Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VI/Hymn 61

61. Prayer and boasts.

[Atharvan (?).—rāudram. trāiṣṭubham: 2, 3. bhurij.]

Found also in Pāipp. xix., and in K. xl. 9. Reckoned by Kāuç. (9. 2) to the bṛhachānti gaṇa, and used (41. 14), with vi. 19, 23, 24, etc., in a rite for good fortune; in the kāmya ceremonies (59. 10), for splendor*; also, in the chapter of portents (133. 2), on occasion of one's house burning down; it is further (note to 50. 13) included in the rāudra gaṇa. In Vāit. (2. 17) vs. 3 accompanies, in the parvan sacrifice, two offerings of butter to Agni and Soma. *⌊Varcas: so the comm.; but Bloomfield reads vyacas, which accords better with 1 d of the text.⌋

Translated: Griffith, i. 278.

1. To me let the waters send what has sweetness; to me the sun brought [it] in order to light; to me the gods, and all those born of penance—to me let god Savitar assign expansion ⌊vyácas⌋.

Ppp. has, for b, mahyaṁ sūryo bharaj jyotiṣā gam, and, in c, samotā for tapojā. K. has, in c, mām for mahyam, and anu for uta, and ends with bhāt (?). Abharat in b cannot well be correct; we might conjecture instead bhavatu. The Anukr. disregards the deficiency of a syllable in d.

2. I expanded (?) earth and heaven, I generated the seasons, seven together; I speak true what is untrue; I encompass (pári) divine speech and people (víças).

For the doubtful viveca in a, Ppp. has dadhāra, and K. astabhnām. Some of the mss. read ajanayan in b (also in 3 b); K. has ajanam (if the reading is correct); Ppp. substitutes sindhūn sasṛje (for ṛtūṅr aj-). The second half-verse in K. is quite different: ahaṁ vācam pari sarvām babhūva ya indrāgni asanaṁ sakhāyāu (the last pāda is parallel with our 3 d). The sense of c is obscure, and the rendering given only tentative; it implies vadāmi instead of vádāmi: perhaps, 'I declare what [is] true [and what] untrue.' The comm. reads viçam for viças at the end. He understands viveca in a as 'winnow, separate' (parasparavivikte asaṁkīrṇarūpe kṛtavān asmi).

3. I generated earth and heaven; I generated the seasons, the seven rivers; I speak true what is untrue (?): [I] who enjoyed Agni-and-Soma as companions.

Ppp. reads, from b on,* as follows: ahaṁ vācaspatis sarvā ’bhi ṣiñca: ahaṁ vinejtni pṛthivīm uta dyām aham ṛtūn sṛje sapta sākam: ahaṁ vācam pari sarvām babhūva yo ‘gniṣomā viduṣe sakhāyuḥ. K. has, for jajāna...ajanayam (a, b), dyāvāpṛthivī ā babhūva ahaṁ viçvā oṣadhis; and, for c, d, mahyaṁ viças sam anamanta dāivir aham ugras smatahavyo babhūva. *⌊Perhaps this is an error of Roth for 2 d. If so, 3 a would begin with ahaṁ vinejmi.⌋ ⌊☞See p. 1045.⌋