11. The one this side, the other hence, from earth, the two fires come together between these two envelops; upon them are set (çri) the firm rays; these the Vedic student stands upon by fervor.
For our obscure first pāda Ppp. substitutes a more translatable version: arvāg anyo divas pṛṣṭhād ito ‘nyaṣ pṛthivyāḥ; and it reads ati for ‘dhi in c; and the comm. has also ati, combining it with the following to atidṛḍhās. ⌊The comm. also has tām (misprinted tā: see "Corrections") for tān in d.⌋
12. Roaring on, thundering, the ruddy white-goer has introduced (? anu-bhṛ) in the earth a great virile member; the Vedic student pours seed upon the surface (sā́nu), on the earth; by that live the four directions.
Extremely obscure, and there are no valuable variants. Ppp. has at the beginning abhikrandann iruṇac chatin̄go; the comm. reads varuṇaḥ çyatin̄go, explaining the latter word by çyetavarṇaṁ jalapūrṇam megham prāptaḥ. The last pāda is found elsewhere, as ix. 10. 19 d, RV. i. 164. 42 b.
⌊For consistency, the Berlin ed. should have abkikrándant.⌋ ⌊The Anukr. defines the vs. as of 50 syllables and appears to scan it as 13 + 11: 11 + 14 = 49. The ms. puts the mark of pāda-division before pṛthivyā́m. This last is a most palpable gloss of sā́nāu. If we reject it, pādas b, c, d are good triṣṭubhs.
13. In the fire, in the sun, in the moon, in Mātariçvan, in the waters, the Vedic student puts fuel; their gleams (arcís) go about separately in the cloud; their sacrificial butter (ā́jya) is man, rain, waters.
Ludwig conjectures "purīṣam fog" in d for puruṣas. Ppp. is too corrupt in c, d to be of service. 'Their' in c, d is tā́sām fem., apparently relating to samidhas 'sticks of fuel,' though we had only the singular in b; but the comm. regards it as 'of fire etc.,' the fem. being used because the last of the series (⌊the meter-disturbing⌋ apsu ' waters ') was feminine—which is possible.
14. The teacher [was] death, Varuṇa, Soma, the herbs, milk; the thunder-clouds were warriors; by them [was] this heaven (svàr) brought.
This verse stands in Ppp. before our vs. 13; it reads at the beginning parjanyas instead of ācāryas, reads in c jīmūtā ”saṅ, and in d svar ābharam. The comm., in order to put some sense into the identification of the teacher with death and Varuṇa, regards it as alluding to the instruction of Naciketas by Death (Kaṭha Upanishad, etc.) and of Bhṛgu by Varuṇa ⌊TA. ix. 1, etc.⌋. ⌊For c, d, Roth compares ÇB. xi. 8. 12.⌋
15. Varuṇa, having become teacher, makes his own (? amā́) the entire ghee; whatever he sought of Prajāpati, that the Vedic student furnished, a friend (mitrá) from his own self.
The translation implies svā́t as the proper pada-reading in d, and the comm. also understands this; but all the pada-mss. read svā́n, as if accus. pl. The end of this verse and the beginning of the next are unfortunately wanting in Ppp.; it reads at the beginning amād idaṁ kṛṇ-. The mss. put the avasāna after prajā́palāu instead of after váruṇaḥ, and SPP. divides accordingly ⌊see his note⌋; our division is changed in obedience to the requirements of the sense. Ludwig understands mitrás as signifying the god Mitra.
