Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
122 they take up the water-vessel and the fire and enter the house. 26. That (water-vessel) is anointed with the dregs (of ghee) after they have arrived Qq2 596 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. within (the house), while the (entire) hymn is being recited, 27. Having sprinkled the house (with water) from the anointed water-vessel, having recited the stanzas (of the hymn) over it, having addressed (the recipient), the giver, being made to speak (what?), presents (the house)1. 28. (The recipient) while reciting st. 15 accepts it. 29. While reciting the first stanza he loosens the objects mentioned in the stanza 2. 30. Addressing them with st. 24 he carries them off/ The Anukrama/n designates the hymn simply as skla.- devatyam. For previous translations see above. Stanza 1. One may imagine that the upamit is a vertical post, the pratimit a slanting support to hold the house in position, the parimit a crossbeam connecting the vertical posts ; but no certainty can be reached in words which are likely to be technically flavoured. Cf. Kaus. 66, 29, above. Stanza 2. Indra's double Brzhaspati here slays Vala, as in RV. X, 67 and 68 ; cf. also II, 23, 18 : II, 24, &c. Vala (Vrztra) is often described as lying unloosened, undone, after Indra's attack ; hence the comparison. Stanza 3. c. The Pada may be rendered, more concisely, ' as a skilful butcher the joints (of an animal)/ Our rendering is based upon the conviction that the poet has in mind the ritual butcher. Cf. RV. I, 162, 18. 20, and Contributions, Sixth Series, Zeitschr. d. Deutsch. Morgenl. Gesellsch. XLVIII, 556. The point of the stanza is, of course, that the parts of the house shall not be damaged in the course of their transfer to the priest. Cf. Kaur. 63, 22, which also leaves some of the terms in this Sutra in the dark. 2 The buttresses, supports, and connecting beams. IX, 3- COMMENTARY. 597 Stanza 4. Again the terms are technical, and not at all clear. I have rendered paksha by 'side/ in deference to ulukapakshi (sc. sSlISl) in Pacini, IV, 1, 55, and Mahabhashya, IV, 29 b. Cf. AV. 111,7, 3, £atushpaksha//z khdi&ik (Saya^a. £atushko^am), 1 roof with four sides or facades ; ' see also st. 21 of our hymn. Zimmer and Grill, ' seitenpfosten ; ' Ludwig, ' zimmer ; ' Weber in his comment on III, 7, 3 (Ind. Stud. XVII, 210), ' vierbeschwingtes dach ; ' Henry, ' chambranles.' Stanza 5. c. For manasya patni, see our comment on III, 12, 5. Stanza 6. a, b. The difficult expression in this hemistich is rawySya (kam), which is a air. Xey.
2comment on III, 7, 3 (Ind. Stud. XVII, 210), ' vierbeschwingtes dach ; ' Henry, ' chambranles.' Stanza 5. c. For manasya patni, see our comment on III, 12, 5. Stanza 6. a, b. The difficult expression in this hemistich is rawySya (kam), which is a air. Xey. when accented with the svarita on the last syllable. Ordinarily the word is ra«ya, one of whose meanings when used as a noun is ' pleasure, joy.' This meaning is at the base of our translation ' for comfort ;' but what are those ropes (jikyani) which are tied within for comfort? Non liquet. The Pet. Lexs. and Zimmer give it up. Ludwig translates etymologically, ' dass die theile in ihrer lage verharren/ and Grill follows the suggestion up by proposing the emendation ramaf/aya. Henry, ' pour (te) maitriser ' (cf. his note). The real difficulty is with .sikyani, which is doubtless an obscure technical term. c, d. The second half of the stanza, as it stands, disturbs the run of the metre (Anukr., pathyapahkti), and possibly needs correction. By dropping manasya patni and uddhfta the last Pada is restored as .riva nas tanve bhava, in accord- ance with similar expressions in I, 12, 4 ; VIII, 1, 5 ; 2, 16. Cf. st. 21 c, d, e, which is similarly irregular, and also contains the expression manasya patnim. Stanza 7. The various designations of the house represent a fairly complete summary of the huts and other sheltered places 598 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. which are needed in the larger Vedic (.srauta) sacrifices ; see the Pet. Lex. under each, Zimmer, p. 154, and cf. especi- ally Vkg. S. XIX, 18 ; Tait. S. Ill, 2, 4, 3. 4. The divergent metre of the stanza (8 + 8 + 12: Anukrama/zi, parosh/nh), and the interruption which it occasions in the account of the breaking up of the house, render it very suspicious. The bestowal of sacrificial epithets upon the house are obviously intended to enhance its value in the eyes of the recipient. Stanza 8. Technical terms again render this stanza obscure. I imagine a covering of wicker-work, the openings in which suggest a thousand eyes, stretched across a beam and slant- ing down from it to both sides (vishuvati) in the manner of our roofs. The passage seems, perhaps, to harbour a com- parison of the roof with the head and the head-dress of a woman (cf. opa^a and vishuvati, and see the note on VI, 138, 1). Professor Geldner, Vedische Studien, 1, 136, renders the stanza: ' die in der mitte als diadem ausgespannte tausendaugige befestigte aufgesesetzte stange losen wir durch besprechung.' But what occasion is there for a pole with thousand eyes, i.e.
3ote on VI, 138, 1). Professor Geldner, Vedische Studien, 1, 136, renders the stanza: ' die in der mitte als diadem ausgespannte tausendaugige befestigte aufgesesetzte stange losen wir durch besprechung.' But what occasion is there for a pole with thousand eyes, i.e. countless holes 1 ? Ludwig renders akshum opa^am by ' das locherige geflecht ; ' Grill, ' das ausgespannte flechtennetz ;' Zimmer, I.e., and p. 265, ' das netz das uber den schopf (gespannt ist) ; ' Henry,/ le reseau tendu/ Stanza 10. a. He that bestows a house in this world gets it back again in heaven. Ludwig, ' in jener welt (soil) es ihm entgegen- kommen.' Kaujika's construction of the hymn renders the meaning very clear. Stanza 15. At this point the recipient of the house (cf. Kaiu. 66, 28, above) begins to see to it that the house shall produce for 1 The employment at A V. VIII, 8, 18, of the root han, ' slay/ with akshugala'bhyam does not prove akshu to mean * pole, club : ' that which catches the enemy may be imagined to slay him ; cf. also st. 7. Sayawa at RV. I, 180, 5, divides a-kshu, ' not perishing/ IX, 3- COMMENTARY. 599 him all expected benefits, and he does not hesitate to ' take his mouth full.' The picture is a vivid one. c. Similar and yet different is RV. X, 121,5, yo antari- kshe ra^aso vimana^ ; cf. also RV. VI, 7, 7 ; 69, 5 ; AV. IV, 25, 2. e. The Pada is de trop in form and sense (Anukr. , trya- vasana pa#£apada*ti.yakvari). If it originally stood here at all, it is spoken by an agent of the recipient who receives the house for him (tasmai). Or tasmai is an ethical dative, 4 in the interest of him (the donor).' Stanza 17* b. A bold and bea uiful comparison this, between the house and night who gathers to her bosom all creatures. In the hymn to night, RV. X, 127, 5, we have : ' The throngs (of beings) have gone to rest, those who go on foot and fly by wing ; gone to rest have the preying eagles.' Cf. also AV. Ill, 12, 5. Grill applies the pruning-knife to this and the preceding Pada (11 + 12: Anukr., prastarapankti), in order to exact two anush/ubh Padas, trzWair vasana ratri *va sa.\dL £*agannive.yani. This amounts to independent com- position, not very good at that, since it leaves the first Pada, a good trish/ubh, in bad shape. Stanza 20. a, b. With vi ^ayate and pra^ayate, cf. vi^avati pra^avati in stanzas 13, 14. Stanza 21. Ludwig here, as in st. 4, translates paksha by ' room : ' 'das zweizimmerig, vierzimmerig, &c. gebauet wird;' the Pet. Lex., Zimmer, and Grill, ' pfosten.' But see the note on st. 4, and cf. Kaur.
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.
122 they take up the water-vessel and the fire and enter the house. 26. That (water-vessel) is anointed with the dregs (of ghee) after they have arrived Qq2 596 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. within (the house), while the (entire) hymn is being recited, 27. Having sprinkled the house (with water) from the anointed water-vessel, having recited the stanzas (of the hymn) over it, having addressed (the recipient), the giver, being made to speak (what?), presents (the house)1. 28. (The recipient) while reciting st. 15 accepts it. 29. While reciting the first stanza he loosens the objects mentioned in the stanza 2. 30. Addressing them with st. 24 he carries them off/ The Anukrama/n designates the hymn simply as skla.- devatyam. For previous translations see above. Stanza 1. One may imagine that the upamit is a vertical post, the pratimit a slanting support to hold the house in position, the parimit a crossbeam connecting the vertical posts ; but no certainty can be reached in words which are likely to be technically flavoured. Cf. Kaus. 66, 29, above. Stanza 2. Indra's double Brzhaspati here slays Vala, as in RV. X, 67 and 68 ; cf. also II, 23, 18 : II, 24, &c. Vala (Vrztra) is often described as lying unloosened, undone, after Indra's attack ; hence the comparison. Stanza 3. c. The Pada may be rendered, more concisely, ' as a skilful butcher the joints (of an animal)/ Our rendering is based upon the conviction that the poet has in mind the ritual butcher. Cf. RV. I, 162, 18. 20, and Contributions, Sixth Series, Zeitschr. d. Deutsch. Morgenl. Gesellsch. XLVIII, 556. The point of the stanza is, of course, that the parts of the house shall not be damaged in the course of their transfer to the priest. Cf. Kaur. 63, 22, which also leaves some of the terms in this Sutra in the dark. 2 The buttresses, supports, and connecting beams. IX, 3- COMMENTARY. 597 Stanza 4. Again the terms are technical, and not at all clear. I have rendered paksha by 'side/ in deference to ulukapakshi (sc. sSlISl) in Pacini, IV, 1, 55, and Mahabhashya, IV, 29 b. Cf. AV. 111,7, 3, £atushpaksha//z khdi&ik (Saya^a. £atushko^am), 1 roof with four sides or facades ; ' see also st. 21 of our hymn. Zimmer and Grill, ' seitenpfosten ; ' Ludwig, ' zimmer ; ' Weber in his comment on III, 7, 3 (Ind. Stud. XVII, 210), ' vierbeschwingtes dach ; ' Henry, ' chambranles.' Stanza 5. c. For manasya patni, see our comment on III, 12, 5. Stanza 6. a, b. The difficult expression in this hemistich is rawySya (kam), which is a air. Xey.
2comment on III, 7, 3 (Ind. Stud. XVII, 210), ' vierbeschwingtes dach ; ' Henry, ' chambranles.' Stanza 5. c. For manasya patni, see our comment on III, 12, 5. Stanza 6. a, b. The difficult expression in this hemistich is rawySya (kam), which is a air. Xey. when accented with the svarita on the last syllable. Ordinarily the word is ra«ya, one of whose meanings when used as a noun is ' pleasure, joy.' This meaning is at the base of our translation ' for comfort ;' but what are those ropes (jikyani) which are tied within for comfort? Non liquet. The Pet. Lexs. and Zimmer give it up. Ludwig translates etymologically, ' dass die theile in ihrer lage verharren/ and Grill follows the suggestion up by proposing the emendation ramaf/aya. Henry, ' pour (te) maitriser ' (cf. his note). The real difficulty is with .sikyani, which is doubtless an obscure technical term. c, d. The second half of the stanza, as it stands, disturbs the run of the metre (Anukr., pathyapahkti), and possibly needs correction. By dropping manasya patni and uddhfta the last Pada is restored as .riva nas tanve bhava, in accord- ance with similar expressions in I, 12, 4 ; VIII, 1, 5 ; 2, 16. Cf. st. 21 c, d, e, which is similarly irregular, and also contains the expression manasya patnim. Stanza 7. The various designations of the house represent a fairly complete summary of the huts and other sheltered places 598 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. which are needed in the larger Vedic (.srauta) sacrifices ; see the Pet. Lex. under each, Zimmer, p. 154, and cf. especi- ally Vkg. S. XIX, 18 ; Tait. S. Ill, 2, 4, 3. 4. The divergent metre of the stanza (8 + 8 + 12: Anukrama/zi, parosh/nh), and the interruption which it occasions in the account of the breaking up of the house, render it very suspicious. The bestowal of sacrificial epithets upon the house are obviously intended to enhance its value in the eyes of the recipient. Stanza 8. Technical terms again render this stanza obscure. I imagine a covering of wicker-work, the openings in which suggest a thousand eyes, stretched across a beam and slant- ing down from it to both sides (vishuvati) in the manner of our roofs. The passage seems, perhaps, to harbour a com- parison of the roof with the head and the head-dress of a woman (cf. opa^a and vishuvati, and see the note on VI, 138, 1). Professor Geldner, Vedische Studien, 1, 136, renders the stanza: ' die in der mitte als diadem ausgespannte tausendaugige befestigte aufgesesetzte stange losen wir durch besprechung.' But what occasion is there for a pole with thousand eyes, i.e.
3ote on VI, 138, 1). Professor Geldner, Vedische Studien, 1, 136, renders the stanza: ' die in der mitte als diadem ausgespannte tausendaugige befestigte aufgesesetzte stange losen wir durch besprechung.' But what occasion is there for a pole with thousand eyes, i.e. countless holes 1 ? Ludwig renders akshum opa^am by ' das locherige geflecht ; ' Grill, ' das ausgespannte flechtennetz ;' Zimmer, I.e., and p. 265, ' das netz das uber den schopf (gespannt ist) ; ' Henry,/ le reseau tendu/ Stanza 10. a. He that bestows a house in this world gets it back again in heaven. Ludwig, ' in jener welt (soil) es ihm entgegen- kommen.' Kaujika's construction of the hymn renders the meaning very clear. Stanza 15. At this point the recipient of the house (cf. Kaiu. 66, 28, above) begins to see to it that the house shall produce for 1 The employment at A V. VIII, 8, 18, of the root han, ' slay/ with akshugala'bhyam does not prove akshu to mean * pole, club : ' that which catches the enemy may be imagined to slay him ; cf. also st. 7. Sayawa at RV. I, 180, 5, divides a-kshu, ' not perishing/ IX, 3- COMMENTARY. 599 him all expected benefits, and he does not hesitate to ' take his mouth full.' The picture is a vivid one. c. Similar and yet different is RV. X, 121,5, yo antari- kshe ra^aso vimana^ ; cf. also RV. VI, 7, 7 ; 69, 5 ; AV. IV, 25, 2. e. The Pada is de trop in form and sense (Anukr. , trya- vasana pa#£apada*ti.yakvari). If it originally stood here at all, it is spoken by an agent of the recipient who receives the house for him (tasmai). Or tasmai is an ethical dative, 4 in the interest of him (the donor).' Stanza 17* b. A bold and bea uiful comparison this, between the house and night who gathers to her bosom all creatures. In the hymn to night, RV. X, 127, 5, we have : ' The throngs (of beings) have gone to rest, those who go on foot and fly by wing ; gone to rest have the preying eagles.' Cf. also AV. Ill, 12, 5. Grill applies the pruning-knife to this and the preceding Pada (11 + 12: Anukr., prastarapankti), in order to exact two anush/ubh Padas, trzWair vasana ratri *va sa.\dL £*agannive.yani. This amounts to independent com- position, not very good at that, since it leaves the first Pada, a good trish/ubh, in bad shape. Stanza 20. a, b. With vi ^ayate and pra^ayate, cf. vi^avati pra^avati in stanzas 13, 14. Stanza 21. Ludwig here, as in st. 4, translates paksha by ' room : ' 'das zweizimmerig, vierzimmerig, &c. gebauet wird;' the Pet. Lex., Zimmer, and Grill, ' pfosten.' But see the note on st. 4, and cf. Kaur.
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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