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The Terminology of the Vedas and European Scholars 33
deva
in its popular
laukika
sense, god; whereas
devajata
means
"with brilliant qualities manifested, or evoked to work by learned
men": the word
deva
meaning both brilliant qualities and learned
men. Again, Max Muller translates
"virya"
merely into virtues,
instead of "power-generating virtues." The true meaning of the
mantra,
therefore is:
"We will describe the power-generating virtues of the energetic
horses endowed with brilliant properties, or the virtues of the vigorous
force of heat which learned or scientific men can evoke to work for
purposes of appliances (not sacrifice). Let not philanthropes, noble
men, judges, learned men, rulers, wise men and practical mechanics
ever disregard these properties."
With this compare Max Mitller's translation:
"May Mitra, Varuna, Aryaman, Ayu, Indra, the lord of Ribhus
and the Maruts not rebuke us, because we shall proclaim at the
sacrifice the virtues of the swift horse sprung from the gods."
We come now to the second
mantra
which runs thus:
41 1uisir lcituRif micint44
Trft
I
1:15ftVi .),-,419ciV4 771/Tuft: i4i4+-144 714:
iR 12 I II
Max Muller translates it thus —
"When they lead before the horse, which is decked with pure
gold ornaments, the offering, firmly grasped, the spotted goat bleats
while walking onwards; it goes the path beloved by Indra and
PUshan."
Here again there is no sense in the passage. The bleating of
the goat has no connection with the leading of the offering before
the horse, nor any with its walking onward. Nor is the path of Indra
and Pushan in any way defined. In fact, it is very clear that there is
no definite specific relation between the first
mantra
and this,
according to MilIler's translation, unless a far-fetched connection be
forced by the imagination bent to discover or invent some curious
inconceivable mythology. And now to the application of the
principle that all Vedic terms are
yaugika.
Max Muller translates
reknasas
into gold ornaments, whereas it only means wealth (see
Nighantu, ii.10).
Rati
which signifies the mere act of giving is
converted into an 'offering;'
vishvarupa
which only means one
'having an idea of all forms' is converted into 'spotted';
aja,
which
means 'a man once born in wisdom,
being never born again,'
is