Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VII/Hymn 80 (85)
80 (85). To the night or goddess of full moon (pāurṇamāsī́).
[Atharvan.—caturṛcam. pāurṇamāsam: 3. prājāpatyā. trāiṣṭubham: 2. anuṣṭubh.]
The first and fourth verses are found also in Pāipp. i. The hymn is used in the same manner as the preceding one (Kāuç. 5. 5; Vāit. 1. 16), but on full-moon day; it also appears (Kāuç. 59. 19) with hymn 17 etc. For the separate use of vs. 3, see under that verse.
Translated: Henry, 32, 101; Griffith, i. 367. See also Zimmer, p. 365 (vss. 1-2).
1. Full behind, also full in front, up from the middle hath she of the full moon been victorious; in her, dwelling together with the gods, with greatness, may we revel together with food (íṣ) on the back of the firmament.
The first half-verse is met with in TS. (iii. 5. 11) and TB. (iii. 1. 112), without variant; the second half-verse reads thus: tásyāṁ devā́ ádhi saṁvásanta uttamé nā́ka ihá mādayantām. Ppp., in b, puts pāurṇamāsi before madhyatas ⌊and ends b with uj jigāya⌋.
2. We sacrifice to the vigorous bull of the full moon; let him give us unexhausted unfailing wealth.
The first half-verse occurs in TB. (iii. 7. 513) and ĀpÇS. (ii. 20. 5), both of which read ṛṣabhám and pūrṇámāsam; their second half-verse reads thus: sá no dohatāṁ suvī́ryaṁ rāyáspóṣaṁ sahasríṇam. The comm. reads dadhātu in c.
3. O Prajāpati, no other than thou, encompassing, gave birth to all these forms; what desiring we make libation to thee, be that ours; may we be lords of wealth.
⌊Cf. vii. 79. 4.⌋ This verse is RV. x. 121. 10, and is repeated in various other collections: VS. (x. 20 et al.), TS. (i. 8. 142 et al.), TB. (ii. 8. 13 et al.), MS. (ii. 6. 12; iv. 14. 1), MB. (ii. 5. 9). ⌊Cf. MP. ii. 22. 19.⌋ RV. reads, for b, víçvā jātā́ni pári tā́ babhūva; and TS.TB.MB. agree with it throughout; VS. differs by giving, with our text, rūpā́ṇi; MS. is more independent, having in the second occurrence nahí tvát tā́ni (for ná tvád etā́ni) in a, and in both occurrences yásmāi káṁ (for yátkāmās te) in c. The verse is variously employed by the sūtras: in Kāuç., in the parvan sacrifice (5. 9), by addition to iv. 39; and by special mention, beside vs. 1, with h. 17 etc. (59. 19: see under 17); while it is added by a schol. to the ceremony of acceptance (56. 2, note) of a staff by the Vedic student;—in Vāit. (1. 3) as an introductory formula prescribed by Yuvan Kāuçika ⌊cf. note to Kāuç. i. 6⌋; also (2. 12), in the parvan sacrifice, with an offering of fat to Prajāpati; and it is to be had in mind (7. 12) as accompanying an offering in the agnihotra. The comm. quotes it further from the Nakṣatra Kalpa (18), as used in a mahāçānti called mārudgaṇī.
4. She of the full moon was the first worshipful one in the depths (?) of days, of nights. They who, O worshipful one, gratify (ardháya-) thee with offerings, those well-doers are entered into thy firmament.
The translation implies in d the reading te, given in our edition on the authority of part of our mss. (Bp.P.M.T.K.*) and as decidedly better suiting the requirements of the sense ⌊than té⌋(a combination of amī́ té is hardly possible); SPP. reads té, with the great majority of his authorities. Ppp. has uta çarvareṣu for atiç- in b, and, in d, nākaṁ sukṛtaṣ paretāḥ. The comm. gives ardayanti in c. He explains atiçarvarāṇi to mean either rātrim atītya vartamāneṣu somādihaviṣṣu or else tṛtīyasavanavyāpiṣu haviṣṣu: thus akin in meaning with atirātra; and this is perhaps right. *⌊I find no note of P.M.⌋