# Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book XIII/Hymn 2

2. To the sun.
Found also in Pāipp. xviii. Only twice (vs. 1) quoted in Kāuç., but several times (eight different verses) by Vāit.
Translated: Ludwig, p. 540; Henry, 8, 36; Griffith, ii. 143.—In this hymn, the sun is mentioned by the name róhita only in vss. 25 and 39-41. Verses 39-41 are translated also by Muir, v. 396; Scherman, p. 75 (with vss. 25-26); Deussen, Geschichte, i. 1. 213 (also vss. 25-26 at p. 226).—The verses 16-24, which are RV. i. 50. 1-9, are translated by the RV. translators, and are commented and in part translated by me in Skt. Reader, p. 362-3.
1. The bright (çukrá) shining lights (ketú) of him go up in the sky—of the men-watching Aditya, him of great courses (-vratá), liberal (mīḍhvā́ṅs).
Ppp. reads in d mahīvr-. Kāuç. 58. 22 prescribes the use apparently of the whole hymn (with xvi. 3 and xvii.) in an act of worship to the rising sun, in a ceremony for long life; also (with the same and other hymns, and xiii. 1. 25) in 18. 25, in the citrākarman: see the note to 1. 25 above. Vāit. 9. 16 uses it in the cāturmāsya ceremony when turning toward the sun in the east.
2. [Him,] shining (svar) with the brightness (arcís) of the foreknowing quarters, well-winged, flying swift in the ocean (arṇavá)—we would praise the sun, the shepherd of existence, who with his rays shines unto all the quarters.
3. In that thou goest swiftly eastward, westward, at will (svadháyā), makest by magic (māyā́) the two days of diverse form—that, O Āditya, [is] great, that thy great fame (çrā́vas), that thou alone art born about the whole world (bhū́man).
'The two days,' i.e. 'day and night' The first pāda is triṣṭubh.
4. The inspired, hasting (taráṇi), shining one, whom seven numerous (bahú) yellow steeds (harít) draw, whom out of the liquid (? srutá) Atri conducted up the sky—thee here they see going around upon thy race.
Half of our mss. appear plainly to read stutā́t in c, but the apparent distinction is of no value; sr and st are virtually one in ms. use. Ppp. helps to establish sru-, by reading, for c, d, çrutād divam atri divam anyanāya taṁ tvā paçyema paryajitim ājim. GB. i. 2. 17 has c (the published text reads stutād), with vs. 12 a, b, as if a verse. ⌊As for the Atri story, cf. my essay on RV. v. 40 in Festgruss an Roth, p. 187. For the construction of ājím, see Ved. Stud. ii. 261.⌋
5. Let them not damage thee going around upon thy race; happily do thou cross the difficulties quickly; when, O sun, thou goest to both sky and divine earth, measuring out day-and-night.
Or, 'sky' and 'earth' may be joint objects of 'measuring' (so Henry, and apparently Ludwig). Ppp. reads paryantam in a, and sugena durgam in b. We have to make the, in its situation, awkward resolution tu-ā in a in order to fill out the meter; ⌊or -yāantam?⌋.
6. Well-being, O sun, [be] to thy chariot for its moving, wherewith thou goest at once about both borders (ánta)—which thy yellow steeds, of excellent draught, draw: a hundred horses, or else seven, numerous.
'At once' (sadyás), doubtless 'on one and the same day'; 'borders,' i.e. 'horizons.' Half the mss. read báhiṣṭhās, both in this and in the next verse. Ppp. has in a carato rathāsi, and in b paryāsi;* and for d, instead of repeating 7 d, it gives tam ā roha sukham āsy açvam. ⌊"Numerous" is fem.; and we may think of "horses" as fem.⌋ *⌊For the relation of pariyāsi to paryāsi, cf. that of -āni yasya to -āṅsy asya, above, x. 7. 20, and see Gram. §233 a.⌋
7. Mount (adhi-sthā), O sun, thine easy-running chariot, rich in rays, pleasant, well-horsed, powerful (? vājín), which thy yellow steeds, of excellent draught, draw: a hundred horses, or else seven, numerous.
All our mss. accent sū́rya in a; our edition emends to sūrya. Ppp. has in b syonosyavahnim. The Anukr. perhaps regards the redundant syllable in b as balanced by the deficiency in a. ⌊Cf. 6 c, d.⌋
8. The sun hath yoked in his chariot, in order to go, his seven great yellow steeds, golden-skinned; the bright one hath been freed from the dimness (? rájas) in the distance; shaking away the darkness, the god hath mounted the sky.
Ppp. reads çūras for sūryas in a, and çakras for çukras in c, and apparently ayun̄kta in b. The verse is very ill defined as simple jagatī; the true reading in b would seem to be híraṇyatvacas.
9. The god hath come up with great show (ketú); he hath wasted away the darkness, hath set up (abhi-çri) the light; that hero, heavenly eagle, son of Aditi, hath looked abroad unto all beings.
Abhi-çri, more literally, 'affix, fasten on' (to the sky). ⌊For the form açrāit, see Gram. § 889 a, and note to vi. 32. 2. For avṛk, Gram. § 832 a.⌋ Ppp. reads in c sthaviras for sa vīras, and has a curious d: ādityāṣ putraṁ nāthagām abhayām atītā.
10. Rising, thou extendest thy rays; thou adornest thyself with all forms; thou illuminest (vi-bhā) with might (? krátu) both oceans, encompassing all worlds, shining.
Ppp. has an altogether different b: prajās sarvā vi paçyasi. ⌊It may be that "adornest" is a slip on W's part. Cf. Henry's note, p. 37-38.⌋
11. They two move on one after the other by magic; two playing young ones go about the ocean; the one looks abroad upon all beings; yellow steeds draw the other with golden [trappings?].
The first three pādas are identical with vii. 81. 1 a-c (repeated at xiv. 1. 23), and are found in other texts: see the note to that verse; the last pāda is peculiar, and, as applying only to the sun, spoils the description of the pair of luminaries, sun and moon, which the verse sets out to make. Henry regards the daily and the nightly sun as intended, and the hāiraṇyas as the stars, by means of which the latter finds his way back to the eastern horizon. It would have been better to read yāto ‘rṇavám here, as in vii. 81. 1, since the majority of our saṁhitā-mss. (all save Bs.E.) give it in this place also.
12. Atri maintained thee in the sky, O sun, to make the month; thou goest well-maintained, heating, looking down upon all things that exist.
AH our mss. read in b sū́ryā, as if we had here the compound sūryāmāsá; the pada-mss. have sū́ryā: mā́sāya; the correction to sū́rya seems unavoidable. GB., which has the first two pādas (see note to vs. 4), also gives sūryā-; Ppp. also has it; and, for d, svar bhūtā viçākaçat ⌊so Roth: perhaps a slip for vicāk-⌋.
13. Thou rushest alike (? sam-ṛṣ) to both borders, as a calf to two joint mothers; surely (nanú), that bráhman yon gods have long known.
A naïve extension of the usual naïve figure of the calf: as if he had two mothers, to each of which he showed equal attachment. Bráhman, apparently 'sacred mystery' (so Henry). In d, lit. 'know of old from now.'
14. What is set (çritá) along the ocean, that the sun desires to gain (san); great is stretched out his road, which is both eastern and western.
The pada-text has in b sisāsati ⌊misprinted and corrected by SPP.⌋, and the passage is quoted as an example under Prāt. ii. 91; iv. 29, 82. Ppp. reads adhi for anu in a.
​15. That one he attains completely (sam-āp) with his swiftnesses; that he desires not to neglect (? apa-cikits); by that [men] do not appropriate the gods' draught of immortality (amṛ́ta).
Apa-cikits, lit. 'desire to think away from,' with abl.; the expression is found only here. The logic of d is not obvious; Henry supplies 'the demons' as subject of áva rundhate; Ludwig renders it as a singular. Ppp. reads jigitsati in b; and, in c etc., bhakṣaṇaṁ devānān naṁ va ru-; bhakṣaṇam is an improvement; the meter of c halts badly without it.
16. This heavenly Jātavedas the lights (ketú) draw (vah) up, for every one to see the sun.
Or sū́ryam may be in apposition with jātávedasam. 'Draw,' i.e. as horses do. This verse, with the eight that follow, constitute RV. i. 50. 1-9, in the same order of verses, and with few variants; they are also all found in one or more other Vedic texts: this one in SV. (i. 31), VS. (7. 41; 8. 41; 33. 31), TS. (i. 2. 8$^2$; 4. 43$^1$), and MS. (i. 3. 37)—in all, without a variant. The whole hymn ⌊i.e. vss. 16-24⌋ is repeated further in xx. 47. 13-21. This verse is used three times in Vāit.: at 21. 23; at 33. 5 (with the following five verses); and at 39. 16 (with the following two verses). ⌊The pratīka is cited at MGS. i. 2. 4. The frequency of the citation or occurrence of the verse may be judged by consulting MGS. Index, p. 148.⌋
17. Away go, like thieves, these asterisms with their rays (aktú), for the all-beholding sun.
Or c may possibly mean 'for all to behold the sun.' The remaining verses (17-24) of the RV. hymn ⌊i.e. i. 50. 1-9⌋ are found in SV. only in the Nāigeya appendix to the first book; this one (i. 634) has no variant. Henry renders aktúbhis 'with the night.'
18. The lights (ketú), the rays of him have been seen abroad among the peoples, like shining fires.
Of the other texts, only VS. (viii. 40) follows RV. in reading at the beginning ádṛçram; the others (SV. i. 635; MS. i. 3. 33) agree with our text.
19. Speedy, conspicuous to all, light-making art thou, O sun; thou shinest unto everything, O bright space (rocaná).
All our mss. read at the end rocana, save Bs., which has rocanam, and M., rocanám and the translation follows them, although the word is a senseless variant of rocanám, which is given by RV., and by all the other texts: SV. (i. 636), VS. (xxxiii. 36), TS. (i. 4. 31$^1$), TA. (iii. 16. 1), and MS. (iv. 10. 6). Ppp. has rocanā.
20. In front of the clans of the gods, in front of those of men thou risest; in front of every one, for seeing the sky (svàr).
RV. reads at end of b mā́nuṣān, and SV. (i. 637) has the same.
21. With whom [as] eye thou, O purifying Varuṇa, seest him that busies himself among the people (jánān).
SV. (i. 638) reads at the beginning yéna; VS. (xxxiii. 32) agrees with RV. and our text.
​22. Thou goest through the sky, the broad welkin (rájas), fashioning (mā) the day with [thy] rays, seeing the generations (jánman), O sun.
RV. reads áhā in b. S V. (i. 639) has the same, and also úd for ví at the beginning, and rájaḥ p-. Henry again renders aktúbhis 'with the night.'
23. Seven yellow steeds, O heavenly sun, draw in the chariot thee the flame-haired, the out-looking.
RV. reads at the end vicakṣaṇa, and SV. (i. 641) and TS. (ii. 4. 14$^4$) agree with it. MS. (iv. 10. 6) has instead purupriya, and, in the preceding word, çocíḥk-.
24. The sun hath yoked the seven neat (çundhyú) daughters of the chariot; with them, [who are] self-yoked, he goeth.
SV. (i. 640) reads in b naptryàḥ, and TB. (ii. 4. 5$^4$), according to its commentary, has ⌊naptriyaḥ⌋, although ná príyaḥ is printed instead in the text ⌊of Calcutta, and naptríyaḥ in the Poona text, p. 518⌋. So also in c, ⌊the Calc. ed.⌋ the printed text has yāsi, but the comm. yāti; ⌊while in the Poona ed. both text and comm. give yāti⌋.
25. The ruddy one hath mounted the sky with penance, [he] rich in penance; he comes to the womb (yóni), he is born again; he hath become over-lord of the gods.
Ppp. reads in a ā ’kramīt. The Anukr. regards the verse as one of four pādas (8 + 6: 12 + 11); but the first two are plainly one triṣṭubh pāda, with tápasā intruded into it. Rohita appears here for the first time in this second hymn, instead of simply the sun; nor do we meet him elsewhere, save in vss. 39-41.
26. He who belongs to all men (-carṣaṇí) and has faces on all sides, who has hands on all sides and palms on all sides—he brings together with his (two) arms, together with his wings (pl.), generating heaven-and-earth, sole god.
The verse is, with considerable variations, RV. x. 81. 3, found also in VS. (xvii. 19: same text as RV.), TS. (iv. 6. 2$^4$), TA. (x. 1. 3), and MS. (ii. 10. 2). None of the other texts has yás in b, and only MS. in a; they begin viçvátaçcākṣur (but MS. yó viçvácakṣur); in b, RV.VS. begin with viçvátobāhur, TS.TA.MS. -hasta, and all end with viçvátaspāt; in c, for bhárati, RV. (and VS.) has dhámati, TS.TA. námati, MS. ádhamat; in d, RV.VS.MS. give dyā́vābhū́mī. Ppp. agrees with RV. in b-d. The meter, fairly regular in RV., is distorted greatly in our text (13 + 13: 11 + 12 = 49); the Anukr. gives an acceptable definition of it. The sense also is much defaced in the first line as we have it. Vāit. 29. 14 uses the verse to accompany a certain graha in the building of the fire-altar.
27. The one-footed strode out more than the two-footed; the two-footed falls upon (abhi-i) the three-footed from behind; the two-footed strode out more than the six-footed; they sit together [about] the body of the one-footed.
28. When, about to go unwearied, he hath approached (ā-sthā) his yellow steeds, he, shining (ruc), makes for himself two forms; rising rich in lights (ketú-), overpowering the dim spaces (rájas), thou illuminest (vi-bhā), O Āditya, all the advances.
Ppp. has for b divi rūpaṁ ⌊kṛṇuṣe; it further combines viçvā ”ditya in d⌋. ⌊Pāda b is identical with 42 b.⌋ ⌊Pischel translates the vs., Ved. Stud. ii. 76.⌋
29. Verily (báṭ), great art thou, O sun; verily, O Āditya, great art thou; great is the greatness of thee the great one; thou, O Āditya, art great.
This verse is RV. viii. 90 (or 101). 11, and is found also in VS. (xxxiii. 39) and SV. (i. 276; ii. 1138), while its pratīka is given by TB. (i. 4. 5$^3$: very strange, since the whole verse occurs in no Tāittirīya text). RV. and VS. read, for c, d, mahás te sató mahimā́ panasyate ‘ddhā́ deva mahā́ṅ asi; ⌊the vs. is repeated in RV. form at xx. 58. 3;⌋ and SV. the same, except paniṣṭama mahnā́ for panasyate ‘ddhā́.
30. Thou shinest (ruc) in the sky, thou shinest in the atmosphere, O flying one; on the earth thou shinest, thou shinest within the waters; both oceans thou hast penetrated (vi-āp) with thy sheen (rúci); a god, O god, art thou, a heaven-conquering bull (mahiṣá).
Ppp. reads at the end svarvit. The Anukr. understands the structure of the verse as 12 + 9 + 7: 12 + 11 = 51; but it is plainly a mixed triṣṭubh-jagatī, rather, with patan̄ga intruded at the end of a, and possibly one rócase in b. All the mss. accent patan̄ga, because they reckon it, with the Anukr., as first word in a pāda; it should properly be patan̄ga.
31. Hitherward from afar, extended (pra-yam) in mid-route, swift, inspired, flying, he the flying one, perceived (? vícitta) [as] Vishṇu, surpassing (adhi-sthā) with strength—he overpowers with his show (ketú) all that stirs.
Ppp. reads at the beginning arvāk. ⌊'Perceived as Viṣṇu': cf. note to xiii. 4. 46.⌋
32. Wondrous, understanding (cikitvāṅs), a bull (mahiṣá), an eagle, making to shine the two firmaments (ródasī), the atmosphere—day-and-night, clothing themselves about with the sun, lengthen out all his heroisms.
The adjectives in a, b are nom. masc. sing., and the shift of construction in the second half-verse is a notable one. Ppp. combines suparṇā ”roc-, and reads rodasīm in b. The verse is used in Vāit. 33. 8 in a sacrificial session, with the remaining verses to the end of the hymn. Ppp. puts our vs. 33 before this. ⌊The first pāda is nearly the same as 42 c.⌋ ⌊Henry discusses the vs. in Mém. de la Soc. de linguistique, x. 86.⌋
​33. Keen (tigmá), shining out (vi-bhrāj), sharpening himself, granting the helpful (? araṁgamá) advances, a winged one full of light, a vigor-bestowing bull (mahiṣá), he hath approached (ā-sthā) all the directions, arranging (kḷp).
Ppp. reads in a-b tanvaç çīçāno ‘raṁgamāsun dhravato rarāṇāḥ, and in d combines viçvā ”sthāt. ⌊Pischel translates the vs., Ved. Stud. ii. 75-6.⌋ ⌊See my discussion of accusatives pl. fem. in -āsas and of this passage in Noun-Inflection, p. 363.⌋
34. Wondrous front [and] show (ketú) of the gods, the sun, full of light, going up the directions (pradíç), the day-maker, bright (çukrá), hath overpassed with brightnesses (dyumná) the glooms (támas) [and] all difficulties.
This verse and the next are repeated as xx. 107. 13, 14. The definition of this one by the Anukr. ⌊as 40 syllables is right from its point of view; but the verse⌋ is evidently meant for a triṣṭubh, and can easily be read into a respectable one, according to the low standard of AV. triṣṭubhs, by a few judicious resolutions. The harshness and obscurity of the constructions in a, b are indications of a corrupted text; Henry renders pradíças by 'toward the celestial regions,' Ludwig by 'from the horizon'; the translation above simply adheres to the usual sense of the word. Verses 34-36 are directed in Vāit. 39. 16 to be used alternatively in the praise of the sun; in 21. 23, the pratīka, namely citraṁ devānām (quoted with vs. 16), might apply either to this verse or to the next.
35. The wondrous front of the gods hath arisen, the eye of Mitra, of Varuṇa, of Agni; he hath filled heaven-and-earth, the atmosphere; the sun is the soul of the moving creation (jágat) and of the stationary (tasthivā́ṅs).
The verse is RV. i. 115. 1 (only variant ā́: aprāḥ in c), and it is found almost everywhere else: thus, in SV. (i. 630: Nāigeya appendix), VS. (vii. 42; xiii. 46), TS. (1. 4. 43$^1$; ii. 4. 14$^4$), TB. (ii. 8. 7$^3$), TA. (i. 7. 6; ii. 13. 1), MS. (i. 3. 37), AA. (iii. 2. 3); all have the same text as RV.; and so, apparently, has Ppp., ⌊combining, however, āprādyā-⌋. ⌊Deussen, Geschichte, i. 1. 213, interprets the vs.⌋ The quotation in Vāit. 33. 6 evidently applies to the verse as AV. xx. 107. 14. ⌊in d, jágas tas- is a misprint for jágatas tas-: an interesting instance of most modern haplography.⌋
36. Flying on high (uccā́), the red eagle, in the midst of the sky hasting, shining—may we see thee, whom men call the impeller (savitṛ́), the unfailing light which Atri found.
Ppp. has the better reading paçyema in c. ⌊Restore the lost accent-mark under the ṇim of taráṇim.⌋
37. To the eagle running on the back of the sky, to the son of Aditi, I, frightened, approach (upa-yā), desiring refuge; do thou, O sun, lengthen out for us a long life-time; may we take no harm; may we be in thy favor.
The verse is obviously a regular triṣṭubh, with nāthákāmas intruded in b: its description by the Anukr. ⌊gives the verse 48 syllables; but how pañcapadā virāḍgarbhā is to be understood is not clear⌋. ⌊The verse is quoted in Vāit. 18. 7, in the agniṣṭoma.⌋
​38. A thousand days' journey are expanded the wings of him, of the yellow swan flying to heaven; he, putting all the gods in his breast, goes viewing together all existences.
We had the verse above as x. 8. 18, and it is repeated again below as 3. 14. Ppp. reads in c sa vicvān devān.
39. The ruddy one became time, the ruddy one in the beginning Prajāpati; the ruddy one [is] face (mouth?) of the sacrifices; the ruddy one brought the bright sky (svàr).
Ppp. reads in a loko ‘bhavat (our 40 a), and, for d, rohito jyotir ucyate.
40. The ruddy one became the world; the ruddy one overheated the sky; the ruddy one with his rays goes about over the earth, the ocean.
Or (b) 'went heating across the sky' (so Henry). Ppp. reads in a bhūto ‘bhavat, omits b, and has bhūmyaṁ in c ⌊cf. its nāryaṁ for nārīm, xiv. 1. 59, note⌋.
41. All the quarters did the ruddy one, over-lord of the sky, go about upon; the sky, the ocean, also the earth—all that exists doth he defend.
Ppp. has in a (better) saṁ carati; in b it combines rohito adh-; in c it has again bhūmyaṁ; in d, sarvalokān vi.
42. He, mounting, glowing [and] unwearied, the great [spaces], makes for himself, shining (ruc), two forms; wondrous, understanding, ⌊bull,⌋ wind-going (??), when he shines out (vi-bhā) upon as many worlds [as there are].
That is, 'upon all existing worlds.' The second pāda is 28 b above; the third, nearly 32 a. The rendering of vātamāyās (p. vā́tam॰āyāḥ) in c is purely to fill up the text. Henry emends to vā́tam ā́pas; Ludwig renders 'possessing wind-magic' The Anukr. passes without notice the redundant syllable in c. Ppp. has a quite different version of much of the verse: ārohan chakro vṛhatīr yuṁktor amartyāṣ kṛṇuṣe vīryāni: divyas suparṇo muhiṣaṁ vātaraṅhāya: sarvāṅl lokāṅ abhi etc. This would suggest vātaraṅhās 'wind-swift' as emendation of vātamāyās.
43. The one he falls upon (abhi-i), the other he casts about—the bull, arranging with day-and-night; we, imploring, call upon the track-finding sun, dwelling in the welkin (rájas).
In the very obscure first half-verse, the two anyat's may be subjects instead (so Ludwig and Henry), asyate being taken as passive—which would seem more natural, save that then the nominative in b is left without construction. Ppp. reads in a-b eti sadyo ‘yaṁ vasāvam aho-, and in d nāthamānāḥ. The verse (12 + 12: 11 + 12 = 47) is a very irregular '"jagatī."
44. The earth-filling bull (mahiṣá), track of the implorer, of undamaged sight, hath encompassed the all; beholding (sam-paç) the all, beneficent, reverend, let him hear this which I say.
45. The greatness of him exceeds (pári) the earth, the ocean; shining abroad with light, it exceeds (pári) the sky, the atmosphere; beholding the all, beneficent, reverend, let him hear this which I say.
Ppp. again objects to our second half-verse, and gives instead: ahorātrābhyāṁ saha saṁvasānā uṣā nīyus pratarād aviṣṭam. The "jagatī" is again a very rough one ⌊as the Anukr. in part admits⌋. ⌊W. interlines "encompasses" as an alternative to "exceeds."⌋
46. Agni hath been awakened by the kindling of men to meet the dawn coming like a milch-cow; like young (yahvá) [birds?] rising forth to a branch, the lights (bhānú) go forth unto the firmament (nā́ka).
Ppp. reads in d sasṛje. The verse is RV. v. 1. 1, and is found also in other texts: SV. (i. 73; ii. 1096), VS. (xv. 24), TS. (iv. 4. 4$^1$), and MS. (ii. 13. 7), everywhere without a variant. ⌊SV. (both occurrences) reads sasrate in d; TS. accents achá at the end.⌋ It is quoted in Vāit. 29. 8, apparently in connection with the verses that follow it in RV. (iti trāiṣṭubhīḥ).
⌊Here ends the second anuvāka, with 1 hymn and 46 verses. The quoted Anukr. says ṣaṭ çatvāriṅçat.⌋