Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1do, however, read adhri. 2 Darila, urdhvazra parivartayan . . . homaj ^a u^ai^. 440 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. cow (V, 20, i ; 21, 3). But the matter is not altogether clear, since in the Sutra above the antelope's skin is com- bined with a soma-shoot. This points, rather, to some use of it either at the soma-pressing, or, perhaps, at some preparatory stage (diksha). The black antelope's skin is regularly employed at the diksha; cf. Ait. Br. I, 3, 17; Lindner, Die Diksha, p. 27 ff. ; Oldenberg, Die Religion des Veda, pp. 87, 399 ff Stanza 8. The first hemistich is altogether obscure. One may imagine that the poet desires to accentuate Indra's (and implicitly the king's) power by stating that the enemies are frightened at the beat of his feet, even when he is amusing himself; cf. Mahabh. Ill, 14882, yadi prakri^/ate sarvair devai^ saha .yatakratu/z, ' if (Indra), of hundredfold power, disports himself in the company of the gods.' The words khkykyk saha would naturally mean ' in the company of k/iaya' and one is almost tempted to suspect sikya. (s'dkik), ' in the company of SaM.' But it is possible to extract the meaning, 'the enemies are frightened at the beat of Indra's feet and at his shadow.' Ludwig, * mit denen Indra spilet mit dem fussgerausch und seinem schatten'(l). Stanza 9. Ludwig, 'nur wie der laut einer bogensene sollen die dundubhi herschreien, von den heeren der feinde, welche besigt sind, und mit ihrer front nach alien weltgegenden gehn.' But ^yaghosha^ is not a possessive compound, witness the accent, and the sense of abhi kro^antu must be the same as that of abhi krand in V, 20, 2. 7 ; 21, 4-6. Stanza 10. The picture is that of interference of the sun and its rays with the operations of the enemy, patsanginir, ' clogging their feet,' is not quite clear. Ludwig may be right in regarding it as an independent noun, 'schlingen,' 'traps;' cf. Kauj. 16, 16. V, 2 2. COMMENTARY. 44 1 V, 22. Commentary to page i. The word takman is not mentioned at all in the Rig- veda, but occurs very frequently in the Atharvan. Four hymns, I, 25; V, 22; VI, 20; VII, 116, are devoted exclusively to its cure 1 ; the word is mentioned frequently elsewhere in the Atharvan ; and there are descriptions of diseases, such as are stated in AV. I, 12, which are very closely allied in character to the takman, but the word is not mentioned in the text.
2usively to its cure 1 ; the word is mentioned frequently elsewhere in the Atharvan ; and there are descriptions of diseases, such as are stated in AV. I, 12, which are very closely allied in character to the takman, but the word is not mentioned in the text. The Ga/zamala, the 32nd of the Atharva-Pamish/as, presents in its seventh paragraph a series (ga^a) of no less than nineteen hymns, supposed to be devoted to the cure of this disease (takmana^ana) ; see Kslus. 26, 1, note. Saya/za to AV. XIX, 34, 10 explains takman as follows: k^Mra^ivanakartaraz/z yasmin sati krzkkkrena givanam bhavati. Professor Roth in his famous tract, ' Zur Litteratur und Geschichte des Veda ' (p. 39), published in 1846, thought that the takman referred to leprosy because the name of the plant kush//£a (costus speciosus), the specific against takman, is in the later medical writings also a designation of leprosy. Adolphe Pictet in an article entitled ' Die alten Krankheitsnamen der Indo-Germanen,' published in Kuhns Zeitschrift, V, 337, thought he found etymological support for this view in Persian takhtah and Erse tachas, tochas, both of which refer to leprosy, or the like. Professor Weber, judging from the symptoms described in AV. I, 25, recognised fever as the chief feature of the takman (see Indische Studien, IV, 119); after him Dr. Virgil Grohmann published in the same Journal, IX, 381 fif., a careful and exhaustive essay which corroborated Weber's view. This was still further supported by Professor Zimmer in his Altindisches Leben, p. 379 ff., and now Darila and Ke^ava, the com- mentators of the Kau^ika-sutra, everywhere gloss the word 1 Cf. also the hymns to the kush/$a-plant, V, 4 and XIX, 39. 442 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. by ^"vara *. The descriptions of ^vara as offered by the Hindu medical .Sastras are such as to leave no doubt that the two diseases are essentially the same. Just as the word takman is lost in the later literature, the word £*vara is totally wanting in the Atharvan : the two words comple- ment one another. Only one must not expect to find lucidly expressed diagnosis and consistent therapeutics in Atharvan writings ; the descriptions are frequently vague, being blended with that of other diseases, and the treat- ment frequently symbolic. In many passages, moreover, the takman is a person, and belongs to the same class of demoniacal manifestations as graha, amiva, rakshas, and the like.
3riptions are frequently vague, being blended with that of other diseases, and the treat- ment frequently symbolic. In many passages, moreover, the takman is a person, and belongs to the same class of demoniacal manifestations as graha, amiva, rakshas, and the like. Briefly, the disease is described as having for its chief symptom the change between heat and chills ; inter- mittency, arriving either every day at the same time, every third day, or omitting every third day2; jaundice, which suggests true malarial fever, especially during the rainy season ; and the association with a variety of other diseases, some of which are none too clear in character. Headaches, coughs are alluded to unmistakably; in addition the diseases called balasa (AV. IV, 9, 8 ; XIX, 34, 10), and his 'brother's son/ the paman (V, 22, 12). Almost all diseases in India show a tendency to be accompanied by febrile symptoms, and the frequency of malarial fevers is notorious. Suiruta designates fever as c the king of diseases ; ' fever is present when man comes into the world, and it is also present when he leaves the world. Gods and men alone survive its ravages (Sumita, Uttaratantra, chapter 39). No wonder, then, that the burning weapons of Takman are dreaded so much in the Atharvan. The effort is made to drive him out, either with polite words (I, 25 ; VI, 20) ; with potent charms (IX, 8, 6); or with plants used as specifics, especially the kush//za (costus speciosus), which is 1 We may mention also that Dr. Muir translated the word by < consumption : ' Original Sanskrit Texts, IV, p. 280. 2 Cf.AV.1,25, 4; VII, 116, 2. V, 2 2. COMMENTARY. 443 therefore designated as takmana^ana (V, 4, 1. 2), and the £*angk/a, an unexplained member of the Indian flora 1. In V, 22 the gods, Agni, Soma, Varu^a, the Adityas, and the deified press-stones (pressing the soma) are appealed to for help. Cf. in addition to the authorities mentioned above, Edmund Hardy, Die Vedisch-Brahmanische Periode, p. 198, and, for detailed descriptions of fever and its treatment in the medical 5astras, Wise, Hindu System of Medicine, p. 219 ff. The treatment of AV. V, 22 in the ritual, Kaor. 29, 18. 19, is as follows : '(The priest) gives (the patient) gruel made of roasted grain to drink. The dregs (of the gruel) he pours from a copper vessel over the head (of the patient) into fire derived from a forest-fire2.' The treatment is intensely symbolical, being based upon the attractio si- milium, with a touch of homoeopathy.
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.
1do, however, read adhri. 2 Darila, urdhvazra parivartayan . . . homaj ^a u^ai^. 440 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. cow (V, 20, i ; 21, 3). But the matter is not altogether clear, since in the Sutra above the antelope's skin is com- bined with a soma-shoot. This points, rather, to some use of it either at the soma-pressing, or, perhaps, at some preparatory stage (diksha). The black antelope's skin is regularly employed at the diksha; cf. Ait. Br. I, 3, 17; Lindner, Die Diksha, p. 27 ff. ; Oldenberg, Die Religion des Veda, pp. 87, 399 ff Stanza 8. The first hemistich is altogether obscure. One may imagine that the poet desires to accentuate Indra's (and implicitly the king's) power by stating that the enemies are frightened at the beat of his feet, even when he is amusing himself; cf. Mahabh. Ill, 14882, yadi prakri^/ate sarvair devai^ saha .yatakratu/z, ' if (Indra), of hundredfold power, disports himself in the company of the gods.' The words khkykyk saha would naturally mean ' in the company of k/iaya' and one is almost tempted to suspect sikya. (s'dkik), ' in the company of SaM.' But it is possible to extract the meaning, 'the enemies are frightened at the beat of Indra's feet and at his shadow.' Ludwig, * mit denen Indra spilet mit dem fussgerausch und seinem schatten'(l). Stanza 9. Ludwig, 'nur wie der laut einer bogensene sollen die dundubhi herschreien, von den heeren der feinde, welche besigt sind, und mit ihrer front nach alien weltgegenden gehn.' But ^yaghosha^ is not a possessive compound, witness the accent, and the sense of abhi kro^antu must be the same as that of abhi krand in V, 20, 2. 7 ; 21, 4-6. Stanza 10. The picture is that of interference of the sun and its rays with the operations of the enemy, patsanginir, ' clogging their feet,' is not quite clear. Ludwig may be right in regarding it as an independent noun, 'schlingen,' 'traps;' cf. Kauj. 16, 16. V, 2 2. COMMENTARY. 44 1 V, 22. Commentary to page i. The word takman is not mentioned at all in the Rig- veda, but occurs very frequently in the Atharvan. Four hymns, I, 25; V, 22; VI, 20; VII, 116, are devoted exclusively to its cure 1 ; the word is mentioned frequently elsewhere in the Atharvan ; and there are descriptions of diseases, such as are stated in AV. I, 12, which are very closely allied in character to the takman, but the word is not mentioned in the text.
2usively to its cure 1 ; the word is mentioned frequently elsewhere in the Atharvan ; and there are descriptions of diseases, such as are stated in AV. I, 12, which are very closely allied in character to the takman, but the word is not mentioned in the text. The Ga/zamala, the 32nd of the Atharva-Pamish/as, presents in its seventh paragraph a series (ga^a) of no less than nineteen hymns, supposed to be devoted to the cure of this disease (takmana^ana) ; see Kslus. 26, 1, note. Saya/za to AV. XIX, 34, 10 explains takman as follows: k^Mra^ivanakartaraz/z yasmin sati krzkkkrena givanam bhavati. Professor Roth in his famous tract, ' Zur Litteratur und Geschichte des Veda ' (p. 39), published in 1846, thought that the takman referred to leprosy because the name of the plant kush//£a (costus speciosus), the specific against takman, is in the later medical writings also a designation of leprosy. Adolphe Pictet in an article entitled ' Die alten Krankheitsnamen der Indo-Germanen,' published in Kuhns Zeitschrift, V, 337, thought he found etymological support for this view in Persian takhtah and Erse tachas, tochas, both of which refer to leprosy, or the like. Professor Weber, judging from the symptoms described in AV. I, 25, recognised fever as the chief feature of the takman (see Indische Studien, IV, 119); after him Dr. Virgil Grohmann published in the same Journal, IX, 381 fif., a careful and exhaustive essay which corroborated Weber's view. This was still further supported by Professor Zimmer in his Altindisches Leben, p. 379 ff., and now Darila and Ke^ava, the com- mentators of the Kau^ika-sutra, everywhere gloss the word 1 Cf. also the hymns to the kush/$a-plant, V, 4 and XIX, 39. 442 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. by ^"vara *. The descriptions of ^vara as offered by the Hindu medical .Sastras are such as to leave no doubt that the two diseases are essentially the same. Just as the word takman is lost in the later literature, the word £*vara is totally wanting in the Atharvan : the two words comple- ment one another. Only one must not expect to find lucidly expressed diagnosis and consistent therapeutics in Atharvan writings ; the descriptions are frequently vague, being blended with that of other diseases, and the treat- ment frequently symbolic. In many passages, moreover, the takman is a person, and belongs to the same class of demoniacal manifestations as graha, amiva, rakshas, and the like.
3riptions are frequently vague, being blended with that of other diseases, and the treat- ment frequently symbolic. In many passages, moreover, the takman is a person, and belongs to the same class of demoniacal manifestations as graha, amiva, rakshas, and the like. Briefly, the disease is described as having for its chief symptom the change between heat and chills ; inter- mittency, arriving either every day at the same time, every third day, or omitting every third day2; jaundice, which suggests true malarial fever, especially during the rainy season ; and the association with a variety of other diseases, some of which are none too clear in character. Headaches, coughs are alluded to unmistakably; in addition the diseases called balasa (AV. IV, 9, 8 ; XIX, 34, 10), and his 'brother's son/ the paman (V, 22, 12). Almost all diseases in India show a tendency to be accompanied by febrile symptoms, and the frequency of malarial fevers is notorious. Suiruta designates fever as c the king of diseases ; ' fever is present when man comes into the world, and it is also present when he leaves the world. Gods and men alone survive its ravages (Sumita, Uttaratantra, chapter 39). No wonder, then, that the burning weapons of Takman are dreaded so much in the Atharvan. The effort is made to drive him out, either with polite words (I, 25 ; VI, 20) ; with potent charms (IX, 8, 6); or with plants used as specifics, especially the kush//za (costus speciosus), which is 1 We may mention also that Dr. Muir translated the word by < consumption : ' Original Sanskrit Texts, IV, p. 280. 2 Cf.AV.1,25, 4; VII, 116, 2. V, 2 2. COMMENTARY. 443 therefore designated as takmana^ana (V, 4, 1. 2), and the £*angk/a, an unexplained member of the Indian flora 1. In V, 22 the gods, Agni, Soma, Varu^a, the Adityas, and the deified press-stones (pressing the soma) are appealed to for help. Cf. in addition to the authorities mentioned above, Edmund Hardy, Die Vedisch-Brahmanische Periode, p. 198, and, for detailed descriptions of fever and its treatment in the medical 5astras, Wise, Hindu System of Medicine, p. 219 ff. The treatment of AV. V, 22 in the ritual, Kaor. 29, 18. 19, is as follows : '(The priest) gives (the patient) gruel made of roasted grain to drink. The dregs (of the gruel) he pours from a copper vessel over the head (of the patient) into fire derived from a forest-fire2.' The treatment is intensely symbolical, being based upon the attractio si- milium, with a touch of homoeopathy.
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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