Note 86 — LETTURA QUINDICESIMA. BRAHMAN, SKAMBHA, BR'IHASPATI E BRAHMANASPATI.
Reading edition
Il dottor Muir ha raccolte le nozioni del Rigveda intorno agli attributi di Br'ihaspati e di Brahmanaspati, in un paragrafo del quinto volume dei Sanscrit Texts; credo opportuno il riprodurre l'intiero paragrafo, a persuadere lo studioso intorno alla loro duplice identità col Brahman creatore supremo e supremo penitente, e, in ispecie, con l'Indra tonante signore del cielo: «Brahmanaspati, or Br'ihaspati, appears to be described in VII, 97, 8, as the offspring of the two worlds, who magnified him by their power: whilst in II, 23, 17, he is said to have been generated by Tvashtr'i. He is called a priest X, 141, 3; is associated with the Rikvans or singers (VII, 10, 4; X, 14, 3; compare X, 36, 5; X, 64, 4); is denominated an Angirasa (IV, 40, 1; VI, 73, 1; X, 47, 6); is the generator, the utterer, the lord, the inspirer of prayer (I, 40, 5; II, 23, 1, 2; X, 98, 7), who by prayer accomplishes his designs (II, 24, 3), and mounting the shining and awful chariot of the ceremonial, proceeds to conquer the enemies of prayer and of the gods (II, 23, 3-8). He is the guide, patron and protector of the pious, who are saved by him with wealth and prosperity (Ib., 9). He is styled the father of the gods (II, 26, 3); is said to have blown forth the births of the gods like a blacksmith; to be possessed of all divine attributes, viçvadevya or viçvadeva (III, 62, 4; IV, 50, 6); bright, çuc'i (III, 62, 5; VII, 97, 7); pure, çundhyu (VII, 97, 7); omniforn, viçvarûpa (III, 62, 6); possessed of all desirable things, viçvavâra (VII, 10, 4; VII, 97, 4); to have a hundred wings, çatapatra (VII, 97, 7); to carry a golden spear, hiranyavaçi (ib.; compare II, 24, 8, where a bow and arrows are assigned to him); to be a devourer of enemies; vr'îtrakhâda (X, 65, 10; compare VI, 73, 3); a leader of armies along with Indra etc. (X, 103, 8) and armed with an iron axe, which Tvashtr'i sharpens (X, 53, 9); clearvoiced (VII, 97, 5); a prolonger of life (X, 100, 5); a remover of disease (I, 18, 2); opulent; an increaser of the means of subsistence (I, 18, 2). Plants are said to spring from him (X, 97, 15). He is said to have heard the cries of Trita who had been thrown into a well and was calling on the gods, and to have rescued him from his perilous position (I, 105, 7). He is further described as holding asunder the ends of the earth.»