Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book IV/Hymn 25

25. Praise and prayer to Vāyu and Savitar.

[Mṛgāra.—(see h. 23). 3. atiçakvarīgarbhā jagatī; 7. pathyābṛhatī.]

Found in Pāipp. iv. (in the verse-order 1-3, 6, 5, 4, 7, and after our hymn 23). The Black Yajur-Veda texts (see under hymn 23) put their passages corresponding to our hymn 29 (to Mitra and Varuṇa) between those corresponding to our 24 and 25. For the use of the hymn as one of the mṛgāra hymns in Kāuç., see under hymn 23; the comm. further quotes it as employed by Nakṣ. K. 18, in a çānti ceremony named vāyavyā. The metrical irregularities are not worth the trouble of detailing.

Translated: Griffith, i. 166; Weber, xviii. 102.

1. Of Vāyu, of Savitar we reverence the counsels (vidátha): ye who enter and who defend what has life (ātmanvánt); ye who have become encompassers of the all—do ye free us from distress.

TS. and MS. read bibhṛtás (for viçáthas) and rákṣatas in b, and TS. babhūvátus in c; and both have ā́gasas in the refrain. MS. further combines yā́ āt- in b, and has tā́ no m- in the refrain. The comm. is uncertain as to the sense of vidátha. ⌊Geldner renders, "Wir gedenken des Bundes zwischen V. und S.," ZDMG. lii. 746: cf. Foy, KZ. xxxiv. 226.⌋ Doubtless it is a metrical consideration that causes the change from 3d to 2d person in the refrain of hymns 25, 26, and 28. ⌊Grammar and meter favor restoration of the older and longer form paribhúvā in c—see Lanman, JAOS. x. 413.⌋

2. Of whom are numbered the widths of the earth; by whom the welkin (rájas) is made fast (yup) in the atmosphere; whose progress no one soever has reached (anu-aç)—do ye free us from distress.

Ppp. has in a varimāṇi pārthivā, which improves the meter; also gusthitām for yupitam in b, and prayām for prāyam in c. Yupitám (perhaps 'smoothed out, spread uniformly' ⌊cf. Bloomfield AJP. xii. 418, 419⌋) the comm. explains by mūrchitaṁ sad dhāryate. The pada-text divides in c pra॰āyám, for which SPP., on the authority of only one of his mss., unaccountably substitutes pra॰ayám (a number of our mss. give instead -yán) ⌊cf. BR. v. 1635⌋.

3. In [conformity with] thy course (vratá) people (jána) go to rest; when thou art risen, they go forth, O thou of beauteous luster; ye, O Vāyu and Savitar, defend beings—do ye free us from distress.

Ppp. has yachatas for rakṣathas at end of c; the comm., with a couple of SPP's mss., reads rakṣatas; and he paraphrases it, without a word of remark, with pālayathas.

4. Away from here, O Vāyu and Savitar, drive (sidh) ye what is ill-done, away the demons and Çimidā; for ye unite (sam-sṛj) [men] with refreshment (ūrjā́), with strength—do ye free us from distress.

Nearly all the mss. read in c sṛjátha (instead of -thas). The comm., with two or three of SPP's mss., reads samidām (for çímidām) in his text in b, but explains samidhām (by saṁdīpāṁ kṛtyāṁ ca); itás in a he takes from root i, and paraphrases by gamayathas! Emendation in a to duṣkṛ́tam, 'evil-doer,' would be acceptable; the comm. takes it as accented (= asmadīyam pāpam).

5. Let Savitar and Vāyu engender (ā-sū) in my body (tanū́) wealth, prosperity, very propitious dexterity; do ye put here freedom from yákṣma, greatness; do ye free us from distress.

Tanū́ in b is translated as a locative because so regarded by the Prāt. (under i. 74), as it is also by the comm. (= tanvām, asmadīye çarīre); it might be nom. dual; or, yet better, it might be emended to tanūdakṣám. Ppp. reads aveyakṣmatāṁ suhasmāsu dhattam for c. The comm. paraphrases ā́ suvatām with prerayatām prayacchatām.

6. O Savitar, Vāyu, [give] forth favor in order to aid; ye cause to revel in the intoxicating jovial [soma]; hitherward from the height (pravát) confirm ye of what is pleasant (vāmá); do ye free us from distress.

The strong ellipses in the first half-verse are filled by the comm. in accordance with the translation. Ppp. reads in b mādayetām, and in c pravatā ni yachatas. The comm. makes pravátas (= prakarṣavatas) coördinate with vāmásya, qualifying dhanasya understood. ⌊Pischel, Ved. Stud. ii. 74, takes it as acc. pl. with vāmasya, 'streams of vāma,' and compares rāyó dhā́rā, vásvo arṇavá, etc.—Render the subjunctive in b by 'cause ye' etc.?⌋

7. The best blessings (āçís) have come unto us in the domain (dhā́man) of the two gods; I praise god Savitar and Vāyu: do ye free us from distress.

Ppp. combines to nā ”çiṣo in a. MS. reads āçíras for āçíṣas; for dhā́man in b it has dhármās, and TS. dhárme; for c, both give stāúmi vāyúṁ savitā́raṁ nāthitó johavīmi; and, as in vs. 1, MS. begins d with tā́, and both end it with ā́gasas.

The fifth anuvāka ends here in the middle of the mṛgāra group; it has 5 hymns and 35 verses; and the old Anukr. says aparāḥ pañca.