Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1e s-aorist, second person singular (avarsham, avar, avar) from root var, 'ward off, hinder, obstruct.' The sense would be, 'ward off the fierce poison of the serpent (so that it be) devoid of strength.' But in the next stanza var would need to be construed as the third singular aorist indicative, ' he did ward off, &c.,' which renders this construction proble- matic. Perhaps the words var ugram, being metrically superfluous, are merely a gloss to visham. Stanza 4. Our rendering of the an. Aey. ara;#ghusho is purely ety- mological, and very doubtful. Ludwig manipulates it as a proper noun. Perhaps it is the designation of some serpent-killing bird. Stanza 5. For kasar/nla, the TS. 1, 5, 4, 1 has kasamira (kadraveya), as the name of a personified serpen t-rzshi. ratharvf is a &tt. Aey. of unknown connection. Ludwig suggests that the word means ' die die radform liebt.' Both are wanting in the list of serpent divinities, Pa#£. Br. XXV, 15, 3. 608 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. Stanza 8. The first hemistich recurs at VI, 56, 1 c, d ; cf. the note there. Stanza 10. a. agha^va seems here to be the designation of a serpent. In RV. I, 116, 6 agha^va with different (bahuvrihi) accent seems to be Pedu, the possessor of the serpent-killing horse ; cf. Bergaigne, I.e., p. 451. The relation of the two is very obscure. For sva^a and the subsequent designations of serpents, see the note on VI, 56, 2. Stanza 22. c. kandavisham and kanaknakam are air. Aey. ; it is not even certain that the latter refers to a particular substance : the word may be an adjective qualifying kandavisham. It seems to be an intensive formation from root kan. Stanza 24. a, b. taiidi and ghritdki seem to be fanciful names of plants, ' the piercer,' and ' dripping with ghee.' The latter is personified in many ways, as night (AV. XIX, 48, 6) ; Sarasvati (RV. V, 43, 1 1) ; cf. ghrztapadi as an epithet of Ida (e.g. Sat. Br. I, 8, i, 26). Stanza 25. Rubricated at Ath. Paru. 33, 3. X, 6. Commentary to page 84. The chief interest of this rather banale production lies in the practice which it harbours. From st. 2 we gather that the hymn is addressed to an amulet prepared from the ploughshare. In st. 6 the amulet itself is spoken of as a ploughshare1, but in addition it is said to be * strong khadira-wood ' (acacia catechu). From Darila at Kau^. 1 Cf. also the allusions to the ploughshare in sts. 12 and 33. X, 6. COMMENTARY. 609 35, 4, we may gather that there was a part of the plough- share which was called ' the chin of the ploughshare ' (phala^ibuka).
2catechu). From Darila at Kau^. 1 Cf. also the allusions to the ploughshare in sts. 12 and 33. X, 6. COMMENTARY. 609 35, 4, we may gather that there was a part of the plough- share which was called ' the chin of the ploughshare ' (phala^ibuka). This must have been made of wood, since of it might be made a vessel having the form of a soma-cup (Darila, ibidem). All doubt is dispelled by the same com- mentator's glosses on Kaui\ 19, 22. 23 (p. 53, notes 10 and 12 of our edition). Here it is stated with direct reference to st. 6 of the present hymn, that ' the chin ' of the plough was made of khadira-wood, and that an amulet fashioned out of khadira-wood in the likeness of the plough is the object extolled in the present hymn1. The khadira is a very hard wood (cf. Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, p. 58) ; at .Sat. Br. XIII, 4, 4, 9 it is said to be daru^a, 'hard/ and is compared with the bones of the body. The chin of the ploughshare can scarcely be anything else than the point of the instrument, and we are thus brought face to face with the primitive wooden plough. The metal ploughshare seems to have been known as well, if pavira, AV. Ill, 17, 3 ; Ykg. XII, 71 ; Tait. S. IV, 2, 5, 6; Maitr. S. II, 7, 12, has that meaning (cf. Zimmer, 1. c, p. 236). The appropriate- ness of the embodiment of ' the chin of the plough, made of khadira-wood/ into an amulet lies on the one hand in the character of the plough and the ploughshare as emblems of prosperity (cf. stanzas 12 2 and 33) ; on the other, in the qualifications of the khadira, ' the wood that chews up (khad) the enemies ' (cf. AV. VIII, 8, 3). The hymn is rubricated at Kauj. 19, 22 ff. In Su. 22 the amulet is tied on in the manner described at Kauj. 7, 19 (cf. the introduction to X, 3). In the obscure next Sutra (23) the four amulets3 mentioned in Sutra 22 seem to be passed along the cords (with which they are fastened) 4 by means of a chip of gold (cf. hira/zyasrag in st. 4) ; they are then bent, and put on each three times. In Su. 24 a fire is 1 Not so Ke^ava, khadirapalajamamm, 'an amulet from the leaves of the khadira-tree.' 2 Cf. the mantra in Kauj. 20, 5. 8 Darila, uktamawei1 ^atasra^ suvar/zasragma^atutva;/* nitva. *Cf. Sat. Br. XII, 3, 4, 2. [42] R r 6lO HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. built while reciting st. 35 ; in Su. 25 the amulet is taken out of the substances in which it has (again) been steeped while reciting st. 29 (cf. Su. 22), and (again) fastened while reciting st. 30. Cf. also Vait. Su. 10, 2. 3, and Ath. Pam.
3ATHARVA-VEDA. built while reciting st. 35 ; in Su. 25 the amulet is taken out of the substances in which it has (again) been steeped while reciting st. 29 (cf. Su. 22), and (again) fastened while reciting st. 30. Cf. also Vait. Su. 10, 2. 3, and Ath. Pam. 37, 1, rubricating stanzas 1 and 3. St. 4 is rubricated at Ath. ParLy. 13, 1 ; st. 35 at 22, 3 ; 46, 2. Stanza 6. The formula, yam abadhnad br/haspati^, which is repeated many times, indicates the presence of the purohita, the king's chaplain. As Brzhaspati, the divine purohita, fastens the amulet upon the gods, so the king's chaplain serves the king. Stanza 34. A delicate oratio pro domo. The significant words are ya^/zavardhana and ^atadakshi^a (ish/a and purta). The real meaning of the stanza is : ' as I, the priest, have by means of this amulet made thy sacrifice successful, thus do thou, the king, permit thyself to be inspired to reward me, the priest, by a gift of a hundred cows ! ' XI, 1. Commentary to page 179. The preparation of the brahmaudana, otherwise called savaya^a (Saya/za), or brahmaudanasava (odanasava in Saya/za's introduction to Tait. Br. II, 7, 7, page 772), is described at full length in Kaui". 60-63. ^ consists of the solemn combination of a soma-sacrifice with the cooking of a porridge for the Brahman's dakshi/za. Both the sacri- ficer and his wife (patni) participate in the ceremonious details of the performance. The ceremony works up quite completely the stanzas of XII, 3, in addition to the present hymn. Wherever the ritual is suggestive or explanatory, its gist will be given in connection with the stanzas in question. There are, however, many signs of a secondary and forced employment of the stanzas in the ritual, and the stanzas themselves exhibit occasionally secondary changes which arouse the suspicion that their form and their group- ing here are not altogether primary and original. XI, I. COMMENTARY. 6ll Stanza 1. At Tait. S. VI, 5, 6, i ; Tait. Br. I, i, 9, 1, the preparation of the porridge is correlated with a legend that tells of Aditi and the birth of her sons. Cf. the note on XII, 3, 11. Aditi in our hymn symbolises the patni, the wife of the sacrificer (ya^amana). According to Kaiu. 60, 19, the stanza is spoken while both of them are engaged in churn- ing the fire. The third Pada is defective : perhaps purve is to be inserted before bhutakr/ta/^, if we consult VI, 133, 5; XII, 1, 39. Stanza 2. According to Kaui\ 60, 22 this stanza is addressed to the smoke as it rises from the churning-sticks.
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.
1e s-aorist, second person singular (avarsham, avar, avar) from root var, 'ward off, hinder, obstruct.' The sense would be, 'ward off the fierce poison of the serpent (so that it be) devoid of strength.' But in the next stanza var would need to be construed as the third singular aorist indicative, ' he did ward off, &c.,' which renders this construction proble- matic. Perhaps the words var ugram, being metrically superfluous, are merely a gloss to visham. Stanza 4. Our rendering of the an. Aey. ara;#ghusho is purely ety- mological, and very doubtful. Ludwig manipulates it as a proper noun. Perhaps it is the designation of some serpent-killing bird. Stanza 5. For kasar/nla, the TS. 1, 5, 4, 1 has kasamira (kadraveya), as the name of a personified serpen t-rzshi. ratharvf is a &tt. Aey. of unknown connection. Ludwig suggests that the word means ' die die radform liebt.' Both are wanting in the list of serpent divinities, Pa#£. Br. XXV, 15, 3. 608 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. Stanza 8. The first hemistich recurs at VI, 56, 1 c, d ; cf. the note there. Stanza 10. a. agha^va seems here to be the designation of a serpent. In RV. I, 116, 6 agha^va with different (bahuvrihi) accent seems to be Pedu, the possessor of the serpent-killing horse ; cf. Bergaigne, I.e., p. 451. The relation of the two is very obscure. For sva^a and the subsequent designations of serpents, see the note on VI, 56, 2. Stanza 22. c. kandavisham and kanaknakam are air. Aey. ; it is not even certain that the latter refers to a particular substance : the word may be an adjective qualifying kandavisham. It seems to be an intensive formation from root kan. Stanza 24. a, b. taiidi and ghritdki seem to be fanciful names of plants, ' the piercer,' and ' dripping with ghee.' The latter is personified in many ways, as night (AV. XIX, 48, 6) ; Sarasvati (RV. V, 43, 1 1) ; cf. ghrztapadi as an epithet of Ida (e.g. Sat. Br. I, 8, i, 26). Stanza 25. Rubricated at Ath. Paru. 33, 3. X, 6. Commentary to page 84. The chief interest of this rather banale production lies in the practice which it harbours. From st. 2 we gather that the hymn is addressed to an amulet prepared from the ploughshare. In st. 6 the amulet itself is spoken of as a ploughshare1, but in addition it is said to be * strong khadira-wood ' (acacia catechu). From Darila at Kau^. 1 Cf. also the allusions to the ploughshare in sts. 12 and 33. X, 6. COMMENTARY. 609 35, 4, we may gather that there was a part of the plough- share which was called ' the chin of the ploughshare ' (phala^ibuka).
2catechu). From Darila at Kau^. 1 Cf. also the allusions to the ploughshare in sts. 12 and 33. X, 6. COMMENTARY. 609 35, 4, we may gather that there was a part of the plough- share which was called ' the chin of the ploughshare ' (phala^ibuka). This must have been made of wood, since of it might be made a vessel having the form of a soma-cup (Darila, ibidem). All doubt is dispelled by the same com- mentator's glosses on Kaui\ 19, 22. 23 (p. 53, notes 10 and 12 of our edition). Here it is stated with direct reference to st. 6 of the present hymn, that ' the chin ' of the plough was made of khadira-wood, and that an amulet fashioned out of khadira-wood in the likeness of the plough is the object extolled in the present hymn1. The khadira is a very hard wood (cf. Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, p. 58) ; at .Sat. Br. XIII, 4, 4, 9 it is said to be daru^a, 'hard/ and is compared with the bones of the body. The chin of the ploughshare can scarcely be anything else than the point of the instrument, and we are thus brought face to face with the primitive wooden plough. The metal ploughshare seems to have been known as well, if pavira, AV. Ill, 17, 3 ; Ykg. XII, 71 ; Tait. S. IV, 2, 5, 6; Maitr. S. II, 7, 12, has that meaning (cf. Zimmer, 1. c, p. 236). The appropriate- ness of the embodiment of ' the chin of the plough, made of khadira-wood/ into an amulet lies on the one hand in the character of the plough and the ploughshare as emblems of prosperity (cf. stanzas 12 2 and 33) ; on the other, in the qualifications of the khadira, ' the wood that chews up (khad) the enemies ' (cf. AV. VIII, 8, 3). The hymn is rubricated at Kauj. 19, 22 ff. In Su. 22 the amulet is tied on in the manner described at Kauj. 7, 19 (cf. the introduction to X, 3). In the obscure next Sutra (23) the four amulets3 mentioned in Sutra 22 seem to be passed along the cords (with which they are fastened) 4 by means of a chip of gold (cf. hira/zyasrag in st. 4) ; they are then bent, and put on each three times. In Su. 24 a fire is 1 Not so Ke^ava, khadirapalajamamm, 'an amulet from the leaves of the khadira-tree.' 2 Cf. the mantra in Kauj. 20, 5. 8 Darila, uktamawei1 ^atasra^ suvar/zasragma^atutva;/* nitva. *Cf. Sat. Br. XII, 3, 4, 2. [42] R r 6lO HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. built while reciting st. 35 ; in Su. 25 the amulet is taken out of the substances in which it has (again) been steeped while reciting st. 29 (cf. Su. 22), and (again) fastened while reciting st. 30. Cf. also Vait. Su. 10, 2. 3, and Ath. Pam.
3ATHARVA-VEDA. built while reciting st. 35 ; in Su. 25 the amulet is taken out of the substances in which it has (again) been steeped while reciting st. 29 (cf. Su. 22), and (again) fastened while reciting st. 30. Cf. also Vait. Su. 10, 2. 3, and Ath. Pam. 37, 1, rubricating stanzas 1 and 3. St. 4 is rubricated at Ath. ParLy. 13, 1 ; st. 35 at 22, 3 ; 46, 2. Stanza 6. The formula, yam abadhnad br/haspati^, which is repeated many times, indicates the presence of the purohita, the king's chaplain. As Brzhaspati, the divine purohita, fastens the amulet upon the gods, so the king's chaplain serves the king. Stanza 34. A delicate oratio pro domo. The significant words are ya^/zavardhana and ^atadakshi^a (ish/a and purta). The real meaning of the stanza is : ' as I, the priest, have by means of this amulet made thy sacrifice successful, thus do thou, the king, permit thyself to be inspired to reward me, the priest, by a gift of a hundred cows ! ' XI, 1. Commentary to page 179. The preparation of the brahmaudana, otherwise called savaya^a (Saya/za), or brahmaudanasava (odanasava in Saya/za's introduction to Tait. Br. II, 7, 7, page 772), is described at full length in Kaui". 60-63. ^ consists of the solemn combination of a soma-sacrifice with the cooking of a porridge for the Brahman's dakshi/za. Both the sacri- ficer and his wife (patni) participate in the ceremonious details of the performance. The ceremony works up quite completely the stanzas of XII, 3, in addition to the present hymn. Wherever the ritual is suggestive or explanatory, its gist will be given in connection with the stanzas in question. There are, however, many signs of a secondary and forced employment of the stanzas in the ritual, and the stanzas themselves exhibit occasionally secondary changes which arouse the suspicion that their form and their group- ing here are not altogether primary and original. XI, I. COMMENTARY. 6ll Stanza 1. At Tait. S. VI, 5, 6, i ; Tait. Br. I, i, 9, 1, the preparation of the porridge is correlated with a legend that tells of Aditi and the birth of her sons. Cf. the note on XII, 3, 11. Aditi in our hymn symbolises the patni, the wife of the sacrificer (ya^amana). According to Kaiu. 60, 19, the stanza is spoken while both of them are engaged in churn- ing the fire. The third Pada is defective : perhaps purve is to be inserted before bhutakr/ta/^, if we consult VI, 133, 5; XII, 1, 39. Stanza 2. According to Kaui\ 60, 22 this stanza is addressed to the smoke as it rises from the churning-sticks.
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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