Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book V/Hymn 12

12. Āprī-hymn: to various divinities.

[An̄giras.—ekādaçarcam. trāiṣṭubham, jātavedasam. 3. pan̄kti.]

This is a RV. hymn (x. 110), and found also in VS. (xxix. 25-6, 28-36), MS. (iv. 13. 3, 5), and TB. (iii. 6. 3), with almost no variants from the RV. text. Pāipp. does not contain it. Kāuç. applies it (45. 8: but the pratīka, simply samiddhas, might designate any one of several other verses in the text) in the vaçāçamana ceremony, to accompany the offering of the omentum; and in the parvan sacrifices (2. 36) occurs a pāda resembling 2 b. In Vāit. (10. 11: the pratīka is unambiguous) it goes with the prayāja offerings in the paçubandha

Translated: by the RV. translators; and Griffith, i. 205; Weber, xviii. 207.—See Weber's general remarks; and compare hymn 27, below.

1. Kindled this day in the home of man (mánus), thou, a god, O Jātavedas, dost sacrifice to the gods; and do thou bring [them], understanding it, O thou of friendly might; thou art a forethoughtful messenger, poet.

The only variant in this verse is that MS. omits the peculiar and problematic accent of váha in c.

2. O Tanūnapāt (son of thyself?), do thou, anointing with honey (mádhu) the roads that go to righteousness (ṛtá), sweeten them, O well-tongued one; prospering (ṛdh) with prayers (did) the devotions (mánman) and the sacrifice, put (kṛ) thou also among the gods our service (adhvará).

The mss. accent, without assignable reason, svadáyā in b, but the edition emends to svadayā, in agreement with the other texts.

The three Yajus-texts insert between this verse and the next an alternative invocation to Narāçaṅsa (RV. vii. 2. 2).

3. Making oblation do thou, O Agni, to be praised and to be greeted, come in accord with the Vasus. Thou art invoker (hótṛ) of the gods, O youthful one (? yahvá); do thou, sent forth, skilled sacrificer (yájīyaṅs), sacrifice to them.

Ajúhvāna in a is perhaps to be understood as passive (= ā́huta), 'receiving oblation.' There are no variants. The Anukr. absurdly calls this verse a pan̄kti, because, by omitting resolutions of semivowels etc., it is capable of being read as 40 syllables. The Anukr's of RV. and VS. both reckon it as triṣṭubh.

4. The forward barhís, through the fore-region of the earth, is wreathed on this dawn (vástu), at the beginning (ágra) of the days; it spreads out abroad more widely, pleasant to the gods, to Aditi.

'Forward' and 'fore-region,' i.e. 'eastward' and 'east.' All our mss. read vṛjyase in b, but the edition makes the necessary emendation to -te, in accordance with the four other texts, and the translation given implies -te.

5. Expansive let them open (vi-çri) widely, like wives adorned for their husbands; ye great, divine, all-furthering doors, be ye favorable to the advance of the gods.

Our pada-text divides the last word as su-prāyanā́ḥ, while the RV. pada has supra-ayanā́ḥ; the meter appears to indicate that suprayāṇā́ḥ is the true original reading.

6. Let Dawn and Night, dripping (? suṣvay-), worshipful, close, sit down here in the lair (yóni)—the two heavenly, great, well-shining women, putting on beauty (çrī́) with bright adornment.

The other texts differ from ours only by accenting úpāke. ⌊The comment to Prāt, ii. 91 cites suṣvay as a case of reduplication; and BR. vii. 1142 connect it with su 'impel.' But see Weber.—He renders ā́ by 'Heran.'⌋

7. The (two) invokers of the gods, first, well-voiced, shaping (mā) the sacrifice for man (mánus) to sacrifice, urging forward at the councils (vidátha) the (two) singers (kārú), pointing out forward light through the fore-region.

There are no variants. ⌊Griffith, after Mahīdhara, takes the "light" as the āhavanīya fire.⌋

8. Unto our sacrifice let Bhāratī come quickly, let Iḍā, taking note here in human fashion; let the three goddesses, well-working, sit upon this pleasant barhís—[also] Sarasvatī.

The translation implies in d the reading sárasvatī, given by RV.VS.MS.; TB. ⌊both ed's, Bibl. Ind. and Poona⌋ supports AV. in reading -tīḥ, which, however, can hardly be anything but a blunder. The four other texts have at the end sadantu. All our mss. have manuṣyát in b ⌊and so have all SPP's authorities⌋, and this form is authenticated by Prāt. iv. 65, the comment explaining how it is derived from manuṣyavat. As being, therefore, the indubitable AV. reading, it should not have been altered in our edition to -ṣvát, to conform with the four other texts, even though doubtless a corruption of -ṣvát. ⌊SPP. also alters it.⌋ ⌊In c, correct davī́r to devī́r.⌋

9. To him, god Tvashṭar, who adorned (piç) with forms these two generatresses, heaven-and-earth, [and] all existences, do thou today, O invoker, sent forth, skilled sacrificer, sacrifice here, understanding it.

There are no variants.

10. In thy way (? tmányā) anointing them, pour thou down upon (upa-ava-sṛj) the track of the gods the oblations in due season; let the forest-tree, the queller (çamitár), god Agni, relish (svad) the oblation with honey, with ghee.

'Forest-tree,' doubtless a big name for the sacrificial post. That the 'queller' is a separate personage is shown by the plural number of the following verb. ⌊E. Sieg discusses pā́thas, Gurupūjakaumudī, 97 ff.; later, Oldenberg, ZDMG. liv. 602.⌋

12. At once, when born, he determined (vi-mā) the sacrifice; Agni became foremost of the gods; at the direction of this invoker, at the voice of righteousness (ṛtá), let the gods eat the oblation made with "hail!"

The other texts read in c the nearly equivalent pradíçi.