History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c81.37

v6.c81.37

In several passages of the Ṛgveda phrases like 'tava vrate' occur. Whitney (p 409) stated that the phrase should rather mean 'in thy established or approved course, following thy lead or example', than 'under thy control or protection' or 'in thy service' as some scholars hold. Prof. Apte thinks that the translation of 'tava vrate' as 'abiding in thy ordinance' (by Macdonell) misses the point and avers that the proper meaning is 'dominion, authority, region or sphere' Some of the passages containing the words 'tava vrate' are Ṛg. VI 54. 9, IX. 102 5, X. 36 13, X. 57 6 In my opinion 'tava vrate' means 'while we abide by your ordinances'. In X. 36 13 the first half¹⁶ is a relative clause without a verb and we have to supply a form of the root 'as' (to be) or of 'bhū'. In some verses such a form of 'as' does occur with the words as in Ṛg. I 124 15¹⁷ Therefore wherever the words 'tava vrate' occur, we should generally understand that the meaning is 'while abiding by your ordinances'. This is further supported by the fact that there are passages where the word 'vrata' and other words like ‘sumati’ in the locative are used with the forms of the root ‘as’ to be or of verbs meaning to abide or dwell Vide Ṛg. I. 83 3 (‘vrate te kṣeti’, ‘abides in thy vrata’), II 27. 13 (‘ya ādityānām bhavati praṇītau’, ‘who is within or under the lead of Ādityas); X. 14. 6¹⁸ ‘may we be in the good will of them (the *pitṛṣ*) that deserve to have sacrifices offered to them and also in their beneficent grace’. Vide also Ṛg III 1. 21 and III 59 4, VI 47. 13, X. 131. 7 (tasya vayam sumatau ..syāma)