Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1o the priests. Cf. Darila to Kau5\ 46, 6. It is the same jraddh£ which entered Na&ketas, Kk/k. Up. I, 2 ff., to such an extent that he desired to be given himself as sacrificial reward to his priests. This zeal is naturally bestowed by the brown soma, i.e. in the course of solemn sacrifice, and through the inspiration that comes from the hymns (Va£ Sarasvati), sung while drinking the soma. The previous translations seem to me to miss the point wholly : Ludwig, 'den (anteil, den) ich verlange . . . den soil heute .Sraddha finden.' But yam refers to the person supplicated, not to favours asked. Grill, ' wen ich angehe mit dem spruch . . . der werd heut inne mein vertraun, und nehm den braunen soma hin/ Cf. also Zimmer, p. 272. Stanza 6. d. The Pet. Lex. suggests for this single occurrence of prati hary the meaning ' verschmahen, zuriickweisen,' though the word ordinarily means 'delight in, long for.' The passage seems to contain the euphemistic insinuation that Arati when sufficiently cajoled is favourable to generosity. Or, those who desire to be generous must curry favour with Arati ; otherwise she frustrates their intentions. Cf. I, 8, 2. Stanza 8. Arati is here connected with nightmare. Her appear- ance as a naked woman recalls the German ' alp/ or 'mahre' V, 13. COMMENTARY. 425 which also manifests itself as a woman; see A. Kuhn, Zeitschr. f. vergl. Sprachf. XIII, 125 ff. For the spirit of this and the subsequent stanzas, cf. the description of the Apsaras, IV, 37. V, 13. Commentary to page 27. This charm against snake poison claims interest chiefly from its designations of serpents, mostly of obscure mean- ing, and reaching down to the bed-rock of folk-lore. Kau- jika's performances 29, 1-14 are very explicit : they follow the hymn stanza by stanza. But they are not as instruc- tive as they might be owing to their symbolism, and their own obscurity. They begin with the performances in honour of Takshaka, described at 38, 1-4 in connection with IV, 6 and 7 (see the introduction to IV, 6), and con- tinue with additional doings, based upon each stanza of our hymn. These will be referred to most profitably under the head of each separately. The hymn exhibits noteworthy points of contact with RV. I, 191. Stanza 1. Cf. RV. I, 191, 7. 11. We have translated saktam by 'what has been fastened;' cf. RV. I, 191, 10. The Pet. Lex. s. v. sa^* 4), ' inherent.' Stanza 2. Kaui*. 29, 2-4 : * With the second (stanza) the act of con- fining (the poison) takes place1. 3.
2anza 1. Cf. RV. I, 191, 7. 11. We have translated saktam by 'what has been fastened;' cf. RV. I, 191, 10. The Pet. Lex. s. v. sa^* 4), ' inherent.' Stanza 2. Kaui*. 29, 2-4 : * With the second (stanza) the act of con- fining (the poison) takes place1. 3. The (priest) walks about (the patient) towards the left (KeJrava, savyam = 1 dvitiyaya graham. Darila, ka/akabandha ity artha^, ' with the second stanza a rope is fastened (about' the patierit) ' ? Cf. agra- bham, and grz'twami in the mantra. The feminine gender of graham is peculiar. We should expect either graha^am, or dvitiya graham. Ke^ava, visha/rc na visarpati dejasthitazrc bhavati .rarire na sarpati vishastambhanaw bhavati. 426 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. apradakshmam). 4. He fastens a bunch of grass 1 to the border of the (patient's) tuft of hair.' b. etasu, feminine, with reference to the numerous female reptiles in sts. 7 fT. Stanza 3. Kauj. 29, 5 : c With the third (stanza) he drives the poison forth.' Kcrava, da;/wad visham anyatra ga^Mati. In Pada a, vr/sha me rava/£ suggests perhaps the fire which is built to frighten away serpents; see RV. I, 94, 10 ; VII, 79, 4 ; X, in, 2. At RV. X, 146, 2 = Tait. Br. II, 5, 5, 6 vrzsharava is the designation of a croaking bird. Pada d echoes RV. I, 191, 8 : the rising sun symbolises the qui- escence or destruction of all harmful powers. Stanza 4. Kam\ 29, 6. 7 : { While reciting the fourth stanza, along with VII, 88 2, the (serpent's) bite is rubbed 3 with grass, and the grass thrown upon the serpent. 7. (Or in the absence of the serpent he throws it) where the biting took place.' Cf. Kaui*. 32, 25. The ceremony is an attempt at the complete realisation of the mantra. Stanza 5. Kaiu. 29, 8 : c With the fifth stanza he sprinkles the poisoned person with water heated by quenching in it 1 The virtue of this manipulation rests apparently in the pun between stamba and the root stambh, * fasten, confine ' ! 2 ' Go away, thou art an enemy, an enemy surely art thou ! Thou hast mixed (thy) poison into poison, thou hast certainly mixed poison. To the serpent himself do thou go away. Him slay ! ' Cf. Ludwig, Rigvecja, III, 511; Henry, Le livre VII de FAtharva-ve'da, pp. 36, 106. 3 Ke^ava, pra^valya, ' heating the bite with burning grass/ This is due to confusion of this performance with Kaur. 32, 24, datfwma nitapya. V, 13. COMMENTARY. 427 burning reeds from a thatch x mixed with grains of sesame.' For ava^vala, cf. Kaus. 27, 29 (introduction to III, 7) ; Krus.
3bite with burning grass/ This is due to confusion of this performance with Kaur. 32, 24, datfwma nitapya. V, 13. COMMENTARY. 427 burning reeds from a thatch x mixed with grains of sesame.' For ava^vala, cf. Kaus. 27, 29 (introduction to III, 7) ; Krus. 27, 33 (introduction to III, 11); 28, 2 (introduction to IV, 6). The punning symbolism which connects this practice with upatrz/zya, and perhaps also alika^ (as though it were valika) in the mantra, represents the low-water mark of banale attempts to construct a practice upon the indications of the mantra. The names of the serpents in this and the following stanzas are for the most part very obscure (cf. Zimmer, pp. 94, 95) : for kafrata, see X, 4, 14, for babhrii, VI, 56, 2. asita is a more common designation, VI, 56, 2 ; VII, 56, 1, &c, and cf. the note on VI, 56, 2. c. stamanam, air. Key., we have rendered as though it were sthamanam (masculine !). Cf. our remarks on the interchange between surd aspirates and non-aspirates, Amer. Journ. Phil. XII, pp. 436 ff., and Roth in the Zeitschr. d. Deutsch. Morg. Gesellsch. XLVIII, 105 ff. The Pet. Lex. under stha -I- api suggests srama/zam, without interpreting the passage in this form. Stanza 6. Kaus. 29, 9 : ' With the sixth (stanza) a bowstring taken from the notched end of the bow is fastened upon the patient.' Again, the vaguest kind of symbolism in refer- ence to Pada d. For taimata, see V, 18, 4. The rendering of apodaka is very uncertain. Though in accord with the apparent meaning of the same word in st. 2, it jars here : we should rather expect another designation of serpents, ' one that does not live in the water (?).' Stanza 7. Kauj\ 29, 10: 'With the two next stanzas (7 and 8) the patient is given to drink water with the earth of a bee-hive.' (K e^ava, however, madhudvapa = madhuvrz'ksham/'z'ttika). The relation of the practice to the stanzas is profoundly obscure. Cf. the note on V, 5, 1. 1 Cf. the introduction to VI, 24. 428 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. Stanza 8. b. We are tempted to change the instrumental asiknya to the ablative asiknya^, 'born of the black serpent,' or ' born of the black night/ c. For pratankam, see our note on IV, 16, 2; cf. also XII, 1, 46 ; Sat. Br. VII, 4, 1, 28 (ye va*va/eshu aerate), and Ait. Br. VI, i , 3. Stanza 9. Kau^. 29, 1 1 : ' With the ninth (stanza) the patient is given to drink water containing the excrement of a porcu- pine. With a prick (of the porcupine) that has three white stripes he feeds meat to the patient1/ Cf. the closely cor- related RV. I, 191, 16. a.
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.
1o the priests. Cf. Darila to Kau5\ 46, 6. It is the same jraddh£ which entered Na&ketas, Kk/k. Up. I, 2 ff., to such an extent that he desired to be given himself as sacrificial reward to his priests. This zeal is naturally bestowed by the brown soma, i.e. in the course of solemn sacrifice, and through the inspiration that comes from the hymns (Va£ Sarasvati), sung while drinking the soma. The previous translations seem to me to miss the point wholly : Ludwig, 'den (anteil, den) ich verlange . . . den soil heute .Sraddha finden.' But yam refers to the person supplicated, not to favours asked. Grill, ' wen ich angehe mit dem spruch . . . der werd heut inne mein vertraun, und nehm den braunen soma hin/ Cf. also Zimmer, p. 272. Stanza 6. d. The Pet. Lex. suggests for this single occurrence of prati hary the meaning ' verschmahen, zuriickweisen,' though the word ordinarily means 'delight in, long for.' The passage seems to contain the euphemistic insinuation that Arati when sufficiently cajoled is favourable to generosity. Or, those who desire to be generous must curry favour with Arati ; otherwise she frustrates their intentions. Cf. I, 8, 2. Stanza 8. Arati is here connected with nightmare. Her appear- ance as a naked woman recalls the German ' alp/ or 'mahre' V, 13. COMMENTARY. 425 which also manifests itself as a woman; see A. Kuhn, Zeitschr. f. vergl. Sprachf. XIII, 125 ff. For the spirit of this and the subsequent stanzas, cf. the description of the Apsaras, IV, 37. V, 13. Commentary to page 27. This charm against snake poison claims interest chiefly from its designations of serpents, mostly of obscure mean- ing, and reaching down to the bed-rock of folk-lore. Kau- jika's performances 29, 1-14 are very explicit : they follow the hymn stanza by stanza. But they are not as instruc- tive as they might be owing to their symbolism, and their own obscurity. They begin with the performances in honour of Takshaka, described at 38, 1-4 in connection with IV, 6 and 7 (see the introduction to IV, 6), and con- tinue with additional doings, based upon each stanza of our hymn. These will be referred to most profitably under the head of each separately. The hymn exhibits noteworthy points of contact with RV. I, 191. Stanza 1. Cf. RV. I, 191, 7. 11. We have translated saktam by 'what has been fastened;' cf. RV. I, 191, 10. The Pet. Lex. s. v. sa^* 4), ' inherent.' Stanza 2. Kaui*. 29, 2-4 : * With the second (stanza) the act of con- fining (the poison) takes place1. 3.
2anza 1. Cf. RV. I, 191, 7. 11. We have translated saktam by 'what has been fastened;' cf. RV. I, 191, 10. The Pet. Lex. s. v. sa^* 4), ' inherent.' Stanza 2. Kaui*. 29, 2-4 : * With the second (stanza) the act of con- fining (the poison) takes place1. 3. The (priest) walks about (the patient) towards the left (KeJrava, savyam = 1 dvitiyaya graham. Darila, ka/akabandha ity artha^, ' with the second stanza a rope is fastened (about' the patierit) ' ? Cf. agra- bham, and grz'twami in the mantra. The feminine gender of graham is peculiar. We should expect either graha^am, or dvitiya graham. Ke^ava, visha/rc na visarpati dejasthitazrc bhavati .rarire na sarpati vishastambhanaw bhavati. 426 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. apradakshmam). 4. He fastens a bunch of grass 1 to the border of the (patient's) tuft of hair.' b. etasu, feminine, with reference to the numerous female reptiles in sts. 7 fT. Stanza 3. Kauj. 29, 5 : c With the third (stanza) he drives the poison forth.' Kcrava, da;/wad visham anyatra ga^Mati. In Pada a, vr/sha me rava/£ suggests perhaps the fire which is built to frighten away serpents; see RV. I, 94, 10 ; VII, 79, 4 ; X, in, 2. At RV. X, 146, 2 = Tait. Br. II, 5, 5, 6 vrzsharava is the designation of a croaking bird. Pada d echoes RV. I, 191, 8 : the rising sun symbolises the qui- escence or destruction of all harmful powers. Stanza 4. Kam\ 29, 6. 7 : { While reciting the fourth stanza, along with VII, 88 2, the (serpent's) bite is rubbed 3 with grass, and the grass thrown upon the serpent. 7. (Or in the absence of the serpent he throws it) where the biting took place.' Cf. Kaui*. 32, 25. The ceremony is an attempt at the complete realisation of the mantra. Stanza 5. Kaiu. 29, 8 : c With the fifth stanza he sprinkles the poisoned person with water heated by quenching in it 1 The virtue of this manipulation rests apparently in the pun between stamba and the root stambh, * fasten, confine ' ! 2 ' Go away, thou art an enemy, an enemy surely art thou ! Thou hast mixed (thy) poison into poison, thou hast certainly mixed poison. To the serpent himself do thou go away. Him slay ! ' Cf. Ludwig, Rigvecja, III, 511; Henry, Le livre VII de FAtharva-ve'da, pp. 36, 106. 3 Ke^ava, pra^valya, ' heating the bite with burning grass/ This is due to confusion of this performance with Kaur. 32, 24, datfwma nitapya. V, 13. COMMENTARY. 427 burning reeds from a thatch x mixed with grains of sesame.' For ava^vala, cf. Kaus. 27, 29 (introduction to III, 7) ; Krus.
3bite with burning grass/ This is due to confusion of this performance with Kaur. 32, 24, datfwma nitapya. V, 13. COMMENTARY. 427 burning reeds from a thatch x mixed with grains of sesame.' For ava^vala, cf. Kaus. 27, 29 (introduction to III, 7) ; Krus. 27, 33 (introduction to III, 11); 28, 2 (introduction to IV, 6). The punning symbolism which connects this practice with upatrz/zya, and perhaps also alika^ (as though it were valika) in the mantra, represents the low-water mark of banale attempts to construct a practice upon the indications of the mantra. The names of the serpents in this and the following stanzas are for the most part very obscure (cf. Zimmer, pp. 94, 95) : for kafrata, see X, 4, 14, for babhrii, VI, 56, 2. asita is a more common designation, VI, 56, 2 ; VII, 56, 1, &c, and cf. the note on VI, 56, 2. c. stamanam, air. Key., we have rendered as though it were sthamanam (masculine !). Cf. our remarks on the interchange between surd aspirates and non-aspirates, Amer. Journ. Phil. XII, pp. 436 ff., and Roth in the Zeitschr. d. Deutsch. Morg. Gesellsch. XLVIII, 105 ff. The Pet. Lex. under stha -I- api suggests srama/zam, without interpreting the passage in this form. Stanza 6. Kaus. 29, 9 : ' With the sixth (stanza) a bowstring taken from the notched end of the bow is fastened upon the patient.' Again, the vaguest kind of symbolism in refer- ence to Pada d. For taimata, see V, 18, 4. The rendering of apodaka is very uncertain. Though in accord with the apparent meaning of the same word in st. 2, it jars here : we should rather expect another designation of serpents, ' one that does not live in the water (?).' Stanza 7. Kauj\ 29, 10: 'With the two next stanzas (7 and 8) the patient is given to drink water with the earth of a bee-hive.' (K e^ava, however, madhudvapa = madhuvrz'ksham/'z'ttika). The relation of the practice to the stanzas is profoundly obscure. Cf. the note on V, 5, 1. 1 Cf. the introduction to VI, 24. 428 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. Stanza 8. b. We are tempted to change the instrumental asiknya to the ablative asiknya^, 'born of the black serpent,' or ' born of the black night/ c. For pratankam, see our note on IV, 16, 2; cf. also XII, 1, 46 ; Sat. Br. VII, 4, 1, 28 (ye va*va/eshu aerate), and Ait. Br. VI, i , 3. Stanza 9. Kau^. 29, 1 1 : ' With the ninth (stanza) the patient is given to drink water containing the excrement of a porcu- pine. With a prick (of the porcupine) that has three white stripes he feeds meat to the patient1/ Cf. the closely cor- related RV. I, 191, 16. a.
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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