2. So Vishnu praises forth his heroisms, like a fearful wild beast, wandering, mountain-staying,—
From distant distance may he come hither.—
The first two pādas of this verse, with the first two of our vs. 3, form one verse in the other texts: RV. i. 154. 2; TB. ii. 4. 34; MS. i. 2. 9; Āp. xi. 9. 1; and also in Ppp., which has it alone, besides our vs. 1. RV.MS. read vīryèṇa, which is better, in a; TB.Āp. vīryàya instead. Our second pāda forms, together with our (intruded) third pāda, a first half-verse in several other texts: RV. x. 180. 2; SV. ii. 1223; VS. xviii. 71; TS. i. 6. 124; MS. iv. 12. 3; instead of jagamyāt is read jaganthā by all except TS., which has jagāmā; the whole (RV. etc.) verse is our vii. 84. 3 below. The comm. unites to this verse the first two pādas of the one following, which certainly belong much more properly with it; but the mss. and the Anukr. require the division as made in our text; and SPP. also follows them.
3. Upon whose three wide out-stridings dwell all beings.
Widely, O Vishnu, stride out; widely make us to dwell; drink the ghee, O thou ghee-wombed one; prolong the master of the sacrifice on and on.
Made up of the second half of a RV. etc. triṣṭubh verse (see above: no text shows in this half any various readings) and a whole anuṣṭubh verse, which also is found in a number of other texts (VS. v. 38; TS. 1. 3. 41; MS. 1. 2. 13; ĀÇS. v. 19. 3; ÇÇS. viii. 4. 3), and almost without variants (only TS. combines naḥ kṛdhi in b, and MS. reads ghṛtavane in c). ⌊Ppp. ends with b (víçvā)⌋
4. Here Vishṇu strode out; thrice he set down his steps; [it is] collected in his dust.
This and the three following verses form one connected passage also in RV. (i. 22. 17-20) and SV. (ii. 1019-22), but not in the other texts in which they are, in part or all, found. In this verse, RV.SV. read padám at end of b,* and SV. has pāṅsule at end of c. Of the other texts, VS. (v. 15) and TS. (i. 2. 131) agree with RV.; MS. (i. 2. 9 et al.) has padā́, like our text. The meaning of c is obscure and disputed: the comm. here explains thus: viṣṇoḥ...pāṅsumati pāde lokatrayam...samavasthāpitaṁ samākṛṣṭaṁ vā. Henry renders "for him it is reduced to a dust-heap." *⌊SV. also at i. 222.⌋
5. Three steps Vishnu strode out, the unharmable shepherd, ordaining (dhṛ) here (itás) [his] ordinances.
RV.SV. read átas at beginning of c, and VS. (xxxiv. 43) agrees with them; TB. (ii. 4. 61) has instead tátas. It seems hardly possible to give itás its distinctive meaning 'from here'; but Henry combines it with ví cakrame: "from here." The comm. has atas.
6. Behold ye the deeds of Vishṇu, from where he beholds [your] courses (vratá), [he] Indra's suitable companion.
Or yátas in b may mean simply 'as.' Not only RV.SV., but also the other texts containing this verse (VS. vi. 4 et al.; TS. 1. 3. 62; MS. i. 2. 14), have the same readings with ours. The comm. explains paspaçe as spṛçati badhnāti vā!
