namaste everyone.
Let me give below the translations of the
dadhikrAvNNo mantra from three books written by our South Indian scholars (which books I happen to possess). The three books referred to here are:
BVK:
The Sandhyavandanam by B.V.Kamesvara Aiyar in English
http://ia341221.us.archive.org/2/items/sandhyavandanam00aiyagoog/sandhyavandanam00aiyagoog.pdf
KNS:
muvvedikaLin sandhyAvandanam by KaDalagkuDi Natesa SastrigaL
AVT:
sandhyAvandanam published by Sri Vidyatirtha Foundation, Sringeri
Although the last two are Tamizh books, I have given the translations in English.
mantra
दधिक्राव्ण्णो अकारिषं जिष्णोरश्वस्य वाजिनः ।
सुरभि नो मुखाकरत्प्रण आयुँषि तारिषत् ॥
dadhikrAvNNo akAriShaM jiShNorashvasya vAjinaH |
surabhi no mukhAkaratpraNa Ayu~MShi tAriShat ||
BVK's translation
dadhikrAvnaH--of the God DadhikrAvan,
jiShNoH--victorious,
ashvasya--vyApakasya--pervading (all),
vAjinaH--vegarataH--of great speed (understand stutim--praise),
akAriSham--I make, naH--our,
mukhA--mukhAni--mouths i.e. the eyes and other senses,
surabhi--surabhini--fragrant,
karat--karotu--may he make,
naH--our,
AyumShi--life,
pratAriShat--may he lengthen.
I sing the praise of God DadhikrAvan, who is victorious, all-pervading, and who moves with great speed. May he make our mouths (and the senses) fragrant, and may he prolong our lives!
1. dadhikrAvan--This God is often mentioned in the Veda and is the subject of sUktas 38,39,40 of the fourth maNDala of the Rig Veda and the 44th sUkta of the 7th maNDala of the same. He seems to be described in these places as a kind of divine horse. Sometimes he is considered as a creation of heaven and earth, sometimes of Mitra and VaruNa, and is invoked in the morning with Agni, UShas and the Ashvins. Sir Monier Williams would derive the word from dadhi--curd (which he takes to represent dew) and kri--to scatter, in allusion to the rising sun spreading dew and hoarfrost like milk.
SAyaNa regards DadhikrAvan as a form of Agni. He says in his commentary (on RV 4.39.2): "Agni in the form of horse is called dadhikra; the equine form of Agni has been declared in the brAhmaNa thus: Agni, becoming a horse, pursued them."
Haradatta says: "A certain deity who receives oblations or Agni as others have it." Narayana Yatindra takes the term to denote "Him who pervades the Universe--the Supreme Being."
2. Whether it be Agni or SUrya (and both are regarded only as different forms of the same Divine Energy) that is represented in this hymn as jiShnoH--victorious, in his fight with the powers of darkness, as ashvasya--illuminating the universe with his bright rays, and as vAjinaH--moving with great speed in his triumphant procession, he is an apt emblem of heaven's perpetual King who dispels our ignorance, illuminates our heart with divine wisdom and flies to our succour on the wings of grace.
KNS's translation
dadhikrAvNaH--dadhi--things like curd fit for the homas,
krAvNaH--one who gets them,
jiShNoH--one who has the winning nature (and is full of nobility),
ashvasya--all-pervading,
vAjinaH--one who has annam--food, or one who moves fast, who is agni,
akAriSham--I adore him.
saH--that agni,
naH--our,
mukhA--important senses such as janendriya and karmendriya,
surabhi--make them fragrant, that is, fit to absorb things meant for them,
karat--should make.
naH--our,
AyumShi--lifetime,
pratAriShat--should increase.
Commentary:
divAgnirAdityaM rAtrAvAdityastam--in daytime Agni reaches SUrya; in the night SUrya reaches Agni: thus, may the deva called Agni who has received the energy of SUrya and is favourably inclined towards night, be pleased with my adoration and make my karmendriyas and jnAnendriyas absorb their things without being harmed in anyway, and give me long life so I can experience the things for a long time.
AVT's translation
dadhikrAvNNa--deva who likes curd, or things to be done for Agnideva,
akAriSham--I have done the karma to him.
jiShno--one who is victorious,
ashvasya--and all-pervading,
vAjinaH--one who has annam--food,
(sa devaH)--'that deva' should be added.
naH--our
mukhA--face
surabhi karat--make fragrant (giving us things such as camphor).
naH--our
AyumShi--lifetime
pratAriShat--increase.
One who is victorious, all-pervading, has annam in him, to that deva called DadhikrAvA or to Agni deva, I have done the karma meant for. May that deva by giving things such as camphor make our face be fragrant. May he also increase our lifetime.
Explanation:
dadhi means curd, krAmati means 'he reaches'. So dadhikrAvA means 'one who likes curd'. It is the name of a deva. Here for the term the meaning Agni is given. In the mantra naH due to saMskRuta sandhi, in the place 'praNa' became 'Na'.
The 'vaiShNava spin' to consider the deity of this mantra as VAmana is commented upon here:
Ramanuja List Archive: Of DadhikrAvan have I sung
Thus, whoever is the deity referred to in the mantra, it is clear that the deity also manifests as SUrya and Agni, inasmuch as SUryadeva moves switfly across the sky on a chariot driven by horses and VAmana is only him as referred to in the story narrated in
shatapatha brAhmaNa 1.2.5.1.
