Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VII/Hymn 71 (74)

71 (74). To Agni: for protection.

[Atharvan.—āgneyam. ānuṣṭubham.]

Found also in Pāipp. xix. Used in Kāuç. (2. 10), in the parvan sacrifices, to accompany the carrying of fire thrice about the offering. In Vāit., it occurs in the agniṣṭoma (21. 15), and also in the agnicayana (28. 8), in the same circling with fire.

Translated: Henry, 27, 92; Griffith, i. 361.

1. Thee, the devout ⌊vípra⌋, O Agni, powerful one, would we fain put about us [as] a stronghold, [thee] of daring color, day by day, slayer of the destructive one.

The verse is RV. x. 87. 22, which has at the end the plural (-vatām); further found in VS. (xi. 26) and MS. (ii. 7. 2), both of which agree with RV., and in TS. (i. 5. 6⁴ et al.), which has for d bhettā́ram bhan̄gurāvataḥ. Emendation in b to vápram 'rampart' seems called for; moreover, dṛṣádv- in c would be acceptable ⌊see Roth, ZDMG. xlviii. 108⌋. Ppp. has at the end -vataḥ, and sahasva in b.* The verse is also found in our text as viii. 3. 22. ⌊Winternitz, Hochzeitsrituell, p. 57, cites it from Bāudh. i. 6.⌋ ⌊W. interlines a mark of doubt as to his version of bhan̄g- and gives Henry's trompeur in the margin.⌋ *⌊Roth's Collation says simply "71 ebd. citiert." That means 'Found in Pāipp. xix., cited' [from its previous occurrence in xvi., where, according to R's Collation for viii. 3. 22, the variants are sahasva and bhan̄gurāvatām]. R. in his Notes says expressly that Ppp. too "has vipram for the correct vapram."⌋