Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book V/Hymn 25

25. For successful conception.

[Brahman.—trayodaçakam. yonigarbhadevatyam. ānuṣṭubham: 13. virāṭpurastādbṛhatī.]

Found (except vs. 2, and some end-repetitions) also in Pāipp. xiii. (in the verse-order 1, 5, 3, 4, 7. 10, 8, 6, 9). The hymn is quoted in Kāuç. (35. 5) in the ceremony for male conception (puṁsavana); and vs. 7 (unless it be rather vi. 95. 3, which the comm. to vi. 95 holds) in Vāit. 28. 20.

Translated: Weber, Ind. Stud. v. 227; Ludwig, p. 478; Griffith, i. 229; Weber, xviii. 264.

1. Brought together from the cloud (? párvata), from the womb (yóni) of the sky, from every member, let the virile organ, seed-placer of the embryo, set (ā-dhā) [it] like the feather on the shaft.

Or 'from the sky [as] womb.' That which is 'brought together' is the thing (seed) to be 'deposited.' The translation of d implies emendation to çárāu; Weber conjectures tsarāu. The insertion of the feather in the arrow-shaft is elsewhere also the subject of comparison as a work of effective skill; cf. RV. x. 18. 14 b. The verse is cited in Ppp. with its pratīka and ity ekā added, as if it had occurred earlier in the text; but it has not been discovered anywhere. The resolution of -tāt to -taāt in a is necessary to fill out the meter.

2. As this great earth receives the embryo of existences, so do I set thine embryo; I call thee to its aid.

The first half-verse occurs again below as vi. 17. 1 a, b, and also in the second verse of the addition to RV. x. 184, but with the reading uttānā́ for bhūtā́nām (the RV. verse is also found in an addition to AGS. i. 14. 3: see Stenzler's translation, p. 36), and in MP. (⌊i. 12. 4⌋ Winternitz, p. 93) with tíṣṭhantī for the same. ⌊Cf. also MGS. ii. 18. 4 b and p. 154.⌋

3. Place the embryo, O Sinīvālī; place the embryo, O Sarasvatī; let both the Açvins, garlanded with blue lotus, set thine embryo.

The verse is RV. x. 184. 2 and MB. i. 4. 7 and MP. ⌊i. 12. 2⌋, where however is read in c açvínāu devā́v. Ppp. reads both times (in a and b) dehi. ÇB. (xiv. 9. 4¹⁰) follows RV. (but with pṛthuṣṭuke at end of b, and puṣkarasrájāu in d). HGS. (i. 25. 1) differs from our text only by having açvināv ubhāv ā. Cf. also HGS. i. 6. 4; MB. i. 5. 9. ⌊Cf. MGS. ii. 18. 2 k and p. 150.⌋

4. Thine embryo let Mitra-and-Varuṇa, [thine] embryo let god Brihaspati, thine embryo let both Indra and Agni, thine embryo let Dhātar place.

Ppp. reads rājā varuṇo for mitrāvaruṇāu in a.

5. Let Vishṇu prepare the womb (yóni); let Tvashṭar adorn the forms; let Prajāpati pour on; let Dhātar place thine embryo.

The verse is also found, without variant, as RV. x. 184. 1 and in ÇB. xiv. 9. 4²⁰, HGS. i. 25. 1, MB. 1. 4. 6, and MP. ⌊i. 12. 1⌋. ⌊Cf. MGS. ii. 18. 2. i and p. 156.⌋

6. What king Varuṇa, or what divine Sarasvatī knows, what Indra the Vritra-slayer knows, that embryo-maker do thou drink.

One or two of our mss. (P.W.) read -bhaṁkár- in d. Ppp. has for b veda devo bṛhaspatiḥ, and in c puts yad after indras. ⌊See von Schroeder, Tübinger Kaṭha-hss., p. 36.⌋

7. Embryo art thou of herbs, embryo of forest-trees, embryo of every existence; mayest thou, O Agni, set an embryo here.

Compare vi. 95. 3, with which the verse is in considerable part identical. It is found also as VS. xii. 37, and in TS. iv. 2. 3³, MS. ii. 7. 10, in all with a different d: ágne gárbho apā́m asi; MS. further combines in a gárbho ‘sy; and in this last point Ppp. agrees with it. ⌊☞ See p. 1045.⌋

8. Mount thou; play the hero; set an embryo in the womb; virile (vṛ́ṣan) art thou, that hast virility; for progeny do we conduct thee hither.

Ppp. has kranda (for skanda) in a, and, for c, vṛṣāṇaṁ vṛṣṇyāvantaṁ. The verse occurs also in ÇGS. (i. 19. 6), which reads kranda vīlayasva in a, sādhaya (for yonyām) in b, vṛṣāṇaṁ vṛṣann ā dhehi for c, and havāmahe at the end. Our O. has skandha vīḍay- in a. The retention of the dental s of skanda is by Prāt. ii. 104.

9. Go apart, O Bārhatsāmā; let an embryo lie unto thy womb (yóni); the gods, soma-drinkers, have given thee a son partaking of both.

Ludwig understands the last epithet as meaning 'belonging to us both,' which is not impossible; Weber, 'der doppelt schafft'; it is literally 'possessing what is of both.' Ppp. has for c dadan te putraṁ devā. Bārhatsāme (p. -hat॰sā-) is an anomalous formation: a stem -mā is against all analogy as fem. of a vṛddhi-derivative, while -mi (which Ludwig assumes) is equally wrong as a feminine; Ppp. has the same form; it doubtless means 'daughter of Bŗhatsāman.' To make c of full meter is impossible without harshness.

10. O Dhatar, with best form, in the two groins of this woman do thou set a male (púmāṅs) son, to be born in the tenth month.

This verse also (like 2, above) occurs in the additions to RV. x. 184 and to AGS. i. 14. 3 ⌊p. 37, transl.⌋ and in MP. ⌊i. 12.6⌋, with the variants: víṣṇoḥ* for dhā́taḥ in a, and asyā́m nā́ryāṁ gavīnyā́m (MP. -nyā̀m ⌊in mss. E. and W., -nyā́m in the Oxford text⌋) for b; AGS. has putrān and MP. gárbham in c. Ppp. begins here a new hymn reading savituç† çreṣṭhena 1; çreṣṭhena 2; viṣṇoḥ çreṣṭhena: tvaṣṭuḥ çreṣṭhena 3. The other texts omit any such variants of vs. 10. ⌊Cf. also MGS. ii. 18. 4 c and p. 156, s.v. viṣṇoḥ.⌋ *⌊Oxford text, víṣṇo.⌋ †⌊Or else bhaga or bhagaḥ. Roth sent W. three notes on this vs. and they do not seem to agree. In b Ppp. has nābhā for nāryā.⌋

11. O Tvashṭar, with best etc. etc.

12. O Savitar ('impeller'), with best etc. etc.

13. O Prajāpati, with best etc. etc.

The Anukr., though taking no notice of the extra syllable in 12 a, feels that it cannot pass over the two in 13 a, and defines accordingly, with mechanical correctness.