At the beginning of b, all the mss. read ábhaye, but even SPP. emends to -yam, having the comm. with him. At the end of the same pāda, all ⌊so also Ppp.⌋ give puró yaḥ (p. puráḥ: yáḥ), which SPP. retains; the comm. reads paro yaḥ, but understands it as if páro yáḥ, explaining as jñātād anyaḥ or aparijñātaḥ. Our emendation to parókṣāt is defensible; but the translation implies paró yáḥ, as a less alteration. ⌊In d, Ppp. combines sarvā ”çā and omits máma.⌋ ⌊"Save me from my friends:" cf. ii. 28. 1 d and note; also RV. iv. 55. 5, where the antithesis between jányam áṅhas and mitríyam áṅhas is most instructive.⌋
16. For safety and protection.
[Atharvan.—tṛcam.* mantroktabahudevatyam. 1. anuṣṭubh; 2.3-av. 7-p. bṛhatīgarbhā ’tiçakvarī.⌋ *⌊So the London ms.; the Berlin ms. says in fact dvyṛcam: see under vs. 2.⌋
This and the following hymns, to 23 inclusive, are wanting in Pāipp. The comm. has 16-19 used in the night, in a ceremony to be performed by the purohita, on the entrance of a king into his sleeping-house (according to Pariçiṣṭa iv. 5). The hymn is repeated below as 27. 14, 15.
Translated: Griffith, ii. 276.
1. Freedom from rivals in front, behind us [is] fearlessness made; Savitar [protect] me on the south, the lord of Çachī me on the north.
The comm. takes kṛtám in b as 2d du. impv., = kurutam, in spite of the accent, trying to find a dual subject in the two gods mentioned in c, d; and SPP., in obedience to this, even reads kṛtam, although twelve of his thirteen authorities (with all of ours) have kṛtám, the thirteenth evidently disagreeing with the rest purely by the accidental omission of an accent-mark.* It would not be impossible to take mā in c and d as object of dakṣiṇatás and uttarā́t. *⌊For the use of kṛtám (the participle), cf. tāír me kṛtáṁ svastyáyanam, above, 9. 12 c.—In his Collation Book, W. refers to RV. khila, 3. 4, which reads asapatnám purástān naḥ çiváṁ dakṣíṇataḥ kṛdhi: abháyaṁ sátatam paçcā́d bhadrám uttarató gṛhé.
2. From the sky let the Ādityas defend me; from the earth let the fires defend; let Indra-and-Agni defend me in front; let the Açvins yield (yam) refuge round about; crosswise let the inviolable [cow], let Jātavedas, defend [me]; let the being-makers be my defense (várman) on all sides.