The hymn is rubricated at Kau.s\ 19, 22 among the push/ikarma/zi, 'rites which beget prosperity1,' along with a list of others devoted to amulets. Nothing is prescribed there except the orthodox tying on of the amulet in accordance with the general rule laid down in the Pari- bhasha-sutra 7, 19. At Kaur. 39, 7 it is treated along with a list designed to repel witchcraft : see the introduc- tion to IV, 17; cf. also Ke^ava at Kaar. 47, 9. Stanzas
1 The Atharva/ziya-paddhati at Kau.r. 19, 1 mentions it in a long list of push/ika mantrap.
576 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
1 8 and 19 are catalogued (Kaiu\ 25, 36, note) in the svas- tyayanaga;za (' stanzas productive of welfare ') of the Ga/za- mala, Ath. Paru. 32, 11 ; st. 22 in the first of the two abhayaga;za, ' stanzas that procure freedom from danger,' Ath. Pam. 32, 12 ; see Kaiu. 16, 8, note. Cf. also Santi- kalpa 19 1; Ath. Pam. 6, 1.
The hymn has been rendered by Henry, Les livres VIII et IX de l'Atharva-veda, pp. 14, 50 ff.
In the prose literature (e.g. Sat. Br. VII, 4, 1, 33) prati- sara is 'amulet.' Its literal meaning is 'going against, attacking,' and so it is ordinarily to be rendered. Saya^a, 'he that practises sorcery him it attacks.5 In II, 11, 2 it is used synonymously with pratyabhi/&ara;/a. Cf. also the note on IV, 17, 2. The Pet. Lex. and Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, explain the word in a different, it seems to me, erroneous way.
In Pada c, either ubhe or ime is metrically superfluous ; the former, perhaps, is to be thrown out.
The term prativarta occurs only in this hymn (4 and 16).
The Pet. Lex. renders it by 'in sich zuriicklaufend ; '
Zimmer, I.e., by 'cord;' Henry, 'knot/ Without doubt
the word is closely synonymous with pratisara in the sense
of ' assailing.' S&ya/za, pratimukhaz/z vartayaty anena.
For the connection of the name Ahgiras with unholy (angirasa = abhi/£arika) practices, see the notes on XI, 4, 16, and X, i,6, and the introduction to this volume. For Pada f, cf. VIII, 7, 15, and note the strained alliteration between navatim and navya/z. So also X, 1, 16.
1 Cited erroneously by Sayarca as Nakshatrakalpa.
Viii, 5- Commentary. 577
The first three Padas are repeated at XIX, 39, 4. In Pada e, Saya/m has pratispajinam (abhi/£arata/z prati- mukha;/z badhakam, ' striking against the sorcerers '). The MSS. read antitam ; the vulgate and the Index Verborum anti tarn. Saya/za offers both alternatives, antitam atyan- tasa;/znihitam, athava tarn . . . dvesh/aram anti antike avidama. Perhaps antikam is to be substituted in the text for antitam. Saya/za understands the passage as follows : ' Him (the enemy) that we did seek, we have found lurking near by.' But see Tait. S. V, 7, 3, i, where pratispaj-a surely means 'guarding;'' cf. also AV. VII,
For Kaiyapa, see the note on IV, 20, 7. In Pada d,
Saya/^a reads sa/^sresha/ze and glosses ' in the battle which
causes close contact (sa;^lesha/za) with one another.'
Whether we accept this sensible emendation, or not, the
meaning is clear.
Pada a may be improved into an anush/ubh by throwing out the first yas tva. The diksha^ and the yagnah here referred to are of course unholy (abhi/^arika) ; cf. X, 1, 11, and Kcrava at Kauj*. 47, 12. 14-16. Saya/za, dikshabhi^ ya^/ziyair vagyamanadiniyamavueshai/z . . . y&gnzxh hi//zsa- sadhanai^ .syeneshvadibhir * yagai^. The two hemistichs are loosely correlated (anacoluthon) : we should expect ma for tva in Padas a, b.
Cf. Tait. S. V, 7, 3, 1 ; RV. X, 171, 4.
The first hemistich is repeated at XIX, 20, 4 a, b.
1 The .syeneshu seems to be a witchcraft practice, otherwise unknown. The Arigirasakalpa, if it ever turns up, is likely to furnish the necessary information. [42] P p
578 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
c, d. The passage is highly metaphorical. According to Yank. Br. XIII, 9, 17, methi (methf) is the post to which cattle is fastened with a rope (ragg*u). The amulet with its cord (cf. II, 4, 5) seems to be likened to it: the tertium comparationis is the protective quality of each. As the cattle is secure when attached to the post, thus the pre- sence of the amulet affords security. Possibly the passage is derived secondarily from a different practice and a dif- ferent sphere of conceptions.
Cf. RV. X, 152, 2, almost identical with this stanza.
VIII, 7. Commentary to page 41.
This compilation of stanzas in diverse metres, in praise of the curative qualities of plants, is analogous to the so- called oshadhi-stuti, RV. X, 97 ; Maitr. S. II, 7, 13 ; Tait. S. IV, 2, 6; Va£\ S. XII, 75-96. Its employment in the ritual is as a universal remedy (sarvabhaisha^yam). At Kans. 26, 33 it is rubricated along with five other hymns in a series (ga/za) which is styled ga/mkarmaga/za (!) in the Ga//amala, Ath. Pari?. 32, 24. Its particular function is indicated at Kaus. 26, 40: while it is being recited an amulet consisting of chips from ten kinds of (holy) wood, described at Kaui". 27, 5 in connection with AV. II, 9 (cf. also Kaus. 13, 5), is fastened upon the patient. See the introduction to II, 9. At Vait. Su. 30, 6, similarly, the hymn is employed while the curative sura (spirituous liquor) for the sautrama/zi-ceremony is being mixed with herbs. Cf. Contributions, Third Series, Journ. Amer. Or. Soc. XV, 153-154; Oldenberg, Nachrichten von der Konig- lichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Gottingen, 1893, no. 9, p. 342 ff. ; Weber, Ra^asuya, p. 100 ff.
The hymn has been translated by Ludwig, Der Rigveda,
III, 504 ff.; Henry, Les livres VIII et IX de l'Atharva-
veda, pp. 20, 58 ff.
Viii, 7- Commentary. 579
c, d. Cf. Ill, 9, 1 and III, 23, 6 a, b, with which this hemi- stich coincides word for word. The ocean represents both the heavenly and terrestrial waters, from which the plants derive their nourishment and origin.
Cf. Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, p. 57. I agree with
Professor Henry in assuming that no systematisation,
however rudimentary, is intended : salient qualities are
embalmed in epitheta ornantia. The same scholar's ren-
dering of amsumati/i, ' pourvues de sue, pourvues de soma,'
is strained.
For arundhati', see the introduction to IV, 12. The first hemistich also at VIII, 2, 6: cf. VI, 59, 3 ; XIX, 39, 2. 3, and see the notes on the last-mentioned two stanzas. Professor Henry's explanation of nagha in nagharisham as = agha, 'evil,' will probably appear unnecessary in the light of these notes. The solitary form pushyam is sus- picious, since the MSS. confuse the syllables shya and shpa hopelessly ; cf. st. 27, and the note on V, 4, 4.
This is an especial appeal to aquatic plants, the avaka
being the most characteristic representative of that class ;
cf. Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, p. 71; Contributions,
Second Series, Amer. Journ. Phil. XI, 349 ff.
In Pada d, krztya- in the vulgate is a misprint for krz'tya-. For balasa, see the note on V, 22, 11.
Rare herbs were doubtless bought, and brought from a distance. The word 'village' is characteristic, as being
P p 2
580 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
the proper scene of Atharvanic performances ; cf. IV, 36, 7 ; IX, 5, 19 ; XVIII, 2, 27 ; Ludwig, Der Rigveda, III, 28.
d. go-purogavam does not differ materially from expres- sions like gav-adi, and the like. The Pet. Lexicons, 'die Kuh zum Anfiihrer habend,' and Henry's, ' (la nourriture) a laquelle preside la vache/ are rather too literal and pregnant ; they miss, perhaps, the idiomatic force of the expression.
d. Cf. I, 8, 1 ; VI, 113, 2 ; VIII, 5, 9. The flowing water of the running stream shall carry them off.
For a, b, cf. I, 10, 4; VIII, 2, 27, and our note on the
first of these passages. Agni Vauvanara seems to repre-
sent here the funeral fire. It would be convenient to read
(with Henry) the vocative oshadhayo for the nominative.
Ludwig construes mumu£ana/£ as passive, 'losgegeben von
Agni Vauvanara.' But on what occasion does Agni confine
the plants ?
Cf st. 24 ; VIII, 5, 9 ; XIX, 39, 5, and especially our
note on XI, 4, 16. But it- is questionable whether angi-
rasi/z is to be taken here in its ritualistic sense = abhi£a-
rika, * pertaining to witchcraft.'
Cf. I, 24, 1 ; II, 27, 2 ; V, 14, i, and the notes on the passages, for this and the following stanza. It is rather curious to find the serpents and their old time enemy the ichneumon (cf. VI, 139, 5) peacefully together, as dis- coverers of remedies. But the serpents here are mythic, not the poisonous individuals.
b. ragha/o is air. Aey. The Pet. Lex. suggests plausibly raghavo, < swift/ The flight of the heavenly eagle who
Viii, 7- Commentary. 58 1
robs the Soma, results in the growth of the par/za-tree ; cf. Ad. Kuhn, Die Herabkunft des Feuers (index s. v. par;/a). The eagle might therefore be said to be acquainted with the par/2a-tree. But the passages cited in the preceding note show that the keen sight of certain birds of prey fits them, in the mind of the poet, for the task of finding the rare and secreted plants.
a, b. The human physicians in contrast from the divine doctors, Rudra, the Ajvins, Sarasvati, &c.
Cf. the Atharvamya-paddhati and Da^a Karma/zi in the note on Kauj. 36, 5.
a, b. Cf. RV. X, 97, 3 ; Maitr. S. II, 7, 13 (93, 5) ; Tait. S. IV, 2, 6, 1 ; Wig. S. XII. 77.
c. Ludwig renders sa//zmatara/& by ' vereinte mutter ; ' Henry proposes to read sam matara/^, as previously in AV. XIII, 2, 13 (see his Les Hymnes Rohitas, pp. 10 and 40), a very doubtful passage. The plants are called mothers, RV. X, 97, 4 ; Maitr. S. II, 7, 13 (93, 6) ; Tait. S. IV, 2, 6, 1 ; Y&g. S. XII, 77, but the wrord sa//*matara (dual) stands unquestioned at Maitr. S. II, 5, 4 (52, 1). I think that the text is to be sustained by all means : the sense is excellent. The plants, as though calves sucking the same mother, shall each yield the same sap, that heals disease ; cf. RV. VII, 10 r, 1, where duhre (as duhram here) is middle, not passive.
Cf. RV. X, 97, 16. I have translated pa^a^alad, &c, by ' from a depth of five fathoms,' &c. This is not a little insipid. Perhaps, after all, Ludwig is correct : c from him that wields five arrows,' &c. Cf. Sk. pa££a.yara, 'he who has five arrows,' as an epithet of Kama. — devakilbishat, 4 sin against the gods,' or, perhaps, ' sin committed by the gods.' This is conceived as being passed off (wiped off) on men. See VI, 111, 3; the introduction to VI, 112 and
582 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
1x3; and Proc. Amer. Or. Soc, May, 1894 (Journ., vol.
xvi, p. cxix ff.). Cf. especially Apast. Sr. XIII, 17, 9;
Tank. Br. I, 6, 10.
VIII, 8. Commentary to page 117.
This battle-song deals especially with the obstacles that are placed in the way of an advancing enemy. Traps and nets are constructed to capture and destroy : see stanzas 5 ff. The Kaiuika, 16, 9-20, rubricates a number of the stanzas among the practices of the king (ra^akarma/zi, chapters 14-17), to wit: 16, 9. * With stanza 1 (or rather the entire hymn) the fire is churned. 10. With stanza 2 a rotten rope is put down (upon the fire-place). 11. The fire is churned with (two sticks, one of) ai'vattha-wood, (the other of) badhaka-wood 1. 12. With P&das c, d of stanza 2 the smoke of the fire is addressed. 13. With the same two Padas, beginning at the word agni, the fire (is addressed). 14. Upon this fire (which is removed) into the forest, sticks of wood that destroy enemies, namely, ai-vattha, badhaka, ta^adbhanga, ahva, khadira, and jara 2, are placed. 15. The snares mentioned (in Kaui*. 14, 28 : they are prepared of bhariga, " hemp " [bha;^, " break ! "], and mu^-a, " reed ") are cast. 16. Hammers made out of a^vattha-wood, and nets of hemp are placed. 17. (Also) staffs of badhaka-wood (badh, " oppress ! "). 18. With the exclamation, " Hail to these here" (st. 24 c), an offering is made for the friends (one's own army). 19. With the exclamation, " Perdition to those yonder " (ibid.), an offering is made, with the left hand, of ingk/a- butter 3 into fire built out of badhaka-wood. 20. To the north of the fire a