26. It becomes blue-red; [as] witchcraft, infection, it is driven away (?); her relations (jñātí) thrive; her husband is bound in bonds.
Is RV. X. 85. 28, without variant. Vy àjyate is translated as coming from root aj instead of añj, 'is smeared.' Pāda a perhaps refers to the bloody discoloration of the garment; d to its ill effects if not duly expiated. The Āp.-text (Wint., p. 67 ⌊MP. i. 6. 8⌋) has for a nīlalohité bhavataḥ, as if the garments were two. RV. and AV. pada-texts have āsaktīḥ undivided.
27. Unlovely becomes [his] body, glistening in that evil way, when the husband wraps his own member with the bride's garment.
RV. (x. 85. 30) reads at the beginning açrīrā́, and at the end -dhítsate; Ppp. also has açrīrā; ⌊and tanus for tanū́s⌋. Most of our mss. (all save P.M.W.) give vā́sasas in c, and this is accordingly more probably to be regarded as the AV. reading. ⌊So SPP. with all his authorities.⌋ ⌊The Berlin ed. has vā́sasā, to accord with the RV.⌋ An̄ga might mean 'body' (so the translators). ⌊For vss. 27, 28, 29, cf. respectively MP. i. 17. 8, 10, 9, and see Wint., p. 100.⌋
28. Carving on, carving open, also cutting over apart; see the forms of Sūryā; them also the priest (brahmán) cleans (çumbh).
RV. (x. 85. 35) reads at the end tú çundhati ⌊cf. BR. vii. 261, top⌋. Weber ⌊p. 190⌋ sees in the verse a comparison of the blood on the bride's garment with that from the sacrificial victim when dismembered, the priest having power to cleanse both stains away.
29. Harsh is that, sharp, barbed, poisoned; that is not to be eaten; what priest (brahmán) knows Sūryā, he indeed deserves the bride's [garment].
RV. (x. 85. 34) inserts another etát after káṭukam, and reads vidyā́t for véda in c. The omission of káṭukam (with, in RV., etát) would rectify the meter of a; as it stands, it is an extremely poor "bṛhatī" pāda. Áttave 'to be eaten' is very strange here. Sūryā in c is generally understood to mean 'the Sūryā-hymn.'
The following four verses are found in no other text.
30. That priest verily takes this garment, pleasant, well-omened, who goes over the expiation, by whom the wife takes no harm.
The pada-text reads prā́yaçcittim, undivided; if we had -ttam, yéna would apply to it, instead of to brahmā́. Ppp. reads, for a, b: sa vāi taṁ syono harati brahma vāsas suman̄galan.
31. Do ye (two) bring together a successful (sámṛddha) portion, speaking right in right-speakings; O Brahmaṇaspati, make the husband shine (ruc) for her; let the wooer (sambhalá) speak this speech agreeably (cā́ru).
