Translated: Muir, OST. i.2 396; Griffith, i. 203; Weber, xviii. 201.—Treated by Roth, Ueber den AV., p. 9; also by R. Garbe, Wissenschaftliche Monatsblätter, Königsberg, 1879, no. 1.—A note in lead-pencil shows that Whitney meant to rewrite his ms. of this hymn.* But the reader may consult the recent detailed comment of Weber.—Weber assigns vss. 1-3, 6, 8, and 10 b, c, d to Varuṇa; and 4, 5, 7, 9, and 10 a to Atharvan. Varuṇa has a mind to take back the cow which he gave to Atharvan, but gives up his intention at the request of Atharvan. Further reference to this legend seems to be made at vii. 104. 1. *⌊Possibly the copy from which this is set is a second draft.⌋
1. How unto the great Asura didst thou speak here? how, with shining manliness, unto the yellow (hári) father? having given, O Varuṇa, a spotted [cow] as sacrificial fee, thou hast with the mind intended (? cikits) re-bestowal (?).
The second half-verse is probably meant as what was "spoken." The translation of d implies Aufrecht's acute emendation (in Muir) of the reading to punarmaghatvám. The sense of punarmagha is very doubtful: Roth "greedy"; Muir (Aufrecht) "to take her back," and "revoking "; neither seems to belong properly to the word, which ought to mean something like 'bountiful in return': i.e. Varuṇa is expected to give back to Atharvan the cow the latter has presented to him (or another and better one). One might conjecture in c váruṇe 'to Varuna,' and understand cikits as 'impute' or 'expect.' Roth regards the verse as spoken by Varuṇa; Muir, by Atharvan; the former is more acceptable. Ppp. begins kathā diva asurāya bravāmaḥ kathā, and reads pṛçniḥ in c. ⌊R. takes hári as 'wrathful.'⌋
2. Not at pleasure am I a re-bestower; for examination (?) do I drive home this spotted [cow]; by what poesy (kā́vya) now, O Atharvan, [art] thou [poet]? by what that is produced (jātá) art thou jātávedas?
The rendering of b implies the necessary and obvious emendation of sáṁ cakṣe (P.M.W. -kṣve) to saṁcákṣe, infinitive. Kā́mena seems taken adverbially, = kāmāya, kāmam, kāmāt; the god is not to be moved to counter-liberality by the mere desire of his worshiper, but challenges the latter's claim on him. Jātavedas, lit. 'having for possession whatever is produced (or born),' 'all-possessor.' B.P.M. accent átharvan in c; one might emend to átharvā: 'in virtue of what poetic merit art thou Atharvan?' The verse belongs of course to Varuṇa. Ppp. reads in b saṁpṛcchi and upājet.
3. I verily am profound by poesy; verily by what is produced I am jātávedas; not barbarian (dāsá), not Aryan, by his might, damageth (mī) the course which I shall maintain.
Muir ascribes the verse to Atharvan; Roth, better, to Varuṇa; the god asserts that it is he himself to whom wisdom and possession belong; his worshiper is comparatively nothing. Ppp. begins with satvasaṁ and reads mahitvaṁ in c, and haniṣya at the end. The Prāt. (iv. 96) establishes the long ī of mīmāya as a pada-reading. The Anukr. absurdly calls the verse a pan̄kti, although it is an evident triṣṭubh, not less regular than a great proportion of the verses so called. ⌊The me in c is easier rendered in German than in English.⌋
4. None else than thou is more poet, nor by wisdom (medhá) more
