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Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1ing these recitals the plants u^Mushma and parivyadha 5 are dug up with an iron instrument (Darila, a ploughshare). 15. Two decoctions are made from these plants, poured into milk, a drawn bow is placed into the lap, and then the decoctions are drunk 2. 16. (The same 1 Darila and Ke^ava, u^^ushmd kapika^^u (mucuna pruritus) parivyadha^ suravalaka^ (or, sukaravalaka^) ; Sayawa ^mentions only one plant, kapitthakamulam, the root of feronia elephantum. For u^Mushma, cf. st. 4. 2 We now correct Sutra 1 5 as follows, dugdhe pha/z/av adhigyam (sc. dhanur) upastha adhaya pibati. Cf. Kau^ika, Introduction, p. lviii ff. The symbolism is quite apparent; see stanzas 6 and 7 of the hymn. [4a] B b 370 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. performance takes place) while he sits upon a stake or a pestle1' (generous suggestions! cf. VII, 90, 3). For hymns (and their collateral practices) dealing with the same subject, see VI, 72 ; ioi ; VII, 90 ; Kauj. 40, 16-18 ; 36> 35-7. Stanza 1. The Gandharvas, the divine libertines (IV, 37, 11), who enjoy themselves in the company of the heavenly nymphs, the Apsaras, are peculiarly likely to stand in need, and have a knowledge of regenerating plants. Hence the Gandharva digs them up. But why should Varu/za need an aphro- disiac ? At VII, 90, 2, a charm for inhibiting the redundant sexual power of an enemy, the divine law ofVaru^a 'withers excessive fire/ The paradox may be only a seeming one. Varu^a, as is well known, not infrequently appears in opposition to Indra, and his name even is occa- sionally, by etymological play (root var), assimilated to Vrztra, the demon, whom Indra at RV. I, 32, 7 turns in a castrate (vadhri) ; cf. RV. IV, 4a, 7; X, 124, 4. 5, and Bergaigne, La Religion Vedique, III, 144 ff. Saya^a does not comment upon this extraordinary imputation against Varu/za, the most highly respected of all the gods. Stanza 2. c. I have followed Saya;za in regarding ud e^atu as transitive, udvrzttaw karotu, and, utkrzsh/aviryayukta//z karotu. Cf. the similar double use of the root lid ar (lid iyarti), and the simple root ir. The Pet. Lex., ' sich riihren, sich erheben.' This translation fits poorly for Pada c. Stanza 3. a, b. Saya^a with some MSS. (SamhitfL and Padapa//za) reads virohito for virohato, and construes it as an epithet of the penis, putrapautradirupe/za viroha/^asya nimittaw pum- 1 The first part of Sutra 1 6 in the edition is to be regarded with Kej'ava as an independent Sutra. Ke^ava was not at hand until the body of the text was in print. IV, 5- COMMENTARY. 37 1 vya^anam.
2is, putrapautradirupe/za viroha/^asya nimittaw pum- 1 The first part of Sutra 1 6 in the edition is to be regarded with Kej'ava as an independent Sutra. Ke^ava was not at hand until the body of the text was in print. IV, 5- COMMENTARY. 37 1 vya^anam. The sense is changed very little. Our trans- lation of abhitaptam iva*nati by * exhales heat like a thing on fire ' is somewhat uncertain, since anati means ' breathe.' The Pet. Lexs., 'nach luft schnappen, lechzen;' accord- ingly ' longs for cooling like a thing on fire/ Stanza 4. a, b. Saya/za supplies irayatu with lid. This is at least approximately correct, as may be learned from RV. X, 97, 8, uk Miishma oshadhina^ gavo gosh/Md ive**rate. The only question is whether the simple verb, rather than the causative, is to be supplied : ' The fire of the plants &c. shall arise.' The ritual embodies with stereotyped sym- bolism the words uk £Mshma in the plant u^^ushma ; see the introduction. c, d. Saya^a, supported by a few MSS., reads sa^pusham and tanuvaj-am, glossing, samyak poshayitri/zam oshadhinaw sambandhi yad vrfchnywn viryam asti tad asmin purushe tanuva^a^/ jariradhinaw krztva dhehi. Stanza 7. Repeated at VI, 101, 3 ; cf. the practice, Kau^. 40, 15, above. d. Saya^a, with one of Shankar Pandit's MSS., reads anu valguyata (nrztyata manasa). The Pet. Lexs. and Whitney, Index Verborum, regard sada as the instrumental of a air. Aey. sad, ' mounting/ But such a root-abstract is naturally feminine, and the participle anavaglayata is neuter, agreeing with pasasa supplied from Pada a. Saya/za correctly takes sada as ' ever.' IV, 5. Commentary to page 105. The purpose of this hymn, regarded from within, is clear, and its position in the ritual in connection with one of the strikarma^i (Kau^. 32, 28-36, 40) makes it certain that the Atharvavedins dealt with it in the light indicated by our B b 2 572 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. title. Four of its stanzas (i, 3, 5, 6) appear in a different arrangement, and in connection with other material, in RV. VII, 55, and, as usual, the Atharvan recension smacks of adaptation to a particular purpose1. The Rigveda form itself, however, is open to the same suspicion ; both ver- sions may have draughted into service materials whose original connection in olden times (pura/za) has passed out of sight. Professor Aufrecht, Ind. Stud. IV, 337 ff., presented as early as 1858 a peculiarly lucid interpretation of both hymns (cf. Zimmer, pp.
3ver- sions may have draughted into service materials whose original connection in olden times (pura/za) has passed out of sight. Professor Aufrecht, Ind. Stud. IV, 337 ff., presented as early as 1858 a peculiarly lucid interpretation of both hymns (cf. Zimmer, pp. 149, 308), and more recently Pro- fessor Pischel, Vedische Studien, II, 55 ff., has made a determined attempt — in our opinion unsuccessful — to vin- dicate the interpretation of the Rigveda version as under- taken by Sha^guru^ishya and the Brzhaddevata. Accord- ing to Pischel, Vasish^a entered the house of Varu^a after he had fasted three days in order to steal food, and employed this charm to put all waking persons and dogs to sleep 2. There is at any rate no question as to the purpose of the stanzas as arranged by the Atharvan diaskeuasts. Darila describes it as maithuna^ara^avighnana^akartar, ' removing obstacles in the way of an assignation.' The practices are stated at Kaus. 36, 1-4, as follows: 1. 'While reciting IV, 5 a sleeping-charm is performed. 2. The house is sprinkled with water from a vessel which has been anointed with the dregs of ghee, and the rest is poured upon the inside of the door. 3. The same act is repeated naked. 4. Then a mortar 3 is addressed (with the hymn) ; next, the northern corner (of the house), the southernmost foot of the 1 Note especially asyai in st. 6 of the AV. for sarve in st. 5 of RV. ; also svaptu for sastu (archaic) in the same stanzas. * Pischel argues that Brahmans are known to have committed thefts in later times (MrzM^aka/ika* 46, 10, &c. ; see also Rig- vidhana I, 26, 2 ; Manu XI, 251). On the same principle it might be argued that Vedic Rishis acted as clowns (vidushaka) and even cooks, as in modern times. Cf. also Pa#£. Br. XXI, n, 2. 3 Does the mortar symbolise the vulva, just as the pestle the membrum virile, Kauy. 40, 16 (see IV, 4, introduction)? IV, 6. COMMENTARY. 373 woman's bed, and the ropes (of the bed).' The hymn is rubricated also in Ath. Pam. 8, 1, and it has been trans- lated by Aufrecht, 1. c. ; Grill2, pp. 53, 119 ff. The Anu- kramam, varshabham. Stanza 1. a. ' Having a thousand horns,' of Agni, RV. V, 1, 8 ; Tait. Br. Ill, 7, 2, 7; AV. XIII, 1, 12 (cf RV. V, 2, 9). Saya;*a, both here and at RV. VII, 55, 7, suggests Surya, the sun ; Aufrecht, 1. c, p. 344, the moon, the father of sorcery ; Grassmann, in his translation of the Rigveda, I, 343, the starry heaven. In RV. I, 154, 6 the stars are said to be bhuri-^rmga, 'having many horns;' this seems to fortify Grassmann's view.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1ing these recitals the plants u^Mushma and parivyadha 5 are dug up with an iron instrument (Darila, a ploughshare). 15. Two decoctions are made from these plants, poured into milk, a drawn bow is placed into the lap, and then the decoctions are drunk 2. 16. (The same 1 Darila and Ke^ava, u^^ushmd kapika^^u (mucuna pruritus) parivyadha^ suravalaka^ (or, sukaravalaka^) ; Sayawa ^mentions only one plant, kapitthakamulam, the root of feronia elephantum. For u^Mushma, cf. st. 4. 2 We now correct Sutra 1 5 as follows, dugdhe pha/z/av adhigyam (sc. dhanur) upastha adhaya pibati. Cf. Kau^ika, Introduction, p. lviii ff. The symbolism is quite apparent; see stanzas 6 and 7 of the hymn. [4a] B b 370 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. performance takes place) while he sits upon a stake or a pestle1' (generous suggestions! cf. VII, 90, 3). For hymns (and their collateral practices) dealing with the same subject, see VI, 72 ; ioi ; VII, 90 ; Kauj. 40, 16-18 ; 36> 35-7. Stanza 1. The Gandharvas, the divine libertines (IV, 37, 11), who enjoy themselves in the company of the heavenly nymphs, the Apsaras, are peculiarly likely to stand in need, and have a knowledge of regenerating plants. Hence the Gandharva digs them up. But why should Varu/za need an aphro- disiac ? At VII, 90, 2, a charm for inhibiting the redundant sexual power of an enemy, the divine law ofVaru^a 'withers excessive fire/ The paradox may be only a seeming one. Varu^a, as is well known, not infrequently appears in opposition to Indra, and his name even is occa- sionally, by etymological play (root var), assimilated to Vrztra, the demon, whom Indra at RV. I, 32, 7 turns in a castrate (vadhri) ; cf. RV. IV, 4a, 7; X, 124, 4. 5, and Bergaigne, La Religion Vedique, III, 144 ff. Saya^a does not comment upon this extraordinary imputation against Varu/za, the most highly respected of all the gods. Stanza 2. c. I have followed Saya;za in regarding ud e^atu as transitive, udvrzttaw karotu, and, utkrzsh/aviryayukta//z karotu. Cf. the similar double use of the root lid ar (lid iyarti), and the simple root ir. The Pet. Lex., ' sich riihren, sich erheben.' This translation fits poorly for Pada c. Stanza 3. a, b. Saya^a with some MSS. (SamhitfL and Padapa//za) reads virohito for virohato, and construes it as an epithet of the penis, putrapautradirupe/za viroha/^asya nimittaw pum- 1 The first part of Sutra 1 6 in the edition is to be regarded with Kej'ava as an independent Sutra. Ke^ava was not at hand until the body of the text was in print. IV, 5- COMMENTARY. 37 1 vya^anam.
2is, putrapautradirupe/za viroha/^asya nimittaw pum- 1 The first part of Sutra 1 6 in the edition is to be regarded with Kej'ava as an independent Sutra. Ke^ava was not at hand until the body of the text was in print. IV, 5- COMMENTARY. 37 1 vya^anam. The sense is changed very little. Our trans- lation of abhitaptam iva*nati by * exhales heat like a thing on fire ' is somewhat uncertain, since anati means ' breathe.' The Pet. Lexs., 'nach luft schnappen, lechzen;' accord- ingly ' longs for cooling like a thing on fire/ Stanza 4. a, b. Saya/za supplies irayatu with lid. This is at least approximately correct, as may be learned from RV. X, 97, 8, uk Miishma oshadhina^ gavo gosh/Md ive**rate. The only question is whether the simple verb, rather than the causative, is to be supplied : ' The fire of the plants &c. shall arise.' The ritual embodies with stereotyped sym- bolism the words uk £Mshma in the plant u^^ushma ; see the introduction. c, d. Saya^a, supported by a few MSS., reads sa^pusham and tanuvaj-am, glossing, samyak poshayitri/zam oshadhinaw sambandhi yad vrfchnywn viryam asti tad asmin purushe tanuva^a^/ jariradhinaw krztva dhehi. Stanza 7. Repeated at VI, 101, 3 ; cf. the practice, Kau^. 40, 15, above. d. Saya^a, with one of Shankar Pandit's MSS., reads anu valguyata (nrztyata manasa). The Pet. Lexs. and Whitney, Index Verborum, regard sada as the instrumental of a air. Aey. sad, ' mounting/ But such a root-abstract is naturally feminine, and the participle anavaglayata is neuter, agreeing with pasasa supplied from Pada a. Saya/za correctly takes sada as ' ever.' IV, 5. Commentary to page 105. The purpose of this hymn, regarded from within, is clear, and its position in the ritual in connection with one of the strikarma^i (Kau^. 32, 28-36, 40) makes it certain that the Atharvavedins dealt with it in the light indicated by our B b 2 572 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. title. Four of its stanzas (i, 3, 5, 6) appear in a different arrangement, and in connection with other material, in RV. VII, 55, and, as usual, the Atharvan recension smacks of adaptation to a particular purpose1. The Rigveda form itself, however, is open to the same suspicion ; both ver- sions may have draughted into service materials whose original connection in olden times (pura/za) has passed out of sight. Professor Aufrecht, Ind. Stud. IV, 337 ff., presented as early as 1858 a peculiarly lucid interpretation of both hymns (cf. Zimmer, pp.
3ver- sions may have draughted into service materials whose original connection in olden times (pura/za) has passed out of sight. Professor Aufrecht, Ind. Stud. IV, 337 ff., presented as early as 1858 a peculiarly lucid interpretation of both hymns (cf. Zimmer, pp. 149, 308), and more recently Pro- fessor Pischel, Vedische Studien, II, 55 ff., has made a determined attempt — in our opinion unsuccessful — to vin- dicate the interpretation of the Rigveda version as under- taken by Sha^guru^ishya and the Brzhaddevata. Accord- ing to Pischel, Vasish^a entered the house of Varu^a after he had fasted three days in order to steal food, and employed this charm to put all waking persons and dogs to sleep 2. There is at any rate no question as to the purpose of the stanzas as arranged by the Atharvan diaskeuasts. Darila describes it as maithuna^ara^avighnana^akartar, ' removing obstacles in the way of an assignation.' The practices are stated at Kaus. 36, 1-4, as follows: 1. 'While reciting IV, 5 a sleeping-charm is performed. 2. The house is sprinkled with water from a vessel which has been anointed with the dregs of ghee, and the rest is poured upon the inside of the door. 3. The same act is repeated naked. 4. Then a mortar 3 is addressed (with the hymn) ; next, the northern corner (of the house), the southernmost foot of the 1 Note especially asyai in st. 6 of the AV. for sarve in st. 5 of RV. ; also svaptu for sastu (archaic) in the same stanzas. * Pischel argues that Brahmans are known to have committed thefts in later times (MrzM^aka/ika* 46, 10, &c. ; see also Rig- vidhana I, 26, 2 ; Manu XI, 251). On the same principle it might be argued that Vedic Rishis acted as clowns (vidushaka) and even cooks, as in modern times. Cf. also Pa#£. Br. XXI, n, 2. 3 Does the mortar symbolise the vulva, just as the pestle the membrum virile, Kauy. 40, 16 (see IV, 4, introduction)? IV, 6. COMMENTARY. 373 woman's bed, and the ropes (of the bed).' The hymn is rubricated also in Ath. Pam. 8, 1, and it has been trans- lated by Aufrecht, 1. c. ; Grill2, pp. 53, 119 ff. The Anu- kramam, varshabham. Stanza 1. a. ' Having a thousand horns,' of Agni, RV. V, 1, 8 ; Tait. Br. Ill, 7, 2, 7; AV. XIII, 1, 12 (cf RV. V, 2, 9). Saya;*a, both here and at RV. VII, 55, 7, suggests Surya, the sun ; Aufrecht, 1. c, p. 344, the moon, the father of sorcery ; Grassmann, in his translation of the Rigveda, I, 343, the starry heaven. In RV. I, 154, 6 the stars are said to be bhuri-^rmga, 'having many horns;' this seems to fortify Grassmann's view.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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