Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book I/Hymn 8
8. To Agni and other gods: for the discovery of sorcerers.
[Cātana.—ānuṣṭubham: 4. bārhatagarbhā triṣṭubh.]
The hymn, except vs. 4, is found in Pāipp. iv. also next after our hymn 7, but in the verse-order 1, 3, 2. For its use by Kāuç. with 7, see under the latter.
Translated: Weber, iv. 401; Ludwig, p. 523; Griffith, i. 11; Bloomfield, 65, 239.—Cf. Bergaigne-Henry, Manuel, p. 132; Whitney, Festgruss an Roth, p. 94 f.
1. This oblation shall bring the sorcerers, as a stream does the foam; whoever, woman [or] man, hath done this, here let that person speak out.
Ppp. has for c, d nïdaṁ strī pumān kar yaçam bhuvatāṁ janaḥ. ⌊For stu, see i. 7. 1, note.⌋
2. This man hath come, speaking out; this man do ye welcome; O Brihaspati, taking [him] into thy control—O Agni and Soma, do ye (two) pierce [him] through.
Ppp. has in a, b stuvānā gama tvaṁ smo 'ta prati; in c, d, vaçe kṛtā 'gnīṣomāv id dhataṁ. The comm. makes nonsense every time by insisting on rendering stu by "praise"; here it is yuṣmān stuvan.
3. Of the sorcerer, O soma-drinker, slay the progeny and conduct [him hither]; of him, speaking out, make fall out (nis-pat) the upper eye and the lower.
The comm. fills out the ellipsis in b by making it mean "conduct our progeny to obtain desired result"! and stuvānasya is bhītyā tvadviṣayāṁ stutiṁ kurvataḥ. Ppp. reads nyastuvānasya. SPP's text as well as ours gives ní st- (p. níḥ: st-); the saṁhitā-mss., as everywhere, are divided between that and níḥ st-; the latter is authorized by the silence of the Prātiçākhya ⌊see p. 426⌋ concerning the combination.
4. Wherever, O Agni, thou knowest the births of them, of the devourers that are in secret, O Jātavedas, them do thou, increasing through worship (bráhman)—slay of them, O Agni, with hundredfold transfixion.
The irregular meter and broken connection of the second half-verse suggest possible corruption of the text: cf. ásurāṇāṁ çatatarhā́n, TS. i. 5. 76. The meter (11 + 11: 9 + 9 = 40) is well enough described by the Anukr. if we may take bārhatagarbha as meaning dvibārh- 'containing two padas of nine syllables.' ⌊For -tárham, cf. Gram. §995.⌋