Ppp. reads, for a, bhūmyāṁ bhūmim adhi dhārayāmi; in c, arpaṇaṁ ca; in d, çuçror apa tad, thus restoring the meter. The verse (12 + 11: 11 + 13 = 47) is very ill defined simply as a jagatī. In Kāuç. 61. 30, the verse accompanies the smearing of a vessel (kumbhī); in Vāit. 28. 12, the fashioning of a kettle.
23. Mayest thou welcome as a mother a son; I unite (sam-dhā) thee that art earth with the earth; a kettle, a vessel, do not stagger upon the sacrificial hearth, overhung by the implements of offering [and] by sacrificial butter.
The first pāda is apparently addressed to the earth, differently from the others. Ppp. puts the verse before our vs. 22, and reads in c kumbhīr vedyāṁ saṁ carantāṁ. One or two of our mss. (Bs.O.) read uṣā́ in c.
24. Let Agni, cooking, defend thee on the east; let Indra, with the Maruts, defend on the south; may Varuṇa fix thee in the maintenance (dharúṇa) of the western [quarter]; on the north may Soma give thee together.
Ppp. corrects the meter of b by reading rakṣāt; and that of d by having varuṇas instead of somas. The verse is irregular, but by no means a jagatī. ⌊If we make varuṇas and somas exchange places, as suggested by Ppp., and read rakṣāt with Ppp., the vs. becomes a good triṣṭubh.⌋ In Kāuç. 61. 32 it is used when arranging the fire about the kettle.
25. Purified with purifiers, they purify themselves from the cloud; they go both to heaven and to earth [as their] worlds; them, lively, rich in life, firm-standing, poured into the vessel (pā́tra), let the fire kindle about.
Ppp. puts the verse after our vs. 26, and reads at end of b dharmaṇā (cf. RV. x. 16. 3 b), and in c, d jīvadhānyāt sametā ⌊cf. vs. 4⌋ pātrā ”siktāt. The verse is defective by a syllable in a, but the Anukr. passes this without notice. Kāuç. 61. 34 quotes the verse to accompany putting into the strainer.
26. They come from the sky, they fasten on (sac) the earth; from the earth they fasten upon the atmosphere; being cleansed, they just cleanse themselves; let them conduct us to the heavenly world.
The accent of çúmbhante in c is unmotived. Ppp. reads ⌊cf. vss. 13 and 21 and note to vi. 115. 3⌋ çundhanti, which (or çumbhanti) is decidedly preferable. That the reading in a is diváḥ p- is noted in the comm. to Prāt. ii. 68.
27. Both as it were prevailing (prabhú) and also commensurate, also bright and clean, immortal—as such do ye, O waters, directed, helping, cook the rich-dish for the two spouses, ye of good refuge.
The translation implies in d emendation of āpaḥ॰çíkṣantīḥ to ā́paḥ çíkṣ-, the former seeming wholly unacceptable. Ppp. combines and reads praçiṣṭā ”pas sīkṣ-. Our text reads with the mss.
28. The numbered drops (stoká) fasten on the earth, being commensurate with breaths-and-expirations, with herbs; being scattered on, unnumbered, of good color, the clean ones have obtained all cleanness.
