Page:Atharva-Veda samhita volume 2.djvu/406

xviii. 3- kavyāíḥ pitṛ́bhis after satyāís; and TB. has in a tātṛpús, and in b hotrāvṛ́dhas. Nearly all our mss., but, according to his account, only one of SPP's, accent ṛṣíbhis in d.* The comm. glosses jéhamānās with prayatamānās; his explanation of the strange compound stómataṣṭa is in part lost; he understands by gharma the pravargya soma-offering; and he paraphrases sahasram by aparimitaṁ dhanaṁ yathā bhavati. This verse and the next are used by Kāuç. (87. 22) as explained under 2. 34. *⌊SPP. plausibly suggests that the madhyodātta of ṛṣíbhis in this vs. and the next is to be accounted for by the madhyodātta of the corresponding word in RV., to wit, pitṛ́bhis. If he is right, the case is very probably similar to that of ṛṣíbhyas at xix. 22. 14 (cf. the çiṣíbhyas of many mss. in the next vs.!) and to those noted under xiv. 2. 59: other cases at xix. 22. 9, 10; 38. 1 d.⌋

48. The true, oblation-eating, oblation-drinking ⌊ones⌋, that [go] in alliance (sarátham) with the gods, with strong (turá) Indra—come hitherward, O Agni, with the beneficent, exalted (pára), ancient seers, sitting at the gharmá.

49. Approach (upa-sṛp) thou this mother earth (bhū́mi), the wide-expanded earth (pṛthivī́), the very propitious; the earth (pṛthivī́) [is] soft as wool to him who has sacrificial gifts; let her protect thee on the forward road in front.

50. Swell thou up, O earth; do not press down; be to him easy of access, easy of approach; as a mother her son with her skirt (síc), do thou, O earth (bhū́mi), cover him.

The corresponding verse in RV. (x. 18. 11) has at end of b sūpavañcanā́. TA. (in vi. 7. 1) has in a úchmañcasva and ví bādhithās, in b -vañcanā́, and at end of d bhūmi vṛṇu. We had the latter hall-verse above, as 2. 50 c, d. The comm. paraphrases uchvañcasva with ucchūnāvayavā pulakitā bhava. ⌊W. appears to follow the comm. in rendering úc chvañcasva by 'swell thou up.' I do not see why he quit his old version, 'open thyself.' In my Reader, p. 385, I said "Note the meaning of çvañc ['open itself; receive in open arms (as a maid her lover)'] and its concinnity with the metaphor of yuvatí" [of the vs. which precedes alike in RV. and AV.]. At RV. x. 142. 6,