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

. For Pada f, cf. VIII, 7, 15, and note the strained alliteration between navatim and navya/z. So also X, 1, 16.

1 Cited erroneously by Sayarca as Nakshatrakalpa.

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Stanza 11.

The first three Padas are repeated at XIX, 39, 4. In Pada e, Saya/m has pratispajinam (abhi/£arata/z pratimukha;/z badhakam, ' striking against the sorcerers '). The MSS. read antitam ; the vulgate and the Index Verborum anti tarn. Saya/za offers both alternatives, antitam atyantasa;/znihitam, athava tarn . . . dvesh/aram anti antike avidama. Perhaps antikam is to be substituted in the text for antitam. Saya/za understands the passage as follows : ' Him (the enemy) that we did seek, we have found lurking near by.' But see Tait. S. V, 7, 3, i, where pratispaj-a surely means 'guarding;'' cf. also AV. VII,

Stanza 14.

For Kaiyapa, see the note on IV, 20, 7. In Pada d,
Saya/^a reads sa/^sresha/ze and glosses ' in the battle which
causes close contact (sa;^lesha/za) with one another.'
Whether we accept this sensible emendation, or not, the
meaning is clear.

Stanza 15.

Pada a may be improved into an anush/ubh by throwing out the first yas tva. The diksha^ and the yagnah here referred to are of course unholy (abhi/^arika) ; cf. X, 1, 11, and Kcrava at Kauj*. 47, 12. 14-16. Saya/za, dikshabhi^ ya^/ziyair vagyamanadiniyamavueshai/z . . . yâgnzxh hi//zsasadhanai^ .syeneshvadibhir * yagai^. The two hemistichs are loosely correlated (anacoluthon) : we should expect ma for tva in Padas a, b.

Stanza 17.

Cf. Tait. S. V, 7, 3, 1 ; RV. X, 171, 4.

Stanza 18.

The first hemistich is repeated at XIX, 20, 4 a, b.

1 The .syeneshu seems to be a witchcraft practice, otherwise unknown. The Arigirasakalpa, if it ever turns up, is likely to furnish the necessary information. [42] P p

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Stanza 20.

c, d. The passage is highly metaphorical. According to Yank. Br. XIII, 9, 17, methi (methf) is the post to which cattle is fastened with a rope (ragg*u). The amulet with its cord (cf. II, 4, 5) seems to be likened to it: the tertium comparationis is the protective quality of each. As the cattle is secure when attached to the post, thus the presence of the amulet affords security. Possibly the passage is derived secondarily from a different practice and a different sphere of conceptions.

Stanza 22.
Cf. RV. X, 152, 2, almost identical with this stanza.

VIII, 7. Commentary to page 41.

This compilation of stanzas in diverse metres, in praise of the curative qualities of plants, is analogous to the socalled oshadhi-stuti, RV.

e of conceptions.

Stanza 22.
Cf. RV. X, 152, 2, almost identical with this stanza.

VIII, 7. Commentary to page 41.

This compilation of stanzas in diverse metres, in praise of the curative qualities of plants, is analogous to the socalled oshadhi-stuti, RV. X, 97 ; Maitr. S. II, 7, 13 ; Tait. S. IV, 2, 6; Va£\ S. XII, 75-96. Its employment in the ritual is as a universal remedy (sarvabhaisha^yam). At Kans. 26, 33 it is rubricated along with five other hymns in a series (ga/za) which is styled ga/mkarmaga/za (!) in the Ga//amala, Ath. Pari?. 32, 24. Its particular function is indicated at Kaus. 26, 40: while it is being recited an amulet consisting of chips from ten kinds of (holy) wood, described at Kaui". 27, 5 in connection with AV. II, 9 (cf. also Kaus. 13, 5), is fastened upon the patient. See the introduction to II, 9. At Vait. Su. 30, 6, similarly, the hymn is employed while the curative sura (spirituous liquor) for the sautrama/zi-ceremony is being mixed with herbs. Cf. Contributions, Third Series, Journ. Amer. Or. Soc. XV, 153-154; Oldenberg, Nachrichten von der Koniglichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Gottingen, 1893, no. 9, p. 342 ff. ; Weber, Ra^asuya, p. 100 ff.

The hymn has been translated by Ludwig, Der Rigveda, III, 504 ff.; Henry, Les livres VIII et IX de l'Atharvaveda, pp. 20, 58 ff.

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Stanza 2.

c, d. Cf. Ill, 9, 1 and III, 23, 6 a, b, with which this hemistich coincides word for word. The ocean represents both the heavenly and terrestrial waters, from which the plants derive their nourishment and origin.

Stanza 4.

Cf. Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, p. 57. I agree with Professor Henry in assuming that no systematisation, however rudimentary, is intended : salient qualities are embalmed in epitheta ornantia. The same scholar's rendering of amsumati/i, ' pourvues de sue, pourvues de soma,' is strained.

Stanza 6.

For arundhati', see the introduction to IV, 12. The first hemistich also at VIII, 2, 6: cf. VI, 59, 3 ; XIX, 39, 2. 3, and see the notes on the last-mentioned two stanzas. Professor Henry's explanation of nagha in nagharisham as = agha, 'evil,' will probably appear unnecessary in the light of these notes. The solitary form pushyam is suspicious, since the MSS. confuse the syllables shya and shpa hopelessly ; cf. st. 27, and the note on V, 4, 4.

Stanza 9.

This is an especial appeal to aquatic plants, the avaka being the most characteristic representative of that class ; cf. Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, p. 71; Contributions, Second Series, Amer. Journ. Phil. XI, 349 ff.

Stanza 10.

the note on V, 4, 4.

Stanza 9.

This is an especial appeal to aquatic plants, the avaka being the most characteristic representative of that class ; cf. Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, p. 71; Contributions, Second Series, Amer. Journ. Phil. XI, 349 ff.

Stanza 10.

In Pada d, krztya- in the vulgate is a misprint for krz'tya-. For balasa, see the note on V, 22, 11.

Stanza 11.

Rare herbs were doubtless bought, and brought from a distance. The word 'village' is characteristic, as being

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the proper scene of Atharvanic performances ; cf. IV, 36, 7 ; IX, 5, 19 ; XVIII, 2, 27 ; Ludwig, Der Rigveda, III, 28.

Stanza 12.

d. go-purogavam does not differ materially from expressions like gav-adi, and the like. The Pet. Lexicons, 'die Kuh zum Anfiihrer habend,' and Henry's, ' (la nourriture) a laquelle preside la vache/ are rather too literal and pregnant ; they miss, perhaps, the idiomatic force of the expression.

Stanza 15.

d. Cf. I, 8, 1 ; VI, 113, 2 ; VIII, 5, 9. The flowing water of the running stream shall carry them off.

Stanza 16. For a, b, cf. I, 10, 4; VIII, 2, 27, and our note on the first of these passages. Agni Vauvanara seems to represent here the funeral fire. It would be convenient to read (with Henry) the vocative oshadhayo for the nominative. Ludwig construes mumu£ana/£ as passive, 'losgegeben von Agni Vauvanara.' But on what occasion does Agni confine the plants ?

Stanza 17.

Cf st. 24 ; VIII, 5, 9 ; XIX, 39, 5, and especially our note on XI, 4, 16. But it- is questionable whether angirasi/z is to be taken here in its ritualistic sense = abhi£arika, * pertaining to witchcraft.'

Stanza 23.

Cf. I, 24, 1 ; II, 27, 2 ; V, 14, i, and the notes on the passages, for this and the following stanza. It is rather curious to find the serpents and their old time enemy the ichneumon (cf. VI, 139, 5) peacefully together, as discoverers of remedies. But the serpents here are mythic, not the poisonous individuals.

Stanza 24. b. ragha/o is air. Aey. The Pet. Lex. suggests plausibly raghavo, < swift/ The flight of the heavenly eagle whoVIII, 7- COMMENTARY. 58 1 robs the Soma, results in the growth of the par/za-tree ; cf. Ad. Kuhn, Die Herabkunft des Feuers (index s. v. par;/a). The eagle might therefore be said to be acquainted with the par/2a-tree. But the passages cited in the preceding note show that the keen sight of certain birds of prey fits them, in the mind of the poet, for the task of finding the rare and secreted plants.

Stanza 26.

a, b.