Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VII/Hymn 39 (40)
39 (40). In praise of Sarasvant (?).
[Praskaṇva.—mantroktadevatyam. trāiṣṭubham.]
Found also in Pāipp. xx. Kāuç. (24. 9) employs it in a rite for prosperity, with offering to Indra of the omentum of a best bull; the verse is reckoned (note to 19. 1) to the puṣṭika mantras.
Translated: Henry, 14, 69; Griffith, i. 344.
1. [Him], the heavenly eagle, milky, great, embryo of the waters, bull of the herbs, gratifying with rain from close by (?), in our cow-stall standing in wealth may [one] establish.
The first three pādas are, with variants, RV. i. 164. 52 a, b, c (also TS. iii. 1. 113). Our very senseless payasám in a is RV. vāyasám (TS. vay-); our vṛṣabhám (so TS.) in b is RV. darçatám; and RV. (not TS.) has vṛṣṭíbhis in c. Then, for d, RV. has sárasvantam ávase johavīmi (TS. nearly the same), which makes the whole verse one consistent construction; our d fits very badly. Ppp. reads samudram for suparṇam in a, and has, for c, d, abhīptaṁ rayyā tapanti sarasvantaṁ rahiṣṭhyā (i.e. rayiṣṭhām) sādaye ’ha. The comm. understands Sarasvant to be intended throughout the verse, and supplies indras as subject for the concluding verb; abhīpatas he explains variously: sarvataḥ saṁgatā āpo ‘smin or abhipatanaçīlān vṛṣṭikāmān sarvaprāṇinaḥ. Henry renders "those who invoke him."