Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VII/Hymn 4

4. To the wind-god with his steeds.

[Atharvan (as above).—vāyavyam. trāiṣṭubham.]

Found also in Pāipp. xx., and in a series of other texts: VS. (xxvii. 33), ÇB. (iv. 4. 1¹⁵), MS. (iv. 6. 2), TA. (i. ii. 8²¹), AÇS. (v. 18. 5), ÇÇS. (viii. 3. 10). Kāuç. (41. 26) teaches the repetition of the verse three times at the end of a rite for the benefit of a horse; and Vāit. (9. 27: misunderstood by the editor) applies it with an oblation to Vāyu at the cāturmāsya sacrifice.

Translated: Henry, 2, 49; Griffith, i. 328.

1. Both with one and with ten, O easily-invoked one (masc.); with two and with twenty, for [our] wish; both with three and with thirty separately yoked ones drivest thou, O Vayu—those do thou here release.

All the other texts read svabhūte at end of a, and niyúdbhis at beginning of d (the Pet. Lex. proposes the latter by emendation here); VS.ÇB.ÇÇS. have viṇçatī́ for viṅçatyā́ in b, and (as also AÇS.) combine vāyav ihá in d. SPP. strangely reads suhute in a, against the meter, and against the great majority of his authorities, but with the comm. (who, however, explains it as if it were suhūte). The comm. explains iṣṭáye by yāgāya, then again by icchāyāi; Henry translates "for conquest." Ppp. has, corruptly, cā bhūte (probably intending the reading of the other texts); in d it gives viyudbhir vāyuv iha tā vi m-. The second pāda is only by violence triṣṭubh. ⌊"One," "three," and "those" are fem.: the comm. supplies "mares."⌋ ⌊Perhaps the force of the accent of váhase is, "If thou drivest with 11 or 22 or 33 (no matter how many),—here release thou them." See Gram. §595 d.⌋