Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VI/Hymn 124

124. Against evil influence of a sky-drop.

[Atharvan (nirṛtyapasaraṇakāmaḥ).—mantroktadevatyam uta divyāpyam. trāiṣṭubham.]

This hymn, like the preceding, is not found in Pāipp. It is employed by Kāuç. (46. 41) in an expiatory rite for the portent of drops of rain from a clear sky. In Vāit. (12. 7) it is used in the agniṣṭoma when one has spoken in sleep; and vs. 3 separately (11. 9), in the same ceremony, when the man who is being consecrated is anointed. ⌊For the whole anuvāka, see under h. 114.⌋

Translated: Ludwig, p. 498; Griffith, i. 314.

1. From the sky now, from the great atmosphere, a drop of water hath fallen upon me with essence (rása); with Indra's power, with milk, O Agni, [may] I [be joined], with the meters, with offerings, with the deed of the well-doing.

The verse is found also in HGS. i. 16.6, with sundry variants: mā for mām in a; apatac chivāya at end of b; in c, d, manasā ’ham ā ’gām brahmaṇā guptaḥ sukṛtā kṛtena; these are in some respects improvements, especially in relieving the embarassing lack of a verb in our second half-verse. The comm. paraphrases antarikṣāt by ākāçān nirmeghāt, and supplies saṁgaccheya (as in the translation). It is a little strange that the fall of water out of the air upon one is so uncanny and must be atoned for (ākāçodakaplāvanadoṣaçānti).

2. If from a tree it hath fallen upon [me], that is fruit; if from the atmosphere, that is merely Vāyu; on whatever part of my body, and what part of my garment, it hath touched, let the waters thrust perdition away.

This verse also is found with the preceding in HGS.; which in a reads vṛkṣāgrād abhyapatat and omits tat; and in b reads yad vā for yadi and tat for sa; for c, it has yatrā vṛkṣas tanuvāi yatra vāsaḥ, and in d bādhantām instead of nudantu. The comm. paraphrases the end of b thus: vāyvātmaka eva nā ’smākam doṣāya. The third pāda is really jagatī.

3. A fragrant ointment, a success is that; gold, splendor, just purifying is that. All purifiers [are] stretched out from us; let not perdition pass that, nor the niggard.

That is, the uncanny drop is all these fine things. The comm. renders pútrimam in b by çuddhikaram; and adhi in c by "above." The second pāda is redundant by a syllable.

With this ends the twelfth anuvāka, of 11 hymns and 38 verses; the old Anukr. says aṣṭariṅço dvādaçaḥ.