YajurVeda (Swami Satyaprakash Saraswati)

Yajurveda Adhyay 23 / Mantra 18

65 Mantra
23/18
Devata- प्राणादयो देवताः Rishi- प्रजापतिर्ऋषिः Chhand- विराड्जगती Swara- निषादः
Mantra with Swara
प्रा॒णाय॒ स्वाहा॑पा॒नाय॒ स्वाहा॑ व्या॒नाय॒ स्वाहा॑। अम्बे॒ऽअम्बि॒केऽम्बा॑लिके॒ न मा॑ नयति॒ कश्च॒न। सस॑स्त्यश्व॒कः सुभ॑द्रिकां काम्पीलवा॒सिनी॑म्॥१८॥

प्रा॒णाय॑। स्वाहा॑। अ॒पा॒नाय॑। स्वाहा॑। व्या॒नायेति॑ विऽआ॒नाय॑। स्वाहा॑। अम्बे॑। अम्बि॑के। अम्बा॑लिके। न। मा॒। न॒य॒ति॒। कः। च॒न। सस॑स्ति। अ॒श्व॒कः। सुभ॑द्रिका॒मिति॒ सुऽभ॑द्रिकाम्। का॒म्पी॒ल॒वा॒सिनी॒मिति॑ काम्पीलऽ वा॒सिनी॑म् ॥१८ ॥

Mantra without Swara
प्राणाय स्वाहाऽअपानाय स्वाहा व्यानाय स्वाहा अम्बे अम्बिके म्बालिके न मा नयति कश्चन । ससस्त्यश्वकः सुभद्रिकाङ्काम्पीलवासिनीम् ॥

प्राणाय। स्वाहा। अपानाय। स्वाहा। व्यानायेति विऽआनाय। स्वाहा। अम्बे। अम्बिके। अम्बालिके। न। मा। नयति। कः। चन। ससस्ति। अश्वकः। सुभद्रिकामिति सुऽभद्रिकाम्। काम्पीलवासिनीमिति काम्पीलऽ वासिनीम्॥१८॥

YajurVeda (Swami Satyaprakash Saraswati)

English
YajurVeda (Swami Satyaprakash Saraswati) - English
Translation
Svaha to breath. (1) Svaha to out-breath. (2) Svaha to through-breath. (3) O mother, O grand-mother, O great grand-mother, no one carries me away. Аn energetic man becomes sleepy after obtaining the joy-giving wealth. (4)
Note
The verses 18 to 31 are as controversial as they are ambiguous in wording and meaning. Western translators, on the authority of the commentators, have maintained that these verses relate to the cohabitation of the chief queen with the horse of the sacrifice. Expressions, as interpreted by them, are vulgar. Dayananda has vehemently refuted these interpretations, con demning the commentators for their lack of knowledge and of even common sense. He has offered his own inter retations, which are as unsatisfactory, as those of the commentatc rs. We have our own interpretation, which is no better. Griffith has found verses so obcene, that he has not translated them into English, but in Latin, because in a language with which we are less con versant obcenity becomes acceptable. Contentions of the commentators are untenable. These mean ings also are arrived at after considerable mental exercise and quite arbitrarily distorting the words. Words of the text clearly do not say so. Moreover, they lack common sense. Howsoever perverted a woman, she will not thirst for sexual intercourse with a horse, least of all the chief queen of a king ambitious enough to perform an Asvamedha sacrifice. According to Griffith, the horse is slaugh tered with the verse 15 and in the verse 18 we are presented with a queen complaining that no one is carrying her to the horse, i. e. to the slaughtered horse. The aim is to get a child. One can imagine, with some difficulty, a queen foolish enough to expect a baby by cohab iting with a horse, but it is very-very difficult to imagine a queen so insane as to desire a sexual intercourse with a dead horse. It is im possible to reconcile with such an idea. Uvata and Mahīdhara did not lack common sense. In spite of their inclination towards rituals, their commentries are a very commendable effort. But why did they fail here so miserably is not clear. Ambe, ambike, ambalike, according to the commentators these are proper nouns, names of certain women. Alternatively, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. Aśvakaḥ, a man virile and strong as a horse Subhadrikām, शोभनं भद्रं करोति या तां, joy-giving. Kāmpilavāsinim, कं सुखं पीलति गृह्णाति इति कम्पीलः तं वासयितुं शीलं यस्याः तां लक्ष्मीम्, the wealth. Sasati, सस स्वप्ने , to sleep; gets sleepy.