Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VI/Hymn 5

5. For some one's exaltation.

[Atharvan.—āindrāgnam. ānuṣṭubham: 2. bhurij.]

Found also in Pāipp. xix., and in VS. (xvii. 50-52) TS. (iv. 6. 3¹), MS. (ii. 10. 4). Used in Kāuç. (4. 9) in the parvan sacrifice, with an oblation to Agni; and again (59. 7), with vi. 6 and vii. 91, by one desiring a village; and for success in traffic, see under vi. 1. In Vāit. (29. 15) the hymn accompanies the laying on of fuel in the agnicayana, and vs. 2, in the parvan sacrifice (2. 14; 3. 3), two offerings to Indra; for the use in Vāit. 16. 9, see under vi. 3. The comm. further points out vs. 2 as addressed to Indra in the Nakṣ. K. 14.

Translated: Ludwig, p. 431; Florenz, 254 or 6; Griffith, i. 247.

1. Lead him up higher, O Agni, [thou] to whom oblations of ghee are made; unite him with splendor, and make him abundant with progeny.

VS.TS. have in a the later form uttarā́m. In b, ghṛténa presents the rare case of an instrumental dependent on a vocative, and ought, like a genitive in the like construction, to be unaccented; it is so in all the three Yajus texts. Ppp. reads ghṛtebhir āhutaḥ. VS.TS. exchange 1 c and 2 c; and TS. has dhánena ca for bahúṁ kṛdhi at the end. Ppp. has, for d, devānāṁ bhāgadhā asat (cf. TS. 2 d). This first verse occurs also in Āp. vi. 24. 8, which has, for a, ud asmāṅ uttarān naya, agrees with VS. and TS. in c, and reads bahūn in d.

2. O Indra, put this man far forward; may he be controler of his fellows; unite him with abundance of wealth; conduct him unto life (jīvā́tu), unto old age.

In a, VS.TS. have again pratarā́m; VS. MS. have naya for kṛdhi; for c (as already noted), VS.TS. have our 1 c; for d, MS. has devébhyo bhāgadā́ asat, VS. and TS. nearly the same, VS. substituting devā́nām, and TS. -dhā́; Ppp. has, for d, our 1 d. The meter of d might be rectified by abbreviating jīvā́tave to -tvāi (a form found in MS.ÇB. and Āp.), or by emending it to jīvā́tum.

3. In whose house we make oblation, him, O Agni, do thou increase; him may Soma bless, and this Brahmaṇaspati.

The three Yajus texts have, in a, kurmás for kṛṇmás, and VS.MS. (with Ppp.) put havís after gṛhé. In c, all three have devā́ ádhi bravan (but MS. bruvan). The last half-verse occurs below, as 87. 3 c, d (corresponding to RV. x. 173. 3 etc.).