40. Let that earth (bhū́mi) appoint unto us what riches we desire; let Bhaga join on after; let Indra go [as our] forerunner.
For consistency, our text should read in c -yun̄tām, as called for by Prāt. ii. 20 (see the note). As noticed above, this verse is in Ppp. joined on to 37 as a part of it; in its place, as conclusion of 39, is given here sā naṣ paçūn viçvarūpān dadhātu jaradaṣṭiṁ mā pṛthivī kṛṇotu. ⌊In d of our vs. 40, Ppp. reads indro yātu.⌋
41. On whom, the earth (bhū́mi), mortals sing [and] dance with loud noises (? vyāìlaba); on whom they fight; on whom speaks the shout (ākrandá), the drum—let that earth (bhū́mi) push forth our rivals; let earth make me free from rivals.
Yudhyánte should be emended to yúdhyante. The verse (8 + 8: 8 + 8: 11 + 11 = 54) has no kakubh element in it, but as çakvarī it is virāj. Ppp. puts the verse after our vs. 42, and reads for b: janā martyā dvāilavā; ⌊in c yudhyante ‘syām; and, for e, f, sā no bhūmiṣ pra dadhatāṁ sapatnāṅ: yo no dveṣṭy adharaṁ taṁ kṛṇotu.
42. On whom is food, rice-and-barley; whose are these five races (kṛṣṭí)—to the earth, whose spouse is Parjanya, fattened (-médas) by the rain, be homage.
With the irregular, but not infrequent, combination yásye ’mā́ḥ in b, the verse is a regular anuṣṭubh; for the epithet svarāj of the Anukr. there is no ⌊sufficient⌋ reason. Ppp. reads for b yatre ’māṣ pañca gṛṣṭayaḥ, and ends with -medhase. Kāuç. uses the verse at 24. 38 (next after vs. 38), and at 137. 24, with homage to the ⌊earth (bhūmi)⌋.
43. Whose are the god-made strongholds; in whose field [men] fall out (? vi-kṛ)—the earth, womb of everything, let Prajāpati make pleasant (ráṇya) to us, spot by spot.
⌊BR. render viçvágarbha by 'Alles im Schoosse tragend.'⌋ Ppp. reads yasyāṁ both times for yasyāḥ; also, at the end, niṣ ṭaṇotu. The Anukr. is more than usually scrupulous in calling the verse virāj. Read in b vikurváte.
44. Bearing treasure [and] good in many places hiddenly, let the earth give me jewel (maṇí), gold; giver of good, bestowing good things on us, let the divine one assign [them to us] with favoring mind.
Ppp. ⌊puts the verse after our 30, and⌋ reads at end of b dadhātu naḥ. Kāuç. quotes the verse at 24. 39, as used by one who desires jewels or gold. ⌊So Keç., p. 322: also SPP. (maṇihiraṇyādikāmaḥ) at p. 20118; but at 20126 he cites the sūtra with Bl's reading (maṇiṁ hir-); cf. Caland, p. 66.⌋
45. Let the earth, bearing in many places people of different speech, of diverse customs (-dhárman), according to their homes, yield (duh) me a thousand streams of property, like a steady (dhruvá) unresisting milch-cow.
Ppp. reads in a janaṁ yaṁ bibhratī bahuvācasaṁ, and in c nas for me. The Anukr. does not heed that the last pāda in this verse, and the last two in vs. 44, are triṣṭubh. ⌊Keç., p. 32231, couples this vs. with the preceding: cf. note to vs. 44.⌋
