Fetching
One moment.
Fetching
One moment.
Romanised transliteration as printed by the translator, not the original script. This is what we hold.
1substance, not indicated in the stanza. Ludwig, feeling this difficulty, emends subhe- sha^-am to subhesha^o, ' so that you (the patient) may have a powerful remedy.' A simpler emendation is to change 1 Cf. the note on V, 22, 5. II, 3- COMMENTARY. 279 asasi to asati, ' that do I make into a remedy for you, so that it may contain goodly remedy.' But the next stanza, as it stands, seems also to point to a mixed remedy ; hence I have adhered to the text. Saya/za comments against sense and grammar. Stanza 2. I have adhered to the unanimous reading of the MSS.; the Paippalada offers no help, ad afiga ^ata^ (!) yad bhe- sha^ani te sahasra/^ va gha yani te (cf. also VI, 44, 2). The sense of the passage, as it stands, seems to be that all the remedial substances which are combined with the avatka are, after all, inferior in healing capacity to the avatka itself. This is much as Saya^a construes it, tava sawbandhini sa^atiyani ^atam . . . yani . . . bhesha^ani tesha^ bhesha^-ana/^ madhye tvam uttamam utkrzsh/ata- mam asi. Ludwig and Grill emend te to me ' dann wird's doch wohl geschehen, dass von meinen hundert Arzenei'n du selbst die allerbeste bist ' (Grill). I am not convinced that this is right. a. ad anga,' then surely;' kuvid anga', i yea, quite surely ;' the latter phrase is a rhetorical question (' art thou) surely ? ' Cf. Yaska's Nigh. I, 3, and Nirukta IV, 15. Stanza 3. a. The Asuras, the demons, here either hide away the remedies by burying them deep in the ground (cf. VI, 109, 3), or they bury them for secure keeping, so that they may become available on occasion (cf. I, 24, 2). See in general the note on I, 24, 1. b. aru(/^)sra;/am is emended well by Ludwig to aru(A)- ^r&am, from root ^ra, 'cook.' The Dhatupa^a, 22, 22, has sra (srayati) pake, and Saya;/a also avails himself of this root in one explanation of the word, aru^ srayati pakva/# bhavati anena ; and (under st. 5), arusho vra/zasya pa^anam. That is c a remedy which causes the wound to ripen or heal.' We seem to have here the very source for the root sra of the Dhatupa/^a. For the interchange of the sibilants, see Bloomfield and Spieker, Proc. Amer. Or. 280 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. Soc, May, 1886 (Journ., vol. xiii, pp. cxvii ff.). Possibly the word asrava may have had something to do with the change of -srana. to -sra/za. d. Saya?/a reads a^faamat for anina^at ; cf. st. 4. Stanza 4. For upa^ika^, 'ants,' see the introduction to VI, 100. Saya;/a, valmikanishpadika vamrya^. Stanza 6.
2ff.). Possibly the word asrava may have had something to do with the change of -srana. to -sra/za. d. Saya?/a reads a^faamat for anina^at ; cf. st. 4. Stanza 4. For upa^ika^, 'ants,' see the introduction to VI, 100. Saya;/a, valmikanishpadika vamrya^. Stanza 6. The stanza consists of 12 + n + n syllables; the last word rakshasam, obviously a gloss, is metrically super- fluous. For Pada c, cf. I, 19, 1. II, 4. Commentary to page 37. The plant called gahgida illustrates very perfectly the absence of any boundary line between disease and demon- ology in the Atharvan. On the one hand it is employed against a variety of diseases, fever (takman), internal sores (balasa), and other minor manifestations, or symptoms, designated as ^ambha, vuara and vkarika, ayarika, and pr/sh/yamaya (II, 4, 2 ; XIX, 34, 10), receiving therefore the epithet vuvabhesha^a, 'all-healing,' XIX, 35, 5; it is moreover the specific against rheumatic troubles, if vi- shkandha and sa^skandha (11,4, 1 ff. ; XIX, 34, 1. 5 ; 35, 1) shall turn out ultimately to have this meaning (see the note on st. 1 c). On the other hand it obviates all the dangers arising from hostile demons and sorceries, as is expressly stated in all the three hymns devoted to its praise (II, 4 ; XIX, 34 and 35). The plant is not mentioned outside of the Atharvan which, in lieu of description, indulges in the customary vague rhodomontades. The gods themselves have thrice produced the gahgida, Indra has put strength into it, and (XIX, 34, 6) the seers of yore are said to have known it by the name of Angiras— a very pretty conceit, but for the fact that it harbours nothing more than a stolid pun (^ahgi^/as and angiras). From the Kausika and its commentaries we learn at least one thing that it is a tree. In the Sutra, 8, 15, it occurs in a list of 'holy' (sknt&A) II, 4- COMMENTARY. 28 1 trees, as is expressly stated by Ke.yava, atha .rantavrzksha u^yante. Darila at 8, 15 ; 42, 23 describes it as a white tree growing in the Dekkhan, ar^-una^ a£ala iti dakshi/za- tya^ ; Kcrava at 8, 15, and Sayana at II, 4, 1 say that it is familiar in Benares, vara/zasya?^ prasiddha^. S&ya/za, in the introduction to our hymn, as also to AV. XIX, 34, has ^-angiWavrzksha, and in the commentary at XIX, 34, 1 he places the home of the tree in the north, uttaradcre pra- siddha^, all of which would seem to show that the tree is known in many parts of India. The following is the literature on the gahglda: Groh- mann, Indische Studien, IX, 417 ff. ; Weber, ib. XIII, 141 ; Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, p. 65.
3orth, uttaradcre pra- siddha^, all of which would seem to show that the tree is known in many parts of India. The following is the literature on the gahglda: Groh- mann, Indische Studien, IX, 417 ff. ; Weber, ib. XIII, 141 ; Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, p. 65. The hymn II, 4 is employed, Kau^. 42, 23, in a practice which, according to Darila, is destined to drive away demons (pua^aMtana) ; according to Kcrava — I state the text literally — it is, purushahave (cod. purusho have ; cf. XIX, 34, 3) akaryakarazzena vighna^amanakarma ; and further, kz'ztyadushazzarthe (cod. krz'tva-) apyayati vigh- na.ramanarakshakarazza/z vighna/z viskandhe (!) yak (the latter passage is not printed in my extracts from that authority in the edition). The practice consists in tying on as an amulet the substance mentioned in the hymn : dir- ghayutvaye*ti mantroktaw badhnati. Darila says gahgi- ^/amaf/im, and Kesava more explicitly states that an amulet derived from the gahgida be tied on with a thread of hemp, gahgidamanim ja/zasutre/za badhva saMpatya*bhimantrya badhnati. The hemp refers to stanza 5, and it seems to me quite likely that Kej-ava is right in thus describing the association of the hemp with the ^angi^a as altogether external. The hymn has been translated by Weber, Indische Studien, XIII, p. 140 ff. Stanza 1. This hymn, as many others, begins with an irregular stanza, two trish/ubh and two anush/ubh Padas ; cf. RV. VII, 103; AV. IV, 12; VI, in, &c. b. Sayazza reads rakshama/za/z for dakshamazza^. 2 82 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. c. The meaning of vishkandha, I regret to say, is not clear. Both ancients and moderns have etymologised upon the word, and in all instances have arrived at the conclusion that the word refers to some disease. But the results, though consistent in the one point of disease, betray their weakness in differing as to its special nature. The scho- liast at Tait. S. VII, 3, it, 1 — the only known occurrence of the word outside of the Atharvan literature (cf. also Gop. Br. I, 5, 25) — explains it by virupa(/z) skandhadyavayava yasya tad vishkandham (sc. jariram), ' the body whose members, shoulders, and so forth, are deformed is vish- kandha.' Saya^a, at AV. I, 16, 3 (and similarly here) says, gatipratibandhaka^ rakshay£ptfa£adikrzta;^ vighna- ^-atam, ' a disease which hinders from walking, produced by Rakshas, PLra^as, &c, instigated by (some hostile) disturb- ance.' The same fatuous authority, however, at XIX, 35i 5 says, vishkandham viriish/askandham eva/^namana;// vatavii-esham maharogam, ' vishkandha, a serious disease of that name, caused by wind (in the body),
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.
1substance, not indicated in the stanza. Ludwig, feeling this difficulty, emends subhe- sha^-am to subhesha^o, ' so that you (the patient) may have a powerful remedy.' A simpler emendation is to change 1 Cf. the note on V, 22, 5. II, 3- COMMENTARY. 279 asasi to asati, ' that do I make into a remedy for you, so that it may contain goodly remedy.' But the next stanza, as it stands, seems also to point to a mixed remedy ; hence I have adhered to the text. Saya/za comments against sense and grammar. Stanza 2. I have adhered to the unanimous reading of the MSS.; the Paippalada offers no help, ad afiga ^ata^ (!) yad bhe- sha^ani te sahasra/^ va gha yani te (cf. also VI, 44, 2). The sense of the passage, as it stands, seems to be that all the remedial substances which are combined with the avatka are, after all, inferior in healing capacity to the avatka itself. This is much as Saya^a construes it, tava sawbandhini sa^atiyani ^atam . . . yani . . . bhesha^ani tesha^ bhesha^-ana/^ madhye tvam uttamam utkrzsh/ata- mam asi. Ludwig and Grill emend te to me ' dann wird's doch wohl geschehen, dass von meinen hundert Arzenei'n du selbst die allerbeste bist ' (Grill). I am not convinced that this is right. a. ad anga,' then surely;' kuvid anga', i yea, quite surely ;' the latter phrase is a rhetorical question (' art thou) surely ? ' Cf. Yaska's Nigh. I, 3, and Nirukta IV, 15. Stanza 3. a. The Asuras, the demons, here either hide away the remedies by burying them deep in the ground (cf. VI, 109, 3), or they bury them for secure keeping, so that they may become available on occasion (cf. I, 24, 2). See in general the note on I, 24, 1. b. aru(/^)sra;/am is emended well by Ludwig to aru(A)- ^r&am, from root ^ra, 'cook.' The Dhatupa^a, 22, 22, has sra (srayati) pake, and Saya;/a also avails himself of this root in one explanation of the word, aru^ srayati pakva/# bhavati anena ; and (under st. 5), arusho vra/zasya pa^anam. That is c a remedy which causes the wound to ripen or heal.' We seem to have here the very source for the root sra of the Dhatupa/^a. For the interchange of the sibilants, see Bloomfield and Spieker, Proc. Amer. Or. 280 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. Soc, May, 1886 (Journ., vol. xiii, pp. cxvii ff.). Possibly the word asrava may have had something to do with the change of -srana. to -sra/za. d. Saya?/a reads a^faamat for anina^at ; cf. st. 4. Stanza 4. For upa^ika^, 'ants,' see the introduction to VI, 100. Saya;/a, valmikanishpadika vamrya^. Stanza 6.
2ff.). Possibly the word asrava may have had something to do with the change of -srana. to -sra/za. d. Saya?/a reads a^faamat for anina^at ; cf. st. 4. Stanza 4. For upa^ika^, 'ants,' see the introduction to VI, 100. Saya;/a, valmikanishpadika vamrya^. Stanza 6. The stanza consists of 12 + n + n syllables; the last word rakshasam, obviously a gloss, is metrically super- fluous. For Pada c, cf. I, 19, 1. II, 4. Commentary to page 37. The plant called gahgida illustrates very perfectly the absence of any boundary line between disease and demon- ology in the Atharvan. On the one hand it is employed against a variety of diseases, fever (takman), internal sores (balasa), and other minor manifestations, or symptoms, designated as ^ambha, vuara and vkarika, ayarika, and pr/sh/yamaya (II, 4, 2 ; XIX, 34, 10), receiving therefore the epithet vuvabhesha^a, 'all-healing,' XIX, 35, 5; it is moreover the specific against rheumatic troubles, if vi- shkandha and sa^skandha (11,4, 1 ff. ; XIX, 34, 1. 5 ; 35, 1) shall turn out ultimately to have this meaning (see the note on st. 1 c). On the other hand it obviates all the dangers arising from hostile demons and sorceries, as is expressly stated in all the three hymns devoted to its praise (II, 4 ; XIX, 34 and 35). The plant is not mentioned outside of the Atharvan which, in lieu of description, indulges in the customary vague rhodomontades. The gods themselves have thrice produced the gahgida, Indra has put strength into it, and (XIX, 34, 6) the seers of yore are said to have known it by the name of Angiras— a very pretty conceit, but for the fact that it harbours nothing more than a stolid pun (^ahgi^/as and angiras). From the Kausika and its commentaries we learn at least one thing that it is a tree. In the Sutra, 8, 15, it occurs in a list of 'holy' (sknt&A) II, 4- COMMENTARY. 28 1 trees, as is expressly stated by Ke.yava, atha .rantavrzksha u^yante. Darila at 8, 15 ; 42, 23 describes it as a white tree growing in the Dekkhan, ar^-una^ a£ala iti dakshi/za- tya^ ; Kcrava at 8, 15, and Sayana at II, 4, 1 say that it is familiar in Benares, vara/zasya?^ prasiddha^. S&ya/za, in the introduction to our hymn, as also to AV. XIX, 34, has ^-angiWavrzksha, and in the commentary at XIX, 34, 1 he places the home of the tree in the north, uttaradcre pra- siddha^, all of which would seem to show that the tree is known in many parts of India. The following is the literature on the gahglda: Groh- mann, Indische Studien, IX, 417 ff. ; Weber, ib. XIII, 141 ; Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, p. 65.
3orth, uttaradcre pra- siddha^, all of which would seem to show that the tree is known in many parts of India. The following is the literature on the gahglda: Groh- mann, Indische Studien, IX, 417 ff. ; Weber, ib. XIII, 141 ; Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, p. 65. The hymn II, 4 is employed, Kau^. 42, 23, in a practice which, according to Darila, is destined to drive away demons (pua^aMtana) ; according to Kcrava — I state the text literally — it is, purushahave (cod. purusho have ; cf. XIX, 34, 3) akaryakarazzena vighna^amanakarma ; and further, kz'ztyadushazzarthe (cod. krz'tva-) apyayati vigh- na.ramanarakshakarazza/z vighna/z viskandhe (!) yak (the latter passage is not printed in my extracts from that authority in the edition). The practice consists in tying on as an amulet the substance mentioned in the hymn : dir- ghayutvaye*ti mantroktaw badhnati. Darila says gahgi- ^/amaf/im, and Kesava more explicitly states that an amulet derived from the gahgida be tied on with a thread of hemp, gahgidamanim ja/zasutre/za badhva saMpatya*bhimantrya badhnati. The hemp refers to stanza 5, and it seems to me quite likely that Kej-ava is right in thus describing the association of the hemp with the ^angi^a as altogether external. The hymn has been translated by Weber, Indische Studien, XIII, p. 140 ff. Stanza 1. This hymn, as many others, begins with an irregular stanza, two trish/ubh and two anush/ubh Padas ; cf. RV. VII, 103; AV. IV, 12; VI, in, &c. b. Sayazza reads rakshama/za/z for dakshamazza^. 2 82 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. c. The meaning of vishkandha, I regret to say, is not clear. Both ancients and moderns have etymologised upon the word, and in all instances have arrived at the conclusion that the word refers to some disease. But the results, though consistent in the one point of disease, betray their weakness in differing as to its special nature. The scho- liast at Tait. S. VII, 3, it, 1 — the only known occurrence of the word outside of the Atharvan literature (cf. also Gop. Br. I, 5, 25) — explains it by virupa(/z) skandhadyavayava yasya tad vishkandham (sc. jariram), ' the body whose members, shoulders, and so forth, are deformed is vish- kandha.' Saya^a, at AV. I, 16, 3 (and similarly here) says, gatipratibandhaka^ rakshay£ptfa£adikrzta;^ vighna- ^-atam, ' a disease which hinders from walking, produced by Rakshas, PLra^as, &c, instigated by (some hostile) disturb- ance.' The same fatuous authority, however, at XIX, 35i 5 says, vishkandham viriish/askandham eva/^namana;// vatavii-esham maharogam, ' vishkandha, a serious disease of that name, caused by wind (in the body),
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.
No commentary for this page.