Hymns of the Atharva-Veda — SBE Vol. 42 (Clarendon Press, 1897) — second scan

a new motif is added, tirya//z (sc. visham) in addition to the pra^yam, &c. of stanza 2. Since pra^yam, &c. indicate directions, we have regarded tiryam in the same light, i.e. as a variant of thyank ; cf. X, 2, 11.-24. 25- 28; 8, 19; XI, 4, 25; XV, 3, 6. Saya//a also attributes tiryam to visham, but in the sense of ' secret, hidden,' tirobhavam praMannatvena prayuktam. This rendering is certainly possible. The Western translators all err because they attribute the word to karambharn : Pet. Lexs. and Zimmer— tilya, 'made from sesame;5 Ludwig, ' einen breiten kitchen;' Grill emends to atiriya ( = ati + riya), ' overflowing.'

b. The vulgate reads pibasphakam (Padapa/^a in Whitney's Index, pfba^ + phakam). Shankar Pandit's MSS. read pibaspakam (Padap. piba^ + pakam) ; Saya?za, pivaspakam, 'a rich mess.' For udarathim, see RV. I, 187, 10. The Pet. Lexs,, and Grill, ' dampfend ; ' Ludwig, ' hochaufgegangen ; 5 Saya/za, ' prosperous ' (udriktarti^anakam). Our own translation, 'cheering,' is equally conjectural.

Stanza 5.

Far from clear (cf. VI, 44, 1). Ludwig, ' wie einen wall (eine aufschiittung) um das dorf richten wir auf;' Grill, upon the basis of the Pet. Lex., ' als wie mit einer heeresschaar umstellen wir dich mit dem wort' Saya;/a, ' the poison which is heaped up like a throng of people ' (^anasamuham iva upakitam visham). He adds that the comparison with the throng suggests the power of the poison (^ramadr/sh/antena vishasya prabalyam uktam), and thus nearly meets our own rendering, which, to be sure, suggests the frequency of the poison, rather than its strength.

Stanza 6.

a, b. The Sutra (28, 2) ought to be helpful here. Three articles are mentioned there, dunra, a^-ina, and avakara, two of which are given here in the same terms. It would seem to follow that the third, avakara, is identical with pavasta,p. 378 and accordingly Saya^a says outright, pavastai^ pavanaya astai^ sainmargamtrimiik. All this may be correct : the implication appears to be that the poisonous plant, itself worthless, is bartered for worthless things, stray wisps of broom-straw, old garments, and worn-out skin. But the word ^arat, ' old,' is not mentioned in the hymn, and the symbolism of the Sutra is obscure ; we cannot therefore regard all this as in any way secure. Moreover the difficult task of making this interpretation fit the only other occurrence of pavasta (dual, pavaste), RV. X, 27, 7, remains. Saya/za quotes the passage and glosses the dual by dyavaprzthivi, here as well as in the RV.

Stanza 7.

ny way secure. Moreover the difficult task of making this interpretation fit the only other occurrence of pavasta (dual, pavaste), RV. X, 27, 7, remains. Saya/za quotes the passage and glosses the dual by dyavaprzthivi, here as well as in the RV.

Stanza 7.

Repeated at V, 6, % in an equally obscure connection. Saya^a, ' those enemies, O people, who were hostile to you in the witchcraft-practices which they performed, may they not by these practices injure our men here.'

IV, 8. Commentary to page hi.

This hymn is founded upon certain practices, well known in connection with the consecration of a king throughout the Vedic literature. Professor Weber has recently devoted to this subject a characteristically excellent treatise, ' Uber die Konigsweihe, den Ra^asuya,' Transactions of the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences, 1893. Two noteworthy performances are indicated in the hymn : the king is sprinkled with water, derived from holy rivers, and mixed with the essence of holy plants (jantyudakam : see Kaay. 17, 1, and 9, 1 fif.) ; and he steps upon a tiger-skin. Both practices figure prominently in the descriptions of the ra^asuya in the Ya^us-sa/^hitas, Brahma^/as, and Sutras : see the index to Weber's treatise under 'salbung,' and * tiger-fell.' The hymn reflects throughout the spirit of antique popular institutions, and a genuine appreciation of the dignity of royalty.

The Atharvan ritual presents it in connection with ap. 379 double treatment of the ra^*asuya, either as a more solemn and elaborate priestly jrauta-practice, or a more popular and direct grzhya-practice. The former is given at Vait Su. 36, 1-13 : it presents in a compendious form the practices current in other ^rauta-works, with particular attention to the chronology of the months. The sprinkling (abhishe^aniya) and the tiger-skin figure as the prominent points. The more popular phase of the practice is stated in a double form at Kaiu. 17, 1-29. The first (Kau^. 17, 1-10) is the simplest. Only the king and his chaplain (purohita) are here actively engaged: 1. * While reciting the hymn he who is about to sprinkle a king prepares at the banks of a great river * " holy water " from the ingredients prescribed (in st. 5 ; cf. Kaur. 9). 2. He causes a porridge to be cooked, and sprinkles the king who stands upon darbha-grass on the south-side of the vedi (called) parigrz'hya 2. 3. He seats the king upon a couch (placed) on a bull's skin 3. 4. They (the king and the purohita) fill for one another a water-vessel (with water). 5. They exchange them. 6.

ng who stands upon darbha-grass on the south-side of the vedi (called) parigrz'hya 2. 3. He seats the king upon a couch (placed) on a bull's skin 3. 4. They (the king and the purohita) fill for one another a water-vessel (with water). 5. They exchange them. 6. The Brahman says : " In common to us be the good we do, in common the bad." 7. (The king says) : " He (of us two) who shall do evil, his may the evil be; the good deed alone shall belong to both of us."

8. (The purohita) gives, the porridge (to the king) to eat.

9. Then he causes him to mount a horse, and turn to the north-eastern direction (apara^ita, " the unconquered ").

1 According to Darila near the rivers Ganga, Yamuna, or
Sarasvati.

2 Darila, parigrzhya parigrz'hyavedi^ parigrahawam, sa yogo(!).
Cf. Tait. S. II, 2, 10, 5; Maitr. S. I, 6, 3 (p. 89, 1. 14); Apast.
St. IV, 5, 4, and AV. XII, 1, 13.

3 I fail to see why Professor Weber (1. c, p. 140, note 5) ignores my obvious emendation of talparshabham to talpa (i. e. talpe) arshabham. The bull's skin takes here the place of the tiger-skin. The more elaborate ceremony (mahabhisheka), described in the sequel (Kauj*. 17, n ff.), brings in the tiger-skin. The present form of the ra^asuya is the ' simple one ' (laghu, laghvabhisheka), according to Ke^ava and Sayawa.

p. 380

10. A thousand (cows), or a choice village, is the fee for the priest.'

The Kausika continues further with another mode of consecration for an ekara^a, 'sole ruler1.' In this the tiger-skin takes the place of the bull's skin. Four princes and a number of servants and subjects participate in this. See Weber, 1. c, p. 14T fT.

The hymn has been translated by Ludwig, Der Rigveda,
III, 458; Weber, I.e., 139. By itself it figures as the
abhishekaga/za in the Ga;zamala, Ath. ParLy. 32, 30.

Stanza 1.

c, d. The king is all-powerful. But there is yet another king, more powerful than he, death. Death is present in person now, as at all times, but he shall assent to the rule of the king.

Stanza 3.

This stanza recurs in a hymn to Indra, RV. Ill, 38, 4. The manly Asura is primarily Indra. Since Indra is the typical king (kshatriya), stanzas in praise of Indra lend themselves readily to adaptation to praises and beatification of royalty; cf. Ill, 1, 4; 2, 5, and elsewhere.

Stanza 4.

The tiger, as well as the lion (st. 7). is the king of animals : Sat. Br. V, 5, 4, 10 ; XII, 7, 1, 8 ; hence his skin is a mark of royalty. Control of the regions is a sine qua non of royalty; cf. e.g. Maitr. S.