Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book I/Hymn 9
9. For some one's advancement and success.
[Atharvan.—vasvādinānāmantroktadevatyam. trāiṣṭubham.]
Found also in Pāipp. i. Reckoned to the varcasya gaṇa (Kāuç. 13. 1, note), and further used in various ceremonies: by itself, in that of the restoration of a king (16. 27); with i. 35 and v. 28, in two ceremonies for fortune and for power (11. 19; 52. 20); with seven others, employed by a teacher at the reception of a Vedic student (55. 17). In Vāit. (3. 1), vs. 3 accompanies an oblation to Agni in the parvan-sacrifices. And the comm. quotes its use in the Nakṣ. Kalpa 17-19, in two mahçānti ceremonies called āirāvatī and bārhaspatī; and in Pariçiṣṭa 5. 3, in the puṣpābhiṣeka rite.
Translated: Weber, iv. 401; Ludwig, p. 456; Zimmer, p. 163; Griffith, i. 12; Bloomfield, 116, 239.
1. In this man let the Vasus maintain good things (vásu)—Indra, Pūshan, Varuṇa, Mitra, Agni; him let the Ādityas and also the All-gods maintain in superior light.
Ppp. substitutes tvaṣṭā for pūṣā in b, and uta me devā for uttarasmin in d. The Anukr. appears to sanction the metrical combination ādityo 'ta in c.
2.. At his direction (pradiç), O gods, be there light, sun, fire, or also gold; be his rivals (sapátna) inferior to him; to the highest firmament (nā́ka) make this man ascend.
The translation implies in c the obviously called-for emendation of asmát to asmāt; the comm. first explains it as asmadiyāt puruṣāt, and then, alternatively, as used for asmāt by Vedic shortening of the vowel. Ppp. begins with asmin devāḥ pradiçā; and its second half-verse is quite different: uttareṇa brahmaṇā vi bhāhi kṛṇvāno anyān adharān sapatnān (d = ii. 29. 3 d).
3. With what highest worship (bráhman), O Jātavedas, thou didst bring together draughts (páyas) for Indra, therewith, O Agni, do thou increase this man here; set him in supremacy (çrāíṣṭhya) over his fellows (sajātá).
Ppp. reads uttareṇa in b, and its d is rāyas poṣaṁ çrāiṣṭhyam ā dhehy asmāi. The verse is found also in TS. (iii. 5. 42), MS. (i. 4. 3), and K. (v. 6). Both TS. and MS. read havíṣā for bráhmanā in b, and agne tvám utá (for tvám agna ihá) in c; and MS. has -bharan in a, vardhayā mā́m in c, and mā for enam at the end; and it inserts mádhye before çrāíṣṭye in d.
4. I take to myself their sacrifice and splendor (várcas), their abundance of wealth and their intents (cittá), O Agni; be his rivals inferior to him; to the highest firmament make this man ascend.
The second half-verse is the same with 2 c, d above, and the translation makes the same emendation as there. Doubtless vittā́ni 'acquisitions' should be read for cittā́ni in b; the comm. glosses with buddhim. The text is defaced in Ppp.; but in d can be read uttama devā jyotiṣi dhatutama (?) ⌊meaning, presumably, dadhātana⌋.