Bhāratam Janam of Rigveda (RV 3.53) mean 'metalcaster folk' in transition from chalcolithic to metals age

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Bhāratam Janam of Rigveda (RV 3.53) mean 'metalcaster

folk' in transition from chalcolithic to metals age

It is submitted that the expression Bhāratam janam used in Rigveda (RV 3.53.12)

may be interpreted as a reference to 'metalcaster folk'. This semantic (attested in etyma of

Indian sprachbund) is explained in the context of the entire sukta with metaphors and references

related to metalwork, chariots (perhaps even to war-trumpet, vAksasarparI). The full text of the

sukta is appended with translation based on Sayana (and Wilson).

It should be underscored that the expression Bhāratam janam is the self-designation

in Rigveda RV 3.53.12 indicating the life activities of the people of a maritime tract, seafaring

merchants, as they were transiting from chalcolithic phase to metals age in urban living.

Bhāratam Janam, metalcasters were also seafaring people, living in a maritime tract. A gloss

from CilappadikAram in Tamil explains paratavar < bharata as inhabitants of maritime tract,

fishing tribes.

The sukta RV 3.53 has 24 ricas. Ricas 15,16 invoke vAk (sasarparI), ricas 17-20 invoke

rathAngAni while other ricas are prayers to Indra,

The invocation to sasarparI is tough to interpret. It may be an invocation of vAk or 'war-trumpet':

[p= 1192,3] f. (prob. fr. √ , of unknown meaning , accord. to Sa1y.

; accord. to others = " war-trumpet " , or " N. of a mystical cow ") RV.iii , 53 , 15 ; 16.

15 Sasarpari, the gift of Jamadagnis, hath lowed with mighty voice dispelling famine.

16 Sasarpari brought glory speedily to these, over the generations of the Fivefold Race.

(Trans.Griffith)

The prayer of Vis'vāmitra protects Bharata ,'metalcaster' people (rica 12) is preceded by the

following expression in the sukta:

vajriṇe 'wielder of the thunderbolt, Indra'(rica 13)

Apart from references to Soma and pressing of Soma with adri (stones), the following references

link to work of artisans (metalworkers, in particular):

bṛhatā rathena 'spacious chariot' (rica 1)

yatrā rathasya bṛhato nidhānaṃ 'standing in vast chariot' (rica 5, repeated in rica 6)

parazu...ukhA 'axe...cauldron' (rica 22)

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The expression referring to kIkata: kiṃ te kṛṇvanti kīkaṭeṣu gāvo nāśiraṃ duhre na tapanti

gharmam (rica 14) is explained in Nirukta 6.32 as people who do not perform worship, who are

nAstika and in regions inhabited by anArya (See translation and Sayana's commentary on RV

3.53.14 appended). This expression includes a reference to gharma which is a synonym of the

vessel called MahAvIra. gharma is a cauldron , boiler , esp. the vessel in which the milk-offering

to the s is boiled RV. AV. vii VS. viii , 61 AitBr. i SBr. xiv La1t2y.(Monier-Williams).

This gharma, mahAvIra vessel is shown with a face engraving.

Mahavira pot is a span high. The pot is mixed with goat's milk, ant-hill soil, Putika grass, goat's

hair and iron powder.

The pot is heated, the milk of a cow and a goat is poured in. Hot milk is offered to the Asvins

together with two RauhiNa cakes.Three Mahavira vessels make the head of a man. Pot is

covered with a golden plate. Aitareya Brahmana notes that Mahavira yajna is performed before

or after a Soma yajna.

The parallel of an artifact which matches the Mahavira pot is seen from Zarif Karuna near

Peshwar. On many epigraphs of Indus Script Corpora, human face is a component hieroglyph in

hieroglyp-multiplexes (hypertexts), say, of composite animals. muha

'mouth' (Prakritam) m h m. ʻ face, mouth, opening ʼ(Sindhi) Rebus: m h 'the quantity of iron

produced at one time in a native smelting furnace (Santali)

Urn from Zarif Karuna, near Peshawar, with a human-like face including a big nose. Gandhara

grave culture (Ghalegay V Period). Islamabad museum.

Hieroglyph: múkha n. ʻ mouth, face ʼ RV., ʻ entrance ʼ MBh.Pa. mukha -- m.; Aś.shah. man.

gir. mukhato, kāl. dh. jau. °te ʻ by word of mouth ʼ; Pk. muha -- n. ʻ mouth, face ʼ, Gy. gr.

hung. muy m., boh. muy, span. muí, wel. mūīf., arm. m , pal. mu', mi', pers. mu; Tir. mū ʻ face ʼ;

Woṭ. mū m. ʻ face, sight ʼ; Kho. mux ʻ face ʼ; Tor. mū ʻ mouth ʼ, Mai. m ; K. in cmpds. mu --

ganḍ m. ʻ cheek, upper jaw ʼ, mū -- kāla ʻ having one's face blackened ʼ, rām. mūī˜, pog. mūī,

ḍoḍ. m h ʻ mouth ʼ; S. m h m. ʻ face, mouth, opening ʼ; L. m h m. ʻ face ʼ, awāṇ. m with

descending tone, mult. m h m. ʻ head of a canal ʼ; P. m h m. ʻ face, mouth ʼ, m h m. ʻ head of

a canal ʼ; WPah.śeu. mùtilde; ʻ mouth, ʼ cur. m h; A. muh ʻ face ʼ, in cmpds. -- m wā ʻ facing ʼ;

B. mu ʻ face ʼ; Or. m h ʻ face, mouth, head, person ʼ; Bi. m h ʻ opening or hole (in a stove for

stoking, in a handmill for filling, in a grainstore for withdrawing) ʼ; Mth. Bhoj. m h ʻ mouth,

face ʼ, Aw.lakh. muh, H. muh, m h m.; OG. muha, G. m h n. ʻ mouth ʼ, Si. muya, muva. -- Ext. -

- l<-> or -- ll -- : Pk. muhala -- , muhulla -- n. ʻ mouth, face ʼ; S. muhuro m. ʻ face ʼ (or

< mukhará -- ); Ku. do -- maulo ʻ confluence of two streams ʼ; Si. muhul, muhuna, mūṇa ʻ face ʼ

H. Smith JA 1950, 179.; -- -- ḍ -- : S. muhaṛo m. ʻ front, van ʼ; Bi. (Shahabad) mohṛā ʻ feeding

channel of handmill ʼ. -- Forms poss. with expressive -- kkh -- : seemúkhya -- . -- X gō hā --

s.v. *mucchā -- .mukhará -- , múkhya -- , maukhya -- ; *mukhakāṣṭha -- , *mukhaghāṭā -- ,

mukhacandra -- , *mukhajāla -- , *mukhanātha -- , mukhatuṇḍaka -- , *mukhatuttikā -- ,

*mukhadhara -- , mukhaśuddhi -- , *mukhahāra -- , mukhāgra -- , *mukhāñcala -- , *mukhānta --

, *mukhāyana -- ; amukhá -- , abhimukhá -- , āmukha -- , unmukha -- , *nirmukha -- ;

adhōmukha -- , ūrdhvamukha -- , kālamukha -- , gṓmukha -- , caturmukha -- , *paścamukha -- ,

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valīmukha -- , śilīmukha -- , saṁmukhá -- , *sāṁmukha -- , sumukha -- .Addenda: múkha --

: WPah.kṭg. (kc.) m (with high level tone) m. (obl. -- a) ʻ mouth, face ʼ; OMarw. muhaṛaü ʻ

face ʼ.(CDIAL 10158)

Rebus: mũh ‘ingot’ (Munda) m h ʻ opening or hole (in a stove for stoking, in a handmill for

filling, in a grainstore for withdrawing) ʼ (Bihari)(CDIAL 10158)mleccha-mukha (Skt.)

copper; milakkha (Pali) mu hu face (S.); rebus mu ha ‘smelted ingot’ mũh opening or hole

(in a stove for stoking, in a handmill for filling, in a grainstore for

withdrawing)(Bi.)]

kIkaTa as anArya is a reference to those people who do not follow the discipline/traditions of

yajna: Rv.3.53.14 $

Nir. void of Āryas

kIkaTa may be a reference to Magadha, the region also linked with kirāṭa 'merchants'.

kirāṭa A merchant; - Bhāg.12.3.35. kirātḥ

[ ] 1 N. of a degraded mountain tribe who live by

hunting, a mountaineer (Apte. Samskritam)

kirāṭa m. ʻ merchant ʼ Rājat., kirīṭa -- 2 m. BhP., kírāta- m. ʻ a degraded mountain tribe ʼ

VS., ilātī -- f. ʻ woman of this tribe ʼ YogH. Alternance of k -- and c -- , -- ṭ -- and -- t<->

suggests Drav. origin, EWA i 211. Perh. same as kilāta -- ʻ dwarf ʼ]Pa. kirāṭa -- m. ʻ fraudulent

merchant ʼ (kirāṭa -- , °āta<-> m. ʻ man of a jungle tribe ʼ see kilāta -- ); Pk. kirāḍa -- , °āya --

, ilāa -- m., f. °āī -- , °āiyā -- ʻ a non -- Aryan tribe, slave ʼ, ilāī -- f.; S. kirāṛu m. ʻ Hindu

shopkeeper ʼ; L. kirāṛ, karāṛ m., kirāṛī f. ʻ member of a tribe of Hindus (also called aroṛā) who

act as traders and moneylenders ʼ; H. kirāṛ m. ʻ merchant ʼ. -- Deriv. Pa. kērāṭika -- , °iya<-> ʻ

false ʼ (cf. kirāsa -- ʻ fraudulent ʼ); -- L. kirṛakkā ʻ connected with Hindus ʼ.(CDIAL

3173) [p= 283,3] m. a merchant Ra1jat. viii , 132 (cf. .) (cf. . crown found in

Nahal Mishmar)

Given the contextual references to artisanal work (metalwork, in particular), it is reasonable to

infer that the expression Bhāratam Janam may be a reference to 'metalcaster people' as inferred

from the following etyma of Indian sprachbund. The expression ima indra bharatasya

p trā 'sons of bharata'(rica 24) need NOT refer to a particular person named 'bharata' but to a

metalcaster, bharata, in general, as a collective designation.

Roots of Bhāratam Janam have to be traced from the banks of Rivers Sarasvati and Sindhu

identifying their life-activity as metalworkers, metalcasters who made (p. 603) [ bharata

] n A factitious metal compounded of copper, pewter, tin &c. (p. 603) bharatācē

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mbhāṇḍēṃ ] n A vessel made of the metal . 2 See . (p. 603) bharatī

] a Composed of the metal . (Marathi. Moleworth).

Cognate etyma (semantics of alloy) of Indian sprachbund bhāraṇ = to bring out from a kiln (G.)

bāraṇiyo one whose profession it is to sift ashes or dust in a goldsmith’s workshop (G.lex.) In

the Punjab, the mixed alloys were generally called, bharat (5 copper, 4 zinc and 1 tin). In Bengal,

an alloy called bharan or toul was created by adding some brass or zinc into pure bronze. bharata

= casting metals in moulds; bharavum = to fill in; to put in; to pour into (G.lex.) Bengali. ভরন [

bharana ] n an inferior metal obtained from an alloy of coper, zinc and tin. baran, bharat ‘mixed

alloys’ (5 copper, 4 zinc and 1 tin) (Punjabi)

Roots of Bhāratam Janam have to be the mission, focus of attention of archaeological researches.

The roots have to be found by delineating the cultural mores of the people as they evolved over

time and tracing the formation and evolution of ancient Indian languages. Indus Script Corpora

are an essential primary resource for this mission.

https://friendsofasi.wordpress.com/writings/the-8th-millennium-bc-in-the-lost-river-valley/

Dr. BR Mani and Dr. KN Dikshit have provided (2013) this illustration of the map of Indian

civilization with archaeological evidences tracing back to the 8th

millennium BCE. This provides

a spatial framework for analysing the formation of all ancient Indian languages.

Decipherment of Indus Script Corpora based on an Indo-European language may lead to

redefining the Proto-Indo-European studies. Baudhāyana-Śrautasūtra provides indications of

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movements ofBhāratam Janam out of Sarasvati river valley eastwards towards Kashi and

westwards towards Sumer/Mesopotamia.

BB Lal provides evidences of migrations of Proto-Indo-Aryans out of India in this map citing

Baudhayana Srautasutra evidence. Parpola has ignored this evidence from a primary source.

Thus, all the arguments he provides about BMAC and other Eurasian cultures with exquisite

pictures of horses and wheeled vehicles are empty and based on a faith in what Emeneau referred

to as 'the linguistic doctrine' of Aryan invasion/migration to explain the peopling and languages

of India. The directions of movements of Proto-Indo-Aryans could have been OUT OF India and

NEED NOT be construed as movements INTO India.

See: Inaugural Address delivered by BB Lal at the 19th International Conference on South Asian

Archaeology at University of Bologna, Ravenna, Italy on July 2–6, 2007 'Let not the 19th

century paradigms continue to haunt us!' http://archaeologyonline.net/artifacts/19th-century-

paradigms.html

Baudhāyana-Śrautasūtra 18.44 :397.9 sqq. notes:

pran ayuh pravavraja. tasyaite kuru-pancalah kasi-videha ity. etad Ayavam pravrajam. pratyan

amavas s. tasyaite gandharvarayas parsavo‘ratta ity. etad Amavasavam. “Ayu went eastwards.

His (people) are the Kuru-Pancala and the Kasi Videha. This is the Ayava migration. (His other

people) stayed at home in the West. His people are the Gandhari, Parsu and Aratta. This is the

Amavasava (group)...”

That the original location of these peole (who split into two groups and migrated) was in

Sarasvati river valley is proved by the next sutra which identifies Kurukshetra. Ayu went

eastwards, Amavasu went westwards towards Parsava. So begins the journey of Indo-Europeans

into Proto-Indo-Aryan, Proto-Indo-Iranian language forms. This framework demolishes the

Aryan invasion/migration theories based on textual evidence which is attested by archaeological

evidence. Just as it is impossible to delineate directions of borrowings of words in languages, it is

also impossible to delineate directions of movements of people. It appears that the presence of

Indus Script hieroglyphs in Ancient Near East and the gloss ancu in Tocharian attest the

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movement of Proto-Prakritam speaking Bhāratam Janam into Bactria-Margiana Cultural

Complex and into Tushara (Tocharian speaking region of Kyrgystan on the Silk Road).

r.s.i: vis'va_mitra ga_thina; devata_: indra, 1 indra and parvata, 15,16 va_k (sasarpari_), 17-20

ratha_n:ga, 21-24 indra and abhis'a_pa; chanda: tris.t.up,10,16 jagati_, 13 ga_yatri_, 12, 20,22

anus.t.up, 18 br.hati_

RV 3,053.01a indrāparvatā bṛhatā rathena vāmīr iṣa ā vahataṃ suvīrāḥ |

RV 3,053.01c vītaṃ havyāny adhvareṣu devā vardhethāṃ gīrbhir iḷayā madantā ||

RV_3,053.02a tiṣṭhā su kam maghavan mā parā gāḥ somasya nu tvā suṣutasya yakṣi |

RV_3,053.02c pitur na putraḥ sicam ā rabhe ta indra svādiṣṭhayā girā śacīvaḥ ||

RV 3,053.03a śaṃsāvādhvaryo prati me gṛṇīhīndrāya vāhaḥ kṛṇavāva juṣṭam |

RV 3,053.03c edam barhir yajamānasya sīdāthā ca bhūd uktham indrāya śastam ||

RV 3,053.04a jāyed astam maghavan sed u yonis tad it tvā yuktā harayo vahantu |

RV 3,053.04c yadā kadā ca sunavāma somam agniṣ ṭvā dūto dhanvāty accha ||

RV 3,053.05a parā yāhi maghavann ā ca yāhīndra bhrātar ubhayatrā te artham |

RV 3,053.05c yatrā rathasya bṛhato nidhānaṃ vimocanaṃ vājino rāsabhasya ||

RV 3,053.06a apāḥ somam astam indra pra yāhi kalyāṇīr jāyā suraṇaṃ gṛhe te |

RV 3,053.06c yatrā rathasya bṛhato nidhānaṃ vimocanaṃ vājino dakṣiṇāvat ||

RV 3,053.07a ime bhojā aṅgiraso virūpā divas putrāso asurasya vīrāḥ |

RV 3,053.07c viśvāmitrāya dadato maghāni sahasrasāve pra tiranta āyuḥ ||

RV 3,053.08a rūpaṃ-rūpam maghavā bobhavīti māyāḥ kṛṇvānas tanvam pari svām |

RV_3,053.08c trir yad divaḥ pari muhūrtam āgāt svair mantrair anṛtupā ṛtāvā ||

RV 3,053.09a mahāṃ ṛṣir devajā devajūto 'stabhnāt sindhum arṇavaṃ nṛcakṣāḥ |

RV 3,053.09c viśvāmitro yad avahat sudāsam apriyāyata kuśikebhir indraḥ ||

RV_3,053.10a haṃsā iva kṛṇutha ślokam adribhir madanto gīrbhir adhvare sute sacā |

RV 3,053.10c devebhir viprā ṛṣayo nṛcakṣaso vi pibadhvaṃ kuśikāḥ somyam madhu ||

RV 3,053.11a upa preta kuśikāś cetayadhvam aśvaṃ rāye pra muñcatā sudāsaḥ |

RV 3,053.11c rājā vṛtraṃ jaṅghanat prāg apāg udag athā yajāte vara ā pṛthivyāḥ ||

RV 3,053.12a ya ime rodasī ubhe aham indram atuṣṭavam |

RV 3,053.12c viśvāmitrasya rakṣati brahmedam bhārataṃ janam ||

RV 3,053.13a viśvāmitrā arāsata brahmendrāya vajriṇe |

RV_3,053.13c karad in naḥ surādhasaḥ ||

RV_3,053.14a kiṃ te kṛṇvanti kīkaṭeṣu gāvo nāśiraṃ duhre na tapanti gharmam |

RV 3,053.14c ā no bhara pramagandasya vedo naicāśākham maghavan randhayā naḥ ||

RV 3,053.15a sasarparīr amatim bādhamānā bṛhan mimāya jamadagnidattā |

RV 3,053.15c ā sūryasya duhitā tatāna śravo deveṣv amṛtam ajuryam ||

RV 3,053.16a sasarparīr abharat tūyam ebhyo 'dhi śravaḥ pāñcajanyāsu kṛṣṭiṣu |

RV 3,053.16c sā pakṣyā navyam āyur dadhānā yām me palastijamadagnayo daduḥ ||

RV 3,053.17a sthirau gāvau bhavatāṃ vīḷur akṣo meṣā vi varhi mā yugaṃ vi śāri |

RV_3,053.17c indraḥ pātalye dadatāṃ śarītor ariṣṭaneme abhi naḥ sacasva ||

RV_3,053.18a balaṃ dhehi tanūṣu no balam indrānaḷutsu naḥ |

RV_3,053.18c balaṃ tokāya tanayāya jīvase tvaṃ hi baladā asi ||

RV 3,053.19a abhi vyayasva khadirasya sāram ojo dhehi spandane śiṃśapāyām |

RV_3,053.19c akṣa vīḷo vīḷita vīḷayasva mā yāmād asmād ava jīhipo naḥ ||

RV 3,053.20a ayam asmān vanaspatir mā ca hā mā ca rīriṣat |

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RV 3,053.20c svasty ā gṛhebhya āvasā ā vimocanāt ||

RV 3,053.21a indrotibhir bahulābhir no adya yācchreṣṭhābhir maghavañ chūra jinva |

RV_3,053.21c yo no dveṣṭy adharaḥ sas padīṣṭa yam u dviṣmas tam u prāṇo jahātu ||

RV_3,053.22a paraśuṃ cid vi tapati śimbalaṃ cid vi vṛścati |

RV 3,053.22c ukhā cid indra yeṣantī prayastā phenam asyati ||

RV 3,053.23a na sāyakasya cikite janāso lodhaṃ nayanti paśu manyamānāḥ |

RV 3,053.23c nāvājinaṃ vājinā hāsayanti na gardabham puro aśvān nayanti ||

RV 3,053.24a ima indra bharatasya putrā apapitvaṃ cikitur na prapitvam |

RV 3,053.24c hinvanty aśvam araṇaṃ na nityaṃ jyāvājam pari ṇayanty ājau ||

3.053.01 Indra and Parvata, bring hither, in a spacious car, delightful viands (generative of) good

progeny; partake, deities, of the oblations (offered)at (our) sacrifices, and gratified by the

(sacrificial) food, be elevated by our praises.

3.053.02 Tarry a while contentedly, Maghavan (at our rite); go not away; for I offer to you (the

libation) of the copiously-effused Soma; powerful Indra, I lay hold of the skirts (of your robe)

with sweet-flavoured commendations, as a son (clings to the garment) of a father.

3.053.03 Adhvaryu, let us two offer praise; do you concur with me; let us address pleasing praise

to Indra; sit down, Indra, on the sacred grass (prepared by) the institutor of the rite; and may our

commendations be most acceptable to Indra. [Do you concur with me: prati me gr.n.i_hi; the

Hota_ is supposed to speak to Adhvaryu to direct their joint performance of some part of the

ceremony].

3.053.04 A man's wife, Maghavan, is his dwelling; verily she is his place of birth; thither let your

horses, harnessed (to your car), convey you; we prepare the Soma at the fit season; may Agni

come as our messenger befor eyou. [His place of birth: ja_ya_ id astam sedu yonih: astam =

gr.ham (gr.hin.i_ gr.ham ucyate iti smr.teh; na gr.ham gr.hamisya_hurgr.hi.n.o gr.hamucyate)].

3.053.05 Depart, Maghavan; come Indra; both ways, protector, there is a motive for you whether

it be standing in your vast chariot, or liberating your neighing steed. [Both ways: ubhayatra te

artham: Indra's wife awaits his return, the Soma libation invites his stay; protectorL bhra_ta_ =

lit., brother; but here explained as pos.aka, nourisher].

3.053.06 When you have drunk the Soma, then, Indra, go home; an auspicious life (abides)

pleasantly in your dwelling; in either (case) there is the standing in your car or liberating the

steeds for provender.

3.053.07 These (sacrificers) are the Bhojas, of whom the diversified An:girasas (are the priests);

and the heroic sons of the expeller (of the foes of the gods) from heaven, bestowing riches upon

Vis'va_mitra at the sacrifice of a thousand (victims), prolong (his) life. [These sacrificers are the

Bhojas: ime bhoja_ an:giraso viru_pa_: bhoja_ = ks.atriya descendants of Suda_s, suda_sah

ks.atriya, ya_gam kurva_n.ah, instituting the sacrifice at which the latter, Medha_tithi, and the

rest of the race of an:giras were their ya_jakas, or officiating priests; the expeller: rudra, his sons

are the maruts; sacrifice of a thousand victims: sahasrasave = the as'vamedha].

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3.053.08 Maghavan becomes repeatedly (manifest) in various forms, practising delusions with

respect to his own peculiar person; and invoked by his appropriate prayers, he comes in a

moment from heaven to the three (daily rites), and, although observant of seasons, is the drinker

(of the Soma) irrespective of season.

3.053.09 The great r.s.i the generator of the gods, the attracted by the deities, the overlooker of

the leaders (at holy rites), Vis'va_mitra attested the watery stream when he sacrificed for Suda_s;

Indra, with the Kus'ikas was pleased. [The generator of the gods: devaja_h = the generator of

radiances or energies, tejasa_m janayita_; arrested the watery stream: astabhna_t sindhum

arn.avam: he is said to have stopped the current of the confluence of the vipa_s/a_ and s'utudri

rivers; indra with the kus'ikas was pleased: apriyayata kus'ikebhir Indra = kus'ikagotrotpannair

r.s.ibhih saha, with the r.s.is of the kus'ika lineage, or it might be rendered, pleased by the

Kus'ikas].

3.053.10 Sages and saints overlookers of the leaders (of sacred rites), Kus'ikas, when the Soma is

expressed with stones at the sacrifice, then exhilarating (the gods) with praises, sing the holy

strain (aloud) like (screaming) swans, and, together with the gods, drink the sweet juice of the

Soma.

3.053.11 Approach, Kus'ikas, the steed of Suda_s; animate (him), and let him loose to (win)

riches (for the raja); for the king (of the gods) has slain Vr.tra in the East, in the West, in the

North, therefore let (Suda_s) worship him in the best (regions) of the earth.

3.053.12 I have made Indra glorified by these two, heaven and earth, and this prayer of

Vis'va_mitra protects the race of Bharata. [Made Indra glorified: indram atus.t.avam-- the verb is

the third preterite of the casual, I have caused to be praised; it may mean: I praise Indra, abiding

between heaven and earth, i.e. in the firmament].

3.053.13 The Vis'va_mitras have addressed the prayer to Indra, the wielder of the thunderbolt;

may he therefore render us very opulent. [The Vis'va_mitras: The bharatas, or descendants of

Bharata, are descendants of Vis'va_mitra; Bharata is the son of S'akuntala_, the daughter of the

sage, Visva_mitra (Maha_bha_rata A_diparva); Vasis.t.ha is the family priest of the Bharats and

was the restorer to dominion from which they had been expelled by the Pan~ca_las].

3.053.14 What do the cattle for you among the Ki_kat.as; they yield no milk to mix with the

Soma, they need not the vessel (for the libation); bring them to us; (bring also) the wealth of the

son of the usurer, and give us Maghavan, (the possessions) of the low branches (of the

community). [The Ki_kat.as: (Nirukta 6.32) are people who do not perform worship, who are

infidels, na_stikas; in countries inhabited by ana_ryas (ki_kat.a_ na_ma des'ona_ryaniva_sah);

na tapanti gharma_n.i: harmyam = a house; gharma_n.i = a vessel termed maha_vi_ra used at the

rite called pragr.hya: pragr.h ya_khya_ karmopa yuktam maha_vi_rapa_tram, which the cattle do

not warm by yielding their milk to it; usurer: a_ bhara pramagandasya vedas: maganda = kusidin,

or usurer, one who says to himself, the money that goes from me will come back doubled, and

pra = a patronymic; low branches of the community: naica_s'a_kham, that which belongs to a

low (ni_ca) branch, or class (s'a_kha); the posterity born of S'u_dras and the like].

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3.053.15 The daughter of Su_rya given by Jamadagni gliding everywhere and dissipating

ignorance, has emitted a mighty (sound), and has diffused ambrosial imperishable food among

the gods. [Given by Jamadagni: jamadagni datta_ = given by the r.s;is maintaining a blazing

jamat-jvalat, fire, agni; mighty sound: the sound of thunder or the like in the sky; food among the

gods: as the prayers or exclamation which accompanies the burnt offering].

3.053.16 May she, gliding everywhere, quickly bring us food (suited) to the five races of men;

may she, the daughter of the sun whom the grey-haired jamadagnis gave to me, (be) the bestower

of new life. [Five races of men: pan~cajanya_su kr.s.t.is.u: five distinctions are restricted to

human beings; hence, the reference may be to four castes and barbarians; daughter of the sun:

paks.ya_, the daughter of Paks.a: paks.a nirva_hakasya, the distributor of the parts (of the year?),

i.e. su_ryasya, of the sun; bestower of new life: navyam a_yur dadha_na, having new life or

food: mama kurvan.a_ bhavatu].

3.053.17 May the horse be steady, the axle be strong, the pole be not defective, the yoke not be

rotten; may Indra preserve the two yoke-pins from decay; car with uninjured felloes, be ready for

us. [The horses: ga_vau gaccheta iti ga_vau as'vau: ga_va_ implies those who go, or, in this

place, horses; car be ready for us: Vis'va_mitra being about to depart from the sacrifice of

Suda_s, invokes good fortune for his conveyance].

3.053.18 Give strength, Indra, to our bodies; give strength to our vehicles; (give) strength to our

sons and grandsons; that they may live (long); for you are giver of strength.

3.053.19 Fix firmly the substance of the khayar (axle), give solidity to the s'is'u (floor) of the car;

strong axle, strongly fixed by us, be strong; cast us not from out of our conveyance. [khayar and

s'is'u: khadirasya sa_ram is the text; khadira = mimosa catechu of which the bolt of the axle is

made; while the s'im.s'apa, dalbergia sisu furnishes wood for the floor; these are still timber-trees

in common use].

3.053.20 May this lord of the forest never desert us nor do us harm; may we travel prosperously

home until the stopping (of the car), until the unharnessing (of the steeds). [This lord of the

forest: vanaspati, i.e. the timber of which the car is made].

3.053.21 Indra, hero,possessor of wealth, protect us this day against our foes with many and

excellent defences; may the vile wretch who hates us fall (before us); may the breath of life

depart from him whom we hate.

3.053.22 As (the tree) suffers pain from the axe, as the s'imbal flower is (easily) cut off, as the

injured cauldron leaking scatters foam, so may mine enemy perish. [The ellipse: as the tree is cut

down by the axe, so may the enemy be cut down; as one cuts off without difficulty the flower of

the s'imbal, so may he be destroyed; as the ukha_ (cauldron) when struck (prahata), and thence

leaking (yes.anti_, sravanti_), scatters foam or breath from its mouth, so (dves.t.a madi_ya,

mantra sa_marthyena prahatah san, phenam mukha_d udgirtu), may that hater, struck by the

power of my prayer vomit foam fromhis mouth].

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3.053.23 Men, (the might) of the destroyer is not known to you; regarding him as a mere animal,

they lead him away desirous (silently to complete his devotions); the wise condescend not to turn

the foolish into ridicule, they do not lead the ass before the horse. [Legend: Vis'va_mitra was

seized and bound by the followers of Vasis.t.ha, when observing a vow of silence. These were

the reflections of the sage on the occasion: disparaging the rivalry of Vasis.t.ha with himself, as

if between an ass and a horse: sa_yakasya = of an arrow;here explained, to destroy,

avasa_naka_rin.ah; lodham nayanti = they lead the sage; lodha = fr. lubdham, desirous that his

penance might not be frustrated, tapasah ks.ayo ma_ bhu_d iti, lobhena tus.n.i_m sthitam r.s.im

pas'um manyama_na, thinking the r.s.i silent through his desire, to be an animal, i.e., stupid;

another interpretation in Nirukta:lubdham r.s.im nayanti pas'um manyama_nah, they take away

the desiring r.s.i, thinking him an animal; na ava_jinam va_jina_ ha_sayanti: va_jina = fr. vac,

speed, with ina affix; interpreted as srvajn~a, all knowing; the contrary avajina = mu_rkha, a

fool].

3.053.24 These sons of Bharata, Indra, understand severance (from the Vasis.t.has), not

association (with them); they urge their steeds (against them) as against a constant foe; they bear

a stout bow (for their destruction) in battle. [Sons of Bharata: descendants of Vis'va_mitra whose

enmity to the lineage of Vasis.t.ha is here expressed; the enmity reportedly occurred on account

of Vis'va_mitra's disciple the Ra_ja_ suda_s; Anukraman.ika_ states that Vasis.t.has hear not the

inimical imprecations: antya abhis'aparthas ta vasis.t.adevas.in.yah na vasis.t.hah s'r.n.vanti;

Niruktam: sa vasis.t.hadves.i_ r.k-aham ca kapis.thalo vasi.s.hah atas tana nirbravi_mi, this and

the previous verse are inimical to the Vasis.t.has and he is of the race of Vasis.t.ha, of the

Kapis.t.hala branch].

² pārati , n. cf. ¹. Sailing vessel; . ( .)

( . . . . .).

paratavar, n. < bharata. 1. Inhabitants of maritime tract, fishing tribes;

. ( . 5, 25). 2. A dynasty of rulers of the Tamil country;

. ( .

144). 3. Vaišyas; . ( . .

189) ¹ pāratam, n. < Bhārata. 1. India; .

( . . 51)

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S. Kalyanaraman

Sarasvati Research Center

August 28, 2015