9. Let not the dark and the brindled one, sent forth, [seize] thee, that are Yama's dogs, road-defenders; come thou hitherward; do not hesitate; stand not there with mind averted.
Ppp. reads mā ’va for mā vi in c. The comm. omits préṣitāu in a; he ⌊twice⌋ supplies bādhatām as the missing verb in a.
10. Do not follow that road; that is a frightful one—the one thou hast not gone before, that I speak of; to that darkness, O man, do not go forth; [there is] fear in the distance, safety for thee hitherward.
⌊Kāuç. reckons the vs. to the abhaya gaṇa, note to 16. 8.⌋ Ppp. mutilates tamas in c to tam. The comm. reads purastāt in d. ⌊For iyátha, see Gram. §801 d.⌋
11. Let the fires that are within the waters defend thee; let that defend thee which human beings kindle; let Vāiçvānara, Jātavedas defend [thee]; let not [the fire] of heaven consume thee along with the lightning.
Our text should read in d mā́ prá dhāk; the omission of prá is an error of the press. Ppp. reads mā pra dahāt.
12. Let not the flesh-eating [fire] plot against thee; move far from the destroying (sáṁkasuka) one; let heaven defend, let earth defend thee; let both sun and moon defend thee; let the atmosphere defend from the gods' missile.
Most of the mss. (not our Bp.P.M.I.) read rákṣatām in d, which SPP. accordingly (following all his authorities) retains, though the accent is not defensible. ⌊I can find no note to the effect that P.M.I. leave rakṣatām unaccented.⌋ Ppp. puts pādas a, b after c, d. The comm. reads saṁkusukāt in b.
13. Let both the knower and the attender defend thee; let both the sleepless one and the unslumbering one defend thee; let both the guardian and the wakeful one protect thee.
In bodhá and pratībodhá, in a, the radical sense is perhaps more that of 'wake.' The comm. understands six rishis bearing these several appellations to be intended. ⌊Cf. the closely related v. 30. 10, above; also MGS. ii. 15. 1 a, b, c, d, and the Index to their pratīkas.⌋ A similar formula is found also in K. xxxvii. 10; compare further PGS. iii. 4. 17. Ppp. reads anavadrāṇiç ca in b. ⌊In b, the first ca might be dropped, without hurting the meter.⌋
14. Let these defend thee; let these guard thee; to these [be] homage! to these hail!
After gopāyantu, Ppp. inserts te tvāṁ hasassāyatu.
15. Let Vāyu, Indra, Dhātar, the preserving Savitar, assign thee unto converse with the living; let not breath, strength, leave thee; we call after thy life.
