Voluspa in Sanskrit

  

Voluspa

This is the Voluspa, a text from the Poetic Edda. Here a Volva, or a seeress that carries a staff, is explaining the history of the cosmos, from the creation of the universe to the birth of the gods and dwarves. She then goes on to tell the fate of the gods, or Ragnarok, and what shall happen after. 

Thanks to Konrad O. L. Rosenberg for providing the English for this translation. His translation is very comprehensive and faithful to the Old Norse. I know a smattering of Old Norse grammar, so I could follow along. I did make sure to check the dictionary to fine tune my Sanskrit translation. This translation is in prose, though I tried to alliterate here ad there for fun. I tried to keep faithful to the syntax and case endings of the original Old Norse though in some cases it is not possible. 

Names of people I have renderd directly into Old Norse. Names of races like Aesir, Vanir, Dwarves, Elves, etc I translated into Sanskrit. Names of places I sometimes translated into Sanskrit and sometimes transiliterated them.

One thing to note is that the Sun in Old Norse is feminine (and personified as a goddess), thus I used sūryā instead of sūryaḥ. The name sūryā is attested in the Vedic texts as the daughter of sūryaḥ.

I have small Sanskrit commentaries time to time under verses in bullet points. 

Translation

  1. śravaṇasya sarvān janān pavitrān pṛcchāmi heymdālasya mahanto’lpān putrān. icchasi yat pravadeyam, hatapitaḥ, samyak puṛākathāḥ (vārtāḥ) yāh agratas smarāmi?
  2. smarāmi prāg bhākṣāsurān ye mām puṣṭavantaḥ puṛā. nava lokān smarami nava īvidyāḥ, prakīrtitam mānavṛkṣam mṛd adhastāt.
  3. tatra varṣaḥ prācīno yatra yimir avasat. nāsīt sikatā na samudro na śītalormikāḥ. pṛthvīm na avindata kadāpi na uparisvargam. randhram āsīt śyenānām, na (tu)  kutrāpi tṛṇam 
  4. pūrvam burasya sūnavaḥ kedāram unninyuḥ ye madhyavāṭakam kīrtitam cakḷpire. sūryā vyarājad dakṣiṇāt śālāyāś śilānām upari. tadā āsīt bhūtalo vṛddho haritā tṛṇena.
      • sūryā iti bhāṇuḥ strīmūrtau. norskamate, ravir devī na devaḥ. 
  5. sūryā cikṣepa dakṣiṇāt sandrasya sahacarī, tasyāḥ dakṣiṇahastam svargaparidhim upari. sūryā na tad aved yatra sā śālāḥ akṣayata. candro na avet tam yam mahimānam akṣayata. stāro na tad avidan yatra te sadanāny akṣayanta. 
  6. tadā sarve nathāḥ vidhyāsanāni jagmuḥ. atipavitrāh devās tad abhi ca ajāgranta. naktāya tithībhyo nāmāni pradaduḥ. udayam madhyadinamś ca abhidadhur aparāhṇam sāyaṅkālamś ca saṁvatsarān nirdeṣṭum.  
  7. āsavās tay amilanta (parasparam) idavelle ye vēdīr mandirāṇi ca dārunā unniramān . kṛptūr vyadadhān, sampattim akalpanta, sandaṁśān prākalpanta upararaṇāni ca akurvan.  
  8. phalakyakrīḍanta prāṅgaṇe, kuśalāḥ āsan. tebhyo na vastūni hīnāni hiraṇyāt, tisraḥ kaṇyās turāsurya āgacchanta vilakṣaṇāḥ bhākṣagehebhya ity antikam. 
  9. tadā sarve nathāḥ vidhyāsanāni jagmuḥ. atipavitrāh devās tad abhi ca ajāgranta. ko vāmanānām parigraham kalpeta raktamayāt taraṅgān nīlebhyāmś ca pādbhyām?
  10. tatra āsīt modsognir uttamas sarvebhyo vāmanebhyaḥ, durinaś ca anyaḥ. bahūn mānavatulyān akurvan te. vāmanāḥ pṛthvyām iti (yathā) durina uvāca. 
  11. nīyir nidiś ca nordis sudriḥ, austrir vestrir, āltyovo dvalinaḥ, bīvuro bāvuro bomburo noriḥ, ano"naraḥ, āyir myodvitniḥ.
  12. Veygo gāndalvaś ca vindālvas trainaḥ, tekkas torinaś ca, traur vito litaś ca. nāḥ nīrādaḥ, regino rādsvidaś ca. atha vamanān samyag gaṇitavān.
  13. filiḥ kīliḥ fundino nāliḥ, heptir vīlir hannaras svīyuraḥ, frāḥ hornboriḥ frego loniś ca, aurvaṅgo yārir eykinskyāldiḥ
  14. viṣayo"sti vāmanān dvalinasya gaṇe guptābhyo jātībhyo lovarasya antikam prakathitum ye śālāyāś śilāyāḥ amārgan [anvaicchan] aurvaṅgānām sadanam yoruvallānām paryantam.
  15. tatra āsan draupnir dolgtrasiś ca, havo, haugsporir, hlevaṅgo, gloviḥ, skirvir, virvis, skāvida, āyiḥ, alva, yingviś ca, eykinskyaldiḥ, fyalaraḥ frostiś ca, finno ginnaraś ca. tat sadā upari syād yāvad āyur jīvati. 
      • syātpade bhaviṣyati iti api gamyate. "tat sadā upari" iti norskakāvyeṣu atiprācīnaḥ prayogaḥ. "tat sadā smṛtam bhaviṣyati" ity arthaḥ
  16. trayas tasmāj janād bahir ājagmur balavntaḥ prītāḥ āsavāḥ anugṛham ity antikam. dharaṇyām avindata alpaśakvanāv askam emblām udvidhihīnau (svakarmahīnau).  
  17. prāṇam na tāv akṣayatām, manyur na tayor āsīt, śilpam na śabdo na samīcīnaśobhāḥ. prāṇam dadāv odinaḥ, manyum dadau hūniḥ, śilpam dadau loduras samīcīnaśobhāḥ api. 
  18. askam veda aham, yiggdrāsilaḥ (iti) abhidhīyate. sa udagro yūpaḥ prokṣitaś śvetamṛttikayā. tataḥ āgacchanti te tuṣārāḥ ye droṇyām patanti. tiṣṭhati sadāharid urdāyāḥ kūpād upari. 
  19. tataḥ āgacchanti kaṇyāḥ bahujānantyas tisro tasyāḥ śālāyāḥ bahir yā bhadrakād adhas tiṣṭhati. ekām urdām (bhūtām) abhidadhati, anyām verdandīm (vartamānīm) skuldīm (bhaviṣyantīm) tṛtīyām. dāruphalake pralikhanti. tāḥ vidhīn vyadadhan, jīvitāny āvṛṇvan. viśām sutebhyo udvidhim ucuḥ. 
  20. prathamam gaṇakalaham gehe tam sā smarati yadā gollveygīm śalyair aśūlayan, śālāyāmś ca uttamasya tām adahan. trivāram adahan trivāraṁ sūtām aviralam bahuśo tathāpy eva sā jīvati. 
  21. heydīm (iti) abhidadhan sunirdeśikām daṇḍiṇīm yatra gṛhāntikam āgacchat. aindrajālikān ?vyāmohayat?. sā tantrākaroti yatra sā jānāti, mantritāni manāṁṣi tantrākaroti. sadā sā surabhir āsīt duṣṭavadhvāḥ. 
  22. tadā sarve nathāḥ vidhyāsanāni jagmuḥ. atipavitrāh devāḥ tad abhi ca ajāgranta. yadi vā asavāḥ balim saṁnayeyuḥ sarve vā devāḥ utsavam kṣayeyuḥ.
  23. odino’kṣipad gaṇe ca prāmuñcat. sa eva āsīd gaṇakalahaḥ prāg gehe. bhagnā āsīt phalakabhittir harmyasya āsavānām. kalahanirdeśikayā (yunnirdeśikayā) vānasāḥ kṣetrāṇi krāntum aśaknuvan.
  24. tadā sarve nathāḥ vidhyāsanāni jagmuḥ. atipavitrāh devāḥ tad abhi ca ajāgranta. ko’ntarikṣam sarvam droheṇa miśritavān, bhākṣakasya vā kulāya odasya (manyor) kaṇyām dattavān.    
  25. tora eva tatra ayodhat krodhena ārditaḥ. sa viralam sīdati yadā etādṛśam āpṛcchati (bodhati). nyagamyanta śapathāḥ, vākyāni, śapāś ca. vacāmṣi sarvāni mahimamayāṇi yāṇi madhye’gacchanta.
  26. sā veda heymdālasya śabdam guptam dyotahīnāt pavitrād yūpād adhaḥ. nadīm sā paśyati āsiktām kārdamena nirjhareṇa hatapater (hatapitur) upanyāsād. vida yūyam ito̍pi, kim vā?
  27. sā ekā asīdad bahis tadā yadā āgacchad asau vṛddhaḥ, āsavānām bhayakartā netrayoś ca alokata. "kasya mām pṛcchatha? kimartham mām vilobhayatha (?uddīpayatha?) ?" 
  28. tat sarvam veda aham, Odina, kutra cakṣur agupyaḥ. tasmin parsiddhe mimer kūpe. mimir madhu pibati pratyudayam hatapater (hatapitur) upanyāsād. vida yūyam ito’pi, kim vā?
  29. avṛṇot tasyai gaṇapitā aṅgulīyakam hāramś ca, samīkṣāmayīm vārtām alabhata nirdeshaindrajālakāmś ca. (sā) urv abhyuru (adhyuru) pratyekām āvṛttim upari apaśyat. 
  30. sā hatacetrīr durād āgatāḥ apaśyat, gotijātīnām antikam vāhayitum siddhāḥ. skulḍ ḍhālam adharat skogul ca anyad. gunnā, hildā gondul geyrskolgul ca, atha santi kathitāḥ mahilāḥ gaṇapasya. hatacetryo dharaṇīm voḍhum siddhāḥ.  
  31. apaśyam aham baldrasya raktamayabaler odinasutasya udvidhim āvṛtam. prātiṣṭhad kṣetrebhya uttaraḥ pravṛddhas tanuś śucitamo mistila-pallavaḥ.
  32. yas tanur dṛśyate tasmād vṛkṣād abhavat pramādakaram hiṁsoḍḍayanam. hodaḥ moktum ārabhata. bāldrasya bhrātā prāyaḥ prasūta āsīt. sa odinasya sunum ekanāktikam yoddhum arabhata.   
  33. yathāpi kadāpi na hastau śīrṣam mṛṣṭavān (kaṅkatayojanam) pūrvavat, citāv abharad bāldrasya pratikṣepakam (pratiśatrum). frigg tu fen-śālāyām prākrośac chokam hataśālāyāḥ. vida yūyam ito’pi, kim vā?
  34. sā baddhakam (bandinam) apaśyadd hveralundād adho niśāyinam drohotsukasya samānam loker nibham. tatra sīdati siginī na yathāpi suhlāditā svasmād vīrāt.  vida yūyam ito’pi, kim vā?
  35. nadī prācyāḥ patati viṣadroṇīnām upari. kṛpāṇebhyaḥ  khadgebhyaś ca sā slīdā (ity) abhidhīyate. 
  36. uttarataḥ pratiṣthati śyāmakṣetreṣu śālā svarṇāt sindreḥ kuslasya, anyā tu tiṣṭhaty okolnau [aśītale], bhākṣāsurasya yavīraśālā sa (sā) ca brimiḥ (ity) abhidhīyate.  
  37. śālām sā apaśyat sūryāyāḥ dūre śavataṭe, dvāram uttaram ālokate. viṣabindavaḥ patanti dhūmamārge tiraḥ, sā yā pariveṣṭitā śālā sarpānām kaśerūbhiḥ.
  38. tatra sā apaśyad gurau pravāhe taranto mānavānn asatyaśapanto hatyapātakinaś ca tamś ca yo"nyasya karṇajapīm mohayati. tatra acuṣan nīdhoggaḥ śavān pragātān. krūro vīrānn achinat. vida yūyam ito’pi, kim vā?
  39. prācīm nivasati sā vṛddhā yārnvide [lohavanasi] tatra ca fenrer bandhūn poṣati. bhavati sarvebhyas tebhya ekeṣām ko"pi [yam na veda aham] candrasya grahītā rākṣasasya ākṛtau.  
  40. pṛṇītay ojasā maraṇīyānām manuṣyānām. rajayati sadanāni nāthānam rohitair āsrgbhiḥ. śyāmāḥ bhavanti sūryāruco grīṣṃānn abhi param, vātās sarve durvṛttayaḥ. vida yūyam ito’pi, kim vā?
  41. tatra asīdat stūpe vīṇāmś ca aghaṭṭata guhyakyāḥ vṛṣṇipālaka eggtevo [dhārādāsaḥ] hlādī. araut tasmād upari gagḷvide [kalahamsavanasi] sa śucirudhiraḥ kukkuṭo yaḥ fjalaraḥ (ity) abhidhīyate.
  42. araud āsavebhya upari golliṅkambiḥ (svarṇakaṅkataḥ̱). sa vīrān bodhayati gaṇapitur agram. anyas tu prarauti pṛthvīn adho maṣirudhiraḥ kukkuṭo narakyāś śālāsu. 
  43. atha adhikam bhaṣati garmo gnipahellāt purā. bandhanam bhetsyate, frekiś ca dhaviṣyati. bahūṇi purāṇāni sā veda. dūrataram prapaśyāmi vijayadevānām balinam ragnarokam [nāthagatim] abhi.  
  44. bhrātaras samprahariṣyante, mṛtyūṣu ca sambhaviṣyante, svasrīyāḥ sambhandhān lepsyanti. kaṣṭam gṛhe, mahadveśyatvam, parśuyugam, khadgayugam, ḍhālāni vichidyante, vātayugam, krūrayugam. narayugam plavatay iti pūrvam na ko’pi mānuṣyaḥ itarebhyaḥ karuṇāyiṣyanti [itarān mṛḍiṣyanti]. 
  45. mimes sūnavaḥ krīḍanti, mānavṛkṣaś ca samidhyate tasmin ravaṇe viravaśṛṅge. uccair dhamati heymdalaḥ, śṛṅgam asty antarikṣe. odino bravīti mimeś śirasā. yiggdrasilasya askaḥ [vṛkṣaḥ] kampate tiṣṭhan, sa vrddho vṛkṣaḥ krośati bhākṣakaś ca pramucyate. 
  46. kim asty āsavaiḥ? kim asty ṛbhukaiḥ? sarvo bhākṣkaloko garjati, āsavās samitau santi. śilādvārebhyaḥ purā vāmanāḥ kūjanti bhittigirer [prapātasya] nāyakāḥ.  vida yūyam ito’pi, kim vā?
  47. atha adhikam bhaṣati garmo gnipahellāt purā. bandhanam bhetsyate, frekiś ca dhaviṣyati. bahūṇi purāṇāni sā veda. dūrataram prapaśyāmi vijayadevānām balinam ragnarokam [nāthagatim] abhi.  
  48. hrimir vāhayati (cālayati) prācyāḥ dhānvanam uddharate puraḥ. yormuṅgando vivartate bhākṣakakrodhe. sarpo nudaty ūrmikāḥ garuḍa utkrośati. pāṇḍuracañcuś śavāmś chinatti, nagḷvaraḥ [nakhayānaḥ] vimucyate. 
  49. prācyās tāraṇir gacchati, āgamiṣyanti mūspellasya narāḥ nīradhim upari, lokiś ca vahate [nayati].  mūrkhayuvakās sae gacchanti frekinā. tair asti gatyām bhrātā bileystasya.  
  50. dakṣiṇād gacchati surtaś śalakāyāḥ drohakena. virājati khadgād sūryā hatadevānām. śarkarabhrgavas saṅghaṭṭante, ugrāś ca sañcaranti. pumāṁsaḥ prakrāmati narakamārgam dyauś ca vichidyate.
  51. tadā āyāti hlīnyāḥ anyā bādhā agrato yadā odino vṛkena saṁhantum [yoddhum] gacchati. belyās tu [rāviṇyāḥ] mṛytus surtād adhi [agrataḥ] viśadaḥ. tadā friggyāḥ priyaḥ patiṣyati. 
  52. tadā āyāti sa yuvako mahān vijayapituḥ, vīdaro hatamṛgād adhi [agre] saṁhantum. hvedrungasya [ravituḥ] yuvake hastam anumanyate niṣṭhāpitum khadgam hrdo"ntikam. tadāsti pitā pratīkṛtaḥ.
  53. tadā āyāti sa yuvako prasiddho hlodinyāḥ, nava padāni vigacchati fyorginyās sutaś śrānto bhujaṇgād nindāyāḥ abhīror. sarve narāḥ gṛhasthāni rekṣyante yadā madhyavāṭakasya veyuraḥ [mandirapaḥ] krodhān nihanti.  
  54. suryā kṛṣṇībhavitum bhajate, mīre plavate pṛthvī, nivartate svargāt stāraś śubhrās te. dhūmaḥ pravahate āyuṣapoṣiṇā [agninā] uccam tapo līḍhe svargena svayam.
  55. atha adhikam bhaṣati garmo gnipahellāt purā. bandhanam bhetsyate, frekiś ca dhaviṣyati. bahūṇi purāṇāni sā veda. dūrataram prapaśyāmi vijayadevānām balinam ragnarokam [nāthagatim] abhi. 
  56. sā paśyati vāre"nyasmin dharaṇīm udāgacchantīm bahis sāgarān nityaharitām. nirjharāḥ patanti, upary uḍḍayate garuḍo"sau yaś śaile mastyam mṛgayati.  
  57. āsavās saṁvindantay idavelle, kṣitiveṣṭanam ca balavantam adhi nirṇayante, tatra ca mahānirṇayānn adhi manyante , prācīnāni ca bṛhaddevasya rahasyāny adhi. (lipiḥ) 
  58. tatra param upapadyeran tṛṇe vismayamayāṇi hiraṇyamayāṇi keliphalakāni yāṇi kṣitāni purādineṣv āsann āsavānām. 
  59. kṣi-dhātor aiśvaryam ity arthaḥ
  60. anuptāni kṣetrāṇi vardhiṣyanti. sādhyeyur vipadas sarsvasyāḥ,  balda āgamiṣyati. hodo baldaś ca nivasato hroptasya sthalāni. sādhu, hatadevāḥ,  vida yūyam ito’pi, kim vā?
  61. tadā hronir bhāgadāru udvartum śaknoti, dvayoś ca bhrātros sutāḥ nivasanti vāyulokam urum. vida yūyam ito’pi, kim vā?
  62. śālām paśyati sā pratiṣṭhantīm sūryāyās sucitarām svarṇena kuṭaṅkīkṛtam upalāśrame. tatra nivaseyur viś śraddhinī, āyurdināni ca abhy ānande nandeyuh.
    • norskānām giri "gimle" iti, saṁskṛte"nulekhane "gimleyaḥ" athavā "gimiliḥ" iti.
    • āyurdināny abhi iti vākye āyurmatsu dineṣv iti.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Country Names in Sanskrit

 Country Names in Sanskrit If foreign liturature is to be translated into Sanskrit, I think we should have a standard set of Sanskrit names for the various countries around the world. The idea is to be less reliant on direct English loans. Hence the way I will coin names will be complicated. Sometimes a country already has a Sanskrit name because of Indian contact with the region. For example Nepal. Other times, we just add the the Sanksrit word for "country" to the name of the people living there. So for example, Turkey is "Country of Turks". We have Sanskrit attestations of names for Persians, Arabs, and Turks ( pArasika , Arava , turuSka ).  The SpokenSanskrit Dictionary has coined some of the country names using the previous conventions. It curiously also uses the Sanskrit word " sthAnam " for countries ending in "-stan" like Pakistan. The "stan" ending is from Persian meaning "place" and is actually cognate with Sanskrit ...
Read more

Hymiskvida in Sanskrit

 Himiskvida in Sanskrit The Hymiskvida is a poem found in the Poetic Edda , and that too in the Codex Regius . In this poem, Thor and Tyr go on a quest to Hymir's relms to fetch a cauldron. Along the way, Thor and Hymir go fishing and Thor accidently brings up the Midgard Serpent (Jormungandr), whom he then beats down. Later Hymir and Thor take the cauldron, but Hymir's army follow them. Thor beats the army, and the two gods take the cauldron back to the gods.   The Sanskrit word I used for "cauldron" is " कटाह ". Egil is " एगिलः ". Hymir is " हिमिः ". The transltion can be found here: https://www.voluspa.org/literal/hymiskvida.htm Hymiskvida in Sanskrit  1) पुरा हतवीरदेवाः मृगयां भोजनम् च सम्भूय चक्रुः। तृप्ताः भवमानाः पूर्वम् यष्टिकाः चिक्षेपुः। हुतरक्तम् च परियेक्षुः। एगेर अग्रे सर्वाणि प्रावधानानि लेभुः।  2) भृगुवासी उपविवेश बालकतुष्टः सिषुः मिस्कोर्ब्लिन्दस्य इव नितान्तम्। यिग्गस्य सुतः तस्य नयने ददर्श काङ्क्षे। “बहुवारं कारयेः भोजनम...
Read more

How to Sanskritze Norse Names

 Sanskritize Old Norse Names If we are going to translate Old Norse literature into Sanskrit, we have to figureout how to render the names, like Thor or Odin, into Sanskrit. The way I do this is by swapping out the Norse case endings with a Sanskrit one. Sometimes I might translate the  names completely or in part. Often times I will look at the etymology.  When it comes to phonology, Old Norse has the "f" sound, which Sanskrit doesn't have. I could use the "ph" sound, but I have decided to be a bit unorthodox and improt the "f" sound into Sanskrit by writing a nuqta  under the " फ​ ", i.e. " फ़".    Names of Races  Names of races and will be translated, not loaned into Sanskrit.  Aesir The Aesir are one class of gods, the other being the Vanir. It is in this group that gods like Odin and Thor belong to. Long ago the Aesir and Vanir gods were at war, but eveentually they made peace.  The word Aesir is the plural form of the word Old...
Read more