Page:Atharva-Veda samhita volume 2.djvu/243

699 35. With the sacrificial cake as calf, milking well, she draws near to him in the world; she yields (duh) to him all his desires—[namely,] the cow ⌊vaçā́⌋ to him who has presented her.

36. All his desires, in Yama's realm, does the cow ⌊vaçā́⌋ yield to him who has presented her; likewise they call hell the world of him who keeps her back when asked for.

37. Being impregnated, the cow ⌊vaçā́⌋ goes about angry at her master: thinking me barren, let him be bound in the fetters of death.

38. And he who, thinking her barren, cooks the cow ⌊vaçā́⌋ at home (amā́)—his sons and sons' sons also does Brihaspati cause to be asked for.}}

39. She sends down great heat, going about a cow (gó) among kine; further, to the master who has not given her the cow (vaçā́) milks poison.

40. It is a thing dear to the cattle that she is presented to the priests (brahmán); further, that is a thing dear to the cow ⌊vaçā́⌋, that she be an oblation to the gods.

41. What cows the gods shaped out (ut-kḷp), rising up from the sacrifice, of them Nārada selected for himself the fearful viliptī́.

42. The gods questioned (mīmāṅs-) about her: is this a cow ⌊vaçā́⌋, or not a cow.' Of her Nārada said: she is of cows the most truly cow (vaçátama).

The more proper reading in b would seem to be ávaçā́3íti; but all the saṁhitā-mss. read ávaçé ’ti, as in our text, although the pāda gives the sign of protraction (3) also after avaçā, as it should be. But the Prāt. (i. 97) requires -çé ’ti simply: see the rules i. 97 and 105, and the notes to them. The verse (8 + 8: 7 + 10) is very ill described