Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VII/Hymn 18 (19)

18 (19). For rain, etc.

[Atharvan.—dvyṛcam. pārjanyam uta pārthivam. 1. 4-p. bhurig uṣṇih; 2. triṣṭubh.]

Found also in Pāipp. xx. For the use of this hymn by Kāuç. (41. 1; 103. 3; 26. 24, note) in various rites, in conjunction with iv. 15, see under the latter. Verse 2 appears in Vāit. (4. 8), in the parvan ceremonies, accompanying, with other verses, the offering of the patnīsaṁyāja oblations.

Translated: Henry, 7, 59; Griffith, i. 336.

1. Burst forth, O earth; split this cloud of heaven; untie for us, O Dhātar, that art master, the skin-bag of the water of heaven.

Ppp. reads, for a, un nambhaya pṛthivīm, which is better; it reads bilam for dṛtim at the end; also udhno at beginning of c; not a single ms. has the right reading of this word, either here or in the other places ⌊cf. iii. 12. 4, n.⌋ where it occurs; here they vary between utnó (the great majority, including all SPP's pada-mss.), unnó, untó, utvó; the comm. reads correctly udnas, and SPP. receives it into his text; our ūdhnó was a mistaken emendation. Our Bp. leaves bhindhi unaccented, putting after it the mark of pāda division, and several of the mss. (including our P.s.m.E.p.m.I.) accent in saṁhitā accordingly. The verse is found also in TS. (ii. 4. 8²) and MS. (i. 3. 26); both have a like Ppp.; MS. has adás for idám in b; both read udnó in c, and TS. has dehi for dhātar; and, in d, TS. has sṛjā for syā. The comm. gives three independent explanations of pra nabhasva: either prakarṣeṇa saṁgatā ucchvasitā bhava, or vṛṣtyā (? mss. kṛṣtyā, pṛṣtyā) prakarṣeṇa bādhitā mṛditā bhava, or ⌊nabhasva = nahyasva⌋ saṁnaddhā bhava. For dhātar, in c, he reads dhāta "= dhehi." The verse is really anuṣṭubh (resolving at the beginning pṛ-á). ⌊Play of words between nabhasva and nabhas: cf. iv. 7. 1.⌋ ⌊Correct ūdhnó to udnó.⌋

2. Not heat burned, not cold smote; let the earth, of quick drops, burst forth; waters verily flow ghee for him; where Soma is, there is it ever excellent.

In b, Ppp. reads sadasyate for nabhatām; in c, sadam for ghṛtam. With c compare RV. i. 125. 5 c.