Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book I/Hymn 26

26. For protection from the wrath of the gods.

[Brahman.—indrādibahudevatyam, gāyatram: 2. 3-p. sāmnĩ triṣṭubh; 4. pādanicṛt (2, 4. ekāvasāna)].

Found in Pāipp. xix., but vss. 3-4 elsewhere than 1-2. The hymn appears to be called (so schol. and the comm.) apanodanāni 'thrusters away' in Kāuç. (14. 14), and quoted and used as such in 25. 22 and (with iv. 33) in 42. 22; it is further applied (with 27 and vi. 3, 76) at the beginning of the svastyayana rites, on going to bed and getting up again (50. 4), and (with i. 13 and other hymns) in the rite of entrance on Vedic study (139. 8).

Translated: Weber, iv. 420; Griffith, i. 31.

1. Far be that from us—may [your] missile (hetí) be, O gods; far the bolt (áçman) which ye hurl.

The last pāda is identical with RV. i. 172. 2 c; the other two pādas (for which Ppp. has no variants) sound in part like a misunderstood echo of the RV. text: āré sā́ vaḥ sudānavo máruta ṛñjatī́ çáruḥ. For c Ppp. has āre mantām (or martām; for marutām?) açastiḥ. The comm. foolishly supplies an "O our enemies" in c; açmā he explains as yantrādivinirmuktaḥ pāṣāṇaḥ. The Anukr. ignores the defectiveness of b.

2. Be yon Rāti ('liberality') a companion (sákhi) for us; a companion [be] Indra, Bhaga, Savitar of wondrous favors.

Rātí stems to be made a personification here, as in iii. 8. 2 and vii. 17. 4 below; the comm. makes it equal to Mitra or Sūrya. Ppp. has a very different text: sakhe 'va no rātir astu sakhe 'ndras sakhā savitā: sakhā bhagas satyadharmā no 'stu; which is better as regards both sense and meter. The tripadā of the Anukr. is probably a misreading for dvipadā; the mss. agree with it in using no avasāna-sign in the verse, and SPP. very properly follows them; the pada-mss. mark a cesura after rātiḥ. The comm. makes citrarādhās = bahuvidhaṁ dhanaṁ yasya.

3. May ye, issue (nápāt) of the height, sun-skinned Maruts, yield us breadthful protection.

The mss. all read at the end sapráthās, and SPP. retains it in his text; the comm. has saprathas, in accordance with our emendation. ⌊Cf. Lanman, Noun-Inflection, p. 560.⌋ The comm. further has yacchāta in c.

4. Do ye advance [us], be gracious; be thou gracious to our selves (tanū́), show kindness (máyas) to our offspring (toká).

Ppp. fills up the deficiency of a, reading su mṛḍatā suṣúdatā mṛḍā no aghābhyaḥ stokāya tanve dā (perhaps defective at the end). The mss., supported by the Anukr., make no division of the verse before máyas, and SPP. follows them; the meter, however, is plainly gāyatrī. The name given by the Anukr. is not used by it elsewhere; it doubtless signifies, as in the VS. Anukr., 7 + 7 + 7 = 21 syllables, the resolution -bhi-as being refused in b and c.