Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VI/Hymn 46

46. Against evil dreams.

[An̄giras.—pūrvoktadevatyam uta svāpnam. 1. kakummatī vistārapan̄ktiḥ; 2. 3-av. çakvarīgarbhā 5-p. jagatī; 3. anuṣṭubh.]

The first and third verses are found also in Pāipp. xix.,* but not in connection with the hymn which here precedes. The first two "verses" are pure prose, and their description as metrical gives the Anukr. much trouble, with unsatisfactory result. The hymn is used by Kāuç. (46. 9) with the preceding: see under the latter; further, in the same ceremonies against bad dreams appears (46. 13) a pratīka which might signify either vs. 2 or xvi. 5. 1: the comm. holds that the former is intended (as including vss. 2 and 3). *⌊Roth reports xix. 57. i (= vs. 3 here) as occurring in Pāipp. ii.⌋

Translated: Ludwig, p. 498; Florenz, 306 or 58; Griffith, i. 269; Bloomfield, 167, 485.

1. Thou who art not alive, not dead, immortal-embryo of the gods art thou, O sleep; Varuṇāni is thy mother, Yama thy father; Araru by name art thou.

Ppp. reads yamaṣ pitā. The mss. are much at variance as to two points in this verse: whether asi or ási after -garbhás, and whether árarus or arárus. As regards the former, they are nearly equally divided; both printed texts give asi, which is doubtless preferable. In the other case, the great majority of authorities have árarus, which is accordingly adopted in both texts (our Bp.E.T.K. read arárus); but TB. (iii. 2. 9⁴) and MS. (iv. i. 10), which have a legend about an Asura of this name, accent aráru, and this was probably to have been preferred.

2. We know thy place of birth (janítra), O sleep; thou art son of the gods' sisters (-jāmí), agent of Yama; end-maker art thou; death art thou; so, O sleep, do we comprehend thee here; do thou, O sleep, protect us from evil-dreaming.

This verse is repeated below as xvi. 5. 6. The comm. renders -jāmi by -strī.

3. As a sixteenth, as an eighth, as a [whole] debt they bring together, so do we bring together all evil-dreaming for him who hates us.

'Bring together,' i.e. 'pay off, discharge.' This verse is RV. viii. 47. 17 a-d, where, however, is read saṁ-náyāmasi also at end of b (instead of -yanti), and āptyé for dviṣaté in d; it is also found again below, with slight differences, as xix. 57. 1. 'Eighth' is literally 'hoof' (çaphá), from the eight hoofs of cattle etc. The sixteenth or eighth is possibly the interest. All the authorities, for once, agree in reading yátha rṇám (instead of yátha ṛṇám), and it is accordingly received in both published texts.