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172
THE SÜRYASATAKA OF MAYURA
Pūşan's <might is celebrated in hymns of praise>, and <his efforts
are continually bent on mounting the sky>,*
And Aruna <is renowned for prowess with the goad>,³ and <his
care is constantly exercised in [watching] the stepping of his
horses' feet>";
Puşan <bestows signal insignificance on (the Moon), the Lord of
the Twice-born® (Brāhmans), through the protraction of
time>,"
And Aruna <bestows signal insignificance on (Garuda), Lord of
the Twice-born (Birds), because of pre-eminence in age>.⁹
May that Aruna protect you!
Notes. 1. The 'equality,' like the similarity' in stanzas 25 and 47, rests
only on word-puns. 2. Grammatically, svatantras, 'independent' or
'relying on one's own will,' is nominative, modifying 'runo.
3. The
words svatantrastotra-, when referring to Aruna, must be resolved as
svatantras totra-, but when applied to Puşan, svatantra stotra- must be
read. For the omission of visarga, when, as in the latter case, an initial
sibilant is followed by a surd mute, cf. Whitney, Skt. Grammar, 173, a. If
it is permissible to read svatantrastotra...viryo as one compound, we
might render '(Püşan), whose power is celebrated in hymns and tantras
of his own.' Püşan is celebrated in 8 hymns of the Rig Veda; cf. for
example 6. 53 and 10. 26. For the etymology of Püşan, from the root pus,
see Macdonell, Vedic Mythology, p. 37. 4. Literally, haripada means 'a
step of Hari (Vişnu),' but the gloss is akaśa, 'sky.' Vişnu once covered
the sky with one of his famous 'three steps'; cf. the anecdote related in
stanza 7, note 4; for other puns on hari, meaning 'Vişnu' and 'horse,'
cf. stanza 51, note 1. 5. The commentary offers, as an alternate render-
ing, turagapadair akranto baddha udyamo, 'whose concentrated (baddha)
exertion is outdone by the feet (or footsteps) of the horses.' 6. A
Brāhman is said to be 'twice-born,' because he is supposed to undergo
spiritual regeneration at the time of his investiture with the sacred thread
-the upanayana ceremony; cf. Manu, 2. 36, and Monier-Williams, Indian
Wisdom, p. 201, 3d ed., London, 1876. The commentary states that
adhipatau dvijānām, in its second rendering, means 'the Moon, (Candra),
the Lord of Brāhmans (dvijänām brāhmaṇānām adhipatau candre)'; cf.
Vişnu Purana, 1.22 (Wilson, vol. 2, p. 85), and 4.6 (Wilson, vol. 4, p. 2).
7. The commentary explains: 'The time of the rising of the rays of
(Sürya), Maker of Day, is protracted (prakṛşta)'; this means, perhaps,
that the moon gets dimmer and dimmer as time (i.e. daylight) advances.
8. Birds are 'twice-born,' being born once in the egg and a second time
from the egg.
9. Lit. 'because of pre-eminence in time,' but the com-
mentary explains: 'Because of his birth at a previous time (pūrvakalot-
pannatvät).' Aruna was born 500 years before Garuda; cf. stanza 8, note 1.
THE SÜRYASATAKA OF MAYURA
Pūşan's <might is celebrated in hymns of praise>, and <his efforts
are continually bent on mounting the sky>,*
And Aruna <is renowned for prowess with the goad>,³ and <his
care is constantly exercised in [watching] the stepping of his
horses' feet>";
Puşan <bestows signal insignificance on (the Moon), the Lord of
the Twice-born® (Brāhmans), through the protraction of
time>,"
And Aruna <bestows signal insignificance on (Garuda), Lord of
the Twice-born (Birds), because of pre-eminence in age>.⁹
May that Aruna protect you!
Notes. 1. The 'equality,' like the similarity' in stanzas 25 and 47, rests
only on word-puns. 2. Grammatically, svatantras, 'independent' or
'relying on one's own will,' is nominative, modifying 'runo.
3. The
words svatantrastotra-, when referring to Aruna, must be resolved as
svatantras totra-, but when applied to Puşan, svatantra stotra- must be
read. For the omission of visarga, when, as in the latter case, an initial
sibilant is followed by a surd mute, cf. Whitney, Skt. Grammar, 173, a. If
it is permissible to read svatantrastotra...viryo as one compound, we
might render '(Püşan), whose power is celebrated in hymns and tantras
of his own.' Püşan is celebrated in 8 hymns of the Rig Veda; cf. for
example 6. 53 and 10. 26. For the etymology of Püşan, from the root pus,
see Macdonell, Vedic Mythology, p. 37. 4. Literally, haripada means 'a
step of Hari (Vişnu),' but the gloss is akaśa, 'sky.' Vişnu once covered
the sky with one of his famous 'three steps'; cf. the anecdote related in
stanza 7, note 4; for other puns on hari, meaning 'Vişnu' and 'horse,'
cf. stanza 51, note 1. 5. The commentary offers, as an alternate render-
ing, turagapadair akranto baddha udyamo, 'whose concentrated (baddha)
exertion is outdone by the feet (or footsteps) of the horses.' 6. A
Brāhman is said to be 'twice-born,' because he is supposed to undergo
spiritual regeneration at the time of his investiture with the sacred thread
-the upanayana ceremony; cf. Manu, 2. 36, and Monier-Williams, Indian
Wisdom, p. 201, 3d ed., London, 1876. The commentary states that
adhipatau dvijānām, in its second rendering, means 'the Moon, (Candra),
the Lord of Brāhmans (dvijänām brāhmaṇānām adhipatau candre)'; cf.
Vişnu Purana, 1.22 (Wilson, vol. 2, p. 85), and 4.6 (Wilson, vol. 4, p. 2).
7. The commentary explains: 'The time of the rising of the rays of
(Sürya), Maker of Day, is protracted (prakṛşta)'; this means, perhaps,
that the moon gets dimmer and dimmer as time (i.e. daylight) advances.
8. Birds are 'twice-born,' being born once in the egg and a second time
from the egg.
9. Lit. 'because of pre-eminence in time,' but the com-
mentary explains: 'Because of his birth at a previous time (pūrvakalot-
pannatvät).' Aruna was born 500 years before Garuda; cf. stanza 8, note 1.