The fourth verse of the RV. hymn is transposed ⌊in the AV. text so as⌋ to follow our vs. 7, and vs. 5 AV. is vs. 5 RV. The other texts ⌊RV. etc.⌋ all read at the end govít; and all except MS. have in c sahojā́s. SPP. retains in a the visarga before stháv-, with the majority of the mss.; he also accepts in c abhíṣatvā, with half the mss., but against all the parallel texts, apparently because the comm. has ṣ. Ppp. reads for d jāitrāyāi ā ratham ā tiṣṭha kovidam. ⌊The govídam of the Berlin text seems to be an emendation. Nearly all the authorities of W. and of SPP., and SPP's text as well, and the comm., have govídan; but one or two have govít, with RV. etc.⌋
6. Be ye excited after this formidable hero; take hold, O companions, after Indra, the troop-conqueror, kine-conqueror, thunderbolt-armed, conquering in the race, slaughtering with force.
We had this verse ⌊which is RV. vs. 6⌋ above, as vi. 97. 3; the reversal in the other texts of the order of the two lines, and the other variants, were there noticed. TS. and MS. alter a little the order of verses: RV. 4 is followed in TS. by RV. 6, 5, 7, and in MS. by RV. 7, 5, 6. The Anukr. reckons vss. 3-6 alike as bhurij, although 3 is redundant by two syllables. ⌊Ppp. reads satvānas for sakhāyas in b.⌋
7. Plunging with power into the cow-stalls, Indra, pitiless, formidable, of hundred-fold fury, immovable, overpowering fighters, invincible—let him favor our armies in the fights.
The stalls, namely, in which the kine are shut up by the Asuras. All the saṁhitā-mss. read ‘dāyá ugráḥ at beginning of b, but all the pada-mss. (except one of SPP's) give adayáḥ, and one of ours puts after it the sign that is wont to be used when a word shows an anomalous change in saṁhitā. RV. ⌊vs. 7⌋ SV.VS. (also K.Kap.: see Schröder's note to MS.) read adayás, and our text follows their authority; but TS. has adāyás (of which the Pet. Lexx. take no notice), and MS. has ādāyás; the comm. reads adāyas, but explains it by nirdayas, as if it were adayás. Adāyás is doubtless the established AV. reading. All the other texts have after it vīrás instead of ugrás. In c, all the others except MS. have ayudhyás. Most of the pada-mss. accent ayodhyàḥ, ⌊and so the pada-reading of MS.⌋. The first pāda is bhurij ⌊read gotrā́?⌋.
8. O Bṛihaspati, fly about with thy chariot, demon-slaying, forcing away our enemies; breaking up our foes, slaughtering our enemies, be thou the helper of ourselves.
Or, 'of our bodies (tanū́).' This verse corresponds to vs. 4 of all the other texts; and they read in concert for c prabhañjánt sénāḥ pramṛṇó yudhā́ jáyann, and at the end ráthānām. The pada-mss. commit the blunder of reading mítrān ⌊or mitrā́n⌋ in b; SPP. emends to amítrān, which the comm. also gives. A number of SPP's saṁhitā-mss. have (after the fashion of MS.) -mitráṅ or -mítraṅ; ⌊cf. note to 27. 4, below⌋.
9. Indra [be] their leader; let Bṛihaspati, the sacrificial gift, the sacrifice, soma, go in front; in the midst of the smashing conquering armies of the gods let the Maruts go.
