Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VI/Hymn 53

53. For protection: to various gods.

[Bṛhachukra.—nānādāivatam. trāiṣṭubham: 1. jagatī.]

Found also in Pāipp. xix., and in other texts as noted under the several verses. Kāuç. uses the hymn (31. 9) in a remedial rite against boils etc.; also, in the kāmya rites (59. 28), with worship of heaven and earth, when valuables are lost; and in the savayajñas (66. 2), with v. 10, vii. 67, in a response; and, according to the comm. (the pratīka might also designate xii. i. 53), in the medhājanana ⌊10. 20⌋, with vi. 108, to accompany the partaking of some dish (milk-rice, comm.) and worshiping the sun. And vs. 2 occurs in the godāna ceremony (54. 2), with vii. 67, with wiping (the razor, comm.) thrice; and vs. 3 in the upanayana (55. 20), with vii. 97. 2, on releasing a cow. In Vāit., vs. 2 is employed in the agniṣṭoma (11. 15), near the beginning of the ceremony; and vs. 3 twice in the parvan sacrifice (4. 8, 17), once with the patnīsaṁyāja offerings, and once as the sacrificer strokes his face with his wetted hands.

Translated: Ludwig, p. 506; Griffith, i. 274.

1. Let both the sky now and the earth, forethoughtful—let the bright (çukrá) great one, by the sacrificial gift, rescue (pṛ) me; let the svadhā́ favor (anu-ci) [me, let] Soma, Agni; let Vāyu protect us, [let] Savitar and Bhaga.

For the embarrassing ma idám in a, Ppp. reads simply mā, which is better. TB., in its version of the verse (namely of a, b, c, ii. 7. 8², 16²: each has a different d) has tvā instead, and inserts it again before pipartu; it also reads prácetasā at end of a, and bṛhád dákṣiṇā in b. "The bright one" is doubtless soma; the comm. explains it as sūrya, and to dakṣiṇayā supplies diçā. ⌊Cf. Bloomfield's remark on b at AJP. xvii. 409.⌋ The combination anu-ci, elsewhere unknown, must be the equivalent of anu-jñā or anu-man (the comm., anujānātu). Three of the pādas are triṣṭubh, but a has 13 syllables unless we contract me ’dam.

2. Again let breath, again let soul (ātmán) come unto us; again let sight, again let spirit (ásu) come unto us; let Vāiçvānara, our unharmed body-protector, stand between [us and] all difficulties.

Compare TA. ii. 5¹⁷, MS. i. 2. 3, Āp. x. 18. 3, all of which have a different (and TA. a much longer) enumeration in a, b, with the verb ā́ ’gāt 'hath come.' In c, MS. and Āp. omit nas, TA. reads instead me; in d, for antás tiṣṭhāti, TA. and Āp. have áva bādhatām, MS. ápa b-. Ppp. agrees nearly with MS. by reading in a punar manaḩ punar āyur na mā ”gaṅ; in c it has adbhutas for adabáhas; its d is antas tiṣṭhāsi duritād avadyāt; and it combines tanūpāntas.⌋ ⌊Cf. also MGS. 1. 3. 2 and p. 152, s.v. punar me; and MB. i. 6. 34.⌋

3. We have become united with splendor, with fatness (páyas), with bodies (tanū́), with propitious mind; let Tvashṭar make for us here wider room; let him smooth down what of our body is torn apart.

This verse is found also in many other texts, its first half generally without variation; only PB. (i. 3. 9: this half-verse alone) has tapobhis for tanūbhis at end of a. VS. (ii. 24 et al.) has for c, d: tváṣṭā sudátro vi dadhātu rā́yó ‘nu mārṣṭu tanvò yád víliṣṭam, and the rest follow this rather than our text; only TA. (ii. 4. 1) has no átra in c, and TS. (i. 4. 44) no átra várivaḥ kṛṇotu; MS. (i. 3. 38 et al.) and ÇÇS. (iv. 11. 6) add nas (like AV.) after ánu in d, and MS. ends with víriṣṭam (TS., of course, has tanúvas). Ppp. has, in c, sudatro varivaṣ kṛ-, differing from all. The comm. renders anu mārṣṭu by hastena çodhayatu. ⌊Cf. von Schroeder's Tübinger Kaṭha-hss., p. 72.⌋