*⌊SPP. seems rather to view rāsatām in a as of the plural number, 3d person imperative middle, = dadatu (the ms. of the comm. has in fact dadātu, singular): and plural 3d it might be (from the s-aorist tense-stem rās, used as a secondary root: Gram. §896), thus conforming in number with vahantu. On the other hand, we cannot take rāsatām in c otherwise than as of the singular number, 3d person imperative middle of the a-conjugation, present-stem rāsa: and the identical form in a ought, one would think, to be of the same value. If we take it as singular, and read aṣāḍhā́ as fem. and sing, so as to conform with pū́rvā (p. pū́rvā), then pāda b is intolerably out of congruity with a in the matters of gender and number.—I offer the following suggestions for what they may be worth. First, in spite of the (unauthoritative) pada-reading út॰tare, I would take the úttarā ā́ of the living reciters K.V. as representing a correct metrical utterance of úttarā́ (= út॰tarā: ā́). Secondly, for vahantu I would read vahātu (cf. svadātu, nudātu, muñcātu): this seems to me better than a possible vahāti, and does as little violence to the tradition as the rāsantām and yé hy úttare suggested above. If our vahantu is a corruption, it may well be a faulty assimilation (cf. end of ¶4 of note on xviii. 4. 87) of vahātu to the ending of vs. 5 d.—My text then would be as follows: ánnam pū́rvā (p. -vā) rāsatām (as 3d sing.) me aṣāḍhórjam (p. -ḍhā́: ū́r-) devy úttarā́ vahātu (p. devī́: úttarā: ā́: vahātu): 'may the Former Ashāḍhā give me food; may the Latter, the divine one, bring refreshment.'⌋ †⌊'appears from the Collation Book that RW. meant in fact to print yé hy útta-: but the Berlin ed. has actually yé hy ùtta-, an accent-mark having perhaps slipped to the left, over hyu from over tta.⌋
5. Let Çatabhishaj [bring] to me what is great widely; let the double Proshṭhapadās [bring] to me good protection (suçárman); let Revatī and the two Açvayuj [bring] fortune to me; let the Bharaṇīs bring to me wealth.
There are no difficulties or variants in this verse.
8. For well-being: to the asterisms etc.
[Gārgya.—sapta. mantroktanakṣatradevatyam (6. brāhmaṇaspatyā). trāiṣṭubham: 1. virāḍ jagatī; 6. 3-av. 6-p. atijagatī.]
Verses 4-6 are found in Pāipp. xx. The same viniyoga is pointed out by the comm. for this as for the preceding hymn.
⌊As to the asterisms, and as to the inclusion of the full text of this hymn in the Nakṣatra Kalpa, see introduction to hymn 7.⌋
Translated: Griffith, ii. 267.
1. What asterisms are in the sky, in the atmosphere, in the waters, on the earth, what ones in the mountains, in the quarters, what ones the moon goes on preparing (pra-kḷp), let all those be propitious to me.
The mss., and so SPP., have the incorrect accent prákalpayan in c; it is emended in our text. It is possible, but not natural, to count in the verse 46 syllables, with the Anukr.
2. Let them of the series of twenty-eight, propitious, helpful, together allot to me acquisition (yóga); I go forward to acquisition and possession (kṣéma); I go forward to possession and acquisition; homage be to day-and-night.
