V. Charms Pertaining to Royalty. 131
music at thy friend's victory, having (chosen) the good side !
8. Manipulated with care, its voice shall resound ! Make bristle forth the weapons of the warriors ! Allied to Indra do thou call hither the warriors ; with thy friends beat vigorously down the enemies !
9. A shouting herald, followed by a bold army,
spreading news in many places, sounding through
the village, eager for success, knowing the way, do
thou distribute glory to many in the battle !
10. Desiring advantage, gaining booty, full mighty,
thou hast been made keen by (my) song, and
winnest battles. As the press-stone on the gather-
ing skin dances upon the soma-shoots, thus do thou,
O drum, lustily dance upon the booty !
11. A conqueror of enemies, overwhelming, foe-
subduing, eager for the fray, victoriously crushing,
as a speaker his speech do thou carry forth thy
sound; sound forth here strength for victory in
battle !
12. Shaking those that are unshaken, hurrying to
the strife, a conqueror of enemies, an unconquerable
leader, protected by Indra, attending to the hosts,
do thou that crusheth the hearts of the enemies,
quickly go !
V, 21. Hymn to the battle-drum, the terror of the enemy.
1. Carry with thy voice, O drum, lack of heart,
and failure of courage among the enemies ! Dis-
agreement, dismay, and fright, do we place into the
enemies : beat them down, O drum !
2. Agitated in their minds, their sight, their
132 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
hearts, the enemies shall run, frightened with terror, when our oblation has been offered !
3. Made of wood, equipped with the skin of the
cow, at home with every clan, put thou with thy
voice terror into the enemies, when thou hast been
anointed with ghee !
4. As the wild animals of the forest start in fear
from man, thus do thou, O drum, shout against the
enemies, frighten them away, and bewilder their
minds !
5. As goats and sheep run from the wolf, badly
frightened, thus do thou, O drum, shout against the
enemies, frighten them away, and bewilder their
minds !
6. As birds start in fear from the eagle, as by
day and by night (they start) at the roar of the
lion, thus do thou, O drum, shout against the
enemies, frighten them away, and bewilder their
minds !
7. With the drum and the skin of the antelope
all the gods, that sway the battle, have scared away
the enemies.
8. At the noise of the beat of the feet when
Indra disports himself, and at his shadow, our
enemies yonder, that come in successive ranks, «
shall tremble !
9. The whirring of the bowstring and the drums
shall shout at the directions where the conquered
armies of the enemies go in successive ranks !
10. O sun, take away their sight; O rays, run
after them; clinging to their feet, fasten your-
selves upon them, when the strength of their arms
is gone !
1 1. Ye strong Maruts, Frzsms children, with Indra
V. Charms Pertaining to Royalty. 1 33
as an ally, crush ye the enemies ; Soma the king
(shall crush them), Varu^a the king, Mahadeva, and
also Mrztyu (death), and Indra !
12. These wise armies of the gods, having the
sun as their ensign, shall conquer our enemies!
Hail!
VI.
Charms to Secure Harmony, Influence in
The Assembly, and the Like
(SA^/MANASYANI, ETC.).
Ill, 30. Charm to secure harmony.
1. Unity of heart, and unity of mind, freedom from
hatred, do I procure for you. Do ye take delight
in one another, as a cow in her (new-) born calf!
2. The son shall be devoted to his father, be of
the same mind with his mother ; the wife shall speak
honied, sweet, words to her husband !
3. The brother shall not hate the brother, and the
sister not the sister! Harmonious, devoted to the
same purpose, speak ye words in kindly spirit !
4. That charm which causes the gods not to dis-
agree, and not to hate one another, that do we
prepare in your house, as a means of agreement for
your folk.
5. Following your leader, of (the same) mind, do
ye not hold yourselves apart! Do ye come here,
co-operating, going along the same wagon-pole,
speaking agreeably to one another ! I render you
of the same aim, of the same mind.
6. Identical shall be your drink, in common shall
be your share of food ! I yoke you together in the
same traces : do ye worship Agni, joining together,
as spokes around about the hub !
7. I render you of the same aim, of the same
Vi. Charms to Secure Harmony, Etc. 1 35
mind, all paying deference to one (person) through
my harmonising charm. Like the gods that are
guarding the ambrosia, may he (the leader) be well-
disposed towards you, night and day !
VI, 73. Charm to allay discord.
1. Hither shall come Varu/za, Soma, Agni; Brz-
haspati with the Vasus shall come hither ! Come
together, O ye kinsmen all, of one mind, to the
glory of this mighty guardian !
2. The fire that is within your souls, the scheme
that hath entered your minds, do I frustrate with my
oblation, with my ghee: delight in me shall ye take,
O kinsmen !
3. Remain right here, go not away from us ; (the
roads) at a distance Pushan shall make impassable
for you ! Vastoshpati shall urgently call you back :
delight in me shall ye take, O kinsmen !
VI, 74. Charm to allay discord.
1. May your bodies be united, may your minds
and your purposes (be united) ! Brahma/zaspati here
has brought you together, Bhaga has brought you
together.
2. Harmony of mind (I procure) for you, and also
harmony of heart. Moreover with the aid of
Bhaga's exertions do I cause you to agree.
3. As the Adityas are united with the Vasus, as
the fierce (Rudras), free from grudge, with the
Maruts, thus, O three-named (Agni), without grudge,
do thou render these people here of the same
mind!
136 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
VII, 52. Charm against strife and bloodshed.
1. May we be in harmony with our kinfolk, in
harmony with strangers ; do ye, O A^vins, establish
here agreement among us !
2. May we agree in mind and thought, may we
not struggle with one another, in a spirit displeasing
to the gods ! May not the din of frequent battle-
carnage arise, may the arrow not fly when the day
of Indra has arrived!
VI, 64. Charm to allay discord.
1. Do ye agree, unite yourselves, may your minds
be in harmony, just as the gods of old in harmony
sat down to their share !
2. Same be their counsel, same their assembly,
same their aim, in common their thought ! The
' same ' oblation do I sacrifice for you : do ye enter
upon the same plan !
3. Same be your intention, same your hearts !
Same be your mind, so that it may be perfectly in
common to you !
VI, 42. Charm to appease anger.
1. As the bowstring from the bow, thus do I take
off thy anger from thy heart, so that, having become
of the same mind, we shall associate like friends !
2. Like friends we shall associate — I take off thy
anger. Under a stone that is heavy do we cast
thy anger.
3. I step upon thy anger with my heel and my
fore-foot, so that, bereft of will, thou shalt not speak,
shalt come up to my wish !
Vi. Charms to Secure Harmony, Etc. 1 37
VI, 43. Charm to appease anger.
1. This darbha-grass removes the anger of both
kinsman and of stranger. And this remover of
wrath, ' appeaser of wrath ' it is called.
2. This darbha-grass of many roots, that reaches
down into the ocean, having risen from the earth,
' appeaser of wrath ' it is called.
3. Away we take the offensiveness that is in thy
jaw, away (the offensiveness) in thy mouth, so that,
bereft of will, thou shalt not speak, shalt come up
to my wish !
II, 27. Charm against opponents in debate, undertaken with the pa/a-plant.
1. May the enemy not win the debate ! Thou art
mighty and overpowering. Overcome the debate
of those that debate against us, render them devoid
of force, O plant !
2. An eagle found thee out, a boar dug thee out
with his snout. Overcome the debate of those
that debate against us, render them devoid of force,
O plant !
3. Indra placed thee upon his arm in order to
overthrow the Asuras. Overcome the debate of
those that debate against us, render them devoid
of force, O plant !
4. Indra did eat the pa/a-plant, in order to over-
throw the Asuras. Overcome the debate of those
that debate against us, render them devoid of force,
O plant!
5. By means of thee I shall conquer the enemy,
138 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
as Indra (conquered) the Silavr/kas. Overcome
the debate of those that debate against us, render
them devoid of force, O plant !
6. O Rudra, whose remedy is the urine, with
black crest of hair, performer of (strong) deeds —
overcome thou the debate of those that debate
against us, render them devoid of force, O plant !
7. Overcome thou the debate of him that is
hostile to us, O Indra ! Encourage us with thy
might ! Render me superior in debate !
VII, 12. Charm to procure influence in the assembly.
1. May assembly and meeting, the two daughters
of Pra^apati, concurrently aid me ! May he with
whom I shall meet co-operate with me ; may I, O ye
Fathers, speak agreeably to those assembled !
2. We know thy name, O assembly: 'mirth,'
verily, is thy name ; may all those that sit assem-
bled in thee utter speech in harmony with me !
3. Of them that are sitting together I take to
myself the power and the understanding : in this
entire gathering render, O Indra, me successful !
4. If your mind has wandered to a distance, or
has been enchained here or there, then do we turn
it hither : may your mind take delight in me !
VI, 94. Charm to bring about submission to one's will.
i. Your minds, your purposes, your plans, do we
cause to bend. Ye persons yonder, that are devoted
to other purposes, we cause you to comply !
2. With my mind do I seize your minds : do ye
Vi. Charms to Secure Harmony, Etc. 1 39
with your thoughts follow my thought ! I place
your hearts in my control : come ye, directing your
way after my course !
3. I have called upon heaven and earth, I have
called upon the goddess Sarasvatl, I have called
upon both Indra and Agni : may we succeed in this,
O Sarasvati !
VII.
CHARMS TO SECURE PROSPERITY IN HOUSE, FIELD,
Cattle, Business, Gambling, and Kindred
MATTERS.
Ill, 12. Prayer at the building of a house.
i. Right here do I erect a firm house : may it
stand upon a (good) foundation, dripping with ghee !
Thee may we inhabit, O house, with heroes all,
with strong heroes, with uninjured heroes !
2. Right here, do thou, O house, stand firmly,
full of horses, full of cattle, full of abundance ! Full
of sap, full of ghee, full of milk, elevate thyself unto
great happiness !
3. A supporter art thou, O house, with broad
roof, containing purified grain ! To thee may the
calf come, to thee the child, to thee the milch-cows,
when they return in the evening !
4. May Savitar, Vayu, Indra, EWhaspati cunningly
erect this house ! May the Maruts sprinkle it with
moisture and with ghee; may king Bhaga let our
ploughing take root!
5. O mistress of dwelling, as a sheltering and
kindly goddess thou wast erected by the gods in
the beginning ; clothed in grass, be thou kindly dis-
posed; give us, moreover, wealth along with heroes!
6. Do thou, O cross-beam, according to regulation
ascend the post, do thou, mightily ruling, hold off
the enemies ! May they that approach thee rever-
Vii. Charms to Secure Prosperity. 1 4 I
ently, O house, not suffer injury, may we with all our heroes live a hundred autumns !
7. Hither to this (house) hath come the tender
child, hither the calf along with (the other) domestic
animals ; hither the vessel (full) of liquor, together
with bowls of sour milk !
8. Carry forth, O woman, this full jar, a stream
of ghee mixed with ambrosia ! Do thou these
drinkers supply with ambrosia ; the sacrifice and
the gifts (to the Brahmans) shall it (the house) .
protect !
9. These waters, free from disease, destructive of
disease, do I carry forth. The chambers do I enter
in upon together with the immortal Agni (fire).