built while reciting st. 35 ; in Su. 25 the amulet is taken out of the substances in which it has (again) been steeped while reciting st. 29 (cf. Su. 22), and (again) fastened while reciting st. 30. Cf. also Vait. Su. 10, 2. 3, and Ath. Pam. 37, 1, rubricating stanzas 1 and 3. St. 4 is rubricated at Ath. ParLy. 13, 1 ; st. 35 at 22, 3 ; 46, 2.
The formula, yam abadhnad br/haspati^, which is repeated
many times, indicates the presence of the purohita, the king's
chaplain. As Brzhaspati, the divine purohita, fastens the
amulet upon the gods, so the king's chaplain serves the
king.
A delicate oratio pro domo. The significant words are ya^/zavardhana and ^atadakshi^a (ish/a and purta). The real meaning of the stanza is : ' as I, the priest, have by means of this amulet made thy sacrifice successful, thus do thou, the king, permit thyself to be inspired to reward me, the priest, by a gift of a hundred cows ! '
XI, 1. Commentary to page 179.
The preparation of the brahmaudana, otherwise called savaya^a (Saya/za), or brahmaudanasava (odanasava in Saya/za's introduction to Tait. Br. II, 7, 7, page 772), is described at full length in Kaui". 60-63. ^ consists of the solemn combination of a soma-sacrifice with the cooking of a porridge for the Brahman's dakshi/za. Both the sacri- ficer and his wife (patni) participate in the ceremonious details of the performance. The ceremony works up quite completely the stanzas of XII, 3, in addition to the present hymn. Wherever the ritual is suggestive or explanatory, its gist will be given in connection with the stanzas in question. There are, however, many signs of a secondary and forced employment of the stanzas in the ritual, and the stanzas themselves exhibit occasionally secondary changes which arouse the suspicion that their form and their group- ing here are not altogether primary and original.
XI, I. COMMENTARY. 6ll
At Tait. S. VI, 5, 6, i ; Tait. Br. I, i, 9, 1, the preparation of the porridge is correlated with a legend that tells of Aditi and the birth of her sons. Cf. the note on XII, 3, 11. Aditi in our hymn symbolises the patni, the wife of the sacrificer (ya^amana). According to Kaiu. 60, 19, the stanza is spoken while both of them are engaged in churn- ing the fire. The third Pada is defective : perhaps purve is to be inserted before bhutakr/ta/^, if we consult VI, 133, 5; XII, 1, 39.
According to Kaui\ 60, 22 this stanza is addressed to the smoke as it rises from the churning-sticks. The third Pada reads, adroghavita (Padapa^a, adrogha avita: some MSS. avita^) vafam att^a, which the Paippalada varies by read- ing, adrogha vita vata;/z matsa. Saya;za comments, adroha- karinam swkaxiXxan'am ya^amananam avita rakshita vafam akkha mathyamanagne/£ stutyartham anu^yamanam rig- rupam va£am abhilakshya. The corresponding passage, RV. Ill, 29, 9, reads, asredhanta itana va^am att&, and it, with the Paippalada, suggests the reading adrogha vi'ta va^am akkha, or adrogha aveta, &c, the sense being the same in either case. This has been made the basis of our rendering : the 5aunakiya-text scarcely yields sense.
Kaui". 60, 23 : The incipient fire is addressed with this stanza. For Pada d, cf. st. 11 d, and RV. IV, 50, 10 d.
Kaui". 60, 24: The blazing fire is thus addressed. For Pada d, cf. I, 9, 2; XVIII, 3, 4; Va£\ S. XII, 63.
The text of Pada a seems forced. The Paippalada with
marked improvement, tredha bhago nihito gatavedah.
Perhaps the words yah pura vo are imported from st. 15.
R r 2
6l2 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
In Pada d the Paippalada reads imam, i.e. the sacrifice!*1, for imam, the patni, the wife ; cf. st. 4d. See Kaoy. 61, 8, from which it would appear that three heaps of rice, from which the brahmaudana is to be prepared, are addressed with this stanza.
Kauj. 6 1, 9-1 1 : ' With the share of grain that has been divided off for the fathers he performs a .sr&ddha. With the one that has been divided off for men he feeds the Brahmans. The share that belongs to the gods he pours into a jar, with closed fist, or open palm, or with the hollow of his two hands (a#£*ali) ; bending his right knee, turned to the north-east, or with his body inclined ; reciting stanza 6 (of this hymn).'
According to Kauj. 61, 20, this stanza is recited while
the rice is being poured into the mortar. Possibly the
words ud ub^a &c. are addressed to the mortar. The
Paippalada has enam for enam ; cf. st. 5. A comparison
with st. 6 b still further suggests enan, establishing a natural
antithesis between m£o ny ub^a in 6 b, and ud ub^ai^nan
(sc. sa^atan) in st. 7 b.
Kaiu. 60, 30 : The sacrificial skin, its neck turned to the east, the hair turned upward (as usual in ritual perform- ances), is spread out while reciting this stanza.
Kaos-. 61, 18 rubricates Pada a of this stanza along with XII, 3, 14: 'the mortar and pestle, and the scrubbed winnowing-basket are placed upon the skin.' The Sutra seems to substitute mortar and pestle for the two press- stones. Padab is rubricated at 61, 22, along with XII, 3, 18, avahanti. Pada d along with XII, 3, 19 at 6i, 24, udu-
1 Or perhaps even more primarily, the porridge ; ' the share of the gods this (Agni) shall bring over to them/ Cf., however, the feminine enam in st. 7 b.
Xi, I. Commentary. 613
hantim (sc. patnim anumantrayate). The construction of the second hemistich is not altogether clear. We have referred the action to the earth in st. 8. See also st. 11. Sayazza refers it to the patni (cf. Kaui\ 61, 24, above), and construes imam chiastically with pra^am, to wit : he patni avahanana;^ kurvati nibadhasva imam atmiyam pragam hantu//z ye jatrava^ vartante tan ni ^ahi. This is obviously forced. The construction of im&m as iman (but Padapa///a, imam !), or its emendation to imam (sc. ya^amanam) would render Saya//a's and Kau^ika's (6j, 24) view more natural. Cf. the notes on sts. 5 and 7 for similar suggestions.
Kau^. 60, 19 : grihana grava;/av ity ubhaya/^ grz'hz/ati. Saya;za, ardhar^ena ulukhalamusalam avahananartha;/2 patnim grahayet1. Kau^. 61, 15-17: 'With the second hemistich (the priest) addresses the sacrificer, saying, " Choose three gifts." (The sacrificer) chooses the first wish, saying : " May I by this rite become superior." The wife chooses the other two gifts/ Saya//a, trayo varak ity ardhar^ena nirvapananantara;^ vara;// vrzV/antau (sc. anu- mantrayate).
a. We have translated the doubtful a*. \ey. sakr/tau, for
which the Paippalada has the equivalent sayu^au. Some
MSS. used by Shankar Pandit have sukr/tau, an easier
reading, suspicious on account of its facility.
Kauy. 61, 23 : * While reciting the first hemistich of this stanza along with the second hemistich of XII, 3, 19 (the sacrificer) takes hold of the winnowing-basket.' Kaus. 61, 25 : ' With the second hemistich of this stanza and the first of XII, 3, 19 he addresses (the wife) as she winnows.' Aditi in the stanzas and the patni in the practice are regu- larly correlated ; cf. st. 1. For Pada d, cf. 3 d.
1 Sayawa obviously violates the sense of the stanza : patnim grahayet collides with griha/za . . . vira in Pada a.
6l4 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
Kaw. 61, 29: The winnowing is performed while this stanza is recited.
a. Our translation of upajvase, ' while (the wind) blows,' i.e. ' in the draught/ is wholly conjectural. The Pet. Lexs. 'drohnend.' Saya/za, with many MSS., reads upa^vase dhruvaye (for upa^vase druvaye of the editions), and com- ments as follows : dhruvaye dhruvaya sthiraya satyaphalaya karma?ze he tandulak yushman upa^vase upa samipe cUvasa- yami prabhutan karomi. Nothing usable may be derived from this manipulation of the stanza. For druvaye, see the note on V, 20, 2.
Kau^. 60, 25 : ' With stanza 13 he sends (the wife), guarded and ornamented, to fetch water.' Saya/za, udakam aharanti/zz patni//z sa;^preshayet. This act precedes in the ritual the winnowing, being one of the first features of the ceremonial.
Kaus. 60, 26-28 : ' With the first Pada he addresses (the wife) as she brings the water (Saya/za, prathamapadena agakkkantiin patnim anumantrayate). With the second and third Padas he calls upon the wife (to rise). With the words, " take the water- vessel," she takes it.' But Sayazza refers the action in the fourth Pada to the sacrificer himself: a tva*gan ya.gn&h iti padaikade^ena ^alakumbha- datri patni kartara#z preshayet, prati kumbha//z grzbhaya iti ardhapadena patni ^alakumbha^ grahayet kartaram.
a. Saya/za regards the yoshita^ i-umbhamana^ not as
1 pure waters/ but as the women who bring them, ^obhana-
la//zkarayukta ima yoshita/z udakahartrya^ striya^. But
cf. sts. 17, 27.
b. Saya/za reads tava saz/zrabhasva, and the Paippalada tava^ sa//zrabhasva. The Pada as it stands in the editions is not defective: yet tavasa//z sam rabhasva (haplographia) may have been the original reading. We have at any rate translated tavasam as an abstract.
Xi, I. Commentary. 615
Kau^. 60, 29 : ' (The sacrificer) puts (the vessel) down
while reciting the first Pada/ Saya^a, prathamapadena
^■alakumbha;^ bhumau nidadhyat. Kau.r. 60, 34: 'With
the remaining three Padas he places the water-vessel upon
the skin.' Cf. also Ka.us. 61, 33.
a. Our rendering of Pada a leaves some misgivings.
A more natural translation of it is, ' the share of food that
has of yore been set aside for you/ But this leaves it
hanging in mid-air.
Kau^. 61, 31 : The pot is placed upon the fire; cf. also Kaui*. 2, 7.
Kauj. 61, 34. 35: The purifying two blades of darbha-
grass are placed over the pot, and water is poured in ; cf.
also Kaui*. 2, 8. The Paippalada read in Pada c, dadat
pvag-km bahulam a^un (pa^un ?) me.
Kaus. 61, 36: With this stanza and XII, 3, 28 the grain
is washed in water, and poured into the pot. Cf. also
Kau^-. 2y 9.
Kaoy. 61, 37: With this stanza and XII, 3, 29 the porridge is allowed to cook.
d. For paktva in the vulgata, Shankar Pandit, following
most of his MSS. and Saya/za, reads pakta ; this we have
translated. Cf. also the Index Verborum, s. v. paktr/. The
corruption is due to st. 18 d. Note the alliteration.
Stanzas 21, 22.
Kaui". 61, 41. 42: With stanza 21 and XII, 3, 35 the
porridge is taken off the fire. With st. 11 the pot is turned
to the right.
Kaiu". 6x, 44 rubricates only the second hemistich, a//zsadhrim (some MSS. a^zsadrim) ity upadadhati. The
6l6 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
difficult word in the stanza is the air. Aey. which the vulgata presents in the form a/^sadhri'm. The MSS. present in addition the forms awsaddhrim, a/^sadrim, and a;/zsaddnm. Shankar Pandit chooses awsadnm ; Saya/m aw^adhrim, glossing as follows : amsan bhagan devamanushyapitrzsaM- bandhino dharayati*ti amsadhn tam . . . vedim. The only point that seems worth saving is the statement that the word refers to the vedi, not to the pot, as the Pet. Lexs. have it : ; vielleicht ein gcfass mit handhaben, henkeln auf beiden seiten.'
d. daivanam (sc. brahma/zanam). Read perhaps deva-
tanam, metri gratia; cf. st. 25, and III, 3, 2; VI, 13, 1;
XII, 3, 38; Va^.S. XV, 50.
Kau.r. 62, i : With st. 24 and XII, 3, 36 the performance indicated in the mantra is made, i.e. the sru£ is placed upon the altar (Saya^a, smkam vedyam sadayet).
a. The feminine hastam is an opportunist formation, made to suit the feminine sru^am. Some MSS., the Paip- palada, and Saya/za read hastam, a facile emendation which is, however, discredited by the universal reading dvitiyam.
Kau.r. 63, 3 : Four descendants of the Rtshis who know the Bhrzgu-Angiras texts (i. e. the Atharvan writings) are seated. Sayaz/a, asane upavcrayet. C(. also Kauj. 65, 13.
b. Say ana, punar etan pra sida prapnuhi. This meaning
of pra sad is not well authenticated : perhaps ' favour
them ' is the true sense.
Not rubricated in the Kaurika, but Saya//a, in the intro- duction, supplies the action, datura arsheyan ritvlgo yaga- mana ahvayet. Not so, however, in the commentary upon the text, suhava ^obhanahvana patni arsheyan . . . puna/z- punar ahvayami. Whitney, in the Index Verborum, re- gards suhava as instrumental ' with efficient call,' at III, 26, 6 ; VII, 47, 1 ; 48, 1, in addition to our passage. But if we
Xi, I. Commentary. 617
compare AV. VII, 48, 1 with its parallel in RV. II, 32, 4, rakam aha;// suhavam (so RV. ; suhava, AV.) sush/uti' huve, it seems hard to refrain from emending suhava in our stanza to suhava;^ = suhavan. This we have done, sup- ported further by RV. VII, 44, 2 ; 82, 4 ; 93, 1 ; X, 141, 4.
Kaur. 6$y 4 : The action indicated in the stanza is per-
formed. Saya^a, tesham ri\N\gkm hastaprakshalanartham
udakam dadyat. The stanza is nearly identical with VI,
122, 5 ; cf. also st. 17, and X, 9, 27.
Kauj. 62, 22: With stanza 28 and XII, 3, 50 he places
gold upon the porridge (Saya^a, odane hira/zya/^ nida-
dhyat). Kaor. 63, 5 : With Pada b and XII, 3, 53 he sets
it aside (? S&ya/za, ishat karshayet).