29. To the bráhman, hail!
See above, 22. 20, with which this is identical. This time, two of our mss. ⌊and three of SPP's⌋ have bráhmaṇe; the others, and SPP's text, read brahmáṇe. ⌊As to the meaning, see introduction, p. 932, ¶2.⌋
30. Heroisms were gathered with the bráhman as chief; the bráhman as chief in the beginning stretched the sky; the Brahmán was born as first of creatures; therefore who is fit to contend with the Brahmán?
This is a repetition of 22. 21 above; the commentator's text apparently gives it in full, as SPP. notes that (doubtless only by an accident) it reads this time in c prathamo ‘tha.
24. For prosperity: with a certain garment.
[Atharvan.—aṣṭāu. mantroktabahudevatyam uta brāhmaṇaspatyam. ānuṣṭubham: 4-6, 8. triṣṭubh; 7. 3-p. ārṣī gāyatrī.]
The hymn, except vs. 2, is found also in Pāipp. xv. The comm. points out that it is prescribed by Nakṣatra Kalpa 17-18 to be used in a mahāçānti ceremony called tvāṣṭrī, on occasion of the loss (kṣaya) of a garment.
Translated: Ludwig, p. 458; Griffith, ii. 281.
1. With what [garment] the gods caused to wrap god Savitar, with that, O Brahmaṇaspati, do ye wrap this man in order to royalty.
The translation implies emendation in b of ádhārayan to ádhāpayan; this, obviously suggested by the whole sense of the hymn (and proposed in the Pet. Lex.), is supported by the Ppp. text, which reads devā ’diyāpayan. The comm. reads -dhār-, but explains it as if it were -dhāp-: paritaḥ sarvata ācchādayan. Many of the mss. have adhārayan, unaccented. The comm. quotes TS. vi. 1. 14, to the effect that "this same garment belongs to all the gods," to explain why the verb in the second half-verse is plural.
2. Wrap ye this man [as] Indra in order to life-time, to great dominion, that [it] may conduct him unto old age; may he long watch over dominion.