The second hemistich recurs at X, 4, 8 (cf. also IV, 3, 7) without the formula namo deva^an^bhya^. This may therefore have been borrowed from the end of st. 2. The divine folks are the serpents themselves, cf. XI, 9, 2. 5. 26 ; io, 5, and the sarpadeva^ana^, Va£\ S. XXX. 8. See also Sat. Br. VII, 4, 1, 28.
For different designations of serpents, see Zimmer, Altin- disches Leben, pp. 94 ff. For asita (Saya/za, krzsh;zavar;za) and tira.sv£irag"i (Saya/za, tiryag avasthital . . . valayo yasya), see III, 37, 12 ; VII, 56, 1 ; X, 4, 5 ff. ; XII, 3, 55 ff, and the note to the last-mentioned passage. See also the note on V, 13, 5, and TS. V, 5, io, 1. 2. The Hindu commen- tators explain sva^a als ' self-born/ Saya/za, svayam eva ^■ayate kara/zantaranairapekshye/za utpadyate ; cf. the gloss, Tait. S. V, 5, 14, 1. The Pet. Lex., 'vivipara,' or ' the em- bracer.' Weber at Tait. S., 1. c, also derives it from sva^*, ' enfold/
Cf. A. Kuhn, Zeitschrift fiir vergleichende Sprachfor- schung, XIII, 60.
The third Pada may refer, to the forked tongue of the serpent (Saya/za, sarpasya hi dve ^ihve). But perhaps, more likely, it is a strong way of saying, ' I shut up thy tongue/ continuing under the impetus of the first hemistich. Cf. Pada d.
VI, 57. Commentary to page 19.
The practices of the Kaimka, 31, 11-15, contribute not a little towards the elucidation of this medicinal charm. In the hymn the disease is merely designated as the arrow of Rudra, but in the Sutra it is called akshata ; the remedy is akshatavra/zabhaisha^yam (Kcrava), and Saya/za explains
Vi, 57- Commentary. 489
it as a ' wound without opening ' (mukharahitavra/za l) ; cf. also D&rila at Kaur. 32, 11. 13. In Contributions, Second Series, Amer. Journ. Phil. XI, 321 ff., we have shown that the disease in question is a tumour or a boil, and in Contributions, Fourth Series, ib. XII, 425 ff., we have assumed on the basis of the ritual that the remedy designated in the hymn (st. 2) as ^alasha, the particular remedy of Rudra, is identical with mutra, ' urine/ of the Sutra 2. The practice consists in moistening the tumour with the foam of (cow's) urine, throwing the urine itself upon it; next, washing it off, then, smearing it with scour- ings from the teeth, and with the pollen from bunches of grass. The disease is probably much the same as the ga^am&la, ' scrofula ; ' cf. AV. VI, 83 ; VII, 74 ; VII, 76, 4, and the introductions to these hymns.
The third stanza is rubricated in the list of purificatory mantras, Kauj. 9, 2 (cf. the brihakkMntlgana. of the Ga/zamala, Ath. Pam. 32, 26), and in a similar list, Kaus.
e, d. The arrow here described is Rudra's arrow that in- flicts disease. Fittingly, Rudra's own remedy the ^alasha is employed as a cure. The very rare word ^alashabhe- sha^a occurs also in the Nilarudra-Upanishad 3, esha ety aviraha rudro ^-alashabhesha^-a^ (see Jacob's Concordance).
For ^alasha Saya^a reads four times ^alasha ; cf. our
discussion of the forms of the wrord in Contributions,
Fourth Series, 1. c, 425.
c, d. Cf. RV. VIII, 20, 26 ; X, 59, 8-10. The last Pada
1 Ke^ava, yasya ga«^/adush/asya rudhira/ft na vahati.
2 Professor Windisch, in a review of the above-mentioned essay (Literarisches Centralblatt, 1892, No. 51, col. 1836), refers to a treatise of E. Wilhelm, ' On the use of beefs urine ' (Bombay, 1889). This is not at hand, but see Wise, Hindu System of Medicine, p. 117.
490 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
is formulaic ; see AV. XVIII, 5, 23, and note the variant, RV. X, 59, 8-10.
VI, 59. Commentary to page 144.
This hymn, obviously a cattle-charm, is employed, along with a great variety of other mantras, rather indifferently, at Kau^. 50, 13. The practice is that of a merchant who starts out upon his business: in Kaor. 50, 13 he offers1 a variety of substances with the list of hymns in question. Cf. the introductions to III, 15 ; VI, 128, and XI, 2. It is rubricated further in the list of purificatory mantras, Kau.r. 9, 2 (cf. the brzhakk/i&ntlgana, of the Gazzamala, Ath. Pan>. 32, 26), and in a similar list, Kaus. 41, 14 ; it has been ren- dered by Grill 2, pp. 6$, 163. For the character of the plant arundhat?, see the introduction to IV, 12,
Saya^a defines arundhatl as sahadevi, a common name for plants, but the interpretation is not to be trusted because he reads sahadevi for saha devir in st. 2 b. Cf. the introduction to IV, 12. In P&da c, Grill emends vayase unnecessarily to avayase, ' was nicht erstarkt ist/ Saya/za, quite correctly, ' at the age beyond five years when weaned from the mother.' Cf. the quotations in the Pet. Lex. under 3. vayas 2) ; the passage, ekahayanaprabhrzty a- pa^ahayanebhyo vaya/^si, quoted from Apastamba at Tait. Br. Ill, 12, 5, 9, is referred to by Saya^a also.
b. For saha devir we read saha devafr ; cf. the reading kala^ir for kala^air in the note on III, 12, 7, and, more generally, the note on XII, 3, 32 c. Grill, similarly, the
1 The word upadadhita there and elsewhere is a technical term, 1 lay upon/ Ke^ava, at the end of Kau^. 6 (see p. 309, middle, of the edition), defines it as the act of offering one of thirteen offerings (haviwshi), very varied in character ; cf. the word upadhana in the Paribhasha-sutra 8, 17.
VI, 6o. COMMENTARY. 49 1
compound sahadevi (cf. XII, 4, 23) ; Saya^a, sahadevyakhya arundhati abhilashitaphalasya avarayitrt oshadhi^ (avara- yitri= arundhati).
b. ^Ivala as epithet of arundhati' occurs also, VIII, 7, 6. See the note there, and at XIX, 39, 3.
VI, 60. Commentary to page 95.
The prescription for the use of this hymn at Kaus. 34, 22-24 is to pour an oblation (of ghee) for Aryaman (in the morning) before the crows risevand to place bali-offerings within the corners of the house. (The wooer is, then, sure to come) from the direction from which (the crows) come flying. The charm is, therefore, an oracle (pativedanam 2) ; it is not employed in the marriage-ritual, Kam\ 75, where the actual arrival of the bridegroom is described, unless, indeed, it is implied in the word pativedanam (75, 6). But the Paddhatis refer to Kaus. 34, 13, a rite performed in con- nection with AV. II, 363 rather than to our performance.
The hymn fyas been translated by Weber, Indische Stu-
dies V, 236 ff. ; Grill2, pp. 56, 164; Zimmer, Altindisches
Leben, p. 306.
a, b. Aryaman is the typical wooer or bridegroom ; cf. AV. XIV, 1, 34 ( = RV. X, 85 33). 39 ; a, 5 (=RV. X, 40, 12). Weber and Grill join purastad to vishitastupa^, ' with crest loosened in front ;' Saya^a, cfrom the east.' We are having in mind a bridal procession consisting of many wooers (cf. AV. XI, 8, i. 2, and Kaar. 75, 13). See also Indische Studien, V, 380, bottom.
d. The plural anya^ and the singular a*yati do not agree. Weber would read ayantu or ayanti ; Grill, anya.
1 Cf. Kau^. 34, 12 ; 75, 6.
492 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
The latter change results in the best metre. Saya^a, coolly, ayati prapnuvanti.
VI, 64. Commentary to page 136.
This hymn is rubricated in the ga^a, or series, entitled sa^manasyani in Kaar. 12, 5, and the practices are the same as those employed in connection with III, 30, above. The entire hymn is repeated with many variants in RV. X, 191, 2-4, in Maitr. S. II, 2, 6, and in Tait. Br. II, 4, 4, 4 ff. It has been translated by Ludwig, Der Rigveda, III, 372 ; Grill2, pp. 31, j 64; cf. also Zimmer, p. 175, and the well- known translations of RV. X, 191.
a. The RV. and Tait. Br. read, s&nt gakk/iadhvani sim
vadadhvam ; the Maitr. S., saw ga^Madhvaw saw ^ani-
dhvam.
d. Cf. Yank. Br. II, 2, 4; Asv. Sv. II, 11, 10.
Of the four texts, cited above, no one has precisely the same readings, though the sense is essentially the same in all. For the samanaw havL#, cf. the introduction to VI, 39, and the foot-note on VI, 39, 1.
d. All the texts read yatha vak siisaha *sati ; the Pada- pa/^as of the RV. and AV. resolve siisaha asati. This leaves upon our hands a compound adverb siisaha, which I have translated ' perfectly in common.' Ludwig resolves susaha asati, translating ' that you may have easy victory.' It is possible, too, to ignore the Padakara, and read sii saha asati, and translate again as we have done. I had thought also of emending yatha vasu saha*sati, 'that you may have possessions in common/ and found later that the Padapa//za of the Maitr. S. had something similar in mind, reading, vasu saha asati. Cf. also the simple saha*sati at AV. VII, 36.
Vi, 7°. Commentary. 493
VI, 70. Commentary to page 144.
Darila, Kerava, and Saya/za explicitly define the per- formance in connection with this hymn at Kaur. 41, 18-20 as designed to effect harmony between cow and calf. Saya/za, govatsayor anyonyavirodha^antirupe sa^manasya- karma/zi. Kaiuika himself designates the rite as vananam ; cf. the note on the word apavata in the introduction to VI, 44 (p. 482, note).
The practice consists in washing the calf, sprinkling it with the cow's urine, leading it thrice around (the cow), and tying it (near her), while the hymn is being recited. It is then recited once more over the head and ears of the calf. The symbolic force of these acts is apparent. The hymn has been translated by Grill 2, pp. 65, 165. The Anukrama/zi, aghnyam.
a, b. Saya^a, ' as meat is liked by the eater, as brandy is most welcome, and as dice are most welcome at the gaming-place.' Grill connects ma/7zsam and sura rather too closely, ' as sura goes with meat.' But cf. RV. VII, 86, 6 ; AV. XIV, 1, 35. 36 ; XV, 9, 1. 2, where sura and gambling are associated. All three, being forbidden fruit, inspire strong attachment in their devotees. Cf. the practices in the introduction to III, 30 (Kau.s*. 12, 6-9),
The interrelation of the parts of the wheel are not clear : pradhi and upadhi may be respectively the outer felloe (Saya/za, ratha^akrasya nemi^), and a second circular part closely joined to the felloe (Saya/za, nemisa^baddha^ ara//am sa?/zbandhako valaya/z). They may be, respectively the tire (ordinarily pavi), and the felloe ; or, the felloe, and some inner connective circle next to the felloe. We have, how- ever, followed the Pet. Lex. and Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, p. 248, in regarding upadhi as the spokes, taken collectively. Saya/za takes nabhyam in this latter sense,
494 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
nabhyam nabhaye hita//z ratha£akramadhyaphalaka;/z pra- dhav adhi nemide^e sa^badhnati.
VI, 71. Commentary to page 196.
An expiatory prayer (pr^ya^ittam) to obviate any im- propriety, such as greed and worldliness, on the part of the Brahman who receives gifts, or the absence of sacredness in the gift itself. At Kau^. 45, 17 it is recited along with other mantras upon the receipt of the dakshma ; at Kaur. 57, 29-30 the begging Brahman disciple offers, while re- citing the hymn, the fruits of his mendicancy: the firewood which he has begged is put on the fire in the evening and in the morning, while reciting this hymn. At Vait. Su. 4, 16 the Brahman consumes with it his share of the rice-cakes at the new-moon and full-moon sacrifices.
The hymn has been translated by Ludwig, Der Rigveda,
III, 433; Grill2, pp. 66, 165. The Anukrama/zi, brahma
"gneyam.
This seems to be spoken by a non-Brahmanical sacrificer (ya^amana), to make sure that the fruits of his sacrifice shall not fail him. For the second hemistich the Da^a Karma;zi (paddhati) at Kauj. 57, 29 substitutes the second hemistich of VI, 53, 2.
VI, 73. Commentary to page 135.
This is one of the sa^manasyani (sc. suktani), * charms designed to produce harmony,5 treated* at Kaus. 12, 5 ff. See the introduction to III, 30 for the practices connected with these hymns. The charm seems to be undertaken by the patriarchal head of a community; cf. Sat. Br. IV, 1, 5, 3ff. The hymn is rubricated also among the vastosh- pattyani (sc. suktani), ' hymns to Vastoshpati ' (cf. st. 3, note), at Kaui-. 8, 23, and note ; the third stanza in the course of ceremonies connected with the building of a house, Kaui*.
Vi, 75- Commentary. 495
23, 6. Cf. also the pushrik& mantra^, in the note on Kau.r.
c. The MSS. are divided between \&m Mrivayami, tan Mri-, and tan sri- (Padapa/^a, tan sri-). The vulgate has taim Mrt-, emended in the Index Verborum to tarn sri-. Shankar Pandit adopts S^ya^a's rather vapid sivayami (tam vividham akuti^ balam ka. . . . parasparasa^baddhara karomi).