| Mirror: http://tinyurl.com/h778h3s This monograph argues that त्वष्टृ Tvaṣṭṛ 'the heavenly builder' is a Divinity who is a Meluhha because he mispronounces the expression: इन्द्र-शत्रु indraśatru. Meluhha is cognate mleccha. Mleccha were island-dwellers (attested in Mahabharata and other ancientIndian sprachbund texts). Their speech did not conform to the rules of grammar (mlecchāḥ mā bhūma iti adhyeyam vyākaraṇam) and had dialectical variants or unrefined sounds in words (mlecchitavai na apabhāṣitavai) (Patañjali: Mahābhāṣya). Patañjali also refers to a specific instance of mispronunciation of the expression इन्द्र-शत्रु indraśatru which occurs in RV 1.32.6 with semantics, 'Indra's foe'.  RV 1.32.6 He, like a mad weak warrior, challenged Indra, the great impetuous manyslaying- Hero. He, brooking not the clashing of the weapons, crushed, Indras' foe, the shattered forts in falling. त्वष्टिः f. Carpentry. -m. N. of a mixed tribe (?). त्वष्टृ [p= 464,1] m. a carpenter , maker of carriages (= त्/अष्टृ) AV. xii , 3 , 33; "creator of living beings " , the heavenly builder , N. of a god (called सु-क्/ऋत् , -पाण्/इ , -ग्/अभस्ति , -ज्/अनिमन् , स्व्-/अपस् , अप्/असाम्अप्/अस्तम , विश्व्/अ-रूप &c RV. ; maker of divine implements , esp. of इन्द्र's thunderbolt and teacher of the ऋभुs i , iv-vi , x Hariv. 12146 f. R. ii , 91 , 12 ; former of the bodies of men and animals , hence called " firstborn " and invoked for the sake of offspring , esp. in the आप्री hymns RV. AV. &c MBh. iv , 1178 Hariv. 587 ff. Ragh. vi , 32 ; associated with the similar deities धातृ , सवितृ , प्रजा-पति , पूषन् , and surrounded by divine females [ग्न्/आस् , जन्/अयस् , देव्/आनाम्प्/अत्नीस् ; cf. त्व्/अष्टा-व्/अरूत्री] recipients of his generative energy RV. S3Br. i Ka1tyS3r. iii ; supposed author of RV. x , 184 with the epithet गर्भ-पति RAnukr. ; father of सरण्यू [सु-रेणु Hariv. ; स्व-रेणु L. ] whose double twin-children by विवस्वत् [or वायु ? RV. viii , 26 , 21 f.] are यमयमी and the अश्विन्s x , 17 , 1 f. Nir. xii , 10 Br2ih. Hariv. 545 ff. VP. ; also father of त्रि-शिरस् or विश्वरूप ib. ; overpowered by इन्द्र who recovers the सोम [ RV. iii f. ] concealed by him because इन्द्र had killed his son विश्व-रूप TS. ii S3Br. i , v , xii ; regent of the नक्षत्र चित्रा TBr. S3a1n3khGr2. S3a1ntik. VarBr2S. iic , 4 ; of the 5th cycle of Jupiter viii , 23 ; of an eclipse iii , 6 ; त्वष्टुर्आतिथ्य N. of a सामन् A1rshBr. )"Tvashta", who was not well disposed towards Indra, for some reason wanted a son capable of killing Indra. So he performed a Homa [fire-sacrifice] chanting a mantra:'Indrassatrur vardhasva' . As a result of an error in pronunciation , the meaning got topsyturvy and the result was just contrary to what "Tvashta" wanted. His son was killed by Indra. |
You must not go wrong either in the enunciation or intonation of a mantra. If you do, not only will you not gain the expected benefits from it, the result might well be contrary to what is intended. So the mantras must be chanted with the utmost care. There is a story told in the Taittiriya Samhita (2.4.12) to underline this. Tvasta wanted to take revenge on Indra for some reason and conducted a sacrifice to beget a son who would slay Indra. When he chanted his mantra, "Indrasatrur varddhasva ", he went wrong in the intonation. He should have voiced "Indra" without raising or lowering the syllables in it and he should have raised the syllables "tru" and "rddha"(that is the two syllables are "udata"). Had he done so the mantra would have meant, "May Tvasta's son grow to be the slayer of Indra". He raised the "dra" in Indra, intoned "satru" as a falling svara and lowered the "rddha" in "varddhasva". So the mantra meant now: "May Indra grow to be the killer of this son (of mine)". The words of the mantra were not changed but, because of the erratic intonation, the result produced was the opposite of what was desired. The father himself thus became the cause of his son's death at the hands of Indra. The gist of this story is contained in this verse which cautions us against erroneous intonation. Mantrohinah svarato varnato va Mithya prayukto na tamarthamaha Sa vagvajro yajamanam hinasti Yathendrasatruh svarato' paradhat What was the weapon with which Tvasta’s son was killed? Not Indra's thunderbolt but the father's wrongly chanted mantra. Tvasta wanted to take revenge on Indra for some reason and conducted a sacrifice to beget a son who would slay Indra. When he chanted his mantra,"Indrasatrur varddhasva. . ", he went wrong in the intonation. He should have voiced "Indra" without raising or lowering the syllables in it and he should have raised the syllables "tru" and "rddha"(that is the two syllables are "udata"). Had he done so the mantra would have meant, "May Tvasta's son grow to be the slayer of Indra". He raised the "dra" in Indra, intoned "satru" as a falling svara and lowered the "rddha" in "varddhasva". So the mantra meant now: "May Indra grow to be the killer of this son (of mine)". The words of the mantra were not changed but, because of the erratic intonation, the result produced was the opposite of what was desired. The father himself thus became the cause of his son's death at the hands of Indra. The gist of this story is contained in this verse which cautions us against erroneous intonation. If the mantra differs by intonation, letter or another way while chanting, that mantra will become VajrAyudham(thunderbolt) and torment the YajamAnan(performer of sacrifice) who chants the mantra, just as the wrong recital of the 'indrashatru' phrase did. What was the weapon with which Tvasta 's son was killed? Not Indra's thunderbolt but the father's wrongly chanted mantra. Taittiriya Samhita 2.4.12Vritra enveloped these worlds. Indra feared him. Tvastri dipped his bolt for him; the bolt was fervour; he could not restrain it. Vritra is the belly; hunger is man's enemy; he who knows this, slays the enemy hunger. Keith, Arthur Berriedale, tr: The Veda of the Black Yajus School: Entitled Taittiriya Sanhita. Vols. 1 and 2. Cambridge MA: The Harvard University Press, 1914. ii. 4. 12.Tvastr, his son slain, offered Soma excluding Indra.Indra desired an invitation to the rite, but he did not invite him, (saying), Thou hast slain my son. He made a disturbance of the sacrifice, and forcibly drank the Soma. The remains of it Tvastr cast upon the Ahavaniya (fire), saying, Hail! wax great, Indra s foe. While (the fire) was flaming upwards to strike, just then of itself it stayed; whether so much was before [1], or so much was over the fire, be sprang up alive and came into union with Agni and Soma. He grew on all sides an arrow(shot), he enveloped these worlds. Because he enveloped these worlds, therefore is Vrtra, Vrtra. Indra feared him, and Tvastr too; Tvastr dipped his bolt for him; the bolt was fervour; he could not restrain it. Visnu [2] was another god; he said, Visnu, come hither; we will grasp that by which he is this world. Visnu deposited himself in three places, a third on the earth, a third in the atmosphere, a third in the sky, for he was afraid of his growth. By means of the third on earth Indra raised his bolt, aided by Visnu. He said, Hurl it not at me; there is this [3] strength in me; I will give it to you. He gave it to him, he accepted it, and (saying), Thou didst further me gave it to Visnu. Visnu accepted it (saying), Let Indra place power (indriya) in us. By means of the third in the atmosphere Indra raised his bolt, aided by Visnu. He said, Hurl it not at me; there is this [4] strength in me; I will give it to you. He gav it to him; he accepted it, and (saying), Twice hast thou furthered me gave it to Visnu. Visnu accepted it (saying), Let Indra place power in us. By means of the third in the sky Indra raised his bolt, aided by Visnu. He said, Hurl it not at me; I will give to thee that by which I [5] am this world! He said, Yes. (He replied), Let us make a compact; let me enter thee. If thou dost enter me, in what way wilt thou enjoy me? I will kindle thee; I will enter thee for thine enjoyment he answered. Vrtra entered him. Vrtra is the belly; hunger is man s enemy; he who [6] knows this slays the enemy hunger. He gave it to him; he accepted it, and (saying), Thrice hast thou furthered me gave it to Visnu. Visnu accepted it (saying), Let Indra place power in us. In that thrice he gave and thrice he accepted, that is the reason of the threefold character of the threefold. In that Visnu aided him and he gave (it) to Visnu, therefore the offering belongs to Indra and Visnu. Whatever there is here he gave to him, the Rcas, the Samans, the Yajuses. A thousand he gave to him; therefore there are a thousand gifts. On “Indrasatrur varddhasva” as faulty utterance, Patañjali's Mahābhāshya pradIpa for paspaśāhnika says it is "indrashatrurvardhasva". The tippaNI says its in Śatapatha 1/6/3.
indrḥ इन्द्रः [इन्द्-रन्; इन्दतीति इन्द्रः; इदि ऐश्वर्ये Malli.] 1 The lord of gods. -शत्रुः 1 an enemy or destroyer of Indra (when the accent is on the last syllable), an epithet of प्रह्लाद; इन्द्रशत्रो विवर्धस्व मा चिरं जहि विद्विषम् Bhāg.6.9.12. बलिप्रदिष्टां श्रियमाददानं त्रैविक्रमं पादमिवेन्द्रशत्रुः R.7.35. -2 [इन्द्रः शत्रुः यस्य] one whose enemy is Indra, an epithet of वृत्र (when the accent is on the first syllable). (This refers to a legend in the Śat. Br., where it is said that Vṛitra's father intended his son to become the destroyer of Indra, and asked him to say इन्द्रशत्रुर्वधस्व &c. but who, through mistake, accented the word on the first syllable, and was killed by Indra; cf. Śikṣā.52; मन्त्रो हीनः स्वरतो वर्णतो वा मिथ्याप्रयुक्तो न तमर्थमाह । स वाग्वज्रो यजमानं हिनस्ति यथेन्द्रशत्रुः स्वरतो$पराधात् ॥ (Apte, p. 386) इन्द्र--शत्रु [p= 167,1] mfn. (/इन्द्र°) one whose enemy or conqueror is इन्द्र , conquered by इन्द्र RV. i , 32 , 6 TS. S3Br.; m. " इन्द्र's enemy (in this sense the accent is इन्द्र-शत्र्/उ cf. Introd. p. xviii)" , N. of प्रह्लाद Ragh. vii , 32 BhP. vi , 9 , 11 (with both the meanings) (Monier-Williams).https://www.mail-archive.com/sanskrit@cs.utah.edu/msg00348.htmlA quote from H.H. Hock (Hans Henrich Hock, A critical examination of some early Sanskrit, in: Bela Brogyanyi, Reiner Lipp, 1993, Comparative-historical Linguistics: Indo-European and Finno-Ugric, John Benjamins Publishing, p.222). Note that Hock correctly notes that त्वष्टृ Tvaṣṭṛ who mispronounces, is a Divnity -- deva -- and not an Asura:  Excerpts from Eggeling's translation of SBr. 1.6.3:THIRD BRÂHMANA. 1:6:3:1 1. Tvashtri had a three-headed, six-eyed son. He had three mouths; and because he was thus shaped, his name was Visvarûpa ('All-shape'). 1:6:3:2 2. One of his mouths was Soma-drinking, one spirit-drinking, and one for other kinds of food. Indra hated him and cut off those heads of his. 1:6:3:3 3. Now from the one which was Soma-drinking, a hazel-cock (francoline partridge) sprang forth; whence the latter is of brownish colour, for king Soma is brown. 1:6:3:4 4. From the one which was spirit-drinking, further, a sparrow sprang; whence the latter talks as if stammering, for he who has drunk spirits, talks as if he stammered. 1:6:3:5 5. Then from the one which served for other kinds of food, a partridge sprang; whence the latter is much variegated in colour: on its wings, namely, butter-drops, as it were, have dropped in one place and honey- (or mead-) drops in another, for suchlike, as it were, was the food which he consumed with that (mouth). 1:6:3:6 6. Tvashtri was furious: 'Has he indeed slain my son?' he exclaimed. He brought Soma-juice from which Indra was excluded; and just as the Soma-juice on being produced had Indra excluded from it (apendra), so it remained (when it was offered up). 1:6:3:7 7. Indra thought with himself, 'They are now excluding me from Soma!' and though uninvited, he consumed what pure (Soma) there was in the tub, even as the stronger (consumes) that of a weaker. That (Soma) however, injured him; it flowed in all directions from (the openings of) his vital airs; from his mouth alone it did not flow, but from all the other (openings of the) vital airs it flowed; hence (was instituted) at that time the ishti, called Sautrâmanî: on the occasion of that (ceremony) it is explained how the gods healed him 1. 1:6:3:8 8. Tvashtri was furious, and exclaimed, 'Has he indeed consumed my Soma uninvited?' However, he himself desecrated the sacrifice, for what pure (Soma) there was left in the tub he let flow (into the fire), saying, 'Grow thou, having Indra for thy foe 2!' The moment it reached the fire, it developed (into human shape), or, as some say, it so developed whilst on its way (to the fire). It became possessed of 1 Agni and Soma, of all sciences, all glory, all nourishment, all prosperity. 1:6:3:9 9. And since it so developed whilst rolling onwards (vrit), it became Vritra; and since he sprang forth footless, therefore he was a serpent. Danu and Danâyû received him like mother and father 2, whence they call him Dânava. 1:6:3:10 10. And because he (Tvashtri) said, 'Grow thou, having Indra for thy foe!' therefore Indra slew him (Vritra). Had he said, 'Grow thou, the foe (slayer) of Indra!' he (Vritra) would certainly have forthwith slain Indra. 1:6:3:11 11. And because he (Tvashtri) said, 'Grow thou!' therefore he (Vritra) grew an arrow's range sideways and an arrow's range forward: he forced back both the western ocean and the eastern one; and in proportion as he extended did he devour the food. 1:6:3:12 12. In the fore-noon the gods offered him food, at mid-day the men, and in the after-noon the Fathers. 1:6:3:1313. Now while Indra was thus moving on (in pursuit of Vritra), he addressed Agni and Soma, 'Ye belong to me and I belong to you! That one is nothing to you: why then do ye support that Dasyu against me? Come over to me!' 1:6:3:14 14. They replied, 'What is to be our reward in that case?' He offered them that Agni-Soma cake on eleven potsherds: this is the reason why there is a cake on eleven potsherds for Agni and Soma. 1:6:3:15 15. They went over to him, and after them went forth 1 all the gods, all the sciences, all glory, all nourishment, all prosperity: thus by offering that (cake to Agni and Soma) Indra became what Indra now is. Such then is the significance of the full-moon offering; and he who, knowing this, performs the full-moon offering in this wise, attains to the same state of prosperity, becomes thus endowed with glory, becomes such a consumer of food (as Vritra). 1:6:3:16 16. Now Vritra, on being struck, lay contracted like a leather bottle drained of its contents, like a skin bag with the barley-meal shaken out. Indra rushed at him, meaning to slay him. 1:6:3:17 17. He said, 'Do not hurl (thy thunderbolt) at me! thou art now what I (was before) Only cut me in twain; but do not let me be annihilated!' He (Indra) said, 'Thou shalt be my food!' He replied, 'So be it!' He accordingly cut him in twain; and from that (part) of his which was of the Soma nature 2, he made the moon, and that which was demoniacal (asurya) he made enter these creatures as their belly; hence people say 3: 'Vritra was then a consumer of food, and Vritra is so now.' For even now, whenever that one (the moon) waxes fuller, it fills itself out of this world 4; and whenever these creatures crave for food, they pay tribute to this Vritra, the belly. Whosoever knows that Vritra as a consumer of food, becomes himself a consumer of food. http://sacred-texts.com/hin/sbr/sbe12/sbe1228.htmS. KalyanaramanSarasvati Research CenterJanuary 22, 2017 |
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त्वष्टृ Tvaṣṭṛ 'the heavenly builder' should have been a Divinity Meluhha, he mispronounces इन्द्र-शत्रु indraśatru
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