Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VII/Hymn 51 (53)
51 (53). For protection by Brihaspati and Indra.
[An̄giras.—bārhaspatyam. trāiṣṭubham.]
Found also in Pāipp. xv. The verse is RV. x. 42. 11 (also in TS. iii. 3. 111). In Kāuç. (59. 19) it is used with hymn 17 etc. (see under that hymn); and it is reckoned (note to 25. 36) to the svastyayana gaṇa. In Vāit. (25. 2) it goes with hymns 44 and 58; see under 44. The comm. quotes it also from Çānti K. (15) in a sacrifice to the planets (grahayajñe), and from Nakṣ. K. ⌊should be Çānti⌋ (18), in a maāçānti called bārhaspatyā.
Translated: Henry, 19, 78; Griffith, i. 351.
1. Let Brihaspati protect us round about from behind, also from above, from below, against the malignant one; let Indra from in front and from midway make wide space for us, a companion for companions.
The directions admit also of being understood as from west, north, south, and east. RV. (and TS.) reads várivas in d, and so does Ppp. (varivaṣ kṛṇotu).
The fourth anuvāka ends here; it has, according to our division, 13 hymns and 30 verses; the other division counts 14 hymns; the quoted Anukr. is to this effect: dvāu pañcarcāu saṁniviṣṭāu caturthe; and, for the hymns: caturthe trayodaça sūktāḥ—thus sanctioning our division.