Page:Atharva-Veda samhita.djvu/205

35 3. Honeyed (mádhumant) [is] my in-stepping, honeyed my forth-going; with my voice I speak what is honeyed; may I be of honey-aspect.

4. Than honey am I sweeter (mádhu), than the honey-plant more honeyed; of me verily shalt thou be fond (? van), as of a honeyed branch.

5. About thee with an encompassing (paritatnú) sugar-cane have I gone, in order to absence of mutual hatred; that thou mayest be one loving me, that thou mayest be one not going away from me.

1. What gold the descendants of Dakṣa, well-willing, bound on for Çatānīka, that I bind for thee, in order to life (ā́yus), splendor, strength, to length of life for a hundred autumns.

It would rectify the meter and improve the sense (considering that dīrghāyutvá follows) to omit ā́yuse in c; the Anukr. notes the redundancy of the pāda (14 syllables). VS. (xxxiv. 52) has the first half-verse, with a different second half; and so has a RV.