The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Preface
• Introduction
• Errata
• Vedic Hymns
• Agnİ
• Savitṛ́
• MarÚtas
• VİṢṆu
• Dyá̄vĀ-pṚthiví̄
• Índra
• RudrÁ
• Apá̄Ṃ NÁpĀt
• MitrÁ
• Bṛ́haspÁti
• UṢÁs
• AgnÍ
• ParjÁnya
• PŪṢÁn
• Á̄pas
• Mitrá̄-vÁruṆĀ
• Sú̄rya
• AŚvÍnĀ
• VÁruṆa
• MaṆḌŪkĀs
• VÍŚve Devá̄Ḥ
• SÓma
• Funeral Hymn
• PitÁras
• Hymn of the Gambler
• PÚruṢa
• Rá̄trĪ
• Hymn of Creation
• YamÁ
• Vá̄ta
• Vocabulary
• Abbreviations

MITRÁ

The association of Mitra with Varuṇa is so intimate that he is addressed alone in one hymn only (iii. 59). Owing to the scantiness of the information supplied in that hymn his separate character appears somewhat indefinite. Uttering his voice, he marshals men and watches the tillers with unwinking eye. He is the great Āditya who marshals, yātayati, the people, and the epithet yātayáj-jana arraying men together appears to be peculiarly his. Savitṛ (i. 35) is identified with Mitra because of his laws, and Viṣṇu (i. 154) takes his three steps by the laws of Mitra: statements indicating that Mitra regulates the course of the sun. Agni, who goes at the head of the dawns (that is to say, is kindled before dawn), produces Mitra, and when kindled is Mitra. In the Atharvaveda, Mitra at sunrise is contrasted with Varuṇa in the evening, and in the Brāhmaṇas Mitra is connected with day, Varuṇa with night.

The conclusion from the Vedic evidence that Mitra was a solar deity, is corroborated by the Avesta and by Persian religion in general, where Mithra is undoubtedly a sun-god or a god of light specially connected with the sun.

The etymology of the name is uncertain, but it must originally have meant ‘ally’ or ‘friend’, for the word often means ‘friend’ in the RV., and the Avestic Mithra is the guardian of faithfulness. As the kindly nature of the god is often referred to in the Veda, the term must in the beginning have been applied to the sun-god in his aspect of a benevolent power of nature.

iii. 59. Metre: Triṣṭubh, 1-5; Gāyatrī, 6-9.

See Page Number 79, Hymn Number 1 in PDF for Sanskrit Version

• 1

  Mitró jánān yātayati bruvāṇó;
• Mitró dādhāra pṛthiví̄m utá dyá̄m;
• Mitráḥ kṛṣṭí̄r ánimiṣābhí caṣṭe:
• Mitrá̄ya havyáṃ ghṛtávaj juhota.

Mitra speaking stirs men; Mitra supports earth and heaven; Mitra regards the people with unwinking eye: to Mitra offer the oblation with ghee.

yātayati: stirs to activity. bruvāṇás: by calling, that is, arousing them; cp. what is said of Savitṛ: ‘who makes all beings hear him by his call’ (v. 82, 9) and ‘he stretches out his arms that all may hear him’ (ii. 38, 2). Sāyaṇa interprets the word as being praised or making a noise. Some scholars take the pt. with Mitrás in the sense of he who calls himself Mitra, but this in my opinion is in itself highly improbable, while this construction cannot be shown to exist in the RV., and even later seems only to occur when the name immediately precedes, i. e. Mitró bruvāṇáḥ. This Pāda occurs slightly modified in vii. 36, 2 as jánaṃ ca Mitró yatati bruvāṇáḥ. dādhāra: pf. = pr.; p. 342 a (cp. 139, 9); note that the red. syllable of this pf. is never shortened in the Pada text (cp. i. 154, 4). dyá̄m: acc. of dyó (102, 3). ánimiṣā: inst. of á-nimiṣ; it is characteristic of Mitra and Varuṇa to regard men with unwinking eye. caṣṭe: 3. s. of cakṣ; on the Sandhi see 66 B 2 a. juhota: 2. pl. ipv. irr. strong form occurring beside the regular juhutá (p. 144, B 3 α).

See Page Number 80, Hymn Number 2 in PDF for Sanskrit Version

• 2

  prá sá, Mitra, mártǒ astu práyasvān,
• yás ta, Āditya, śíkṣati vraténa.
• ná hanyate, ná jīyate tuóto:
• náinam áṃho ’śnoty ántito ná dūrá̄t.

Let that mortal offering oblations, O Mitra, be pre-eminent who pays obeisance to thee, O Āditya, according to (thy) ordinance. He who is aided by thee is not slain nor vanquished: trouble reaches him neither from near nor from far.

tvótas: tva must often be read as tua; tuótas is therefore more natural than the prosodical shortening (p. 437 a 4) of tvă-ú̄tas. The fourth Pāda has one syllable too many as written in the Saṃhitā text. By dropping the a after o the correct number of syllables is obtained, but the break (––ᴗ) remains quite irregular (p. 440, 4 B).

See Page Number 81, Hymn Number 3 in PDF for Sanskrit Version

• 3

  anamīvá̄sa íḷayā mádanto,
• mitájñavo várimann á̄ pṛthivyá̄ḥ,
• Ādityásya vratám upakṣiyánto,
• vayáṃ Mitrásya sumatáu siāma.

Free from disease, delighting in the sacred food, firm-kneed on the expanse of earth, abiding by the ordinance of the Āditya, may we remain in the good will of Mitra.

váriman: loc. (90, 2) with á̄; note that váriman is n., varimán, m. (p. 453, 9 c). Ādityásya: that is, of Mitra.

See Page Number 81, Hymn Number 4 in PDF for Sanskrit Version

• 4

  ayáṃ Mitró namasíaḥ suśévo,
• rá̄jā sukṣatró ajaniṣṭa vedhá̄ḥ:
• tásya vayáṃ sumatáu yajñíyasya,
• ápi bhadré saumanasé siāma.

This Mitra, adorable, most propitious, a king wielding fair sway, has been born as a disposer: may we remain in the goodwill of him the holy, in his auspicious good graces.

ajaniṣṭa: 3. s. Ā. iṣ ao. of jan. vedhá̄s: that is, as a wise moral ruler; on the dec. see 83, 2 a. ápi: to be taken as a verbal prp. with as be.

See Page Number 81, Hymn Number 5 in PDF for Sanskrit Version

• 5

  mahá̄ṁ̆ Ādityó námasopasádyo
• yātayájjano gṛṇaté suśévaḥ:
• tásmā etát pányatamāya júṣṭam
• agnáu Mitrá̄ya havír á̄ juhota.

The great Āditya, to be approached with homage, stirring men, to the singer most propitious: to him most highly to be praised, to Mitra, offer in fire this acceptable oblation.

mahá̄ṁ̆: 39. yātayájjanas: on the accent of governing cds. see p. 455 b. gṛṇaté: dat. of pr. pt. of gṛ sing; accent, p. 458, 3. júṣṭam: a pp. of juṣ enjoy, with shift of accent when used as an adj. meaning welcome (cp. p. 384). juhota: cp. note on 1 d.

See Page Number 82, Hymn Number 6 in PDF for Sanskrit Version

• 6

  Mitrásya carṣaṇīdhṛ́to,
• ávo devásya sānasí,
• dyumnáṃ citráśravastamam.

Of Mitra, the god who supports the folk, the favour brings gain, (his) wealth brings most brilliant fame.

carṣaṇīdhṛ́tas: the Pada text restores the metrically lengthened short vowel of carṣaṇi. -dhṛ́tó ’vo: p. 465, 17, 3; cp. note on i. 1, 9 b. citráśravastamam: see note on i. 1, 5 b.

See Page Number 82, Hymn Number 7 in PDF for Sanskrit Version

• 7

  abhí yó mahiná̄ dívaṃ
• Mitró babhú̄va sapráthāḥ,
• abhí śrávobhiḥ pṛthiví̄m:

Mitra the renowned, who is superior to heaven by his greatness, superior to earth by his glories:

abhí bhū surpass takes the acc. mahiná̄ for mahimná̄: 90, 2. dívam: acc. of dyú, 99, 5: cp. dyó, 102, 3. babhú̄va: the pf. here is equivalent to a pr.; p. 342 a. In c babhú̄va must be supplied with the repeated prp.; cp. note on ii. 33, 2. The cadence of c is irregular: –ᴗᴗ– instead of ᴗ–ᴗ–; cp. p. 438, 3 a.

See Page Number 83, Hymn Number 8 in PDF for Sanskrit Version

• 8

  Mitrá̄ya páñca yemire
• jánā abhíṣṭiśavase:
• sá devá̄n víśvān bibharti.

To Mitra, strong to help, the five peoples submit: he supports all the gods.

páñca jánāḥ: the five peoples, here = all mankind. yemire: 3. pl. pf. Ā. of yam (see p. 150, f. n. 1). bibharti: 3. s. pr. P. of bhṛ. víśvān: this is the regular word for all in the RV.: its place begins to be taken by sárva in late hymns. The general meaning of the stanza is that gods and men are dependent on Mitra. The cadence of c is trochaic instead of iambic (see p. 439 a).

See Page Number 83, Hymn Number 9 in PDF for Sanskrit Version

• 9

  Mitró, devéṣu āyúṣu,
• jánāya vṛktábarhiṣe
• íṣa iṣṭávratā akaḥ.

Mitra, among gods and mortals, has provided food, according to the ordinances he desires, for the man whose sacrificial grass is spread.

iṣṭá-vratās: a Bv. agreeing with íṣas, food regulated by the ordinances which Mitra desires, i. e. to be eaten according to fixed rules.