Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VI/Hymn 3

3. To various divinities: for protection.

[Atharvan (svastyayanakāmaḥ).—nānādāivatam. jāgatam: 1. pathyābṛhati.]

Found also in Pāipp. xix. In Kāuç. (50. 13) hymns 3-7 (pātaṁ na iti pañca; the comm. says it means 'with five verses') are directed to be used with vi. 1 etc. for success in traffic (see under h. 1). Hymn 3 is connected with i. 26, 27 and vi. 76 at the beginning of the welfare-rites (50. 4), and it is reckoned (note to 25. 36) to the svastyayana gaṇa. By Vāit. (16. 9), hymns 3-6 are muttered in the agniṣṭoma by the hotar after the prātaranuvāka.

Translated: Florenz, 251 or 3; Griffith, i. 246.

1. Protect us, O Indra-and-Pūshan; let Aditi, let the Maruts protect; O child of the waters, ye seven rivers, protect; let Vishṇu protect us, also the heaven.

The accent of c is in part against all rule and analogy, and doubtless corrupt; we ought to read síndhavaḥ sapta pātána.

2. Let heaven-and-earth protect us in order to assistance (abhíṣṭi); let the pressing-stone protect, let Soma protect us from distress; let the fortunate goddess Sarasvatī protect us; let Agni protect us—the propitious protections that are his.

Ppp. has suhavā instead of subhagā in c. The comm. explains abhiṣṭaye by abhyeṣaṇāya (taking it from root iṣ) or abhimataphalaprāptaye. In c, devó in our edition is a misprint for devī́.

3. Let the divine Açvins, lords of beauty, protect us; let dawn-and-night also make broad for us; O child of the waters, in case of any detriment to [our] household; O divine Tvashṭar, increase [us] in order to our completeness.

Ppp. has, in a, sudaṅsasā for çubhas patī; and in c, d it reads vihvṛtī kayasya cid devo ‘sūvandadhite çarma yacha naḥ. The comm. partly agrees with it in reading abhihvṛtī and kayasya (explaining it as for kasya); it also has at the beginning pātam, and takes the nouns that follow as vocatives. It understands ábhihvṛtī (p. -tī íti) as a locative (= -hvṛtāu or -hvaraṇe), as is done in our translation ⌊cf. JAOS. x. 389⌋. The accent requires amendment, to abhíhrutī. Florenz suggests the substitution of abhihrútas, which would be an easier reading.