The practices of the Sitra, Kaus. 35, 22-28, embody symbolically a large portion of the statements and similes of the hymn, to wit: 22. ‘While reciting the hymn he (who wishes to subject a woman) pushes her with his thumb (cf. st. 1). 23. He puts on (the fire) twenty-one (pieces of ktidi-wood)!, with their thorns to the east (or forward ; cf. st. 3), adorned (i.e. anointed with ghee), over which the hymn has been pronounced. 24. (Then he puts on the fire) the twenty-one tips of the kidi, together with threads (which have been wound about them). 25. For a period of three days (literally, nights) he burns thrice each day kush¢a (costus speciosus) dipped in butter. 26. Having put the mattress (?) of his couch face downward he sleeps upon it (three nights) ?.. 27. He places warm water into a tripod, fastens* it to the foot (of his bed), and lies agitating it with his great toes. 28. By means of a bow which is darbhyasha (? cf. Kaus. 32, 8, in the introduction to VII, 74, and Kausika, Introduction, p. li), and has a bowstring of hemp, with an arrow whose barb is a thorn, whose plume is derived from an owl, whose shaft is made of black Ala-wood (see: Kausika, Introduction, p. xlvi), he
1 The word kidi is to be supplied from the next Sftra. For kaidi= badart, ‘Christ’s thorn, see Kausika, Introduction, p. xliv. Darila observantly sees in this practice the symbolic realisation of st. 3, ya plihanam iti ling at.
* This translation of the Sftra is a doubtful paraphrase of Kxesava’s and Sayaza’s statements. The Sftra is: dirghotpale svagrzhya samvisati. Darila, mamsakese (!? ma#kakam) adhak kreia (? kretva) tatra samvisati; Kesava, kha‘vim adhomukhapa/- fikam grzhitva ...svapiti; Sadyawva, kha‘vaya adhomukhapasaikam grehitva triratram svapiti. ‘The practice refers symbolically to st. rb, ‘do not hold out upon thy bed.’ All this does not explain dirghotpale; cf. the equally difficult utpale, Kaus. 36, 7 (see the introduction to IV, 5).
* Read, apparently, with Sdyavza and one MS. prabadhya- for prabaddha-.
Ill, 28. COMMENTARY. 359
pierces the heart of an effigy’ made of potter’s clay’ (ibid. p- xlvii). The last Satra embodies st. 2. |
For Kama in general as a cosmic force, see the introduc-
tion to IX, 2. For Kama as the god of love, Weber, Ind.
Stud. V, 225; Muir, Original Sanskrit Texts, V, 407;
Zimmer, p. 300. In both forms he is brought into close
relation with Agni (fire); cf. Hir. Gvzh. I, 3, 7. |
The hymn has been translated by Weber, Ind. Stud. V,
224; XVII, 290 ff.; Muir, l.c., p. 407; Ludwig, Der Rig-
veda, III, 516; Zimmer, p. 307 ;* Grill’, pp. 53, 115 ff.3 cf.
also Bergaigne et Henry, Manuel Védique, p. 144. The
Anukramavzi, maitravaruzam kaimeshudevatakazz ka.
Stanza l.
b. Sayava reads drzthas, glossing, sayanavishayam Ada-
ram ma karshiZ, ‘have no regard for matters connected
with the bed (sleep).’
b. samzkalpa, literally ‘determination.’ Sayava, with
naive picturesqueness, idazz me sydd ida me sydd iti
bhogavishayasamkalpanam. Cf. Tait. S. III, 4, 7, 3.
e. Grill regards nimanyuZ% as the equivalent of nirman-
yu, ‘versohnt. The word seems, however, to have a
slightly different meaning, lit. ‘having laid down your
pride or anger.’ Sdyava, nyakkrztapravayakalaha.
e,d. The passage is formulary, being repeated at I, 34, 2; VI, 9,2; Pada d is repeated at VI, 42, 3; 43, 3.
III, 28. COMMENTARY TO PAGE 145.
Contrary to modern superstitions which regard the birth
of twins as auspicious, and prize animals born in pairs,
the prevailing Hindu view is that the birth of twins is an
1 Cf. Kaus. 36, 14 in the introduction to VI, 130.
360 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
ominous occurrence to be expiated by diverse performances, and that the cattle itself is, as a rule, to be given to the Brahmans. But there are not wanting indications that a favourable view of such events also existed, and one may suspect shrewdly that the thrifty Brahmans, who stood ever ready to gather in all sorts of odds and ends (cf. the elaborate oratio pro domo, XII, 4, in connection with the vasa), gave vigorous support to any tendency towards superstitious fear which might show its head in connection with such occurrences. Weber, Indische Studien, XVII, 298 ff., has assembled quite a number of passages which represent the Hindu attitude towards twins. Cf. also Tait. op fae ee BS
The hymn is rubricated thrice in the Kausika, in the thirteenth book, which is devoted to expiatory perform- ances (prayasfitti), in connection with all sorts of omens and portents. It is employed in chapters 109, 5; 110, 4; 111, 5, on the occasion of the birth of twins from cows, mares, asses, and women. The practices consist in cook- ing a porridge in the milk of the mother, offering ghee, pouring the dregs of the ghee into a water-vessel and upon the porridge. Then the animal and its young are made to eat of the porridge, to drink of the water, and they are also sprinkled with the same water. The mother is then given to the Brahmans, and in the case of the human mother a ransom ‘according to her value, or, in accordance with the wealth (of the father), is paid. Cf. Weber, Omina und Portenta, p. 377 ff.
The hymn has been translated by Weber, Indische
Studien, XVII, 297 ff. The Anukramavzi, yiminyam...
brahmasnena yaminim astaut pasuposhamaya.
Since the mother of the twins was born under an arrange-
ment which made a separate act of creation necessary for
each individual, the birth of two at a time is apartu, ‘ un-
seasonable, portentous.’ Pada b is hypermetric and may
be relieved in a measure by throwing out bhitakz/to, but
Iii, 30. Commentary. 261
even this does not yield good metre. In PAéda d, riphati, ‘growling, is not altogether certain. Sdyava, upon the basis of the Dhatup4z/a (riph rinph, hiszsAyam), renders it by bhakshayanti, ‘eating.’ In Apast. Sr. XII, 22, 7 the root occurs in the sense of rikh, likh, ‘scratch, which suits the context quite as well. For the interchange of gutturals and labials, see Contributions, Sixth Series, Zeitschr. d. Deutsch. Morgenl. Gesellsch. XLVIII, 557 note, and the note on XI, 2, 25.
Cf. XII, 4, 5. 10-12. In Pada b, vyadvart, ‘devouring,’ looks very well by the side of kravydd, ‘flesh-eating.’ In the form vyadvara the word occurs also at Sat. Br. VII, 4, 1, 27, and the scholiast derives it from ad, ‘eat.’ But at II, 31, 4; VI, 50, 3 (twice) we have vyadhvara', and Sayawa reads vyadhvari in our stanza (‘causing misfortune, afflicted with an evil way’), du#khahetur dush¢/amargaz tadvati. The two words are blended and diversified by popular etymology, and it may be that one of them only is original. Cf. the note on II, 31, 4.
The mother of twins is invited to enter the world of the blissful which is described in all its attractiveness, and yet, implicitly, is not desired, for the time being, by the owner of the cow. In yamini, ‘mother of twins,’ there is a pun ‘fit for Yama, the god of heaven, and death:’ this makes it still more appropriate that she shall go there. The first hemistich is formulaic: see VI, 120, 3. Cf. also XVIII, 2, 24; 3, 9-
III, 30. COMMENTARY TO PAGE 134.
In Kaus. 12, 5 this hymn heads a gava or series of seven Atharvan charms (III, 30; V,1, 5; VI, 64; 73; 74; 94;
* ‘Thus the vulgata. Shankar Pandit’s edition with Sayama and most MSS., vyadvara.
3262 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
tani), ‘designed to produce harmony. The practices which are undertaken with them are stated in the sequel, Kaus. 12, 6-9, as follows: 6. ‘A jar full of water, anointed with the dregs of ghee, is carried about the (quarrelling) throng and poured out in their midst. 7. The same proceedings are undertaken with a jar full of brandy (sura). 8. (They who desire peace) are given to eat the pickled flesh of a young cow three years old. g. Food, brandy, and water from the (public?) drinking-place are anointed with the dregs of ghee (and consumed). In justification of this translation, see the commentaries here, and at Kaus. 35, 19: the relation of the proceedings to the charm are not clear in every detail; see especially st. 6, and VI, 70, 1.
The hymn has been treated previously by Muir, Original Sanskrit Texts, V, 439; Metrical Translations, p. 139; Ludwig, Der Rigveda, III, 256, 516; Zimmer, p. 316; Weber, Ind. Stud. XVII, 306 ff.; Grill?, pp. 30, 116 ff. ; Hillebrandt, Vedachrestomathie, p. 45. The Anukramazi designates the hymn as fandramasamm sammanasyam, its author being Atharvan. The Atharvan abounds in such songs of harmony; they occur also outside of the Athar- van literature, e.g. RV. X, 191; Maitr. S. II, 2,6; Kadzz. 5. X,; 12; Tait. Br. I],44, 4 ff." See! alsovthe sepa against family quarrels (kule kalahini) in Kaus. 97, and cf. in general Zimmer, p. 316.
Sayava reads sammanushyam in Pada a, and aghnyds in Pada d.
The opposite of this picture of peace is portrayed vividly at Sat. Br. IV, 1, 5, 3 ff., where a certain tribe is described as not living in peace: ‘father fought with son, and brother with brother.’ See also the story of Kyavana as told in the Gaiminiya-Brahmaza, Proc. Amer. Or. Soc., 1883 (Journal, vol. xi, p. cxlv): ‘then neither did mother know son, nor son mother.’
b. Sayava reads mata for matra.
Iii, 30. Commentary. 3263
e. Our edition has santivan; Shankar Pandit and the Paippalada, santivam, which is obviously the correct read- ing, and is at the base of Sayava’s comment, sukhayuktam.
a. Sdyava reads dvishyat for dvikshat.
a. Sayavza, indradayas . .. vimative na prapnuvanti.
Prof. Weber suggests that the gods here referred to are
the Brahmans; this is not necessary since the gods are
frequently endowed with human foibles: see the note on
VI, 111, 3. The point is, that a charm, strong enough to
prevent even the bickerings of the gods, will surely produce
harmony among men.
a. Sayava. glosses gydyasvantas by gyesh¢hakanish¢ha- bhavena parasparam anusarantas, i.e. following one another in the order of age, the younger after the older. Ludwig, p- 256, renders it ‘vorziiglich;’ p. 516, ‘iiberlegen.’ For kittinak I am tempted to suggest ‘of the (same) mind, cf. saha Aittam esham in AV. VI, 64,2; RV. X, 191, 3; Maitr. S. II, 2, 6 (p. 20, |. 12): Tait. Br. II, 4, 4, 5.
b. Our translation of saszradhayantak agrees with Sa-
yawa s, samanasamsiddhikak, samanakaryaz.—‘ Going along
the same wagon-pole, i.e. pulling at the same wagon like
a team.
d. Cf. Vag. S. VII, 25.c. The Pada is hypercatalectic ;
the Anukramavzi designates the stanza on this account as
virddgagati. Weber suggests sadhrifin, by way of cure;
Grill, the omission of va#, or a change to sadhriko; cf.
st. 7.
The stanza is irregular (Anukr., prastarapankti), the
second half being an anush/ubh. Since stanzas 5 and 7
are connected by concatenation (Pada 5 d=7 a), stanza 6
might be regarded as a very early intrusion. But Kausika
employs it particularly for his practices (see above), and
364 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
thus the criticism must be made for a very early period, to
say the least. The stanza may, however, have stood in
a different position in the hymn.
The stanza concatenates with 5; cf. e.g. the relation of RV. II, 38, 7 and 9, where st. 8 interrupts a similar relation.
b. Sdyaza reads ekasnush¢in. On p. 256 Ludwig emends
samvananena to savanena, but on p. 516 he adheres to the
text and translates it by ‘versOhnungsspruch.’ Say., vasi-
karavena anena sasmanasyakarmaza.
--e. In RV. I, 71, 9, Mitra and Varuva are said to be
guarding the amrzta.
d. Ludwig on p.516 emends saumanas6 to saumanasam, but this is unnecessary if we remember that the leader or chief is referred to in gydyas-, in st. 5 a, and eka-, in 7 b. Moreover at Tait. S. IV, 7, 3, 1, saumanasa/, masc., is an abstract = saumanasam.
III, 31. COMMENTARY TO PAGE 5I.
This extraordinary composition makes draughts upon a variety of mythological and philosophical (psycho- physical) conceptions for the purpose of accentuating the desired separation from misfortune, and union with life. Accordingly each of its eleven stanzas ends in a refrain which states this desire distinctly. Further the hymn is divisible into two halves, the first of which (sts. 1-4) has for its key-note the subject of separation illustrated by cosmic examples; the second (6-11) illustrates union with the principles of life. The intermediate stanza is more problematic; it has been discussed by the translator in connection with his treatment of the marriage of Sarazyd in the third series of his Contributions, Journ. Amer. Or. Soc. XV, pp. 181 ff.
The principal employment of the hymn in the ritual is in
connection with tle initiation (upanayana) of the young
Aryan into the Brahmanical community. At Kaus. 58, 3