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

rently unwarranted.

Stanza 2.

b. For Bharadva^a, see IV, 39, 5; XVIII, 3, 16; XIX, 48, 6 ; and Ludwig, Der Rigveda, pp. 128 ff.

• d. Schlagintweit, 'der diesen (unsern) geist beschadigt
• (i. e. schwur bezweifelt).' Weber, 'wer diesen meinen sinn beschadigt, i. e. meinen schwur antastet, mein wort bezweifelt/ Ludwig, * der diesen meinen sinn anklagt (verlaumdet).' All these renderings are founded upon the theory of the fire-ordeal. Saya;?a, purva^ sanmargapravrztta^z mana^ manasaw hinasti. There is no lack of evidence that religious performances were at times the object of enmity and the butt of abuse ; cf. stanza 6 ; RV. VI, 56, and Ludwig, Der Rigveda, IV, 219 ff.

Stanza 3.

a. The first Pada is defective, but occurs in the same form in the Paippalada. It may be corrected by reading somapavan, somapayin, somapa tvam, or the like. But Atharvan metres are so generally capable of improvement, that we are in danger of singing our own, rather than Atharvan hymns, when we apply ourselves to the task of improving them.

Stanza 4.

a. Professor Weber, I.e., pp. 167-8, has assembled some interesting statements in reference to the connection of thep. 297 number 80 with the fire-ritual. Saya//a attaches a certain significance to the number three, which he connects with the triâas of the Sama-sawhitas. The number is solemn and formulary.

e. A clear instance of a Vedic parenthesis ; cf. Aufrecht, Festgruss an Otto von Bohtlingk, pp. 2 ff. For ish/apurtam, see Windisch, ib., pp. 115 ff. Cf. also RV. X, 14, 8; AV. Ill, 12, 8.

d. Schlagintweit supplies ' firebrand ' in the last Pada, and translates, ' nehme ich jenen (feuerbrand) an mich mit gottlicher inbrunst.' Weber, in still more direct adherence to the hypothesis of a fire-ordeal, supplies with amiim 'gitihendes beil,' and translates, 'mit gottlicher gluth nehme ich diesen an mich.' Ludwig, 'jenen (den verlaumder) erfasse ich mit der gottlichen glut.' Zimmer, 'halte ich jenen (? feuerbrand, ?axt) mit gottlichem griff.' Saya;za properly refers amiim to the enemy, and takes haras in the sense of krodha (haras etymologically = Oipos ; cf. II, 2, 2).

Stanza 5.

a. didhitham for didhiyatham. Saya/za, adipte bhavatam.

Stanza 6.

Recurs with variants at RV. VI, 52, 2 ; the connection there is less pregnant.

e. Saya/za differently, tapu//zshi tapakani te^a^si ayudhani va vrz^anani var^akani badhakani santu, i. e. ' may our zealous deeds or weapons be destructive to him.' Perhaps this is simpler.

Stanza 7.

This and the following stanza seem to be adapted from the funeral ritual (see Amer. Journ. Phil.

kani te^a^si ayudhani va vrz^anani var^akani badhakani santu, i. e. ' may our zealous deeds or weapons be destructive to him.' Perhaps this is simpler.

Stanza 7.

This and the following stanza seem to be adapted from the funeral ritual (see Amer. Journ. Phil. VII, 476 ; XI, 335, 336 ff). Such as they are they occur also in the same connection in the Paippalada ; cf. RV. X, 14, 13 ; 16, 2. Stanzas of this character lend themselves naturally top. 298 imprecation and incantation. Here the poet takes the offensive against the thwarting enemy.

a. For sapta pra;/an, cf. Tait. Br. I, 2, 3, 3. Shankar Pandit, on the basis of a considerable number of his MSS. (both Sawhita and Padapa//£a), reads manya^ for ma^a//. So also Saya/za, manya^ dhamanya^ ka^^agata naaftviseshâk. The MSS. frequently write y for g, especially in connection with nasals (anaymi and yunaymi for ana^mi and yunaymi) ; cf. Maitr. S. I, 3, 3$ (p. 42, note 4), and Ind. Stud. IV, 271 note. On general textual and exegetical grounds the reading ma^a^ is preferable.

Stanza 8.

Schlagintweit translates Padas c, d, ' (entweder) soil das feuer in deinen leib einkehren, (oder) deine rede gehe zu leben.' The sense he imagines to be : 'If the word of the accuser is true, then he shall remain unharmed ; if not he shall be injured by fire/ Essentially in the same spirit are Weber's, Zimmer's, and Kaegrs renderings. Cf. RV. X, 15, 14-

II, 14. Commentary to page 66.

It is regretable that this textually and exegetically difficult hymn is illumined but very little by its abundant employment in the practices of the Atharvavedins. In its more general aspects it figures as one of the Mtanani (sc. suktani), ' hymns designed to chase away (demons and diseases)/ at Kau.s\ 8, 25 ; next, it occurs in another cycle (ga/za) of hymns of a somewhat problematic character, called mrzgarasuktani or mrzgaram, 'purificatory hymns' (?), at Kaar. 9, 1 (cf. 27, 34). In this sense it is employed twice, Kauj. 72, 4 ; 82, 14, to purify the entrance to a house, nissalam iti ^alanive^anaw sa^/prokshya. If we could only trust that punning juxtaposition of -salam and jala-, it would remove one of the chief cruxes in its interpretation !

As regards its narrower application, it is associated distinctly with difficulty in bearing offspring: at Kaiu. 34, 3-1 1 it is employed in a charm for preventing miscarriage ;

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at 44, 1 1 ff. it forms part of an elaborate practice to obviate sterility in cattle. The first of these practices is as follows : 34, 3.

ing offspring: at Kaiu. 34, 3-1 1 it is employed in a charm for preventing miscarriage ;

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at 44, 1 1 ff. it forms part of an elaborate practice to obviate sterility in cattle. The first of these practices is as follows : 34, 3. ' While reciting II, 14 (the practitioner) pours dregs of ghee into water (in tubs standing) in three huts which have doors to the east and doors to the west (cf. Kau^. 24, 3), in behalf of the woman afflicted with miscarriage, she being dressed in a black garment. 4. Additional (dregs of ghee he pours) upon lead x placed into (the leaf of) a pala^atree (butea frondosa). 5. Placing (the woman) over the lead he washes her (with the above-mentioned water). 6. Having deposited the black garment (where she has been washed) she goes. 7. The Brahman kindles the hut. 8. The same performances take place in the two easterly (huts) 2 in connection with materials brought on separately (for each hut). 9. He performs the practices with the branches, mentioned (above, Su. 1: he pours consecrated water over her head as she is seated upon branches of s'wzjapa [dalbergia sisu ; cf. Kau^. 8,, 16] by the side of a body of water). 10. Having put down to the west of the fire two reeds upon a stalk (? kande ishike), over the two doors (of the huts) 3, he causes firewood derived from an udumbara-tree (ficus glomerata) to be put on the fire. 11. To the woman as she comes home last (of those returning ?), cakes of rice, and ornaments of pramanda (cf. Kau^ika, Introduction, p. Hi), anointed with the dregs of ghee, are given (cf. Kaus. 32, 29 ; 34, 1).'

At Kauy. 44, 1 ff. there is an elaborate practice of the expiatory kind (praya^itta), in which a sterile cow is sacrificed to remove the blemish of sterility from the house. After the cow has been slain, '(the priest) while reciting II, 14 carries a firebrand (around her) thrice from right to left without moving (the firebrand) around himself (Su. 44, 21). Later on 'he stops her breath' while reciting II,

1 Cf. AV. I, 16, and the practices connected with it.

2 The practices up to this point therefore have taken place in that one of the three huts furthest to the west.

3 Extremely problematic; cf. dhayine, Kaurika, Introduction, p. li, and the scholiasts,

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14, 5 (Su. 44, 15). All this is too general in character, and fails to cast light on the real difficulties of the hymn. Cf. also Ath. Paru. 17, 2. The Anukramam classifies it as .ralâgnidevatyam uta mantroktadevatyam. For previous translations, see Weber, Ind.