Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VII/Hymn 83 (88)
83 (88). For release from Varuṇa's fetters.
[Çunaḥçepa.—caturṛcam. vāruṇam. ānuṣṭubham: 2. pathyāpan̄kti; 3, 4. triṣṭubh (4. bṛhatīgarbkā).]
The first two verses are found in Pāipp. xx. The hymn (the whole, says the comm.) is, according to Kāuç. (32. 14), to be repeated in a remedial rite for dropsy, in a hut amid flowing waters; also (127. 4) all the verses in a sacrifice to Varuṇa, after iv. 16. 3, in case of the portent of obscuration of the seven ṛṣis. Vāit. (10. 22) has vs. 1* at the end of the paçubandha, when the victim's heart has been set upon a spit; and vs. 3 in the agnicayana (28. 17), on loosening the cords by which the fire-dish has been carried. The comm. quotes the hymn from Nakṣatra Kalpa (14), with an offering to Varuna in a mahāçānti for portents. *⌊According to Garbe, the whole hymn.⌋
Translated: Henry, 35, 104; Griffith, i. 370; Bloomfield, 12, 562.
1. In the waters, O king Varuṇa, is built for thee a golden house; thence let the king of firm courses release all bonds (dā́man).
All the authorities have mithás at end of b, and SPP. admits this in his text, although it is a palpable misreading for mitás ⌊c.f. Roth, ZDMG. xlviii. 107⌋, which is given by Ppp. and by AÇS. in the corresponding verse (iii. 6. 24); our text has by emendation mitás; the comm. makes for mithas the forced interpretation ananyasādhāraṇaḥ pareṣām anabhigamyo vā. Our text also makes the clearly called-for emendation of dhā́māni to dā́māni ⌊Roth, l.c., p. 108⌋ in d (the translation is made accordingly), and of dhā́mno-dhāmnas in 2 a to dā́-; yet not only all AV. authorities, but also Ppp. and AÇS., are opposed to it in both verses and a whole series of texts in vs. 2; it is not without sufficient reason, then, that SPP. retains dhā-, although we can only wonder at the wide-spread corruption of the text. The comm. explains dhāmāni muñcatu by sthānāny asmadīyāni tyajatu. The AÇS. version of the verse reads: dvīpe rājño varuṇasya gṛho mito hiraṇyayaḥ: sa no dhṛtavrato rājā dhāmno-dhāmna iha muñcatu. Ppp. has its b like AÇS.; in d it reads dhāmā vi no suce.
2. From every bond, O king, here, O Varuṇa, release us; if "O waters, inviolable ones!" if "O Varuṇa!" we have said, from that, O Varuṇa, release us.
The whole verse is found in many other texts: VS. vi. 22 b, c; TS. i. 3. 111; MS. i. 2. 18; AÇS. iii. 6. 24; ÇÇS. viii. 12. 11; LÇS. v. 4. 6: TB. 11. 6. 62 and VS. xx. 18 have pādas c-e; ⌊and MGS., ii. 1. 11, has the pratīka: cf. p. 151, under dhāmno.⌋ All, including also Ppp., as noted above, begin with dhā́mno-dhāmnaḥ (so SPP.: the comm. explains by sarvasmād rogasthānāt; our text emends to dā́-: ⌊see note to vs. 1⌋); VS.ÇÇS.LÇS. have (in a-b) rājaṅs táto; all, as also Ppp., have no muñca in both b and e; VS. unaccountably gives āhús instead of ā́pas in c (but it has ā́pas in xx. 18); TS.MS.TB. accent ághnyās and, with LÇS., omit the iti after it; for yád ūcimá in d, VS.TS.TB.AÇS.ÇÇS.LÇS. read çápāmahe (printed ṣayā-, LÇS.), while MS. has çápāmahāi. The accent aghnyā́s (as nom.) and the reading váruṇa (voc.) are inconsistent, and ághnyās of TS. etc. seems to be preferable; but all the AV. pada-mss. (except a single one of SPP's) read váruṇaḥ, though all the saṁhitā-mss. without exception combine váruṇé ’ti. Our translation implies ághnyās (or aghnyās); the comm. says he aghnyāḥ. Pādas c, d are repeated below as xix. 44. 9 a, b; they relate doubtless to adjurations made in support of what is false. ⌊The Anukr. seems to sanction our pronouncing the āmreḍita as six syllables.⌋
3. Loosen up the uppermost fetter from us, O Varuṇa, [loosen] down the lowest, off the midmost; then may we, O Āditya, in thy sphere (vratá), be guiltless unto Aditi.
The verse is RV. i. 24. 15, and found also as VS. xii. 12, and in TS. (i. 5. 113 et al.), MS. (i. 2. 18 et al.), SV. i. 589 (Nāigeya appendix i. 4), and MB. (i. 7. 10). All agree in reading áthā at beginning of c instead of our ádhā (the comm. has atha), and SV. and MB. further put vayam after vraté in c, while SV. accents anāgásas in d. ⌊Knauer, Index to MGS., p. 148, cites many occurrences of the verse.⌋ ⌊Repeated below as xviii. 4. 69.⌋
4. Release from us, O Varuṇa, all fetters, that are uppermost, lowest, that are Varuṇa's; remove from us evil-dreaming [and] difficulty; then may we go to the world of the well-done.
The last three pādas are identical with those of vi. 121. 1, above. Our text ought to read in c, as there, níḥ ṣv-. ⌊Pronounce, as there, níṣ ṣuvāsmát.⌋ There is no bṛhatī element in the verse.