# Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VI/Hymn 63

63. For some one's release from perdition (nírṛti).
[Druhvaṇa (?).—caturṛcam. nāirṛtam: 4. āgneyī. jāgatam: 1. atijagatīgarbhā; 4. anuṣṭubh.]
Found also (excepting vs. 3) in Pāipp. xix., the fourth verse not in company with the others. For other correspondences, see under the verses. Used by Kāuç. (46. 19) in an expiatory rite for incontinence, fastening on a rope of darbha; and in rites for welfare (52. 3), with vi. 84 and 121, to accompany acts of release; vs. 4, further (46. 22), in an expiatory rite for a spontaneously kindled fire. Vāit. has the vss. 1, 2, and 4 singly in the agnicayana (28. 27, 26; 29. 8), with the laying of bricks consecrated to nirṛti etc.
Translated: Ludwig, p. 433; Griffith, i. 279.
1. The tie that the divine Nirṛti (perdition) bound upon thy neck, [and] that was unreleasable, that do I untie for thee, in order to long life (ā́yus), splendor, strength; do thou, quickened (pra-su), eat uninjurious (?) food.
Ppp. reads in b avicṛtyam, omits várcase, which is metrically redundant and probably intruded, in c, and has, for d, anamīvaṁ pitum addhi prasūtaḥ, thus getting rid of the extremely obscure adomadám (made more obscure by the occurrence of adomadhá in viii. 2. 18). The comm. takes adomadam as two independent words, and renders it 'producing pleasure for a prolonged time.' The translation given is that of the Petersburg Lexicons. A corresponding verse is found in VS. (xii. 65), TS. (iv. 2. 5$^3$), and MS. ii. 7. 12. VS. and MS. have, in a, b, yám...pā́çam; VS. ends b with avicṛtyám, TS.MS. with avicartyám (all omitting yát). In c, for tát te, VS. MS. have táṁ te, and TS. idáṁ te tát; VS.TS. end it with ā́yuṣo ná mádhyāt, MS. with -ṣo nú mádhye. For d, TS.MS. have áthā jīváḥ pitúm addhi prámuktaḥ, VS. áthāi ’tám pitúm addhi prásūtaḥ. The verse has no jagatī character.
2. Homage be to thee, O Nirṛti, thou of keen keenness; unfasten the bond-fetters of iron. Yama verily giveth thee back to me; to that Yama, to death, be homage.
The "thee" of the second half-verse is doubtless the person on whose behalf the spell is uttered. The first half-verse is found combined with our 3 c, d into one verse in VS. (xii. 63) and TS.MS. (as above). They all read sú for astu in a, and for tiginatejas TS. has viçvarūpe (Ppp. has viçvavāre); their b is ayasmáyaṁ ví cṛtá bandhám etám. Ppp. has -yān pra mumugdhi pāçān for b, and, for c, d, our 3 c, d. The whole verse is nearly repeated below, as 84. 3. Only the last pāda is jagatī.
3. Thou wast bound here to an iron post (drupadá), bridled with deaths that are a thousand. Do thou, in concord with Yama, with the Fathers, make this man ascend to the highest firmament.
4. Thou collectest together for thyself, O Agni, bull, all things from the foe (?); thou art kindled in the track of sacrifice (íḍ); do thou bring to us good things.
This is a RV. verse, found at x. 191. 1 (vss. 2-4 are our next hymn), and is also to be met with at VS. xv. 30, TS. ii. 6. 11$^4$, and MS. ii. 13. 7—in all its occurrences offering precisely the same text. It was noticed above that it occurs in Ppp., but not in connection with the three preceding verses of this hymn—with which, indeed, it has nothing to do as regards sense. It was pointed out in the note to Prāt. ii. 72 that the prescription in that rule of s as the final of only iḍāyās before pada seems a strong indication that this verse was not a part of the AV. text as recognized by the Prāt. The comm. explains iḍas by iḍāyā bhūmyāḥ. ⌊For consistency, sáṁ sam ought to be printed sáṁ-sam.⌋