12. Straighter than an arrow may it (the spell) fly
Iii. Imprecations Against Demons, Etc. 79
against him, O ye heaven and earth ; may that spell
take hold again of him that prepares it, as (a hunter)
of his game !
13. Like fire (the spell) shall progress in the teeth
of obstacles, like water along its course ! As a
chariot with easy-going wheels the spell shall turn
back upon him that prepares the spell !
VIII, 5. Prayer for protection addressed to a talis- man made from wood of the sraktya-tree.
1. This attacking talisman, (itself) a man, is
fastened upon the man : it is full of force, slays
enemies, makes heroes of men, furnishes shelter,
provides good luck.
2. This talisman slays enemies, makes strong
men, is powerful, lusty, victorious, strong ; as a man
it advances against sorceries and destroys them.
3. With this talisman Indra slew Wztra, with it
he, full of device, destroyed the Asuras, with it he
conquered both the heaven and earth, with it he
conquered the four regions of space.
4. This talisman of sraktya assails and attacks.
With might controlling the enemies, it shall protect
us on all sides !
5. Agni has said this, and Soma has said this ;
Brzhaspati, Savitar, Indra (have said) this. These
divine purohitas (chaplains) shall turn back for me
(upon the sorcerer) the sorceries with aggressive
amulets !
6. I have interposed heaven and earth, also the
day, and also the sun. These divine purohitas
(chaplains) shall turn back for me (upon the sorcerer)
the sorceries with aggressive amulets !
80 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
7. (For) the folk that make an armour of the
talisman of sraktya — like the sun ascending the sky,
it subjects and beats off the sorceries.
8. With the amulet of sraktya, as if with a seer of
powerful spirit, I have gained all battles, I slay the
enemies, the Rakshas.
9. The sorceries that come from the Angiras, the
sorceries that come from the Asuras, the sorceries
that prepare themselves, and those that are prepared
by others, both these shall go away to a distance
across ninety navigable streams !
10. As an armour upon him the gods shall tie the
amulet, Indra, Vish/m, Savitar, Rudra, Agni, Pra^a-
pati, Paramesh/^in, Vira^, Vaisvanara, and the seers all.
11. Thou art the most superb of plants, as if a
steer among the cattle, as if a tiger among beasts
of prey. (The amulet) that we did seek, that have
we found, a guardian at our side.
12. He that wears this talisman, verily is a tiger,
a lion as well, and, too, a bull ; moreover a curtailer
of enemies.
13. Him slay not the Apsaras, nor the Gan-
dharvas, nor mortal men ; all regions does he rule,
that wears this talisman.
14. Kasyapa has created thee, Ka^yapa has pro-
duced thee. Indra wore thee in human (battle) ;
wearing thee in the close combat he conquered.
The gods did make the talisman an armour of
thousandfold strength.
15. He that plans to harm thee with sorceries,
with (unholy) consecrations and sacrifices — him beat
thou back, O Indra, with thy thunderbolt that hath
a hundred joints !
16. This talisman verily does assail, full of might,
Iii. Imprecations Against Demons, Etc. 8 1
victorious. Offspring and wealth it shall protect, provide defence, abound in luck !
17. Remove our enemies in the south, remove
our enemies in the north ; remove, O Indra, our
enemies in the west : light, O hero, place in front
(east) of us !
18. An armour for me be heaven and earth, an
armour day, an armour the sun ! An armour for me
be Indra and Agni ; Dhatar shall bestow (dadhatu)
an armour upon me !
19. The armour of Indra and Agni, that is thick
and strong, all the gods united do not pierce. This
great (armour) shall protect my body on all sides,
that I may obtain long life, and reach old age !
20. The divine talisman has ascended upon me
unto complete exemption from injury. Assemble
about this post that protects the body, furnishes
threefold defence, in order to (secure) strength !
21. Into it Indra shall deposit manliness: do
ye, O gods, assemble about it for long life, for
life lasting a hundred autumns, that he may reach
old age.
22. May Indra who bestows welfare, the lord of
the people, the slayer of Vrztra, the controller of
enemies, he that conquereth and is unconquered,
the soma-drinking bull that frees from danger, fasten
the amulet upon thee : may it protect thee on each
and every side, by day and by night !
X, 3. Praise of the virtues of an amulet derived from the vara/za-tree.
1. Here is my vara^a-amulet, a bull that destroys
the rivals : with it do thou close in upon thy enemies,
crush them that desire to injure thee !
82 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
2. Break them, crush them, close in upon them :
the amulet shall be thy van-guard in front ! With
the vara^a the Devas (gods) did ward off (av&ra-
yanta) the onslaught of the Asuras (demons) day
after day.
3. This thousand-eyed, yellow, golden vara^a-
amulet is a universal cure ; it shall lay low thy
enemies : be thou the first to injure those that hate
thee !
4. This vara/za will ward off (varayishyate) the
spell that has been spread against thee ; this will
protect thee from human danger, this will protect
thee from all evil !
5. This divine tree, the vara/za, shall shut out
(varayatai) ! The gods, too, have shut out (avivaran)
the disease that has entered into this (man).
6. If when asleep thou shalt behold an evil
dream ; as often as a wild beast shall run an
inauspicious course ; from (ominous) sneezing, and
from the evil shriek of a bird, this vara^a-amulet
will protect thee (varayishyate).
7. From Arati (grudge), Nirrzti (misfortune), from
sorcery, and from danger; from death and over-
strong weapons the vara^a will protect thee.
8. The sin that my mother, that my father, that
my brothers and my sister have committed ; the sin
that we (ourselves) have committed, from that this
divine tree will protect us.
9. Through the vara^a are confused my enemies
and my (rival) kin. To untra versed gloom they have
gone : they shall go to the nethermost darkness !
10. (May) I (be) unharmed, with cows unharmed,
long-lived, with undiminished men ! This vara^a-
amulet shall guard me in every region (of space) !
Iii. Imprecations Against Demons, Etc. 83
11. This vara^a upon my breast, the kingly,
divine tree, shall smite asunder my enemies, as Indra
the Dasyus, the Asuras (demons) !
12. Long-lived, a hundred autumns old, do I wear
this vara^a : kingdom and rule, cattle and strength,
this shall bestow upon me !
1 3. As the wind breaks with might the trees, the
lords of the forest, thus do thou break my rivals,
those formerly born, and the latter born ! The
vara^a shall watch over thee !
14. As the wind and the fire consume the trees,
the lords of the forest, thus do thou consume my
rivals, those formerly born, and the latter born !
The vara/za shall watch over thee !
15. As, ruined by the wind, the trees lie prostrate,
thus do thou ruin and prostrate my rivals, those
formerly born, and the latter born ! The vara^a
shall watch over thee !
16. Do thou cut off, O vara/za, before their
appointed time and before old age, those that aim
to injure him in his cattle, and threaten his sove-
reignty !
1 7. As the sun is resplendent, as in him brilliance
has been deposited, thus shall the amulet of vara/za
hold fast for me reputation and prosperity, shall
sprinkle me with brilliance, and anoint me with
splendour !
18. As splendour is in the moon, and in the sun,
the beholder of men, thus shall the amulet of vara/za
hold fast, &c.
19. As splendour is in the earth, as in this 6ata-
vedas (the fire), thus shall the amulet of vara^a hold
fast, &c.
20. As splendour is in the maiden, as in this
84 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
appointed chariot, thus shall the amulet of vara^a hold fast, &c.
21. As splendour is in the soma-draught, as splen-
dour is in the honey-mixture (for guests), thus shall
the amulet of vara^a hold fast, &c.
22. As splendour is in the agnihotra-oblation, as
splendour is in the call vasha^, thus shall the amulet
of vara?za hold fast, &c.
23. As splendour is in the sacrificer, as (splendour)
has been deposited in the sacrifice, thus shall the
amulet of vara^a hold fast, &c.
24. As splendour is in Pra^apati, as in this Para-
mesh/^in (the lord on high), thus shall the amulet of
vara^a hold fast, &c.
25. As immortality is in the gods, as truth has
been deposited in them, thus shall the amulet of
vara/za hold fast, &c.
X, 6. Praise of the virtues of amulet of khadira- wood in the shape of a ploughshare.
1. The head of the hostile rival, of the enemy that hates me, do I cut off with might.
2. This amulet, produced by the ploughshare,
will prepare an armour for me : full of stirred drink
it has come to me, together with sap and lustre.
3. If the skilful workman has injured thee with
his hand or with his knife, the living bright waters
shall purify thee from that, (so that thou shalt be)
bright !
4. This amulet has a golden wreath, bestows
faith and sacrifice and might; in our house as a
guest it shall dwell !
5. Before it (the amulet as a guest) ghee, sura
Iii. Imprecations Against Demons, Etc. 85
(liquor), honey, and every kind of food we place.
The amulet having gone to the gods shall, as a
father for his sons, plan for us growing good, more
and more day after day !
6. The amulet which EWhaspati tied, the plough-
share dripping with ghee, the strong khadira, unto
strength, that Agni did fasten on ; that yields him
ghee more and more day after day : with it those
that hate me do thou slay !
7. This amulet which Brzhaspati tied . . . that
Indra did fasten on, for strength and heroism ; that
yields him might more and more, &c.
8. The amulet which Brzhaspati tied . . . that
Soma did fasten on unto perfect hearing and seeing ;
that verily yields him lustre more and more, &c.
9. The amulet which Brzhaspati tied . . . that
Surya did fasten on, with that he conquered these
directions of space ; that yields him prosperity more
and more, &c.
10. The amulet which Brzhaspati tied . . . wear-
ing that amulet Aandramas (the moon) conquered
the golden cities of the Asuras and the Danavas ;
that yields him fortune more and more, &c.
11. The amulet which Brzhaspati tied for swift
Vata (wind), that yields him strength more and
more, &c.
12. The amulet which Brzhaspati tied for swift
Vata, with that amulet, O Asvins, do ye guard this
plough-land ; that yields the two physicians (the
A^vins) might more and more, &c.
13. The amulet which Brzhaspati tied for swift
Vata, wearing that, Savitar through it conquered
this light ; that yields him abundance more and
more, &c.
86 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
14. The amulet which Brzhaspati tied for swift
Vata, wearing that, the waters ever run undimin-
ished ; that verily yields them ambrosia more and
more, &c.
15. The amulet which Brzhaspati tied for swift
Vata, that comforting amulet king Varu^a did
fasten on ; that verily yields him truth more and
more, &c.
16. The amulet which Brz'haspati tied for swift
Vata, wearing that the gods did conquer all the
worlds in battle ; that verily yields them conquest
more and more, &c.
17. The amulet which Brzhaspati tied for swift
Vata, that comforting amulet the divinities did
fasten on ; that verily yields them all more and
more, &c.
18. The seasons did fasten it on; the divisions
(of the year) did fasten it on. Since the year did
fasten it on, it guards every being.
19. The intermediate directions did fasten it on;
the directions did fasten it on. The amulet created
by Pra^apati has subjected those that hate me.
20. The Atharvans did tie it on, the descendants
of the Atharvans did tie it on ; with these allied,
the Angiras cleft the castles of the Dasyus. With
it those that hate me do thou slay !
21. That Dhatar did fasten on : (then) he shaped the being. With it those that hate me do thou slay !
22. The amulet which Brzhaspati tied for the
gods, destructive of the Asuras, that has come to
me together with sap and lustre.
23. The amulet . . . has come to me together
with cows, goats, and sheep, together with food and
offspring.