Page:Atharva-Veda samhita volume 2.djvu/482

xix. 27-

1. Let the bull (ṛṣabhá) protect thee with the kine; let the virile one (vṛ́ṣan) protect thee with the vigorous ones (vājín); let Vāyu protect thee with bráhman; let Indra protect thee with Indra's powers (? indriyá).

2. Let Soma protect thee with the herbs; let the sun protect with the asterisms; [let] the moon, Vṛitra-slayer, [protect] ⌊thee⌋ from the months; let the wind defend with breath.

3. They call the heavens (dív) three, the earths three, the atmospheres three, the oceans four, the song of praise (stóma) triple, the waters triple: let these triple ones defend thee with the triple ones.

4. The three firmaments (nā́ka), the three oceans, the three bright ones (bradhná), the three at the summit (? vāiṣṭapá), the three Mātariçvans, the three suns, do I arrange (kḷp) as thy guardians.

Nearly ail the mss. read in a nā́kaṅs, and a part also bradháṅs.* The comm. has badhnān, and ⌊some of⌋ our mss. also badh-, although SPP. strangely appears to find no badh- among his authorities. The pada-mss. give nā́kam and ⌊some of them⌋ bradhnán.