Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VII/Hymn 84 (89)
84 (89). To Agni: and to Indra.
[Bhṛgu.—tṛcam. āindra,: 1. āgneyī. trāiṣṭubham: 1. jagatī.]
Only the first verse is found in Pāipp., in iii. For the use by Kāuç. and Vāit. (not of vs. 1), see under vss. 2, 3.
Translated: Henry, 35, 105; Griffith, i. 371.
1. O Agni, shine thou here unassailable, Jātavedas, immortal, wide-ruling (virā́j), bearing dominion; releasing all diseases by humane, propitious [aids], do thou protect round about today our household.
The comm. supplies ūtibhis in c, d, and the translation given follows his lead. The verse is found also as VS. xxvii. 7, and in TS. iv. i. 73 and MS. ii. 12. 5; MS. makes c easy by reading mā́nuṣāṇām (it also has ví for víçvās), and VS.TS. by reading mā́nuṣīr bhiyáḥ. MS.VS. give after this çivébhis; and VS.TS. have ā́çās for ámīvās in c. All read ániṣṭṛtas (Ppp. aniṣṭatas) for ámartyas in a, and vṛdhé for gáyam at the end (Ppp. gayāiḥ). Ppp. has, in c, d, manuṣyebhyaḥ çivebhir. All the texts thus relieve in various ways the difficulties and awkwardnesses of the second half-verse.
We should expect here a separation of the hymn into two, as the remaining verses are addressed to Indra; but no ms. or other authority so divides.
2. O Indra, unto dominion, [unto] pleasant force, wast thou born, thou bull of men (carṣaṇí); thou didst push away the inimical people; thou didst make wide room for the gods.
This verse and the next are two verses, connected (but in inverted order), in RV. (x. 180. 3, 2), found also in TS. i. 6. 124. Both these read in c amitrayántam, their only variant in this verse. In d carṣaṇīnā́m is most naturally made dependent on vṛṣabha, although, as such, it ought to be without accent; Henry takes it as governed by the nouns in a. The verse (doubtless with vs. 3) is used by Kāuç. (17. 31) in the consecration of a king ⌊Weber, Rājasūya, p. 142⌋, and (140. 17) in the indramahotsava, with libation to Indra, and service of Brahmans. ⌊RV.TS. accent carṣaṇinā́m and all of W's and SPP's mss. seem to do so. Perhaps, in spite of W's version, we have no right to correct our text by deleting the accent; but the accent can hardly be aught else than an old blunder.⌋
3. Like a fearful wild beast, wandering, mountain-staying, from distant distance may he come hither; sharpening, O Indra, [thy] missile (? sṛká), [thy] keen rim, smite away the foes, push away the scorners.
The first half-verse was read above as 26. 2 b, c. The verse is RV. x. 180. 2, TS. i. 6. 124 (as noted under the preceding verse), and also SV. ii. 1223, MS. iv. 12. 3, VS. xviii. 71; their only variant is at jagamyāt in b, for which TS. has jagāmā, and all the rest jaganthā. The comm. takes sṛka as an adj., = saraṇaçīla. ⌊Cf. Knauer's Index to MGS., p. 153.⌋ ⌊For use by Kāuç., see under vs. 2.⌋ Vāit. (29. 5) uses the verse in the agnicayana, in the covering of the first layers.