Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VI/Hymn 11

11. For birth of sons.

[Prajāpatiḥ.—retodevatyam uta mantroktadevatyam. ānuṣṭubham.]

The hymn is found also in Pāipp. xix. Accompanies in Kāuç. (35. 8) a rite for conception of a male child (puṁsavana); fire is generated between çamī and açvattha, and is variously applied to the woman.

Translated: Weber, v. 264; Ludwig, p. 477; Zimmer, p. 319; Florenz, 260 or 12; Griffith, i. 250; Bloomfield, 97, 460.

1. The açvatthá [has] mounted upon the çamī́; there is made the generation of a male; that verily is the obtainment of a son; that we bring into women.

Some of SPP's mss. read, with the comm., puṁsávanam in b. Ppp. combines açvatthā ”rū- in a, and for c, d has tad eva tasya bheṣajaṁ yat strīṣv āharanti tam, 'that is the remedy of this—-namely, that they put this into women.'

2. In the male, indeed, grows (bhū) the seed; that is poured along into the woman; that verily is the obtainment of a son; that Prajāpati said.

Several of our mss. (Bp.P.M.W.E.H.) read pūṁsí at the beginning. ÇGS. has (i. 19) a nearly corresponding verse: puṁsi vāi puruṣe retas tat striyām anu ṣiñcatu: tathā tad abravīd dhātā tat prajāpatir abravīt.

3. Prajāpati, Anumati, Sinīvālī hath shaped; may he put elsewhere woman-birth; but may he put here a male.

Ppp. has in c triṣūyam 'triple birth' (or for strīṣūyam?). Two of the Prāt. rules (ii. 88, iv. 83) mention strāísūyam (p. strāísūyam). ÇGS. has for this verse also a correspondent (i. 19): prajāpatir vy adadhāt savitā vy akalpayat: strīṣūyam anyānt sv (anyāsv?) ā dadhat pumāṅsam ā dadhād iha.