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THE SŪRYAŚATAKA OF MAYŪRA
"
mentary, the d- of abhasi is equivalent to samantat, 'completely.' Monier-
Williams, Skt.-Engl. Dict. s.v. d (4), recalls another instance of the same
usage in a commentary on Raghuvamsa, 3.8. 3. The commentary ex-
plains: 'O Vahni (Agni), now that thy master (Sürya) is risen thou
dost not shine exceedingly splendidly (abhasi adverbially) [by contrast
with him].' 4. According to the Rig Veda (10. 14. 5; 10. 17. 1-2), Yama
was the son of Vivasvat (Sürya) and Saraṇyü, the daughter of aştar.
5. The buffalo was Yama's vehicle; cf. Crooke, Popular Religion and
Folk-Lore of Northern India, vol. 2, p. 156; Monier-Williams, Brāhmanism
and Hinduism, p. 104, note 3. The lexicons give mahişavahana, 'whose
vehicle is a buffalo,' and mahişadhvaja, 'whose emblem is a buffalo,' as
epithets of Yama, but I have been unable to learn how the buffalo came
to be associated with Yama. The command here addressed to Yama, to
lead his buffalo away from the horses, was prompted, the commentary says,
by the endless enmity of these towards each other.' Cf. Candikataka,
stanza 8, where the buffalo-demon Mahişa threatens to attack the buffalo
of Yama. 6. The meaning seems to be that though Sürya regards the
demon Rākşasas as the dust under his feet, he yet deigns to notice them
with a word and a glance. The commentary explains: 'These, although
the lowest caste of the gods, are made happy by the [meager] greeting,
"ye are glanced at," [which is vouchsafed them] because of their appoint-
ment to the guardianship of a quarter [of the heavens]. For a servant,
when commended by his master according to his deserts, becomes attentive
to his duties with a deathless devotion.' The Räkşasas were the guardians
of the southwest quarter; cf. stanza 18, note 10. With vikṣitāḥ stha,
'ye are glanced at,' cf. no driyase, 'thou art not seen' (i.e. 'thou art dis-
dained'), in Mayūra's stanza entitled 'The Dream of Kṛṣṇa,' translated
below, p. 241. 7. The commentary explains: 'He (Varuna) is verily
obliged [to fulfil] this command because of his being the generator of
water. He is honored by this master (Sürya), for a servant deems him-
self happy upon receiving a command from his master.' 8. The mean-
ing seems to be that Pavana (Wind) is requested to blow hard, and so
to cool the horses by causing the water, with which they have been
sprinkled by Varuņa, to evaporate. The commentary says: 'O Pavana
(Wind), shed [on us] the vehemence [of thy breath], because of which
the horses proceed gladly, after having received the sprinklings from
Varuna, enjoying the coolness [bestowed] on thy part.' 9. The com-
mentary says: 'Inasmuch as this (Kubera), being attentive to his own
duty, is the sole cause of stability in the three worlds, and is also intent
on the protection of his pair of treasures, named 'Shell' (fankha) and
'Lotus' (padma), therefore he is respectfully announced to the blessed
Ravi (Sürya).' In the literature the two treasures of Kubera are often
personified, and often grouped together; cf. e.g. Mahabharata, 2. 10. 39;
Ramayana, 7. 15. 16; Harivamsa, 1. 44. 17; Rajatarangini, 1. 30. In later
literature Kubera is often credited with the possession of nine treasures
(nidhi), which, in the Tantrik system, are worshiped as demi-gods; cf.
Dutt's translation of Harivamśa, p. 188, footnote 3. 10. Siva is saluted
179
"
mentary, the d- of abhasi is equivalent to samantat, 'completely.' Monier-
Williams, Skt.-Engl. Dict. s.v. d (4), recalls another instance of the same
usage in a commentary on Raghuvamsa, 3.8. 3. The commentary ex-
plains: 'O Vahni (Agni), now that thy master (Sürya) is risen thou
dost not shine exceedingly splendidly (abhasi adverbially) [by contrast
with him].' 4. According to the Rig Veda (10. 14. 5; 10. 17. 1-2), Yama
was the son of Vivasvat (Sürya) and Saraṇyü, the daughter of aştar.
5. The buffalo was Yama's vehicle; cf. Crooke, Popular Religion and
Folk-Lore of Northern India, vol. 2, p. 156; Monier-Williams, Brāhmanism
and Hinduism, p. 104, note 3. The lexicons give mahişavahana, 'whose
vehicle is a buffalo,' and mahişadhvaja, 'whose emblem is a buffalo,' as
epithets of Yama, but I have been unable to learn how the buffalo came
to be associated with Yama. The command here addressed to Yama, to
lead his buffalo away from the horses, was prompted, the commentary says,
by the endless enmity of these towards each other.' Cf. Candikataka,
stanza 8, where the buffalo-demon Mahişa threatens to attack the buffalo
of Yama. 6. The meaning seems to be that though Sürya regards the
demon Rākşasas as the dust under his feet, he yet deigns to notice them
with a word and a glance. The commentary explains: 'These, although
the lowest caste of the gods, are made happy by the [meager] greeting,
"ye are glanced at," [which is vouchsafed them] because of their appoint-
ment to the guardianship of a quarter [of the heavens]. For a servant,
when commended by his master according to his deserts, becomes attentive
to his duties with a deathless devotion.' The Räkşasas were the guardians
of the southwest quarter; cf. stanza 18, note 10. With vikṣitāḥ stha,
'ye are glanced at,' cf. no driyase, 'thou art not seen' (i.e. 'thou art dis-
dained'), in Mayūra's stanza entitled 'The Dream of Kṛṣṇa,' translated
below, p. 241. 7. The commentary explains: 'He (Varuna) is verily
obliged [to fulfil] this command because of his being the generator of
water. He is honored by this master (Sürya), for a servant deems him-
self happy upon receiving a command from his master.' 8. The mean-
ing seems to be that Pavana (Wind) is requested to blow hard, and so
to cool the horses by causing the water, with which they have been
sprinkled by Varuņa, to evaporate. The commentary says: 'O Pavana
(Wind), shed [on us] the vehemence [of thy breath], because of which
the horses proceed gladly, after having received the sprinklings from
Varuna, enjoying the coolness [bestowed] on thy part.' 9. The com-
mentary says: 'Inasmuch as this (Kubera), being attentive to his own
duty, is the sole cause of stability in the three worlds, and is also intent
on the protection of his pair of treasures, named 'Shell' (fankha) and
'Lotus' (padma), therefore he is respectfully announced to the blessed
Ravi (Sürya).' In the literature the two treasures of Kubera are often
personified, and often grouped together; cf. e.g. Mahabharata, 2. 10. 39;
Ramayana, 7. 15. 16; Harivamsa, 1. 44. 17; Rajatarangini, 1. 30. In later
literature Kubera is often credited with the possession of nine treasures
(nidhi), which, in the Tantrik system, are worshiped as demi-gods; cf.
Dutt's translation of Harivamśa, p. 188, footnote 3. 10. Siva is saluted
179