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The Terminology of the Vedas and European Scholars 35
alone? Here Max Muller gives a reason for the goat being led first as
Pitshan's share; the reason is that Tvashtri himself raises to glory this
pleasant offering.' Now who is this Tvashtri, and how is he related to
Ptishan? How does Tvashtri himself raise to glory this pleasant
offering? All these are questions left to be answered by the blank
imagination of the reader. Such a translation can only do one service.
It is that of making fools of the Vedic
rishis
whom Max Muller supposes
to be the authors of the Vedas.
The word
vishwadevyas,
which Max Muller translates as
'destined for all the gods,' can never grammatically mean so. The
utmost that one can make Max Muller on this word is that
vishvadevyas
should mean for all the
devas,'
but 'destined' is a pure addition
unwarranted by grammar.
Vishwadevya
is formed from
vishwadeva
by
the addition of the suffix
yat
in the sense of
tatra sadhu
(See
Ashtadhyayi, IV.4.98). The meaning is
elk
#13
igetitt,;11 Tirtif-47-4-04:
or
Vishvadevyas
is whatsoever is
par excellence
fit to produce
useful properties. We have spoken of Max Muller translating
pushan,
which means strength into a proper noun.
Tvashtri
which
simply means one who befits things, or a skilful hand is again
converted into a proper noun.
Purodasha
which means food well-
cooked is - translated into offering. The'words which is brought
with' are, of course, Max Muller's addition to put sense into what
would otherwise be without any sense.
Arvat
which, no doubt,
sometimes means a horse, here means knowledge. For if horse were
intended, some adjective of significance would have so changed
the meaning.
Saushravasaya Jinvati
which means "obtains for
purpose of a good food,"
(Shravas,
in Vedic Sanskrit, meaning food
or
anna)
is translated by Max Muller into 'raises to glory.' The true
meaning would be, "The goat possessed of useful properties yield
milk as a strengthening food for horses. The best cereal is useful
when made into pleasant food well prepared by so apt cook
according to the modes dictated by specific knowledge of the
properties of foods."
We have criticised Max Muller's translation of the first three
mantras
of this
sukta
in detail, to show how he errs at every step; in
every case, the error consisting in taking the
rurhi
meaning instead
of the
yaugika
one of the word. It will not be difficult to pass from
mantra
to
mantra
till the hymn is finished, and show that the true