Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book V/Hymn 9

9. For protection: to various gods.

[Brahman.—aṣṭakam. vāstoṣpatyam. 1, 5. dāivī bṛhatī; 2, 6. dāivī triṣṭubh; 3, 4. dāivī jagatī; 7. virāḍuṣṇigbṛhatīgarbhā 5-p. jagatī; 8. puraskṛtitriṣṭubbṛhatīgarbhā 4-p. 3-av. jagatī.]

⌊This piece is prose.⌋ Neither this piece nor the next is found in Pāipp. This one is quoted in Kāuç. (28. 17) in a remedial ceremony, together with vi. 91; and it is reckoned (8. 23, note) to the vāstu gaṇa and (26. 1, note) the takmaṇāçana gaṇa.

Translated: Griffith, i. 201; Weber, xviii. 197.

1. To heaven hail!

2. To earth hail!

3. To atmosphere hail!

4. To atmosphere hail!

5. To heaven hail!

6. To earth hail!

⌊The invocations of vss. 4-6 are those of 1-3 with changed order.⌋

7. The sun my eye, wind my breath, atmosphere my soul (ātmán), earth my body; unquelled (astṛtá) by name am I here; [as] such I deposit myself for heaven and earth to guard (gopīthá).

8. Up life-time, up strength, up act (kṛtá), up action (kṛtyā́), up skill (manīṣā́), up sense (indriyá); O life- (ā́yus-) maker, O ye (two) mistresses of life, rich in svadhā́⌊m.⌋, be ye my guardians, guard me; be my soulsitters; do not harm me.

The nouns with 'up' are accusatives, but what verb should be supplied for the construction it is not easy to see. Perhaps ā́yuṣkṛt (p. ā́yuḥ-kṛt) should be -kṛtā, as dual; at any rate, all that follows it is dual. Apparently the Anukr. would divide vs. 7 as 9 + 12: 10 + 7 + 10 = 48; and vs. 8 as 9 + 11: 20: 11 = 51; but the descriptions are blind and inaccurate. ⌊Weber discusses the peculiarities of gender.⌋

A passage corresponding to this hymn is found in K. xxxvii. 15.