Page:Atharva-Veda samhita volume 2.djvu/409

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865
TRANSLATION AND NOTES. BOOK XVIII.
-xviii. 3

The corresponding verse in RV. (x. 14. 8) reads in c hitvā́ya, and in d gachasva, continuing the general construction of the verse. The first half is found also in TA. (in vi. 4. 2), which has svadhā́bhis for yaména, and adds after it another sám. We had the last pāda above, as 2. 10 d. The mss. are divided between ávadyam and avadyám in c; both editions give avadyám ⌊with RV.⌋.


59. They that are our father's fathers, that are [his] grandfathers, that entered the wide atmosphere—for them may the autocratic (svarā́j) second life today shape our bodies as he will.

The first half-verse we had above as 2. 49 a, b ⌊and its prior pāda also at 3. 46⌋; the second half-verse corresponds to the second half of RV. x. 15. 14 (and VS. xix. 60), but is much corrupted, even to unintelligibility, so that the translation is only mechanical. RV. reads tébhiḥ svarā́ḍ ásunītim etā́ṁ yathāvaçáṁ tanvàṁ kalpayasva; VS. has tébhyas and kalpayāti, but the rest like RV. The last pāda is identical with vii. 104. 1 d above.


60. Let the mist be weal for thee; let the frost fall down [as] weal for thee; O cool one, possessing cool ones; O refreshing one, possessing refreshing ones; mayest thou be with weal a she-frog in the waters; kindly pacify thou this fire.

Or, 'this Agni.'—Of the ritual use of this verse, the comm. simply says that with it one is to sprinkle the bones of a Brahman with the plants referred to, dipped in water and milk; Kāuç. (82. 26) combines it with 3. 5 ⌊doubtless rather 3. 5 and 6: see under 3. 5⌋, in the manner explained under that verse. ⌊Partly because W. overlooked some TA. variants, it seemed necessary for me to rewrite the next paragraph; but I could not easily indicate my changes and additions by the usual ell-brackets.⌋

The main stock of this verse (pādas c-f) is RV. x. 16. 14 and is the third verse of TA. vi. 4. 1: in both these texts it stands next after the verse which corresponds to our 3. 6 above, namely after RV. x. 16. 13 = TA. vi. 4. 12: see note to 3. 6. Considering how closely it is connected with our 3. 6 in sense and in position in those texts, it is strange that it should be so removed from 3. 6 in AV.—In d part of the mss. (including our Bp.P.M.I.: also the comm.) read hlā́dake hlā́dak-; TA. has hlā́duke hlā́duk-. For e, RV. has maṇḍūkyà sú sáṁ gamaḥ (of which our version, p. maṇḍūkī́: ap॰sú: çám: bhuvaḥ, is no better than a corruption), and TA., again differently, maṇḍūkyàsu (as an adjective, supplying apsu) saṁgamáya; and the comm., finally, maṇḍūkyā ’sya çam bhava: moreover, for the çám of both ed's, some of our mss. (O.Op.R.) and one of SPP's have sám. In e, at the end, RV. has harṣaya and TA. çamáya: our çamaya is better than either.—To the main stock of the AV. verse are prefixed two pādas which agree nearly with the second half of the next verse but one in TA. (vs. 5: interposed as vs. 4 is matter that corresponds to our i. 6. 4 and xix. 2. 1, 2): but for our bhavatu the TA. has varṣatu; and for our çáṁ te pruṣvā́, it has çám u pṛ́ṣṭhā (so Calc.: the Poona ed. accepts pṛ́ṣvā but gives pṛṣṭhā as variant): the comm. glosses pṛṣvā with jalabinduḥ,—For Bloomfield's discussion, see under vs. 6. Bergaigne comments on the verse, Rel. Véd. i. 84, note, ii. 472.


61. Let Vivasvant make for us freedom from fear, he who is well-preserving, quick-giving (? -dā́nu), well-giving; let these heroes be many here; let there be in me prosperity (puṣṭá) rich in kine, rich in horses.