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

n as vritram viparvam, RV. I, 187, 1, which is favourable to the construction of viparur as an epithet of the serpent.

Stanza 5.

In the Paippalada these stanzas are wanting ; they have the character of a production somewhat independent of the preceding stanzas. To such a view also points the separate quotation of this stanza (and the rest?) in the late (pamish/a) chapter Kau^. 139 (see above, and cf. Kaurika, Introduction, p. xxv ff.).

a. The Pet. Lexs. and Zimmer, p. 95, deal with ^arko/a as a serpent, Grill and Henry as ' scorpion/ The former compares karka/a and karkafeka, ' crab/ but more significant seem to me to be karko/a and karko/aka, both of which are mentioned as names of serpents. There is, however, in the mind of the Atharvan writer but little difference between both kinds of vermin (cf. AV. XII, 1,46 ; 4, 9. 15), and the description in the sequel favours the scorpion. Cf. for the interchange of s and k, Kuhn's Zeitschrift, XXV,

p. 555

125, Proc. Amer. Or. Soc, May, 1886 (Journal, vol. xiii, p. cxxi); see also Kuhn's Zeitschrift, XXIII, 94.

Stanza 6.

d. arbhaka (cf. pu^/zadhi in st. 8) suggests forcibly the kushumbha of II, 32, 6; RV. I, 191, 15, and kumbha of the Sama-veda Mantra-brahma/m II, 7, 3. See the notes on H> 32> 5- 6. Ludwig, simply 'kleines;' Grill, ' winziges ding ; ' Henry ' menu (dard).'

Stanza 7.

For the ants, cf. the introduction, and VI, 100 ; for mayurya^,.RV. I, 1.91, 14, and Zimmer, p. 90.

VII, 64. Commentary to page 167.

At Kaiu. 46, 47. 48 this hymn is recited while washing off a person who has been struck by something dropped by a black bird (crow, or the like). If he has been defiled * (by the mouth of the bird) a fire-brand is carried around him. The two performances refer respectively to the two stanzas of the hymn. Previous translations by Grill2, pp. 41, 186 ; Henry, Le livre VII de l'Atharva-veda, pp. 25, 88 ; cf. Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, p. 88. The Anukrama/n, mantroktadevatyam uta nairrztam.

Stanza 1.

The Paippalada in much the same sense, yad asmat kr/sh/za^akuner nishpatato na ana^e. Henry's criticism of the reading abhinishpatan of the text is over severe : Saya/za, quite correctly, abhimukham . . . aklramargad avapatan. The Pada is hyper-catalectic.

1 The MSS. upamnsh/am and apamrzsh/am. Ke^ava, apamr/sh/am. Sayazza, avamrzsh/am; cf. avamrz'kshat of the text. But Saya/za in the quotation of Kaiwikas text, apamr/sh/am.

p. 556

Stanza 2.

b. The Paippalada, mukhena niir/te tava.

.

1 The MSS. upamnsh/am and apamrzsh/am. Ke^ava, apamr/sh/am. Sayazza, avamrzsh/am; cf. avamrz'kshat of the text. But Saya/za in the quotation of Kaiwikas text, apamr/sh/am.

p. 556

Stanza 2.

b. The Paippalada, mukhena niir/te tava. The bird of misfortune is identified with the goddess of misfortune herself.

VII, 65. Commentary to page 72.

Employed at Kaas\ 46, 49 as a purificatory charm for cleansing one's self from evil deeds and defiling contact. Fagots derived from the apamarga-tree are placed into a fire built of wood from the same tree. For the apamarga, see in general the introduction to IV, 17. Stanzas 1, 2 are rubricated in the kr/tyaga?/a of the Ga;zamala, Ath. Paru\ 32, 2 (see Kau^. 39, 7, note). Cf. also Ath. Paru. 19, 4. Previous translations by Grill2, pp. 38, 186 ; Henry, Le livre VII de l'Atharva-veda, pp. 25, 89. The Anukrama?zi, apamargaviruddaivatam.

Stanza 1.

For prati^ihaphala, see IV, 19, 7, and the note on IV, 17, 2. Saya/^a, agrad arabhya phalasya mulaparyantam atmabhimukha//z sparine ka/2/akarahityadar.ranat prati^inaphalatvam. The second hemistich is nearly identical with IV, 19,7 c, d.

Stanza 2.

c. Saya/za, vLrvatomukha sarvata// prasr/ta^akhayukta. Perhaps, however, * looking in every direction/ because the fruit turns one way. the branches another. The epithet is, too, of more general scope (fire and sun), and may refer to watchfulness against hostile influences.

Stanza 3.

Befouling contact with deformed persons is a standard
subject in Vedic texts, and in the law-books : see Maitr.
S. IV, 1, 9 (cf. the corresponding passages from the Ka/A.
S. and the Kapish/A. S.) ; Tait. Br. Ill, 2, 8, 11 ; Apast.
Sx. IX, 12, 11 ; Apast. Dh. II, 5, 12, 22 ; Gaut. XV, 16;
Vas. I, 18 ; cf. the introductions to VI, 112 and 113, and

p. 557

Delbruck, Die Indogermanischen Verwandtschaftsnamen, p. 201 ff.

VII, 70. Commentary to page 90.

The following sorcery-practice (abhi^ara) is associated with the present hymn (together with VI, 54) at Kau^. 48, 27-28. A counter-offering is made, hostile to the person who has built a fire (for offering) 1. Chaff is offered by means of a leaf of middling size 2. The offering of chaff is the typical hostile sacrifice (Kaui*. 14, 15; 6$, 7); the sacrifice to the gods is thus frustrated by a sacrifice to the Rakshas (see Ait. Br. II, 7, 1), who destroy the enemy (cf. st. 2, and Ludwig, Der Rigveda, III, 295).

The hymn has been rendered by Ludwig, ibid., p. 374 ;
Grill2, pp. 46, 187; Henry, Le livre VII de l'Atharva-veda,
pp. 26, 91.

trated by a sacrifice to the Rakshas (see Ait. Br. II, 7, 1), who destroy the enemy (cf. st. 2, and Ludwig, Der Rigveda, III, 295).

The hymn has been rendered by Ludwig, ibid., p. 374 ; Grill2, pp. 46, 187; Henry, Le livre VII de l'Atharva-veda, pp. 26, 91. The Anukrama/n, mantroktadevatyam uta ^yenadevatakam (cf. st. 3). The hymn is largely identical with the passage Tait. Br. II, 4, 2, 1 ff.

Stanza 3.

a. Saya;?a, mrztyudutau ; the Pet. Lex., Mrztyu and Nirrzti. Possibly, Mitra and Varu/za, the typical heavenly rulers.

VII, 74. Commentary to page 18.

The hymn is tripartite, but no reason for the juxtaposition of sts. 3 and 4 with 1 and 2 can be found. Professor Henry's suggestions regarding this matter (Le livre VII de l'Atharva-veda, pp. 29, 95 ff) are interesting. The norm of the seventh book is a single stanza for each hymn (cf. the quotations regarding this matter in the introductions to I, 12 and IV, 38), but, after all, some diaskeuastic convenience must be at the bottom of the grouping.

1 Cf. Tait. S. II, 2, 9, 4 ; Tait. Br. I, 7, 3, 7.

2 Cf. madhyamapar/zena, Maitr. S. I, 10, 20. The meaning of the expression is uncertain.

p. 558

A.

For the history of the interpretation of the apa£it-hymns, see the introduction to VI, 83 (cf. also VI, 2,5 and VII, 76). The practice connected with this part of the hymn is described at Kaiu. 32, 8-10, to wit : 8. ' With a bow made of bamboo, which is darbhyusha 1 (? cf. Kaui\ 35, 28 in the introduction to III, 25, and Kaiuika, Introduction, p. li), and has a bowstring made of black wool, with black arrows that have bunches of wool (tied ?) to their points (the pustules are hit), while the (two first stanzas of) the hymn are being recited. 9. With the fourth stanza (?) 2 the bow is brought near (the pustules) and they are hit (with the arrows). 10. (The patient is then washed off at the time when the stars fade away [at dawn] with water) which has been warmed by quenching in it a burning bunch of wool 3.' The arrow of bamboo in the practice symbolises the root (found by) the divine sage in st. 1 ; the flake of black wool embodies the statement in st. 2 d.

Stanza 1.

Cf. for the colours mentioned here, VI, 83, 2. 3, and more generally I, 23 and 24.

1 Saya//a, darbhusha.

2 This can hardly be the fourth stanza of the present hymn, which belongs to a totally different sphere. Kcrava fuses VII, 74, 1. 2 with VII, 76, 1. 2, and thus obtains a hymn of four stanzas.