Page 149 - Lokmanya Tilak Samagra (khand 2)

134 SAMAGRA TILAK - 2 • THE ORION
great divergence of opinion in assigning different verses to their
deities. I shall examine these points while discussing the verses.
VERSE I - The verse has been differently interpreted by
different writers. Yaska ( J 3. 4) interprets it as referring to the
rays of the sun, which ( the rays ) deem themselves perfectly
independent of the luminary by which they were sent out. Saya11a
ascribes it to lndra who says " that sacrificers, allowed by me
to sacrifice to V rithakapi, have disregarded me, but are prais-
ing the lord Vrith&kapi who is delighted, as my friend, in the
sacrifices, where plenty of Soma .is used; ( but notwithstanding )
this Indra is superior to all. " Madhav Bha~~a. whom Saya11a
mentions with respect, however, thinks otherwise. He considers
that the verse is addresed by Indra11t to Indra when she perceived
that the sacrificers have ceased to sacrifice on account of the obla-
tions being spoiled by an animal representing Vritbakapi. He
would therefore, thus interpret the verse. Says Indript, "'In
places of plenty where lord V rithakapi revels, sacrificers have
given up sacrificing and disregarded Indra. My friend Indra is
superior to all. "
When the very first verse is thus interpreted in three different
ways, one can easily attrifmte the difference to an imperfect per-
ception of the bearing of the whole hymn. To me Madhava
Bhana alone appears to have taken into consideration the
verses that follow. Thus the fifth verse of the hymn states that
the things of Indrapi were spoilt by Vri•hakapi in the form of
an animal, and consequently he was beheaded. I should how-
ever, like to refer to verse 21, wherein Vri•hakapi is told that
when he appears again, sacrifices would be performed. This
evidently implies that they were stopped before and were to be
commenced again on the re-appearance of Vri~hakapi. The first
verse therefore must be interpreted to mean that " the sacrifices
are stopped. " The root srij with vi may mean either to abandon
or to allow, but the former is its natural meaning, and when
verse 21 in the same hymn can be easily explained by taking
the former meaning of srii with vi, it would be straining the words
if we put a different interpretation on them. I am, therefore, dis-

19, 20; lodrl\lf 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 16, 2I; Vri,h4ka·pAyl, II, I5 1 I7, 18.
Verses 22 and 23 are supposed to be addressed by a stranger, the
narrator.