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VIII, 5. COMMENTARY.
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Stanga 11. The first three Pådas are repeated at XIX, 39, 4. In Pâda e, Sâyana has pratispâsinam (abhikaratah pratimukham bâdhakam, striking against the sorcerers'). The MSS. read antitam; the vulgate and the Index Verborum ánti tám. Sâyana offers both alternatives, antitam atyantasamnihitam, athavâ tam ... dveshtâram anti antike avidáma. Perhaps antikám is to be substituted in the text for ántitam. Sâyana understands the passage as follows: 'Him (the enemy) that we did seek, we have found lurking near by. But see Tait. S. V, 7, 3, 1, where pratispasá surely means 'guarding;' cf. also AV. VII, 38, 1.
Stanza 14. For Kasyapa, see the note on IV, 20, 7. In Pâda d, Sayana reads samsreshane and glosses in the battle which causes close contact (samsleshana) with one another.' Whether we accept this sensible emendation, or not, the meaning is clear.
Stanza 16. Pâda a may be improved into an anushtubh by throwing out the first yás två. The dikshấh and the yagñáh here referred to are of course unholy (abhikârika); cf. X, 1, II, and Kesava at Kaus. 47, 12. 14-16. Sâyana, dikshâbhih yagñiyair vágyamanådiniyamaviseshaih ... yagñaih himsasâdhanaih syeneshvâdibhir yagaih. The two hemistichs are loosely correlated (anacoluthon): we should expect mâ for tva in Pâdas a, b.
Stanza 17. Cf. Tait. S. V, 7, 3, 1; RV. X, 171, 4.
Stanza 18. The first hemistich is repeated at XIX, 20, 4 a, b.
· The syeneshu seems to be a witchcraft practice, otherwise unknown. The Ângirasakalpa, if it ever turns up, is likely to furnish the necessary information. [42]
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