Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book XIX/Hymn 59

59. For successful sacrifice.

[Brahman.—tṛcam, āgneyam. trāiṣṭubham: 1. gāyatrī.]

Hymns 59-64 are not found in Pāipp. For the practical use of 59 with 52, see under the latter. ⌊Other uses under vs. 3.⌋ Verses 1 and 2, it will be noticed, are put together also in TS., and vs. 3 is not far off ⌊preceding 1 and 2⌋. In MS., on the other hand, vss. 2 and 3 have the same sequence as here; ⌊but in RV. their sequence is inverted⌋. ⌊As for the ritual use, cf. p. 896 and the table.⌋

Translated: Griffith, ii. 317.

1. Thou, O Agni, art protector of vows among gods (?), among mortals; thou art to be praised at the sacrifices.

The verse is RV. viii. 11. 1, and found also in VS. iv. 16; TS. i. 1. 14⁴; 2. 3¹, and MS. i. 2. 3, everywhere without variant, except as the AV. mss. in general read in b devā́ ā́ m- ⌊three have devā́ ām-⌋; ⌊Whitney's P. and M. and SPP's S^m. and his D^c., p.m., have devá ā́ m-;⌋ the pada-mss. give devāḥ (two of SPP's, after it, ā॰mártyeṣu). The RV. pada-text has deváḥ; ⌊so also TS. pada-text: see Weber's note in his ed., p. 13;⌋ the translation implies devé, in the sense of devéṣu. The comm. understands devás, and SPP. also reads it by emendation. ⌊Roth, Ueber gewisse Kürzungen des Wortendes im Veda, p. 3, treats the RV. verse, with report of the comm. on RV.VS.TS.: he assumes devé: ā́ as pada-reading and understands devé as = devéṣu. Cf. daça (= daçabhis) dvādaçabhir vā ‘pi, MBh. xii. 307 (or 306). 10 = xii. 11377, as cited by Hopkins, JAOS. xxiii. 111; cf. also English inside and out (out = outside); Goethe's Jeden Nachklang fühlt inein Herz froh- (= froher) und trüber Zeit; etc.⌋

2. If we, O gods, detract from (pra-mī) your [ordained] courses—we that are very unknowing, of you that are knowing—let Agni the all-devouring fill that up, knowing, and the soma that has entered the Brahmans.

The first three pādas are RV. x. 2. 4 a-c, found also in TS. i. 1. 14⁴ and MS. iv. 10. 2. All these read in c víçvam ā́ pṛṇāti; our viçvā́d (p. viçva॰át) can only be regarded as a corruption; the translation, however, follows it, as being the real Atharvan reading; SPP. adopts it in his text, against the comm., who reads and explains viçvam. The comm. agrees with RV. etc. further in giving pṛṇāti. As for the last pāda, we had it above as d of xviii. 3. 55; it is also a RV. phrase, and found elsewhere: see under that verse.

3. We have come unto the road of the gods, to convey (vah) along forward what we may be able; Agni [is] knowing; he shall make offering; he verily is hótar; he shall arrange the sacrifices (adhvará), he the seasons.

The verse is RV. x. 2. 3, and found also in TS. i. 1. 14³, MS. iv. 10. 2, and ÇB. xii. 4. 4¹. These texts read in c, d sé ’d u hótā só adhv-, and all save ÇB. accent ánu in b. The comm's text also has the RV. reading se ’d u hotā. The verse, with the Atharvan readings in c, d, is found in full in Kāuç. 5. 12, in the parvan-ceremonies. In the same ceremonies it accompanies in Vāit. 3. 5 an offering to Agni sviṣṭakṛt; and again, in Vāit. 19. 12, an after-offering to various gods. ⌊As for the critical significance of the citation of the vs. in sakalapāṭha, see p. 897, ¶3.⌋