Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VI/Hymn 93
93. For protection: to many gods.
[Çaṁtāti.—rāudram: 3. bahudevatyā. trāiṣṭubham.]
Found also in Pāipp. xix. Reckoned by Kāuç. (8. 23) to the vāstoṣpatyāni, and also (9. 2) to the bṛhachānti gaṇa; used (50. 13), with vi. i, 3, 59, and others, in a rite for welfare; further added (note to 25. 36) to the svastyayana gaṇa.
Translated: Muir, iv2. 333; Ludwig, p. 322; Griffith, i. 296.
1. Yama, death, the evil-killer, the destroyer, the brown Çarva, the blue-locked archer, the god-folk that have arisen with their army—let them avoid our heroes.
All the authorities read ástrā in b; both editions make the necessary emendation to ástā, which is also read by the comm. and by Ppp. Ppp. further, in b, has bhava instead of babhrus, and ends with -khaṇḍī; in c it has vṛn̄janti (its exchange of -ti and -tu is common).
2. With mind, with libations, with flame (? háras), with ghee, unto the archer Çarva and unto king Bhava—to them (pl.), who are deserving of homage, I pay homage; let them conduct those of evil poison away from us.
The pada-text, in d, reads aghá-viṣāḥ, doubtless accus. pl. fem., and belonging to has 'arrows' understood; but the comm. supplies instead kṛtyās. ⌊For c, 'to the homage-deserving ones,—homage to th'm I pay.'⌋
3. Save ye us from them of evil poison, from the deadly weapon, O all ye gods, ye all-possessing Maruts; Agni-and-Soma, Varuṇa of purified skill; may we be in the favor of Vāta-and-Parjanya.
The third pāda in our text is made up of nominatives, coordinated neither with the vocatives of b nor with the genitive of d. Ppp. has, for b, c, agniṣomā marutaḥ pūtadakṣāḥ: viçve devā maruto vāiçvadevās, which may all be vocatives. The Anukr. takes no notice of the metrical irregularities of the verse.