Page:Atharva-Veda samhita.djvu/171



first book is made up mostly of hymns of 4 verses each, and no other ground of its existence as a book needs to be sought. It contains 30 such hymns, but also one (34) of 5 verses, two (11 and 29) of 6 verses, one (7) of 7, and one (3) of 9. There are conjectural reasons to be given in more than one of these cases for the exceptional length. Hymns of 4 verses are also found in books vi. and vii. (12 in vi., and 11 in vii.), also 9 in xix. The whole book has been translated by Weber, Indische Studien, vol. iv. (1858), pages 393-430.

1. The thrice seven that go about, bearing all forms—let the lord of speech assign to me today their powers, [their] selves (tanū́).

Ppp. reads paryanti in a, and tanvam adhyādadhātu me for d. MS. combines trisaptā́s in a, and tanvò 'dyá in d. The ṣ of our triṣapta is prescribed in Prāt. ii. 98; vācas p- is quoted under Prāt. ii. 71.

Trisaptā́s is plainly used as the designation of an indefinite number, = 'dozens' or 'scores.' Supposing çrutá to signify one's acquired sacred knowledge, portion of çruti,