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The hymn's translation by Wilson describes Indra as protector of
the good and relates augmentation of energy by slaying thousands of mighty
(foes) but Mr. Jha has restricted his vocabulary to mean it buffaloes. [This is
only a literal translation or deliberate effort without caring for the context
and spirit of the hymn]
The RgVeda hymn VI11.19.5 has been cited by Jha (p.41, ref.134)
to state "a devout offering of praise or of a fuel stick or of cooked food was
as good as a more, solemn sacrifice".
T.V.: yah samidha ya ahuti yo vedena dadasa marto agnaye yo
namasa svadhvarah
Wilsons' translation of this hymn is "The man who has presented
(worship) to Agni with fuel, with burnt offerings, with the Veda, with sacrificial
food, and is diligent in pious rites".
Sw.Satya Prakash and Satyakam's interpretation reads as "The
mortal, who presents offering to the fire divine, with the fuel, with the oblations,
with the chanting of Vedic lores, and with reverence".
Difference in rendering of the hymns reveals that the slant of Wilson's
translation is towards the ritual of sacrifice and so he could not capture the
spirit of the divine hymn.
Mr.Jha cites RgVeda's hymn VIII.43.11 to state that Indra's food is
the ox and the barren cow (p.29, ref.22)
T.V.: ukshannaya vasannaya somaprishthaya vedhase Stomair
vidhemagnaye
This hymn is translated by Wilson to read "Let us adore with hymns
Agni, the granter (of desires), the eater of the ox, the eater of the morrow on
whose back the libation is poured"
Sw.Satya Prakash and Satyakam interpreted this hymn as "Let us
adore with hymns the fire-divine, who is fed on agricultural products, dairy
products, and who bears the herbal plants on the back". Jha quotes Rgveda
X.16.4 (p.30,ref.26) to argue that for disposal of the dead a recourse is
taken to the burning of a goat which is the share of Agni, and to use of the
flesh of the cow to protect the body against the flame'
T.V.: ajo bhagas tapasa tam tapasva tam te socis tapatu tam te
areih yas te sivas tanvo jatavedas tabhir vahainam sukritam u lokam
Mr. Wilson's translation of this verse reads as follows:
"The unborn portion; burn that, Agni, with your heat; let your flame,
your spleandour, consume it; with those glorious members which have given
him, Jatavedas, bear him to the world (of the virtuous)".
The actual content of the hymn as per Sw.Satya Prakash
and
Satyakam's interpretation is as follows:
"0 fire divine, let your radiant flame and your glowing splendour