Sacred Books of the East Series, Volume 42: Hymns of the Atharva Veda
April 4, 2017 | Author: Jimmy T. | Category: N/A
Short Description
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA TOGETHER WITH EXTRACTS FROM THE RITUAL BOOKS AND THE COMMENTARIES TRANSLATED BY MAURICE BLOO...
Description
THE
SACRED BOOKS OF THE EAST
M
Bonbon
HENRY FROWDE Oxford University Press Warehouse
Amen Corner,
E.G.
(Tim
17,560 18,
562
i8,557 18,559 18, 559 19,
472
19,
488
19,384
.... .....22,
with the plant sila/Si (laksha, arundhati) for the cure of wounds
17.
r
Charm
with the plant arundhati (laksha) for the cure of fractures
ii,
53
scrofulous
sores
i,
i7>
upon neck
and shoulders
vi,
16,268
curing scrofulous sores called
C. Prayer to Agni, the lord of
Charm
500 286
for curing scrofulous sores called
for
25.
13,
curing scrofulous sores called
Charm
vi,
v, 5.
12,471
.
a P ayHt
B.
241
12,562
13,
C. Stanza sung at the mid-day pressure of the soma vii,
11,506 11,
.
.......
for
apaX'it
B.
235
oblation to the sun, conceived as one of
the two heavenly dogs, as a cure for paralysis
i,
10,
and kindred maladies
8.
ii,
481
against internal pain (colic), due to
10.
i,
10,
and retention of
against constipation
.
.
.
20,419 21,516
.
.
257
22,313
.
23,
317
CONTENTS.
IX PAGES
Charm against worms Charm against poison Charm against poison
v, 23. iv, 6.
.... ....
in children
iv,
7.
vi,
100. Ants as an antidote against poison
.
13. Charm against snake-poison vi, 12. Charm against snake-poison vii, 56. Charm against the poison of serpents, v,
pions,
.....
insects
scor-
Charm against ophthalmia Charm to promote the growth of hair 136. Charm with the plant nitatnt to promote 16.
vi,
21.
vi, vi,
the
.....
growth of hair
.... ....
Charm to promote the growth 4. Charm to promote virility in. Charm against mania 37. Charm with the plant a^a-rmigi 137.
vi, iv, vi, iv,
ii,
and
9.
iv,
of hair
to drive out
Rakshas, Apsaras, and Gandharvas Possession by demons of disease, cured by an amulet of ten kinds of wood
....
36.
Charm
against
.....
demons (pua&i) conceived
as the cause of disease
25. Charm with the plant pmniparm against the demon of disease called kava vi, 32. Charm for driving away demons (Rakshas
ii,
......
and PuaX'as) ii,
4.
Charm
with
an
amulet
derived
^angina-tree, against diseases and xix, 34.
Charm
with an amulet derived from the
^ahgk/a-tree, against diseases and xix, 35.
Charm
demons
with an amulet derived from the
^-angina-tree, against diseases
and demons
.....
Exorcism of disease by means of an amulet from the varawa-tree
vi,
85.
vi,
127.
The The
/vipudru-tree as a
panacea
healing properties of bdellium 91. Bailey and water as universal remedies
xix, 38. vi, viii,
7.
Hymn
.
to all
.... .....
magic and medicinal
used as a universal remedy vi, ii,
from the
demons
96. Plants as a 33.
Charm
panacea
to secure perfect health
.
plants,
CONTENTS. PAGES
BOOK
Charm to procure immunity from all diseases Charm for obtaining long life and prosperity
ix, 8. ii,
29.
....
by transmission of disease
II.
life
Prayers for long
n. Prayer
iii,
ii,
and long
for health
life
53. Prayer for long
vii,
life
47, 3
life
.
52, 55i
life
....
..... (afigana.)
iv,
9.
iv,
10.
The
pearl
ing long xix, 26.
III.
life
Gold
as
and
its
shell as
....
an amulet bestow-
and prosperity an amulet for long
life
and ene-
Imprecations against demons, sorcerers, mies (abhiA'arikam and kr/tyapratiharaani). Against sorcerers and demons
i,
7.
i,
8.
i,
16.
Against sorcerers and demons Charm with lead, against demons and sorcerers
vi,
ii,
....
(rakshas)
.......
Charm
against a variety of female demons,
The soma-oblation
2.
14.
directed against
conceived as hostile to men, iii,
Against
9.
demons)
cattle,
demons
and home
.......
vishkandha
and
kabava
(hostile
Charm with a certain plant (sada?pushpa) which exposes demons and enemies
iv,
20.
iv,
17.
Charm
with
the
apamarga-plant, against
sorcery, demons, and enemies iv,
18.
Charm
with
the
apamarga-plant, against
sorcery, demons, and enemies iv,
.....
power of the apamarga-plant, demons and sorcerers
19. Mystic
5, 306 51, 3 6 4
.
of Prayer for exemption from the dangers death from the dangers of viii, 2. Prayer for exemption death from disease and death v, 30. Prayer for exemption as a protector of life and limb Salve 1.
viii,
8
49, 34i
.
pronounced over a boy
and long
31. Prayer for health
iii,
600
and health (ayushyam).
Prayer for long
28.
45,
against
53> 569
55,
CONTENTS.
Charm
65.
vii,
XI
with the apamarga-plant,
and the consequence of
sinful
against
deeds
x, 1.
72,
556 602
v,
76,
456
77,
429
Prayer for protection addressed to a talis man made from the wood of the sraktya-tree
79,
575
.....
81,
605
84,
608
88,
389
89,
294
curses,
72,
Charm to repel sorceries or spells 31. Charm to repel sorceries or spells 14. Charm to repel sorceries or spells
v,
viii, 5.
Praise of the virtues of an
x, 3.
from the
vara;/a-tree
Praise of the virtues of an amulet of khadira
x, 6.
wood
in the
shape of a ploughshare for
protection
work
.......
70. Frustration of the sacrifice of
vii,
Charm
7.
ii,
against
Imprecation against enemies thwarting holy
12.
ii,
against curses
and
an enemy
hostile plots,
9, 557
under
taken with a certain plant 6. The a^vattha-tree as a destroyer of enemies
iii,
91,
285
r
,
334
....
92,
495
......
93,
Oblation for the
Vi > 75-
(nairbadhyawz havi/2)
9
suppression of enemies
37. Curse against one that practises hostile charms
vi,
Charm
13.
vii,
IV.
....
Prayer to Varuwa treacherous designs
16.
iv,
amulet derived
Charms
pertaining to
enemies of
women
their strength
(strikarma/zi).
Charm to obtain a husband Charm to obtain a husband Charm for obtaining a wife
36.
ii,
to deprive
vi,
60.
vi,
82.
vi,
78. Blessing for a married couple
vii,
36.
Love-charm spoken by a
vii,
37.
Charm pronounced by
.
bridal couple
....... ........ the bride over the
bridegroom
A
81.
vi,
tion iii,
23.
vi,
11.
Charm Charm
35.
vi,
17.
i,
son (puwsavanam) for obtaining a son (pu;savanam)
for obtaining a
An incantation to make a woman Charm to prevent miscarriage Charm for easy parturition
vii,
11.
bracelet as an amulet to ensure concep-
.
sterile
.
.
.
CONTENTS.
Xll
i,
Charm
34.
.......
with licorice, to secure the love of a
woman
30. Charm to secure the love of a woman vi, 8. Charm to secure the love of a woman vi, 9. Charm to secure the love of a woman vi, 102. Charm to secure the love of a woman Charm to arouse the passionate love iii, 25. ii,
.
.
woman
a
man
a
Charm
131.
vi,
man
a
Charm
132.
vi,
man
a
to arouse the passionate
vi,
vi,
18.
woman 45.
vii,
100,
459
.
101,
459
.
101. 512
of
.
.
cause
the
return
love
.... rival
.
18.
i,
woman
...... ...... .....
no. Expiatory charm unlucky star
for a child
104, 534
104,
535
104, 535 105, 371
106,
496
106, 467 107, 547 107, 252
107, 354 108, 537
109, 260
born under an
140. Expiation for the irregular appearance of the first pair of teeth
vi,
546
of
.
vi,
103,
of a truant
woman's incantation against her
from a
102, 539
love of
Charm of a woman against a rival or co-wife vi, 138. Charm for depriving a man of his virility 18. Charm to remove evil bodily characteristics iii,
102, 358
love of
assignation
Charm to allay jealousy Charm to allay jealousy
A
14.
i,
.
arouse the passionate love of
to
Charm at an 77. Charm to
iv, 5.
100, 311
....... ....... ....... ....... .... ....... ....
Charm to arouse the passionate a woman vii, 38. Charm to secure the love of a man vi, 130. Charm to arouse the passionate 139.
vi,
99, 274
.
109, 517
110,540
V. Charms pertaining to royalty (ra-akarma;ri). iv, 8.
Prayer
at the consecration of a
iii,
3.
Charm
for the restoration of
iii,
4.
iii,
5.
iv,
22. 9.
.
.
in, 378
.
112, 327
of a king .113, 330 Praise of an amulet derived from the parwa-
Prayer
tree,
i,
king an exiled king
at the election
.
.
designed to strengthen royal power to secure the superiority of a king
Charm
Prayer for earthly and heavenly success
.
114, 331
.
115, 404
.
116, 239
CONTENTS.
Battle-charm
viii, 8.
Battle-charm against arrow- wounds Battle-charm for confusing the enemy.
19. 1.
iii,
and power
for glory (ya^as)
39. Prayer
vi,
i,
.... ......
38. Prayer for lustre
vi,
Xlll
vi,
117, 582
121, 325
.
battle
117, 478
120, 262
Battle-charm for confusing the enemy 97. Battle-charm of a king upon the eve of
iii, 2.
116, 477
121, 327
........ ........ ........
123, 63I
....
126, 637 13. 43 6
122, 5IO
99. Battle-charm of a king upon the eve of
vi,
battle
123,
5IO
Prayer to Arbudi and Nyarbudi for help in
xi, 9.
battle
v,
Prayer to Trishawdhi for help in battle 20. Hymn to the battle-drum
v,
21.
xi, 10.
Hymn
enemy
to the battle-drum, the terror of the
*3 l
.
,
439
VI. Charms to secure harmony, influence in the assem bly,
and the
like
(sawmanasyani, &c).
Charm to secure harmony vi, 73. Charm to allay discord vi, 74. Charm to allay discord vii, 52. Charm against strife and bloodshed vi, 64. Charm to allay discord vi, 42. Charm to appease anger vi, 43. Charm to appease anger Charm against opponents in debate, underii, 27. iii,
30.
taken with the pa/a-plant vii,
vi,
12.
94.
134, 3 6 * 135, 494 135, 495
136, 55o
136, 492
.
136, 479
.
137,
480
137,
34
.
.
.
.
Charm to procure influence in the assembly Charm to bring about submission to one's
will
13 8 543 ,
138, 508
VII. Charms to secure prosperity in house, field, cattle, business, gambling, and kindred matters.
Prayer at the building of a house
iii,
12.
vi,
142. Blessing during the sowing of seed
vi,
79.
Charm
vi,
50.
Exorcism of vermin
.
for procuring increase of grain
vii,
Charm
141, 499
infesting grain in the
field
11.
Mo, 343 Mi, 54i
142, 485 to protect grain
from lightning
142, 543
CONTENTS.
XIV BOOK
PAGES
Charm for the prosperity of cattle 14. Charm for the prosperity of cattle
M2, 303 M3. 351
26.
ii,
iii,
...... ...... ....... ...... ......
59. Prayer to the plant arundhati for protection
vi,
to cattle
Charm
vi,
70.
iii,
28.
144,
to her calf
Formula
calves vi,
92.
iii,
13.
Charm Charm
endow a horse with conducting a
for
M4, 493
of the birth of twin
in expiation
to
M5, 359 M5> 507
swiftness
river into a
new
channel 106.
iv,
3.
Charm
vi,
ward
to
off
danger from
146, 348
fire.
Shepherd's charm against wild beasts and robbers
A
iii,
15.
iv,
38. A.
49O
attachment of a cow
to secure the
merchant's prayer
147,
5M
M7.
3 66
148, 352
Prayer for success in gambling
149, 412
B. Prayer to secure the return of calves that
have strayed to a distance vii,
vi,
Charm of
xi, 2.
Pedu
against serpents, invoking the horse that slays serpents .
to
Prayer from dangers
28. Prayer to
vi,
9.
Charm
..... .....
Bhava and
548
151, 487
152, 605
.Sarva for protection
Bhava and
from dangers vii,
150,
Exorcism of serpents from the premises
56.
x, 4.
iv,
150, 413
50. Prayer for success at dice
155, 618
-Sarva for protection
for finding lost
property
158, 406 159, 542
.
128. Propitiation of the weather-prophet Prayer for deliverance from calamity, ad .
160, 532
xi, 6.
dressed to the entire pantheon
VIII.
Charms
in expiation of sin
160,
and defilement,
....
vi,
45.
Prayer against mental delinquency
vi,
26.
Charm
vi,
114. Expiatory formula for imperfections in the sacrifice
vi,
vi,
vi,
to avert evil
.
......
115. Expiatory formulas for sins 112. Expiation for the precedence of a younger brother over an older
113. Expiation
628
163, 483 l6 3> 473
164, 528
164, 529
....
164, 521
heinous crimes
165, 527
for certain
XV
CONTENTS.
20. Prayer for
vi,
1
vi,
27.
vi,
29.
heaven
after
remission of sins
.
birds
166, 474
ominous pigeons and owls Expiation when one is defiled by a black
Charm
64.
vii,
Charm
istics,
.
evil
for the
dreams
.
removal of
.
475
.167, 485
.
evil character-
and the acquisition of auspicious ones
IX. Prayers and
166,
167, 555
Exorcism of
115.
vii,
against
omen
bird of 46.
vi,
165, 529
against pigeons regarded as ominous
Charm
.
168, 564
imprecations in the interest of the
Brahmans. Imprecation against the oppressors of Brah-
v, 18.
mans v,
.
.
.
.
.
.169, 430
.
........ ......
19. Imprecation against the oppressors of Brah-
mans v,
.
Prayer to appease Arati, the
7.
demon
and avarice
The
xii, 4.
the xi,
1.
necessity of giving
Brahmans
.
away .
.
sterile
cows
172,423
to
.174, 656
.
The
preparation of the brahmaudana, the porridge given as a fee to the Brahmans .
179,
610
The
preparation of the brahmaudana, the porridge given as a fee to the Brahmans
xii, 3.
.
Removal of a house
ix, 3.
that has
to a priest as sacrificial reward vi,
171, 433
of grudge
71.
Brahmanical prayer
xx, 127.
A
kuntapa-hymn
185, 645
been presented .
.
.
.....
at the receipt of gifts
.
193, 595 196, 494
197,688
X. Cosmogonic and theosophic hymns. xii, xiii,
Hymn
1.
to
goddess Earth
.
.
.
for sovereign
.
.
xi, 5.
Pra7/a,
supreme ix, 2.
.
207, 661
Glorification of the sun, or the primeval prin-
ciple, as xi, 4.
.199, 639
Prayer power addressed to the god Rohita and his female Rohiwi
1
a
Brahman
life
or
spirit
Prayer to Kama mordial power
.
.
disciple
breath, .
personified .
.
.
as .
.
214, 626
the
.218, 622
(love), personified as a pri.
.
.
.
.
.
220, 591
CONTENTS.
XVI
Prayer to Kala (time), personified as a pri. mordial principle
xix, 53.
.
to
Prayer mordial principle
xix, 54.
xi,
ix,
Indexes I.
II.
.
.
.
.
...... ......
Kala
7. Apotheosis of the ukkMshfa, the leavings of the sacrifice 1.
Hymn
to the honey-lash of the Ajvins
.
....
:
Index of Subjects Index of Hymns in the order of the Atharva-veda
Additions and Corrections
.
.
224, 681
(time), personified as a pri-
.
.
.
.
.
225, 687
226, 629
229, 587
693 709 711
Transliteration of Oriental Alphabets adopted for the
Translations of the Sacred Books of the East
.
713
INTRODUCTION. The names
I.
of the Atharva-veda and
THEIR MEANINGS.
The T
fourth
,
pound stem angiras.
Veda
is
known
in
Hindu
literature
by an
unusually large number of appellations. Of these the dvandva plural atharvahgirasa/^ is old. occurr i n g
^V. X, 7, 20 it is the name found at MSS. themselves. The appear;
the head of the Atharvan
ance of this name
made tive
the basis
given text has not unfrequently been for estimating the relapartly or entirely in a
But
chronology of that text.
this criterion can claim
only negative value, since the designation occurs in a text It is found in as late as the Au^anasa-smr/ti, III. 44 1 a great variety of texts of the Vedic literature, as may be .
seen in the subsequent account of the attitude of Hindu literature towards the fourth Veda (p. xxviii ff.), but at no it positively exclude other designations. locative singular of this same compound occurs in
period does
The
a passage not altogether textually certain, Mahabh. Ill, 305, 20=17066, where the Bombay edition has atharvarigi-
The srutam, but the Calcutta, atharva^irasi jrutam. locative singular (apparently neuter) of the stem atharvaiigirasi
rasa occurs rarely, Ya^wa v. I, 312 (kujalam atharvarigirase). specimen of a derivative adjective from the compound
A
may
be seen at
Manu XI,
33, atharvangirasi/j sruti/i;
Mahabh. VIII, 40, 33=1848, kr/tyam 1
[42]
atharvaiigirasim.
See (yivananda's Dharmajastrasawgraha, vol.
b
i,
p. 514.
cf.
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
XV111
atharvan, with a great variety of derivatives, employed growingly as the designation of
The name
is
Meaning of
.
the
each of the terms atharvan
T T
.
.
Veda
the
;
5,
.
.
ir
angiras by itself is so attention when it is met.
arre st
rare as to
At TS. VII,
,
name n,
2
=
Ka/7/aka Aj-vamedha-
grantha, V, 2, occurs the formula arigirobhya/z svaha, preit is, as far as is known, ceded by rzgbhya//, &c. svaha :
the solitary occurrence of this designation of the Atharvaveda in a Vedic text l Quite frequently, however, the .
members
of the
compound
atharvahgirasa/z are separated
mentioned by itself, but always in more This shows or less close conjunction with one another. that the compound is not a congealed formula, but that the so that each
is
texts are conscious of the fact that each has a distinct
and a right to separate existence. In other actually consists of atharvan and ahgiras and the matter, question arises what elements in the makeindividuality,
AV.
words, the
this Veda these terms refer to. The answer, I believe, be given with a considerable degree of certainty now may
up of
:
the term atharvan refers to the auspicious practices of the Veda, the bhesha^ani (AV. XI, 6, 14), those parts of the
Veda which
are recognised by the Atharvan ritual and the orthodox Brahmanical writings, as janta, holy,' and the term ahgiras refers paush/ika, conferring prosperity '
'
'
;
to the hostile sorcery practices of the Veda, the yatu (.Sat. Br. X, 5, 2, 20), or abhiMra 2 which is terrible (ghora). ,
In an article entitled, On the position of the Vaitanasutra in the literature of the Atharva-veda,' Journ. Amer. Or. Soc. XI, 387 ff., I pointed out that the above-mentioned '
distinction
is
clearly
made
at Vait. Su. 5, 10,
where two
of plants are differentiated, one as atharvaya/z, the other as ahgirasya/z. The same distinction is maintained lists
at
Gop. Br.
I, 2,
18.
The former
refers to the list of plants
1 In texts not Vedic the term angirasa/4 occurs occasionally as an abbreviated form of atharvangirasa/^. Thus in the first superscription of the AV. PratiCf. also jakhya, the .Saunakiya Aaturadhyayika, and in Paini V, 2, 37.
Gop. Br. I, u For the
distinction between .ranta
on
our edition.
p. 11 of
1, 8.
and abhi/tarika
see Kaiu. 3, 19,
and note 5
INTRODUCTION. catalogued at Kaiu.
8, 16,
and there
XIX
distinctly described as
'holy;' the second list is stated at Vait. Su. 5, 10 itself to be ahgirasa, in the obscure terms, kapurviparvaThese rodakavrzkkavatina^anirdahantibhir arigirasibhi//. janta//,
names are
general unknown, the text is not quite certain, last, nirdahanti, shows that the
in
but the designation of the list
designed for unholy sorcery practices (abhi^arika)
is
The
adjective ahgirasa equivalent to abhiarika.
AV.
the
1 .
general in the ritualist texts of
in
is
Thus
sa;;zbhara ahgi-
daWa Kau^. 47, 2, means utensils for sorcery 2 ahgirasa//, Kaiu. 47, 12, means 'staff for sorcery;' agnir 3 The fifth ahgirasa//, Kauj. 14, 30, means 'sorcery-fire '
'
rasa//,
;
.'
kalpa of the AV., usually known as Ahgirasa-kalpa, bears also the names AbhLara-kalpa, and Vidhana-kalpa, text'
book of sorcery It
is
angiras
'
see ibid. XI, 376 ft. worth while to follow out this specific use of the term ahgirasa in non-Atharvan texts, lest it be in suspected of being an Atharvanic refinement.
non-Atharvan texts.
;
q^e Rig-vidhana IV, j-loka
' :
He
against
6, 4,
has the following those that arc-
whom
Ahgirasakalpas practice sorcery repels them The term pratyahgirasa with the Pratyahgirasakalpa *.' the exact equivalent of pratyabhi/ ara//a, counter-witch-
skilled in the all
'
,
is
craft
'
5
(AV.
II, 11, 2),
and the kr/tyapratiharawani, Ath.
The texts of the sort 7, note). (cf. called atharvaz/apratyahgirakalpam (! see Ind. Stud. I, 469) deal with the same theme, as does the Ya^ur-vidhana Parly. 32, 2
Kauj-. 39,
(Agni-pura;/a, 259, ic) in the expression pratyahgireshu Cf. also the titles of works, pratyahgiratatva, (sc. karmasu).
pratyahgirapa^ahga, and pratyahgirasukta, mentioned in Bohtlingk's Lexicon, as probably dealing with the same
We may
theme. 1
2
Cf.
AV.
Ill, 2, 5
;
connect with this pejorative use of the
VII, 108,
2
;
IX, 2,4;
5, 31
;
XIV,
2,
48.
Darila, ghoradravyai.
3
K&yava, angirasoigni/* MSaunakiya, and Paippalada.
.vakhas
2 ,
but
apocryphal.
we should be slow to condemn them as wholly The Gop. Br. I, 1, 5 and 8 also narrates in its
own
style of unbridled Brahmanical fancy the separate creation by Brahman of the i^z'shis Atharvan and
Ahgiras,
1
angirasaViam adyai// paHnuvakai// svaha (XIX, 22, 1); sarvebhyo Migirobhyovidagaebhya/;svaha(XIX, 22, 18); atharvawalnaw katmrikebhya/i sva'ha 2
XIX,
Cf.
23, 1).
Weber, Ind. Stud. IV, 433
ff.
INTRODUCTION.
XX111
the subsequent emanation from these two of twenty Atharvanic and Ahgirasic descendant sages \ and finally, the production by the Atharvans of the atharva//a veda, by the
Ahgiras of ahgirasa vcda. In another passage, I, 3,
4,
the Gop. Br. also asserts the
separate character of the Ahgiras and Atharvans the latter are again associated with bhesha^am, the former is made ;
the base of a foolish
brahma yad
etymology, to wit
:
bhuyish/V/a;//
ye*iigiraso ye^hgiraso sa rasa//, ye*tharva//o ye*tharva//as tad bhesha^am. As regards the chronology and cause of this differentia-
bhr/gvahgirasa//,
tion of Cause of the
.
,
.,
..
.
.
r
.
Ihe association 01 apparently wholly silent. both names (and later of the name bhrz'sai also) with the texts and practices of the
differentiation
of atharvan
and
atharvan and ahgiras the texts are
v
angiras.
Veda may be sought in the mythic beings. They are fire-priests,
fourth
the Atharvanic
rites,
character of these fire-churners
2 ,
and
as well as the house-ceremonies in
general, centre about the fire, the oblations are into the fire. Fire-priests, in distinction from soma-priests, may
have had
keeping these homelier practices of But life. whence the terrible aspect of the AhIn the contrast to the auspicious Atharvans ?
common giras in
hymn
their
in
about Sarama and the
Pa//is,
RV. X,
108, 10,
Sarama
threatens the Pa//is with the terrible Ahgiras, ahgirasa.?
fca.
seems
to
This statement, wholly incidental as ghora//. be, is, of course, not to be entirely discarded.
it
More im-
Br/haspati, the divine purodha In Kaiu. 135, 9, Br/'hasdistinctly ahgirasa. (purohita), as the representative, or pati Ahgirasa appears distinctly
portant
is
the fact
that
is
the divinity of witchcraft performances.
In the
Mahabha-
he is frequently called ahgirasa?// jresh/V/a//. function of body-priest of the gods it behoves
rata
1
Doubtless by
way
In his
him
to
of allusion to the twenty books in the existing redaction
The expression vi;.rino irigirasa/j is rep ated Paw. of the .S'aunakiya-.rakha. V, 2, 37, as a designation of the twenty books of the .Saunakiya-^akha in its present redaction. 2
Avestan
atar-,
athra-van and Vedic athar-van
may
be derivatives from the
root manth, math (mth) 'churn.' But the absence of the aspiration in atarmakes the doubtful derivation still more doubtful.
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
XXIV
exercise against hostile powers those fierce qualities which are later in a broader sense regarded as Arigirasic. Thus
=
RV. X, 164, 4 AV. VI, 45, 3 1 certainly exhibits this function of the divine purohita, and the composer of AV. X, i, 6, when he exclaims, Prati^ina ( Back-hurler") the ,
:i
'
descendant of Ahgiras, is our overseer and officiator (purodo thou drive back again (pratii/;) the spells, and
hita)
:
slay yonder fashioners of the spells,' has also in mind the divine purohita 2 The stanza foreshadows the later forma.
tion praty ahgiras, discussed above. ever, for statements of the reason
We why
in vain, howword atharvan
look the
should be especially associated with
and must assume that contrasting
it
this
santa. and bhesha^a, was accomplished by secondarily
with ahgiras after the sense of ghora, abhi^ara itself over it The uncertainty of all this
had incrustated
:!
.
does not endanger the result that at a comparatively early time the terms atharva/za//, in the sense of holy charms,' '
and ahgirasa^, in the sense of witchcraft charms,' joined the more distinctively hieratic terms rikaM, ya^uwshi, and '
as
types of Brahmanical literary But this distinction was at a later period again abandoned in the end the name atharvan and its derivatives prevail as designations of the practices and charms of the fourth Veda without reference to their samani,
characteristic
performances.
;
strongly diversified character.
The stem atharvan of
ways by
forms
in
is
modulated
in
a considerable variety itself, or
derivative processes, the simple stem
the singular from
it, being decidedly rare, and not have noted Nrz'siwhapurvatapani Up. I, 4, Plural forms are less r/gya^Ti/rsamatharvarupa// surya/z. rare: atharvawo veda/i, 5at. Br. XIII, 4, atharvaram, 3, 7
at all early.
I
;
1
yad
indra
brahmaas pate-bhidrohaw
aramasi,
praeta na ahgiraso
dvishata'w patv awhasa^. 5
RV. IV, 50, 7-9 prescribes that kings shall keep in honour (subhr/tam) a brz'haspati, i. e. a Brahman purohita, in archaic language whose sense coincides completely with the later Atharvanic notions. Barring the diction the passage might stand in any Atharva-ParLnsh/a cf. below, p. lxviii, note. 3 A dash of popular etymology may have helped the process a-tharvan, 'not injuring;' cf. thurv in the sense of 'injure,' Dhatupa///a XV, 62, and perhaps Maitr. S. II, 10, 1 also the roots turv and dhfirv with similar meanings. ;
:
;
XXV
INTRODUCTION.
TB.
12, 9,
Ill,,
i
from
AV.XIX,
23,
rita-sawhita. III,
The same
XVI,
atharva//a//, Vs.uk. Br.
;
derivative neuter plural atharva;/ani 1
10, 10.
The
suktani) is common, Pa;7. Br. XII, 9, 10 to Vr/ddhaha-
;
45 (^ivananda,
(sc.
vol.
i,
p.
213),
and
later.
the masculine singular, atharva;/aj- (sc. veda//) /aturtha/, AV/and. Up. VII, 1, 2. 4: in the plural, mantra atharvawa/^, Ram. II, 26, 21. 2, 7, 1 stem, atharva;/a,
is
used
in
1
;
;
The stem
atharva;/a (without vr/ddhi of derivation) is found Nr/siwhapurvatapani Up. II, 1, atharva^air mantrai//
;
Mahabh.
Ill,
another
Still
14
189,
==
derivative
12963, is
atharvawa// in
atharva//a,
(sc.
veda/^).
atharva//a-vid,
The name atharva-veda 342, 100=13259. appears about as early as the corresponding names of the other Vedic categories (r/gveda. &c), vSarikh. Sr. XVI, 2, Mahabh. XII,
10; Par. G;/h. IV,
II, 1, 7;
Hir. Gr/h. II, 19, 6; Baudh. Grih. in the Cainist Siddhanta is
The form employed
5, 1.
a(t)havva//a-veda (see below, p. scriptures
athabbawa-veda
is
lvi)
that of the Buddhist
;
(ibid.).
In addition to the designations of the Atharvan discussed above there are still others, based upon different modes of Other
viewing this heterogeneous collection of Mantras.
fourth
A
single passage, Sat. Br. XIV, 8, 14, 1-4 = Bnh. Ar. Up. V, 13, 1-4, seems to hint at the Veda with the word kshatram. The passage is
designations
engaged
in
pointing out the merits of Vedic compositions, uktham ( = rik cf. .S'at. Br. X, 5, 2, 20),
stated in the series ya^u//,
;
sama, kshatram.
Inasmuch
as the
first
three ob-
is possible to view trayi vidya, kshatram as epitomising the Atharvan 1 If so, the passage is of considerable interest, as it seems to view the fourth
viously represent the
it
.
Veda
as the
Veda
of the Kshatriyas.
passage substitutes the act of kshatra,
More i.e.
precisely the
the characteristic
performances of the Kshatriya (through, or with the aid of 1
Cf. also Praxna
Up.
II, 6,
represent in the epics the best '
where brahma and kshatra figure. Both together outcome of the life of a kshatriya, piety ami '
'
possible to conceive the appearance of kshatra alone as an both brahma and kshatra, the two together being the outcome of the trayi preceding, rather than a supplementary statement of additional Vetlic types of composition cf. Pra^na Up. II, 6. For brahma alone, see below, prowess.'
It is
elliptic version of
;
p. xxxi, note.
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
XXVI
Atharvanic by distinction. Recently Prohas emphasised the marked relation of the Atharvan to the royal caste. his purohita) as
fessor
Weber x
The
text of the Sawhita abounds in ra^akarmawi, royal practices,' and Weber thinks that the name of Kaiuika, the '
author of the great Atharvan Sutra, points to a Kshatriya connection, since Kuj-ika is identical with Vi.yvamitra, and the latter, as is well known, stands forth among the ancient
Vedic heroes as the representative of royalty. None of these points can be regarded as more than possibilities 2 .
Two
other designations of the AV. differ from all the preceding in that they are the product of a later Atharvanic
literary age, neither of them being found in the Sawmita, and both being almost wholly restricted to the ritual text of the Atharvan itself. They are the terms
and brahma-veda.
bh/'/gvangirasa/r
The term
bhr/gvaiigirasa/^
is,
as far as the evidence of
the accessible literature goes, found only in Atharvan texts. Though bhr/gu takes in this compound the place of atharvan. the terms bhr/gava/^ or bhr/guveda do not occur. The term bhr/gvarigirasa//, however, is the favourite designation of the Veda in the Atharvan ritual texts 3 it makes a show, :
crowding out the other designations. Thus the Kaiuika does not directly mention the Atharvan compositions by any other name (see 63, 3; 94, 2-4; cf. 137, 25; in fact, of
139, 6), although vaguer allusions to this Veda and adherents are made with the stem atharvan (59, 25 73, ;
1
ini
Episches July 23, 1891
;
vedischen Ritual, Proc. of the Royal
nr. xxxviii, p.
785
ff.
Academy
(especially 787, top);
at
its 1
2
;
Berlin,
Ra^asuya, pp.
4,
23, note. 2 We may note also the prominence allowed in the AV. to the kind of performance called sava. These are elaborate and rather pompous bestowals of or dakshiwa, rising as high as the presentation of a house i^alasava, IX, 3) a goat with five messes of porridge, five cows, five pieces of gold, and five garments (a^audana, IX, 4). There are twenty-two kinds of these sava, and the eighth book of the Kaiuika is devoted to their exposition (Kej-ava 64-66 ;
Revenues of this kind are not likely to presents a brief catalogue of them). have been derived from lesser personages than rich Kshatriyas, or kings. 3 In the Sawhita the stem bhr/gvahgiras is never employed as the name of the Atharvan writings in AV. V, 19, 1. names of typical Brahman priests. ;
as the
2
the terms bh/z'gu and ahgirasa occur
XXVlt
INTRODUCTION.
The term
also occurs in Vait. Su.
1, 5 Gop. Br. and it is common in the Pamish/as (see Weber, Omina und Portenta, p. 346 Verzeichniss der Sanskrit und Prakrit Handschriften, II, No valid reason appears 89 fif.), and the Anukramawi. has in encroaching so far the succeeded term why bhr/gu the term atharvan. The upon following may, however, be remarked. The three words atharvan, aiigiras, and bhr/gu are in general equivalent, or closely related mythic names
125, 2.)
I,
1,
39
2,
;
18 (end);
3, 1. 2.
;
4,
fif.
;
connection with the production or the service of fire. Occasionally in the mantras (RV. X, 14, 6) they are found all together 1 or bhr/gu is found in company with atharvan in
,
(RV. X,
(RV. VIII, 43, 13). This names continues in the Ya^us and
92, 10), or with ahgiras
interrelation of the three
Brahmawa-texts, but in such a way that the juxtaposition and arigiras becomes exceedingly frequent 2
of bhr/gu
,
broaching reached in
on complete synonymy. The latter Br. IV, 1, 5, 1, where the sage iTyavana
in fact .Sat.
is
is
3 It Bhargava or as an Angirasa is conceivable that the of this collocation frequency suggested to the Atharvavedins a mode of freshening up the
designated either as a
more
trite
.
combination atharvangirasa/^
a conscious preference of the
no trace
of any reason for word bhr/gu the texts show ;
4 .
The term brahma-veda whose
origin is discussed below likewise to the (p. Ixv) belongs sphere of the Atharvan ritual. Outside of the Atharvan there is to be noted only
a single, but indubitable occurrence, 5ahkh. Gr/h.
1
Cf.
Weber, Verzeichniss,
I,
1
6, 3.
II, 46.
2
E.g. Tait. S. I, 1, 7, 2; Maitr.S. I, 1, 8; Ykg. S. I, iS Tait. Br. I, 1,4,8; III, 2, 7, 6; .Sat. Br. I, 2, 1, 13 Katy. St. II, 4, 38 Apast. .S'r. I, 12,3; 23, 6 Yaska's Nigh.V, 5 Nir. XI, 18. The juxtaposition of bhr/gu and atharvan is decidedly rarer in this class of texts (e.g. Apast. St. IV, 12, 10); that of blm'gu and angiras continues in the Mahabharata, and later see Pet. Lex. s. v. ;
;
;
;
;
;
(col. 364, top). 3
Cf. similarly DadhyaM Atharvawa, Tait. S. V, 1, 4, 4, with Dadhya/7/Angirasa, Tank. Br. XII, 8, 6. 4 A statement like that of the late Aulika Upanishad 10, that the Bhr/gu are foremost among the Athaivans (atharvao bhr/guttama//), if it is taken seriously at all, reflects rather the result than the cause of the substitution of the
name bhr/gu
for atharvan.
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
XXV111
Even in the Atharvan Upanishads the term is wanting 1 The earliest occurrences of the word, aside from vSaiikh. The word is Grih., are Vait. Su. 1, I; Gop. Br. I, 2, 16. common in the Paruish/as. .
We may
note finally the terms pa/7akalpa and pankanot refer directly to the Sawhitas of the
They do
kalpin.
AV., but are both bahuvrihi-compounds designating 'one who practises with the five kalpas of the AV.,' i.e. Atharvan Thus the words were first explained by the author, priests. Journ. Amer. Or. Soc. XI. 378 Kaiuika, Introduction, Cf. also Magoun, The Asuri-kalpa, Amer. Journ. p. lvii. ;
Phil. X, 169. They are very late they do not occur in the Sutras or Brahma//a of the AV., nor, as far as is known, in the literature proper of that Veda. They appear as the :
of scribes of Atharvan texts, see Kauyika, Introduction, p. ix Weber, Verzeichniss der Sanskrit und Prakrit titles
;
But they are sufficiently attested Handschriften, II, 96. outside of the Atharvan, in the expression, pa/Xakalpam atharva;/am, Mahabh. XII. 342, 99 = 13258, and in the
Mahabhashya
The
II.
(Ind. Stud. XIII, 455).
position of the
Hindu Literature
Atharva-veda in
in
general.
In addressing oneself to the task of characterising the estimate which the Hindus placed upon the Atharvan Statement of the
texts ar>d practices, it is especially needful to take a broad, if possible a universal view, of
the statements of the Vedic and mediaeval texts
1
Up.
bearing
The word ;
upon
the
The Atharvan
question.
occurs in certain doubtful variants of the text of the
see Ind. Stud.
I,
301, note.
In
Ram
I,
is
MuWaka
brahmaveda is contrasted = 39 988 brahma veda with
65, 22
with kshatraveda, just as at Mahabh. VII, 23, dhanurveda. In such cases the word brahma is not to be referred pregnantly to the fourth Veda, but to Brahmanic religion in general represented by the first caste, the science of war being in the hands of the second, or warrior-caste. Cf. below, p. xlii.
The word biahmavid, Mahabh. Ill, 2625 (Nala 14, 18, brahmarshi\ mean skilled in sorcery,' and may contain an allusion to
however, seems to the
AV.
'
INTRODUCTION. a
sacred
text
more than one respect
in
the materials which vedas,
many
of
its
(bhesha^a) and are these, as
we
XXIX :
aside
from
shares with the Rig- and Ya^urhymns and practices are benevolent it
in
shall see,
general well regarded, though even
do not altogether escape the
blight
of contempt. Many hymns of the AV. are theosophic in character on whatsoever ground they found shelter in the Atharvan collectiolis they cannot have been otherwise than :
The
charms designed to establish harmony in family and village life and reconciliation of enemies (the so-called sa7//manasyani, p. 134 ff.), and the
highly esteemed.
class of
royal ceremonies (ra^akarmawi), are obviously auspicious in Even the sorceries of the Atharvan neces-
their nature. sarily
show
a double face
:
they are useful to oneself, harmful
According as they are employed objectively and aggressively, they are a valuable and forceful instrument to others.
and aggrandisement of him that employs according as one suffers from them subjectively and This conpassively, they are dreadful and contemptible. flict of emotions lasts throughout the history of the recorded Hindu thought the colour of the Atharvan remains changeable to the end, and is so described in the final orthodox and stereotyped view that it is used to appease, to bless, and to curse 1 The fact, however, is that there must have for the benefit
them
;
;
'
.'
arisen in the long run a strong wave of popular aversion against the Veda, whose most salient teaching is sorcery.
This appears from the discussions of the Hindus themselves 2 from the conscious orthodoxy of that Veda
as to the
;
Atharvan writings to vindicate its character and value from the allegorical presentation of the Atharvan as a lean black man, sharp, irascible, and amorous 3 and many occasional statements of the Vedic and classical texts. The history of the relation of the Atharvan to the remaining Hindu literature is, however, efforts of the later ;
'
'
;
1
I,
jantikapaush/ikabhiHradipratip&daka, Madhusudanasarasvati (Ind. Stud. Kcrava to Kaiu. 1,1; Deva to Katy. Sr. XV, 7, 11, and elsewhere.
16) 2
;
According to Burnell, Vaw5abrahmaa of the Samaveda, p. xxi, the most influential scholars of Southern India still deny the genuineness of the Atharvan. 3 Ragendralalamitra in the Introduction to the Gopatha-brahmawa, p. 4.
XXX still
HYMNS OF THE ATHAKVA-VEDA. unwritten, and the following pages aim to supply the
necessary data. In the hymn to the Purusha, the primaeval cosmic man (RV. X, 90, 9), the three Vedic categories, rik&h samani .
Position of the AV. in the Rigveda.
.
yaguh, are mentioned
.
. ,. JA Avvandawsi,
or
canons,
.
.
a fourth term.
;
,
,
.
,
,
.
generic, embodying the metrical the metrical compositions as a *
is
opportunity to mention the Atharvan is neglected *. The names atharvan, arigiras, and bhrz'gu. which occur frequently elsewhere in the RV., designate mythic personages, intimately connected with the production of the fire, and the soma-sacrifice nowhere do they seem to refer to any kind of literary composition. whole, but the
;
Even the expression brahma/n, used
in
connection with
atharvan, RV. I, 80, 16, can claim no special interest, because, as will appear later (p. lxvi), the word brahma is never used as a specific designation of Atharvan charms.
No
great importance is to be attached to this silence the praises to the gods in connection with the great somasacrifices, with their prevailing mythical colouring, darkened ;
very often by priestly mysticism, offer but scant occasion for the mention of sorcery, or the plainer practices of everyday life. Yet sorcery and house-practices there were in India at
all
times
2
The
.
failure of the
Rig-veda to mention
any systematic redaction of charms by a collective name must be gauged by the slenderness of
like atharvangirasa/* its (cf.
opportunities to mention the Veda as a generic name VIII, 19, 5), or Vedic collections or redactions in par-
ticular (X, 90, 9)
1
3
There
.
is
no proof that even the oldest
For RV. X, 71, 11, which also hints at the three Vedic types, and the that embraces them all, see the full discussion below, p. lxiv ff. Cf. e. g., RV. I, 191 VII, 50, and especially VII, 104, 16.
brahma 2
;
s
The familiar mention of compositions .rastra, &c, does not, it is important to note, types of poetic productivity
;
called rik, saman, uktha, stotra, refer to collections at all, but to
they are moreover
all
of
them such
as were dis-
Their presence simply accentuates tinctly connected with the soma-sacrifice. the preoccupation of the body of the Rig-vedic collection with the great priestly sacrifices,
and the consequent absence of the more general terms for Vedic The stem ya^u/z, in the sense of collection of formulas of
classes of writings.
the Ya^ur-veda, occurs only in the above-mentioned passage, X, 90,
9.
XXXI
INTRODUCTION.
parts of the RV., or the most ancient Hindu tradition accessible historically, exclude the existence of the class entitled to any of the names given to the Atharvan charms there is no evidence that these writings ever differed in form (metre) or style from those in the and, finally, there is no existing Atharvan redactions evidence the barring positive argumentum ex silentio
of writings
;
;
names current in other texts as designations of Atharvan hymns (bhesha^ani, atharvawa//, angirasa/^, &c.) were unknown at the earliest period of literary activity.
that the
On the other hand, the existing redactions of the AV. betray themselves as later than the RV. redaction by the character of the variants in those mantras which they share with the
RV.
As
regards the AV., the stanza X, 7, 20 presents the four Vedic categories, rika.li, ya^u/z, samani, and atharvahg' rasa/^j tne ^ as ^ the traditional name of the Position of the AV. in of the
The same tetrad
.Saunakiya-version.
5
at
XI,
6, 14,
is
intended
where the narrower term bhesha-
takes the place of atharvarigirasa/^. At sawhita. v IX, 54, 5 the mention of atharvan and angiras, though not directly referable to the AV., certainly Saunaktva-
-a(ni)
X v
.
suggests it, because stanza 3 speaks in the same strain of the rikdji and yzguh and in XIX, 22, 1 23, 1 (pamishfa in character cf. above, p. the xxii), arigirasani and athar;
;
;
vawani (sc suktani) are mentioned separately.
Otherwise
name for the type of literature known later as Atharvanic l The Atharvan is very much in the same position as we shall find the Ya^"us-
this text also fails to present a fixed
.
the three Vedas are mentioned, often in connection with other more specific forms and designations of prayer and sacerdotal acts, but the Atharvan is omitted. The texts
:
impression
left in
both cases
is
by no means
that of con-
scious neglect or contempt, but rather of esoteric restriction to the sphere of the great Vedic ritual (.srauta) 2 Thus .
The word brahma which is catalogued with the trayi at XI, 8, 23 XV. 6, 3 XV, 3, 7) does not refer to the Atharvan, but is the broader and higher term for religious activity in general. Cf. RV. X, 71, 11, and see below, p. Ixvi. 1
;
(cf.
v
also
E. g. in the very same
hymn
(X,
7,
14) in
which the Atharvangirasa/* are
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
XXXll
it
a
augurs no contempt or neglect of the Atharvan, if in charm constructed for the purpose of obtaining a know-
ledge of the Vedas, AV. VII, 54 (Kau^. 42, 9), only rtk, saman, yagu/i, veda, and oblation (havi/i) are mentioned the person who here desires Vedic learning is not in training :
for Atharvan priesthood, and therefore does not take care 1 And similarly a conto include this specialistic learning siderable number of additional Atharvan passages, IX, 6, .
23 XII, 1, 38 XV, 3, 6-8 6, 3, in which the Atharvan is not mentioned with the other Vedic 1.
2
;
XI,
7, 5.
24;
8,
;
;
;
compositions, betray no sign of conscious exclusion or contempt of the Atharvan. On the other hand, this very
omission ensures the interesting result that the Sa;;/hita of the AV., unlike its ritualistic adjuncts (see p. lvii fif.), is in no wise engaged either in self-glorification, or in
polemics against the other Vedas. It seems altogether evident that the Atharvan diaskeuasts were totally uncon-
any disadvantages inherent in their text, or any contemptuous treatment on the part of the adherents of scious of
the other Vedas.
In addition to the explicit designation of the Atharvan compositions as atharvangirasa/^, bhesha^ani, atharva//ani, &c, there is to be noted in the .Saunakiya-text of the
hymns
a decided advance in the association of the names
Atharvan, Aiigiras, and Bhr/gu with the practices and The older, conditions which these hymns are aimed at. broader, and vaguer mythic personality of all three which X, 14, 6 ( = AV. XVIII, appears, e.g. in RV. VIII, 43, t 3 ;
58); X, 92, 10,
t,
is
still
continued
in
the Atharvan (VI,
6, 13; XVI, 11-14): Atharvan, Aiigiras, and are at times Bhrzgu simply semi-divine, or wholly divine 1
1,
;
XI,
8.
mentioned as the fourth Veda the poet lapses into the more familiar traividya, which, like st. 20, aims to state that the Vedas are derived from
in a stanza
Skambha (Brahma),
a monotheistic personification
;
cf.
Muir, Original Sanskrit
Texts, V, 378. 1
A
similar passage in a Sutra of the
RV. (Asv Grih.
Ill, 3,
13), on the
same
occasion, namely, the study of the Veda, does not hesitate to include the Atharvan along with many other Vedic texts. This does not argue conscious preference, any cf.
below, p.
more than the Atharvan passage
xliv.
indicates conscious exclusion
;
INTRODUCTION. beings,
whose
office is entirely
XXXlll
But on the
non-Atharvanic.
other hand the Atharvans appear at IV, $J, i as slayers of the Rakshas (similarly IV, 3, 7) the Atharvans and ;
Angiras fasten amulets, and consequently slay the Dasyus, at X, 6, 20 and the name Bhr/gu appears at V, 19, 1 (cf. TS. I, 8, 18, 1 TB. I, 8, 2, 5) as the typical designation ;
;
of a Brahma^a, i.e. here, of an Atharvan priest. Such specialisations of these names are unknown in the RV. the evident beginning of the assoangirasa with aggressive witchcraft or is
Especially noteworthy ciation of the spells,
name
and the somewhat
tion of the stem
above,
p. xviii
less clear
corresponding correla-
atharvaz/a with auspicious charms (see Altogether the impression arises that
ff.).
the names Atharvan, Angiras, and Bhr/gu, connected with the redaction of the AV., have in the text of that Veda
assumed, or commenced to assume, the
which the
office
diaskeuast and the ritualistic texts of the Atharvan have
and permanently bestowed upon them.
definitely
In the domain of the in
.rruti, exclusive of the Rig-veda, i. e. the Ya^*us-sa;//hitas, and the Brahmawas, the position of the Atharvan is on the whole defined with
Position of the AV. in the rest of the miti.
rr
.
.
It depends altogether on p rac tical character of these texts as exponents of the great Vedic sacrifices, the
sufficient clearness. t j le
L
srauta-performances
:
these,
their very nature, exclude
by
the systematic charms of the abhiarika//i. Such sorcery as is inter-
direct interest in
any very
bhesha^ani and woven with the jrauta-performances has acquired independent expression in the metrical and prose formulas the Ya^us-sawhitas it figures in the form and by the ;
name
of sacrificial formulas
Veda
threefold
vidya).
(trayi
(ya^urashi) as part of the Thus the subject-matter
of formulas like the following I dig (pits) that slay the Rakshas, destroy the spells that belong to Vishnu ; that spell here which my equal or unequal has dug into (the '
:
ground) do I cast out I make subject here my unequal that plans hostile schemes against Maitr. S. I, 2, 10. I, 3, 2, 1 VI, 2, 11, 1.2 ;
;
V, 23
ff.
[42]
;
my me
;
5at. Br. Ill, 5, 4, 8
c
ff.),
is
by
its
11
equal or '
;
(Tait. S. Va^. S.
very terms
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
XXXIV
Atharvanic, and the practices by which its recitation is supplemented might be described in the Kamika-sutra.
The formula yo asman '
he that hates us and
the
dvesh/i yaw/ ka. whom we hate
occurs countless times
like),
at the practices of private
dvishma//,
or
perish,
(shall
the Ya^us-texts, as well The aims and the acts of in
Atharvan charms. the Atharvan are present at the Vedic
as in the
vayaw '
life
sacrifice, as well as
the difference
;
the
in
lies
degree of applicability, and the degree of prominence
:
in
the jruti-literature the sphere of the Atharvan is restricted to matters that are incidental and subsidiary, intended
merely to pave the way
for the
main
the successful
issue,
dispatching of the sacrifice to the gods, and the undisturbed gratification of the priests (the ish/am and the purUnder these circumstances and at such a time tam).
pronounced paradox, too
mawas that
is
hostility against the Atharvan would silly even for the Ya^-us-texts and the
be a
Brah-
no such hostility or repugnance is in evidence reserved for a later and more reflective age.
:
;
first place then, the mythic personages Atharvan, Ahgiras, and Bhr/gu, whose proper names in the course of time are growingly restricted to the sphere of the Atharvan, continue in their pristine position of demi-gods.
In the
At
Maitr. S.
I, 6,
i
the Ahgiras are
tva devana;/z vratena
dadhe
*
;
still
gods, ahgirasawz similarly Tait. Br. I, 1,4, 8,
bhr/gu;/a;// tva*rigirasa;// vratapate vratena*dadhami also Tait. Br. Ill, 2, 7, 6 ; Maitr. S. I, 1, 8 Vag. S. ;
;
18 (Sat. Br. 11, 7-
Br.
I,
I, 2,
i,
13
;
Katy. St.
II,
;
merable other instances. of the three
divinities,
I,
4,38); Apast. Sr. V,
For Atharvan, see Tait. S. V, 1, 4, 3 1, 10, 4 XI, 32. Va^. S. VIII, 56 ;
cf.
6, 6,
;
And
Tait. 3 so innu\
Needless to say, the descendants conceived
eponymically as the
founders of families of AVshis, the Atharvawa, Ahgirasa, and Bhargava, enjoy the same rights, and hold the same position of honour as the other families of AVshis, it being reserved for the later Atharvan writings to extol them
beyond measure, and to establish them as the typical teachers 1 Thus Atharvan Daiva is the name of an ancient .
1
Cf.
Weber, Omina und Portenta,
p. 347.
XXXV
INTRODUCTION.
Sat
teacher,
Atharvawa, 18
VI,
;
Br.
XIV,
4, 2,
Anukramam
22
28
Dadhya/} IV, 1, 5, the countless Ahgirasa, of which the RV. 3 counts no less than 45 \ e. g. 5at. Br. IV, 1.
Tait. S. V,
5,
I,
4,
5,
4
;
6, 6,
;
7,
3
3,
;
;
.Sat. Br.
;
Kaush. Br. XXX, 6 Ait. Br. VIII, 21, 13 Apast. 11,7; an d the equally frequent Bhargava, Tait. S. Sat. Br. ib. Ait. Br. VIII, 2, 1. 5 Kau^. Br. I, 8, 1 8, 1 XXII, 4. Occasionally, doubtless, even the j-ruti feels the connection that has been established between these names and the sphere of Atharvanic literary activity, as when the Ka///. S. XVI, 13 mentions a i*?z'shi Bhisha^ Atharva/za 2 the Kaush. Br. XXX, 6, (see Weber, Ind. Stud. Ill, 459) 5, 1
;
;
;
Sv. V,
;
;
;
;
a Rishi
Ghora Ahgirasa
states that
when the Tauk. Br. XII, 8, 6 Ahgirasa was the chaplain (puro-
Dadhya/7
;
or
dhaniya) of the gods.
The manner
in
which the hymns of the Atharvan are
alluded to in the .rrauta-texts
is
as follows.
Ordinarily the
texts are preoccupied with the sacrificial literature in the narrower sense, and hence devote themselves to the men-
and laudation of the trayi vidya, either without recount-
tion
ing its specific literary varieties, or by fuller citation of the terms rz'k, saman, yagu/i. For these are substituted not infrequently other terms like stoma, uktha, .yastra, udgitha. special liturgical varieties, also derived directly from
&c,
the sphere of the .srauta-performances, and, in fact, strictly dependent upon these performances for their existence.
On
the other hand, whenever the jrauta-texts mention, or other literary forms like itihasa,
make draughts upon purawa,
gatha,
Atharvan that
sutra,
literature
is
upanishad, and many others, the almost unfailingly included, and
too almost
traividya
is
the invariably in the following order mentioned first, the Atharvan holds the fourth :
and next follow
place,
in
somewhat
variable arrangement
the types itihasa, &c. 1
Cf.
Weber, Episches im vedischen Ritual, Sitzungsberichte der Koniglieh-
Preussischen
Akadcmie
d.
Wissenschaften zu Berlin, 1S91,
p.
812 (46 of the
reprint). 2
The same apocryphal .AYshi is reported uy the AnukraiTia/ns as the author hymn to the plants,' RV. X, 97; Vao-. S. XII, 75-S9. C 2
of the oshadhistuti, 'the
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
XXXVI
Thus the
Taittiriya-sa?;zhita
yaguk alone
at II, 4, 12, 7
1,4
The AV.
12,
;
1
,T
in
,,
at II, 4,
the
Taittinyasawhita.
1 1, o,
;
VI,
1,
;
,
A
.
,
to
7
the expressions samna//, yagu-
and ukthamadanam
s ham,'
saman, and VII, 3, 2, 4
rik,
same categories are alluded
.
in
1
5, 7,
;
the
;
mentions
;
at III,'
2,'
9, y
\
.
.
5.
6
"T
in the expressions udgat/7//am (with udgitha),
and adhvaryuz/am
uktha.ra7/zsinam (with rika/i),
ish/aya^usha//, stutastomasya, .rastokthasya at
also
cf.
;
4, 28, 1.
I,
The
only mention of Atharvan literature is at VII, 5, 1 1, 2, under the designation arigirasa// (without atharvawa// a ), and here the text
as follows
is
:
rtgbhya/z svaha, ya^urbhya//, svaha, vedebhya/^
svaha, samabhya// svaha, arigirobhya/^
svaha, gathabhya/^ svaha, nanuawsibhya/^ bhya// svaha.
This the
also, in the
AV.
The AV.
the
in
main,
in
Either the term
.
,
Satapathabrahma/;a.
5
.
'
4
'
2 *_7 '
1,1,8; 4; IX,
the nature of the references to
5atapatha-brahmawa.
trayi vidya is used, or rik, saman, and yagu/i ,. , T TT are mentioned explicitly: I, 1, 4, 2. 3; II,
the
2,
is
svaha, raibhi-
5, 2,
TV67I2-V^^IQ-VI * * 5 & iV
'
7
'
'
3, 1, 10. 11.
20
4, 2, 21.
22;
T2; X,
J
"
V
'
VII,
;
5, 2,
'
5, 2, 1.
'
'
52
;
2; XI,
'
VIII, 5, 4,
'
5,
18;
8, 3-7; XII, 3, 3, 2 4, 9 XIV, 4,3, 12 8, 15, 2. 9. In all these cases there is no mention of the Atharvan but neither ;
;
;
;
there any mention of any other literary type that has a distinctive standing outside of the trayi vidya. On the is
other hand, the Atharvan
is
mentioned
in
a
number
of cases,
every one of which presents also a lengthy list of additional literary forms. Thus XI, 5, 6, 4-8, rikah, ya^uwshi, samani, atharvarigirasa/?, anu^asanani. vidya, vakovakyam, XIII, 4, 3, 3 ff., riko itihasapura/^am, gatha narasamsyah ;
vtdah, ya^uwshi veda//, atharvawo veda//, arigiraso w&da/i,
sarpavidya
\edah,
itihaso veda//.
deva^anavidya veda/^, maya \edah, veda/;, samani vedah XIV, 5, 4,
purawaw
;
(=Brzh. Ar. II, 4, 10; IV, 1, 2; 5, 11), r/gvedo yagurvedah samavedo*tharvangirasa itiha.sa/1 ^wxanam vidya upanishadaZ: s\oka/i sutra/zy anuvyakhyanani vyakhyanani X. 5, 2, 20, adhvaryava// (yagu/i), 10;
6,
10,
6;
7, 3,
11
;
1
Ct. above, p. xviii.
XXXV11
INTRODUCTION.
//andoga// (saman), bahvrtfca./i (uktham). yatuvida/2 (yatu). Only a single Upanishad deva^anavida//. sarpavida// .
.
.
XIV, 8, 14, 1-4 ( = B/-?'h. Ar. Up. V, 13, 1-4). seems to mention, or rather hint at. the Atharvan in conpassage,
nection with representatives of the trayi vidya, without The series is uktham, ya^u//. mentioning other texts \ tlie passage possibly views the fourth sama, kshatram ;
Veda
Veda
as the
of the Kshatriyas, or,
substitutes the act of kshatra,
kshatriya as Atharvanic above.
The once
in
by
e.
more
precisely,
the performances of the Sec. for this, p. xxv,
distinction.
Taittiriya-brahma//a mentions the Atharvan twice. accordance with the method described above, at III. 12,
8,
2,
'
t
i
ngirasa^
he
.
.
.
riko ya^-uwshi samani atharvaIn the other itihasapunbvam.
passage, III, 12, 9, I, the Atharvan is menbrahmawa. tioned without the customary adjuncts, and that too before the Sama-veda. to wit. rikkm pra^i Taittinya-
.
mahati dig u^yate, dakshiwam ahur ya^usham aparam. atharvawam arigirasa;/* prati^i, samnam udii mahati dig uyate. But it is of interest to note that in the sequel, where sundry symbolic and mystic correlations of the Vedas with the sun, &c, are established, the Atharvan is wanting, and the operations take place with vedais tribhi//. Thus, rigbhik purvahne divi deva iyate, ya^urvede tish///ati
madhye
alma//,
samavedena^stamaye mahiyate,
vedair
We
shall not err in judging a^-unyas tribhir eti surya//. that the fourth Veda is mentioned in a purely formulaic
manner, only because
it is
needed to
fill
out the scheme of
the real theme at the four principal directions of space the heart of the author is the traividya, as, e. g. in III, 10, ;
ii, 5. 6.
On
the other hand,
neous to assume either
it
would be altogether erro-
hostility, or conscious discrimina-
The Taittiriya-ara;/yaka again tion against the Atharvan falls into line in two passages, II, 9 and 10, presenting the texts
in
their
most expansive form,
7'ika/i,
1
yag&tnshi,
Conversely the trayi is catalogued with other texts (vakovakyam itihacf. the same list sapurawam), but without the Atharvan, at XI, 5, 7, 6 .S'ahkh. Crih. I, 24, 8. ft'.
;
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
XXXV111
brahma//ani, itihasan, purawani, kalpan, gatha/^, narai-awsi/^. The only mention of the Atharvan as a literary type in
samani, atharvangirasa//,
.S'ahkhayana's 5rauta-sutra
is at XVI, 2, 2 ff., again in the riko veda/^, ya^urveda/^, atharvaveda^ connection with bhesha^am), aiigiraso veda/^
series, the remainmg ^rauta-
m
(
^j
n connection with ghoram), sarpavidya, ra-
kshovidya, asuravidya, itihasaveda/t, pura//aA veda/^, samaveda/^. Very similarly in Aj-valayana s 5rautasutra X, 7, 1 ff., riko veda// ya^urvedaZ, atharva/^aZ; veda/^ (with bhesha^am), aiigiraso veda// (with
ghoram),
vishavidya, pua^avidya, asuravidya, purawavidya, itihaso These passages are essentially idenveda//, samaveda//.
with
tical
wSat.
Br.
XIII,
4,
3
3,
ff.,
above
;
their chief
and ahgiras, respectively as representatives of the auspicious (bhesha^am) and terrible (ghoram = abhiarikam) activities of this Veda interest lies in the differentiation of atharvan
;
In the Pa;Xavi///.s-a-brahma//a, XII, 9, 10, 10, the Atharvan charms are mentioned
above, p. xviii
cf.
10
;
XVI,
favourably
ff.
bhesha"aw va atharvawani, and bhesha^"a;
:
vai
devanam
also
XXIII,
atharva;/o
Cf. bheshayayai*va*rish/yai. XI, 5 (cf. Ind. Stud. 111,463). The Va^asaneyi-sa7//hita mentions the traividya (or rik 16, 7;
Ka^.
S.
and saman without yaguh) frequently, IV, 1.9; VIII, 12 XVIII, 9. 29. 67; XX, 12 XXXIV, 5 XXXVI, 9 the Atharvan is nowhere mentioned in connection with the other ;
;
;
;
Once at XXX, i5 = Tait. Br. 111,4, 1, 11, a woman that miscarries (avatoka) is devoted to the Atharvans the Kaiu. 35, 12 (a reference, in the light of AV. VI, 17
three.
;
;
charm
hymns
to prevent miscarriage), seems to be to Atharvan or Atharvanic practices. Otherwise the word athar-
connections that admit of no special, or at Veda, VIII, 56 Neither is there, as far as is known, any mention
van occurs
any
in
rate obvious, reference to the fourth
XI, 32.
;
Atharvan in the Maitrayam-sa;hita, the Aitareya and Kaushitaki-brahma^as. or Katyayana's and La/yaof the
yana's 6rauta-sutras. The position of the Atharvan
according
to
this
evidence
is
in
the .rrauta-literature
what might be naturally
INTRODUCTION. expected
no evidence of repugnance or excluis blended with every sphere of religious thought and activity, and the only sane attitude on the part of these texts must
there
:
is
Witchcraft
siveness.
...
Resume of the ji-autatexts estimate
AV.
of the
XXXI X
fo
e
^\\e
of the
recognition &
.
literary
products .
.
which
are
the
distinction
by
repositories
No one will expect rigid consistency blows hot and cold from the same mouth
of witchcraft.
:
witchcraft
;
according as it is turned towards the inimical forces, human and demoniac, or is turned by others against oneThe AV. itself self, it is regarded as useful, or noxious. the same view by implication: the hymn, II, 12, hurls the bitterest invective against enemies that endeavour to thwart one's holy work this does not prevent one's takes
;
own endeavour
to
frustrate
the
the
of
sacrifice
an enemy
ensures
hymn, II, 7, protection against (VII, 70); curses and hostile plots, but does not prevent the existence of fierce imprecations and curses issued forth subjectively for the ruin of another (VI, 13 and 37). It is a question throughout of
my
The
sorcery, or thy sorcery.
flavour of
and virginal innocency is necessarily absent, and want crops out in connection with the performances of yatu even in the RV. (VII, 104, 15. 16), where the writer exclaims may I die to-day if I am a sorcerer/ and complains against his enemy who calls him, though he is pure, holiness this
'
:
a sorcerer, and against the real sorcerer
he
who
pretends that regarded here as
pure. Though yatu (sorcery) devilish (cf. e.g. AV. I, 7 and 8), the writer at Sat. Br. is
is
X,
not prevented from placing the yatuvida//, those that are skilled in sorcery,' in solemn array with the representatives of the holiest forms of literature, immediately
20
5, 2,
'
is
the
after
bahv7'/^a/^,
Atharvanic
as
And
activity.
exponent of on the other hand even bhe-
the characteristic
'
sha^am, cure, medicine,' the Atharvan, though well regarded off without a sneer.
IV, gd.ni
6,
2;
.Sat.
'
The
Br. IV,
altruistic
province of the does not come
in general,
Tait. S. VI, 4, 9, 3
1, 5,
14) says,
(cf.
Maitr. S.
brahmawena bhesha-
na karyam, 'a Brahman shall not practise medicine,'
the reason that
is
assigned being that the physician
is
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
X
impure, that the practice entails promiscuous, unaristocratic mingling with men 'men run to the physician' (MS. IV, :
l
6, 2, p. 80,
1.
1)
social standing
had produced
.
And we may
trust that the
canons of
and
literary appreciation of a people that the best that is to be found in Vedic litera-
altogether, when in the proper mood, to right value the wretched hocus-pocus of the bhesha^ani themselves, though these were the best that
ture could not
estimate at
fail
its
the Vedic period had produced for the relief of bodily ailment. Yet the Veda without witchcraft would not be the Veda, and the jrauta-texts are not in the position to throw stones against the Atharvan. Moreover it must not be forgotten that the Atharvan contains in its cosmo-
gonic and theosophic sections more material that undertakes to present the highest brahmavidya than any other Vedic
Sawhita
below,
(cf.
lution this
p. Ixvi)
;
was associated with
by whatever this
literary evo-
sphere of literature
and
incorporated into the redaction, it doubtless contributed to the floating of the more compact body of sorcery-charms, and its higher valuation among the more enlightened of the At any rate, a sober survey of the position of the people. Atharvan in the traividya yields the result that this Veda, while not within the proper sphere of the greater concerns of Vedic religious life, is considered within its own sphere as a Veda in perfectly good standing the question of its ;
relative importance, its authority,
and
its
canonicity
is
not
discussed, nor even suggested.
The The
AV
1
naturally somewhat freer in their reference to the AV., and in the mention of more or
apocryphal Atharvan teachers,
rarely, in
differ *"
in
the Upani-
less
Atharvan in the Upanishads does not from that in the miti in general. Aside rom t ^ie Atharvan Upanishads, which are
position of the
appear to
and usually
in
the -srauta-literature, Cf. the
i.
it
is
introduced but
manner prevalent elsewhere preceded by the tray!, and
the e.
pugan ya^ayanti, those who Mahabh. I, 2883, and the gramayajin, III, 151 and gramaya^aka, Mahabh. Ill, 13355. See also Vishwu
contempt
sacrifice for a crowd,'
for the pugaya^-wiyaA, ye
Manu
Manu IV, 205, LXXXII, 12; Gaut. XV,
16.
;
'
INTRODUCTION.
xli
Thus of other literary types. 10 Br. the passages quoted above from Sat. 6, XIV, 5, 4, Br/h. Ar. Up. II, 4, 10; IV, 1, 2 5, 11, 10, 6; 7, 3, 11 followed
by a
variable
list
;
=
;
and the Tait. Ar. II, 9 and 10, are of Upanishad character, and the Maitr. Up. VI, 32 repeats the list of texts stated at
=
Br/h. Ar. Up., just cited, in precisely the same Maitr. Up. VI, 33 ( = Maha Up. 2 Atharvajiras 4), has the list r/gya^u//samatharvahgirasa Br.
.Sat.
The same text
order.
;
purawam. The AV/and. Up. Ill, 1-4 deals with rik, yagufc, saman, atharvarigirasa/*-, and itihasapura#ani same list, the same text at VII, 1, 2. 4; 2, 1 7, 1, has the itihasa//
;
;
.
atharvawai-
.
.
aturtha//
itihasapura//a//
to
pa/7ama//,
which are added a lengthy series of additional sciences The Tait. Up. = Tait. Ar. VIII, 3, again, presents (vidya). the Atharvan in a formulaic connection, tasya (sc. atmana//) ya^-ur eva
slra/i,
rig dakshiz/a/'
paksha//, samo*ttara/z pax
There is, atma, atharvahgirasa/^ ^wkkh&m as far as is known, no additional mention of the Atharvan in the non-Atharvanic Upanishads, and it is evident that
ksha/r, adej-a
there
fourth
is
.
no marked change
Veda
is
handled.
in
the
manner
in
which the
Very much more numerous
are
the instances in which the trayi alone appears see Jacob's Concordance to the principal Upanishads, under the words ;
ya^-urveda, ya^urmaya, ya^us rmmaya, rik samaveda, samamaya, saman. They show that the draughts upon the Atharvan and the subsequent literary forms are, in general, made under the excitement of formulaic solem-
77'gveda,
nity
;
;
;
while on the other hand, needless to say. the Upani-
their eye aloft alike from hymn, sacrificial and witchcraft charm, have no occasion to condemn formula, the Atharvan, aside from that superior attitude of theirs which implies, and diplomatically expresses condemnation
shads with
of the entire
Even 1
in
Veda
that
is
not brahmavidya.
the Atharvan Upanishads there
This Upanishad belongs to a Yagas- school
;
is
sounded
in
hence the pre-eminence of the
The Atharvan is here forced into a position of disadvantage, and it ya^us. may be admitted that its mention after the ade.ra (Upanishad) is intentional. But there is really no other course open to the writer. The tenor of the entire mentioned. passage excludes the notion of disparagement of any of the texts
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
xlii
general neither the polemic nor the apologetic note which characterises the ritualistic writings of the Atharvan.
We
be
find, to if
radic,
tne
Atharvan
on
^
e
the late Prawava Up. a spo-
sure, in
not solitary, assumption of superiority 1 p ar Q f t ie AV. and an interpolated * j
j-
,
Upanishads.
the Pra.rna Up. V, 5 betrays the distinct tendency to secure at any cost the correlation of the Atharvan with the highest brahma 2 The authority in
passage
.
of Atharvanic teachers, Sanatkumara, Arigiras, Paippalada, &c, is, of course, cited with especial frequency in the
Atharvan Upanishads, helping to confer upon them an But in general, all that may be said is, that the Atharvan Upanishads mention the fourth Veda along with the other three more frequently than the corresponding tracts of the other schools, that the Atharvan is quietly added to the trayi, whether other literary forms esoteric school character.
like the itihasapura/zam,
&c, appear
in
the sequel, or not.
Even these Upanishads, however, occasionally lapse into more frequent habit of the bulk of the Vedic literature,
the
and
fail
not,
it
to refer to the Atharvan, whether consciously or seems impossible to tell. Thus the Muw/aka Up.
I. 1, 5 counts the four Vedas (Atharvan included) along with the Ahgas as the lesser science, above which towers
the science of Brahma rzgvedo, ya^urveda//, samavedo *tharvaveda/; jriksha, &c. But in II, 1,6 the list is, rikah sama ya^uwshi diksha yagiiaska. The Praj-na Up. II, 8 :
'
says of the Pra;/a,
'
life's
breath
(personified),
rishwaw
which seemingly con-
/arita;//
satyam atharvaiigirasam asi, an allusion to the Atharvan writings, but in II, 6 we have, pi awe sarva;;/ pratish///itam riko ya^uwshi samani 3 See also Mahanaraya;/a yagtiah kshatra;;/ brahma ka Up. 22. This betrays the usual preoccupation with the tains
.
traividya, which is not quite effaced by the possible allusion to the Atharvan in II, 8. The Nrz'si;/mapurvatapani Up. 1
See Ind. Stud.
2
See Ind. Stud.
I,
296
;
IX, 51.
453, note, and cf. Bohtlingk's critical edition of the Pra.rna in the Proceedings of the Royal Saxon Academy, November, 1890. 3
It
girasaj
I,
would have been easy a ye, or the like.
to substitute for the last four words, atharvan-
Cf. also Pra.rna V, 5, alluded to above.
INTRODUCTION.
xliii
2 has, r/gya^u/zsamatharva/zaj ^atvaro veda// -
I,
I, 4,
;
rig-
=
Nrzsi/hottarataII, 1 ( ya^"u//samatharvarupa// surya/z pani Up. 3 Atharva-rikha. Up. 1), rigbhih rigveda/i, ya^urbhir ya^urveda/z, samabhi/z samaveda/z, atharvawair mantrair ;
;
atharvaveda/z
in
;
V, 9
into the broader style of
falls
it
reference, rikah, ya^uwshi, samani, atharvaz/am, aiigirasam, finally to
kalpan, gatha/z, narasamsl/t, leading up which embraces all (sarvam). prawavam, the
But
2
.rakha//, pura;/ani,
Om
we have
V, rtgma.ya.rn ya^-urmayaw samamayaw brahmamayam amrz'tamayam, where brahmamayam obin
viously refers to the brahmavidya, the holy science, not to l And thus the Brahthe fourth Veda, the Brahmaveda .
mavidya Up. 5 culminating
in
ff.
the
recounts the
merits of the
traividya,
without reference to the Atharvan.
Om,
seems clear that even the Atharvan Upanishads as a class
It
are engaged neither in defending the Atharvan from attack, Other nor in securing for it any degree of prominence.
Atharvan occur
references to the
Atharva^iras
in
aham yagut aham sama*ham atharvangiraso*ham
1, ;
rig
Mu-
Up. 12-14, r/gve da, yaguh, saman, atharva/za ibid. 1, upanishadam Maha Up. 3, gayaatharvavedagatanam tram khanda rz'gveda/z, traish/ubha;// Mando ya^urveda//, gagatam khandah samaveda//, anush/ubha/w //ando*tharvaktika.
;
.
.
.
Cf. also ATulika
veda/z.
;
Up.
10, j^, 14.
turning to the Grzhya-sutras it would be natural to anticipate a closer degree of intimacy with the Atharvan, and hence a more frequent and less formulaic
On
reference
in the
Gr/hyasutras.
ing,
with
1
I,
2 .
broadly speakdashed strongly being
is itself,
,
in
verses quoted in the Grz'hya-sutras are
Many
The Upanishads do
Veda as Brahmaveda, unless and addenda, reported by Weber, Ind. Stud. occurrence of Brahmaveda is at Saukh. Gn'h. I, 16,
not designate the fourth
trust certain doubtful variants
301, note.
The
earliest
13 (see above, p. xxvii). 2 Cf., e.g. the use of roots, Par.
charm, '
For the subject-
writings.
of vidhana or sorcery-practice, i.e. the narrower sense and by dis-
many elements
tinction
its
..... Atharvanic, besides
Atharvanic features
we
to
matter of these texts
Ajv.
Ill,
12
(cf.
p.
remedial charms,' Asv. Ill,
I,
117 6,
3
13, ff.
ff.
;
1
;
.Sahkh.
of this Tar.
I,
I,
1
19,
;
23,
volume); the 16, 24
ff
.
;
III,
1
;
the battle-
bhaisha^yani, 6;
Ilir.
II,
7;
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
xliv
identical with, or variants of those contained in the
But even the as they must have been
sa//mita.
Atharva-
Grz'hya-rites, popular, nay vulgar, their untrammelled beginnings,
in
were, so to speak, Rishified, and passed through in due time a process of school-treatment which estranged them as far as possible from the specifically Atharvanic connec-
and assimilated them, as far as possible, to the Rigveda, Sama-veda, and Ya^ur-veda, as the case may be.
tions,
Thus
the battle-charm, A.sv. Ill, 1%, instead of drawing upon the very abundant mantras of this kind, contained in the AV. (see p. 117 ff.), is decked out with the scattering
be extracted from the RV. and Oldenberg's translations). In general the preference for mantras of the particular
material of this sort that
may
(see the notes to Stenzler's
not quite as great as in the 5rautaanticipation of a marked degree of literary The with the Atharvan is not materialised. relationship of and the Sama-veda Gr/hya-siitras Khadira), (Gobhila school
is
if
nearly
The
sutras.
and Apastamba 1 do not seem to mention the Atharvan at all Aivalayana (III, 3, 1-3), on the occasion of the svadhyaya, the daily recitation of the Veda, recommends the Atharvan, but the mention of this text is that which we have found to be the normal one in the 5rauta-literafollowed by ture, i.e. preceded by rzk, ya^u/^, and saman 2 brahma;/a, kalpa, gatha, nara^a///si, itihasa, and purawa ,
;
;
.
in
connection with a
Similarly Hira/^yakcrin (II, 19, 6), list of deities, mentions in order r/gveda, ya^urveda, samaveda, and itihasapura;/a in 6arikhayana I, 24, 8 the
long
;
Atharvan
is
Apast. VII, 18
even omitted
in
a similar
list,
which catalogues
the sawmanasyani, 'charms to secure harmony,' ff VIII, 23, 6. 7; Hir. I, 13, 19 ff. (cf. p. 134 ff.), &c. See in general the list of miscellaneous Grzhya-rites in Oldenberg's index to the Gr/hya-sutras, Sacred Books, vol. xxx, p. 306 ff. (cf.
]).
1
ff.)
;
Par. Ill, 7; Apast. Ill, 9,
4
.
;
1 This Sutra mentions neither rik, saman, nor atharvan, a probably unconscious preoccupation with the yagu/i that must not be construed as intentional chauvinism against the other Vedas. The mantra-materials quoted and
employed do not
differ in their general
physiognomy from those of the other
Sutras, but they are always referred to as yagu/i. '*
The passage
texts presented 5, 7> 5-
6
-
contains in slightly different arrangement the list of Vedic II, 9 and 10, above; cf. also Sat. Br. XI,
by the Tait. Ar.
INTRODUCTION.
xlv
rigveda, ya^urveda, samaveda, vakovakyam, itihasapuraam, and finally sarvan vedan (cf. the same grouping, Sat. Br. XI, 5, 7, 6 ff.). But in Sankh. I, 16, 3 (brahmaveda) Hir. II, 3, 9 (atharvangirasa/z) II, 18, 3; 20, 9 (atharvaPar. II, 10, 21 (atharva//am) 10, II, 7 (atharvaveda) veda) ;
;
;
;
a distinct advance along the line of later development in the familiar mention of the fourth Veda this is
there
is
;
not
balanced altogether by the restriction to the
trayi,
15; 24, 2; Hir. I, 5, 13; II, 13, i, or the Asv. restriction to two Vedas, Gobh. I, 6, 19 III, 2, 48 Par. I, 6, 3 = vSankh. I, 13. 4, because these passages I, J, 6 ^arikh.
22,
I,
;
;
are to a considerable extent quotations, or modifications The true value of this of mantras derived from the miti. is
testimony sutras,
the Grz'hyachronological, not sentimental as their subject-matter is akin to the :
much
as
Atharvan, are not imbued with a sense of its especial value and importance, any more than the ^rauta-texts. They handle their materials
in
a self-centred
fashion, without
acknowledging any dependence upon the literary collections of the Atharvans their more frequent reference to the fourth Veda is formulaic in every single instance, and the ;
greater frequency with which it is mentioned marks the later chronology of the Grz'hya-sutras (cf. Oldenberg, Sacred
Books,
vol.
xxx, pp.
i
and xvii ff.). the Vedic
The construction of as we have seen, such nation
ATr The AV. rr,
in the
sion
law-
there
far as this
against &
Veda
;
blessings pronounced of the individual,
life
holy by
its
at
the
from
very terms.
life it
is,
any genuine discrimiIn so the Atharvan.
offers the
against the ills of demons) in so far as
by
literature in general
as to forbid
means of defence and posses-
(disease
presents the auspicious in the
sacramental points conception
Even
to
witchcraft
is
death,
it
is
part of the
it has penetrated and has become intimately the broad current with the holiest Vedic rites blended
religion
;
;
of popular religion and superstition has infiltrated itself through numberless channels into the higher religion that is
presented by the Brahman priests, and it may be prethat the priests were neither able to cleanse their
sumed
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
xlvi
of folk-belief with which religious beliefs from the mass was surrounded, nor is it at all likely that they found But there is another field it in their interest to do so. reach down to the Veda, in also of literature whose roots which judgment must be passed over the more unclean
own it
The broad sinister phases of Atharvanic activity. arena on which men meet in daily contact is the true The need of doing unto others field for the golden rule. and
what one would have others do unto the opposite undone, is sure to be expression in the proper literature.
and leaving and sure to gain This literature is the oneself,
felt,
literature (dharma), more narrowly that part of it which deals with the mutual rights and obligations of men, the vyavahara-chapters of the legal Sutras and 6astras. Here also the Atharvan retains in a measure its place by
legal
virtue of
its
indispensable
profound hold upon popular beliefs, because sciences like medicine and astrology are
distinction, and because the Atharvan performs, especially for the king, inestimable services in the The king's chaplain injury and overthrow of enemies. in was all probability as a rule an Atharvan (purohita)
Atharvanic by
But incantations, sorceries, and (cf. Ya^wav. I, 312). love-charms do work injury, and the dharma-literature pronounces with no uncertain voice the judgment that the priest
Atharvan, while useful and indispensable under certain circumstances, is on the whole inferior in character and position, that its practices are impure, and either stand in need of regulation, or must be prohibited by the proper
punishments.
The Atharvan
is not mentioned very frequently either the Dharma-sutras, the older metrical Dharma-j-astras, or in the more modern legal Smr/tis. In Vishwu XXX, 37;
in
Baudh. 107)
;
1
(cf.
nanda, vol.
1
In
distinct
this
i,
2 ,
;
Manu p.
passage,
from the
geschichte
Ya^vZav. I, 44 (cf. Manu II, Auj-anasa-smr/ti III, 44 (C7iva514), the Atharvan is mentioned in the
II, 5, 9, 14
ioi
IV,
3,
II, 85)
4
;
;
the Atharvan is kept Weber, Indische Literatur-
vedatharvapura;zani setihasani,
trayi, the
p. 165, note.
veda by distinction
;
cf.
INTRODUCTION. normal Vedic manner,
i.e.
xl Vll
preceded by the traividya, and
followed by other literary types, especially the itihasapuIt is worthy of note that in only three of the five ra//am. cases (Baudh. II, 5,
the older
9,
14; Ykgnav.
I,
44; Aus.
name
Ill, 44),
the other three
atharvaiigirasa/z appears have atharvaveda, or atharvan. But it seems altogether impossible to derive from this any chronological indications as to the date of a given legal text, since U^anas, or even ;
Ya^wavalkya, is certainly later than Baudhayana and Vish/m. At this time the names atharvaveda, atharvan, atharva;/a have established themselves as the equivalent of the older atharvarigirasa/z, but the older name crops out at times in At Ya^;7av. I, 3 the fourth Veda is a purely chance way. also implied as one of the fourteen foundations of know-
ledge and law, without being mentioned by name cf. also Au^anasa-smrz'ti V, 66 (Civananda, vol. i, p. 531, bottom). The Atharvan, however, holds also the position of the ;
fourth
Veda
in cases
where no additional
literature
is
men-
at Baudh. Ill, 9, 4 burnt oblations are offered to tioned the four Vedas and many divinities at Baudh. IV, 5, 1 the ;
;
Saman, Rik, Ya^us, and Atharva-veda are mentioned
in
connection with oblations calculated to procure the special wishes of one's heart (kamyesh/aya//). At Vas. XXII, 9 the Vedas (sarvaManda/zsaw/hita//) are the Atharvan is the purificatory texts among be to intended included, especially as the Atharprobably the Sawhitas of
all
counted
:
In the late explicitly mentioned. * the atharva/zani Vrz'ddhaharita-sa7/2hita III, 45 (sc. suktani) In the are on a level with the riko ya^uwshi and samani. va.riras (see
below)
is
Aiuanasa-smrz'ti III, 86 (Civananda, vol. i, p. 518) the twiceborn is recommended to read either a Veda, two Vedas, the
Vedas, or the four Vedas, a distinction between the trayi vidya and the four Vedas, not explicitly stated elsewhere. The Athai-va^iras, an Upanishad connected with the AV., Vas. XXII, is mentioned a number of times, Gaut. XIX, 12 ;
9
;
XXVIII, 14
;
Aiuanasa-smrz'ti IV, 5
mentioned under the name of
.Siras at
same text is Baudh. IV, 1, 28; ;
the
See Givanandavidyasagara's Dharmajastrasawgraha, vol.
i,
p.
213.
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
xlviii
Vas.
XXV, 13 Bauclh. II, 8,
XXI, 6-8
called
5iras,
;
;
Vish/m LV, 14,
Certain vows
9.
2; Vas.
XXVI,
also
12,
emanate from the sphere of Atharvanic practices so Govinda at Baudh. loc. cit. More pointedly, and without ;
the
company
of the
traividya, the sacred
texts
of the
Atharvan and Ahgiras (.rrutir atharvahgirasi//) are recommended as the true weapons with which the Brahmawa may slay his enemies, Manu XI, $$ the king must choose for his chaplain (purohita) one who is skilled in the Atharvan and Ahgiras (atharvarigirase), Ya^Tzav. I, 312 1 and the same recommendation is implied at Gaut. XI, 15. 17, where the king is enjoined to take heed of that which astrologers and interpreters of omens tell him, and to cause the puro;
;
hita to perform in his house-fire
among
other expiatory
prosperity (mahgala), and witchcraft
rites (j-anti), rites for
2 Such a purohita is practices (abhiMra) against enemies eo ipso an Atharvan priest. In the Atri-sa;/mita (iva.
nanda's collection, '
Atharvan
vol.
i,
p.
45) ^yotirvido are .
priests skilled in astrology
'
.
.
atharva//a/,
recommended
performance of .sraddhas and sacrifices (cf. Vish/m 75 Yagvjav. I, 332). The snataka must not live in a country without physicians, Vish/zu LXXI, 66, and the for the III,
;
king should consult his physicians in the morning, Ya^/av. At Vish/m III, 87, the king himself is urged to I, 332. be conversant with incantations dispelling the effects of poison and sickness, and at Manu VII, 217, the food of the king is rendered salubrious by sacred texts that destroy poison
:
these passages evidently refer to Atharvanic bhai-
sha^yani
(cf. p.
25
ff.),
and Atharvan
priests skilled in their
At Baudh. II, 8, 15, 4 Vish;/u LXXIII, 1 LXXXL 4, the demons called yatudhana are driven out by means of sesame, in perfect accord with AV. I, 7, 2. Thus far then the dharma-literature expresses regard for use.
;
1
;
the Atharvan, and distinct dependence upon its literature and its practices. But the ever dubious quality of the fourth
Veda sounds from 1
The king
2
This
himself
is
notes pitched in a different key. urged
the stereotyped kabhi/iarika ; see p. xxix. is
(ib. I,
summary
In the
310) to devote himself to the trayi. of the functions of the AV., -rantapush/i-
INTRODUCTION.
xl XI1X
first place we may remark that the conspicuous omission of this Veda which characterises the irauta-literature, with-
out pronounced disapproval of the Atharvan, is continued in the dharma-texts. Thus notably in the prohibition of the recital of the
other Vedas while the sound of the
Samans
heard, these texts mention only the rik and the yaguh see Gaut. XVI, 21; Vas. XIII, 30; Vishwu XXX, 26 is
Manu
IV,
At Baudh.
124.
123.
IV,
5,
;
;
Manu XI,
29;
263-66, the recitation of the traividya is recommended as a most efficient means of purification and release from sin. In the cosmogonic account, Manu I, 23, only rik, ya.gu/i, and saman are derived from the primeval creation. In Baudh. II, 8, 14, 4. 5; Manu III, 145, the traividya and
adherents only appear at the funeral-offerings (.sraddha), though the Atri-sawmita singles out Atharvans skilled in its
astronomy on that very occasion
Manu
XII, 112
(cf.
Ya^vZav.
Vedas are recommended
I,
(see above, p. xlviii). 9)
At
adherents of the three
as an
assembly (parishad) to decide 21 punishment is declared for
r points of law; at Ya^wav. II, that abuses one skilled in the three
him
Vedas at Ya^v/av. is the to himself to the study of devote 310 king urged the trayi (vidya) his chaplain, on the other hand, must be ;
I,
;
skilled in the manipulation of the
atharvahgirasam
(ib. I,
The
312). inferiority of the Atharvan is stated outright at Apast. II, 11, 29, to. 11, where it is said that the knowledge of women and .Sudras is a supplement of the Atharva-
veda
(cf.
Buhler, Sacred Books, vol.
ii,
p.
xxix)
more brusquely Vishz/u V, 191 counts him that
;
and yet recites a
deadly incantation from the Atharva-veda as one of the seven kinds of assassins.
more
frequently, performances which imply the and use of the Atharvan are decried and knowledge punished, though the writings of the Atharvan are not Thus magic rites with intent to expressly mentioned. harm enemies, and sorceries and curses in general, cause Still
impurity, and are visited with severe penances at Apast.
I,
15; Baudh. II, 1, 2, 16; Gaut. XXV, 7; Vish;/u XXXVII, 26 LIV, 25; Manu IX. 290; XI, 198 Ya^v/av. Ill, 289. Yet the other side of the coin is turned 9,
26, 7;
io, 29,
;
;
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
1
up
Manu
at
XI, 33, where the Atharvan is recommended weapon of the Brahma//a against his enemies
as the natural
Narada, V, 108, also betrays his hostile (see above). attitude towards sorcery when he remarks that the sage took an oath, being accused of witchcraft *. With especial frequency and emphasis the impurity of physicians is insisted upon, Apast. I, 6, 18, 20; 19, 15; Vish/m LI, 10; LXXXII, 9; Gaut. XVII, 17 Vas. XIV, Vasish/Z^a
;
Manu
180; IV, 212. 220; Ya^wav. I, 162; we gathered above (p. xxxix) that the practice of III, 240 medicine is regarded in the .same light in the Brahmawas Astrothe charge, of course, reflects upon the Atharvan. 2.
19;
III, 152.
:
;
logy also, and fortune-telling, are impure occupations, Baudh. II, 1, 2, 16; Manu IX, 258; the practice of astroManu VI, 50; logy is forbidden to ascetics, Vas. X, 21 ;
and the astrologer
excluded from the jraddha, Vish/m LXXXII, 7; Manu III, 162. That these practices were Atharvanic in character we may gather from AV. VI, 128 is
;
Kau^-. 50, 15
An
2
especially pointed reflection against the AV. is implied in the prohibition of the mulakriya or 3 mulakarma, 'practices with roots :' at Vishwu XXV, 7 .
wives are especially forbidden to engage in such practice ; at Manu IX, 290 magic rites with roots, practised by persons not related to him against whom they are directed, are regarded as sinful 4 at Manu XI, 64 practices with ;
roots in general are forbidden. Such practices abound in RV. X, 145) the AV. and its ritual; see I, 34; III, 18 (
=
;
V, 31, T2 VI, 138. 139 VII, 38, &c, and the performances connected with them (cf. p. 99 ff. and the commentary on ;
;
these hymns).
Though they
are not wanting elsewhere,
especially in the Grzhya-sutras, the brunt of the charge is without doubt directed against the Atharvan. Finally, at
Gaut. 1
XV,
He
16
;
Vish/m
LXXXII,
12
;
has in mind the asseveration of the poet,
Manu
III,
RV. VII,
151
;
IV,
104, 15, adyjf
muiiya yadi yatudhano asmi, &c, may I die to-day if I am a sorcerer.' J Cf. Seven Hymns of the Atharva-vtda,' Amer. Journ. Phil. VII, 484 '
'
'
(19 8
4
of the reprint) the present volume, pp. 160, 532 ff. Cf. the same prohibition in the Mahabharata, below, p.
ff.
The commentator Narada
ag.iinst a
ff.
;
husband or
relative.
liv.
states that they are permissible, if practised
INTRODUCTION. 205,
he who practises
pronounced impure was largely,
activity
van-priests
;
cf.
li
a multitude (gramaya^aka)
for
we may presume
:
is
that this kind of
not entirely in the hands of Atharthe note on p. xl. if
The
position of the Atharvan in the Mahabharata may be characterised in the single statement that its importance
Th
av
'
theMaha-
its canonicity, are finally and established that its practices are completely
as a Veda,
and
familiarly
known
;
general, not
in
There
criticism.
jected to affinity
and,
any particular between the great Epic and the of a
is
sub-
no especial
jrauta-literature.
considerable
quantity of barring the continuance the legendary materials (akhyana) which are woven into the descriptions of the Vedic sacrifices in the Brahma/ms hence there is nothing in the Epic to induce preoccupa-
;
On the other hand, the great tion with the trayi vidya. collection deals so largely with the interests of the Kshatriyas as to preclude any conscious discrimination against the fourth Veda, since this Veda also is to a very considerable extent engaged in the interest of the kings (ra^akarma/zi, Kauj-ika, chapters 14 to 17), and the practices of their chaplains (purohita) are also largely AtharIt is true that the Mahabharata in vanic in character.
common
with
all
Hindu
literature, the
Atharvan
literature
not excluded, mentions frequently only the three Vedas by their distinctive names, or by the generic terms trayi vidya.
Thus in the passages assembled in and trayo veda//. A. Holtzmann's sufficiently exhaustive collectanea on this question in his work on the Epic, Das Mahabharata und seine Theile, vol. iv, p. 5, the prevailing Vedic habit of But there can be little referring to the Vedas is continued. question that this mode of reference has at this time, as doubtless in a measure also in the period of Vedic productivity, become a stereotyped mechanical habit, continued
from the tradition of
earlier times
Deutsch. Morgenl. Gesellsch.
German expression is
'
XL,
;
cf.
701,
Biihler, Zeitschr. d.
who compares
die vier Erdtheile,' and the like.
no indication that the mention of the Atharvan
sciously avoided.
d2
the
There is
con-
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
Hi
The main proof and
of the high regard for the Atharvan
unchallenged position in the canon, are the quasicosmogonic passages in which the four Vedas figure in the its
primordial transactions of the creation of the world, and with the personified creator. Thus, at V, 108,
its affinity
10=3770 Brahman is said Vedas; Brahman himself is
to
have
sung the four
first
called A'aturveda, III, 203, 15 as at XIX, 238, 9 (Bhav.) Vish/m 13560, similarly at III, 189, 14=12963; VI, 6j, 6 12884; 3019 Vishnu
=
=
=
himself declares that the four Vedas (atharva^a the fourth) have sprung from him. According to XIX, 14, 15 (Bhav.) = 11516, Brahman created first the tristich called Gayatri, the mother of the Vedas, and afterwards the four Vedas according to XIX, 53, 41 (Bhav.)= 13210 he carries upon each of his four heads one of the Vedas, or, according to II, 11, 32 = 449, the four Vedas dwell bodily in his palace.
;
At XII,
347,
ingly the
owe
it
Brahman
demons
malicious
27=13476
Vedas from Brahman, and Vish/m
steal the four
Accordand the kings, both of whom
priest
restores them.
to themselves to be vedavid, are
more
specifically
described as knowing and reciting the four Vedas, at
37
= 2880
ff.
;
VII,
9,
29 = 289;
XIX,
142,
1
I,
70,
(Vish.)=7993,
where a Brahmazza
is designated as X'aturveda//, just as the Other instances of the mention divinity Brahman, above. of the four Vedas, with or without other literary composi-
I, 1, 21 L.i, 264; 11,11,32 = 450; 111,43,41 = 1661 (akhyanapa/}/amair vedai/z) III, 58, 9 = 2247 (aturo vedan sarvan akhyanapa/X6aman) III, 64, 17 = 2417 (at-
tions, are
;
;
;
varo veda/z sarigopanga/z) III, 189, 14=12963; V, 44, 28 = 1711 VII, 59, 15 = 2238; VII, 149, 22 = 6470; XII, 236, ;
;
= 8613; XII, 341, 8 = 13136 1
28=12723; XII,
8= 12872;
XII, ya^urvede tathai*va*tharvasamasu, pura//e sopanishade); XII, 342,97= 13256 ff.; XII, 347, 28 = 13476; XIII, 17, 91 = 1205 ff. (where the Atharvan appears first, atharva-rirsha/z samasya rzksahasramite335,
(rz'gvede
.
.
339,
.
kshaa/z, ya^u/zpadabhu^o guhya/z) XIII, 11 1, 46 = 5443; XIII, 168, 31 = 7736; XIX, 109, 5 (Vish.) = 949i (atvaro ;
sakhila veda// sarahasya/z savistara/z)
= 11665.
Cf.
Holtzmann,
I.e., p. 6.
;
XIX,
14, 15 (Bhav.)
INTRODUCTION.
By
itself
the Atharvan
is
Hii
mentioned numerous times: as
atharvarigiras (singular), atharvaiigirasa/^ (plural), atharva-
atharvan, atharva/za, atharva^a, and atharva-veda. Invariably the statements presenting these names are either rigirasa,
directly laudatory, or they exhibit the Atharvan in an indisputable position of usefulness. At III, 305, 20=17066
Kunti knows mantras, atharvarigirasi 1 mitam, for compelling the gods to appear; at II, 11, 19 = 437 the atharvarigirasa//, personified, are mentioned honorifically along with other Vedic Rishis at V, 18, 5 = 548 ft. Aiigiras Indra with and Indra declares atharvavedamantrai/, praises that this Veda shall henceforth have the name atharvahgi;
At XII, 342, 99 = 13258 ff. Pra^apati declares that rasa. the sages skilled in the Atharvan (vipra atharva/zavidas) fashion him into an Atharvan priest, devoted to the practice (pa/^akalpam atharva//am). At V, 37, Atharvan practitioners (atharva;/a/z) are spoken in a friendly way For him that has been wounded with the arrow of wit there are no physicians and no herbs, no sacrificial formulas, no amulets, no Atharvawas (conjurers), and no skilful remedies 2 See also I, 70, 40=2883; III, of the five kalpas
58 of
= 1391
'
:
.'
251,24=15147; XIII, 14, 309 = 901 In a number of places weapons are and
;
XIII, 94, 44 = 4590. be as fierce
said to
efficacious as the sorcery-practices
of the
Atharvan
(krztyam atharvangirasim iva), VIII, 40, 33=1848; VIII, 90,4 = 4625; VIII, 91,48 = 4795; IX, 17, 44 = 907; XIII, the passages imply neither praise nor blame, 98. 13 = 4706 :
but represent Atharvan practices as familiarly established the customs of the people. scarcely to be expected that the Atharvan and
among It
is
practices, notwithstanding their establishment in the
its
good
graces of the epic writers, shall come off entirely without there must have been persons aching under its criticism ;
supposed vulgarity.
inflictions,
and moods awake to a Mahabharata
In such cases the
the spirit of the dharma-texts.
1
2
Thus
full
sense of
its
reflects entirely
at XII,
36-28 = 1322
In the Calcutta edition, atharvajirasi for atharvaiigirasi. Cf. Lohtlingk, Indische Spriiehe, 1497-8.
;
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
Hv
XIII, 90, 13 = 4282, physicians are declared to be impure Practices undertaken by bad women (cf. above, p. 1). with charms and
roots (mantramulapara stri
.
inula-
.
.
pra^ara) are inveighed against the man that has a wife addicted to them would be afraid of her, as of a snake that :
had got into the house,
III,
of the
identical
233,
13=14660
ff.
;
cf.
the l
dharma-texts above,
p. 1) . prohibition Women are said at XIII, 39, 6 = 2237 ff. (cf. Bohtlingk's Indische Spniche 2 6407) to be skilled in the sorceries of the ,
demons Namu/'i, 5ambara, and Kumbhinasi. Magic Thus kr/tya. is or sorcery is in general regarded as good. evil
regarded as the divinity of witchcraft (abhi^aradevata) by the commentator on VII, 92, 54 = 3314, and krz'tya, abhiara, and maya are in general allowable, but yet it is possible in the view of the Epic to bewitch right to make it wrong, to be a dharmabhLarin, XII, 140, 42 = 5288, or to use foul
maya, VII, 30, 15=1316 ff. (see above, p. xxix, Hopkins, Journ. Amer. Or. Soc. XIII, 312 ff.). In the Ramayawa the Vedas in general are mentioned very frequently special Vedic names appear to be rare, the Sama-veda (samaga//) being mentioned at IV, 27, 10,
and
cf.
;
the Taittiriya (a^aryas taittiriya//am) at II, 32, 7 (cf. Ind. The Atharvan (mantras a*tharva;/a//) Stud. I, 297). 21. occurs at II, 26,
Atharvan is scarcely menMahabh. V, 37, 58= 1391 in Bohtlingk's Indische 2 Spruche 4216), but the mantras of the AtharThe AV. in van are in the minds of the poets, though the later In the proverb-literature the
tioned
(cf.
,
.
.
literature
in general.
....
,
they usually speak of mantras .without specification. Thus a .
in
general
.
comparison
of proverbs 1497-8 with 4216 seems to call up the atmosphere of the Atharvan practices in their mention of aushastill more clearly rogaviyogamantraat 2538 refers to the bhesha^ani of the AV., and
dhani and mantrawi
mahima
varayitum
;
vyadhir bhesha^asawgrahau ka. vividhamantraprayogair visham, proverb 6348, both to the sa.kya.rn
.
.
.
The sentiment has become proverbial (Bohtlingk's Indische Spriiche\ 5260). 1
;
see
J>arng.
Paddh.,
niti
76 b
h
INTRODUCTION.
bhesha^-ani and the charms against poison (see p. 25 fif.). The knowledge of sorcery, dreaded in women (see the prohibitions in the dharma, p. 1 above), is alluded to in
= proverbial form at 526o
Mahabh.
Ill,
233,
XIII, 39, 6 = 2237. In the Daj-akumara-X-arita the Atharvan
and
13=14660;
6407 = Mahabh.
is
employed
an obvious sorcery practice, atharvawikena vidhina (chapter iii, p. 108, 13), where priests perform sacrifices preliminary to transforming a person from one shape once
twice,
in
Another time (chapter
to another.
vidhina).
Cf.
94) a marriage
p.
ii,
Atharvanic ceremonies
with
celebrated
is
Weber, Ind. Stud.
328. In the Kiratar^-uniya X, 10 Muir, Orig. Sanskrit Texts I
297
I,
;
(atharva//ena Ind. Streifen,
I,
Ind. Stud.
Weber,
(cf.
I,
289
;
2
p. 395) there is a passage which shows that the potency of the Atharvan had not ,
then waned anupama.s'amadiptitagariyan krz'tapadapanktir atharva;zena veda//, he (Ar^-una), being through unparalleled composure and fervour exceedingly powerful, as the :
'
Veda arranged by Atharvan V The Pura^as always speak
of the fourfold
Veda
-,
and
of the ritualpresent the Atharvan in the advanced position The istic literature of the AV. itself; cf. below, p. lvii ff. to the four Vedas four the Vishu-pura//a, p. 276, assigns priests
of the
Similarly at
the
jrauta-ritual,
Prasthana-bheda,
p.
AV. 16,
to 1.
the
Brahman.
10, there
is
the
statement, paurohitya;;/ .yantipaush/ikani ra^-wam atharvavedena karayed brahmatvaw ka. cf. Max Muller, Ancient ;
Sanskrit Literature, p. 476. 19. 20 speaks of the fourfold
1
The Bhagavata-pura;/a I, 4, Veda designed for the execu-
Mallinatha comments upon the passage, and cites an agama, to wit rama// abhyuda) akandc diptita ugrata abhi/tarakaWe atharvawa vasish//*ena kreta :
5antir
sa vedaj aturthaveda/j, atharvaas tu padana/// panktir anupurvo yasya The passage has a twofold mantroddharo vasish^ena krha. ity a^amai it reflects the ancient Atharvanic (abhyudaya) and Angirasic (abhiinterest
ia/."ita
:
components of the Veda, and above, p. xviii, and below, p. lxv. /(ara)
2
Cf. Colebrooke, Miscellaneous
it
I, 5
its
Essays, vol.
(Wilson's translation, vol. be the northern mouth of Brahman.
purawa
ascribes
i,
p. 85),
i,
redaction to VasishA&a
p.
10.
;
cf.
See, e.g. Vishwuis said to
where the Atharvan
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
Ivi
tion of the sacrifice (ya^Tzasawtatyai
vedam ekaw
atur-
the sequel. At VI, the veda. the Also, 6, 19 figures atharvarigirasa Matsyapura//a, as quoted by Saya/za in the introduction to the
vidham), mentioning them by name
in
AV., p. 6, orders that the purohita shall compass the Mantras and the Brahma//a of the AV. and the Mar;
kaw^/eya-purawa claims that the king consecrated with the Mantras of the AV. enjoys the earth and the ocean see ;
Sayaz/a, ibid. In the C7ainist Siddhanta,
246-7
II,
;
the Caina and Bauddha
fifth anga (bhagavati), I, 441 X, 3, the scope of Vedic or upanga, I, 76 Brahmanical literature is stated as riuveda, ;
;
samaveda,
^a^-uveda,
vawa _)
writings.
ahavva/mveda
(athav-
see
Weber,
itihasapa;///amaOT
.
.
.
:
.
.
Verzeichniss der Sanskrit- und Prakrit-Hand-
423-4; and Ind. Stud. XVI, pp. 238, 304, 379, 423, 474 \ According to Weber, ibid., p. 237, the Siddhanta is to be placed between the second and fifth centuries of our era. This mode of describing the Vedic literature we found above to prevail from the time of the .Sat. Br. to the Mahabharata. In the Sutrakrz'tariga-sutra II, 27 (see Jacobi's translation, Sacred Books, vol. xlv, p. 366) the incantations of the Atharvan (atharva/zi) are schriften,
II,
naturally spoken of in condemnatory language. As specimens of the view of the Buddhist writings we may quote the A///mkavagga 14, 13 of the Sutta-nipata (Fausboll's translation, Sacred Books, vol. x, part ii, p. 176), where the practice of the Athabbaz/a-veda is forbidden. To
the
condemnation of practices essentially Atharvanic in is devoted the Maha Silaw, in the second chapter
character
of the Tevi^-a-sutta
;
see
Rhys Davids'
translation in the
Sacred Books,
vol. xi,
Kullavagga V,
32, 2, ibid., vol. xx, p. 152.
1
Cf.
p. 221.
also
pp. 196-200, similarly the Vinaya,
Kalpa-sutra, in Jacobi's
translation,
Sacred Books, vol. xxii,
INTRODUCTION.
The Atharva-veda
III.
in
Ivii
the view of
its
Ritualistic Literature. It is
but natural to expect, and the expectation nowhere
meets with disappointment, that the Atharvan texts in general should allude with predilection, and The normal
.
theAV.inits
own
.
m
estimate of literature.
.
.
terms of praise, to their own kind of comthe mythical positions, to sages who are J their reputed authors, and to the priests
devoted to the practices that went hand recitation of the Atharvans and Arigiras.
in
hand with the
We
found above, a sufficiently marked tendency on the part of the Sa///hita itself and the Atharvan Upanishads to do this there was occasion to note, too, that this tendency (pp. xxxii, xlii),
;
was followed out naturally and with moderation. Certainly there is no indication in these texts of any systematic attempt to make battle against the ancient threefold Veda, or to enter into polemics against the priests devoted to their respective duties while reciting or chanting its mantras.
Similarly the
ritual
offers,
AV. allude preferably, own Veda, and as occasion Thus priests schooled in it.
texts of the
and yet incidentally,
to their
bring to the front the
is offered to Bhrz'gu and Arigiras with other divinities, without mention, however, of along The any specific representatives of the other Vedas.
Kauj\ 139, 6 an oblation
expression. Kauj 125, 2, vedabhigupto brahmawa parivr/to *tharvabhi/z j-anta// 1, illustrates this passive preference for -
.
the Atharvan very well; cf. also 137, 25. Again, Kau.r. 63, 3, four priests descended from Tv'/shis, skilled in the bhrzgvarigirasa//, are employed very naturally, larly allusion is made to Atharvan priests and
schools, Kaiij-. 59, 25; 46, 2
;
y^,
Arigiras, 1
1
;
73, 12; Vait. Su. 1, 5; Ath. Pari.?. In the Atharva-paruish/as Bhr/gu,
and Atharvan figure more frequently than any
The passage
l'.rahman and the nan.askrj'tya,
77, 4.
and simiAtharvan
reflects also
brahma
;
and see below,
cf.
the Atharvanic connection of their
Ath.
p. lxii
1'aii.f.
ff.
Veda with
2,1, brahmawe brahinavedaya
.
.
.
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
lviii
other names they have become the typical teachers of the trivialities which these texts profess. But over and above this the ritual texts raise certain :
claims
special
Nature of the especial claims of the ntual texts.
The
Veda.
three heads.
the
regarding
of the
position
Atharvan
among the Vedas, and they J further make the demand with strident voice and obvious fa
.
'
,
.
,
.
,
.
intention that certain offices shall be polemic 1 reserved for the priests conversant with that
position of these texts may be stated under First, they are not content with the rather
which refer general to a threefold Veda, reserving, as we have seen, the honorific mention of the fourth Veda to more or less vacillating attitude of the non-Atharvanic texts in
well-defined o:casions, especially to moods when it is felt desirable to call into requisition the entire range of Vedic literary composition in addition to the trayi vidya (e. g. itihasa, pura//a, gatha, &c). Secondly, the office of the
Brahman, the fourth priest at the jrauta-ceremonies, who and corrects by means of expiatory formulas (praya^itta) the accidents and blunders of hotar, udgatar, and adhvaryu, is said to belong to an Atharvavedin, and oversees
the Vaitana-sutra in fact exhibits the bhz'/gvangirovid in Thirdly, a similar claim is possession of that office.
advanced in respect to the office of the purohita. Again and again it is stated that the purohita, guru, or brahman of a king, the chaplain or house-priest, shall be conversant with the Atharvan writings, shall be an Atharvan priest, and this claim, as we have seen above (p. xlvi), is supported to some extent by later Brahmanical treatises not derived from Atharvan schools. Cf. also below, p. lxvii.
The Gopatha-brahmawa,
in its opening chapters I, 1,4describes the 10, cosmogonic origin of the universe and Unlike the Vedas from the lone brahma. v ,.
,. Exaltation of the av.
other texts, which as a rule ignore the Atharvan in these creative accounts, the atharvan
and the angiras texts are placed at the head the other Vedic texts (rz'k, ya^u//, and saman, I, 1, 6), as well as the ;
subsidiary compositions (the five Vedas, called sarpaveda,
puaX'aveda, asuraveda, itihasaveda, and purawaveda,
I,
1,
INTRODUCTION. are relegated
10),
Atharvan
is
Gop. Br. greatest
I,
to
the rear.
llX
At
Vait.
Su.
1
6,
the
again placed at the head of the four Vedas. the Atharvan compositions as the 3, 4 lauds manifestation,
religious
bhr/gvangirasa/^, and
brahma yad
etad
vai
at
2,
I,
bhuyish///aw
16
I.
(cf.
2,
18)
the Atharvan figures as the fourth Veda by the name of Brahma-veda, being here correlated with the service of the l Brahman-priest as the overseer at the jrauta-ceremonies At I, i, 9 there is quoted a stanza, thoroughly Upanishad in character, which shows that the Atharvanists correlated
.
the knowledge of brahma, the higher and subtler religious conception, which at all times is raised
their
Veda with
above any special knowledge of the constituent parts of The highest Veda was born of tapas, the Vedic religion 2 in of those that know the brahma .' it the heart grew '
:
The Atharvan
texts never cite the trayi vidya in
ritual
3 differformulary order without including the fourth Veda and the Sawhita of from the text in even this ing regard ,
The first the Atharvan Upanishads (see pp. xxxii, xliii). that they the assertion with ends (1, 5, 25) who study the trayi reach, to be sure, the highest heaven half of the Gop. Br.
(trivish/apaw tridivazw
nakam uttamam), but
yet the Athar-
vans and Angiras go beyond to the great worlds of
brahmaloka mahanta//). As regards the Brahman, the overseer
Brahma
(ata uttare
at
the ^rauta-
performances, the Vait. Su. 1, 1 states that he must be conversant with the Brahma-veda, and in 1, 17. J K this of Brahman priest is described as the lord of beings. in the ritual i
orc
|
Qf
texts.
seem
to
t jie
worlH
'
&c
.
indicate that he
tive at the sacrifice of the personified
These expressions is
the
representa-
god Brahman.
At
11, 2 (cf. Gop. Br. I, 2, 16) the Brahman is again ordered to be conversant with the atharvahgirasa//, this time in 1
2
&atasro va ime hotra, hautram adhvaryavam audgatraw brahmatvam. Thus according to the version of Saya;*a, Introduction to the AV., p.
5,
vedas lapasoidhi^ato brahma^v/anaw hrtdaye sawbabhuva. Raj^endralalaniitra's edition, siesh//io ha vedas tapaso j dhi^uto brahma^yanaw kshitaye sveshi/io hi
sawbabhuva, 3
'it
was created
for the destruction of the oppressors of
Brahmans.'
See especially Gop. Br. II, 2, 14, where the atharvahgirasaA are added every time in liturgical formulas to the rik&h, yn^uwshi, and samdni.
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
Ix
expressed
with
contrast
udgatar,
hotar,
ya^urveda). At Gop.
(satnaveda, r/gveda, the Brahman is described with the
and adhvaryu
Br.
I,
18 (end)
2.
words, esha ha vai
The last vidvan sarvavid brahma yad bhngvangirovid. statement is of especial interest as indicating the identifiAtharvan with the sarvavidya which stands above the trayi vidya (cf. below, p. lxiii). Especially at Gop. I, 3, 1.2 the futility of the sacrifice without a Brahcation of the
man
skilled
in
the bh/'zgvahgirasa/z
described vividly:
is
a cow, a horse, a mule, a chariot cannot proceed with less than four feet, therefore the sacrifice, in order to succeed,
must have four
the four Vedas, and the four priests. Especially characteristic is the following At Tait. S. Ill, 5, 2, 1, &c. (cf. Ind. Stud. X, 34), the well-known legend is feet
:
:
told, according
to
which Vasish///a
'
saw Indra
clearly,
/cYshis (in general) did not see him clearly.' Indra makes Vasish//za his Brahman (purohita), and con-
though the fides to
him moreover a mystery, the stomabhaga-verses.
Since then
men have
thereVasish//za for their purohita is to be chosen as Brahman. :
fore a descendant of Vasish///a
The same legend
is repeated almost verbatim Gop. Br. II, but the text demurs at the last clause. The Gop. Br. 2, 13, cannot say tasmad vasish//zo brahma karya//, because it has
previously stated emphatically that a bhr/gvarigirovid is the only person fitted for that exalted office (I, 2, 18 3, 1 ff.). ;
At
Vait. Su.
steed which
the garhapatya-fire is personified as a prepared b)^ the four Vedas for the Brah-
6, 1
is
man, and by Pra^apati
man = atharvan
Atharvan
for
The
is
the equation brahpassage, Vait. Su. 37, 2, :
implied. or theological contest between the Brahman and the Udgatar, betrays perhaps a certain insecurity and touchiness on the part of the Brahman in his assumed
a
brahmodya
Not art thou superior, superiority to the other priests better than I, goest not before me. Thou speakest '
:
.
.
.
these words that are worthy of being learned, (but) shalt not become equal to me.' The superiority of the Brahman
was occasionally disputed 1
l ,
and possibly the Atharvanic
See Haug, Brahma unci die Brahmanen, p. 10.
INTRODUCTION.
Brahman
felt
lxi
that he stood in special need of asserting his
dignity.
energetic are the demands of the liturgical matter of the office of purohita who is
Even more texts 1 he
the
in
known
,
office of
purohita
in the
ritual texts.
wise that
is
the name of brahman and by J The king who rules the country shall wJse Bra h man (brahma;;am). He verily also
'
guru. geek a
bhr/gu and ahgiras
skilled in the
is
bhr/gu and angiras act as a charm against and protect everything' (Kaiu.
occurrences, 126,
2).
guru
is
r,
3,
The
of
equivalence
brahman,
for the
;
all
ominous
94,
2-4;
purohita,
guaranteed by comparing with this Ath.
kulina/w
bhr/gvarigirovida;;/
jrotriya;/*
vrz'wiyad bhupati/;
;
and
.
.
.
cf.
and
Pam. guru;;/
tasmad bhn'gvangirovidaw Cf. also 2, 2, brahma tasmad The gods, the Fathers, and the
3,
3,
kuryat purohitam. Conversely, twice-born (priests) do not receive the oblation of the is skilled in king in whose house there is no guru that .
.
.
'
atharvavit.
the Atharvan
'
(2,
3).
Cf.
Weber, Omina und Portenta,
(Darila:
Saya;;a Introduction to the In Kaur. 17, 4 ff the king and the purohita in active co-operative raga, purodha//) are seen
practice
at
p.
346
AV.,
ff.
p.
Ind. Stud. X, 138
;
;
;
6.
.
consecration
the
(brahma ra^a ka)
in
140,
4
of the ff.
and again king indramahotsava;
the
at
festival.
The Atharva-pamish/as
are not content with these strong
recommendations of their own adherents, but they would have the adherents of the other Vedas, yea even of certain branches (jakha) of the Atharvan itself, excluded from the purohiti: 'The Atharvan keeps off terrible occurrences, not the and acts as a charm against portentous ones bahvrzka.. the not and not the Mandoga, adhvaryu, .
.
.
.
.
.
The
bahvr/y&a destroys the kingdom, the adhvaryu destroys hence the guru must sons, the ^//andoga dissipates wealth ;
be an Atharvawa. ... A Paippalada as guru increases hapa .Vaunakin piness, sovereignty, and health, and so does The king who understands the gods and the mantras. .
whose purodha
is
.
alada or a Mauda is any way a kingdom within the year (Ath. Parfy. in
'
deposed from his
.
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
Ixii
The
1
2-5)
2,
.
Maudas
are
Kaiuika,
(see
Paippaladas,
.Saunakins, of
alike
representatives p. xxxiii
Introduction,
6"aladas,
and
Atharvan
schools
the
passage
ff.):
shows how eager
the scramble for the office of purohita That the Atharvans finally succeeded in
had become.
making heard
their
clamorous demand
for this office (see
below, p. Ixvii) is probably due, as we shall see, to their superior, if not exclusive knowledge of witchcraft, which
was doubtless regarded in the long run as the most pracand trenchant instrument for the defence of king and
tical
people. In order to estimate at
its
the Atharvanists that their C
name Brahma-veda, and 3.
is
that
to the
entitled
the
so-called
uses
leadingnpto the exaltation
oftheAV.
Brahman-priests and the Purohitas must be adherents of the AV., we need to premise r certain considerations of a more general nature. .
the Vedic
In
correct value the claims of
own Veda
cautiously
system, or we might say more three literary forms and
religious
religious
evolution,
correspondingly three liturgical methods of application of these forms to the sacrifice were evolved at a time prior to the recorded history of Hindu religious thought and action.
They
are the rikaJi, samani, and ya^u/wshi,
known
also
by
a variety of other designations, and characterised to a considerable extent by special verbs expressing the act of 2 reciting or chanting them Correspondingly the priests .
who had
learned one of these varieties of religious expresits mode of application to the sacrifice appear, again for aught we know from prehistoric times as individual actors (hotar, udgatar, adhvaryu), in no wise qualified sion
and
each by himself to shoulder the burden of literary knowThe Hindus were at all times ledge or liturgic technique. well aware that these religious forms are fragmentary and The Rig-veda contains countless expresparts of a whole. sions indicating the insufficiency of the rika/i to 1
Cf.
Weber, Ind. Stud.
I,
296
;
fulfil
alone
the author, Journ. Amer. Or. Soc. XI, 378,
note. 2
See
Max
Miiller,
Ludwig, Der Rigveda,
History of Ancient Sanskrit Literature, III, p. 25
ff.
p.
489
ff.
;
INTRODUCTION.
1 Xlll
the scheme of religious action, and the interdependence of the three Vedic types. There is a Rig-veda, but no Rigvedic religion, as even recent writers on the religions of
the absence of samans Vedic religion just as much muti-
India unfortunately tend to assume
would
in principle leave
lated as the absence of rtks
comprehensive vision
search for a word for
the categories are the three
carried by each in turn. was never wanting, though the
parts of a trio whose melody
A
;
:
is
'
religion,'
or religious practice, as
very successful. The Brahmawatexts still struggle with the notion of the superiority of him that knows all the Vedas, and they consequently posit a 1 sarvavidya which is superior to a knowledge of each of a whole
was
at first not
The most successful attempt at describing the religious literature and action as a whole is the word brahma, and, correspondingly, he who knows the religion Each of these words appears as a whole is a brahman. the Vedas.
occasionally in the fourth place, brahma after the trayi brahman in company with the priests of the trayi. In
;
a sense the
brahma
and much
a fourth Veda, but
is
with the other three
;
it
else besides
;
it is
not co-ordinate
embraces and comprehends them it is the religious expression and
religious action as a whole, and it is the learned esoteric understanding of the nature of the gods and the mystery of the sacrifice as a whole (brahma in brahmodya and
brahmavadin). Needless to say, this fourth Veda, if we may so call it, has primarily no connection with the Atharvan, not even in the Atharva-sawhita itself (XI, 8, 23 XV, 3,7; 6, 3), nor in the Upanishads of that Veda (e.g. Nr/si;/mapurvatapani Up. V, 2) the claim that the Atharvan is the ;
:
In the Brahma-veda belongs to the Atharvan ritual. with contrasted still this brahma, frequently Upanishads the ordinary Vedas, is taken up eagerly, extolled above all other knowledge, and in a way personified, so that it furnishes one of the main sources of the various conceptions
which 1
9,4.
finally
Tait. Br. Ill, !
7-
precipitate
10,
11,
themselves
4; Tait. Ar. X, 47;
in
cf.
.S'at.
the
Br.
pantheistic
XIV,
6,
7,
18;
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
IxiV
The knowledge
Brahman-Atman.
which
of this
brahma
consti-
separated by the widest from the Brahma-veda in the Atharvanic imaginable gap sense cf. above, p. xliii. tutes the brahmavidya,
is
;
This broader religious knowledge exists again from earliest times, not only in the abstract, but centres in persons who grasped it in its entirety, in distinction from the technically qualified priests devoted to some speciality. What the brahma is to the trayi, that the brahman is to
Thus
hotar, adhvaryu, &c.
RV. X,
the important stanza,
71, 11, depicts the activity of four priests at a .yrauta-sacri-
the hotar (rifcam
fice,
aste pupushvan), the udgatar
posham
gayati .jakvarishu), the adhvaryu (ya^/Hsya matra//2 vi mimite), and the brahman. The latter is described in the words, brahma vadati ^atavidyam, the Brah(gayatra.7//
'
man
tells (his)
innate
V
wisdom
The
association of the
first
three priests with the three Vedic categories rzk, saman, and ya.gii/i, is expressed with a degree of clearness com-
mensurate with the character of the hymn, which is in the nature of a brahmodya. But the brahman has no peculiar Veda certainly there is no allusion to the Atharvan. His ;
knowledge
is
that of the entire Veda, the sarvavidya (Tait.
Br. Ill, 10, 11, 4), religious knowledge as a whole. By means of this knowledge he is able to assume in the ritual practices the function of correcting the mistakes of the
other priests, whose knowledge is more mechanical. The Brahman is as it were the stage-manager in the sacerdotal
drama, the physician of the sacrifice when it is attacked by the disease of faulty execution (.Sat. Br. XIV, 2, 2, 19) he is the mind of the sacrificer As (.Sat. Br. XIV, 6, 1, 7)-. ;
such he is also conversant with the mystic aspects of the divine powers, the powers of nature, and the details of the sacrifice. In the expression, brahma vadati ^atavidyam, the own wisdom is the brahma (neuter), and vadati ^ata'
'
vidyam foreshadows the brahmodya, 1
RV.
Cf.
I,
91, 10. " Cf. Weber,
10,
1
;
II, 1, 2
;
IV, 22,
1
;
VI, 38,
'
3.
the holy, or theo4
;
VII, 33, 14
;
X,
52,
2
;
X, p.
9
ff.
;
Ind. Stud. X, 135 ff Ludwig, Der Rigveda, HI, 28
.
;
Haug, Brahma und
ff.
die
Brahmanen,
lxv
INTRODUCTION. logical mystery, or riddle
V
as well as the ritualist refine-
ments which the Brahma//a and Sutra-texts introduce times without end with the closely-related expression, brahmavadino vadanti. In the non-Atharvanic Vedic texts it is never suggested that the Atharvan is the specific equipment, above all other things, which shapes the faculties On the contrary, the of this all-round Vedic theologian. Kaush. Br. VI,
1 1
raises the rather one-sided claim that 2
Vasish//^a was a Rig-veda scholar is the proper Brahman a celebrated Brahman and Purohita, and the qualifications .
were said for a time (probably by the descendants of Vasish//^a themselves) to be especially at home in this family. But the Brahma/^a-texts declare explicitly that for this office
uberwundener standpunkt,' an obsolete custom may be a Brahman see Weber, There is no original connection Ind. Stud. X, 34. 35. 137. between Vasish/^a and the Atharvan 3 and it is not going too far to assume that the distinguished abilities demanded by the theory of this office were rare enough to admit every
this
'
an
is
:
every one properly equipped
;
,
one that had
How,
intrinsically valid claims
then, did the Atharvans
that the
Brahman must be one
consequently,
upon
come
it.
to raise the plea
and that, Brahma-veda ?
of themselves,
the Atharva-veda was
the
Schematically this was suggested by an obvious proportion. the hotar, &c, is to the Rig-veda, &c, so the Brahman is to the fourth Veda, and as the Atharvan is the fourth
As
Veda, or rather a fourth Veda, it required no too violent wrench to identify it with that other comprehensive fourth Veda, the knowledge of the brahma. Thus the Atharvan 1
2
See the author, Journ. Amer. Or. Soc. XV, pp. 172, 184 ff. A broader view, yet one that ignores the Atharvan claim,
Apastamba,
is
taken by
Ya^wa-paribhasha-sutra 19. There the Brahman is said to three Vedas. Only the commentator admits that the Atharvan
in the
perform with all may be included.
Max Miiller, Ancient Sanskrit Literature, p. 470 Morgenl. Gesellsch. IX, p. xlvii Sacred Books, vol. xxx, Cf. also ..Vat. Br. XI, 5, 8, 7, and Madhusudana's statement of the final See
;
Zeitschr. d. Deutsch. p. 321.
;
Max Miiller, ib. 445 ff. Ind. Stud. I, 4. 14. interesting association of VasishMa with the redaction of the Atharvan, reported by Mallinatha in his comment on Kiratar^uniya X, 10, may be founded upon this very title to the office of purohita, and thus show that orthodox view, 3
;
The
purohitas were naturally supposed to be Atharvavedins
[42]
e
;
cf.
above,
p. lv.
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
lxvi
The
became the Brahma-veda.
fact
that there
was no
systematic sharply-defined provision for the Atharvanists in the scheme of the hieratic religion must have been
arrangement was
galling at first, until this to their own satisfaction.
do not know that they
They may
did,
completed
have, though
gathered courage
for
we this
by the frequent mention in the AV. itself of the word brahma in the sense of charm, prayer, e.g. If this was done it was a I, 10, i; 14, 44; 23, 4, &c. proceeding both arbitrary and superficial the word has in the AV. the meaning of charm only in so far and inasmuch as the hymns of that Veda happen to be charms the RV. employs the term freely to designate its own
tour de force
:
;
suktani (e.g. V, 85, 1 VII, 28, 1 X, 13, 1 61,1). 36, 1 One misses, too, the plural brahmam as the true Vedic type of designation for a special class of composition, on a level ;
;
with va.na./i
may
riks-h,
;
samani, yagiwishi, atharvarigirasa//, or athar-
(bhesha^ani) also
;
remember
and
ahgirasa//
that
the Atharvan of
(abhi^arika/n). all
We
Sa;;mitas
contains the largest collection of theosophic hymns which deal explicitly (X, 2), or implicitly (X, 7), with Brahman
and the brahma
1
This may, of course, have helped to suggest that the Atharvavedin was the truly superior theoIn the Upanishads the knowledge of just such logian. theosophic relations is styled the brahmavidya. Sayawa .
the Introduction
in
to
the AV.,
p.
4,
argues that the
AV. is known as Brahma-veda because it was revealed to Brahman who is called Atharvan 2 His authority, however, is Gop. Br. I, 4 ff., a text that elsewhere identifies the AV. .
with that bhuyish///am brahma which was produced by the tapas (cf. AV. VIII, 10, 25), pressing to an unwarranted degree the relationship of the Atharvan texts with the 3 cf. above, p. lix. sphere of the Upanishads It may be safe to assume that all these and other notions ;
1
2
3
Cf. also the superabundant Upanishads, composed in Atharvanic schools. atharvakhyena brahmawa drzsh/atvat tannamna ayaw vedo vyapadijyate.
Similarly the Vish/nvpurawa VI, 5 (Wilson's translation, vol. v, p. 210) also states that there are two kinds of knowledge. By the one which :
'
The AV.
is the supreme, God (akshara) fiik and other Vedas.'
is
obtained
;
the other
is
that
which consists of
INTRODUCTION.
1
XV11
through the minds of the systematic theologians of the Atharvan schools as they continued T> f J Relation of
flitted
.
,
upon the name Brahma-veda for their scriptures, and upon the office of BrahA measure of substantiality may, their priests.
the purohita
man
for
to
insist
however, come to their claim from another quarter at a comparatively early time, in this instance with the passive support of all Vedic schools. The matter concerns the office of the purohita, the spiritual and temporal aid of the
One would again look vain in the non-Atharvanic Sawhitas, Brahma//as, or Siitras for the direct declaration that the purohita either These was, or should be, an adherent of the Atharvan. king, his chaplain, and chancellor.
in
do not mention the Atharvan in this connection any more than in connection with the office of the Brahman Yet it seems extremely unlikely that the at the sacrifice. Atharvan of practices should not have been knowledge
texts
considered a very valuable adjunct, if not a conditio sine Purohitas, whether they are qua non, of the purohiti.
AV. or not, are always engaging even in Atharvanic practices, against one another (cf. Max Muller, Ancient Sanskrit Literature, p. 486). The interests
formal adherents of the
of the king and his sovereignty (kshatriya and kshatram) are too obviously dependent upon magic rites to admit the likelihood that the pretensions to this office on the part
At
of
him that knew them should have been ignored.
periods the safety of the king, the prosperity of his people, his ascendency over hostile neighbours, must have all
depended upon the
skill
The
of his purohita in magic.
description, Ait. Br. VIII, 24-28, of the purohita, his functions, and his relation to the king, transfer the reader to
the
sphere and
spirit
of the Atharvan.
The
purohita
secures for the king royalty, strength, empire, and people The purohita is a fire with five flaming (VIII, 24, 7). but, dangerous when not properly propitiated him with the embraces he king, protecting duly honoured, his flames as the ocean the earth (VIII, 25, 1). His people do not die young, his own life's breath does not leave him missiles,
before he has reached the
;
full limits
e 2
of his
life,
he
lives to
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
lxviii
a good old age, ledge,
is
a Brahma/za, imbued with this know-
if
his purohita, the shepherd of his
The
kingdom.
subjects of such a king are loyal and obedient (VIII, 25, The prescriptions regarding the purohita are fol2. 3). rite, called brahmawa/^ parito kill hostile mara, designed kings, which might have In later found a place in the ritual of the Atharvan 1
lowed (VIII, 25) by a magic
.
texts, as a matter of fact, the rule
is
laid
down
that the purohita should be an Atharvavedin. Gaut. XI, 15. 17 Yagtiav. I, 312 (cf. also Manu XI, ;
formally
Thus
^)
in
see
;
Saya/za in the Introduction to the AV., pp. 5, 6, claims outright that the office of purohita belongs ka atharvavidai*va kato the Atharvanists (paurohitya; p. xlviii,
above.
ryam), and he is able to cite in support of his claim not only the rather hysterical dicta of the Atharvan writings, .riokas from a number of Purawas, the Nituastra, 2 In the Dajakumara-arita magic above, p. lvi rites, as well as the marriage ceremony, are in fact performed at the court of a king with Atharvan rites athar-
but also &c.
;
cf.
.
vazzena (atharvawikena) vidhina, and the statement more valuable as it is incidental see above, p. lv.
the
is
;
do not desire to enter here upon a discussion of the question of the original relation between the purohita and the brahman, whose identity is baldly assumed in many I
3 I believe that passages of the earlier Hindu literature they were not originally the same, but that they were .
bound together by
certain specific
ties.
They
are similar,
1 Cf. the battle-charm, AV. Ill, 19 the purohita figures in it as well as in the accompanying performances, Kaus. 14, 22-23 (Darila). And RV. IV, 50, 7-9, perhaps earlier, shows the brehaspati (purohita) in essentially the same important relation to the king. :
2
Cf.
Deva
at
Katy. St.
XV,
kapaushrikabhiarakarmaaw 3
Cf.
Max
Muller,
II, purohito yo*tharvavedavihitana;
7,
santi-
karta.
History of Ancient
Sanskrit Literature, p. 4S5
ff.
;
Weber, Ind. Stud. X, 31 ff Rausuya, p. 23, note; Haug, Brahma und die Brahmanen, p. 9 ff. Geldner, Vedische Studien, II, 144 ff. Oldenberg, Die Religion des Veda, pp. 374, 395 ff. Sayaa at RV. VII, 33, 14 equates purohita and brahman, and Ait. Br. VII, 16, 1 exhibits Vasish//za, the typical At RV. IV, 50, 7 ff. the purohita, in the office of brahman at a jrauta-rite. .
;
;
;
activity of a purohita (
= brahman).
is
sketched
:
the purohita, however,
is
called br/haspati
INTRODUCTION. above
IxiX
in this, that they have in charge, each in his the general interests of their noble employers, whereas other priests are likely ordinarily to have had all,
own way,
only subordinate charges, because of the technical character of their
knowledge and occupation.
RV. X,
71, 11
expresses clearly the existence of broader theological interests than the mere knowledge of the recitation and
chanting of
hymns and
mechanical service
the
of the
and adhvaryu). This is the Brahforks into two directions, on one side
sacrifice (hotar, udgatar,
manship which
later
the general knowledge of the procedures at the sacrifice (the Brahman as fourth priest), and the theological speculaon the other, the higher tions attaching (brahmavadin) ;
theosophy which leads ultimately to the brahmavidya of It is natural that a divine thus qualified the Upanishads. should at a very early time assume permanent and confidential relations to the noble ra^anya in all matters that concerned his religious and sacrificial interests. His functions are those of chaplain and high-priest. It seems unlikely that this Brahman was in all cases, too, competent to attend to those more secular and practical needs of the king connected with the security of his kingdom, the fealty of his people, and the suppression of his enemies. These activities,
ra^akarmawi, as the Atharvan writings
call
them,
must have
called for different training and different talents they represent rather the functions of a chancellor, or and there is no prime-minister, than those of a chaplain
warrant to assume that every Brahman possessed these addition to his expertness in the other hand, conversely, there must have been purohitas incapable of assuming the charge of their employers' interests on the occasion of the more
necessary qualifications systematic theology.
in
On
elaborate Vedic performances that in such cases the
and his
And
(.yrauta),
Brahman was
unless
we
conceive
a mere figure-head
office a sinecure.
yet precisely here
is
to be found the
measure of
we may suspect in the Atharvanist claim that supervising Brahman shall be an adherent of the AV.
truth which
the In
many
cases the tribal king, or ra^a, might have had but c 3
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
IxX
one body-priest, well capable of attending to the kingdom's needs in all manner of charms and sorcery, and thus filling the paurohitya creditably with the entire armament of the If of charms and sorcery, himself an Atharvavedin.
Veda
had about him no systematic theologian resplendent in his ^-atavidya, if there was no adherent of that ideal fourth Veda, the sarvavidya that looms above the the king
trayi vidya, the remoter applicability of the ^rauta-practices to the weal and woe of everyday life, or confidence in the ability of hotar,
adhvaryu,
&c,
to
perform their duties
correctly of themselves, would lead him to entrust the general supervision of the Vedic performances (in the nar-
rower sense) to his Atharvan purohita.
Thus the sweeping
claim of the Atharvan priests may be founded at least upon a narrow margin of fact, and later the Atharvan
have equipped themselves with a sufficiency of rather external and mechanical knowledge to priests are likely to
perform the function of Brahman with a show of respectability,
rites
witness the activity of the Brahman in the jrautaIn very late times the ability
of the Vaitana-sutra.
priests to practise jrauta-rites, and the of their jrauta-manual, the Vaitana-sutra, were canonicity other Vedic schools, if the matter-of-fact recognised by
of
Atharvan
references to that Sutra on the part of the commentators to Katyayana's 6Yauta-sutras may be regarded as normal see Garbe in the preface to the edition of the Vait. Su., ;
p. vi.
We
may remark, however, that the entire question of the relation of the AV. to ^rauta-practices is a very obscure point the AV. to the srauts.ritual.
form
is
in
the
history
of Vedic literature,
,
at
it
being assumed generally that the Atharvan j^ orimnallv nothing to do with the larger i_ j Vedic ritual. The assumption in this broad
any
rate erroneous, or defective.
i
The
existing
Sawhitas of the AV. contain mantras which could have had no sense and purpose except in connection with jrautaseries of formulas, e. g. like AV. VI, 47 performances. and 48, has no meaning except in connection with the three daily pressures of soma (savana), and the Vait. Su.
A
INTRODUCTION.
lxxi
21,7 exhibits them, properly no doubt, as part of an ordinary jrauta-rite, the agnish/oma. It would seem then that the Atharvavedins possessed the knowledge of, and pracjrauta-rites prior to the conclusion of the present redactions of their hymns, and thus perhaps, after all, the
tised
of his
case
in
purohita,
being
an
for taking a
altogether unequipped Vedic rites with the three
Again, the
of priests.
fires
AV.
Atharvan, was not in the broader
hand
and the usual assortment
contains
hymns which
are
evidently expiatory formulas for faults committed at the Thus AV. VI, 114 presents itself in the light of sacrifice. an ordinary praya^itta- formula, and there are MSS. of the
Vaitana-sutra which add six praya^itta chapters to the 1 The Gop. eight which make up the body of that text .
more frequently than other Brahma;/as, refers to defects yatayama) which are to be corrected (sawdhana) by certain hymns, stanzas, and formulas see 1, 1, 13 and 22. Possibly the germs of the correlation of the Atharvan and the Brahman, in his function as Br.,
in the sacrifice (virish/a, una,
;
supervisor and corrector of the sacrifice, may also turn out to be traceable to a period prior to the present redaction of the Sa;/zhitas.
present volume of translations comprises about one third of the entire material of the Atharva-veda in the text
The
of the 5aunaka-school.
the fourth
spirit of
indicated
by
this
Veda
But
it
represents the contents and
in a far greater
numerical statement.
measure than
The
is
twentieth book
of the Sawhita, with the exception of the so-called kuntapa2 suktani (hymns 127-136 ), seems to be a verbatim repetition of mantras contained in the Rig-veda, being employed in the Vaitana-sutra at the .rastras and stotras of the somasacrifice
:
it is
altogether foreign to the spirit of the original
-
1
See Garbe,
in
the preface of his edition of the text, p. 5 Weber, Verund Prakrit Handschriften, II, 8,? Kaimka, Introduction, ;
zeichniss der Sanskrit
;
p. xxxiii. -
a
One
of these,
hymn
127, appears in the present volume, p. 197
ff.
lxxii
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
Atharvan.
The
nineteenth book
is
addendum
a late
1 ,
in
omission (with the exception of general very corrupt hymns 26, 34, 3$, 38, 39, $3, and 54) does not detract much from the general impression left by the body of the collec;
its
The seventeenth book
tion.
consists of a single
hymn
of
XV
and XVI, the former Again, books 2 the latter almost entirely so, entirely Brahmanical prose are of doubtful quality and chronology. Finally, books XIV and XVIII contain respectively the wedding and inferior interest.
,
funeral stanzas of the Atharvan,
and are largely coincident tenth book of the
mantras of the
with
corresponding Rig-veda they are, granted their 3 Of the specifically Atharvanic :
intrinsic
interest,
not
Atharvan there is here about one half, (books I-XIII) presented that half which the the seemed to translator naturally most interesting and characteristic. Since not a little of the collection rises scarcely above the level of mere verbiage, .
rest
of the
the process of exclusion has not called for any great degree of abstemiousness.
These successive acts of exclusion have made it possible to present a fairly complete history of each of the hymns translated. The employment of the hymns in the Atharvanic practices is in closer touch with the original purpose of the composition or compilation of the hymns than is true in the case of the other collections of Vedic hymns.
Many times,
though by no means
at all times, the practices
connected with a given
hymn present the key to the correct of the interpretation hymn itself. In any case it is instructive to see what the Atharvan priests did with the hymns of their
own
school, even
if
we must judge
their performances
to be secondary. I
do not consider any translation of the AV. at this time The most difficult problem, hardly as yet ripe for
as final. final
1
2 3
solution,
is
the original function of
many
mantras,
See Kaiuika, Introduction, p. xl ff. Translated by Professor Aufrecht, Indische Studien, I, 130, 140. The fourteenth book has been rendered by Professor Weber,
Indische Studien, V, p. 195 ff.; the eighteenth book by the same scholar in the Proceedings of the Royal Prussian Academy, 1S95, p. 815 ff. 1896, p. 253 ff. ;
INTRODUCTION. after
lxxiii
they have been stripped of certain adaptive modifica-
tions,
imparted to them to meet the immediate purpose Not infrequently a stanza has to be
of the Atharvavedin.
rendered
when,
in
some measure of harmony with its connection, a more original meaning, not at all applicable
in fact,
present environment, is but scantily covered up by This garbled the secondary modifications of the text. tradition of the ancient texts partakes of the character to
its
of popular etymology in the course of the transmission of words. New meaning is read into the mantras, and any little stubbornness on their part is met with modifications of their wording. The critic encounters here a very difficult situation searching investigation of the remaining Vedic :
is necessary before a bridge can be built from the more original meaning to the meaning implied and required by the situation in a given Atharvan hymn. Needless to say the only correct and useful way to translate
collections
a mantra in the Atharvan,
which
it
has received
in
is
by no means
collections are
to reproduce
free
it
with the bent
The
the Atharvan.
other Vedic
from the same
taint.
The
Vedic tradition, the Rig-veda not excepted, presents rather the conclusion than the beginning of a long period
entire
of literary
activity.
Conventionality
of subject-matter,
style, form (metre), &c, betray themselves at every step the earliest books of the RV. are not exempt from the same processes of secondary grouping and adaptation of their mantras, though these are less frequent and less :
'
'
obvious than
is
the case in the Atharva-veda.
Obligations to previous translators
Zimmer,
duction to
:
Weber, Muir, Ludwig,
1
Henry, &c, are acknowledged in the introI each hymn. regret that the work was in the
Grill
,
hands of the printer prior to the appearance of Professor 2 The late Henry's excellent version of books X-XII lamented Professor Whitney kindly furnished me with the .
1
Grill's
work, entitled, Hundert Lieder des Atharva-veda, second edition
V My
own six series of Contributions to the Interpre(1888), is cited as Grill tation of the Veda, are cited for the sake of brevity as Contributions.' '
'
-
Les
livres
X, XI,
et
XII de
1'
Atharva-veda.
Paris, 1S96.
Ixxiv
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
advance sheets of the
late
Shankar Pandurang Pandit's commentary, Cashmir text
scholarly edition of the AV. with Saya;/a's as also with many of the readings of the
Neither the (the so-called Paippalada-j-akha) of the AV. Paippalada nor Sayawa sensibly relieves the task of its difficulty
and responsibility.
MAURICE BLOOMFIELD. Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore: April,
1S96.
HYMNS OF THE
ATH ARVA-VEDA
HYMNS OF THE
ATHARVA-VEDA i.
CHARMS TO CURE DISEASES AND POSSESSION BY DEMONS OF DISEASE (BHAISHAGYANI). V,
Charm
against takman (fever) related diseases.
May Agni
i.
may skill
22.
;
drive the
and
takman away from
here,
Soma, the press-stone, and Variwa, of tried may the altar, the straw (upon the altar), and
the brightly-flaming" fagots (drive him away) to naught shall go the hateful powers
Away
!
!
Thou
2.
makest
that
all
men
sallow,
inflaming
even now, O takman, thou shalt become void of strength do thou now go
them
like a searing fire,
:
away down, aye, into the depths takman that is spotted, covered with 3. The spots, like reddish sediment, him thou, (O plant) of unremitting potency, drive away down below 4. Having made obeisance to the takman, I cast him down below let him, the champion of Sakam!
!
:
bhara, return again to the Mahavrz'shas 5. His home is with the Mu^avants, his !
[42]
B
home
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
From
with the Mahavrzshas.
the
moment
of thy
birth thou art indigenous with the Balhikas. 6. takman, vyala, vi gada, vyanga, hold off
O
(thy
missile)
far
!
Seek the gadabout
slave-girl,
strike her with thy bolt takman, go to the 7. !
O
Balhikas farther
female 8.
Go
away
!
O
takman, give a good shaking-up away to the Mahavrz'shas and the Mufa-
her,
:
Mu^avants, or to the Seek the lecherous 6udra!
vants, thy kinsfolk,
and consume them
!
Those
do we bespeak for the takman, or these here other (than ours). regions in other 9. (If) regions thou dost not abide, mayest (regions)
thou that art powerful take pity on us Takman, now, has become eager he will go to the Balhikas. !
:
When
10.
liriously hot,
thou, being cold,
and then again de-
accompanied by cough, didst cause the were O
takman, thy missiles (sufferer) to shake, then, from these surely exempt us terrible !
:
By no means ally thyself with balasa, cough and spasm From there do thou not return hither O takman, do I ask of thee again that, 12. O takman, along with thy brother balasa, 11.
!
!
:
along with thy sister cough, along with thy cousin
paman, go to yonder foreign folk 13. Destroy the takman that returns on (each) third day, the one that intermits (each) third day, the one that continues without intermission, and the autumnal one destroy the cold takman, the hot, him that comes in summer, and him that arrives in !
;
the rainy season 14. To the Gandharis, the Miyavants, the Angas, and the Magadhas, we deliver over the takman, like !
a servant, like a treasure
!
CHARMS TO CURE
Charm
VI, 20. 1.
As
from
if
against
this
Agni
DISEASES.
takman
(fever).
that
(fire),
burns and
Let him then, too, flashes, (the takman) comes. as a babbling drunkard, pass away! Let him, the impious one, search out some other person, not ourselves
Reverence be
!
burning weapon
to the
takman with the
!
be to Rudra, reverence to the to the luminous king Varu^a reverence takman, Reverence to heaven, reverence to earth, reverence 2.
Reverence
!
to the plants
To
!
here, that burnest through, and bodies turnest yellow, to the red, to the brown, to the takman produced by the forest, do I render 3.
thee
all
obeisance.
I,
25.
Charm
takman
against
(fever).
1. When Agni, having entered the waters, burned, where the (gods) who uphold the order (of the
universe) rendered say,
is
O takman Whether thou
spare us, 2.
(to
Agni), there, they feel for us,
and
whether thou
art
do thou
:
!
art
flame,
whether from licking chips (of wood) thou
heat, or
HrfWu by name
hast arisen,
art thou,
O
god of
do thou feel for us, and spare takman art burning, whether thou 3. Whether thou
the yellow
O
homage
thy origin on high
:
us,
!
scorching,
or whether
Varuwa, HrtWu by name do thou feel for yellow :
takman
art
son of king art thou, O god of the
thou
!
b 2
art
us,
the
and spare
us,
O
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
To
4.
the
cold takman, and to the deliriously
the glowing, do
hot,
To him him that returns for the takman that returns
render homage.
I
that returns on the morrow, to
two (successive) days, to on the third day, homage VII, 116.
Homage
1.
Charm (be)
be
shall
against
the
to
!
takman
(fever).
deliriously
hot,
the
shaking, exciting, impetuous (takman)! Homage to the cold (takman), to him that in the past fulfilled desires !
2. May (the takman) that returns on the morrow, he that returns on two (successive) days, the impious
one, pass into this frog
V,
!
Prayer to the kushMa-plant to destroy
4.
takman 1.
Thou
that art born
(fever).
upon the mountains, as come hither, O kushMa,
the most potent of plants, destroyer of the takman, to drive out from here the
takman
!
To
thee (that growest) upon the mountain, the brooding-place of the eagle, (and) art sprung from 2.
Himavant, they come with treasures, having heard
For they (thy fame). of the takman. stroyer 3.
The
aivattha-tree
know is
(thee to be) the de-
the seat of the gods in There the gods pro-
the third heaven from here.
cured
the
kushMa, the
visible
manifestation
of
amrz'ta (ambrosia).
A
golden ship with golden tackle moved upon There the gods procured the kushMa, the flower of amn'ta (ambrosia). 4.
the heavens.
CHARMS TO CURE
DISEASES.
The
paths were golden, and golden were the golden were the ships, upon which they carried forth the kushf/ia. hither (to the mountain). 5.
oars
;
O
This person here,
6.
and cure him
me 7. Thou
for
kush//a, restore for me, Render him free from sickness
!
!
art
born of the gods, thou art Soma's
Be thou
propitious to my in-breathing good and my out-breathing, and to this eye of mine 8. Sprung in the north from the Himavant (mounfriend.
!
tains),
thou art brought to the people in the
There the most superior were apportioned. '
Superior,'
9. is
the
name
O
varieties of the
east.
kushMa '
superior thy name Do thou drive out all '
kush///a,
is
of thy father.
;
disease, and render the takman devoid of strength 10. Pain in the head, affliction in the eye, and !
ailment of the body, all that shall the kush///a a divinely powerful (remedy), forsooth heal !
XIX,
Prayer to the kush/^a-plant to destroy
39.
takman
May
1.
and other ailments.
(fever),
the protecting god kush///a
come
hither
from the Himavant destroy thou every takman, and all female spooks :
!
Three names hast thou,
O
kushMa, (namely and '), kush/yfca), na-gha-mara (' Verily no harm na-gha-risha (' forsooth-no-harm '). 2.
:
forsooth -no -death
shall suffer (na
whom day 3.
I
gha
.
.
.
rishat) this
person here, for
bespeak thee morn and eve, aye the
(entire)
!
Thy
mother's
thy father's
name
name is
is
^ivanta
^ivala ('quickening'), ('living').
Verily no
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
harm
shall suffer this person here, for
whom
I
be-
speak thee morn and eve, aye the entire day 4. Thou art the most superior of the plants, as !
a steer
among
cattle, as
the tiger
among
beasts of
prey. Verily no harm shall suffer this person here, for whom I bespeak thee morn and eve, aye the entire day 5. Thrice begotten by the 6ambu Angiras, thrice by the Adityas, and thrice by all the gods, this !
kush/z&a, a universal
remedy, stands together with thou Destroy every takman, and all female
soma.
spooks 6.
!
The
ajvattha-tree
is
the seat of the gods in
the third heaven from here.
There came
to sight
the amrz'ta (ambrosia), there the kushMa-plant was born. 7.
A
golden ship with golden tackle moved upon
There came to sight the amrz'ta, there the kush//za-plant was born. 8. On the spot where the ship glided down, on the peak of the Himavant, there came to sight the This ambrosia, there the kushMa-plant was born. the heavens.
kush///a, a universal
remedy, stands together with thou Destroy every takman, and all female
soma. spooks
!
whom
Ikshvaku knew of yore, whom the women, fond of kush///a, knew, whom Vayasa and Matsya knew therefore art thou a 9.
(We know)
thee
:
universal remedy. 10.
The takman
the one
that returns on each third day, that continues without intermission, and
the yearly one, do thou, (O plant) strength, drive away down below !
of unremitting
CHARMS TO CURE
I,
DISEASES.
Prayer to lightning, conceived as the cause of fever, headache, and cough.
12.
i. The first red bull, born of the (cloud-)womb, born of wind and clouds, comes on thundering with
rain.
May
he, that cleaving
our bodies; he who, a single threefold
moves
straight on, spare has force, passed through
!
Bowing down to thee that fastenest thyself with heat upon every limb, we would reverence thee with oblations we would reverence with oblations the crooks and hooks of thee that hast, as a seizer, seized 2.
;
the limbs of this person.
Free him from headache and also from cough, (produced by the lightning) that has entered his May the flashing (lightning), that is every joint born of the cloud, and born of the wind, strike the trees and the mountains 4. Comfort be to my upper limb, comfort be to my nether comfort be to my four members, comfort 3.
!
!
;
to
entire
my
Charm
22.
I,
body
!
against jaundice and related diseases.
jaundice thee
go thy heart-ache and thy the colour of the red bull do we envelop
to the sun shall
Up
1.
:
in
!
2.
May
We
envelop thee
this
person go unscathed, and be
colour 3.
in red tints,
unto long
life.
free of yellow
!
The cows whose
divinity
is
Rohi^i, they who,
moreover, are (themselves) red (roh'iui/i) (in their) every form and every strength we do envelop thee.
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA. 4. Into the parrots, into the ropawakas (thrush) do we put thy jaundice, and, furthermore, into the haridravas (yellow wagtail) do we put thy jaundice.
VI, 1.
14.
The
Charm
against the disease balasa. that
disease
internal
has set
in,
that
crumbles the bones, and crumbles the joints, every balasa do thou drive out, that which is in the limbs,
and
in the joints
2.
do
I
The
!
balasa of him that
is afflicted
with balasa
remove, as one gelds a lusty animal. Its conI cut off as the root of a pumpkin. Fly forth from here, O balasa, as a swift foal
nection do 3.
(after the mare).
year, pass
And
away without
VI, 105. 1.
As
distance
even, as the reed in every slaying
Charm
men
!
against cough.
the soul with the soul's desires swiftly to a flies, thus do thou, cough, fly forth along
O
the soul's course of flight 2. As a well-sharpened arrow swiftly to a distance flies, thus do thou, cough, fly forth along the !
O
expanse of the earth 3. As the rays of the sun swiftly to a distance fly, thus do thou, cough, fly forth along the flood of !
O
the sea
!
Charm
I, 2.
1.
who
We
know
the father of the arrow, Par^anya, furnishes bountiful fluid, and well do we know
his mother, 2.
against excessive discharges from the body.
O
Pmhivf
(earth), the
multiform
bowstring, turn aside from us, turn
!
my body
CHARMS TO CURE into stone
!
Do
DISEASES.
thou firmly hold very far away the
hostile powers and the haters 3. When the bowstring, embracing the wood !
(of
the bow), greets with a whiz the eager arrow, do thou, Indra, ward off from us the piercing mis-
O
sile
!
As
the point (of the arrow) stands in the way of heaven and earth, thus may the muz^a-grass 4.
unfailingly stand in the sive) discharge
way
of sickness and (exces-
!
Charm
against excessive discharges from the body, undertaken with spring-water.
II, 3.
spring- water yonder which runs down upon the mountain, that do I render healing for thee, in order that thou mayest contain a potent 1.
The
remedy. 2.
Then
3.
Deep down do
yea quite surely, of the hundred remedies contained in thee, thou art the most superior in checking discharges and removing pain. surely,
and that
:
bury
The
this
great
for discharges,
that ants bring the remedy from the sea the cure for discharges, and that hath quieted
4. is
the Asuras
wounds that is the cure hath removed disease.
healer of
:
disease. 5. This great healer of wounds has been gotten out of the earth that is the cure for discharges, and :
that hath
removed
disease.
waters afford us welfare, may the May herbs be propitious to us Indra's bolt shall beat off 6.
the
!
the Rakshas, far (from us) shall by the Rakshas !
fly
the arrows cast
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
IO
Charm
VI, 44.
1.
against excessive discharges from the body.
The heavens have
stood
still, all
stood
still,
creatures have stood
that sleep erect have stood of thine stand still
still
:
the earth has
The
still.
may
trees
this disease
!
Of
the hundred remedies which thou hast, of the thousand that have been collected, this is the 2.
most excellent cure
for discharges, the best
remover
of disease. 3.
Thou
art the urine of
amn'ta (ambrosia).
Rudra, the navel of
Thy name,
forsooth,
visha-
is
aka, (thou art) arisen from the foundation of the Fathers, a remover of diseases produced by the
winds (of the body).
Charm
I, 3.
1.
We
know
against constipation and retention of urine. the father of the arrow, Par^anya, of
hundredfold power. With this (charm) may I render comfortable thy body make thy outpouring upon the :
earth
;
out of thee
may
it
come with
the sound bal
!
5.
We know the father of the arrow, Mitra, &c. We know the father of the arrow, Varu^a, &c. We know the father of the arrow, A'andra, &c. We know the father of the arrow, Surya, &c.
6.
That which has accumulated
2. 3.
4.
in
thy entrails, in
thy canals, in thy bladder thus let thy urine be released, out completely, with the sound bal !
open thy penis like the dike of a lake thy urine be released, out completely, with the sound bal 7.
thus
I
split
let
!
CHARMS TO CURE
I.
DISEASES.
I
I
the opening of thy bladder like the ocean, the reservoir of water thus let thy urine be released, out completely, with the sound bal
Relaxed
8.
is
!
9. As an arrow flies to a distance when hurled from the bow thus let thy urine be released, out completely, with the sound bal !
VI, 90.
Charm
against internal pain to the missiles of Rudra.
(colic),
due
The arrow
that Rudra did cast upon thee, into and into (thy) limbs, thy heart, this here do we now draw out away from thee. 2. From the hundred arteries which are distributed along thy limbs, from all of these do we exorcise 1.
forth the poisons.
Adoration be to thee,
3.
O
Rudra, as thou casteth
(thy arrow) adoration to the (arrow) when it has been placed upon (the bow) adoration to it as it is being hurled adoration to it when it has fallen ;
;
;
down
!
I,
10.
Charm
against dropsy.
This Asura rules over the gods; the commands of Varu^a, the ruler, surely come true. From this (trouble), from the wrath of the mighty 1.
(Varu^a), do this 2.
I,
excelling in
my
incantation, lead out
man.
O falsehood, O
Reverence,
for all
king Varuwa, be to thy wrath, mighty one, dost thou discover.
A
thousand others together do I make over to thee this thy (man) shall live a hundred autumns
:
!
From
the untruth which thou hast spoken, the abundant wrong, with thy tongue from king Varuwa 3.
I
release thee,
whose laws do not
fail.
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
12
release thee from Vaisvanara (Agni), from the Our rivals, flood. mighty one, do thou cen-
I
4.
O
great sure here, and give heed to our prayer
Charm
VII, 83.
!
against dropsy.
is built in golden chamber, king Variwa, Thence the king that maintains the the waters! laws shall loosen all shackles
Thy
1.
!
From
habitation
(of every Varuwa, from here do thou free us 2.
thine), !
In that
O
king
we have
in that we have said, ye waters, ye cows 'O Varuwa,' from this (sin), O Vanma, free us! O Varu^a, the uppermost fetter, 3. Lift from us, take down the nethermost, loosen the middlemost Then shall we, O Aditya, in thy law, exempt from '
'
said,
;
!
freedom Loosen from us,
in guilt, live 4.
!
O
Varu^a,
all
fetters,
the
uppermost, the nethermost, and those imposed by Evil dreams, and misfortune drive away Varu^a then may we go to the world of the from us !
:
pious
!
VI, 24. Dropsy, heart-disease, and kindred maladies cured by flowing water. 1.
From
the
forth, in the
Himavant (mountains) they
Sindhu (Indus), forsooth,
is
flow
their as-
may the waters, indeed, grant me sembling-place that cure for heart-ache 2. The pain that hurts me in the eyes, and that :
!
which hurts in the heels and the fore-feet, the waters, the most skilled of physicians, shall put all that to rights 3.
Ye
!
rivers
all,
whose mistress
is
Sindhu, whose
I.
CHARMS TO CURE
DISEASES.
1
3
Sindhu, grant us the remedy for that through this (remedy) may we derive benefit from
queen
you
is
:
!
VI, 80. An oblation to the sun, conceived as one of the two heavenly dogs, as a cure for paralysis. air he flies, looking down upon the with majesty of the heavenly dog, beings with that oblation would we pay homage to thee
Through the
1.
all
:
!
The
2.
three
kalaka^a
that are fixed
upon the
sky like gods, all these I have called for help, to render this person exempt from injury. 3. In the waters is thy origin, upon the heavens thy home,
in the
middle of the
sea,
and upon the
With the majesty of the thy greatness. with that oblation would we pay heavenly dog, homage to thee earth
!
II, 8.
Charm
against kshetriya, hereditary disease.
1.
have
Up
vikritdM
('
majestic twin stars, the the two looseners ') may they loosen the risen
the
;
nethermost and the uppermost (inherited disease) 2.
May
fetter of the kshetriya
!
this night shine (the kshetriya)
away,
may
she shine away the witches may the plant, destructive of kshetriya, shine the kshetriya away 3. With the straw of thy brown barley, endowed ;
!
with white stalks, with the blossom of the sesame may the plant, destructive of kshetriya, shine the kshetriya 4.
away
!
Reverence be to thy ploughs, reverence
to thy
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
14
wagon-poles and yokes
!
May
the plant, destructive
of kshetriya, shine the kshetriya away 5. Reverence be to those with sunken eyes (?), reverence to the indigenous (evils ?), reverence to !
the lord of the
field
!
May
the plant, destructive of
kshetriya, shine the kshetriya
II, 10.
Charm
away
!
against kshetriya, hereditary disease.
From
kshetriya (inherited disease), from Nirrzti (the goddess of destruction), from the curse of the kinswoman, from Druh (the demon of guile), from 1.
the fetter of Varu/za do
I
release thee.
do I render thee through my charm and earth both be propitious to thee
;
Guiltless
may heaven
!
2.
May Agni together with the waters be may Soma
auspicious
be Thus from kshetriya, from Nirrz'ti, from auspicious. the curse of the kinswoman, from the Druh, from Guiltless the fetter of Varima do I release thee. do I render thee through my charm; may heaven to thee,
the
together with
plants
and earth both be propitious to thee 3. May the wind in the atmosphere auspiciously bestow upon thee strength, may the four quarters Thus from of the heaven be auspicious to thee. kshetriya, from Nirrzti &c. 4. These four goddesses, the directions of space, !
the consorts of the wind, the sun surveys. from kshetriya, from Nirrzti &c.
Thus
Within these
(directions) I assign thee to old age; forth to a distance shall go Nirrzti and disease Thus from kshetriya, from Nirrzti &c. 5.
!
6.
Thou
hast been released from disease, from
CHARMS TO CURE
I.
mishap, and from blame;
DISEASES.
out from
I
the
5
fetter of
Druh, and from Grahi (the demon of fits) thou hast been released. Thus from kshetriya, from Nirrzti &c. behind Arati (the demon of 7. Thou didst leave grudge), didst obtain prosperity, didst enter the Thus from kshetriya, happy world of the pious.
from Nirmi &c. 8.
The
divine
gods, releasing the sun and the rz'tam (the order of the universe) from darkness and
from Grahi, did take them out of kshetriya, from NirWti &c.
Charm
Ill, 7.
sin.
Thus from
against kshetriya, hereditary disease.
1.
the head of the nimble antelope a remedy He has driven the kshetriya (inherited
Upon
grows!
by means of the horn. The antelope has gone after thee with his four
disease) in 2.
directions
all
O
horn, loosen the kshetriya that into his heart
feet.
is
knitted
!
3.
glistens yonder like a roof (sides), with that do we drive out
(The horn) that
with four wings
every kshetriya from thy limbs. 4. The lovely twin stars, the vi/r/tau are
('
the two
the
sky, shall yonder upon loosen the nethermost and the uppermost fetter of
looseners
')
that
the kshetriya are healers, the waters are 5. The waters, verily, scatterers of disease, the waters cure all disease !
:
may 6.
they relieve thee from the kshetriya The kshetriya that has entered into thee from !
the prepared (magic) concoction, for that 1 remedy I drive the kshetriya out of thee. :
know
the
1
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
6
When
7.
the
dawn
the constellations fade away, and does fade away, (then) shall he shine
from us every I,
evil
and the kshetriya
Born by night
1.
Do
sable.
art thou,
O
away
!
Leprosy cured by a dark
23.
when
plant.
plant, dark, black,
thou, that art rich in colour, stain this
and the gray spots leprosy and the gray spots drive away from here may thy native colour settle upon thee leprosy, 2.
!
The
the white spots cause to
fly
away
!
Sable
is thy hiding-place, sable thy dwellingart sable thou, place, plant: drive away from here the speckled spots 3.
O
!
The
4. leprosy which has originated in the bones, and that which has originated in the body and upon
the skin, the white mark begotten of corruption, I have destroyed with my charm. I, 1.
Leprosy cured by a dark
24.
The
eagle (supar^a) that
gall thou wast, this (gall) 2.
The
gave
was born
plant.
at
first,
his
O plant. The Asuri having conquered it
to the trees for their colour.
Asuri was the
first
to construct this
remedy
She has destroyer of leprosy. destroyed the leprosy, has made the skin of even for
this
leprosy,
colour.
name of thy mother; of thy father thou, even render this colour plant, producest (spot) of even colour 3.
'
'Even-colour'
Even-colour
'
is
the
is
the
name
;
O
:
!
4.
The
black (plant) that produces even colour has Do thou now, pray, earth.
been fetched out of the perfect this, construct
anew the
colours
!
CHARMS TO CURE
I.
VI, 83.
1.
Fly
the nest
DISEASES.
1
7
Charm
for curing scrofulous sores called apa/'it.
forth,
ye
an eagle from
apaX'it (sores), as
Siirya (the sun) shall prepare a remedy, A'andramas (the moon) shall shine you away !
!
One
variegated, one is white, one is black, and two are red I have gotten the names of all 2.
is
:
Go
of them.
The
3.
ye away without slaying men apa/'it, the daughter of the black one, !
without bearing offspring will
fly
away from
will
fly
away;
the boil
here, the galunta (swelling) will
perish.
Consume thy own (proper) oblation with gratimind, when I here offer svaha in my
4.
fication in thy
mind
!
VII, 76.
Charm for curing scrofulous sores called apa/it.
A.
Ye
(sores) fall easily from that which falls easily, ye exist less than those that do not exist (at all) ye are drier than the (part of the body called) 1.
;
sehu, 2.
more moist than
The
salt.
apa/'it (sores) that are
upon the neck, and
those that are upon the shoulders
;
the apa/vit that
are upon the vi^aman (some part of the body) off of themselves. B.
Charm
for curing
tumours called ^ayanya.
The^ayanya that crushes passes down to the sole of the 3.
the ribs, that which foot,
upon the crown of the head, out every one.
is
fixed
[42]
fall
c
and whichever I have driven
1
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
8
4.
The ^ayanya,
upon man. caused by cut
Here
winged,
flies;
he
settles
down
the remedy both for sores not cutting, as well as for wounds sharply is
!
5.
We
know, O^ayanya, thy origin, whence thou How canst thou slay there, in whose
didst spring.
house we
Drink
O
Indra, slayer of Wz'tra, hero, the cup, at the battle for riches at the mid-day pressure Living in
stoutly,
soma
of the
?
Stanza sung at the mid-day pressure of the soma.
C.
6.
offer oblations
in
!
Drink thy fill wealth, do thou bestow wealth upon us
VII, 74.
1.
We
!
!
A. Charm
for curing scrofulous sores called apa&t.
have heard
said that the
it
black apa/it (pustules) by) the divine sage do
red
is I
mother of the
with the root (found
:
strike all these.
one of them, and I strike also the middlemost of them this hindmost one 2.
I
strike the foremost
;
I
cut off as a flake (of wool).
Charm
B. 3.
to
appease jealousy.
With Tvash/ar's charm
thy jealousy
;
also
have sobered down thy anger, O lord, we have I
quieted.
C. 4.
Do
Prayer to Agni, the lord of vows. thou,
O
lord of vows, adorned with vows,
ever benevolently here shine May we all, adoring when thou hast been thee, kindled, O 6atavedas, be !
rich in offspring!
I.
VI,
CHARMS TO CURE
Charm
25.
DISEASES.
9
1
against scrofulous sores upon
neck and shoulders. 1.
The
five
and
fifty (sores)
that gather together
upon the nape of the neck, from here they
all shall
pass away, as the pustules of the (disease called) apa/it !
The seven and
seventy (sores) that gather together upon the neck, from here they all shall pass away, as the pustules of the (disease called) apa/it 2.
!
The nine and
ninety (sores) that gather together the shoulders, from here they all shall pass upon away, as the pustules of the (disease called) apaiit 3.
!
VI, 57.
Urine (falasha) as a cure for scrofulous sores.
1.
This, verily,
is
a remedy, this
is
the
remedy of
Rudra, with which one may charm away the arrow that has one shaft and a hundred points !
2.
With ^alasha
(urine)
do ye wash (the tumour),
with ^alasha do ye sprinkle it! The ^ralasha is a potent remedy do thou (Rudra) with it show :
to us, that
we may
live mercy 3. Both well-being and comfort nothing whatever shall injure us
the disease (shall
may
all
IV,
fall)
:
!
be ours, and
shall !
To
the ground
may every remedy be
remedies be ours
ours,
!
Charm
with the plant arundhati (laksha) for the cure of fractures. 12.
1. Roha^i art thou, causing to heal (roha^i), the broken bone thou causest to heal (roha;n) cause :
this
here to heal (rohaya),
O
c 2
arundhati
!
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
20
That bone of
2.
thine which, injured
and
burst,
thy person, Dhatar shall kindly knit together again, joint with joint! 3. Thy marrow shall unite with marrow, and thy the part of thy flesh that joint (unite) with joint exists in
;
has fallen again 4.
and thy bone
off,
shall
grow together
!
Thy marrow
be joined together with
Thy grow together with skin flesh bone shall thy together thy grow, grow
marrow, blood,
shall
thy skin
with flesh
!
!
5. Fit together hair with hair, and fit together skin with skin Thy blood, thy bone shall grow what is cut join thou together, plant :
!
O
Do
thou here
!
go forth, run forth, (as) a chariot with sound wheels, firm feloe, and strong nave stand upright firmly 6.
rise up,
!
;
if
7. If he has been injured by falling into a pit, or a stone was cast and hurt him, may he (Dhatar,
the fashioner)
wagoner
V,
5.
joint to joint, as the
(Rzbhu) the parts of a chariot
!
Charm
with the plant sila/i (laksha, arundhati) for the cure of wounds.
The Aryaman 1.
him together,
fit
night
is
thy mother, the cloud thy father,
Sila/ti, forsooth, is thy thy grandfather. art sister of the thou the name, gods. 2. He that drinks thee lives; (that) person thou
dost preserve. For thou art the supporter of successive (generations), the refuge of men. 3.
Every
tree
thou
lusting after a man. '
saving,' verily,
is
dost
climb,
like
a
all
wench
'
'
Victorious,'
thy name.
firmly founded,'
CHARMS TO CURE
I.
4.
The wound
that has been inflicted
the arrow, or
by do thou cure
by
by the
club.,
of that thou art the cure
fire,
person here
this
21
DISEASES.
:
!
5. Upon the noble plaksha-tree (ficus infectoria) thou growest up, upon the ajvattha (ficus religiosa),
the khadira (acacia catechu), and the dhava (grislea tomentosa) (thou growest up) upon the noble nya;
indica, banyan-tree), thou to us, (butea frondosa).
grodha
(ficus
Come
O
6.
gold-coloured,
handsome
O
Cure,' verily,
!
O
O
arundhati
sun-coloured,
!
most
mayest thou come to the fracture,
'
cure 7.
(plant),
lovely,
and the par^a
is
thy
name
!
gold-coloured, lovely, fiery (plant), with hairy sister of the waters, laksha, the
stem, thou art the
O
wind became thy very breath. 8. Silaii is thy name, O thou that
art
brown as With a goat, thy father is the son of a maiden. the blood of the brown horse of Yama thou hast been sprinkled. 9. Having dropped from the blood of the horse she ran upon the trees, turning into a winged brook.
verily
Do
thou come to
VI, 109. 1.
The
The
us,
O
arundhati
!
pepper-corn as a cure for wounds.
pepper-corn cures the wounds that have
been struck by missiles, it also cures the wounds Powerful from stabs. Anent it the gods decreed to secure life this (plant) shall be one another, as 2. The pepper-corns spake to He whom been created came after out, having they '
:
'
!
'
:
we shall find (as yet) alive, that man shall not suffer harm the 3. The Asuras did dig thee into the ground, '
!
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
22
gods cast thee up again, as a cure for disease produced by wind (in the body), moreover as a cure for
wounds struck by I,
i.
missiles.
Charm
17.
The maidens
to stop the flow of blood.
that
go yonder, the
veins, clothed
without a brother, bereft garments, stand still of strength, they shall 2. Stand still, thou lower one, stand still, thou in red
like sisters
!
higher one
do thou
;
in the
middle also stand
The most
tiny (vein) stands still great artery also stand still 3. Of the hundred arteries, and :
may
still
!
then the
!
veins, those
At
still.
in the
the
the thousand middle here have indeed stood
same time the ends have ceased
(to
flow). 4.
Around you has passed a great sandy dike
stand ye
still,
pray take your ease
II, 31. 1.
With
vermin, do
Charm
:
!
against worms.
Indra's great mill-stone, that crushes all I grind to pieces the worms, as lentils
with a mill-stone.
have crushed the visible and the invisible worm, and the kururu, too, I have crushed. All the algaWu and the ^aluna, the worms, we grind to 2.
I
pieces with our charm.
The
do I smite with a mighty weapon: those that have been burned, and those that have not been burned, have become devoid of strength. Those that are left and those that are not left do I destroy with my song, so that not one of the worms be left. 3.
a.\gandi\
CHARMS TO CURE
The worm which
4. is
is
DISEASES.
in the entrails,
in the head, likewise the one that
is
and he that in the ribs
:
avaskava and vyadhvara, the worms, do we crush with (this) charm.
The worms
5.
the
within
that are
mountains,
forests, plants, cattle, and the waters, those that have settled in our bodies, all that brood of the
worms do
I
smite.
Charm
II, 32. 1.
sun
against
worms
in cattle.
The
rising sun shall slay the worms, the setting with his rays shall slay the worms that are
within the cattle
!
2.
The
3.
Like Atri, like Kawva, and
variegated worm, the four -eyed, the I crush his ribs, and I tear speckled, and the white off his head.
I
slay you, ye
Agastya do
worms
!
crush the
c7amadagni do With the incantation of like
worms
to pieces. 4. Slain is the king of the worms, and their viceroy also is slain. Slain is the worm, with him his mother slain, his 5.
I
brother
slain, his sister slain.
who
Slain are they
are his neighbours are slain.
;
are inmates with him, slain
moreover
all
the quite tiny
worms
break off thy two horns with which thou I cut that deliverest thy thrusts bag of thine which 6.
I
;
is
the receptacle for thy poison.
V, 23. 1.
I
called
Charm
against
worms
in children.
have called upon heaven and earth, I have upon the goddess Sarasvati, I have called
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
24
upon Indra and Agni (I
'
they shall crush the worm,'
:
said). 2.
Slay the worms
treasures
Slain
!
fierce imprecation
Him
O
Indra, lord of boy, the evil powers by my
in this
are
all
!
moves about
the eyes, that moves about in the nose, that gets to the middle of the 3.
teeth, that 4.
that
worm do we
The two
in
crush.
of like colour, the two of different
the two black ones, and the two red ones the brown one, and the brown-eared one the (one
colour
;
;
;
like
a)
and the (one
vulture,
like
a)
cuckoo, are
slain. 5.
The worms
with white shoulders, the black all those that are varie-
ones with white arms, and
gated, these worms do we crush. 6. In the east rises the sun, seen by all, slaying that which is not seen slaying the seen and the unseen ;
(worms), and grinding to pieces all the worms. 7. The yevasha and the kashkasha, the e^atka, and the sipavitnuka the seen worm shall be slain, moreover the unseen shall be slain !
8. is
Slain of the
worms
the nadaniman
lentils 9.
;
all
the yevasha, slain further have I crushed down like is
with a mill-stone.
The worm
with three heads and the one with
three skulls, the speckled, and the white his ribs and I tear off his head.
I
crush
Ka/zva, and like 6"amadagni do I slay you, ye worms With the incantation of I crush the worms to do Agastya pieces. 10.
Like Atri,
like
!
11.
Slain
is
the king of the worms, and their
Slain is the worm, with him viceroy also is slain. his mother slain, his brother slain, his sister slain.
CHARMS TO CURE
I.
12. Slain are they are his neighbours worms are slain.
who
;
DISEASES.
25
are inmates with him, slain all the quite tiny
moreover
Of all
the male worms, and of all the female worms do I split the heads with the stone, I burn their faces with fire. 13.
IV, 1.
Charm
6.
The Brahma^a was
against poison.
the
soma
be born, with
He was
ten heads and ten mouths.
drink the
to
first
the
first
to
that did render poison powerless. 2. As great as heaven and earth are in extent, as far as the seven streams did spread, so far from here
have
I
;
proclaimed forth
this
charm that destroys
poison. 3.
The
devour
O
Garutmant
eagle
thee.
Thou
did, poison, first didst not bewilder him, didst
not injure him, yea, thou didst turn into food for him.
The
hand that did hurl upon thee from the the curved bow even from (the arrow) point of the tearing (arrow) have I charmed away 4.
five-fingered
the poison. 5.
away
From
the point (of the arrow) have I charmed the poison, from the substance that has been
smeared upon it, and from its plume. From its barbed horn, and its neck, I have charmed away the poison. 6. is
thy poison.
powerless bow, 7.
O
Powerless,
They
daubed
it
arrow,
is
thy point, and powerless
Moreover of powerless wood
O
that
powerless (arrow)
ground
(the
on, they that hurled
poison), it,
is
thy
!
they that
and they that
let
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
26
these have been rendered impotent. The mountain that grows poisonous plants has been it
all
go,
rendered impotent.
Impotent are they that dig thee, impotent art O plant! Impotent is that mountain height whence this poison has sprung. 8.
thou,
IV, 1.
ward
Charm
7.
This water
(var) in the (river)
off (varayatai)
poured
into
it
against poison.
!
Amnta
shall
(ambrosia) has been
with that do
:
Varawavati
I
ward
off (varaye)
poison from thee. 2. Powerless is the poison from the east, powerless that from the north. Moreover the poison from the south transforms itself into a porridge. 3. Having made thee (the poison) that comes from a horizontal direction into a porridge, rich in fat, and cheering, from sheer hunger he has eaten thee, that
do thou not cause injury Thy bewildering quality (madam), O (plant
hast an evil body 4.
!
:
that art bewildering (madavati), we cause to a reed. As a boiling pot of porridge do we
?)
fall like
remove
thee by (our) charm. 5. (Thee, O poison) that art, as it were, heaped about the village, do we cause to stand still by (our)
charm.
Stand
still
as a tree
upon
its
place
;
do
not,
thou that hast been dug with the spade, cause injury
!
With
garments, and also with skins they purchased thee a thing for barter art thou, O plant Do not, thou that hast been dug 6.
broom-straw
(?),
:
!
with the spade, cause injury! 7. Those of you who were of yore unequalled in
I.
CHARMS TO CURE
which
the deeds
injure here our
engage you
DISEASES.
2J
may
they not
they performed
men
for this
:
very purpose do
I
!
Ants as an antidote against poison.
VI, ioo.
i. The gods have given, the sun has given, the earth has given, the three Sarasvatis, of one mind,
have given 2.
That
this poison-destroying
water,
O
ants,
(remedy)
!
which the gods poured
for
you into the dry land, with this (water), sent forth by the gods, do ye destroy this poison !
3.
Thou
art the
daughter of the Asuras, thou art
the sister of the gods. Sprung from heaven and earth, thou didst render the poison devoid of strength.
V,
13.
Charm
against snake-poison.
Varuwa, the sage of heaven, verily lends (power) me. With mighty charms do I dissolve thy
1.
to
The (poison) which has been dug, that poison. which has not been dug, and that which is inherent, I have held fast. As a brook in the desert thy dried up. poison has 2. That poison of thine which is not fluid I have confined within these (serpents ?). I hold fast the sap that is in thy middle, thy top, and in thy bottom, too. May (the sap) now vanish out of thee from fright! 3.
cloud
My :
charm.
lusty shout
then do
(is)
as the thunder with the
smite thy (sap) with my strong With manly strength I have held fast that
sap of his. darkness
I
May
the
sun
rise as
light
from the
!
4.
With my eye do
I
slay thy eye, with poison
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
28
do I slay thy poison. O serpent, die, do not back upon thee shall thy poison turn
live
;
!
O
5.
kairata,
my
it
upatrzV/ya
known
(grass-
me; ye black
one, listen to
pulsive reptiles, (listen to the ground of friend
and make
one,
speckled
brown
dweller?),
re-
Do
not stand upon me) cease with your poison !
;
people ?) 6. I release (thee) from the fury of the black serpent, the taimata, the brown serpent, the poison that is not fluid, the all-conquering, as the bowstring
(is
(to
!
loosened) from the bow, as chariots (from
horses).
Both Aligi and Viligi, both father and mother, we know your kin everywhere. Deprived of your strength what will ye do ? 8. The daughter of urugula, the evil one born with the black of all those who have run to their 7.
hiding-place the poison
is
devoid of
force.
The
prickly porcupine, tripping down from the Whatsoever serpents, mountain, did declare this in are their ditches, here, poison is most living 9.
'
:
deficient in force.' 10.
Tabuvam
(or)
Through tabuvam thy poison
tabuvam.
art not
not tabuvam, thou (O serpent) is
bereft of force. 11.
Tastuvam
(or)
art not tastuvam.
not tastuvam, thou (O serpent)
Through tastuvam thy poison
is
bereft of force.
VI,
12.
Charm
against snake-poison.
As
the sun (goes around) the heavens I have surrounded the race of the serpents. As night (puts to rest) all animals except the hamsa. bird, (thus) do 1.
I
with this (charm) ward off thy poison.
CHARMS TO CURE
I.
DISEASES.
20.
was found of yore by the Brahmans, found by the 7?/shis, and found by the gods, with (the charm) that was, will be, and is now present, with this do I ward off thy poison. the mounI mix the rivers 3. With honey do tains and peaks are honey. Honey are the rivers Parush;/i and ^ipala. Prosperity be to thy mouth,
With
2.
that
(the charm)
;
prosperity to thy heart
VII,
56.
Charm
!
against the poison of serpents,
scorpions, 1.
The
and
insects.
by the serpent that is by the black serpent, and by the
poison
infused
striped across, adder that poison of the kaiikaparvan ;
like a comb,' scorpion) this plant
('
with limbs
has driven out.
2. This herb, born of honey, dripping honey, sweet as honey, honied, is the remedy for injuries moreover it crushes insects.
;
3.
Wherever thou hast been
wherever
bitten,
thou hast been sucked, from there do
we
exorcise
poison of the small, greedily biting insect, (so that it be) devoid of strength. without joints, 4. Thou (serpent) here, crooked, for
thee the
and without limbs, that twisteth thy crooked jaws mayest thou, O EWhaspati, straighten them out, as a (bent) reed 5.
The
!
poison
of
the
i-arko/a
(scorpion)
that
creeps low upon the ground, (after he) has been deprived of his strength, I have taken away moreover I have caused him to be crushed. ;
6.
There
no strength in thy arms, in thy head, Then why dost the middle (of thy body). is
nor in thou so wickedly carry a small (sting)
in
thy
tail
?
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
30
The
7.
ants devour thee, pea-hens hack thee to Yea, every one of you shall declare the
pieces.
poison of the ^arko/a powerless 8.
(scorpion) that strikest with both, with as well as tail, in thy mouth there is no
mouth poison in
then what can there be
:
VI, .
O
Charm
16.
receptacle
against ophthalmia.
abayu, (and even is
thy juice, compounded of thee.
strong 2.
in the
tail ?
thy
1
!
Thou
Vihalha
O
thou art not abayu,
if)
abayu
We
!
eat a gruel,
thy father's name, Madavati thy Thou art verily not such, as to
is
mother's name. have consumed thy own self. This howling one 3. O Tauvilika, do be quiet! has become quiet. O brown one, and brown-eared one, 4.
go away
!
Go
out,
Alasala thou art
O
ala
first,
!
sila^alala thou art the
next, nilagalasala (thou art third
VI, 21.
Charm
to
?)
!
promote the growth of
hair.
Of
these three earths (our) earth verily is the From the surface of these I have now highest. 1.
plucked a remedy. 2.
Thou
art the
most excellent of remedies, the
best of plants, as Soma (the moon) is the lord in the watches of the night, as Varuwa (is king) among the gods.
O
ye wealthy, irresistible (plants), ye do generously bestow benefits. And ye strengthen the hair, and, moreover, promote its increase. 3.
CHARMS TO CURE DISEASES.
I.
1
Charm
with the plant nitatni the promote growth of hair.
VI, 136. to
3
1. As a goddess upon the goddess earth thou wast born, O plant We dig thee up, O nitatni, that thou mayest strengthen (the growth) of the hair. !
Strengthen the old (hair), beget the new That which has come forth render more luxurious! 2.
3.
that I
That
hair of thine which does drop off, which is broken root and all, upon it
!
and do
sprinkle here the all-healing herb.
Charm
VI, 137. 1.
The
to
(plant) that
promote the growth of
Camadagni dug up
to
hair.
promote
the growth of his daughter's hair, Vitahavya has brought here from the dwelling of Asita. 2. With reins they had to be measured, with outstretched arms they had to be measured out. May thy hairs grow as reeds, may they (cluster), black,
about thy head 3.
Make
expand
!
O
their middle,
as reeds,
may
IV,
draw out
firm their roots,
they
!
May
to
thy hairs grow
about thy head
(cluster), black,
Charm
4.
herb
their ends,
promote
!
virility.
Thee, the plant, which the Gandharva dug up Varu^a, when his virility had decayed, thee, that
1.
for
causest strength
1 ,
we
dig up.
Ushas (Aurora), Surya (the sun), and this charm of mine the bull Pra^apati (the lord of creatures) shall with his lusty fire arouse him 2.
;
!
1
The
original,
more
drastically,
.repaharsha/nm.
changes and omissions in stanzas 3, 6, and of the original has been similarly veiled.
By
a
few
7 the direct simplicity
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
2,2
This herb
3.
make thee so very full of thou shalt, when thou art excited,
shall
lusty strength, that exhale heat as a tiling
The
on
fire
!
of the plants, and the essence of the Do thou, him Indra, controller of bodies, place the lusty force of men into 4.
fire
bulls shall arouse
this
person
O
!
!
Thou (O herb) art the first-born sap of the 5. Moreover thou art waters and also of the plants. the brother of
antelope buck
Soma, and the
lusty force of the
!
Agni, now, O Savitar, now, O goddess Sarasvati, now, O Brahma;/aspati, do thou stiffen 6.
Now,
O
the pasas as a
bow
!
thy pasas as a bowstring upon the bow. Embrace thou (women) as the antelope buck the gazelle with ever unfailing (strength) 7.
I
stiffen
!
The
strength of the horse, the mule, the goat and the ram, moreover the strength of the bull bestow upon him, O controller of bodies (Indra) 8.
!
VI, in. 1.
Release for me,
who, bound and shall ing), 2.
Charm
O
against mania.
Agni, this person here,
well-secured, loudly jabbers
!
he have due regard for thy share (of the shall be free from madness
when he Agni
shall quiet
Then offer-
!
down thy mind,
if it
has been
Cunningly do I prepare a remedy, that thou shalt be freed from madness. the sin 3. (Whose mind) has been maddened by of the gods, or been robbed of sense by the Rakshas, a remedy, that he (for him) do I cunningly prepare
disturbed
shall 4.
!
be free from madness.
May
the Apsaras restore thee,
may
Indra,
may
I.
Bhaga
CHARMS TO CURE
restore thee
;
may
all
2)7'
Charm with
$$
the gods restore thee,
that thou mayest be freed from
IV,
DISEASES.
madness
!
the plant a^aj-r/rigi to drive
out Rakshas, Apsaras and Gandharvas.
O
i. With thee, herb, the Atharvans first slew the Rakshas, with thee Ka^yapa slew (them), with thee Ka/zva and Agastya (slew them).
2.
With thee do we
dharvas.
scatter the
Apsaras and Gan-
O
a^airzngi (odina pinnata), goad (a^a) the Rakshas, drive them all away with thy smell !
The
Naladi, Auksha-
3. Apsaras, Guggulii, Pila, gandhi, and Pramandani (by name), shall go to the river, to the ford of the waters, as if blown away !
Thither do ye, O Apsaras, pass away, have been recognised
(since)
ye
I
4.
Where grow
the a^vattha (ficus religiosa) and
the banyan-trees, the great trees with crowns, thither
do
O
Apsaras, pass away, (since) ye have been recognised ye,
!
5.
Where your
cymbals and
O
gold and silver swings are, where
chime together, thither do ye, Apsaras, pass away, (since) ye have been recoglutes
nised. 6.
Hither has come the mightiest of the plants
and herbs. May the a^airmgi ara/aki pierce with her sharp horn (tikshma^rmgi) !
Of
the crested Gandharva, the husband of the Apsaras, who comes dancing hither, I crush the two mushkas and cut off the j-epas. 7.
Terrible are the missiles of Indra, with a hundred points, brazen with these he shall pierce the 8.
;
Gandharvas, who devour
oblations,
avaka-reed. [42]
D
and devour the
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
34 9.
Terrible are the missiles of Indra, with a hun-
dred points, golden with these he shall pierce the Gandharvas, who devour oblations, and devour the ;
avaka-reed. 10.
All the Pi^a/'as that devour the avaka-reeds, and spread their little light in the waters,
that burn,
do thou, 11.
O
One
herb, crush and is
like
a
overcome dog, one like an !
As
ape.
a youth, with luxuriant locks, pleasant to look upon, the Gandharva hangs about the woman. Him do
we
drive out from here with our powerful charm. The Apsaras, you know, are your wives; ye, the Gandharvas, are their husbands. Speed away, 12.
ye immortals, do not go after mortals!
II, 9.
1.
O
Possession by demons of disease, cured by an amulet of ten kinds of wood. (amulet) of ten kinds of wood, release this the demon (rakshas) and the fit (grahi)
man from
which has seized upon (^agraha) his joints Do him the world O lead forth to thou, moreover, plant, !
of the living 2. He has come, he has gone forth, he has joined the community of the living. And he has become !
the father of sons, and the most happy of 3.
This person has come to
men
his senses,
!
he has
For he (now) has to the cities of the living. a hundred physicians, and also a thousand herbs.
come 4.
The gods have found
5.
(The god) that has caused
thy arrangement, (O All amulet); the Brahmans, moreover, the plants. the gods have found thy arrangement upon the earth.
form the cure
;
he
is
(disease) shall per-
himself the best physician.
I.
CHARMS TO CURE
DISEASES.
35
Let him indeed, the holy one, prepare remedies for thee, together with the (earthly) physician
IV, 36.
Charm
against demons (pisa.a) conceived as the cause of disease.
May Agni
1.
!
Vai^vanara, the bull of unfailing
strength, burn up him that is evil-disposed, and desires to harm us, and him that plans hostile deeds
against us
!
Between the two rows of teeth of Agni Vaii"vanara do I place him that plans to injure us, when we are not planning to injure him and him that plans to injure us, when we do plan to injure him. 3. Those who hound us in our chambers, while shouting goes on in the night of the new moon, and 2.
;
who
the other flesh-devourers
of them do
plan to injure us,
all
overcome with might. 4. With might I overcome the Fisa&as, rob them of their property all evil-disposed (demons) do I
;
I
slay 5.
:
may my
device succeed
With the gods who
!
vie with,
and measure their
swiftness with this sun, with those that are in the rivers,
and
in
the mountains, do
I,
along with
my
cattle, consort.
plague the PLra/'as as the tiger the cattleowners. As dogs who have seen a lion, these do 6.
I
not find a refuge. 7. My strength does not lie with PiVa/'as, nor From with thieves, nor with prowlers in the forest. the village which I enter the Pisa/as vanish away.
From
the village which my fierce power has entered the Pi-sa/^as vanish away they do not devise 8.
;
evil.
d
2
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
36
They who
9.
irritate
me
with
as
their jabber,
(buzzing) mosquitoes the elephant, them I regard as wretched (creatures), as small vermin upon people. 10. May Nirmi (the goddess of destruction) take The hold of this one, as a horse with the halter fool who is wroth with me is not freed from (her) !
snare.
Charm with demon of
II, 25.
the
the plant prismparui against disease, called ka/^va.
The goddess
Prisniparnl has prepared prosus, mishap for NirWti (the goddess of For she is a fierce devourer of the destruction). 1.
perity for
have I employed. The Prmiipar/n was first begotten powerwith her do I lop off the heads of the evil
Ka;/vas 2.
ful
;
her, the mighty,
:
brood, as (the head) of a bird.
The
blood-sucking demon, and him that tries to rob (our) health, Ka^va, the devourer of our 3.
4.
O
PWlmipar#l, and overcome These Ka^vas, the effacers of life, drive into
offspring, destroy,
the mountain
;
!
go thou burning
after
them
like fire,
goddess Prz'.mipar^i 5. Drive far away these Ka?rvas, the effacers of life Where the dark regions are, there have !
!
1
made
VI, 32.
these flesh-eaters tr eo.
Charm
for driving
and
away demons (Rakshas
Pi5a./as).
Do
ye well offer within the fire this oblation with ghee, that destroys the spook! Do thou, O burn the from afar Rakshas, (but) our Agni, against houses thou shalt not consume 1.
!
CHARMS TO CURE
I.
2.
DISEASES.
Rudra has broken your
ye
also break your ribs, ye spooks
may he
whose power
Yama
necks, !
37 Pisa/v'as
The
:
plant
everywhere has united you with
is
(death).
Exempt from danger, O Mitra and Varu/^a, may we here be drive back with your flames the Neither aider, nor devouring demons (Atrin) 3.
;
!
support do they find
;
smiting one another they go
to death.
Charm
II, 4.
with an amulet derived from the
^arigitffa tree,
against diseases and demons.
1. Unto loner life and great delights, for ever unharmed and vigorous, do we wear the ^angida, as
an amulet destructive of the vishkandha. 2.
From
convulsions,
from tearing pain, from
vishkandha, and from torturing pain, the ^ahgitf'a shall protect us on all sides an amulet of a thousand virtues
!
3. This gahgida. conquers the vishkandha, and smites the Atrin (devouring demons) may this allhealing ^aiigL/a protect us from adversity! 4. By means of the invigorating ^arigu/a, bestowed ;
by the gods as an amulet, do we conquer in battle the vishkandha and all the Rakshas. 5. May the hemp and may the gangida. protect me
The one (gahglda) is brought against vishkandha hither from the forest, the other (hemp) from the !
sap of the furrow. 6. Destruction of witchcraft destruction of hostile
powers
is :
this amulet, also
the powerful
may
gahgida therefore extend far our lives
!
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
38
XIX,
Charm
34.
with an amulet derived from the
^angina-tree, against diseases and demons. 1.
Thou
art
O
an Angiras,
^ahgi^a, a protector All two-footed and four-footed
O ^angiofa.
art thou,
creatures that belong to us the ^angi^a shall protect 2. The sorceries fifty-three in number, and the !
hundred performers of sorcery, all these having lost their force, the ^angi^a shall render bereft of strength 3. Bereft of strength is the gotten-up clamour, bereft of strength are the seven debilitating (charms). Do thou, O ^angitfa, hurl away from here poverty, !
as an archer an arrow
This ^angi^a
!
a destroyer of witchcraft, and also a destroyer of hostile powers. May then the 4.
is
powerful ^"angk/a extend far our lives 5. May the greatness of the ^ahgirta protect us about on all sides, (the greatness) with which he has !
overcome the vishkandha (and) the sa^zskandha, (overcoming) the powerful (disease) with power 6. Thrice the gods begot thee that hast grown up the earth. The Brahma/zas of knew thee upon yore here by the name of Angiras. !
7.
Neither the plants of olden times, nor they of
recent times, surpass thee a fierce and a happy refuge. ^angida, ;
8.
And
when,
slayer
is
the
O ^ahgi^a of boundless virtue, thou O fierce (plant),
didst spring up in the days of yore, Indra at first placed strength in thee.
Fierce Indra, verily, put might into thee, O lord of the forest! Dispersing all diseases, slay thou 9.
the Rakshas, 10.
O
plant! disease
The breaking
and the tearing
disease,
CHARMS TO CURE DISEASES.
I.
39
the balasa, and the pain in the limbs, the takman that comes every autumn, may the ^ahgi^a render
devoid of force
XIX,
!
Charm
35.
with an amulet derived from the
^angina-tree, against diseases and demons.
While uttering Indra's name the seers bestowed (upon men) the ^angk/a, which the gods in the beginning had made into a remedy, destructive of 1.
the vishkandha. 2.
the gods and the Brahma;ms into a refuge that puts to naught the hostile
powers 3.
whom
he
treasures,
made
that g-ahgids. protect us as a treasurer his
May
!
The
evil-doer
eye of the hostile-minded, (and) the have approached. Do thou, O thousand-
evil
I
eyed one, watchfully destroy these
!
A
refuge art
thou, O^arigi^a.
me
from heaven, from earth, protect (me) from the atmosphere, protect me from the plants, protect me from the past, as well as the future may he protect us
May protect me 4.
the ^angi^a
protect
;
from every direction of space the gods, and also 5. The sorceries performed by the those performed by men, may all-healing ^angi^a render them all devoid of strength !
J
*->
VI, 85.
1.
Exorcism of disease by means of an amulet from the varaa-tree.
This divine
(varayatai).
tree,
The gods,
the vara^a, shall shut out too, have shut out (avivaran)
the disease that hath entered into this man! 2.
By
Indra's
command,
by
Mitra's
and
by
4-0
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
Varu/za's,
by the command of
all
the gods do
we
shut out thy disease. 3. As Vrztra did waters, thus do
I
hold fast these ever-flowing shut out (varaye) disease from
thee with (the help of) Agni Vairvanara.
The
VI, 127.
/C'lpudru-tree as a panacea.
Of
the abscess, of the balasa, of flow of blood, herb, thou shalt not leave plant of neuralgia, even a speck 1.
O
O
;
!
2.
Those two
boils (testicles) of thine,
upon the arm-pits I know the the Z'ipudru-tree takes care of it.
that are fixed for that
:
O
balasa,
remedy
3. The neuralgia that is in the limbs, that is in the ears and in the eyes we tear them out, the
neuralgia, the abscess, and the pain in the heart. That unknown disease do we drive away downward.
XIX,
38.
The
healing properties of bdellium.
[Neither diseases, nor yet a curse, enters this From him that is peneperson, O arundhati !] 1.
by the sweet fragrance of the healing bdellium, diseases flee in every direction, as antelopes and as
trated
horses run. 2. Whether, O bdellium, thou comest from the Sindhu (Indus), or whether thou art derived from the sea, I have seized the qualities of both, that this person shall be exempt from harm.
VI, 91.
Barley and water as universal remedies.
This barley they did plough vigorously, with yokes of eight and yokes of six. With it I drive off to a far distance the ailment from thy body. 1.
I.
CHARMS TO CURE
Downward blows
2.
the sun,
downward
the wind,
the
shall thy ailment pass
DISEASES.
cow
downward burns downward
milked
is
41
:
!
The
waters verily are healing, the waters chase 3. away disease, the waters cure all (disease) may they prepare a remedy for thee :
!
VIII,
to all magic and medicinal plants, used as a universal remedy.
Hymn
7.
The
1.
white
;
plants that are brown, and those that are the the red ones and the speckled ones ;
sable and the black plants, 2.
sent sky,
May
they
all
protect this
(these)
do we invoke.
man from
the disease
by the gods, the herbs whose father whose mother is the earth, whose root
is
the
is
the
ocean. 3.
most
The
waters and the heavenly plants are forethey have driven out from every limb thy
;
disease, consequent upon sin. 4. The plants that spread forth, those that are
bushy, those that have a single sheath, those that creep along, do I address I call in thy behalf the ;
plants that have shoots, those that have stalks, those that divide their branches, those that are derived
from
all
life to
the gods, the strong (plants) that furnish
man.
5. With the might that is yours, ye mighty ones, with the power and strength that is yours, with that
do I
ye,
plants, rescue this
now prepare 6.
('
O
man from
this disease
!
a remedy.
The
plants ^ivala (' quickening'), na-gha-risha forsooth-no-harm '),^ivanti (' living'), and the arun-
dhati,
which removes
(disease),
is
full
of blossoms,
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
42
and
rich in honey,
do
exempt him from
to
call
I
injury. 7.
Hither shall come the intelligent (plants) that
speech, that we may bring this man into safety out of misery 8. They that are the food of Agni (the fire), the
understand
my
!
offspring of the waters, that grow ever renewing themselves, the firm (plants) that bear a thousand
names, the healing
(plants), shall
be brought hither! is the avaka (blyxa
plants, whose womb whose essence are the waters, octandra), 9.
The
their sharp horns thrust aside evil 10.
The
shall with
!
plants which release, exempt from Varu;za
(dropsy), are strong, and destroy poison those, too, that remove (the disease) balasa, and ward off witchcraft shall come hither ;
!
The
plants that have been bought, that are right potent, and are praised, shall protect in this 11.
village cow, horse, man, and cattle 12. Honied are the roots of these herbs, honied !
their tops, honied their middles, honied their leaves, honied their blossoms they share in honey, are the ;
food of immortality. food,
and
13.
May
cattle chief of all
As many
in
they yield ghee, and
!
number and
kind the plants they, furnished with in
here are upon the earth, may a thousand leaves, release me
misery
from
death
and
!
Tiger-like is the amulet (made of) herbs, a saviour, a protector against hostile schemes may 14.
:
it
drive off far
Rakshas 15.
away from us
all
diseases and the
!
As
if
at the roar of the lion they start with
fright, as if (at the roar) of fire
they tremble before
CHARMS TO CURE
I.
DISEASES.
43
The the (plants) that have been brought hither. diseases of cattle and men have been driven out by the herbs 1
:
The
6.
them pass
let
into navigable streams
plants release us from
Agni Vaiivanara.
Spreading over the earth, go ye, whose king tree
!
is
the
!
The
descended from Aiigiras, that grow upon the mountains and in the plains, shall be for us rich in milk, auspicious, comforting to the 1
7.
heart
plants,
!
The herbs which
know, and those which I see with my sight the unknown, those which we and those which we perceive to be charged know, 18.
I
;
with (power), 19. All plants collectively shall note
we may
that
bring this
man
my
words,
into safety out of mis-
fortune,
The
20.
aivattha (ficus religiosa), and the darbha
among the plants king Soma, amrz'ta (ambrosia) and the oblation rice and barley, the two healing, ;
;
immortal children of heaven
!
Ye
arise: it is thundering and crashing, ye since Par^anya (the god of rain) is favouring plants, children of Frt'sni (the spotted cloud), with you, 21.
O
(his)
seed (water).
22.
we
The
strength of this amrz'ta (ambrosia) do
give this
man
to drink.
a remedy, that he 23.
Moreover, I prepare a hundred years
may live The boar knows, the ichneumon knows !
the
Those
that the serpents and Ganhither for help. 24. The plants, derived from the Aiigiras, which the eagles and the heavenly ragha/s (falcons) know,
healing plant.
dharvas know,
I
call
which the birds and the flamingos know, which
all
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
44
winged (creatures) know, which all wild animals know, I call hither for help. 25. As many plants as the oxen and kine, as many as the goats and the sheep feed upon, so many plants,
when
applied, shall furnish protection to thee 26. As many (plants), as the human physicians
know
!
to contain a remedy, so
every healing quality, do 27.
Those
that
have
many, endowed with
apply to thee flowers, those that have
I
!
blossoms, those that bear fruit, and those that are without fruit, as if from the same mother they shall
suck sap, to exempt this man from injury 28. I have saved thee from a depth of five fathoms, and, too, from a depth of ten fathoms !
;
moreover, from the
foot-fetter of
Yama, and from
every sin against the gods. Plants as a panacea.
VI, 96. 1.
king
The many
plants of hundredfold aspect,
whose
Soma, which have been begotten by Brz-
is
from calamity! 2. May they free us from (the calamity) consequent upon curses, and also from the (toils) of
haspati, shall free us
Varima moreover, from the and every sin against the gods
foot-fetter of
;
Yama,
!
What laws we have infringed upon, with the the mind, and speech, either while awake, or eye, asleep may Soma by his (divine) nature clear these 3.
(sins)
away from us II, 32.
!
Charm
to secure perfect health.
1. From thy eyes, thy nostrils, ears, and chin from thy the disease which is seated in thy head brain and tongue I do tear it out.
I.
CHARMS TO CURE DISEASES.
45
From
2.
thy neck, nape of the neck, ribs, and the disease which is seated in thy fore-arm
spine
from thy shoulders and arms 3.
From
4.
From
I
do tear
it
out.
thy heart, thy lungs, viscera, and sides from thy kidneys, spleen, and liver we do tear out the disease.
men
;
;
thy
from thy
entrails,
canals, rectum,
and navel
belly, guts,
I
and abdodo tear out
the disease. 5.
From
thy thighs, knees, heels, and the tips of from thy hips I do tear out the disease
thy feet seated in thy buttocks, from thy bottom the disease seated in thy buttocks.
From
thy bones, marrow, sinews and arteries from thy hands, fingers, and nails I do tear out the 6.
;
disease. 7.
The
disease
that
in
is
thy every limb, thy is seated in
that which
every hair, thy every joint thy skin, with Ka^yapa's charm, that tears out, to ;
either side
IX,
8.
we do
Charm
tear
it
out.
to procure
immunity from
all
diseases. t. Headache and suffering in the head, pain in the ears and flow of blood, every disease of the head, do we charm forth from thee.
From
thy ears, from thy kankushas the earpain, and the neuralgia every disease of the head 2.
do we charm forth from
thee.
(With the charm) through whose agency disease every disease of the head do we charm forth from thee. 3.
hastens forth from the ears and the mouth
4.
(The disease) that renders a man deaf and
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
46
every disease of the head do
blind
from
we charm
forth
thee.
Pain in the limbs,
5.
fever
in
the
limbs,
the
every disease of neuralgia that affects every limb the head do we charm forth from thee.
whose frightful aspect makes man tremble, the takman (fever) that comes every autumn, do we charm forth from thee. 7. The disease that creeps along the thighs, and then enters the canals, out of thy inner parts do we charm forth. 6.
(The
from the heart, from love, or from disgust, arises, from thy heart and from thy limbs the If
8. it
disease)
balasa do
we charm
forth.
Jaundice from thy limbs, diarrhoea from within thy bowels, the core of disease from thy inner soul 9.
do we charm
forth.
To
ashes (asa) the balasa shall turn; what is The poison of all diseased shall turn to urine 10.
!
diseases
I
have charmed forth from
thee.
Outside the opening (of the bladder) it shall off; the rumbling shall pass from thy belly!
11.
run
The
poison of
from
thee.
1
2.
From
all
(The
I
have charmed forth
thy belly, lungs, navel, and heart
poison of all diseases 13.
diseases
pains)
I
the
have charmed forth from thee. split the crown (of the
that
head), pierce the head, without doing injury, without causing disease, they shall run off outside the
opening 14.
(of the bladder)
They
!
that pierce the heart, creep along the
without doing injury, without causing disease, they shall run off outside the opening (of the ribs,
bladder)
!
CHARMS TO CURE
I.
47
that pierce the sides, bore along the ribs,
They
15.
DISEASES.
without doing injury, without causing disease, they shall run off outside the opening (of the bladder) !
16.
that pierce
They
burrow
crosswise,
abdomen, without doing
without
injury,
disease, they shall run off outside the
the bladder) 1
They
7.
in
thy
causing
opening (of
!
that creep along the rectum, twist the
bowels, without doing injury, without causing disease, they shall run off outside the opening (of the bladder) 18. They that suck the marrow, and split the !
without doing injury, without causing disease, they shall run off outside the opening (of the
joints,
bladder) 19.
!
The
diseases
and the
thy limbs, the poison of forth
all
that paralyse
injuries
diseases
I
have charmed
from thee.
Of
neuralgia, of abscesses, of inflation, or of inflammation of the eyes, the poison of all diseases I have driven forth from thee. 20.
21. From thy feet, knees, thighs, and bottom; from thy spine, and thy neck the piercing pains, from thy head the ache I have removed. 22. Firm are the bones of thy skull, and the beat At thy rising, O sun, thou didst of thy heart.
remove the pains of the head, quiet the pangs
in
the limbs.
II, 29.
Charm
for obtaining long life and prosperity by transmission of disease.
In the essence of earthly strength of body (may he live) t.
Brz'haspati bestow upon him
bliss, !
life's
O
May
ye gods, in
Agni, Siirya,
vigour
!
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
48
O
2. Give life to him, cTatavedas, bestow in addition progeny upon him, Tvash/ar procure, Savitar, increase of wealth for him may this one,
O
;
O
;
who belongs
hundred autumns our 3. May prayer bestow upon us vigour, and of sound possession progeny ability and property do ye two, (O heaven and earth), bestow upon us to thee, live a
!
;
!
conquering lands with might, subjecting the others, his enemies
May
he,
(live),
O
Indra,
!
4. Given by Indra, instructed by Varu;za, sent by the Maruts, strong, he has come to us may he, in the lap of ye two, heaven and earth, not suffer from ;
hunger and not from
thirst
!
5. Strength may ye two, that are rich in strength, bestow upon him milk may ye two, that are rich in milk, bestow upon him Strength heaven and ;
!
earth did bestow upon him the Maruts, and the waters. 6.
With the gracious mayest
heart,
rejoice
all
strength
do
the gods,
I
delight thy thou, free from disease, full of force,
Clothed
!
;
in the
(waters)
same garment do ye two
drink this stirred drink, taking on as a magic form the shape of the two Aivins !
7.
Indra, having
vigour, and
this
force, live (a :
first
created this :
that
By means
same
of that do thou, full of autumns may it not flow out hundred) physicians have prepared it for thee
belongs to thee. of thee
been wounded,
ever fresh divine food
;
!
II.
PRAYERS FOR LONG LIFE AND HEALTH (AYUSHYANI). Prayer for health and long
Ill, ii. i.
I
thee
release
unto
life
life.
by means of (my) and from consump-
from unknown decline, Grahi (seizure) has caught hold (^agraha) person here, may Indra and Agni free him
oblation,
If
tion.
of this
from that
!
has faded, even if he has passed he has been brought to the very vicinity of snatch him from the lap of Nirmi (the
If his life
2.
if
away, death,
I
I have freed him unto a goddess of destruction) life of a hundred autumns. 3. I have snatched him (from death) by means of an oblation which has a thousand eyes, hundredfold strength, and ensures a hundredfold life, in order that Indra may conduct him through the years across :
to the other side of every misfortune. 4. Live thou, thriving a hundred autumns, a hundred winters, and a hundred springs! May Indra, Agni, Savitar, Br/haspati (grant) thee a hundred years! I have snatched him (from death) with an
oblation that secures a 5.
two
Enter
bulls a stable
of which, 6.
ye,
O
it is
of a hundred years.
in-breathing and out-breathing, as Away shall go the other deaths,
said, there are a
Remain ye [42]
!
life
here,
O E
hundred more in-breathing and !
out-
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
5
View more...
Comments
