History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v3.c50.28

v3.c50.28

²⁴⁹⁹ The word 'āprī' appears to be used in two senses. One sense is 'a deity or deities' invoked by the verses of the hymn. Yāska (in the Nirukta VIII. 4–22) holds a lengthy discussion on the Āprīs, where he appears to regard the Āprīs as deities; अथात आप्रियः। आप्रियः कस्मात्। आप्नोतेः प्रीणातेर्वा। आप्रीभिराप्रीणातीति च ब्राह्मणम्। तासामिध्मः प्रथमागामी भवति। (Nir. VIII. 4). The 2nd meaning of Āprī is 'a verse (yajyā) that gratifies a deity'. In this sense the word is used in the Ait. Br. VI. 4 'आप्रीभिराप्रीणाति। समिधो यजति। ... तनूनपातं यजति। नराशंसं यजति। इळो यजति बर्हिर्यजति। दुरो यजति। उषासानक्ता यजति। देव्या होतारा यजति। तिस्रो देवीर्यजति। त्वष्टारं यजति। वनस्पतिं यजति। स्वाहाकृतीर्यजति। ताभिर्यद्यदृषि आप्रीणीयाद्यं यद्यमृषि आप्रीणाति यजमानमेव तद्वन्धुताया नोत्सृजति।' In this passage the explanations of समिधो यजति and others have been omitted. The word Āprī is here derived from the root 'prī' to please, while Yāska also suggests an alternative derivation from 'āp' to obtain but cites no Brāhmaṇa text in support of that derivation. The Śat. Br. III. 8. 1. 2 derives 'Āprī' from 'pṝ' to fill. According to Yāska the first Āprī deity is 'Idhma', while according to the Ait. Br. it is 'Samidhaḥ'. It is to be noted that he explains all the verses of Ṛg. X. 110, as the Āprī hymn but as that hymn does not contain a verse about Narāśaṁsa he quotes one from another Āprī hymn a verse for him viz. Ṛg. VII. 2. 2 (in Nir. VIII. 7). Hence it is probable that he held the view that the Āprī verses for all persons should be taken from Ṛg. X. 110, while the Ait. Br. prefers the view that one should repeat that Āprī hymn that is ascribed to the founder of one's gotra. Yāska (Nir. VIII. 22) divides the Āprī hymns into three classes, those containing verses addressed to both Tanūnapāt and Narāśaṁsa, those addressed to Narāśaṁsa only and (*Continued from last page*) those addressed to Tanūnapāt only. He mentions an 11th Āprī hymn occurring in the praiṣa (i. e. probably the praiṣādhyāya Āprī hymn). There are Āprī hymns in the other vedas also. For example, vide Vāj. S. 21. 12–22 (only Tanūnapāt), 29. 25–36 (containing addresses to both Tanūnapāt and Narāśaṁsa and being the same as Ṛg. X. 110 except the verse to Narāśaṁsa which is taken from Ṛg. VII. 2. 2), Atharvaveda V. 12 (same as Ṛg. X. 110), V. 27. The Tai. Br. III. 6. 3 contains all the Āprī verses of Ṛg. X. 110 and the verse Ṛg. VII. 2. 2. There is considerable literature on the Āprīs, both ancient and modern. Vide Tai. S. IV. 1. 8, Tai. Br. II. 6. 12 and 18 and Ait. Br. (Haug's tr. pp. 81–82), Max Muller's H. A. S. L. pp. 463–467.