Volume 1 - Sanskrit Web

iv. 27- BOOK IV. THE ATHARVA-VEDA-SAMHITA. I96
27. Praise and prayer to the Maruts.
[^Mrgdra. — (see h. 23).]
Found, with very slight variations, in Paipp. iv. ; and its first and last verses are represented
in TS., MS., and K. (see under h. 23) ;
they foUow a similar passage to the
Agvins, which follows our h. 25. The use by KauQ. is the same with that of the other
mrgara hymns (see under h. 23). The first pada of vs. 4 nearly agrees with the second
pada of a verse (the last) given in Kauq. 3.3 ;
and vs. 4 is directed by Vait. (12. 12) to
be used in the agnistonta when one is rained on ;
further, vs. 7 (9. 2), in the caturmasya
sacrifice, with an evening libation to the Maruts. And the comm. quotes the hymn as
used by Naks. K. (18) in a (anil-rite named vidrudgani.
Translated: Griffith, i. 168 ; Weber, xviii. 109.
1. The Maruts I reverence; let them bless me; let them favor this
steed (.'' vdja) in the race (.^ vdjasata) ; I have called on them for aid, like
easily-controlled swift [horses] :
let them free us from distress.
Ppp. combines -siita ^vantu at end of b. Some of our mss. (P.M.W.E.O.) read
si'iydmaii in c. The comm. has an(;un instead of S^iin in c, and explains it as either
" reins " or " horses." Vaja and vajasdta he makes either " food " and the " winning
of food," or "strength " and " combat." The version of the other texts is quite different
; they have nas for me in a ; for b, pri 'mam vacam viqvdm avantu vl^vej for c,
aqun huve suydman iiidye ; and at the end ^nasas.
2. Who always open {vi-ac) an unexhausted fountain ;
who
pour in
sap into the herbs — I put forward the Maruts, sons of the spotted one :
let them free us from distress.
With a compare xviii. 4. 36. Some of our mss. (P. M.W.I. O.) read in c -mdtfs. The
comm. explains utsam by megham, vyacanti by antarikse vistdrayanti, and prqni as
the madhyamikd vdk.
3. Ye, O poets, that send the milk of the kine, the sap of the herbs,
the speed of the coursers — let the helpful (.' qagmd) Maruts be pleasant
to us ; let them free us from distress.
Ppp. reads invan at end of b; the comm. renders invatha by vydpayathaj he also
takes kavayas as nominative, and (with one of SPP's mss.) reads at beginning of c
(akmds, explaining it as = sarvakdryasamarthSs. All our sarnAi/d-mss. save one (E.)
|_R. not notedj combine na syon- in c.
4. Waters from the ocean to the sky they carry up, they who pour
[them] from the sky upon the earth — the
it with the waters : let them free us from distress.
Maruts who go about lording
The absence of accent of vahanti forbids us to make the better construction of it
withj'/— which, however, the comm. does not scruple to adopt.
5. They who gratify with sweet drink, who with ghee; or who combine
(sam-srj) vigor {vdyas) with fatness; the Maruts who, lording it
with the waters, cause to rain :
let them free us from distress.
Ppp. reads in a (as in 26. 6 a) kttdlais ; and it rectifies the meter of c by omitting