Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VI/Hymn 126

126. To the drum: for success against the foe.

[Atharvan.—vānaspatyadundubhidevatyam. bhuriktrāiṣṭubham: 3. purobṛhatī virāḍgarbhā triṣṭubh.]

Found also in Pāipp. xv.* (but 1 c, d and 2 a, b are wanting, probably by an error of the copyist), and in the same other texts as the preceding hymn (RV.VS.TS.MS.: in MS. the three verses are not in consecution with those of 125). Applied by Kāuç. (16. 1) in a battle rite, with v. 20, as the drums and other musical instruments of war, duly prepared, are sounded thrice and handed to those who are to play them. Vāit. (34. 11) has it (also with v. 20) in the same ceremony as the preceding hymn, as the drum-heads are drawn on. *⌊Seems to be an error for Pāipp. vii.⌋

Translated: by the RV. translators; and Griffith, 1.315—See also Bergaigne-Henry, Manuel, p. 156.

1. Blast thou unto heaven and earth; in many places let them win for thee the scattered living creatures (jágat); do thou, O drum, allied with Indra [and] the gods, drive away our foes further than far.

The second pāda is translated according to the reading of our text, whose vanvatām, however, can hardly be otherwise than a corruption of the manutām of the other texts; Ppp. has instead sunutām, which is yet worse; the comm. has vanutām. MS. has, in d, ārā́t for dūrā́t.

2. Resound thou at [them]; mayest thou assign strength [and] force to us; thunder against [them], forcing off difficulties; drive, O drum, misfortune away from here; Indra's fist art thou; be stout.

The other texts have, in b, níḥ ṣṭanihi for abhi ṣṭana, and, in c, protha for sedha, and the plural duchúnās (save TS., which gives -nāṅ, in pada-text -nān).

3. Conquer thou those yonder; let these here conquer; let the drum speak loud ⌊vāvad-⌋ [and] clear; let our horse-winged heroes fly together; let our chariot-men, O Indra, conquer.

All the other texts have, for a, ā́ ’mū́r aja pratyā́vartaye ’mā́ḥ, and vāvaditi at end of b; in c, for patantu, cáranti (but MS. cárantu); while Ppp. reads patayanti. Amū́ṁ before jaya doubtless means amū́n, and is so translated above; but the pada-text understands it as amū́m, and the comm. supplies çatrusenām. The Anukr. contracts the first pāda into 9 syllables.