Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VI/Hymn 66

66. For success against enemies.

[Atharvan (?).—cāndram utāi ”ndram, ānuṣṭubham: 1. triṣṭubh.]

Found also in Ppp. xix. ⌊but confused with h. 65⌋. Used by Kāuç. (14. 7) in a battle rite with the preceding hymn, which see; and reckoned to the aparājita gaṇa.

Translated: Ludwig, p. 372; Griffith, i. 281.

1. Handless be the assailing foe—they who come with armies to fight us; make them, O Indra, collide with the great weapon; let their evildoer (? aghahārá) run (drā), pierced through.

The comm. to SV. explains aghahāra by atipratyavara; ours, by maraṇalakṣaṇasya duḥkhasya prāpayitā.

2. Ye who run (dhāv) stringing [the bow], drawing [the arrow] (ā-yam), hurling—handless are ye, O foes; Indra hath now demolished you.

⌊For ā-yam, cf. vi. 65. 1.⌋ Our text reads at the end -çarāit, on the authority of Bp.E.I.R.T. and O.; all SPP's authorities ⌊save his B., which has -çarīn⌋ give -çarīt, which he has accordingly rightly adopted, as the better supported as well as the regular form ⌊cf. vi. 75. 1⌋. Ppp. has parā ’çarī. ⌊With regard to these āi-forms, see the note to vi. 32. 2.⌋ SPP., contrary to his usual practice, retains the ḥ of çatravaḥ before sth-. The comm. has stana in c. ⌊"Demolished" stands in rapport with "demolisher" of 65. 1.⌋

3. Handless be the foes; their limbs we make to relax (mlā); then will we, O Indra, share among us their possessions hundred-fold.

All our mss. but one (D.), and nearly all SPP's, read çatravas, vocative, in a; both texts emend to çát-.