Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VI/Hymn 42

42. To remove wrath.

[Bhṛgvan̄giras (parasparaṁcittāikīkaraṇaḥ).—manyudevatyam. ānuṣṭubham: 1. 2. bhurij.]

Found also, with considerable variation, in Pāipp. xix. Used by Kāuç. (36. 28-30), in the section of rites concerning women, for the appeasement of anger: with vs. 1, one takes a stone on seeing the angry person; with vs. 2 one sets it down toward the same; with vs. 3 one spits upon it (abhiniṣṭhīvati: the text would suggest rather abhitiṣṭhati). The hymn is reckoned also (note to 26. 1) to the takmanāçana gaṇa. In Vāit. (12. 13) it is employed in the agniṣṭoma in case of an outbreak of anger.

Translated: Ludwig, p. 515; Florenz, 302 or 54; Grill, 29, 162; Griffith, i. 267; Bloomfield, 136, 479.

1. As the string from the bow, do I relax (ava-tan) fury from thy heart, that, becoming like-minded, we (two) may hold together (sac) like friends.

The Ppp. version is in many points different: ava jyām iva dkanvinaç çuṣmaṁ tanomi te hṛdaḥ: adhā sammanasu bhūtvā sakhike ’va sacāvahe. The first half-verse occurs [at MP. ii. 22. 3, with hṛdas transferred to the beginning of b;⌋ also in HGS. (i. 15. 3), with dhanvinas (like Ppp.), and with hṛdas transferred ⌊as in MP.⌋, and with dyām for jyām. In this verse and the next, the Anukr. does not allow the abbreviation ’va after sákhāyāu.

2. We (two) will hold together like friends; I relax thy fury; we cast in thy fury under a stone that is heavy.

Perhaps better 'thy fury that is heavy'; but the version of Ppp. ⌊with the comm.⌋ decidedly supports the translation as given: açmanā manyuṁ guruṇā ’pi ni dadhmasi. Ppp's version of a, b is this: vi te manyuṁ nayāmasi ⌊cf. MP. ii. 22. 2⌋ sakhike ’va sacāvahāi.

3. I trample upon (abhi-sthā) thy fury, with heel and with front foot, that thou mayest speak not uncontrolled, mayest come unto my intent.

⌊I do not see why prápada may not here be rendered by 'toe.'⌋ Ppp. reads, for b, pārṣṇibhyām prapadābhyām; and, for c, d, parā te dastyāṁ vadhaṁ parā manyuṁ suvāmi te. ⌊The second half-verse recurs at the end of the next hymn. Pāda d is a stock-phrase: see i. 34. 2; iii. 25. 5; vi. 9. 2; 43. 3.⌋