17. O lord of speech, [be] earth pleasant to us; [be] the lair (yóni) pleasant, [be] our couch very propitious; just here be breath in our companionship; thee here, O most exalted one, let Agni surround with life-time, with honor.
Henry understands sakhyé as dat. of sákhi, against the accent. The Anukr. apparently views the verse as ⌊10 + 10: 10 + 12 + 6 = 48⌋. The verse (with the two following?) is included among the vācaspatilin̄gās, used in Kāuç. 41. 15 in a ceremony for good luck. Ppp. reads at the end -ṣṭhi pary ahaṁ varcasā dadhāmi.
18. O lord of speech, the five seasons that are ours, that came forth into being as Viçvakarman's—just here be breath in our companionship; thee here, O most exalted one, let the ruddy one surround with life-time, with honor.
The mss. read in a yé nāu (but I.R. yó nāu ⌊yónāu⌋); ⌊SPP's text and most of his authorities have yé nāu: but two have yónāu;⌋ the edition makes the apparently necessary correction to yé no. ⌊The Anukr. seems to scan as 11 + 12: 10 + 14 + 6 = 53.⌋ Ppp. omits ye nāu (or no) in a, and sam- in b, and āyuṣā near the end.
19. O lord of speech, [generate] well-willing and mind; generate kine in our stall (goṣṭhá), progeny in our wombs (yóni); just here be breath in our companionship; thee here, O most exalted one, I surround with life-time, with honor.
Ppp. reads in b prajām, and in d avahaṁ (for aham), omitting, as before, āyuṣā, ⌊and having again dadhātu at the end, repeated unintelligently from the preceding⌋.
20. May Savitar, god Agni, surround thee [with honor]; with honor may Mitra-and-Varuṇa deck (abhi⌊+dhā⌋) thee; striding down all niggards come thou; thou hast made this kingdom full of pleasantness.
The shift from pári in a to abhí in b makes a mixed and difficult construction. Ppp. combines devo ‘gnir in a and sarvā ’rātīr in c, and reads (better) kṛṇuhi in d.
21. Thou whom the spotted one (f.), the side-horse, draws (vah) in the chariot, O ruddy one, thou goest with brightness (çúbh), making flow the waters.
This verse corresponds to RV. viii. 7. 28, which, however, has considerable variants: for a, yád eṣām pṛ́ṣatī (p. -tīḥ) ráthe; in b, róhitaḥ; in c, yā́nti çubhrā́ (p. -rā́ḥ). As is usual in such cases, some of our mss. read pṛ́ṣṭis in b, and ṛṇán in c. And most read rohitaḥ ⌊unaccented⌋ at end of b (only Bs.R.K. -ta), as if under influence of the RV. version. ⌊SPP. adopts in his text rohita, but reports six of his mss. as giving rohitaḥ, without accent.⌋ Ppp. adds at the end tene ’maṁ brahmaṇaspate ruhaṁ rohayo ’ttamam. The verse is quoted in a ceremony for prosperity' by Kāuç. (24. 42), which volunteers the added explanation dyāuḥ pṛṣaty ādityo rohitaḥ; and it is also included among the puṣṭika mantras: see note to Kāuç. 19. 1. Kāuç. 24. 43 states further that a spotted cow is given (as sacrificial fee); and the comm. appears to direct that vss. 21-26 accompany the gift.
