# Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VI/Hymn 114

114. Against disability in sacrifice.
[Brahman.—vāiçvadevam. ānuṣṭubham.]
Found also in Pāipp. xvi. Kāuç. (67. 19), in the savayajña chapter, uses hymns 114, 115, and 117, with the offering of a "full oblation," the giver of the sava taking part behind the priest; and, according to the schol. and the comm., the whole anuvāka (hymns 114-124) is called devaheḍana, and used in the introduction to the savayajñas (60. 7), and in the expiatory rite for the death of a teacher (46. 30); and the comm. quotes it as applied in Nakṣatra Kalpa 18, in the mahāçānti called yāmyā, in the funeral ceremony. And hymns 114 and 115 (not verses 114. 1, 2) are recited with an oblation by the adhvaryu in the agniṣṭoma, according to Vāit. (22. 15); and again in the same ​ceremony (23. 12) in an expiatory rite; also 114 alone (30. 22), in the sāutrāmaṇī sacrifice, with washing of the māsara vessel.
1. O gods! whatever cause of the wrath of the gods we, O gods, have committed—from that do ye, O Ādityas, release us by right of right (ṛtá).
The whole hymn is found in TB. (in ii. 4. 4$^{8-9}$), with mā for nas in c as the only variant in this verse. Then this verse occurs again with a somewhat different version of c, d in TB. ii. 6. 6$^1$, with which a version in MS. iii. 11. 10 precisely agrees; and yet again, more slightly different, in TB. iii. 7. 12$^1$, with which nearly agree versions in TA. ii. 3. 1 and MS. iv. 14. 17. In TB. ii. 6. 6$^1$ (and MS.), the second half-verse reads thus: agnír mā tásmād énaso víçvān múñcatv áṅhasaḥ; in TB. iii. 7. 12$^1$, it is ā́dityās tásmān mā muñcata rtásya rténa mā́m utá (TA. itá for utá ⌊cf. v. Schroeder, Tübinger Kaṭha-hss., p. 68⌋; MS. omits mā in c, and has, for d, rtásya tv ènam ā́ ’mútaḥ, with variants for the last two words). VS. xx. 14 has our a, b, without variant ⌊and adds the c, d of TB. ii. 6. 6⌋. ⌊In b, MS. iv. 14. 17 has yád vācā́ ’nṛtam ódima (accent! Kaṭha ūdimá).⌋
2. By right of right, O Ādityas, worshipful ones, release ye us here, in that, O ye carriers of the sacrifice, we, desirous of accomplishing (çak) the sacrifice, have not accomplished it.
Both editions read at the end, as is necessary, -ekimá, although only two* of our mss. (I.D.), and a small minority of SPP's authorities, accent the a (the pada mss. absurdly reading úpa॰çekima). Ppp. has instead, for d, sikṣantu upārima. TB. has mā for nas at end of b, yajñāír vas for yajñáṁ yát in c, and, for d, āçikṣanto ná çekima, which is better. Yajñavāhasas would be better as nominative. The comm. explains çikṣantas by niṣpādayitum icchantas. ⌊For the pada blunder, cf. vi. 74. 2.⌋ *⌊Whitney's collations seem clearly to give Bp.$^2$p.m.I.H.D. as reading -çekimá.⌋
3. Sacrificing with what is rich in fat, making oblations of sacrificial butter (ā́jya) with the spoon, without desire, to you, O all gods, desirous of accomplishing we have not been able to accomplish.
Part of the mss. (including our P.M.I.) accent víçve in c, and the decided majority (not our Bp.M.W.R.s.m.T.) accent çekimá at the end (by a contrary blunder to that in 2 d), which SPP., accordingly, wrongly admits into his text. TB. has (also Ppp.) ā́jyena in b; also it reads vo viçve devāḥ in c;, and, of course, çekima at the end; Ppp. çeṣima.