' Cf. Contributions, Fourth Series, Amer. Journ. Phil. XII, 429. note 2.
456 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
The first hemistich is verbose and obscure. Muir, ‘from thy vicinity, from thy vicinity, from a distance, from thy vicinity (I call) to thee;’ Ludwig, without construing, ‘deine nahe nahe, deine ferne nahe. We have taken the two Padas as quasi-intensive expressions, equivalent respec- tively to avatas te, and paravatas te.
Cf. for Pada b the Italian proverb :—
Da chi mi fido, guarda mi, Dio, Da chi mi non, mi guardero io.—
Cf. Ath. Paris. 4,1. We have regarded the stanza, not without hesitancy, as a plea of the professional medicine- man in behalf of his art, and against domestic remedial expedients (‘hausmittelchen’). The expression pratyak sevasva looks as though it meant ‘refuse with thanks,’ and our rendering of sargata# aims to reproduce the supposed satirical flavour of the passage.
Cf. VIII, 1, 13, and the note on the passage.
b. The construction of the Pada is not quite clear.
Ludwig, ‘anbetung denen die zu den vatern ftihren;’ Muir,
‘reverence to the Fathers, and to those who guide us.’
Both renderings are non-committal; we have in mind the
dogs of Yama as the subject of uta yé nayanti.
Cf. Ath. Paris. 13, 3.
V, 31. COMMENTARY TO PAGE 76,
The hymn belongs to the krztyapratiharamAni, a series of
hymns designed to repel spells. It is closely similar in
character to X, 1, together with which it is employed in the
V, 31. Commentary. 457
practices described at Kaus. 39, 7 ff.; see the introduction to X,1. The particular point of interest in this hymn is the full catalogue of animate and inanimate objects within which spells were instituted. It seems that these objects, through which the prosperity of an enemy was attacked, went in the ritual by the name of marmazi, ‘ vital spots ;’ see Kaus. 39, 28. 31. The notion appears to be that a man is vulnerable through his belongings as well as his own person. Cf. in general, Maitr. S. III, 3, 8 (106, 11); Tait. Peete. 20. 05 Sat. br Tis 4 t.
For the entire stanza, cf. IV, 17, 4, and our notes there.
a. An unburned vessel figures also in a_ witchcraft.
practice, Sat.-Br: XIV, 9,4, 16 = Brzh. Ar. Upr Vivasis.
The symbolic aspect of an unburned vessel, namely its
fragility, is in evidence at Sat. Br. XII, 1, 3, 23; Manu III,
179. We would remark in passing that the Padapazsa’s
yad yamam akrur at VI, 116, 1 is to be emended to yady
amam kakrir. Correct accordingly the Index’ Verborum.
b. It is difficult to decide whether kuririzi refers to some individual animal, ‘a crested animal,’ perhaps ‘ peacock,’ or whether it is to be regarded as an epithet of ‘ goat’ in Pada a. Geldner, Vedische Studien, I, 130, renders it ‘horned,’ but this is based upon a misinterpretation of VI, 138, 2; see the note there. Cf. Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, p. g1.
The solipeds, horse, ass, &c., have one hoof, and incisors
above and below, in distinction from the animals called
anydatodant, ‘those that have incisors only in the lower
jaw. They are contrasted with the pasture-animals in the
preceding stanza. See Zimmer, l.c., pp. 74, 75.
a,b. The meaning of amilay4m and narafyam (vanara- kyam ?) is problematic. Our translation is of the etymological
458 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
sort, and the feminine gender of the words is difficult to
account for. But the suggestion of the Pet. Lexs. that
both are designations of plants does not commend itself.
See the passages cited under amila.
e. mroka and nirdaha are designations of two kinds of
destructive fire; cf. XVI, 1, 3. Our rendering of both
words is purely tentative.
e. maryadhirebhya/ is very obscure. The Padapdadzha, marya-dhfrebhya%, as a compound. At Maitr. S. I, 4,8 (56, 18) we have maryddhairyeza, and the absence of the vriddhi of the first syllable suggests that marya may be an independent word, the enclitic marya, for which see Pischel, Vedische Studien, I, 61 ff. We might then translate, ‘The fool verily has prepared (the spell) against the wise.’ But Pischel’s treatment of the word is not altogether con- vincing.
The first three Padas are identical with the corresponding Padas of IV, 18, 6.
b. malin, ‘he that practises witchcraft with the roots of
plants:’ midlakriya, Vishzu XXV, 7; milakarman, Manu
IX, 290; XI,-645 Mahabh. TI, 239; 19= 14000 1 ee
Winternitz, Das Altindische Hochzeitsrituell, p. 98.
VI, 2. COMMENTARY TO PAGE 66.
The hymn is employed at Vait. Sd. 16, 13 in the course
of the agnishfoma. The second stanza is made the pivot
of a small charm against Rakshas (rakshobhaishagyam) at
Kaus. 29, 27. ‘While reciting AV. VI, 2, 2 the performer
eats milk-porridge that has been cooked upon a fire built
up of birds’ nests.’ The symbolic connection with the
stanza 1S apparent.
Vi, 9. Commentary. 459
The hymn has been translated by Florenz, Bezzenberger’s Beitrage, XII, 251.
b. 4 dhavata (cf. RV. VII, 32, 6) is not altogether clear. Sayawa, Adhavanam nama addbhyagrahartham grzhitasya vasativarigalasya (cf. Vait. Sa. 16, 1)...yad va... dasdpavitreza sarvatak sodhayata.
The first hemistich is identical with RV. VII, 32, 8 a, b.
VI, 8. COMMENTARY TO PAGE 100.
The rites connected with this charm are stated in the
introduction to II, 30, above. The hymn has been trans-
lated by Weber, Ind. Stud. V, 261 ff.; Florenz, Bezzen-
berger’s Beitrige, XII, 257; Grill”, pp. 54, 158 ff. The
Anukramazi designates it as kimatmadaivatam.
Cf. RV. X, 10, 13. The formulaic refrain occurs also at 94, 55°11, 20, 13.
‘Large birds, as they start to fly, beat the ground with their wings, unable, as it were, to get off. Thus the mind of the woman shall not be able to free itself from her lover.’ See Professor Roth, as quoted by Grill, and cf. VI, 18, 3; 70, I.
VI,9. COMMENTARY TO PAGE 101.
For the practices connected with this charm, see the introduction to II, 30,above. Previous translations: Weber, Ind. Stud. V, 264 ff.; Florenz, Bezzenberger’s Beitrage, XII, 10. The Anukramazi, kamatmadaivatam.
Cf. III, 25, 3. 4, and the spirit of that hymn in general.
460 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
The secund hemistich is formulaic; see I, 34,2; III, 25, 52 thelast Padaat Wilaaeeu 743; 2:
a. Literally, ‘whose relations are a licking,’ i.e. ‘ whose
young furnish constant occasion for licking’ Licking the
young is typical for fond maternity, e.g. AV. V, 1, 4.
VI, 11. COMMENTARY TO PAGE 97.
The hymn is employed in a ceremony calculated to ensure the birth of a male child (Kesava and Darila, pussavanam) at Kaus. 35, 8-10, to wit: 8. ‘ While reciting the hymn a fire is churned from the (two kinds of wood sami and asvattha) mentioned in the hymn, the fire is thrown into ghee (prepared from the milk) of a cow with a male calf, and then the ghee is treated like the paidva (i. e., it is put with the right thumb up the nose into the right nostril of the pregnant woman)!. 9. (Casting the fire) into a stirred drink with honey it (the stirred drink) is given to the woman to drink. 10. (The fire) is surrounded with the wool of a male animal*, and the wool is tied (as an amulet) upon the woman.’ The symbolism of these acts is in general very clear. In the act of churning the fire sami is the female, and asvattha the male; cf. Ad. Kuhn, Die Herabkunft des Feuers', p. 71 ff.; Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, pp. 58, 59.
The hymn has been rendered by Weber, Indische Studien, V, 264 ff.; Ludwig, Der Rigveda, III, 477; Zimmer, 1.c.,
* Cf. Kaus. 32, 21 in the introduction to X, 4.
> We emend kreshnornabhihz to vrishva firzabhiz with double samdhi; cf. Kausika, Introduction, p. lviii ff. Some MSS. read vréshno-, and vishvo-, and there is apparently no sense in black wool; on the other hand the wool of a male animal is exceedingly suggestive.
Vi, 12. Commentary. 461
319; Florenz, Bezzenberger’s Beitrage, XII, 260 ff. The Anukramawzi, retodevatyam uta mantroktadevatyam.
Stanza l.
b. ‘ The male child’ is the fire, which plays, therefore, an important part in the practices stated above.
d. Pragapati, the god of procreation, is, of course, the
prime authority in these matters ; they are, therefore, said
to be of his dictation.
Sinivali and Anumati are two of the personifications of. the four phases of the moon. They all preside over the act of procreation, and special rites in their behalf are practised by those desirous of offspring. See Weber, |. c., p. 228 ff. ; Zimmer, l.c., p. 352.
VI, 12. COMMENTARY TO PAGE 28.
According to the text of Kaus. 29, 28. 29 in our edition the performances connected with this hymn consist in quickly (sibham) giving the patient honey to drink, and then continuing with the practices described in connection with IV, 6 at Kaus. 28, 2 ff.; see the introduction to IV, 6. But Kesava and Sayaza (who regularly bases his presenta- tion of the ritual upon Kesava) have madhukridam for Kausika’s madhu sibham!; Darila’s full text is, mamda- kam (‘broth’) siktasya karmabhimantrya pdayayati. It seems likely, therefore, that madhusibham is to be regarded as a compound meaning some kind of honey mixture. Shankar Pandit prints accordingly madhusibham as a compound ?,
’ Kesava reads also once, madhusamtam.
* For gapams ka, Kaus. 29, 29, Sayama reads gapadims ka. This does not commend itself: since the passage refers to the rites described in Kaus. 28, 2 we should expect gapadini (sc. karm4mi) fa.
462 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
The hymn has been translated by Ludwig, Der Rig-
veda, III, 501 ff.; Florenz, Bezzenberger’s Beitrage, XII,
262 ff. Cf. also Bergaigne et Henry, Manuel Védique,
p.149. The Anukramazi, takshakadaivatam (cf. Kaus. 28,
1; 29, 1, and the introduction to IV, 6).
Imperfect metaphors. In the second half the notion is that night puts a stop to all activity, and thus the physician stops the action of the poison. In Padac the notion seems to be that the hamsd is awake at night ; cf. Zimmer, Altin- disches Leben, p. 90. Sdyawa takes hawesa in the sense of Atman, soul (cf. brahman = paramahamsa), ‘as the entire body, but not the soul, is at rest.’ Perhaps hazzsa is here, as frequently elsewhere, the sun. Can we trust the present poet to know that the sun is at work by night in another hemisphere? The sense would then be that every creature but the hamsa (i.e. the sun) is at rest. Cf. RV. X, 136, 5. Ludwig, ‘ wie die nacht das iibrige lebende totet (? dhvan- sat), or, ‘as night separates the remaining living things from the sun (hazmsa).’
ce. Parushzi is the name of a river: Zimmer, l.c., p. 11. Sipala seems to be a fanciful, typical river, or lake, named after the water-plant sipala, avaka (blyxa octandra), ib., p. 71. The avaka quenches fire, see Contributions, Second Series, Amer. Journ. Phil. XI, p. 342 ff. The entire stanza
Vi, 14. Commentary. 463
contains the statement that the poet with his song is
sweetening all waters and (the plants of) the mountains.
In the practice honey is added to water and other
ingredients, as a potion for the invalid.
VI, 14. COMMENTARY TO PAGE 8.
For the nature of the disease baldsa, see our discussion in the note at V, 22, 11, and cf. VI, 127. This particular charm is defined by Kesava (and Sayaza) as a sleshma- bhaishagyam, ‘cure for phlegm, in agreement with the medical Sastras; cf. Wise, Hindu System of Medicine, p. 311. We may suppose that it refers to some virulent swelling of the throat. The indications of the Kausika, 29, 30, are not helpful: the practice is purely symbolic. A reed is placed into the water (of a river) and then the patient is washed with water by means of a branch from a ‘holy’ tree (D&rila, santavvzkshasakalena; cf. Kaus. 8, 15), so that the water flows down upon the reed. The perishable reed upon which the disease has been washed out of the patient is supposed to float away ; cf. sts. 3c, d.
The hymn has been translated by Florenz, Bezzenberger’s Beitrage, XII, 265 ff. The Anukramazi, balasadevatyam.
Cf. the parallel stanza, V, 30, 9, where very similar
qualities are ascribed to consumption, yakshma. But we
must not, on that account, go so far as to identify balasa
outright with yakshma.
a, b. Note the alliteration between asthi- and asthitam.
a, b. The Paippalada has krzzomi for kshizomi. The Pet. Lex. suggests, most ingeniously, the reading nir.. . akshvzomi for nir... kshizomi (cf. IV, 22, 1, and for the sense in general III, 9, 2). But perhaps the dz. Aey., nih kshizomi, ‘remove, destroy, simply suggests the other verb by way of zeugma. Sayasa with the Paippalada
464 HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
ee
escapes the difficulty by reading pushkaram, ‘as a lotus
that has grown up in a great lake thus it is torn up by the
root.’ Possibly this is the true solution. Cf. also VI,
127, %