53. Her, let go by Brihaspati, all the gods maintained; what splendor is entered into the kine, with that do we unite this woman.
⌊Cf. Böhtlingk, ZDMG. liv. 614.⌋ Besides the use of vss. 53-58 made by Kāuç. 75. 25, as noticed in the preceding note, they are again applied in 76. 31, when at the end of the wedding ceremony the bride is sprinkled with fragrant powders. The connection of ávasṛṣṭām with ávā ’sṛkṣata in vs. 52 c, suggests dīkṣam as the word to be supplied in the first lines of these verses; and so Ludwig translates.
54. Her, let go etc. etc.; what brilliancy (téjas) is entered etc. etc.
55. Her, let go etc. etc.; what fortune (bhága) is entered etc. etc.
56. Her, let go etc. etc.; what glory is entered etc. etc.
57. Her, let go etc. etc.; what milk (páyas) is entered etc. etc.
58. Her, let go etc. etc.; what sap is entered etc. etc.
Of these six verses, differing from one another only in one word, Ppp. omits one (58), and puts 55 after 56.
59. If these hairy people have danced together in thy house, doing evil with wailing—from that sin let Agni and Savitar release thee.
This and the three following verses are discussed by Bloomfield in AJP. xi. 336 ff. ⌊or JAOS. xv., p. xliv. = PAOS. for Oct. 1890⌋. They evidently have no connection originally with marriage ceremonies, but rather with wailings for the dead, which are regarded as ill-omened and requiring expiation.* ⌊Cf. the following verses.⌋ Kāuç. quotes only this one (79. 30), and for no definite purpose, combining it with 1. 46 (see note to the latter). Ppp. reads in a yad amī for yadī ’me, and in c kṛṇvatīs. The false accent kṛṇvantás (which our edition has not corrected) is read by all our mss. save one (D.).
⌊The case is nearly the same with the authorities of SPP., who says, "This reading [kṛṇvantó] appears ancient, traditional, and general." A note in my copy of AV. suggests that the blunder may have crept in from vs. 61; and I find my surmise confirmed not only by SPP. (who, however, attributes the wrong accent and kampa to vs. 60; see his note), but also by the fact of similar occurrences elsewhere: cf., for example, the curious avagraha of sám॰jñapayāmi at vi. 74. 2 (and my note); the impossible ví॰bhāti at xiii. 3. 17, and note; etc.⌋
*⌊Cf. Francis James Child, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, part x., p. 498, under the heading "Tears destroy the peace of the dead," and the citation from MBh. xi. 1. 42-43 given on p. 294 of the same part: "For they [the tears], like sparks, 'tis said, do burn those men [for whom they're shed]."⌋ ⌊See Lüders, ZDMG. lviii. 507.⌋
60. If this daughter of thine has wailed with loosened hair (vikeçá) in thy house, doing evil with wailing—from that sin etc. etc.
Ppp. has a very different text: yad āsāu ⌊! yadā ’sāu?⌋ duhitā tava vikreṣv arujat: bahu rodhena kṛṇvaty agham.
