9 c, d, 10. (9.) With thee, O night, we stay; we shall sleep, do thou watch; yield refuge to our kine, horses, men (púruṣa).
'Stay' (vas) means specifically 'spend the night.' In b the pada-mss. commit the incredible blunder of dividing svapiṣyā́m: ási (or asi); some of the saṁhitā-mss. accent svápiṣyā́- and all either jāgṛhi or jā́gṛhi; SPP. follows us in violating the "ancient accent" and emending a jāgṛhí. In c, Ppp. has yachād aç-.
48. To night: for protection.
[As 47.—ṣaṭ. ānuṣṭubham: 1. 3-p. ārṣī gāyatrī; 2. 3-p. virāḍ anuṣṭubh; 3. bṛhatīgarbhā; 5. pathyāpan̄kti.]
Found also in Pāipp. vi., in connection with hymn 47, with which it also shares its liturgical application.
Translated: Griffith, ii. 305.
1. Now then what things we note, or what things are within the box, those things we commit to thee.
The first pāda here differs widely from the traditional text, which instead of cáyāmahe has ca yásmā (p. yásmāi) āha, or (a minority) yásmāha; the comm's text (according to SPP.) gives ca yasmā ha, but his explanation implies instead yasmāi (explained as = yasya); and SPP. accordingly reads in saṁhitā-text. ca yásmā ha, and in pada-text ca: yásmāi: ha, which is altogether to be condemned, since the two texts must correspond, and yásmā is also no word. SPP. in a note proposes further emendation of our cáyāmahe to ca yā́mahe (= īmahe or yācāmahe), which seems entirely unacceptable, as regards both form and sense. The whole verse is so obscure in meaning that we get little help from this element in reconstruction of the text; yet it is plain that we do not commit to another that which we do not possess, but are only wishing for. Ppp. also fails us; its reading of a, b is atho yāni tamassahe yāni cā ’ntaṣ pareṇihi. The yā́nivāntáḥ of b is by the pada-mss. strangely resolved into yā́n॰iva: antáḥ (but one of SPP's has p.m. yā́ni: vā: antáḥ). It is also strange that SPP. emends to cā ’ntáḥ, on the sole authority of the comm., though as regards the sense there is nothing to choose between ca and vā. All the mss. accent párīṇahi (except our pada-mss., which have pariṇáhi; and one of SPP's has s.m. pári: ṇahi); but SPP. follows our emendation parīṇáhi. Nearly half the mss. have at the end dadhmasi, and Ppp. agrees with them. The comm. in his explanation connects the verse closely with 47. 9: there one's ⌊domestic⌋ animals were spoken of, here one's very numerous house-articles (bahiṣṭhāni gṛhavartīni...vastūni); and in two classes: those out in open sight (anāvṛtadeçe), and those inside an enclosed house or the like (parito naddhe pariçrite gṛhādāu).
2. O night! mother! commit thou us to the dawn; let the dawn commit us to the day, the day to thee, O shining one (vibhādvarī).
Compare 50. 7, below*; also MB. i. 5. 15, where more such commitments are given. The comm. reckons the first division of the verse to vs. 1. The metrical definition of the Anukr. is mere arithmetic (12 + 10 + 8 = 30). The pada-text, both here and below, leaves vibhāvari undivided (RV. vibhā॰vari). *⌊Also vi. 107. 1-4.⌋
3. Whatsoever flies here, whatsoever that is crawling (sarīsṛpá) is here, whatsoever creature is on the mountain—from that do thou, O night, protect us.
