SVU 2.4-2.5: Concentration and Praise

With reverence I join the ancient sacred word of you both. May the song of praise travel far along the path, like the sage's call. All the sons of immortality hear it, including those who dwell in the divine realms.

śloka LV1958 ] sūrāḥ LV1958-app

śṛṇvanti LV1958 ] śṛṇvantu ASS1927, LV1958-app

diviyāni LV1958 ] divyāni ASS1927

Das alte Brahman (Gebet) bring’ ich euch in Ehrfurcht; Weit dringt der Ruf, wie Sonnen ihre Bahn ziehn; Des Ew’gen Kinder alle ihn vernehmen, Und die in Wohnungen des Himmels schalten.

I join your ancient prayer (brahma pūrvyam) with adorations! My verses go forth like suns upon their course. All the sons of the immortal listen, Even those who ascended to heavenly stations!<1>
<1: This stanza also = RV. 10. 13. 1; VS. 11. 5. Lines a, b, c with slight variants = AV. 18. 3. 39 b, c, d.>

(O Heart and mind!) I fix both of you (on) that Brahm who exists from time without beginning. May my praise, with salutations, go forth, in various ways (to God), like fame by (in) the path of a wise man. Hear (the praise), All ye Sons of the Immortal, who live in Heavenly abodes.

Das alte Brahman (Gebet) bring’ ich euch in Ehrfurcht; Weit dringt der Ruf, wie Sonnen ihre Bahn ziehn; Des Ew’gen Kinder alle ihn vernehmen, Und die in Wohnungen des Himmels schalten.

<1> Your old prayer has to be joined<2> with praises. Let my song go forth like the path of the sun! May all the sons of the Immortal listen, they who have reached their heavenly homes.
<1: For this verse, see Taitt. Samh. IV, 1, 1, 2, 1; Vāg. Samh. XI, 5; Atharva-veda XVIII, 3, 39; Rig-veda X, 13, 1. The Vāgasaneyins read vi sloka etu for vi slokā yanti; sūreh for sūrāh; srinvantu for srinvanti; and the Rig-veda agrees with them. The dual vām is accounted for by the verse belonging to a hymn celebrating the two sakatas, carts, bearing the offerings (havirdhāne); most likely, however, the dual referred originally to the dual deities of heaven and earth. I prefer the text of the Rig-veda and the Vāgasaneyins to that of the Taittirīyas, and have translated the verse accordingly. In the Atharva-veda XVIII, 39, if we may trust the edition, the verse begins with svāsasthe bhavatam indave nah, which is really the end of the next verse (Rv. X, 13, 2), while the second line is, vi sloka eti pathyeva sūrih srinvantu visve amritāsa etat. I see no sense in pathyeva sūrāh. Saṅkara explains pathyeva by pathi sanmārge, athavā pathyā kīrtih, while his later commentary, giving srinvantu and putrāh sūrātmano hiranyagarbhasya, leads one to suppose that he read sūreh srinvantu. Sāyana (Taitt. Samh. IV, 1, 1, 2) explains pathyā sūrā iva by gīrvānamārga antarikshe sūryarasmayo yathā prasaranti tadvat. The same, when commenting on the Rig-veda (X, 13, 1), says: pathyā-iva sūreh, yathā stotuh svabhūtā pathyā parināmasukhāvahāhutir visvān devān prati vividham gakkhati tadvat. Mahīdhara (Vāg. Samh. XI, 5) refers sūreh (panditasya) to slokah, and explains pathyeva by patho ’napetā pathyā yagñamārgapravrittāhutih.>
<2: Yuge cannot stand for yuñge, as all commentators and translators suppose, but is a datival infinitive. Neither can yuñgate in the following verse stand for yuṅkte (see Boehtlingk, s. v.), or be explained as a subjunctive form. A. reads adhirudhyate, B. abhirudhyate, with a marginal note abhinudyate. It is difficult to say whether in lighting the fire the wind should be directed towards it, or kept from it.>

I worship your ancient Bramha with reverence; (my) Slokas will be praised as wise men on a good path; all the sons of the immortal (Prajāpati, viz. the gods, his parts) who inhabit divine dwellings, hear (them).<1>
<1: The text in Weber’s edition of the Yajur V. is, with the following exceptions, the same as in the Upanishad: Instead of “Slokā yanti” Weber reads, “Slokā etu;” instead of “Sūrā,” “Sūreḥ;” and instead of “Śrinwanti,” “Śrinwantu.” To show in an example the difference of the explanation, I translate here this verse according to Mahīdhara’s commentary. “O you sacrificer and his wife, for your sake I perform (at present) with food (namobhir) the ancient (work called) Bramha (a kind of fire offering). (By Bramha the caste of the Brāhmanas may also be understood.) May the fame of the wise (of the sacrificer), reach the two worlds, as the oblation does. May all the sons of the immortal (Prajāpati) who inhabit divine dwellings, hear (the praise of the sacrificer).”>