Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VI/Hymn 130

130. To win a man's love.

[Atharvān̄giras.—caturṛcam. smaradevatāham. ānuṣṭubham: 1. virāṭpurastādbṛhatī.]

Hymns 130-132 are not found in Pāipp. Hymn 130 and the next two are used by Kāug. (36. 13-14) in a women's rite (duṣṭastrīvaçīkaraṇakarmaṇi, comm. and Keç.), with strewing of beans (comm. and Keç. read māṣān, not māṣasmarān), burning of arrow-tips, and ⌊comm. and Keç.⌋ piercing of an effigy.

Translated: Weber, Ind. Stud. v. 244; Ludwig, p. 515; Grill, 58, 174; Griffith, i. 317; Bloomfield, 104, 534.

1. Of the Apsarases, chariot-conquering, belonging to the chariot-conquering, [is] this the love (smará): ye gods, send forth love; let yon [man] burn for (anu-çuc) me.

Our pada-mss. (and three of SPP's) make in a the absurd division rātha॰jite: yī́nām, for which the comm. reads rathājite dhīnām (= rathena jetavye māṣākhye oṣadhi; and dhyānajananīmām). The two terms (of which one is an evident derivative of the other) have so little applicability to the Apsarases that Grill resorts to the violent and unacceptable measure of substituting arthajítām ārthajitī́nām. Perhaps nothing more is meant than to mark strongly the all-conquering power postulated for the Apsarases in this spell. Ludwig renders smara by "love-charm." The comm., in spite of priyas in 2 b and amuṣya in 3 b, thinks it a woman whose love is sought.

2. Let yon [man] love (smṛ) me; being dear, let him love me: ye gods, send etc. etc.

At the end of pādas a and b is added íti, not translated; it appears to indicate an expression of the purpose for which the gods are to despatch love. The comm. combines vss. 2 and 3 into one verse, thus restoring the norm of the book; but the Anukr. calls the hymn one of four verses, and that is plainly its value in the present state of the text. ⌊Here the comm., alternatively, allows that it may be a man whose love is sought.⌋

3. That yon [man] may love me, not I him at any time, ye gods, send etc. etc.

SPP's pada-ttxt, probably by an oversight, leaves amuṣya unaccented; the comm. undauntedly explains it by amūṁ striyam.

4. Craze (un-māday-) [him], O Maruts; O atmosphere, craze [him]; O Agni, do thou craze [him]; let yon [man] burn for me.