26. Atharvan, having sewed together his head, and also (yát) his heart—aloft from the brain the purifying one sent [them] forth, out of the head.
'The purifying one' (pávamāna) is soma; it is perhaps identified here with Atharvan; but the whole sense is extremely obscure. Ppp. reads at the end çīrṣṇaḥ.
27. Verily that head of Atharvan [is] a god-vessel, pressed together; breath defends that, the head, food, also mind.
For samubjīta, as said of a koça, compare ix. 3. 20 above. Ppp. reads prāṇo ‘bhi in c, and çrīm for çiras in d. The three nouns in d might be nom. instead of accus.
28. Was he now created upward (ūrdhvá)? [or] was he now created crosswise? did man grow unto (ā-bhū) all the quarters?—he who knoweth the bráhman's stronghold, from which man is [so] called.
The meaning of the protracted final syllables here is unquestionable, although it has been overlooked by both Muir and Ludwig. The cases of protraction call out much treatment from the Prāt.: see the rules i. 70, 97, 105; iv. 6, 120, 121, and the notes upon them. The mss. differ in regard to accenting or leaving unaccented the final syllable of b; nor is the usage of either RV. or AV. sufficiently settled to determine which reading ought to be preferred. Puruṣa in this verse and the sequel seems to approach its later meaning of 'supernal Person or Spirit.' There is no apparent connection between the two halves of the verse: for the second, see vs. 30. The whole verse is wanting in Ppp. The Anukr. should have called it a prastārapan̄kti; bhurig bṛhatī is purely mechanical (10 + 11: 8 + 8 = 37).
29. Whoever indeed knoweth that bráhman's stronghold, covered with amṛ́ta—unto him both the bráhman and the Brahmans have given sight, breath, progeny.
The verse is found also in TA. (i. 27. 3), which reads purīm at end of b, brahmā for brāhmāç in b, and āyuḥ kīrtim for cakṣuḥ prāṇam in d (the accentuation is corrupt and worthless through the whole verse). Ppp. has also in d āyuṣ for cakṣuḥ, and at the end dadhuḥ.
30. Him verily sight doth not desert, nor breath, before old age, who knoweth the bráhman's stronghold (púr), from which man (púruṣa) is [so] called.
The latter half-verse is identical with 28 c, d. Ppp. reads puraḥ at end of b, and yasmāt in d.
31. Eight-wheeled, nine-doored, is the impregnable stronghold of the gods; in that is a golden vessel, heaven-going (svargá), covered with light.
The verse is found also in TA. (i. 27. 2-3), which reads hiraṇmayas in c, and inserts lokás after svargás in d. ⌊Reminiscences of this verse are seen in x. 8. 43 a, b.⌋
32. In that golden vessel, three-spoked, having three supports—what soul-possessing monster (yakṣá) there is in it, that verily the knowers of the bráhman know.
Ppp. reads in b tridive for tryare, and, in c, antar for yakṣam. ⌊Pādas c, d recur at x. 8. 43 c, d.⌋
