Bhawe S.S. The Soma-hymns of the Rgveda: a fresh interpretation. Part II (RV IX.16-50)

India, Baroda: Oriental Institute, 1960. — 152 p.In his introduction to this second volume of his translation of the Soma hymns, Dr. Bhawe states ‘ AS one goes ahead with the interpretation of the Veda, a feeling often comes that, though one may try to give as authentic a meaning of the word of the Veda as is possible to do by linguistic, philological and other means, one is possibly far away from the meaning actually intended by the Rsis...’. Dr. Bhawe's means of interpretation, in both volumes which have appeared, are mainly grammatical, i.e. by comparison of forms existing within the Veda itself. He invokes as authoritative precursors, in the main, Panini, Sayana, Grassmann, Luders, Hillebrandt, Oldenberg, and Geldner. disagreeing with the latter probably more than with any of the others quoted.»Since Geldner’s work is the most recent authority on Rgvedic translation, such disagreement is to be expected and gives Dr. Bhawe’s views a necessary independence. The chief value of the translations offered here lies in the notes attached to them, the result of considerable research, where all that is important in available evidence has been carefully weighed, e.g. in interpreting Rgveda 9.22.4-6…