Atharvaveda 5.17

These spoke first at the offense against the Brahman (bráhman-): the boundless sea, Mātariçvan, he of stout rage (-háras), formidable fervor, the kindly one, the heavenly waters, first-born of right (ṛtá).

King Soma first gave (pra-yam) back the Brahman's wife, not bearing enmity; he who went after [her] was Varuṇa, Mitra; Agni, invoker, conducted [her] hither, seizing her hand.

To be seized by the hand indeed is the pledge (? ādhí) of her, if one has said "[she is] the Brahman's wife"; she stood not to be sent forth for a messenger: so is made safe (gupitá) the kingdom of the Kshatriya.

The misfortune, descending (ava-pad) upon the village, of which they say "this is a star with disheveled hair"—as such, the Brahman's wife burns up the kingdom, where hath gone forth a hare (? çaçá) accompanied with meteors (ulkuṣī́-).

The Vedic student (brahmacārin) goes about serving (viṣ) much service; he becomes one limb of the gods; by him Brihaspati discovered the wife, conducted by Soma, like the sacrificial spoon, O gods.

The gods of old verily spoke about her, the seven seers who sat down with penance (tápas); fearful [is] the wife of the Brahman when led away; she makes (dhā) discomfort (durdhā́) in the highest firmament (vyòman).

What embryos are aborted (ava-pad), what living creatures (jágat) are torn away (apa-lup), what heroes are mutually shattered—them the Brahman's wife injures.

And if [there were] ten former husbands of a woman, not Brahmans—provided a Brahman has seized her hand, he is alone her husband.

A Brahman [is] indeed her husband, not a noble (rājanyà), not a Vāiçya: this the sun goes proclaiming to the five races of men (mānavá).

The gods verily gave back; men (manuṣyà) gave back; kings, apprehending (grah) truth, gave back the Brahman's wife.

Having given back the Brahman's wife, having brought about (kṛ) freedom of offense with the gods, sharing (bhaj) the refreshment (ū́rj) of the earth, they occupy (upa-ās) broad space (urugyá).

Not on his couch lies a beautiful hundred-bringing (-vāhī́) wife, in whose kingdom the Brahman's wife is obstructed through ignorance.

A wide-eared, broad-headed [ox?] is not born in that dwelling, in whose etc. etc.

A distributer (kṣattár) with necklaced neck goes not at the head of his crates (? sūnā́) [of food], in whose etc. etc.

A white, black-eared [horse] does not make a show (mahīy), harnessed to his [chariot-] pole, in whose etc. etc.

Not in his field [is] a lotus-pond, the bulb (? bísa) of the bulb-bearing lotus is not produced (jan), in whose etc. etc.

Not for him do they who attend to (upa-ās) her milking milk out the spotted [cow], in whose etc. etc.

Not his [is] a beautiful milch-cow, [his] draft-ox endures not the pole, where a Brahman stays a night miserably (pāpáyā) without a wife (-jāni).