Page:The Religion of the Veda.djvu/221

 Hun.- “In-mm Man-um” - -———— ._.-.

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Religious Conceptions and Feeling 205

Speech, they can perform another service. They may furnish the devout mind, the inspiration that is behind the hymn. In fact the gods themselves per» form prayers, and fashion hymns: “ May the gods who perform mer (that is, prayer) furnish us their thrice~covering protection from evil! ”' “ Sing yo :1 era/mm given by the gods!” exhorts a poet of the house of Kanva.“ Prayer, or devotion, is so beautiful as to be imagined dressed out in glowing colors and bright garments: “ May God Agni lift up our devotion that hath glowing color!” or: “ May God Agni place on high our brightly adorned devo~ tion ! ” 3 Heaven and Earth, stable and orderly, guide the" sacriﬁce, aglow with shining hyn'rns.‘ll Prayers, personiﬁed, go by the path of the divine order to the gods Indra and Agni; they are the messengers be— tween the two worlds.” Hymnal beatiﬁcation of

prayer can scarcely reach higher than the follow- ing:

“Prayer born of yore in heaven, Eagerly chanted in the holy assembly, Delightfully dressed out in bright array, Ours is that fatherdnherited prayer of old I”

(Rig-Veda 3. 39.. 2.)

1 Rig-Veda 10.66. 5. 9 IBM, I. 37. 4; 8. 32. 7. tiara, I. I43. 7; I44. I. 4 ma, 4. 56. 2. 51.52%, 3. 12. 7 and I. I73. 3.