Atharva-Veda Samhita

For other English-language translations of this work, see Atharvaveda.

Chapters (not listed in original)

• Volume 1 front matter
• Volume 2 front matter
• Atharva-Veda Samhita
  1. Book I
  2. Book II
  3. Book III
  4. Book IV
  5. Book V
  6. Book VI
  7. Book VII
  8. Book VIII
  9. Book IX
  10. Book X
  11. Book XI
  12. Book XII
  13. Book XIII
  14. Book XIV
  15. Book XV
  16. Book XVI
  17. Book XVII
  18. Book XVIII
  19. Book XIX
  20. Book XX

CONTENTS

	PAGE
Plates, one in each volume of this work
Portrait of Whitney, facing page	xliii
Facsimile of Kashmirian text, birch-bark leaf 187 a, just before page	471
Prefatory and biographical and related matter	xvii–lxi
Paragraphs in lieu of a preface by Whitney	xvii–xxi
Announcement of this work	xvii
Statement of its plan and scope and design	xviii
The purpose and limitations and method of the translation	xix
Editor's preface	xxiii–xlii
Whitney's labors on the Atharva-Veda	xxiii
The edition of the text or the "First volume"	xxiii
Relation of this work to the "First volume"	xxiv
And to this Series	xxiv
External form of this work	xxiv
Its general scope as determined by previous promise and fulfilment	xxv
Of the critical notes in particular	xxvi
Scope of the work as transcending previous promise	xxvii
Evolution of the style of the work	xxvii
Partial rewriting and revision by Whitney	xxvii
Picking up the broken threads	xxviii
Relation of the editor's work to that of the author	xxviii
Parts for which the author is not responsible	xxviii
The General Introduction, Part I.: by the editor	xxix
The same, Part II.: elaborated in part from the author's material	xxix
The editor's special introductions to the eighteen books, ii.–xix.	xxx
The special introductions to the hymns: additions by the editor	xxx
His bibliography of previous translations and discussions: contained in The paragraphs beginning with the word "Translated"	xxx
Added special introductions to the hymns of book xviii. etc.	xxxi
Other editorial additions at the beginning and end of hymns	xxxii
Other additions of considerable extent	xxxii
The seven tables appended to the latter volume of this work	xxxii
Unmarked minor additions and other minor changes	xxxiii
The marked minor additions and other minor changes	xxxiv
The revision of the author's manuscript. Verification	xxxiv
Accentuation of Sanskrit words	xxxv
Cross-references	xxxv
Orthography of Anglicized proper names	xxxv
Editorial short-comings and the chances of error	xxxv
The biographical and related matter	xxxvi
General significance of Whitney's work	xxxvii
Need of a systematic commentary on the Rig-Veda	xxxvii
The Century Dictionary of the English Language	xxxviii
Acknowledgments	xxxviii
Human personality and the progress of science	xl
The same in English verse and in Sanskrit verse	xli–xlii
Biographical and related matter	xliii–lxi
Brief sketch of Whitney's life: by the editor	xliii
Estimate of Whitney's character and services: by the editor	xlvii
Select list of Whitney's writings: by Whitney	lvi
General Introduction, Part I.: by the editor	lxiii—cvii
General Premises	lxiii–lxiv
Scope of this Part of the Introduction	lxiii
Scope of the reports of the variant readings	lxiii
The term "manuscripts" often used loosely for "authorities"	lxiv
Which authorities are both manuscripts and oral reciters	lxiv
Difficulty of verifying statements as to authorities	lxiv
1. Readings of European manuscripts of the Vulgate recension	lxiv–lxv
Reports include mss. collated, some before, and some after publication	lxiv
Interpretation of the records of the Collation-Book	lxv
2. Readings of Indian manuscripts of the Vulgate	lxvi
By "Indian mss." are meant those used by S. P. Pandit	lxvi
His reports not exhaustive	lxvi
3. Readings of Indian oral reciters of the Vulgate	lxvi–lxvii
By "Indian oral reciters" are meant those employed by S. P. Pandit	lxvi
Errors of the eye checked by oral reciters	lxvi
4. Readings of the Hindu commentator	lxvii–lxviii
The critical value and the range of his variant readings	lxvii
Excursus: Was he identical with Sāyaṇa of the Rig-Veda?	lxviii
5. Readings of the Pada-pāṭha	lxix–lxx
Reported in Index Verborum, and since published in full	lxix
Illustrations of its deficiencies	lxix
In verb-compounds and various other combinations	lxix–lxx
6. The Prātiçākhya and its commentary	lxx–lxxi
Character of Whitney's editions of the Prātiçākhyas	lxx
Their bearing upon the orthography and criticism of the text	lxx
Utilization of the Atharvan Prātiçākhya for the present work	lxxi
7. The Anukramaṇīs: "Old" and "Major"	lxxi–lxxiv
More than one Anukramaṇī extant	lxxi
The Pañcapaṭalikā or "Old Anukr." or "Quoted Anukr."	lxxi
Manuscripts thereof	lxxii
The Bṛhatsarvānukramaṇī or "Major Anukr."	lxxii
Manuscripts thereof	lxxii
Text-critical value of the Anukramaṇīs	lxxiii
The author of the Major Anukr. as a critic of meters	lxxiii
His statements as to the seers of the hymns (quasi-authorship)	lxxiv
8. The Kāuçika-Sūtra and the Vāitāna-Sūtra	lxxiv–lxxix
The work of Garbe and Bloomfield and Caland	lxxiv
Bearing of Sūtras upon criticism of structure and text of Saṁhitā	lxxv
Grouping of mantra-material in Sūtra and in Saṁhitā compared	lxxv
Many difficulties of the Kāuçika yet unsolved	lxxvi
Value of the Sūtras for the exegesis of the Saṁhitā	lxxvii
Kāuçika no good warrant for dogmatism in the exegesis of Saṁhitā	lxxvii
Integer vitae as a Christian funeral-hymn	lxxviii
Secondary adaptation of mantras to incongruous ritual uses	lxxviii
9. Readings of the Kashmirian or Pāippalāda recension	lxxix–lxxxix
Its general relations to the Vulgate or Çāunakan recension	lxxix
The unique birch-bark manuscript thereof (perhaps about A.D. 1519)	lxxx
Roth's Kashmirian nāgarī transcript (Nov. 1874)	lxxxi
Arrival (1876) of the birch-bark original at Tübingen	lxxxi
Roth's Collation (June, 1884) of the Pāippalāda text	lxxxi
Roth's autograph nāgarī transcript (Dec. 1884)	lxxxii
The facsimile of the birch-bark original (1901)	lxxxii
Roth's Collation not exhaustive	lxxxiii
Faults of the birch-bark manuscript	lxxxiii
Collation not controlled by constant reference to the birch-bark ms.	lxxxiv
Such reference would have ruined the birch-bark ms.	lxxxiv
Care taken in the use of Roth's Collation. Word-division	lxxxv
Kashmirian readings not controlled directly from the facsimile	lxxxv
Provisional means for such control: the Concordance (pages 1018–1023)	lxxxv
Excursus: The requirements for an edition of the Pāippalāda:	lxxxvi
1. A rigorously precise transliteration	lxxxvii
2. Marginal references to the Vulgate parallels	lxxxvii
3. Index of Vulgate verses thus noted on the margin	lxxxvii
4. Accessory material: conjectures, notes, translations.	lxxxviii
10. Readings of the parallel texts	lxxxix–xci
The texts whose readings are reported	lxxxix
The method of reporting aims at the utmost accuracy	lxxxix
Completeness of the reports far from absolute	xc
Reports presented in well-digested form	xc
11. Whitney's Commentary: further discussion of its critical elements	xci–xciii
Comprehensiveness of its array of parallels	xci
Criticism of specific readings	xci
Illustrations of classes of text-errors	xcii
Auditory errors. Surd and sonant. Twin consonants	xcii
Visual errors. Haplography	xciii
Metrical faults. Hypermetric glosses, and so forth	xciii
Blend-readings	xciii
12. Whitney's Translation and the interpretative elements of the Commentary	xciv–xcix
The translation: general principles governing the method thereof	xciv
The translation not primarily an interpretation, but a literal version	xciv
A literal version as against a literary one	xciv
Interpretative elements: captions of the hymns	xcv
Interpretations by Whitney	xcv
Exegetical notes contributed by Roth	xcvi
The translation has for its underlying text that of the Berlin edition	xcvi
This is the fact even in cases of corrigible corruptions	xcvi
Cases of departure from the text of the Berlin edition	xcvii
Whitney's growing skepticism and correspondingly rigid literalness	xcvii
Poetic elevation and humor	xcviii
13. Abbreviations and signs explained	xcix–cvi
General scope of the list: it includes not only	xcix
The downright or most arbitrary abbreviations, but also	xcix
The abbreviated designations of books and articles	xcix
Explanation of arbitrary signs:
Parentheses; square brackets	c
Ell-brackets (⌊ ⌋); hand (☞)	c
Small circle; Italic colon; Clarendon letters, a, b, c, etc.	c
Alphabetic list of abbreviations	c
14. Tabular view of translations and native comment	cvi–cvii
Previous translations.—Native comment	cvi
Chronologic sequence of previous translations and discussions	cvii
General Intoduction, Part II.: partly from Whitney's material	cix—clxi
General Premises	cix
Contents of this Part	cix
Authorship of this Part	cix
1. Description of the manuscripts used by Whitney	cix–cxvi
The brief designations of his manuscripts (sigla codicum)	cix
Synoptic table of the manuscripts used by him	cx
Table of the Berlin manuscripts of the Atharva-Veda	cx
Whitney's critical description of his manuscripts:
Manuscripts used before publication of the text (B. P. M. W. E. I. H.; Bp. Bp.2)	cxi
Manuscripts collated after publication of the text (O. R. T. K.; Op. D. Kp.)	cxiv
2. The stanza çaṁ no devīr abhiṣṭaye as opening stanza	cxvi–cxvii
As initial stanza of the text in the Kashmirian recension	cxvi
As initial stanza of the Vulgate text	cxvi
3. Whitney's Collation-Book and his collations	cxvii–cxix
Description of the two volumes that form the Collation-Book	cxvii
Whitney's fundamental transcript of the text	cxvii
Collations made before publication of the text	cxviii
The Berlin collations	cxviii
The Paris and Oxford and London collations	cxviii
Collations made after publication (made in 1875 or later)	cxviii
Haug, Roth, Tanjore, Deccan, and Bikaner mss.	cxviii
Other contents of the Collation-Book	cxviii
4. Repeated verses in the manuscripts	cxix–cxx
Abbreviated by pratīka with addition of ity ekā etc.	cxix
List of repeated verses or verse-groups	cxix
Further details concerning the pratīka and the addition	cxix
5. Refrains and the like in the manuscripts	cxx–cxxi
Written out in full only in first and last verse of a sequence	cxx
Treated by the Anukramaṇī as if unabbreviated	cxx
Usage of the editions in respect of such abbreviated passages	cxxi
6. Marks of accentuation in the manuscripts	cxxi–cxxiii
Berlin edition uses the Rig-Veda method of marking accents	cxxi
Dots for lines as accent-marks	cxxi
Marks for the independent svarita	cxxii
Horizontal stroke for svarita	cxxii
Udātta marked by vertical stroke above, as in Māitrāyaṇī	cxxii
Accent-marks in the Bombay edition	cxxii
Use of a circle as avagraha-sign	cxxii
7. Orthographic method pursued in the Berlin edition	cxxiii–cxxvi
Founded on the usage of the mss., but controlled by the Prātiçakhyā	cxxiii
That treatise an authority only to a certain point	cxxiii
Its failure to discriminate between rules of wholly different value	cxxiii
Items of conformity to the Prātiçakhyā and of departure therefrom	cxxiv
Transition-sounds: as in tān-t-sarvān	cxxiv
Final -n before ç- and j-: as in paçyañ janmāni	cxxiv
Final -n before c-: as in yāṅç ca	cxxiv
Final -n before t-: as in tāṅs te	cxxiv
Final -t before ç-: as in asmac charavaḥ	cxxv
Abbreviation of consonant groups: as in pan̄kti	cxxv
Final -m and -n before l-: as in kaṅ lokam	cxxv
Visarga before st- and the like: as in ripu stenaḥ	cxxvi
The kampa-figures 1 and 3	cxxvi
The method of marking the accent	cxxvi
8. Metrical form of the Atharvan Saṁhitā	cxxvi–cxxvii
Predominance of anuṣṭubh stanzas	cxxvi
Extreme irregularity of the metrical form	cxxvii
Apparent wantonness in the alteration of Rig-Veda material	cxxvii
To emend this irregularity into regularity is not licit	cxxvii
9. Divisions of the text	cxxvii–cxl
Summary of the various divisions	cxxvii
The first and second and third "grand divisions"	cxxvii
1. The (unimportant) division into prapāṭhakas or 'lectures'	cxxviii
Their number and distribution and extent	cxxviii
Their relation to the anuvāka-divisions	cxxviii
2. The (fundamental) division into kāṇḍas or 'books'	cxxix
3. The division into anuvākas or 'recitations'	cxxix
Their number, and distribution over books and grand divisions	cxxix
Their relation to the hymn-divisions in books xiii.–xviii.	cxxx
4. The division into sūktas or 'hymns'	cxxxi
The hymn-divisions not everywhere of equal value	cxxxi
5. The division into ṛcas or 'verses'	cxxxi
6. Subdivisions of verses: avasānas, pādas, and so forth	cxxxii
Numeration of successive verses in the mss.	cxxxii
Groupings of successive verses into units requiring special mention:	cxxxii
Decad-sūktas or 'decad-hymns'	cxxxii
Artha-sūktas or 'sense-hymns'	cxxxiii
Paryāya-sūktas or 'period-hymns'	cxxxiii
Differences of the Berlin and Bombay numerations in books vii. and xix.	cxxxiv
Differences of hymn-numeration in the paryāya-books	cxxxiv
Whitney's criticism of the numbering of the Bombay edition	cxxxvi
Suggestion of a preferable method of numbering and citing	cxxxvi
Differences of verse-numeration	cxxxvii
Summations of hymns and verses at end of divisions	cxxxviii
The summations quoted from the Pañcapaṭalikā	cxxxviii
Indication of extent of divisions by reference to an assumed norm	cxxxviii
Tables of verse-norms assumed by the Pañcapaṭalikā	cxxxix
The three "grand divisions" are recognized by the Pañcapaṭalikā	cxxxix
10. Extent and structure of the Atharva-Veda Saṁhitā	cxl–clxi
Limits of the original collection	cxl
Books xix. and xx. are later additions	cxli
The two broadest principles of arrangement of books i.–xviii.:	cxlii
1. Miscellaneity or unity of subject and 2. length of hymn	cxlii
The three grand divisions (I., II., III.) as based on those principles	cxlii
The order of the three grand divisions	cxlii
Principles of arrangement of books within the grand division:	cxlii
1. Normal length of the hymns for each of the several books	cxliii
2. The amount of text in each book. Table	cxliii
Arrangement of the hymns within any given book	cxliii
Distribution of hymns according to length in divisions I. and II. and III.	cxlvi
Tables (1 and 2 and 3) for those divisions (see pages cxliv–cxlv)	cxlvi
Grouping of hymns of book xix. according to length	cxlvi
Table (number 4) for book xix.	cxlvii
Summary of the four tables. Table number 5.	cxlvii
Extent of AV. Saṁhitā about one half of that of RV.	cxlvii
First grand division (books i.–vii.): short hymns of miscellaneous subjects	cxlvii
Evidence of fact as to the existence of the verse-norms	cxlviii
Express testimony of both Anukramaṇīs as to the verse-norms	cxlviii
One verse is the norm for book vii.	cxlix
Arrangement of books within the division:
1. With reference to the normal length of the hymns	cxlix
Excursus: on hymn xix. 23, Homage to parts of the Atharva-Veda	cl
Exceptional character of book vii.	cli
Book vii. a book of after-gleanings supplementing books i.–vi.	clii
2. Arrangement of books with reference to amount of text	clii
Résumé of conclusions as to the arrangement of books i.–vii.	clii
Departures from the norms by excess	cliii
Critical significance of those departures	cliii
Illustrative examples of critical reduction to the norm	cliii
Arrangement of the hymns within any given book of this division	cliv
Second grand division (books viii.–xii.): long hymns of miscellaneous subjects	clv
Their hieratic character: mingled prose passages	clv
Table of verse-totals for the hymns of division II.	clvi
General make-up of the material of this division	clvi
Order of books within the division: negative or insignificant conclusions	clvii
Order of hymns within any given book of this division	clvii
Possible reference to this division in hymn xix. 23	clvii
Third grand division (books xiii.–xviii.): books showing unity of subject	clviii
Division III. represented in Pāippalāda by a single book, book xviii.	clix
Names of the books of this division as given by hymn xix. 23	clix
Order of books within the division	clix
Table of verse-totals for the hymns of division III.	clix
Order of hymns within any given book of this division	clx
The hymn-divisions of books xiii.–xviii. and their value	clx
Cross-references to explanation of abbreviations and so forth	clxii
To explanation of abbreviations (pages xcix–cvi)	clxii
To explanation of abbreviated titles (pages xcix–cvi)	clxii
To explanation of arbitrary signs (page c)	clxii
To key to the designations of the manuscripts (pages cix–cx)	clxii
To synoptic tables of the manuscripts (pages cx–cxi)	clxii
To descriptions of the manuscripts (pages cxi–cxvi)	clxii
To table of titles of hymns (volume VIII., pages 1024–1037)	clxii
The Atharva-Veda Saṁhitā: Translation and Notes . . .	1–1009
1. First Grand Division.—Books I.–VII.	1–470
Seven books of short hymns of miscellaneous subjects
[For table of the titles of the 433 hymns, see p. 1024]
[Volume VII. ends here with book vii.]
[Volume VIII. begins here with book viii.]
2. Second Grand Division.—Books VIII.–XII.	471–707
Five books of long hymns of miscellaneous subjects
[For table of the titles of the 45 hymns, see p. 1034]
3. Third Grand Division.—Books XIII.–XVIII.	708–894
Six books of long hymns, the books showing unity of subject
[For table of the titles of the 15 hymns, see p. 1035]
Book xiii.: hymns to the Ruddy Sun or Rohita (seer: Brahman)	708–737
Book xiv.: wedding verses (seer: Sāvitrī Sūryā)	738–768
Book xv.: the Vrātya (seer:—)	769–791
Book xvi.: Paritta (seer: Prajāpati?)	792–804
Book xvii.: prayer to the Sun as Indra and as Vishṇu (seer: Brahman)	805–812
Book xviii.: funeral verses (seer: Atharvan)	813–894
4. Supplement.—Book XIX.	895–1009
After-gleanings, chiefly from the traditional sources of division I.
[For table of the titles of the 72 hymns, see p. 1036]
Pāippalāda excerpts concerning book xx.	1009
Indexes and other auxiliary matter	1011–1046
1. The non-metrical passages of the Atharvan Saṁhita	1011
Tabular list	1011
2. Hymns ignored by the Kāuçika-Sūtra	1011–1012
Tabular list	1012
3. The two methods of citing the Kāuçika-Sūtra	1012
Tabular concordance	1012
4. The discrepant hymn-numbers of the Berlin and Bombay editions	1013
Tabular concordance	1013
5. Pāippalāda passages corresponding to passages of the Vulgate	1013–1023
Primary use of the table, its genesis and character	1013
Incidental uses of the table	1013
Vulgate grand division III. and Pāippalāda book xviii.	1014
Conspectus of the contents of Pāippalāda book xviii.	1015
Explanation of the table	1016
Manner of using the table	1017
Tabular concordance	1017–1023
6. Whitney's English captions to his hymn-translations	1024–1037
They form an important element in his interpretation of this Veda	1024
In tabular form, they give a useful conspectus of its subject-matter	1024
Table of hymn-titles of Division I., books i.—vii.	1024–1032
[Stop-gap: the division of this work into two separately bound volumes]	1033
Table of hymn-titles of Division II., books viii—xii.	1034
Table of hymn-titles of Division III., books xiii—xviii.	1035
Table of hymn-titles of the Supplement, book xix.	1036–1037
7. The names of the seers of the hymns	1038–1041
Whitney's exploitation of the Major Anukramaṇī	1038
Doubtful points	1038
Entire books of division III. ascribed each to a single seer	1038
Value of these ascriptions of quasi-authorship	1038
Prominence of Atharvan and Brahman as seers	1039
Hymns of Atharvan and hymns of Aṅgiras: possible contrast	1039
Consistency in the ascriptions	1039
Palpably fabricated ascriptions	1040
Alphabetical index of seer-names and of passages ascribed to them	1040–1041
8. Brief index of names and things and words and places	1042–1044
An elaborate index uncalled for here	1042
Alphabetical list of names and things	1042
Alphabetical list of Sanskrit words	1044
List of AV. passages	1044
9. Additions and corrections	1044–1046
Omissions and errors not easy to rectify in the electrotype plates	1045