1. 1 With (the verse), 'If we trade, O gods, trying by our wealth to acquire (new) wealth, O gods, may
'If thou shootest, as it were, the thought dwelling in thy face, upwards to thy forehead, I loosen the anger of thy heart like the bow-string of an archer.
'Day, heaven, and earth: we appease thy anger, as the womb of a she-mule (cannot conceive).'
4. Now (follows) the way for obtaining the victory in disputes.
5. 5 He puts wood on the fire at night-time in an inner apartment, performs the rites down to the Vyâhriti oblations, and sacrifices small grains mixed with A ya, with (the verse), 'Tongueless one, thou who art without a tongue! I drive thee away through my sacrifice, so that I may gain the victory in the dispute, and that N.N. may be defeated by me. Svâhâ!'
6. 6 Then in the presence (of his adversary), turned towards him, he murmurs (the verses), 'I take away the speech from thy mouth, (the speech) that dwells in thy mind, (the speech) from thy heart. Out of every limb I take thy speech. Wheresoever thy speech dwells, thence I take it away.
8. 8 'For me have the high ones and the low ones, for me has this wide earth, for me have Agni and Indra accomplished my divine aim'—with (this verse) he looks at the assembly, and murmurs (it) turned towards (the assembly).
End of the Fourth Patala.
177:1 15, 1. Comp. Atharva-veda III, 15, 5; Gobhila IV, 8, 19.
178:3 Pâraskara III, 13, 5. Possibly we ought to correct mriddhasya into mridhrasya. Avadyâm ought to be ava gyâm; see Atharva-veda VI, 42, 1.
178:5 The commentary explains kanâs (small grains) as oleander (karavîra) seeds.
178:6 Comp. Pâraskara III, 13, 6. The text of the Mantras is corrupt.
