HYMN CLXXIX. Rati: Rig Veda – Book 1 – Ralph T.H. Griffith, Translator

परुवीरहं शरदः शश्रमणा दोषा वस्तोरुषसो जरयन्तीः |
मिनाति शरियं जरिमा तनूनमप्यु नु पत्नीर्व्र्षणो जगम्युः ||

ये चिद धि पूर्व रतसाप आसन साकं देवेभिरवदन्न्र्तानि |
ते चिदवसुर्नह्यन्तमापुः समू नु पत्नीर्व्र्षभिर्जगम्युः ||

न मर्षा शरान्तं यदवन्ति देवा विश्वा इत सप्र्धो अभ्यश्नवाव |
जयावेदत्र शतनीथमजिं यत सम्यञ्चा मिथुनावभ्यजाव ||

नदस्य मा रुधतः काम आगन्नित आजातो अमुतः कुतश्चित |
लोपामुद्र वर्षणं नी रिणति धीरमधीर धयति शवसन्तम ||

इमं न सोममन्तितो हर्त्सु पीतमुप बरुवे |
यत सीमागश्चक्र्मा तत सु मर्ळतु पुलुकामो हि मर्त्यः ||

अगस्त्यः खनमनः खनित्रैः परजमपत्यं बलमिछमानः |
उभौ वर्णाव रषिरुग्रः पुपोष सत्या देवेष्वशिषो जगाम ||

pruvīrahaṃ śaradaḥ śaśramaṇā doṣā vastoruṣaso jarayantīḥ |
mināti śriyaṃ jarimā tanūnamapyu nu patnīrvṛṣaṇo jaghamyuḥ ||

ye cid dhi pūrva ṛtasāpa āsan sākaṃ devebhiravadannṛtāni |
te cidavasurnahyantamāpuḥ samū nu patnīrvṛṣabhirjaghamyuḥ ||

na mṛṣā śrāntaṃ yadavanti devā viśvā it spṛdho abhyaśnavāva |
jayāvedatra śatanīthamajiṃ yat samyañcā mithunāvabhyajāva ||

nadasya mā rudhataḥ kāma āghannita ājāto amutaḥ kutaścit |
lopāmudra vṛṣaṇaṃ nī riṇati dhīramadhīra dhayati śvasantam ||

imaṃ n somamantito hṛtsu pītamupa bruve |
yat sīmāghaścakṛmā tat su mṛḷatu pulukāmo hi martyaḥ ||

aghastyaḥ khanamanaḥ khanitraiḥ prajamapatyaṃ balamichamānaḥ |
ubhau varṇāv ṛṣirughraḥ pupoṣa satyā deveṣvaśiṣo jaghāma ||

English Translation

Translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith

(The following Hymn was originally only found in the Appendix, with certain lines translated in Latin.—JBH.)

The deified object of this omitted hymn is said to be Rati or Love, and its Ṛṣis or authors are Lopāmudrā, Agastya, and a disciple. Lopāmudrā is represented as inviting the caresses of her aged husband Agastya, and complaining of his coldness and neglect. Agastya responds in stanza 3, and in the second half of stanza 4 the disciple or the poet briefly tells the result of the dialogue. Stanza 5 is supposed to be spoken by the disciple who has overheard the conversation, but its connexion with the rest of the hymn is not very apparent. In stanza 6 ‘toiling with strong endeavour’ is a paraphrase and not a translation of the original khanamānaḥ khanītraiḥ (ligonibus fodiens) which Sāyaṇa explains by ‘obtaining the desired result by means of lauds and sacrifices.’

M. Bergaigne is of opinion that the hymn has a mystical meaning, Agastya being identifiable with the celestial Soma whom Lopāmudrā, representing fervent Prayer, succeeds after long labour in drawing down from his secret dwelling place. See La Religion Vedique, ii. 394 f.

1 ‘Through many autumns have I toiled and laboured, at night and morn, through age-inducing dawnings.
Old age impairs the beauty of our bodies. Let husbands still come near unto their spouses.

2 For even the men aforetime, law-fulfillers, who with the Gods declared eternal statutes,—
They have decided, but have not accomplished: so now let Wives come near unto their husbands.

3 Non inutilis est labor cui Dii favent: nos omnes aemulos et aemulas vincamus.
Superemus in hac centum artium pugna in qua duas partes convenientes utrinque commovemus.

4 Cupido me cepit illius tauri [viri] qui me despicit, utrum hinc utrum illinc ab aliqua parte nata sit.
Lopamudra taurum [maritum suum] ad se detrahit: insipiens illa sapientem anhelantem absorbet.

5 This Soma I address that is most near us, that which hath been imbibed within the spirit,
To pardon any sins we have committed. Verily mortal man is full of longings.

6 Agastya thus, toiling with strong endeavour, wishing for children, progeny and power,
Cherished—a sage of mighty strength—both classes, and with the Gods obtained his prayer’s fulfilment.

By ‘both classes’ probably priests and princes, or institutors of sacrifices, are meant. M. Bergaigne understands the expression to mean the two forms or essences of Soma, the celestial and the terrestrial.