Page:Atharva-Veda samhita.djvu/254



⌊The third book is made up largely of hymns of 6 verses each. It contains 13 such hymns, but also six hymns (namely 4, 7, 13, 16, 24, 30) of 7 verses each, six hymns (namely 5, 6, 11, 15, 19, 29) of 8 verses each, two hymns (namely 12, 17) of 9 verses each, two hymns (namely 20, 21) of 10 verses each, one hymn (namely 31) of 11 verses, and one hymn (namely 10) of 13 verses. See Weber's introduction to his translation, p. 178. The possibility of critical reduction to the norm is well illustrated by hymn 31—compare pages 1 and 37. The whole book has been translated by Weber, Indische Studien, vol. xvii. (1885), pages 177-314.⌋

1. Let Agni, knowing, go against our foes, burning against the imprecator, the niggard; let him confound (mohaya-) the army of our adversaries (pára); and may Jātavedas make them handless.

2. Ye, O Maruts, are formidable for such a plight; go forward upon [them], kill, overcome! The Vasus have killed [them]; suppliant [are] these; for let Agni, their messenger, go against [their foes], knowing.

The second half-verse is rendered literally as it stands, but is certainly badly corrupt. Ppp. has amīmṛcdaṁ vasavo nāthitebhyo agnir hy eṣāṁ vidvān pratyetu çatrūn, which is much more acceptable: nāth- would be 'for [us] who supplicate.' Dūtas seems to have blundered in here out of 2. 1 a. Ludwig emends nāthitā́s to -tā́n, which would improve c, but leave it unconnected with d. In our edition práty etu is an erratum for pratyétu, which all the mss. read. The comm., with his customary neglect of accent,