THE SACRED BOOKS - ... ~ OF THEEASE

| Volume 42 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA

Extracts from the Ritual Books. and The Commentaries

Edited & Translated by F. MAX MULLER

Translated by MAURICE BLOOMFIELD —

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THE SACRED BOOKS OF THE EAST

Translated by VARIOUS ORIENTAL SCHOLARS

Edited by F. MAX MULLER

Vol. 42

Sacred Books of the East

Editor: F. Max Miller ISBN” 978-81-208-0101-1 (Set) 37,500 (Each Vol. = 750 )

These volumes of the Sacred Books of the East Series include translations of all the most important works of the seven non-Christian religions that have exercised a profound influence on the civilizations of the coutinent of Asia. The Vedic Brahmanic System claims 21 volumes, Buddhism 10, and Jainism 2; 8 volumes comprise Sacred Books of the Parsees; 2 volumes represent Islam; and 6 the two main indigenous systems of China. Translated by twenty leading authorities in the respective fields, the volumes have been edited by the late F. Max Miiller. The inception, publicatién and the compilation of these books cover 34 years.

(ISBN: 81-208-0101-6] SO Vols.

(Available in specially designed cartons)

Volumes

1, 1S. THE UPANISHADS: in 2 Vols. F. Max Miller

2, 14. THE SACRED LAWS OF THE ARYAS: in 2 Vols. Georg Biihler

3, 16, 27, 28, 39, 40. THE SACRED BOOKS OF CHINA: in 6 Vols. James Legge

4, 23, 31. THE ZEND-AVESTA: in 3 Vols. James Darmesteter & L.H. Mills

S, 18, 24, 37, 47. PAHALVI TEXTS: in 5 Vols. £.W. West

6, 9. THE QUR’AN: in 2 Vols. E.H. Palmer

7. THE INSTITUTES OF VISHNU: J. Jolly

8. THE BHAGAVADGITA with the Sanatsujatiya and the Anugita: K. 7. Telang

10. THE DHAMMAPADA: F. Max Miiller SUTTA-NIPATA: V. Fausbél/

11. BUDDHIST SUTTAS: T. W. Rhys Davids .

12, 26, 41, 43, 44. THE SATAPATHA-BRAHMAWNA: in 5 Vols. J Eggeling

13, 17, 20. VINAYA TEXTS: in 3 Vols. 7.W. Rhys Davids & H. Oldenberg

19. THE FO-SHO-HING-TSAN-KING: Samuel Beal

21. THE SADDHARMA-PUNDARIKA or THE LOTUS OF THE TRUE LAWS: H.Kem

22, 45. JAINA SUTRAS: in 2 Vols. Hermann Jacobi

25. MANU: Georg Biihler

29, 30. THE GRIHYA-SUTRAS: in 2 Vols. H. Oldenberg & F. Max Miiller

32, 46. VEDIC HYMNS: in 2 Vols. F. Max Miiller & H. Oldenberg

33. THE MINOR LAW-BOOKS: J. Jolly

34, 38. THE VEDANTA SUTRAS: in 2 Vols. with Sankaracarya’s Comm.: G. Thibaut

a5; pete QUESTIONS OF KING MILINDA: in 2 Vols.: 7. W. Rhys

lavids

42. HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA: M. Bloomfield

48. THE VEDANTA-SUTRAS with Ramanuja’s Sribhashya: G. Thibaut

49. BUDDHIST MAHAYANA TEXTS: E.B. Cowell, F. Max Miiller & J. Takakusu

50. INDEX: M. Winternitz

Hymns of the Atharva-Veda

Together with
EXTRACTS FROM THE RITUAL BOOKS
AND THE COMMENTARIES

Translated by MAURICE BLOOMFIELD

MOTILAL BANARSIDASS PUBLISHERS PRIVATE LIMITED @ DELHI

First Edition: Oxford University Press, 1897 Reprint: Delhi, 1964, 1967, 1973, 1979, 1987, 1992, 2000

Isbn: 81-208-0143-1

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UNESCO COLLECTION OF REPRESENTATIVE WORKS—Indian Series.

This book has been accepted in the Indian Translation Series of the UNESCO Callection of Represeniative Works, jointly sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Government of India

Printed in India

BY JAINENDRA PRAKASH JAIN AT SHRI JAINENDRA PRESS,
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AND PUBLISHED BY NARENDRA PRAKASH JAIN FOR
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RASHTRAPAT! BHAVAN,
New DE.ui-4
June 10, 1962

I am very glad to know that the Sacred
Books of the East, published years ago by
the Clarendon Press, Oxford, which have
been out-of-print for a number of _years,.
will now be_ available to all students’ of
religion and philosophy. The _ enterprise
of the publishers is commendable and _ I
hope the books will be widely read.

S. Radhakrishnan

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Publisher’S Note

First, the man distinguished between eternal and perish-
able. Later he discovered within himself the germ of the
Eternal. This discovery was an epoch in the history of the
human mind and the East was the first to discover it.

To watch in the Sacred Books of the East the dawn of this religious consciousness of man, must always remain one of the most inspiring and hallowing sights in the whole history of the world. In order to have a solid foundation for a comparative study of the Religions of the East, we must have before all things, complete and thoroughly faithful translation of their Sacred Books in which some of the ancient sayings were preserved because they were so true and so striking that they could not be forgotten. They contained eternal truths, expressed for the first time in human language.

With profoundest reverence for Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, President of India, who inspired us for the task; our deep sense of gratitude for Dr. C. D. Deshmukh & Dr. D. S. Kothari, for encouraging assistance; esteemed appreciation of UNESCO for the warm endorsement of the cause ; and finally with indebtedness to Dr. H. Rau, Director, Max Miller Bhawan, New Delhi, in procuring us the texts of the Series for reprint, we humbly conclude.

Prefatory Note to the New Edition

Since 1948 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), upon the recom- mendation of the General Assembly of the United Nations, has been concerned with facilitating the translation of the works most representative of the culture of certain of its Member States, and, in particular, those of Asia.

One of the major difficulties confronting this programme is the lack of translators having both the qualifications and the time to undertake translations of the many outstanding books meriting publication. To help overcome this difficulty in part, UNESCO’s advisers in this field (a panel of experts convened every other year by the International Council for Philosophy and Humanistic Studies), have recommended that many worthwhile translations published during the 19th century, and now impossible to find except in a limited number of libraries, should be brought back into print in low-priced editions, for the use of students and of the general public. The experts also pointed out that in certain cases, even though there might be in existence more recent and more accurate translations endowed with a more modern apparatus of scholar- ship, a number of pioneer works of the greatest value and interest to students of Eastern religions also merited republi- cation.

This point of view was warmly endorsed by the Indian
National Academy of Letters (Sahitya Akademi), and the
Indian National Commission for UNESCO.

It is in the spirit of these recommendations that this work from the famous series ‘Sacred Books of the East’’ is now once again being made available to the general public as part of the UNESCO Collection of Representative Works.

INTRODUCTION :—
_ I. The names of the Atharva-veda and their meanings
II. The position of the Atharva-veda in Hindu Litera-

ture in general . ;

III. The Atharva-veda in the view ‘Of its ; Ritualistic Literature . ‘ >

Prefatory remarks . - ‘

Hymns, TRANSLATION AND COMMENTARY :—

I. Charms to cure diseases and possession by demons
of disease (bhaishagy4ani).
Book v, 22. Charm against takman (fever) and
related diseases. :
vi, 20. Charm against takman (ae
i, 25. Charm against takman (fever)
vii, 116. Charm against takman (fever)
v, 4. Prayer to the kush/Aa-plant to Sas
takman (fever)
xix, 39. Prayer to the crahibe plank to ie
stroy takman (fever) and other ailments .
i, 12. Prayer to lightning, conceived as the
cause of fever, headache, and cough
i, 22. Charm against jaundice and related
diseases ; ‘
, 14. Charm against ‘the disease baldsa ‘
vi, ree Charm against cough
i, 2. Charm against excessive ae from
the body ;
ii, 3. Charm against excessive discharges
from the body, undertaken with spring-
water ;

vi, 44. Charm against excessive discharges from
the body ‘ : i
i, 3.°"Charm against COnmzaOe He retention of
urine . ’
vi, 90. Charm against statis pain cokes hte to
the missiles of Rudra .
i, 10. Charm against dropsy
vii, 83. Charm against dropsy
vi, 24. Dropsy, heart-disease, and Gaia oadaities
cured by flowing water ;
vi, 80. An oblation to the sun, coneeied as one 7
the two heavenly dogs, as a cure for paralysis
ii, 8. Charm against kshetriya, hereditary disease .
iil, 10. Charm against kshetriya, hereditary disease .
iii, 7. Charm against kshetriya, hereditary disease .
i, 23. Leprosy cured by a dark plant
i, 24. Leprosy cured by a dark plant
vi, 83. Charm for curing scrofulous. sores called
apakit
vii, 76. A. Charm for curing pores ees sores cules
apakit
B. Charm for curing tumours canes gayanya
C. Stanza sung at the mid-day pressure of
the soma .
vii, 74. A. Charm for curing een rary sores ‘dalled
apafit . ;
B. Charm to appease jean :
C. Prayer to Agni, the lord of vows .
vi, 25. Charm against scrofulous sores upon neck
and shoulders
vi, 57. Urine (galasha) as a cure fo} eiilons
sores .
iv, 12. Charm with the nee ainadint (laksha) nis
the cure of fractures
v, 5. Charm with the plant silaAt (laksha, srundhatt
for the cure of wounds
vi, 109. The pepper-corn as a cure for Sutls
i, 17. Charm to stop the flow of blood .
il, 31. Charm against worms :
ii, 32. Charm against worms in cattle .

II, 506
II, 241
12, 562

v, 23. Charm against worms in children
iv, 6. Charm against poison
iv, 7. Charm against poison :
vi, roo. Ants as an antidote against poison .
v, 13. Charm against snake-poison
vi, 12. Charm against snake-poison ;
vii, 56. Charm against the poison of serpents, scor-
pions, and insects
vi, 16. Charm against dpbitclenia
vi, 21. Charm to promote the growth of bike
vi, 136. Charm with the plant nitatnf to promote
the growth of hair
vi, 137. Charm to promote the aronth a bak
iv, 4. Charm to promote virility
vi, 111. Charm against mania
iv, 37. Charm with the plant agasrzngt to aitve out
Rakshas, Apsaras, and Gandharvas ;
ii, 9. Possession by demons of disease, cured by an
amulet of ten kinds of wood.
iv, 36. Charm against demons (pisafa) Pease
as the cause of disease . ’
ii, 25. Charm with the plant przsniparnt against the
demon of disease called kanva
vi, 32. Charm for driving away demons (Rakshas
and Pisakas) :
ii, 4. Charm with an amulet dseaeen fiiden the
gangida-tree, against diseases and demons
xix, 34. Charm with an amulet derived from the
gangida-tree, against diseases and demons
xix, 35- Charm with an amulet derived from the
gangida-tree, against diseases and demons
vi, 85. Exorcism of disease by means of an amulet
from the varama-tree ;
vi, 127. The Aipudru-tree as a panacea
xix, 38. The healing properties of bdellium .
vi, 91. Barley and water as universal remedies
viii, 7. Hymn to all magic and medicinal plants,
used as a universal remedy
vi, 96. Plants as a panacea .
ii, 33. Charm to secure perfect health .

23, 452
25, 373
26, 376
27, 5II
27, 425
28, 461

ix, 8. Charm to procure immunity from all diseases

II. Prayers for long life and health (4yushyavi).

III.

iii, 11. Prayer for health and long life .

ii, 28. Prayer for long life pronounced over a boy .

iii, 31. Prayer for health and long life .

vii, 53. Prayer for long life . : : °

vill, 1. Prayer for sine ie from the dangers of death .

viii, 2. Prayer for Erarrital eae the ‘adele x death .

v, 30. Prayer for exemption bai aistase and iealti

iv, 9. Salve (4#gana) as a protector of life and limb

iv, 10. The pearl and its shell as an amulet bestow- ing long life and prosperity .

xix, 26. Gold as an amulet for long life

Imprecations against demons, sorcerers, and ene- mies (abhifarikami and krztyapratiharam4ni).

i, 7. Against sorcerers and demons

i, 8. Against sorcerers and demons :

i, 16. Charm with lead, against demons pee sor- cerers . *

vi, 2. The soma-oblation dicected nitive eri (rakshas) . . ; .

li, 14. Charm against a ae of Say demons, conceived as hostile to men, cattle, and home

iii, 9. Against vishkandha and kabava (hostile demons)

iv, 20. Charm with a Shake a ialasoniials which exposes demons and enemies