Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VII/Hymn 34 (35)

34 (35). To Agni: against enemies.

[Atharvan.—jātavedasam. jāgatam.]

Found also in Pāipp. xx. (but only the first half-verse). Used by Kāuç. (36. 33), in a rite concerning women, to prevent generation of a male child; also (48. 37), with hymn 31 etc., against enemies: see under 31. Vāit. (29. 6) applies the verse, with the next, 35. 1, in the agnicayana, while the bricks called asapatna are laid on the fifth course of the fire-altar.

Translated: Henry, 13, 66; Griffith, i. 343.

1. O Agni, thrust forth my rivals that are born; thrust back, O Jātavedas, those unborn; put underfoot those that want to fight [me]; may we be guiltless for thee unto Aditi.

The first half-verse (with a totally different second half) occurs also in VS. (xv. 1), TS. (iv. 3. 12¹), TA. (ii. 5. 2), and MS. (ii. 8. 7). ⌊Cf. Kaṭha-hss., p. 73.⌋ They all read nas instead of me in a; and VS. has ṇuda (not ṇudā) before it, and nuda jātavedaḥ at end of b. The comm. (backed up by two or three of SPP's authorities) understands té instead of te in d, and SPP. (unwisely) adopts that reading in his text. The meter is too irregular to be properly called simple jagatī. ⌊The excision from d of vayám and the worse than superfluous te would make all regular, 11 + 11: 12 + 11.⌋ ⌊Ppp. in a exchanges the place of jātān and sapatnān and omits me; has çṛṇīhi for nudasva in b; and omits c, d.⌋