Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book V/Hymn 27

27. Āprī-hymn: to various divinities.

[Brahman.—dvādaçakam. āgneyam. 1. bṛhatīgarbhā triṣṭubh; 2. 2-p. sāmnām bhuriganuṣṭubh; 3. 2-p. ārcī bṛhatī; 4. 2-p. sāmnī bhurigbṛhatī; 5. 2-p. sāmnī triṣṭubh; 6. 2-p. virāṇ nāma gāyatrī; 7. 2-p. sāmnī bṛhatī (imā ⌊2-7?⌋ ekāvasānāḥ); 8. saṁstārapan̄kti; 9. 6-p. anuṣṭubgarbhā parātijagatī; 10-12. purauṣṇih.]

This peculiar and half-metrical āprī-hymn occurs also in several Yajur-Veda texts: hamely, in VS. (xxvii. 11-22), in TS. (iv. 1. 8), and in MS. (ii. 12. 6); further, in K. (xviii. 17), and (acc. to Schroeder's note) in Kap.S. The versions in VS. and TS. agree very closely throughout, in readings and in division; there is in all the verses a more or less imperfect metrical structure, of three triṣṭubh-like pādas to a verse. MS. also in general agrees with these, but has an inserted passage in its vs. 5 which dislocates the division of vss. 2-4. Ppp. has the same hymn in ix., and follows pretty closely the Yajus-version. In our text the proper division is thrown into great confusion, and there are many readings which are obviously mere corruptions. The Anukr. supports our mss. at all points. The division of VS. and TS., as being necessary to any understanding of the hymn, is noted in brackets in the translation below.

The hymn is not used as an āprī-hymn in the liturgical literature, but is quoted in Kāuç. (23. 7) in the ceremony of consecration of a new house, and again (45. 8), in the vaçāçamana rite, to accompany (with the kindred hymn v. 12) an offering of the omentum of a cow; while (19. 1, note) the paddhati reckons it among the puṣṭika mantras. Vss. 1 and 2 (with the division as in our text) are used by Vāit. (10. 13, 12) in the paçubandha ceremony.

Translated: Ludwig, p. 434; Griffith, i. 232.—Weber, xviii. 269, gives a general introductory comment to the hymn, but leaves it, on account of "the numerous misdivisions and corruptions of this, its Atharvan version," untranslated. Cf. hymn 12 of this book.

1. Uplifted becomes his fuel, uplifted the bright burnings of Agni, most brilliant; of beautiful aspect, with his son,—[2.] son of himself (tánūnápāt), ásura, many-handed,—

All the Yajur-Veda texts agree in ending the verse with the third pāda, and in reading at the end suprátikasya sūnóḥ; of this our text is a palpable corruption, and apparently made after the addition to this verse of the following pāda, in order to help their connection. Ppp. also has -kasya sūnos, and at the end of a bhavantu; it and the the Yajus-texts read viçvávedās instead of bhū́ripāṇis. The description of the verse by the Anukr. ⌊if we pronounce ūrdhuā́ in a⌋ is correct, counting the second pāda as of 9 syllables.

2 [2 b]. A god among gods, the god anoints the roads with honey (mádhu), with ghee.

The end of this verse is the proper end of vs. 2; MS., however, adds to it the first pāda of our 3; and it reads for a devó devébhyo devayā́nān. In b, VS. MS. have anaktu; TS., ā́ ’nakti; and VS.TS. set the avāsana-mark next before pathás.

3. With honey he attains the sacrifice, pleased, the praised of men (nárāçáṅsa), Agni the well-doing, the heavenly impeller (savitár), having all choice things.

All the other texts, including Ppp., read in a prīṇānás, of which our prāiṇ- is doubtless to be regarded as a blundering corruption. VS.TS. have before it nakṣase; and, in b, agne, with interpunction after it; Ppp. omits agne (or agniḥ); MS. adds as third pāda the first pāda of our and the other texts' vs. 4. Our pāda-text rightly divides the verse into three pādas ⌊10: 8: 9⌋, though the Anukr. acknowledges only two.

4. Here he cometh with might (çávas) unto the various ghees, praising, he the carrier, with homage,—

It needs the first part of the next verse to end off this, and the other texts so divide. They have also the much easier reading ghṛténa for ghṛtā́ cit; Ppp. gives ghṛtena īḍe vahniṁ námasā ’gniṁ sruco etc. (adding 5 a). VS.TS. have a single interpunction after námasā; MS. makes its verse out of our 4 b and 5 a, b, with interpunction after 5 a. ⌊VS.TS.MS. accent īḍānó.⌋

5 [4 c]. Agni, unto the spoons, at the sacrifices (adhvará), the profferings (prayáj). [5.] May he sacrifice his greatness, Agni's,—

The Yajus-texts have at the beginning agním (also Ppp.: see under vs. 4), and later prayátsu (which the TS. pada-text divides prayát॰su; ours gives pra॰yákṣu). MS's verse is made of ours with our 4 b prefixed.

6 [5 b]. [He] crossing (?) among pleasant profferings; both the Vasus stood and the greater bestower of good (vásu).

This whole verse in our text is corrupt, and the translation, of course, only a mechanical one. The Yajus-texts have sá īm (TS. ī) mandrā́ suprayásaḥ (TS. mandrā́su prayásaḥ: this variation shows how uncertain the tradition was as to the sense of the passage); and MS. makes here the insertion spoken of above, reading suprayásā stárīman: barhíṣo mitrámahāḥ; all then finish the verse with vásuç cétiṣṭho vasudhā́tamaç ca. Ppp. is spoiled, but appears to read at the beginning svenamindrasu. The makers of our texts perhaps understood -dhā́taras as plural of -dhātṛ; the pada-division vasu॰dhā́taras is specially prescribed by Prāt. iv. 45. The metrical definition concerns only the number of syllables: 8 + 12 = 20. ⌊Ppp. ends with -dhātamaç ca.⌋

7 [6]. The heavenly doors all defend always after his course (vratá)—

This verse is doubtless corrupt in its second half; the Yajus-texts, and also Ppp., read instead vratā́ dadante agnéḥ (Ppp. ‘gneḥ); and MS. has before it víçvā, and Ppp. viçved. The Anukr. ignores the evident triṣṭubh character of a.

8 [6 c]. Lording it with Agni's domain of wide expansion, [7.] dripping, worshipful, close, let dawn and night favor this our inviolable (? adhvará) sacrifice.

The other texts (including Ppp.) read -vyacasas, omit agnés and read pátyamānās in a; and they have an entirely different b, namely té asya yóṣaṇe divyé ná yónāu; what our text substitutes was found as v. 12. 6 a above. The Anukr. name for the meter, saṁstārapan̄kti, is wholly misapplied, since it has to be read as 12 + 11: 8 + 7.

9 [8]. O heavenly invokers, sing ye unto our uplifted sacrifice (adhvará) with Agni's tongue; sing in order to our successful offering. [9.] Let the three goddesses sit upon this barhís, Iḍā, Sarasvatī, Bhāratī, the great, besung.

We have here two complete verses combined into one; but the division goes on after this correspondingly in all the texts. The three Yajus-texts, and Ppp., begin with dāívyā hotārā (the accent hótāras in our version is against all rule), and MS. inserts imám after ūrdhvám in a; for b, c they read ‘gnér jihvā́m abhí (but MS. jihvā́ ’bhí) gṛṇītam: kṛṇutáṁ naḥ svìṣṭim (MS. -ṭam); further on they have sadantu for -tām (but MS. instead syonám); near the end, VS.TS. put mahī́ after bhā́ratī; M.S. has a sign of interpunction after mahī́; Ppp. reads mahābhāratī. The pāda tisró devī́r etc. is the same with RV. iii. 4. 8 d (which reads sadantu). The definition of the Anukr. fits the meter very badly; the pada-text notes only 5 pādas, nor is a division into 6 well possible; they would count 11 + 9 + 8: 11 + 14 = 53, mechanically a bhurig atijagatī.

10. That wonderful seminal fluid (turī́pam) of ours, abounding in food, O god Tvashṭar, abundance of wealth, release thou the navel of it.

The other texts (including Ppp.) omit deva and read tváṣṭā (but MS. tváṣṭar), adding after it suvī́ryam*; all also have at the end asmé instead of the senseless asyá, and all but MS. have ṣyatu for ṣya; their mark of interpunction is set after suvī́ryam (or before rāyás). Compare also RV. ii. 40. 4; iii. 4. 9. Our Bp.² reads in a, by an oversight, ádbhum (emended in Bp. to ádbhutam); but D.K. have át॰bhutam as pada-text. This and the two following verses have small right to be called purauṣṇiḥ; this one counts 11: 8 + 7 = 26 syllables. Read at the end in our text asyá (an accent-sign slipped out of place). *⌊But TS. suviram.⌋

11. O forest-tree, let thou loose, bestowing; let Agni [as] queller willingly sweeten the oblation for the gods.

Ppp. reads sumanā for tmanā; also, at the end, sūdayāti, with the Yajus-texts. The latter also have (except MS.) devéṣu for devébhyas, and after it they all put their mark of interpunction. The Yajus and Ppp. version of the last pāda is identical with RV. iii. 4. 10 b ⌊save that RV. has havís⌋. This "purauṣṇih" counts 11: 9 + 7 = 27 syllables.

12. O Agni, hail! make thou, O Jātavedas, the sacrifice for Indra; let all the gods enjoy this oblation.

The Yajus-texts put the pause in its proper place before víçve. For yajñám, TS.VS. read havyám, and MS. has devébhyas; Ppp. has bhāgam. This "purauṣṇih" counts (if we divide the last two pādas as indicated in the pada-text) 11: 9 + 7 = 27 syllables.