Of DadhikrAvan have I sung

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dadhikrAvNNo akArsham

jishNo: ashvasya vAjina: |

surabhi no mukhAkarat

praNa AyugmshitArishat ||

 

Dear bhAgavatas,

Here is a brief discussion of this mantra. I am sharing whatever I

found regarding this one.

 

Regards,

Kasturi Rangan .K

 

Occurance in Vedic texts:

"dadhikrAviNNo akArsham" occurs in Rig veda 4.39.6 and as far as I

know this is the oldest occurance. It reappears in Taittriya samhita

Khanda I, prapAThaka V, (i.5.11). It reappears in TS in Khanda VII,

prapAThaka IV (vii.4.19). It appears in Kautuma Samaveda (Book 4,

Chapter 2, Decade 2, mantra 7), and in Shaunaka atharva veda

20.137.4. It appears in maitrayaNIya yajus samhita 2.1.3, while

discussing the protocols for agni surabhimati rite. It again appears

in Shathapatha brAhmaNa during the discussion of ashvamedha (Book 14

I guess & similar to khanda 7 of TS).

 

Viniyogas:

Of course, yajur vedins who are regular performers of

sandhyavandanam know this mantra very well as marjana mantra.

Baudhayana calls this as surabhimati in his dharma sutra 2.4.7.xxx,

sutras dealing with sandhyavandanam. The translation of the

line "surabhi no mukhAkarat" - "make our mouths fragrant" could be

the reason for which this mantra is termed as surabhimati.

Interestingly all the viniyogas center around this more or less.

(You do marjanam, probably to purify your mouth before reciting

gAyatri).

 

I guess TS 1.5.11 is a discussion on darshapUrNamasau rite and the

mantra is for 'reverence of fire'. The khanda 7 is a discussion on

ashvamedha. Adhvaryu recites dadhikrAvan as an atonement for the

exchange of obscene dialogues with queen's maid. The discussion

is exactly same as the one in shathapatha brAhmaNa.

 

Atharva veda parishishTha takes the literal meaning :-) The viniyoga

is for dantyoshtana vidhi - rules for cleaning & brushing of teeth,

to be done before snAna. The atharva sUtras mention other viniyogas -

purifying soma and anointing before battle (a marked atharvanic

application).

 

I am not sure when Indra-Dadhikra saman is sung and I hazard a guess

that it is during jyothishToma.

 

MaitrayaNIya mentions the agni surabhimati rite, so as to get rid of

one's bad smell (bad reputation ?). Rathaprota dAlbhya was the

yajamana and the officiating priests were dvandva Kaulakaavatii. The

protocol for the rite is from maitrAyaNIya, "agnaye jAtavedase

aShTAkapAlaM nirvaped dadhikrAvNa ekAdashkapAlaM agnaye

vaishvAnaraya dvadasha kapAlaguM yaH sarva vedasI prathamaabhiShTiM

AlabhetA ..."

That is approximately translated as:

"Offer 8 potsherds ( clay disks with a cake on it) to agni

jAtavedas, 11 to dadhikravaN and 12 to agni vaishvAnara who knows

this all obtains foremost protection."

 

MaitrayaNIya rite talks of a bheShaji that makes you surabhi as in

the atharvan use of it. The yajushes repeatedly mention dadhikra

purifying you:

"tad dadhikrAvaivainaM pAvayati" and the offerings are made with the

dadhikrAvaNo akAriShaM mantra.

 

VaishNava spin:

VaishNavas claim that the presiding deity for this mantra is vAmana.

vAmana is supposedly a dadhi-priya. An alternate translation of the

first line is "I have praised the Lord who is attracted to the

curds". This seriously ignores the dadhikrA horse/trasadasyu legend

(the original context where dadhikrAviNNo akArsham" occurs.

Though, I have not traced the connection between this mantra and

vAmana, kAlika purANa (an upapurANa) devotes a chapter on dadhi-

vAmana. I haven't read it.

There is also a dadhi-vAmana saligrama discussion (most probably

from garuda purANa) - having bluish or reddish tinge, downward

chakra and spots like honey drops.

 

Translations:

"Of Dadhikravan have I sung,

The swift strong horse.

May he make our mouths fragrant;

May he lengthen our days."

 

- from Keith's translation of Taittriya Samhita

 

"I with my praise have glorified strong Dadhikravan,

conquering steed

Sweet may he make our mouths:

may he prolong the days we have to live!"

 

- from Griffith's translation of Samaveda