Imagens da página
PDF
ePub

the month of Madhu or Chaitra, as its seven guardians. In (Vaiśákha or) Mádhava the seven are Aryaman, * Pulaha, Nárada, Punjikasthalí,† Rathaujas, Kachchhaníra, and Praheti. In Suchi§ (or Jyaishtha) they are Mitra, Atri, Háhá,|| Menaká, ↑ Rathaswana, Takshaka, and Paurusheya. ** In (the month) Sukra†† or Áshádha they are Varuna, Vasishtha, Huhu,# Sahajanyá, §§ Ra

As to many of these names, it is no easy undertaking to determine which of the Puráúas gives them correctly. See my note at pp. 290-293, infra.

Amsa is the older name, not Amśu; Daksha anciently held the place of Dhátŕi; &c. &c.

For the Adityas, see p. 27, supra, and Dr. Muir, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, New Series, Vol. I., pp. 51—140; for the Rishis, Vol. I. of this work, pp. 100-103; for the Gandharvas, pp. 75-77, supra; for the Apsarases, pp. 75 and 80-84, supra; for the Grámanís or Yakshas, the Sarpas or Serpents, and the Rákshasas, pp. 74, 75, supra.

* Corrected from "Áryamat”, and again in the note at the end of this chapter. See p. 27, supra, where the Translator had "Áryaman”.

+ All my MSS. but one have Punjikasthalȧ.

In emendation of "Kachanira".

§ See the note on Sukra, a little below.

One of my MSS. exhibits the elongated form Háháka.

Professor Wilson put the short form, "Mená", for which I find no authority in this place.

**Called, in the original, a Rakshas.

+ Jyaishtha, just above, is supplied by the Translator; his Áshádha is in the original. Šukra, according to the Medini-kosa, designates the one and the other of these months; but I nowhere find that Suchi stands except

for Ashadha. शुचिसंज्ञे looks, therefore, like an error for शुक्रसंज्ञे. Instead of the lection, yielding 'in Sukra', some MSS. have, simply, HT, 'in the month',- of Áshadha, to-wit. T, 'in Suchi', would suit the metre equally well.

The commentators remark on the names here discussed, but neither mention other readings, nor support, by adducing external authorities, the tenability of the text which they accept.

++ Also read Húhú, Húhu, and Huhú.

++

§§ Did Kalidasa invent his own mythology, or did he follow an earlier than that of the Puráúas, in making Chitralekha wait on the Sun through

thachitra, Nága,* and Budha.† In the month Nabhas (or Śrávana) they are Indra, Angiras, Viśwávasu, Pramlochá, Śrotas, § and Elápatra (the name of both serpent and Rakshasa). In the month Bhadrapada they the hot season, that is to say, during Jyaishtha and Áshádha? See the Vikramorvaśí, Act III.

*The order of these names, in the original, is: Varuna, Vasishtha, Nága, Sahajanyá, Huhu, Budha, Rathachitra. One of my MSS. has the reading Naga; but all the rest exhibit Rambhá. The Apsaras so called is appointed, below, for Phálguna; and the smaller commentary is disposed to take the view that, under the name Sahajanya, she here serves during the first of two months. Rathachitra is, then, to be taken as the name of the Yaksha, and also as that of the serpent. The reading Nága, in preclusion of the necessity of such speculation, is, however, mentioned:

रम्भा च सहजन्येति पाठे फाल्गुने वच्यमाणरम्भाव्यावृत्त्यर्थं सहजन्येति संज्ञान्तरेण तस्य विशेषणम् । रथचित्र इति यक्षसर्पयोरेकं नाम । नागश्च सहजन्येति पाठे नागसंज्ञकः सर्पः ।

In the larger commentary we read:

रम्भा अप्सराः। सहजन्येति नामान्तरेण तस्या एव विशेषणं फाल्गुने वक्ष्यमाणरम्भाव्यावृत्त्यर्थम् । तदा रथचित्र इति यक्षसर्पयोरेकं नाम । वत्सासहजन्ये इति पाठे वत्सः सर्पः । देवताद्वन्द्वत्वाद्दीर्घत्वम् | Here

we have a still different serpent introduced, Vatsa.

[ocr errors]

There is, in my opinion, not much doubt that Rambha is, here, a corruption of Rambha, a very unusual name, if compared with the familiar Rambbá,—the reading of the Vayu-purána and Linga-purána. Or, if we had the reading रम्भासहजन्ये, – which that of वत्सासहजन्ये, coupled with the fact of the common occurrence of रम्भा सहजन्या, evinces to be altogether supposable, we should still be entitled to Rambha, by the rule referred to, touching Vatsa, in the last paragraph. See Páńini, VI., III., 26. That neither of these very obvious suggestions presented itself to our commentators is little to their credit.

+ Vadha, though occurring in but one of my MSS., is the only reading that I find in other Puránas.

Five of my MSS. have, distinctly, Pramlová; but this, which I have seen elsewhere, as in MSS. of the Váyu-purána, seems to be only an error of the scribes.

§ The more ordinary, and preferable, reading is Srotas. But Prátah, which also is found in MSS., is, more likely, the right name.

|| इन्द्रो विश्वावसुः श्रोतः एलापचस्तथाङ्गिराः ।
प्रम्लोचा च नभस्येते सर्पश्चार्के वसन्ति वै ॥

Elápatra, therefore, there is no warrant for duplicating. He is the

are Vivaswat, Bhrigu, Ugrasena, Anumlochá,* Ápúrana,† Śankhapála, and Vyághra. In the month of Áświna they are Púshan, Gautama, Suruchi, Ghritáchí, Susheńa, Dhananjaya, and Váta. In the month of Kárttika they are Parjanya, Bharadwaja, (another) Viśwávasu, Viśwáchí, Senajit, Airávata, and Chápa. § In (Ágraháyana or) Márgaśírsha they are Amśu, Kasyapa, Chitrasena, Urvasí, Tárkshya,¶ Mahápadma, and Vidyut. In the month of Pausha, Bhaga, Kratu, Úrňáyu, Púrvachitti,** Arishtanemi, Karkotaka, and Sphúrja are the seven who abide in the orb of the sun, the glorious spirits who scatter light throughout the universe. In the month of Mágha the seven who are

serpent; and Sarpa - omitted in the translation-is the Rakshasa. Thus the smaller commentary: एलापत्रो नागः । * * सर्पो राक्षसः । And the larger commentary : सर्पो राक्षसः ।

* Umlochá is the lection of two MSS.

This is, perhaps, a corruption of Aruna, or of Varuńa.

The more usual designation of the month Áśwayuja, named in the original.

8 The smaller commentary is for taking Senajit twice; as the Yaksha, and as the Rakshasa. But it also notices the reading Chapa: त्संज्ञौ यक्षराक्षसौ । सेनजिञ्चाप इति पाठे चापो राक्षसः । The larger commentary has these identical words, with the important difference of reading आपो राक्षसः, ‘Ap is the Rakshasa'.

All my MSS. have, wrongly, f, 'and also', the reading preferred by the commentators. Had the authors of the commentaries but looked into the Puráńas which I quote in a subsequent note to this chapter, they would have seen that चापि is, doubtless, to give place to चाप:. To say what I can for the commentators, it is not forbidden to suppose that both चापो राक्षसः and आपो राक्षसः instead of अपो राक्षसः, may be the offspring of meddlesome transcription. 'Apas' - an outgrowth of ap is a rare word for 'Water'. The Rakshasa of the month preceding Karttika, it will be observed, is Váta, 'Wind'.

In five MSS. I find Kasyapa. There seems to be no good reason, however, for believing that this is anything better than a clerical error. ¶ One MS. gives Tárksha. ** Called an Apsaras, in the original.

in the sun are Twashtri, Jamadagni, Dhritarashtra, Tilottamá, Řitajit,* Kambala, and Brahmápeta. Those who abide in the sun in the month Phalguna are Vishnu, Viśwámitra, Súryavarchas, † Rambhá, Satyajit, Aswatara, and Yajnápeta.+

In this manner, Maitreya, a troop of seven celestial beings, supported by the energy of Vishnu, occupies, during the several months, the orb of the sun. The sage celebrates his praise, and the Gandharva sings, and the nymph dances before him, the Rákshasa§ attends upon his steps, the serpent harnesses his steeds, || and the Yaksha trims the reins : the (numerous pigmy sages, the) Válikhilyas, ever surround his chariot. The whole troop of seven, attached to the sun's car, are the agents in the distribution of cold, heat, and rain, at their respective seasons.1

[ocr errors]

**

A similar enumeration of the attendants upon the sun's car

Kratujit is the name in one MS.

f Instead of the "Suryaverchchas" of the original edition. The original mentions him as a Rakshas.

Besides the variants already specified, I have found, with several that seem quite unworthy of notice, the following, each occurring in only a single MS.: Kashtanira, for Kachchhaníra; Maitra, for Mitra; Daksha, for Háhá; Rathasyana and Daksha, for Rathaswana; Paurusha, for Paurusheya; Dhana, for Budha; Ápúrayat, for Ápúrana; Syenajit, for Senajit; Karkataka, for Karkoťaka; Saptajit, for Satyajit.

§ In the Sanskrit, niśácharák, 'night-roamers.'

The original, fa, is explained, in both the commentaries:

वहन्ति वहनानुकूलतया रथं संनह्यन्तीत्यर्थः । संनह्यन्ति रथं नागा efa yatâ: 1

१ यचैः क्रियतेऽभीषुसंग्रहः । Thus interpreted, in the smaller commentary: अभीषुसंग्रहः । रश्मिसंयोजनम् ।

**For these beings, see Vol. I., p. 98, my first foot-note, and p. 155.

occurs in the Váyu,* &c. For Yakshas the generic term there employed is Grámanís; but the individuals are the same. The

The enumeration contained in the Váyu-purána is as follows, according to my collation of five manuscripts:

स रथोऽधिष्ठितो देवैरादित्यै ऋषिभिस्तथा ।
गन्धर्वैरप्सरोभिश्च ग्रामणीसर्पराक्षसैः ।
एते वसन्ति वै सूर्ये द्वौ द्वौ मासौ क्रमेण तु ॥
धातार्यमा पुलस्त्यश्च पुलहश्च प्रजापतिः ।
उरगो वासुकिश्चैव संकीर्णारच तावुभौ ॥
तुम्बुरुर्नारदश्चैव गन्धर्वी गायतां वरौ ।
क्रतुस्थलाप्सराश्चैव या च वै पुञ्जिकस्थला ॥
ग्रामणी रथकृच्छ्रश्च तथोर्जश्चैव तावुभौ ।
रचो हेतिः प्रहेतिश्च यातुधानावुदाहृतौ ।
मधुमाधवयोरेष गणो वसति भास्करे ॥
वसन्ति ग्रैष्मिको मासौ मित्रश्च वरुणश्च ह ।
ऋषिरत्रिर्वसिष्ठश्च तक्षको रम्भ एव च ॥
मेनका सहजन्या च गन्धर्वी च हाहा हुहः ।
रथस्वनश्च ग्रामण्यौ रथचित्रश्च तावुभौ ॥
पौरुषेयो वधश्चैव यातुधानावुदाहृतौ ।
एते वसन्ति वै सूर्ये मासयोः शुचिशुक्रयोः ॥
ततः सूर्ये पुनस्त्वन्या निवसन्ति ह देवताः ।
इन्द्रश्चैव विवस्वांश्च अङ्गिरा भृगुरेव च ॥
एलापत्रस्तथा सर्पः शङ्खपालश्च तावुभौ ।
विश्वावसुग्रसेनौ च प्रातश्चैवारुणश्च ह ॥
प्रम्लोचेति च विख्यातानुम्लोचेति च ते उभे ।
यातुधानस्तथा सर्पो व्याघ्रश्वेतच तावुभौ ।
नभोनभस्ययोरेष गणो वसति भास्करे ॥
शरदृतौ पुनः शुभ्रा वसन्ति मुनिदेवताः ।
पर्जन्यश्चाथ पूषा च भरद्वाजः सगौतमः ॥
विश्वावसुश्च गन्धर्वस्तथैव सुरभिश्च यः ।
विश्वाची च घृताची च उभे ते शुभलक्षणे ॥
नाग ऐरावतश्चैव विश्रुतश्च धनंजयः ।
सेनजिच्च सुषेणश्च सेनानीग्रामणीच तौ ॥
अपो वातश्च तावेतौ यातुधानावुभौ मृतौ ।
बसन्त्येते तु वै सूर्ये मासयोश्च दुषोर्जयोः ॥

« AnteriorContinuar »