The Secret Of The Veda Aurobindo - HolyBooks.com

The Conquest over the Dasyus 235
the Dasyus most elaborately described, these Dasyus, Panis and
Vritras, cannot possibly be human fighters, tribes or robbers. In
this hymn of Hiranyastupa Angirasa the first ten verses clearly
refer to the battle for the Cows and therefore to the Panis.
“Come, let us go seeking the cows to Indra; for it is he that
increases the thought in us; invincible is he and complete are
his felicities, he releases for us (separates from the darkness) the
supreme knowledge-vision of the luminous cows, gavā ˙m keta˙m
param āvarjate nah. . I fly to the unassailable giver of riches like a
bird to its beloved nest, bowing down to Indra with the supreme
words of light, to him to whom his affirmers must call in their
journey. He comes with all his armies and has fastened firmly
his quivers; he is the fighter (the Aryan) who brings the cows
to whomsoever he desires. O Indra who hast increased (by our
word), hold not back for thyself thy much delight, become not in
us the Pani, cos.kūyamān. obhūri vāma ˙m māpan. ir bhūr asmad
adhi pravr.ddha.” The last phrase is a striking one and in the
current interpretation its real force is avoided by rendering “do
not become a miser with regard to us.” But this is to ignore the
fact that the Panis are the withholders of the wealth who keep
it for themselves and give it neither to god nor man. The sense
obviously is “Having thy much wealth of the delight, do not be
a Pani, one who holds his possessions only for himself and keeps
them from man; do not hold the delight away from us in thy
superconscient as the Panis do in their subconscient secrecy.”
Then the hymn describes the Pani, the Dasyu and Indra’s
battle with him for the possession of earth and heaven. “Nay,
thou slayest with thy weapon the wealthy Dasyu, ranging alone
with thy powers that serve thee, O Indra; they on thy bow (the
powers as arrows) sped diversely in all directions and they who
keep possession and sacrifice not went unto their death. Their
heads were scattered far from them, they who do not sacrifice yet
strove with the sacrificers, when, O lord of the shining steeds, O
strong stander in heaven, thou didst cast out from Heaven and
Earth those who observe not the law of thy working (avratān).
They fought against the army of the blameless one; the Navagwas
set him on his march; like bullocks who fight against the