in Kāuç. (41. 13) with iv. 38 and vii. 109, in a rite for good luck in gambling; the dice, steeped (vāsita) in a liquid ⌊dadhi-madhu⌋, are cast on a place that has been smoothened for the purpose. *⌊The mss. seem to have kitava-dvaṁdhana-kāmas. Bloomfield suggests -bandhana-; Dr. Ryder, -dvaṁdva-dhana-; but, considering the relation of bādh with badh, W's -bādhana- seems best in accord with badhyāsam of 1 d.⌋
Translated: Ludwig, p. 455; Zimmer, p. 285 (5 verses); Grill, 71, 180; Henry, 18, 75; Griffith, i. 349; Bloomfield, 150, 548.—Muir, v. 429, may be consulted.—Whitney seems to have intended to rewrite the matter concerning this hymn.
1. As the thunderbolt always strikes the tree irresistibly, so may I today smite ⌊badh, vadh⌋ the gamblers irresistibly with the dice.
Ppp. reads, in b, viçvāhaṁ, and, for c, evā ’ham amuṁ kitavam. The comm. has vadhyāsam in d. Compare vii. 109. 4, below. The Anukr. overlooks the deficiency in a.
2. Of the quick, of the slow, of the people that cannot avoid it (?), let the fortune come together from all sides, my winnings in hand.
That is, apparently, so as to be won by me. The meaning of dvarjuṣīṇām in b is extremely problematical; the translators: "wehrlos" etc. Comparison with viçā́ṁ vavarjúṣīṇām, RV. i. 134. 6, and the irregularity of the unreduplicated form, make the reading very suspicious; Ppp. gives instead devayatīm; the comm. explains it ⌊alternatively⌋ as dyūtakriyām aparityajantīnām, sticking to the game in spite of ill luck. For d, Ppp. has antarhastyaṁ kṛtaṁ manaḥ.
3. I praise Agni, who owns good things, with acts of homage; here, attached, may he divide (vi-ci) our winnings; I am borne forward as it were by booty-winning chariots; forward to the right may I further the praise of the Maruts.
The verse is RV. v. 60. 1, found also in TB. (ii. 7. 124) and MS. (iv. 14. 11). All these texts give sv-ávasam in a, of which our reading seems an awkward corruption; in b they have prasattás (but TB. prasaptás); in c they accent vājayádbhis; in d they (also Ppp.) read pradakṣiṇít; at the end MS. has açyām. Some of our mss. (Bp.R.T.) give ṛndhyām. The comm. explains ví cayat as simply = karotu ⌊karotu itself may be used technically; cf. Ved. Stud. i. 119⌋. Kṛtam he understands throughout as the winning die (kṛtaçabdavācyaṁ lābhahetumayam). The verse is brought in here only on account of the comparison in b.
4. May we, with thee as ally, conquer the troop (? vṛt) do thou help upward our side in every conflict; for us, O Indra, make thou wide space, easy-going; do thou break up the virilities of our foes, O bounteous one.
The verse is RV. i. 102. 4, where várivas is read in c instead of várīyas. The comm. explains vṛt as antagonist at play, aṅça as victory (jayalakṣaṇa), and bhara as the contest with dice.
5. I have won of thee what is scored together (?); I have won also the check (?); as a wolf might shake a sheep, so I shake thy winnings.
