
the color of the tail of Indra's horse Uccäiḥśravas. The Kädraveyas (i.e.
sons of Kadrü), who were serpents, at Kadrü's bidding changed them-
selves into black hairs on Uccãiḥśravas's tail, and so enabled their mother
to win the wager. Vinata, having lost, became the slave of the serpent
Kādraveyas. They, however, promised Garuda to set his mother free
from slavery, if he would bring to them the immortality-causing ambrosia
(amṛta) which was produced in the Moon. After a series of exploits and
adventures, Garuda actually succeeded in purloining the amṛta, and was
returning with it, when first Vişnu, and then Indra, interfered. The
upshot of the matter was that Garuda, in exchange for the gift of immor-
tality, became Vişnu's vehicle (Mahabharata, 1. 33. 16-17), and that Indra
made him promise not to let anyone drink the precious nectar. In return
for this promise, Garuda was granted permission to feed perpetually on
nirvyājam tāyamāne haritimani nije sphitaphenāhitaśrīr
aśreyāmsy aśvapańktiḥ śamayatu yamunevā 'parā tāpanī vaḥ
164
The Heater's¹ (Sürya's) row of horses is like a second [River]
Yamunā.
For the horses <move along with sportive restlessness>,² and <are
brought under control by the elder brother of (Garuda),
Tamer of Snakes>,³
And the Yamuna <flows along with restless dalliance>, and <was
dragged [from its bed] by the elder brother of (Kṛṣṇa),
Subduer of the Snake>";
The horses, <by the speed of their car>, <gain decisive victory in
the matter of speed over the River of Heaven»,?
And the Yamunā, <by the speed of its current>, <gains decisive
victory in the matter of speed over the Ganges> ;
To the horses <a beauty is truly imparted by the copious froth
that flecks the green color [of] their [bodies]>,³
And to the Yamunā <a beauty is truly imparted by the abundant
foam on the green expanse [of] its [waters]>.
May the Heater's (Sürya's) row of horses destroy your sins!
Notes. 1. Or, tapant may mean 'the Illuminator's.' 2. The term
helalolam, which I have rendered as 'with sportive restlessness,' and 'with
restless dalliance,' is here taken adverbially, as the commentary suggests;
for compounds used as adverbs, cf. Whitney, Skt. Grammar, 1311. 3.
The 'Tamer of Snakes' was Garuda. The story of the origin of his
enmity for the tribe of serpents is told in Mahabharata, 1. 20-34, and runs
as follows: Once on a time Vinatã, mother of Aruna and Garuda (cf.
stanza 8, note 1), had a wager with her sister and co-wife Kadru over
the color of the tail of Indra's horse Uccäiḥśravas. The Kädraveyas (i.e.
sons of Kadrü), who were serpents, at Kadrü's bidding changed them-
selves into black hairs on Uccãiḥśravas's tail, and so enabled their mother
to win the wager. Vinata, having lost, became the slave of the serpent
Kādraveyas. They, however, promised Garuda to set his mother free
from slavery, if he would bring to them the immortality-causing ambrosia
(amṛta) which was produced in the Moon. After a series of exploits and
adventures, Garuda actually succeeded in purloining the amṛta, and was
returning with it, when first Vişnu, and then Indra, interfered. The
upshot of the matter was that Garuda, in exchange for the gift of immor-
tality, became Vişnu's vehicle (Mahabharata, 1. 33. 16-17), and that Indra
made him promise not to let anyone drink the precious nectar. In return
for this promise, Garuda was granted permission to feed perpetually on