Page:Atharva-Veda samhita.djvu/257

87 (including our P.s.m.E.s.m.I.H.p.m.) make the curious blunder of accenting apvè in b: the comm. explains it as a pāpadevatā, adding the precious etymology apavāyayati apagamayati sukham prāṇāṅç ca. ⌊Weber, ix. 482, thinks apvā has reference to impurity (root pū) and to diarrœha as caused by fear. To Weber's citation (xvii. 184) from the Purāṇa, add the line near the beginning of the Bhīṣma book, MBh. vi. i. 18, çrutvā tu ninadaṁ yodhāḥ çakṛn-mūtram prasusruvuḥ.⌋ The Anukr. ignores the redundancy in a; emendation to cittā́ would remove it.

6. Yonder army of our adversaries, O Maruts, that comes contending against us with force—pierce ye it with baffling darkness, that one of them may not know another.

1. He hath shouted (? krand); may he be protector of his own here; O Agni, bend apart the two widened firmaments (ródasī); let the all-possessing Maruts harness (yuj) thee; lead thou hither with homage yon man of bestowed oblation.

This is a very literal translation of the obscure verse, which is plainly an adaptation or corruption, or both, of a RV. verse in a hymn to Agni (vi. 11. 4: it is repeated, without variant, in MS. iv. 14. 15): ádidyutat sv ápāko vibhā́va ’gne yájasva ródasī urūcī́: āyúṁ ná yáṁ námasā rātáhavyā añjánti suprayásam páñca jánāḥ; and, what is very noteworthy, the latter half-verse of RV. is decidedly more closely reflected in the Ppp. version: amuṁ naya namasā rātahavyo yujanti suprajasaṁ pañca janāḥ; Ppp. has also bhavat at end of a. It could not be expected to find concinnity and sense in a verse so originated; the address seems to be changed from Agni to Indra, and some sort of comparison aimed at between the latter and the reinstated king. The pada-text divides in a sva॰pā́ḥ, and, as the word may be a part of the adaptation ⌊of the original to the purpose of this hymn⌋, the translation so treats it, instead of substituting, as Weber and Ludwig do, su॰apā́ḥ; the comm. explains it both ways: svakīyānām prajānām pālakaḥ sukarmā vā. The comm. makes the king subject of ácikradat in a, apparently takes vyàcasva in b as one word (= vyāpnuhi), tvā in c as designating Agni (yuñjantu = prāpnuvantu, tvatsahāyā bhavantu), and amúm in d as the king.