4. O Agni, split the skin of the sorcerer; let the harmful thunderbolt smite him with flame (háras); crush his joints, O Jātavedas; let the flesh-eating, flesh-craving ⌊one⌋ divide him.
RV. (vs. 5; its vs. 4 is our 6) reads vṛkṇám for enam at the end. The comm. understands 'a wolf or the like' in d, and takes vi-ci as 'scatter about, dragging him to and fro to eat him.' It more probably refers to the flesh-eating Agni.
5. Wherever now, O Jātavedas, thou seest a sorcerer standing, O Agni, or also moving, also flying in the atmosphere, him [as] archer, pierce with a shaft, being sharpened.
RV. (vs. 6) has a quite different c, yád vā ’ntárikṣe pathíbhiḥ pátantam. Ppp. (vs. 6) reads in d viddhi çarvā. Many mss. (including our Bp.W.E.O.T.) have sárvā in d.
6. By sacrifices, O Agni, straightening (sam-nam) thine arrows, by speech smearing their tips with thunderbolts—with them pierce in the heart the sorcerers; break back (pratīcás) their arms.
'By sacrifices,' 'by speech'—i.e. in virtue of our offerings and praise. RV. (vs. 4) offers no variant; Ppp. (vs. 5) reads çalyam in b.
7. Both those that are seized do thou win (spṛ), O Jātavedas, and also the sorcerers that have seized with spears; do thou, O Agni, first, greatly gleaming, smite [him] down; let the variegated raw-flesh-eating kṣvín̄kās eat him.
This verse differs somewhat, and inconsistently, from RV., which has ā́labdham in a, and, without utá, ālebhānā́t...yātudhā́nāt in b, giving the clear sense 'win away him that is seized from the sorcerer that has seized him,' and agreeing with the sing. tám in d. The AV. version yields no acceptable meaning; and most of the saṁhitā-mss. read ārabdhāṁ in a (including our P.M.W.I.: some of the others not noted), as if the word were after all a singular. The comm. reads kṣvan̄kās in d, and explains it simply as pakṣiviçeṣās. He gives a most absurd version of a, b: 'protect (us) who have begun (to praise thee) and (slay) with spears the sorcerers who have made a noise'! ⌊Comm. seems to read rebhāṇān and to take it from root ribh: cf. note to vs. 21.⌋ Ppp. has our version of a, b, except that it reads utā ”lab- in a, and omits uta in b ⌊i.e., if I understand R., it appears to begin b with ārebhāṇāṅ⌋.
8. Proclaim thou here which that [is], O Agni—the sorcerer that is doing this; him take hold of with the fuel, O youngest [god]; subject him to the eye of the men-watcher.
RV. inserts another yás at beginning of b, and Ppp. has the same. The comm. reads kṛṇoṣi (explaining it ⌊alternatively⌋ as = kṛṇoti) at end of b, and yaviṣṭhya at end of c. ⌊Better, perhaps, in a, 'Proclaim which one he [is]' etc.⌋
9. With sharp eye, O Agni, defend thou the sacrifice; conduct it forward to the Vasus, O forethoughtful one; thee that art harmful, greatly gleaming against the demons, let not the sorcerers injure, O men-watcher.
