Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book XV/Paryaya 14
14. Paryāya the fourteenth.
⌊Respecting the subdivisions of the paryāya, see page 772, top.⌋
Translated: Aufrecht, Ind. Siud. i. 136; Griffith, ii. 195.
1. ⌊1.⌋ As he moved out toward the eastern quarter, the troop
(çárdhas) of Maruts, coming into being (bhūtvā́), moved out after, making mind [their] food-eater; ⌊2.⌋ with mind as food-eater doth he eat food who knoweth thus.
Aufrecht understands the meaning to be as just given, and takes it correspondingly in the verses below. But it would be admissible also to render thus: 'when he moved out toward the eastern quarter, he moved out toward [it] after becoming the troop of Maruts'—and correspondingly in all the other verses. It is possible, by due resolution, to read the first subdivision as 32 syllables and the second as 15—and so in general in the other verses; no remark will be made upon them unless the cases are especially difficult.
2. ⌊3.⌋ As he moved out toward the southern quarter, Indra, coming into being, moved out after, making strength [his] food-eater; ⌊4.⌋ with strength as food-eater doth he eat food who knoweth thus.
3. ⌊5.⌋ As he moved out toward the western quarter, king Varuṇa, coming into being, moved out after, making the waters [his] food-eaters; ⌊6.⌋ with the waters as food-eaters doth he eat food who knoweth thus.
Most of the mss. accent apó ‘nnādī́ḥ (but Bs. has -ò). One or two (I.K.) combine -dī́ṣ kṛtvā́.
4. ⌊7.⌋ As he moved out toward the northern quarter, king Soma, coming into being, moved out after, making the offering (ā́huti) in what is offered by the seven seers [his] food-eater; ⌊8.⌋ with the offering as food-eater doth he eat food who knoweth thus.
5. ⌊9.⌋ he moved out toward the fixed quarter, Vishṇu, coming into being, moved out after, making virā́j [his] food-eater; ⌊10.⌋ with virā́j as food-eater doth he eat food who knoweth thus.
6. ⌊11.⌋ As he moved out toward the cattle, Rudra, coming into being, moved out after, making the herbs [his] food-eaters; ⌊12.⌋ with the herbs as food-eaters doth he eat food who knoweth thus.
7. ⌊13.⌋ As he moved out toward the Fathers, king Yama, coming into being, moved out after, making the call svadhā́ [his] food-eater; ⌊14.⌋ with the call svadhā́ as food-eater doth he eat food who knoweth thus.
8.⌊15.⌋ As he moved out toward men (manuṣyà), Agni, coming into being, moved out after, making the cry svā́hā ('hail') [his] food-eater; ⌊16.⌋ with the cry svā́hāas food-eater doth he eat food who knoweth thus.
9. ⌊17.⌋ As he moved out toward the upward quarter, Brihaspati, coming into being, moved out after, making the cry váṣaṭ [his] food-eater; ⌊18.⌋ with the cry váṣaṭ as food-eater doth he eat food who knoweth thus.
The first pāda is not metrically defined by the Anukr.
10. ⌊19.⌋ As he moved out toward the gods, Īçāna ('the lord'), coming into being, moved out after, making fury [his] food-eater; ⌊20.⌋ with fury as food-eater doth he eat food who knoweth thus.
If nāgī gayatrī means 9 + 9 + 6 (Colebrooke, Miscellaneous Essays, ii. 136, as cited by BR.), the first subdivision here comes so near it as to be capable of being read as 9 + 9 + 7 (being bhurij).
11. ⌊21.⌋ As he moved out toward progeny, Prajāpati ('lord of progeny'), coming into being, moved out after, making breath [his] food-eater; ⌊22.⌋ with breath as food-eater doth he eat food who knoweth thus.
12. ⌊23.⌋ As he moved out toward all the intermediate directions, the most exalted one, coming into being, moved out after, making the bráhman [his] food-eater; ⌊24.⌋ with the bráhman as food-eater doth he eat food who knoweth thus.
The metrical definition of the first subdivision is wanting in the Anukr.