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THE SURYASATAKA OF MAYŪRA
tāsām eko 'bhidheyas tadanuguṇaguṇāir yaḥ sa sūryo 'vatād
vaḥ
223
(Brahmā),¹ Creator, [is called] the Originator of the Songs,
(Vişnu), Foe of Madhu, [is called] the Invincible; (Siva),
who has a burden of matted locks, [is called] the Bene-
ficent;
Mṛtyu (Yama) [is called] Time; (Kubera), Lord of Alakā,5 [is
called] the Giver of Wealth; and Jätavedas (Agni) [is
called] the Purifier;
These names of the gods thus originate by chance, after the
fashion of Davittha' and the like,
And Surya alone is signified by them, by virtue of [his] qualities
which are in accord with those [names].
May that Sürya protect you!
Notes. 1. This stanza offers difficulties at best, and the explanation of
the commentary is not quite clear to me, but the meaning seems to be as
follows: The epithets of the gods, such as Samkara, Pavaka, etc., are, by
convention, arbitrarily applied to Siva, Agni, etc., but are pre-eminently
applicable to Sürya only, because Sürya alone is really the Beneficent
(Samkara), the Purifier (Pavaka), etc. Thus, by virtue of having the
same name, Sürya is to be identified with all these deities. With refer-
ence to this identification, Bühler (Die indischen Inschriften, as cited in
stanza 6, note 8) notes, in connection with this stanza, that Sürya, in the
Prasasti of Vatsabhatti, is extolled as Creator and Destroyer of the uni-
verse and so is identified there also with Brahma and Siva. Cf. also
Sürya Upanişad (as quoted by Kennedy, Hindu Mythology, p. 346), where
it is said: 'Praise, therefore, be to thee, O Aditya (Sürya), who art
manifestly Brahmā, Vișņu, Rudra (Siva), and all the gods.'
2. The
commentary notes that by Songs (sämnäm)' is meant the Sama Veda;
Brahma is usually credited with the production of the Vedas, as e.g. in
Vişnu Purana, 1.5 (Wilson, vol. I, p. 84-86). 3. The slaying of the
demon Madhu by Vişnu is described in the Markandeya Purana, 81. 50-76
(Pargiter, p. 469-472); cf. Mahabharata, 3. 203.9-35- 4. On the ety-
mology of Dharjati, 'Possessor of a burden of matted locks,' cf. stanza
71, note 4. 5. Kubera's city Alakā, which stood on a peak of the
Himalayas, is described in the Mahabharata, 3. 160. 36-41, as embellished
with golden houses and crystal palaces, surrounded by a golden wall, and
peopled by dancing, jesting women; cf. V. Fausböll, Indian Mythology, p.
186. 6. On the etymology of Jätavedas (Agni), see stanza 44, note II.
7. The term davittha, which is said to mean 'wooden antelope,' is glossed
by dittha. The latter is defined in the major St. Petersburg lexicon as
4
tāsām eko 'bhidheyas tadanuguṇaguṇāir yaḥ sa sūryo 'vatād
vaḥ
223
(Brahmā),¹ Creator, [is called] the Originator of the Songs,
(Vişnu), Foe of Madhu, [is called] the Invincible; (Siva),
who has a burden of matted locks, [is called] the Bene-
ficent;
Mṛtyu (Yama) [is called] Time; (Kubera), Lord of Alakā,5 [is
called] the Giver of Wealth; and Jätavedas (Agni) [is
called] the Purifier;
These names of the gods thus originate by chance, after the
fashion of Davittha' and the like,
And Surya alone is signified by them, by virtue of [his] qualities
which are in accord with those [names].
May that Sürya protect you!
Notes. 1. This stanza offers difficulties at best, and the explanation of
the commentary is not quite clear to me, but the meaning seems to be as
follows: The epithets of the gods, such as Samkara, Pavaka, etc., are, by
convention, arbitrarily applied to Siva, Agni, etc., but are pre-eminently
applicable to Sürya only, because Sürya alone is really the Beneficent
(Samkara), the Purifier (Pavaka), etc. Thus, by virtue of having the
same name, Sürya is to be identified with all these deities. With refer-
ence to this identification, Bühler (Die indischen Inschriften, as cited in
stanza 6, note 8) notes, in connection with this stanza, that Sürya, in the
Prasasti of Vatsabhatti, is extolled as Creator and Destroyer of the uni-
verse and so is identified there also with Brahma and Siva. Cf. also
Sürya Upanişad (as quoted by Kennedy, Hindu Mythology, p. 346), where
it is said: 'Praise, therefore, be to thee, O Aditya (Sürya), who art
manifestly Brahmā, Vișņu, Rudra (Siva), and all the gods.'
2. The
commentary notes that by Songs (sämnäm)' is meant the Sama Veda;
Brahma is usually credited with the production of the Vedas, as e.g. in
Vişnu Purana, 1.5 (Wilson, vol. I, p. 84-86). 3. The slaying of the
demon Madhu by Vişnu is described in the Markandeya Purana, 81. 50-76
(Pargiter, p. 469-472); cf. Mahabharata, 3. 203.9-35- 4. On the ety-
mology of Dharjati, 'Possessor of a burden of matted locks,' cf. stanza
71, note 4. 5. Kubera's city Alakā, which stood on a peak of the
Himalayas, is described in the Mahabharata, 3. 160. 36-41, as embellished
with golden houses and crystal palaces, surrounded by a golden wall, and
peopled by dancing, jesting women; cf. V. Fausböll, Indian Mythology, p.
186. 6. On the etymology of Jätavedas (Agni), see stanza 44, note II.
7. The term davittha, which is said to mean 'wooden antelope,' is glossed
by dittha. The latter is defined in the major St. Petersburg lexicon as
4