Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VI/Hymn 88

1460110Atharva-Veda SamhitaBook VI, Hymn 88William Dwight Whitney

88. To establish a sovereign.

[Atharvan.—dhrāuvyam. ānuṣṭubham: 3. triṣṭubh.]

The hymn does not occur in Pāipp., but its first two verses are RV. x. 173. 4, 5 (continuation of those corresponding to our 87). For its use by Kāuç. with the preceding hymn, see under the latter.

Translated: by the RV. translators and by Zimmer (p. 163), in part; and Ludwig, p. 255; Griffith, i. 293.


1. Fixed [is] the sky, fixed the earth, fixed all this world of living beings (jágat), fixed these mountains; fixed [is] this king of the people (viçā́m).

RV. varies from this only in the order of pādas, which is a, c, b, d. TB. (ii. 4. 28) and ĀpÇS. (xiv. 27. 7) follow our order, but have dhruvā́ ha for dhruvā́sas in c; MB. (i. 3. 7) has our a, b, c.


2. Fixed for thee let king Varuṇa, fixed let divine Brihaspati, fixed for thee let both Indra and Agni maintain royalty fixed.

The RV. verse differs in no respect from this.


3. Fixed, unmoved, do thou slaughter the foes; make them that play the foe fall below [thee]; [be] all the quarters (díç) like-minded, concordant (sadhryàñc); let the gathering (sámiti) here suit (kḷp) thee [who art] fixed.

With d compare v. 19. 15 c. The comm. reads pātayasva at end of b. The last pāda is jagatī. The comm. renders kalpatām by samarthā bhavatu.