०४७ रात्रिः

47. To night: for protection.

रात्रिः।
१-९ गोपथः। रात्रिः। अनुष्टुप्, १ पथ्याबृहती, २ पञ्चपदाऽनुष्टुब्गर्भा पराऽतिजगती, ६ पुरस्ताद्बृहती, ७ त्र्यवसाना षट्पदा जगती।

[Gopatha.—navakam. mantroktarātridevatyam. ānuṣṭubham: 1. pathyābṛhatī; 2. 5-p. anuṣṭubgarbhā parātijagatī; 6. purastādbṛhatī; 7. 3-av. 6-p. jagatī.]]

Comment

Found also in Pāipp. vi. According to the comm., hymns 47 and 48 form a single “sense-hymn” (arthasūkta), and 49 and 50 another; and their use is prescribed in Pariś. 4. 3-5, as of two hymns, in a ceremony of worship of night.

Translations

Translated: Ludwig, p. 467; Zimmer, p. 179; Griffith, ii. 303.

A hymn to Night for protection from fiends, robbers, snakes and wolves

Translation

1. O night, the earthly space (rájas) hath been filled with the
   father’s orderings (dhā́man); great, thou spreadest thyself (vi-sthā)
   to the seats of the sky; bright darkness comes on (ā-vṛt).

Notes

The verse is VS. xxxiv. 32, and is also found as first verse of a
khila (Aufr., p. 682) to RV. x. 127, in both places without variant.
⌊It is quoted in Nirukta, Dāivatakāṇḍa iii. 29.⌋ Ppp. reads in b
pitaraṣ prāyu dh-, and in c sudhāṅsi. The comm. holds ’the
father’ in b to designate the “skyey world” (dyuloka), quoting the
commonplace dyāuḥ pitā pṛthivī mātā in support of it; dhāmabhis he
glosses with sthānāiḥ saha, and tveṣam with dīpyamānam. ⌊For
dhā́mabhis we might perhaps better say ‘by or in accordance with the
orderings’; but Griffith understands it as ‘wondrous works.’⌋

Night! the terrestrial realm hath been filled with the Father’s power and might. Thou spreadest forth on high unto the seats of Heaven: dark- ness that strikes with awe comes near.

आ। रा॒त्रि॒। पार्थि॑वम्। रजः॑। पि॒तुः। अ॒प्रा॒यि॒। धाम॑ऽभिः। दि॒वः। सदां॑सि। बृ॒ह॒ती। वि। ति॒ष्ठ॒से॒। आ। त्वे॒षम्। व॒र्त॒ते॒। तमः॑। ४७.१।

• रात्रिः
• गोपथः
• पथ्याबृहती
• रात्रि सूक्त

रात्रि में रक्षा का उपदेश।

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (रात्रि) हे रात्रि ! (पार्थिवम्) पृथिवी संबन्धी (रजः) लोक, (पितुः) पिता [मध्यलोक] के (धामभिः) स्थानों के साथ [अन्धकार से] (आ) सर्वथा (अप्रायि) भर गया है। (बृहती) बड़ी तू (दिवः) प्रकाश के (सदांसि) स्थानों को (वि तिष्ठसे) व्याप्त होती है, (त्वेषम्) चमकीला [ताराओंवाला] (तमः) अन्धकार (आ वर्तते) आकर घेरता है ॥१॥

भावार्थभाषाः - पृथिवी की गोलाई, और सूर्य के चारों और दैनिक घुमाव के कारण, पृथिवी का आधा भाग प्रत्येक समय सूर्य से आड़ में रहता है, अर्थात् प्रत्येक क्षण आधे भाग में अन्धकार और आधे में प्रकाश होता जाता है। अन्धकार समय को रात्रि कहते हैं। रात्रि में तारे और चन्द्र चमकते दीखते हैं। मनुष्य रात्रिसमय को यथावत् काम में लावें ॥१–॥

टिप्पणी: यह मन्त्र यजुर्वेद में है-३६।३२ और-निरुक्त ९।२९ में भी व्याख्यात है ॥ १−(आ) समन्तात् (रात्रि) हे रात्रि (पार्थिवम्) पृथिवीसम्बन्धि (रजः) लोकः (पितुः) पालकस्य। मध्यलोकस्य (अप्रायि) प्रा पूरणे-कर्मणि लुङ्। अपूरि (धामभिः) स्थानैः सह (दिवः) प्रकाशस्य (सदांसि) स्थानानि (बृहती) महती त्वम् (वितिष्ठसे) व्याप्नोषि (आ) समन्तात् (त्वेषम्) ताराभिर्दीप्यमानम् (वर्तते) विद्यते (तमः) अन्धकारः ॥

Translation

2. She of whom the further limit is not seen, nor what separates; in her
   everything that stirs goes to rest (ni-viś); uninjured may we, O wide
   darksome night, attain thy further limit—may we, O excellent one, attain
   thy further limit.

Notes

In a, SPP. accents dádṛśe, without adding any note as to
ms.-readings; it is perhaps merely an oversight, as all our mss. save
one have plainly dadṛśé, and this is the Atharvan accent (cf. x. 8.
8), against RV. dádṛśe, which is wholly anomalous. Ppp. reads
yoyavad, and, in b, ni miṣate rejati; its c is wholly
corrupt. The comm. connects na yoyuvat with what follows, and explains
it thus: na vibhajamānaṁ vibhaktaṁ nā ”sīt kiṁ tu viśvam ekākāram evā
’bhūt. The RV. khila, in vs. 4, has pāda e, twice repeated.

Each moving thing finds rest in her whose yonder boundary is not seen, nor that which keeps her separate. O spacious, darksome Night, may we uninjured reach the end of thee, reach, O thou blessed One, thine end.

न। यस्याः॑। पा॒रम्। ददृ॑शे। न। योयु॑वत्। विश्व॑म्। अ॒स्याम्। नि। वि॒श॒ते॒। यत्। एज॑ति। अरि॑ष्टासः। ते॒। उ॒र्वि॒। त॒म॒स्व॒ति॒। रात्रि॑। पा॒रम्। अ॒शी॒म॒हि॒। भद्रे॑। पा॒रम्। अ॒शी॒म॒हि॒। ४७.२।

• रात्रिः
• गोपथः
• पञ्चपदानुष्टुब्गर्भा परातिजगती
• रात्रि सूक्त

रात्रि में रक्षा का उपदेश।

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (न) न तो (यस्याः) जिस [रात्रि] का (पारम्) पार और (न) न (योयुवत्) [प्रकाश से] अलग होनेवाला [स्थान] (ददृशे) दिखाई पड़ता है, (यत्) जो कुछ (एजति) चेष्टा करता है, (सर्वम्) वह सब (अस्याम्) उस [रात्रि] में (नि विशते) ठहर जाता है। (उर्वि) हे फैली हुई, (तमस्वति) अंधेरी (रात्रि) रात्रि ! (अरिष्टासः) बिना कष्ट पाये हुए हम (ते) तेरे (पारम्) पार को (अशीमहि) पावें, (भद्रे) हे कल्याणी ! [तेरे] (पारम्) पार को (अशीमहि) पावें ॥२॥

भावार्थभाषाः - पृथिवी के अपनी धुरी पर घूमने और सूर्य की परिक्रमा करने में प्रकाश की निवृत्ति और अन्धकार की प्रवृत्ति ऐसी शीघ्र होती है कि मनुष्य को उस समय का अनुभव करना अति कठिन है। मनुष्य विश्राम करके यथायोग्य अपने कामों में प्रवृत्त होवें ॥२॥

टिप्पणी: २−(न) निषेधे (यस्याः) रात्रेः (पारम्) अन्तः (ददृशे) दृष्टम् (न) निषेधे (योयुवत्) यौतेर्यङ्लुगन्तात्-शतृ। प्रकाशाद् विभज्यमानं स्थानम् (विश्वम्) सर्वम् (अस्याम्) रात्रौ (निविशते) तिष्ठति (यत्) यत्किञ्चित् (एजति) चेष्टते (अरिष्टासः) अरिष्टाः। अहिंसिताः (ते) तव (उर्वि) हे विस्तृते (तमस्वति) हे अन्धकारयुक्ते (पारम्) अन्तम् (अशीमहि) वयं प्राप्नुयाम (भद्रे) हे कल्याणि (पारम् अशीमहि) आदरार्थं पुनरुक्तिः ॥

Translation

3. The men-watching lookers that are thine, O night, ninety [and]
   nine—eighty are they [and] eight, also seven [and] seventy of
   thine;—

Notes

In b, SPP’s pada-mss. have navatī́ḥ. In c, the decided
majority accent aśī́tis, and all santi, which SPP. emends to sánti,
thus changing “the ancient accent,” and without sufficient reason, since
santi is defensible, 3 c to 5 b inclusive being of the nature
of a parenthesis, extending the navatír náva of 3 b. The khila
⌊vs. 2⌋ to RV. x. 127 has a corresponding verse ⌊as also has śśS. at ix.
28. 10⌋, with yuktā́sas for draṣṭā́ras, with santu in c, and ⌊so
the khila, at least⌋ the accent saptá in d. The Atharvan mss.
vary between sápta and saptá; our text gives the former, SPP. the
latter, which is better, as being the usual Atharvan accent, and having
⌊about⌋ half the mss. in its favor. The comm. explains the draṣṭā́ras
as “troop-gods” (gaṇadevās), and does not so much as hint at any
connection with the stars, which nevertheless we cannot well question to
be meant, in their various and manifold groupings. A ca after aṣṭāú
in c would be a welcome addition to both meter and sense.

Thy ninety-nine examiners, O Night, who look upon mankind, Eighty-and-eight in number, or seven-and-seventy are they.

ये। ते॒। रा॒त्रि॒। नृ॒ऽचक्ष॑सः। द्र॒ष्टारः॑। न॒व॒तिः। नव॑। अ॒शी॒तिः। सन्ति॑। अ॒ष्टौ। उ॒तो इति॑। ते॒। स॒प्त। स॒प्त॒तिः। ४७.३।

• रात्रिः
• गोपथः
• अनुष्टुप्
• रात्रि सूक्त

रात्रि में रक्षा का उपदेश।

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (रात्रि) हे रात्रि ! (ये) जो (ते) तेरे (नृचक्षसः) मनुष्यों पर दृष्टि रखनेवाले (द्रष्टारः) दर्शक लोग (नवतिः नव) नब्वे और नौ [निन्नानवे], (अशीतिः अष्टौ) अस्सी और आठ [अठासी] (उतो) और (ते) तेरे (सप्ततिः सप्त) सत्तर और सात [सतहत्तर] (सन्ति) हैं ॥३॥

भावार्थभाषाः - मन्त्र ३-५ में ९९ में से ११, ११ घटते-घटते ११ तक रहे हैं और [नीचे] शब्द से शेष संख्या एक तक मानी है। भाव यह है कि मनुष्य अपनी योग्यता के अनुसार बहुत वा थोड़े रक्षकों द्वारा रात्रि में रक्षा करते रहें •॥३-५॥

टिप्पणी: ३−(ये) (ते) तव (रात्रि) हे रात्रि (नृचक्षसः) मनुष्येषु दृष्टियुक्ताः (द्रष्टारः) दर्शकाः। रक्षकाः (नवतिर्नव) नवोत्तरनवतिसंख्याकाः (अशीतिः अष्टौ) अष्टोत्तराशीतिसंख्याकाः (सन्ति) भवन्ति (उतो) अधि च (सप्ततिः सप्त) सप्तोत्तरसप्ततिसंख्याकाः ॥

Translation

4. And sixty and six, O wealthy one; fifty [and] five, O pleasant one;
   four and forty, three and thirty, O mighty (vājín) one;—

Notes

Ppp. has in b naśaṁnihi, in d vādini.

Sixty-and-six, O opulent, fifty-and-five, O happy One, Forty-and-four and thirty-three are they, O thou enriched with spoil.

षष्टिः॑। च॒। षट्। च॒। रे॒व॒ति॒। प॒ञ्चा॒शत्। पञ्च॑। सु॒म्न॒यि॒। च॒त्वारः॑। च॒त्वारिं॒शत्। च॒। त्रयः॑। त्रिं॒शत्। च॒। वा॒जि॒नि॒। ४७.४।

• रात्रिः
• गोपथः
• अनुष्टुप्
• रात्रि सूक्त

रात्रि में रक्षा का उपदेश।

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (रेवति) हे धनवती ! (षष्टिः च षट्) साठ और छह [छियासठ] (च) और (सुम्नयि) हे सुखप्रदे ! (पञ्चाशत् पञ्च) पचास और पाँच [पचपन], (च) और (वाजिनि) हे बलवती ! [वा वेगवती] (चत्वारिंशत् चत्वारः) चालीस और चार [चवालीस], (च) और (त्रिंशत् त्रयः) तीस और तीन [तेंतीस] ॥४॥

भावार्थभाषाः - मन्त्र ३-५ में ९९ में से ११, ११ घटते-घटते ११ तक रहे हैं और [नीचे] शब्द से शेष संख्या एक तक मानी है। भाव यह है कि मनुष्य अपनी योग्यता के अनुसार बहुत वा थोड़े रक्षकों द्वारा रात्रि में रक्षा करते रहें •॥३-५॥

टिप्पणी: ४−(षष्टिः षट्) षडुत्तरषष्टिसंख्याकाः (च) (च) (रेवति) हे धनवति (पञ्चाशत् पञ्च) पञ्चोत्तरपञ्चाशत्संख्याकाः (सुम्नयि) छन्दसि परेच्छायां क्यच्। वा० पा० ३।१।८। सुम्न-क्यच्, अच्, गौरादित्वाद् ङीप्। सुम्नं सुखं परेषामिच्छतीति या सा सुम्नयी तत्सम्बुद्धौ। हे सुखप्रदे (चत्वारिंशत् चत्वारः) चतुरुत्तरचत्वारिंशत्संख्याकाः (च) (त्रयस्त्रिंशत्) त्रिरुत्तरत्रिंशत्संख्याकाः (च) (वाजिनि) हे बलवति हे वेगवति ॥

Translation

5. And two of thine and twenty of thine, O night; eleven the least
   (avamá)—with those protectors today do thou protect us, O daughter of
   the sky.

Notes

At beginning of d all the authorities ⌊with one unimportant variant⌋
read ná, which seems impossible. We emended it to ní (cf. ní pāti
in ix. 10. 23); SPP., following that blind guide the comm., reads nú;
this is entirely unacceptable, both on account of the sense, and because
nú cannot stand at the beginning of a pāda: cf. note to v. 6. 5. The
authorities are much at odds as to the accent of duhitar divas, the
majority having duhitár divás. Ppp. reads in b rātrī ek-.

Twenty-and-two hast thou, O Night, eleven, yea, and fewer still. With these protectors guard us well. O Daughter of the Sky, to- day.

द्वौ। च॒। ते॒। विं॒श॒तिः। च॒। ते॒। रात्रि॑। एका॑दश। अ॒व॒माः। तेभिः॑। नः॒। अ॒द्य। पा॒युऽभिः॑। नु। पा॒हि॒। दु॒हि॒तः॒। दि॒वः॒। ४७.५।

• रात्रिः
• गोपथः
• अनुष्टुप्
• रात्रि सूक्त

रात्रि में रक्षा का उपदेश।

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (रात्रि) हे रात्रि ! (च) और (ते) तेरे (विंशतिः द्वौ) बीस और दो [बाईस], (च) और (ते) तेरे (एकादश) ग्यारह और (अवमाः) [जो इस संख्या से] नीचे हैं, (दिवः दुहितः) हे आकाश की भर देनेवाली ! (तेभिः पायुभिः) उन रक्षकों द्वारा (नः) हमें (अद्य) आज (नु) शीघ्र (पाहि) बचा ॥५॥

भावार्थभाषाः - मन्त्र ३-५ में ९९ में से ११, ११ घटते-घटते ११ तक रहे हैं और [नीचे] शब्द से शेष संख्या एक तक मानी है। भाव यह है कि मनुष्य अपनी योग्यता के अनुसार बहुत वा थोड़े रक्षकों द्वारा रात्रि में रक्षा करते रहें •॥३-५॥

टिप्पणी: ५−(द्वौ विंशतिः) द्व्यधिकविंशतिसंख्याकाः (च) (ते) तव (च) (ते) तव (रात्रि) (एकादश) एकोत्तरदशसंख्याकाः (अवमाः) उक्तसंख्यातो निकृष्टा न्यूनाः (तेभिः) तैः (नः) अस्मान् (अद्य) अस्मिन् दिने (पायुभिः) रक्षकैः (नु) क्षिप्रम् (पाहि) रक्ष (दुहितः) हे प्रपूरयित्रि (दिवः) आकाशस्य ॥

Translation

6. Let no demon, [no] mischief-plotter master us; let no evil-plotter
   master us; let no thief today master our kine, nor a wolf our sheep;—

Notes

The mss. have at the beginning rákṣā (p. rákṣa), as 2d sing,
imperative, and pāda d of RV. vi. 71. 3 (the verse is found also in
VS. ⌊xxxiii. 69⌋ TS. ⌊i. 4. 24¹⌋ TB. ⌊ii.4. 4⁷⌋ MS. ⌊i. 3. 27⌋) gives
the same, ⌊as does RV. vi. 75. 10 d⌋. The translation follows our
conjectured emendation, which, in view of the implausibility of the
impv. rákṣa standing so alone, has a right to consideration. Ppp.
reads mākir ṇo a-. The comm. reckons our 6 a, b as a whole verse
⌊his 6⌋; our 6 c, d and 7 a, b as his vs. 7; our 7 c, d and
8 a, b as his vs. 8; our 8 c, d and 9 a, b as his vs. 9; and
our 9 c, d and 10 as his vs. 10; thus making the sixth verse instead
of the tenth to consist of two padas only, while yet counting ten verses
in the hymn. SPP., on the other hand ⌊see his Critical Notice in vol.
i., p. 24⌋, counts vs. 6 as our edition does, but adds our 8 a, b to
our vs. 7 to form his vs. 7, thus making it of six pādas; and then
counts our 8 c, d and 9 a, b as his vs. 8, and our 9 c, d
and 10 as his vs. 9. This is in accordance with the Anukr. ⌊in that it
gives six pādas to vs. 7 and makes a total of 9 vss.⌋, and is a
decidedly preferable division to that in our text, which was founded on
the numbering of our first mss., and it will be followed in translating
here. The sense, however, would be still better suited by making vs. 6
of three lines, instead of vs. 7. ⌊In what follows, I give first the
numeration of the Berlin edition, and then, in parenthesis, SPP’s
numeration.⌋

7, 8 a, b. (7.) Nor a robber our horses, O excellent one; nor the
sorceresses our men.

By the most distant roads let the thief, the robber, run; by a distant
one let the toothed rope, by a distant one let the malignant hasten
(ṛṣ).

As to the division, see under the preceding verse. In the fourth pāda,
part of the mss. accent taskarás. In the first, there is discordance
among them as to the accent of bhadre. The ‘rope with teeth’ is of
course the snake, as the comm. also has sense to see (rajjuvad āyataḥ
sarpādiḥ). Our 8 a, b is identical with iv. 3. 2 c, d; and our
7 c, d resembles a, b of the same verse. ⌊For yātudhānyàs the
comm. reads the masculine, -nās.⌋

Let not a fiends or spiteful man, let no ill-wisher master us. Let not the robber seize our cows, nor the wolf take our sheep today.

रक्ष॑। माकिः॑। नः॒। अ॒घऽशं॑सः। ई॒श॒त॒। मा। नः॒। दुः॒शंसः॑। ई॒श॒त॒। मा। नः॒। अ॒द्य। गवा॑म्। स्ते॒नः। मा। अवी॑नाम्। वृकः॑। ई॒श॒त॒। ४७.६।

• रात्रिः
• गोपथः
• पुरस्ताद्बृहती
• रात्रि सूक्त

रात्रि में रक्षा का उपदेश।

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (रक्ष) तू रक्षा कर, (अघशंसः) बुराई चीतनेवाला, (माकिः) न कभी (नः) हमारा (ईशत) राजा होवे, और (मा) न (दुःशंसः) अनहित सोचनेवाला (नः) हमारा (ईशत) राजा होवे। (मा) न (स्तेनः) चोर (अद्य) आज (नः) हमारी (गवाम्) गौओं का, और (मा) न (वृकः) भेड़िया (अवीनाम्) भेड़ों का (ईशत) राजा होवे ॥६॥

भावार्थभाषाः - मनुष्य ऐसा प्रबन्ध करें कि चोर-डकैत आदि दुष्ट लोग और भेड़िया-सर्प आदि हिंसक जीव प्राणियों और सम्पत्ति को हानि न पहुँचावें ॥६, ७॥

टिप्पणी: मन्त्र ६ का प्रथम पाद ऋग्वेद में है-६।७१।३ तथा ६।७५।१० और यजुर्वेद ३३।६९ ॥ ६−(रक्ष) पालय (माकिः) न कदापि (नः) अस्माकम् (अघशंसः) पापवक्ता (ईशत) ईश्वरो भवेत् (मा) निषेधे (नः) अस्माकम् (दुःशंसः) दुष्टहिंसकः (ईशत) (मा) निषेधे (नः) अस्माकम् (अद्य) अस्मिन् दिने (गवाम्) धेनूनाम् (स्तेनः) चोरः (मा) निषेधे (अवीनाम्) अजानाम् (वृकः) अरण्यश्वा (ईशत) समर्थो भवेत् ॥

माश्वा॑नां भद्रे॒ तस्क॑रो॒ मा नृ॒णां या॑तुधा॒न्यः ।
प॒र॒मेभिः॑ प॒थिभिः॑ स्ते॒नो धा॑वतु॒ तस्क॑रः ।
परे॑ण द॒त्वती॒ रज्जुः॒ परे॑णाघा॒युर॑र्षतु ॥७॥

Let not the thief, O Blessed, seize our horses, nor she-fiends our men. Let thief and robber run away on pathways most remote from us.

मा। अश्वा॑नाम्। भ॒द्रे॒। तस्क॑रः। मा। नृ॒णाम्। या॒तु॒ऽधा॒न्यः᳡। प॒र॒मेभिः॑। प॒थिऽभिः॑। स्ते॒नः। धा॒व॒तु॒। तस्क॑रः। परे॑ण। द॒त्वती॑। रज्जुः॑। परे॑ण। अ॒घ॒ऽयुः। अ॒र्ष॒तु॒। ४७.७।

• रात्रिः
• गोपथः
• त्र्यवसाना षट्पदा जगती
• रात्रि सूक्त

रात्रि में रक्षा का उपदेश।

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (भद्रे) हे कल्याणी ! (मा) न (तस्करः) लुटेरा (अश्वानाम्) घोड़ों का, और (मा) न (यातुधान्यः) पीड़ा देनेवाली [सेनाएँ] (नृणाम्) मनुष्यों की [राजा होवें]। (स्तेनः) चोर, (तस्करः) लुटेरा (परमेभिः पथिभिः) अति दूर मार्गों से (धावतु) दौड जावे। (परेण) दूर [मार्ग] से (दत्वती रज्जुः) दंतीली रसरी [साँप], और (परेण) दूर [मार्ग] से (अघायुः) द्रोही जन (अर्षतु) चला जावे ॥७॥

भावार्थभाषाः - मनुष्य ऐसा प्रबन्ध करें कि चोर-डकैत आदि दुष्ट लोग और भेड़िया-सर्प आदि हिंसक जीव प्राणियों और सम्पत्ति को हानि न पहुँचावें ॥६, ७॥

टिप्पणी: ७−(मा) निषेधे, ईशत इत्यनुवर्तते (अश्वानाम्) तुरङ्गाणाम् (भद्रे) हे कल्याणि (तस्करः) परधनहारकः (मा) निषेधे (नृणाम्) मनुष्याणाम् (यातुधान्यः) पीडाप्रदाः सेनाः (परमेभिः) अतिदूरैः (पथिभिः) मार्गैः (स्तेनः) (धावतु) शीघ्रं गच्छतु (तस्करः) (परेण) अतिदूरेण मार्गेण (दत्वती) दन्तवती (रज्जुः) रज्जुवत्सर्पादिः (परेण) अतिदूरेण मार्गेण (अघायुः) अघ-क्यच्-उ प्रत्ययः। पापेच्छुकः (अर्षतु) ऋषी गतौ भौवादिकाः। गच्छतु ॥

Translation

8 c, d, 9 a, b. (8.) Do thou, O night, make the snake blind,
harsh-smoked (?), headless; grind up the two jaws of the wolf; cast
(ā-han) the thief into the snare.

Notes

⌊Apart from the variation in c, the verse is identical with 50. 1,
below: see note thereon.⌋ All the mss. (except, by accident, one of
SPP’s) at the beginning have ándha; SPP. reads ádha, with one ms.
and the comm.; but ádha is plainly out of place, and andham, as
emended in our text (it should have been accented andhám; ⌊correct the
misprint⌋), a very plausible correction. Our rendering of tṛṣṭadhūma
is mechanically accurate; probably the word is corrupt; Ppp. reads the
pāda andho rātri tiṣṭadhūmam. The comm. explains as ārtikārī dhūmo
viṣajvālādhūmo ni- (ms. vi-) śvāsadhūmo vā yasya; the translators
understand -dhūma as “breath” or “odor”; ⌊Griffith renders ‘with
pungent breath’⌋. In c, d the mss. have jambháyāsthéna táṁ drupadé
jahi (but many of them have -bhā́-). SPP. follows them and prints
jambháyās téna táṁ dr-: from this our text makes a bold departure*
⌊implying as its pada-reading jambhaya: ā́: stenám: drupadé: jahi⌋;
but something had to be done to make sense; any one is invited to do
better if he can. The comm. reads with the mss., and forces through a
meaningless version. Ppp. has a different and corrupt text: hano
vṛkasya jambhayādvāinaṁ nṛpate jahi ⌊cf. end of note to 50. 1⌋.

*⌊The assumption of an ā́ (ā́…jahi) after jambhaya is supported
by nírjahyāsténa…jahi at 50. 1 c, d, below, where the
collocation is almost unequivocal (see the note); for although jahyās
(as given by the pada-mss.) is a good optative of hā, the
combination of hā with nis is hardly Vedic, and we must there assume
the division nir jahy ā ste-, the locative drupadé fitting well with
ā jahi (cf. i. 11. 4; x. 8. 4 c). The rationale of the corruption
here is not hard to see: the hiatus between c and d being once
covered by the fusion of the final of jambhaya with the ā́ of ā́
stenám, nothing was easier than to see a form jambhayās in the first
part of the combination, and then to substitute téna for the vastly
less common stenám or for the meaningless tenám (which might be read
out of the combination: see Prāt. ii. 40 note); the exigency of the
meter occasioned by the blunder with jambhayās then made the insertion
of tám easy. With the Berlin solution of the corruption, the meter is
in perfect order. The interesting parallel from the Avesta, hām zanva
zembayadhwem, Yasht i. 27, adduced by Geldner, KZ. xxx. 514, may here
be noted.⌋

Far from us let Rope with Fangs, far from us let the wicked flee. Do thou make blind and headless. Night, the serpent with his pungent breath.

अध॑। रा॒त्रि॒। तृ॒ष्टऽधू॑मम्। अ॒शी॒र्षाण॑म्। अहि॑म्। कृ॒णु॒। हनू॒ इति॑। वृक॑स्य। ज॒म्भयाः॑। तेन॑। तम्। द्रु॒ऽप॒दे। ज॒हि॒। ४७.८।

• रात्रिः
• गोपथः
• अनुष्टुप्
• रात्रि सूक्त

रात्रि में रक्षा का उपदेश।

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (अध) और (रात्रि) हे रात्रि ! (तृष्टधूमम्) क्रूर धुएँवाले [विषैली श्वासवाले] (अहिम्) साँप को (अशीर्षाणम्) रुण्ड [बिना शिर का] (कृणु) कर दे, [शिर कुचल कर मार डाल] (वृकस्य) भेड़िये के (हनू) दोनों जबड़े (जम्भयाः) तोड़ डाल, (तेन) उससे (तम्) उसको (द्रुपदे) काठ के बन्धन में (जहि) मार डाल ॥८॥

भावार्थभाषाः - मनुष्य हिंसक जीव और मनुष्यों को ऐसे प्रबन्ध से रक्खें कि वे किसी को हानि न करें ॥८॥

टिप्पणी: यह मन्त्र कुछ भेद से आगे है-५०।१ ॥ ८−(अध) अथ। अपि च (रात्रि) (तृष्टधूमम्) ञितृषा पिपासायाम्-क्त। क्रूरधूमम्। विषयुक्तश्वासोपेतम् (अशीर्षाणम्) शिरोरहितम् (अहिम्) सर्पम् (कृणु) कुरु (हनू) मुखस्य अन्तःस्थूलदन्तयुक्तौ पार्श्वौ (वृकस्य) अजादीनामपहर्तुः। अरण्यशुनः (जम्भयाः) जभि गात्रविनामे लेटि, आडागमः। जम्भयेः। विनाशय (तेन) (तम्) वृकम् (द्रुपदे) काष्ठबन्धे (जहि) मारय ॥

Translation

9 c, d, 10. (9.) With thee, O night, we stay; we shall sleep, do
thou watch; yield refuge to our kine, horses, men (púruṣa).

Notes

‘Stay’ (vas) means specifically ‘spend the night.’ In b the
pada-mss. commit the incredible blunder of dividing svapiṣyā́m: ási
(or asi); some of the saṁhitā-mss. accent svápiṣyā́- and all either
jāgṛhi or jā́gṛhi; SPP. follows us in violating the “ancient accent”
and emending a jāgṛhí. In c, Ppp. has yachād aś-.

Crush the wolf’s jaws in pieces, strike the robber dead against a post. In thee, O Night, do we abide: we here will sleep. Be watchful thou.

त्वयि॑। रा॒त्रि॒। व॒सा॒म॒सि॒। स्व॒पि॒ष्याम॑सि। जा॒गृ॒हि। गोभ्यः॑। नः॒। शर्म॑। य॒च्छ॒। अश्वे॑भ्यः। पुरु॑षेभ्यः। ४७.९।

• रात्रिः
• गोपथः
• अनुष्टुप्
• रात्रि सूक्त

रात्रि में रक्षा का उपदेश।

पदार्थान्वयभाषाः - (रात्रि) हे रात्रि ! (त्वयि) तुझमें (वसामसि) हम निवास करते हैं, (स्वपिष्यामसि) हम सोवेंगे, (जागृहि) तू जागती रह। (नः) हमारी (गोभ्यः) गौओं को, (अश्वेभ्यः) घोड़ों को और (पुरुषेभ्यः) पुरुषों को (शर्म) सुख (यच्छ) दे ॥९॥

भावार्थभाषाः - मनुष्य परिश्रम करके रात्रि में प्रबन्ध के साथ सोवें, जिससे सब गौ, घोड़े, मनुष्य आदि सुख से रहें ॥९॥

टिप्पणी: ९−(त्वयि) (रात्रि) (वसामसि) वसामः। निवसामः (स्वपिष्यामसि) छान्दस इडागमः। स्वप्स्यामः। निद्रां करिष्यामः (जागृहि) जागरिता भवः (गोभ्यः) धेनुभ्यः (अश्वेभ्यः) तुरङ्गेभ्यः (शर्म) सुखम् (यच्छ) देहि ॥