Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book V/Hymn 17
17. The Brahman's wife.
[Mayobhū.—aṣṭādaçakam. brahmajāyādevatyam. ānuṣṭubham: 1-6. triṣṭubh.]
Found in part (vss. 1-7, 9-11 in ix., also 18, in another part of ix.) in Pāipp. The hymn contains (in vss. 1-3, 6, 5, 10, 11) the seven verses of RV. x. 109, none of which occur elsewhere than in these two texts. Vāit. takes no notice of it, but it is used in Kāuç. (48. 11), next after hymn 13, in a witchcraft ceremony; while vs. 4 is quoted also in 126. 9, on occasion of the fall of a meteor.
Translated: Muir, i.2 280; Ludwig, p. 446 (part); Zimmer, p. 197; Griffith, i. 212; Weber, xviii. 222; also, in part, as RV. hymn, by Muir, i2. 256; Ludwig, no. 1020; Grassmann, ii. 495.—Cf. also Oldenberg, Die Hymnen des RV., i. 244.
1. These spoke first at the offense against the Brahman (bráhman-): the boundless sea, Mātariçvan, he of stout rage (-háras), formidable fervor, the kindly one, the heavenly waters, first-born of right (ṛtá).
RV. reads ugrás in c, and ṛténa at the end. Ppp. reads -haras and -bhuvas in c, and apas in d. The first pāda is properly jagatī, though the Anukr. takes no notice of the fact.
2. King Soma first gave (pra-yam) back the Brahman's wife, not bearing enmity; he who went after [her] was Varuṇa, Mitra; Agni, invoker, conducted [her] hither, seizing her hand.
Ppp. reads mitro ā- in c. Anvartitár ⌊Gram. §233 a⌋ is doubtful; perhaps 'one who disputes possession': cf. MS. iii. 7. 3 (p. 78. 1).
3. To be seized by the hand indeed is the pledge (? ādhí) of her, if one has said "[she is] the Brahman's wife"; she stood not to be sent forth for a messenger: so is made safe (gupitá) the kingdom of the Kshatriya.}}
The sense of a and c is obscure; perhaps we ought to read háste (or -tena) nāí ’vá in a, 'nothing of hers is to be meddled with, when once she is declared the Brahman's.' The mss. vary between grāhyás (B.), grā́hyas (E.), and grāhyàs (the rest). RV. reads ávocan in b, and adds iyám before íti, by omitting which our text damages the meter (but the Anukr. does not notice it). RV. also has in c prahyè for prahéyā; the two readings are of virtually identicjil meaning; emendation to dūtyā̀ya is desirable. Ppp. reads ādir in a.
4. The misfortune, descending (ava-pad) upon the village, of which they say "this is a star with disheveled hair"—as such, the Brahman's wife burns up the kingdom, where hath gone forth a hare (? çaçá) accompanied with meteors (ulkuṣī́-).
That is, such apparent portents are really the woman, that has been misused. A very awkwardly constructed verse. Ppp. reads in a tārakāṁ vik-, and, in c, tinotu for dunoti. It is, of course, the reference to meteoric portents that causes the verse to be quoted in Kāuç. 126.
5. The Vedic student (brahmacārin) goes about serving (viṣ) much service; he becomes one limb of the gods; by him Brihaspati discovered the wife, conducted by Soma, like the sacrificial spoon, O gods.
In d RV. has the doubtless better reading devā́s, 'as the gods [discovered] the sacrificial spoon.' For nītā́m Ppp. reads nihatām. Though called a triṣṭubh, the verse has two jagatī pādas.
6. The gods of old verily spoke about her, the seven seers who sat down with penance (tápas); fearful [is] the wife of the Brahman when led away; she makes (dhā) discomfort (durdhā́) in the highest firmament (vyòman).
Our mss. (except P.M.W., which often agree in a misreading) give ápanītā (instead of úp-) in c and this is to be regarded as the proper AV. text, and is implied in the translation; our edition reads úpan-, with RV. RV. differs also in having tápase, an easier reading, in b; and it has no vāí in a, the intrusion of which defaces the meter, though unnoticed by the Anukr. Ppp. has ajayanta (for avad-) in a, combines saptarṣ- in b, and gives brāhmaṇasyā ’pinihitā in c.
7. What embryos are aborted (ava-pad), what living creatures (jágat) are torn away (apa-lup), what heroes are mutually shattered—them the Brahman's wife injures.
B. reads nṛtyánte in c, P.M. tṛhyáte, D. nūhyante. That is, all this mischief is the consequence of her ill-treatment. Ppp. combines garbhā ’vap- in a, and reads abhilupyate in b, and hanyante in c.
8. And if [there were] ten former husbands of a woman, not Brahmans—provided a Brahman has seized her hand, he is alone her husband.
This verse is wanting in Ppp.
9. A Brahman [is] indeed her husband, not a noble (rājanyà), not a Vāiçya: this the sun goes proclaiming to the five races of men (mānavá).
The Anukr. does not notice the deficient syllable in a (unless we are to syllabize bṛ-āh-, which is very harsh). Ppp. combines brāhmaṇe ’va in a, and puts the verse at the end of the hymn.
10. The gods verily gave back; men (manuṣyà) gave back; kings, apprehending (grah) truth, gave back the Brahman's wife.
RV. has utá instead of the repeated adadus in b; and it gives the better reading kṛṇvānā́s in c. And in both points Ppp. agrees with it ⌊but with -no for -nās⌋.
11. Having given back the Brahman's wife, having brought about (kṛ) freedom of offense with the gods, sharing (bhaj) the refreshment (ū́rj) of the earth, they occupy (upa-ās) broad space (urugyá).
RV. has the more antique forms kṛtvī́ and bhaktvā́ya in b and c. P.M.W. read nakilb- in b.
12. Not on his couch lies a beautiful hundred-bringing (-vāhī́) wife, in whose kingdom the Brahman's wife is obstructed through ignorance.
Literally, 'in what kingdom'; 'obstructed,' i.e. 'kept from him.' 'Hundred,' i.e., probably, 'a rich dowry' (so the Pet. Lex.). The mss. have, as is usual in such cases, ácityā.
13. A wide-eared, broad-headed [ox?] is not born in that dwelling, in whose etc. etc.
Muir understands a "son" of such description.
14. A distributer (kṣattár) with necklaced neck goes not at the head of his crates (? sūnā́) [of food], in whose etc. etc.
The meaning is not undisputed: Muir renders "charioteer" and "hosts" (emending to sénā); Ludwig, "kṣattar" and "slaughter-bench."
15. A white, black-eared [horse] does not make a show (mahīy), harnessed to his [chariot-] pole, in whose etc. etc.
16. Not in his field [is] a lotus-pond, the bulb (? bísa) of the bulb-bearing lotus is not produced (jan), in whose etc. etc.
Compare iv. 34. 5, and note; āṇḍī́ka and bísa are perhaps rather to be rendered independently.
17. Not for him do they who attend to (upa-ās) her milking milk out the spotted [cow], in whose etc. etc.
In b, P. begins yò ‘syā, I.H. yé ‘syā.
18. Not his [is] a beautiful milch-cow, [his] draft-ox endures not the pole, where a Brahman stays a night miserably (pāpáyā) without a wife (-jāni).
Ppp. reads for a na tatra dhenur dohena. ⌊See BR. vi. 1023.⌋