# Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book XVII/Hymn 1

1. Prayer and praise to Indra and the Sun.
The Anukr. has some bad readings and confusions in its account of the book, but they do not concern things of much consequence. ⌊So Whitney, in a note to vs. 5, which note I have transposed hither. He had altered (as often, for brevity) the order of his excerpts from the Anukr.: but I have restored them in this case to the order of the original. Moreover, there are several trifling items which he has omitted or misapprehended: and these I have added or tried to set right without marking them with the usual ell-brackets.⌋
⌊Notes to the Anukramaṇī-excerpts. $^1$⌊The text begins, viṣāsahir ṛcas triṅçat, which is taken from the Old Anukr.: see p. 812.⌋ $^2$⌊As to the structure and count of vss. 1-5, see page 805, ¶ 4⌋ $^3$⌊Text reads simply udihīti dve asati sad atyaṣṭayaḥ: read ity aṣṭayaḥ? or, perhaps, ity atyaṣṭayaḥ? but see note to verse 7.⌋ $^4$⌊The statements concerning the try-avasāna verses are given in two instalments and are entirely correct, although the Berlin edition makes them seem partially incorrect: vss. 1-5 are 3-av. in both ed's; 6-8 and 10-13, 16, 18-19, 24 are 3-av. in the mss. and the Bombay ed. and are 4-av. in the Berlin ed.: see page 805, ¶ 5, above.⌋ $^5$⌊The text says aṣṭāu [should be pañca] ṣaṭpadāḥ, çeṣāḥ saptapadāḥ: 'the rest' (çeṣāḥ) are those that remain after taking out from the verses thus far discussed those verses (1-8[5], 9-10, 14-15, 17) the number of whose pādas has been already stated: and the Anukr. therefore means (after emending aṣṭāu to pañca), 'verses 1-5 are of 6 pādas, while the rest,—namely verses [6-8,] 11-13, 16, 18-19, 24,—are of 7 pādas'; and this is quite correct⌋ $^6$⌊See note to vs. 22 and cf. note to xvi. 8. 1.⌋
⌊Partly prose—verses 20-23: see ¶ 1, on this page.⌋
The hymn, or anuvāka, or book, occurs (except vss. 13, 14, 24) also in Pāipp. xviii., following immediately upon what represents our xvi.
A few of the later verses (18, 21-23) are used in Vāit. The hymn (or the first verses of it) is reckoned to the salila gaṇa, according to Kāuç. (18. 25); and the Pariçiṣṭa ⌊given under Kāuç. 54. 11⌋ reckons it also to an āyuṣya gaṇa. It is used (with i. 30; iii. 8; etc.) in the ceremony of reception of a Vedic student (Kāuç. 55. 17); and (with iii. 31; iv. 13; etc.) in the following ceremony for long life (58. 3, 11); and in the annaprāçana rite (58. 22); further, in a solar eclipse (the whole hymn or sūkta: 99. 3; and Keçava, in his note to 100. 3, p. 372$^5$, adds it also for use in a lunar eclipse). ⌊Vss. 1-5 are quoted by the schol. to Kāuç. 7. 21. As to the use of the hymn in the viṣāsahi-vrata, see above, p. 805, ¶ 2.⌋
Translated: Griffith, ii. 209.—Perhaps the Sun is elsewhere variously identified: thus at xiii. 4. 46 (see note) with Indra; and at xiii. 2. 31 with Viṣṇu.
1. Indra of mighty power, overpowering, having overpowered, very powerful, overpowering, power-winning (saho-jít), heaven-winning, kine-winning, booty-winning, to be praised (īḍ), by name, do I call: may I be long-lived.
2. Indra of mighty power etc. etc. do I call: may I be dear to the gods.
3. Indra of mighty power etc. etc. do I call: may I be dear to living beings (prajā́).
4. Indra of mighty power etc. etc. do I call: may I be dear to cattle.
5. Indra of mighty power etc. etc. do I call: may I be dear to my equals (samāná).
Ppp. reads ⌊in the above 5 verses⌋ every time viṣāsahyam; and, for c-f, s. s. viçvajitaṁ svarjitam abhijitaṁ vasujitaṁ gojitaṁ saṁjitaṁ saṁdhanājitaṁ: īḍyaṁ nāma bhūyā indram āyuṣmān priyā bhūyāsam; in the repetitions, hūya (in place of its previous bhūyā), and indra devānāṁ priyo bhūyāsam. Here, and everywhere else in the hymn, the comm. insists that by indra is intended the sun, and not Indra, quoting in proof of it TS. i. 7. 6$^3$: asāú vā ādityá índraḥ. ⌊For the structure and count of the vss., see above, p. 805, ¶ 4.⌋
6. Arise, arise, O sun; arise upon me with splendor; both let my hater be subject to me, and let not me be subject to my hater.—Thine, O Vishṇu, are heroisms manifold; do thou fill us with cattle of all forms; set me in comfort in the highest firmament (vyòman).
7. Arise, arise, O sun; arise upon me with splendor; both those whom I see and those whom I do not—among them make thou favor for me. Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.
We should expect me for mā in d; and the comm., on account of mā, takes sumatím as an adjective (= çobhanabuddhiyuktam)—which is not grammatically impossible, but against all Vedic usage. Verses 6 and 7, ⌊if the main stock of each verse be read rhythmically,⌋ are undoubtedly to be counted as 66 syllables, two less than a true atyaṣṭi (68), ⌊but also, on the other hand, two more than a true aṣṭi (64); but the a and the b of each can be read as 7 so as to make totals of just 64: see above, page 806, ¶ 6, note 3⌋ ⌊Concerning the_refrain, see notes to vs. 6.⌋
8. Let them not damage thee in the sea, within the waters—they who approach there having fetters; quitting imprecation, thou hast ascended that sky; be thou then gracious to us; may we be in thy favor.—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.
Ppp. reads in b pāçinam, and in c ā ruha etān. The verse counts most naturally 78 syllables (11 × 4: 34); a proper atidhṛti has 76. Bp. reads in d ā́; rukṣaḥ; D.Kp. and all SPP's authorities have ā́; ar-, which is doubtless the true pada-text.
9. Do thou, O Indra, in order to great good-fortune, protect us about with unharmed rays.—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.
The comm. takes aktúbhis in its sense of 'night.' Ppp. reads adabdhāiṣ pari in b.
10. Do thou, O Indra, with propitious aids, be most wealful to us—ascending to the triple heaven of the heaven (dív), besung unto soma-drinking, having a dear abode (-dhā́man) unto well-being.—Thine, O Vishnu etc. etc.
Ppp. reads in a indro adbhiç (ç-). The comm. gives us our choice between -sthāna and -tejas as meanings of -dhāman in e. The verse has two syllables too many for a regular dhṛti (72); ⌊it reads properly as 5 × 8 and 34; but pāda a may be read as 6⌋.
11. Thou, O Indra, art all-conquering, all-gaining (sarva-víd); much invoked [art] thou, O Indra; do thou, O Indra, send onward this well-invoking praise; be thou gracious to us; may we be in thy favor.—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.
Ppp. reads in a viçvavit; and instead of our d (= 8 d) it has çivābhis tanubhir abhi nas sajasva. The verse is a true atidhṛti by number of syllables, but very irregular in structure (8 + 10: 13 + 11: 34 = 76).
12. Unharmed in the heaven (dív), also on earth, art thou; they have not attained thy greatness in the atmosphere; increasing with unharmed ​worship (bráhman), do thou there, O Indra, being in the heaven (dív), bestow protection (çárman) on us.—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.
Ppp. reads divaṣ p- in a. ⌊in d, all of SPP's authorities give ṣáṅ or sán: and W's Collation Book notes nothing to the contrary; but⌋ the comm. omits the word, as the meter plainly requires. The verse (11 + 12: 11 + 12: 34 = 80) is by number of syllables an exact kṛti.
13. What body of thine, O Indra, is in the waters, what on the earth, what within the fire; what of thine, O Indra, is in the heaven-gaining (svarvíd) purifying one (pávamāna); with what body, O Indra, thou didst permeate (vi-āp) the atmosphere—with that body, O Indra, bestow thou protection upon us.—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.
In nearly all our mss. (all save D. and R.p.m.) vyāpitha (p. vi॰āpitha) is most strangely left unaccented, and the reading was in our text emended to vyā́pitha, in accordance with the invariable accentuation of such forms in RV. and AV. elsewhere. But a minority of SPP's authorities are reported by him as accenting vyāpithá, and he accordingly prints vyāpithá in his edition (our D.R.p.m. have the same). The 'purifying one' is doubtless here the wind (vāyu: so comm.). The verse (12 + 16: 12 + 12: 34 = 86) counts two more syllables than a proper prakṛti.
14. Increasing thee, O Indra, with worship (bráhman), the imploring seers have sat down [for] the session (sattrá).—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.
The verse (11 + 12: 34 = 57) has one more syllable than a regular çakvarī. ⌊Verses 13 and 14, as was noted above, are wanting in Ppp.⌋
15. Thou goest about Tṛita (?), thou about the fountain of a thousand streams, the heaven-gaining council.—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.
All the mss., and hence both editions, read tṛtám in a; but the ms. of the comm. has tritam, and we cannot well believe that the latter is not the true reading; though the sense of the whole verse is extremely obscure. The comm. explains tritam mysteriously, as either vistīrṇam antarikṣam or meghāir āvṛtam udakam. Vidatha, he says, = yajña. The verse is capable of being read as 56 syllables. Ppp. puts it after our verse 17.
16. Thou defendest the four directions; thou shinest abroad with brightness (çocis) unto the two firmaments (nábhas); thou pursuest (anusthā) all these beings; thou, knowing, followest (anu-i) the way of righteousness.—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.
The saṁhitā-mss. read vidvā́ṅs távé ’d between verse and refrain. The whole (11 + 11: 12 + 11: 34 = 79) reads naturally as three more syllables than belong to an atidhṛti.
17. With five thou heatest upward (párān̄), with one hitherward; thou goest driving off the imprecation in good weather (sudína).—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.
18. Thou art Indra, thou great Indra, thou the world, thou Prajāpati; for thee the sacrifice is extended; to thee the offerers make oblation.—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.
Ppp. reads viṣṇus for lokas in b, and, in c yajāyate for vi tāyate. Our Bp.P.M.W. T.R.p.m. also have jāyate for tāyate. To make the verse only bhurig aṣṭi (65 syll.), we have to read the first pāda as seven syllables, though it easily makes eight. In Vāit. 3. 3 the verse, with vi. 5. 2, is made to accompany a sāṁnāyya offering to Indra, in the darçapūrṇamāsa ceremony. In our edition, the ṁ of tváṁ before lokás is lost in printing.
19. In the non-existent is the existent made firm; in the existent is being (bhūtá) made firm; being is set in what is to be; what is to be is made firm in being. Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.
Ppp. combines bhavyā ”hitam ⌊double sandhi after -e as at ix. 1. 14⌋ in c, and has samāhitam for pratiṣṭhitam in d. The verse, like 6 and 7, lacks two syllables of a full atyaṣṭi; ⌊but see note to vs. 7 and p. 806, ¶ 6, note 3, above⌋.
20. Brilliant (çukrá) art thou; shiny art thou; as thou art shiny by the shining one (bhrā́jant), so may I by the shining one shine.
The Ppp. text of this verse is in confusion. Our P.M.I.T. combine (second time) bhrājò ‘si, as if we had here, as the first time, asi (instead of ási). The first pāda is the same with the beginning of ii. 11. 5. MS. iv. 9. 5 has passages resembling this verse and the next. This prose bit is a queer kakubh: ⌊the kakubh calls for 8 + 12 + 8 = 28; and this may be read as 8 + 11 + 9⌋.
21. Brightness art thou, bright art thou; as thou by brightness art bright, so may I by both cattle and Brahman-splendor be bright (ruc).
Our P.M.T. have again (second time) rocò ‘si; ⌊and one of SPP's pada-mss. has correspondingly asi without accent⌋. The MS. version is in some respects better: rucír asi rucò (or rocyò) ‘si sá yáthā tváṁ rucyā́ rócasa evám aháṁ rucyā́ rociṣīya. Ppp. also gives rociṣīya. ⌊For ruciṣīya or roc-, see Gram. § 907.⌋ The metrical definition of the Anukr. is absurd, the "verse" being prose, and having only three possible divisions; it can be made 36 syllables by reading roco asi either in a or in b. It is used in Vāit. 14. 2, in the agniṣṭoma ceremony.
22. To the rising one be obeisance; to the one coming up be obeisance; to the arisen one be obeisance; to the wide ruler (virā́j) be obeisance; to the self-ruler (svarā́j) be obeisance; to the universal ruler (samrā́j) be obeisance.
We should expect, by the analogy of the next verse, udeṣyaté for udāyaté. The comm. explains the latter by ūrdhvam īṣad gacchate. In Vāit. 11. 16, the verse accompanies worship of the rising sun in the agniṣṭoma ceremony. It is so far an anuṣṭubh that it contains 32 syllables. ⌊The Anukr. informs us that this verse is a yajus; and so of the next. A similarly isolated bit of information we had concerning xvi. 8. 1 a.⌋
​23. To the setting one be obeisance; to the one about to set be obeisance; to the one that has set be obeisance; to the wide ruler be obeisance; to the self-ruler be obeisance; to the universal ruler be obeisance.
In Vāit. 11. 13, the verse accompanies worship of the setting sun in the agniṣṭoma ceremony. The Anukr. restores both the elided initial a's in the first half-verse, thus counting 35 syllables.
24. This Āditya hath arisen, together with all ardor (tápas), making subject to me my rivals; and let me not be subject to my hater.—Thine, O Vishṇu etc. etc.
We have repeated here once more the refrain of vss. 6-19. The verse is wanting in Ppp. Pādas c, d are nearly identical with our 6 c, d above. ⌊The main stock of the vs., without the refrain, corresponds to⌋ RV. i. 50. 13, which reads sáhasā in b, and dviṣántam (for sapátnān) in c; also mó for mā́ ca in d; ⌊and it is also TB. iii. 7. 6$^{23}$, quoted above in full under vs. 6, which reads like RV., save that it has máma for máhyam in c, and dviṣató for dviṣaté in d.—In the Calcutta ed. of TB., sáhasā is misprinted máhasā in the text, but is given aright in the comm. (p. 504), and aright in the Poona ed., p. 1105.⌋
25. O Āditya, thou hast ascended a boat of a hundred oars in order to well-being; thou hast made me to pass over the day, make thou me likewise (satrā́) to pass over the night.
The comm. explains satrā́ by sahāi ’va, ahnā saha; he gives also as admissible alternative explanation "I have ascended thee as a boat" etc., understanding the second person to be used as a first! Ppp. reads, in fact, ā ’ruham; and, in c, ahar ṇo ‘ty.
26. O sun, thou hast ascended a boat of a hundred oars in order to well-being; thou hast made me to pass over the night, make thou me likewise to pass over the day.
Passages analogous and in part accordant with the two preceding verses are found in MB. ii. 5. 13, 14. Ppp. reads in a ā ’rikṣam; and, in c, rātrī ṇo ‘ty.
27. With Prajāpati's worship (bráhman) [as] defense am I covered, with Kaçyapa's light and splendor; long-lived, of finished heroism, vigorous (? víhāyas), having a thousand life-times, well-made, may I go about.
⌊Or, to bring out the connection between varman and āvṛta, one may render, 'with P's defense am I defended,' 'with P's covering am I covered.'⌋ It is plain that bráhmaṇā, which is metrically redundant, has slipped in here out of 28 a; but it appears to be found also in Ppp., as in the text of the comm. The latter explains víhāyās by vividhagamanaḥ, sarvatrā ’pratibaddhagatiḥ; ⌊cf. Bergaigne, Rel. Véd. iii. 287⌋. The verse (14 + 11: 11 + 10 [or 11?] = 46) has nothing of a jagatī character; ⌊but, if we excise bráhmaṇā, it is a perfectly good triṣṭubh⌋.
28. Encompassed with worship [as] defense am I, with Kaçyapa's light and splendor; let not the arrows that are the gods' attain me, nor those of men, let loose in order to slay (vadhyā́ya).
SPP. reports his pada-mss. as reading yā́ instead of yā́ḥ at end of c; I have not observed the blunder in ours. All, both his and ours, give áva॰sṛṣṭā instead of -ṭāḥ in d. The comm. adds the visarga in both words. A part of the verse is wanting in Ppp.
29. Guarded by righteousness and by all the seasons, guarded by what is and by what is to be am I; let not evil attain me, nor death; I interpose with a sea of speech.
That is, I set my uttered charms like a sea between me and them.
30. Let Agni [as] guardian protect me all about; let the sun, rising, thrust [away] the fetters of death; out-shining dawns, firm mountains—let a thousand breaths abide (ā-yat) in me.
Ppp. reads in a gopaṣ pari, transposes pādas b and c (corrupting to vicchantīr, and combining uṣasaṣ p-), and ends d with mayu te ramantām; and it then adds our xviii. 4. 49. The connection of our c is obscure; the comm. understands mṛtyupāçān nudantām or else mām anugṛhṇantu: the former is possible. ⌊The verse is to be read as 12 + 11: 12 + 11.⌋
⌊Here ends the first and sole anuvāka, with 1 hymn and 30 verses. The words prathamo ‘nuvākaḥ are not printed here in either edition, but are found in several of W's mss. The quotation from the Old Anukr. is ity etat samanukrāntam ṛcas triṅçad "viṣāsahiḥ."⌋
⌊Here ends also the thirty-second prapāṭhaka.⌋