Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VI/Hymn 49

49. To Agni etc.

[Gārgya.—āgneyam. 1. anuṣṭubh; 2-3. jagatī (3. virāj).]

Found also in Pāipp. xix. Further, in K. (xxxv. 14-15), and the first two verses in ĀpÇS. xiv. 29. 3, the first in TA. (vi. 10. 1) and JB. (ii. 218), the last in RV. (x. 94. 5); they seem to be three unconnected verses. Their very obscure and questionable content is explained by the comm. as accompanying and referring to the fire that consumes a deceased teacher; the hymn is to be spoken by a pupil: this the Kāuçika prescribes (46. 14). In ĀpÇS., the two verses are two out of six with which a consecrated person is to accompany six oblations offered in case he spills his seed. Parts of the hymn relate to the action of the pressing stones in crushing the stalks of the soma-plant.

Translated: Ludwig, p. 432; Florenz, 310 or 62; Griffith, i. 272.

1. Surely no mortal, O Agni, hath attained the cruelty of thy self (tanū́). The ape gnaws (bhas) the shaft (téjana), as a cow her own after-birth.

That is, perhaps (a) hath succeeded in inflicting a wound on thee. Ppp. differs only in reading martyam at end of a. For tanvas in a, TA.Āp. have the equivalent tanúvāi; for ānáṅça in b, TA. cakā́ra, Āp. ānāça; for svám in c, TA. púnar. The comm. has bibhasti in c (also 2 d ⌊which see⌋).

2. Like a ram, thou art bent both together and wide apart, when in the upper wood [the upper] and the lower stone devour; exciting (ard) head with head, breast (ápsas) with breast, he gnaws the soma-stalks (aṅçu) with green mouths.

In a, 'ram' (meṣá) perhaps means something made of ram's wool or skin; or the action of the stones is compared to that of a ram, butting and drawing back. K. (of which I happen to have the readings in this verse) gives meṣa iva yad upa ca vi ca carvati, and Āp. the same, except the blundering carvari for carvati. The comm. has ucyase for acyase. Ppp's a is tveṣāi ’va siñca itaror varṇyate. In b, which is the most hopeless part of the verse, K. reads yad apsaradrūr uparasya khādati, and Āp. doubtless intends the same, but is corrupted in part to apsararūparasya. The comm. has aparas for uparas. In c, K. has vakṣasā vakṣa ejayann, Āp. the same, and also, blunderingly, girāu for çiro. Ppp. has apsarā ’pso. In d, K. begins with aṅçum; Āp. has the same and also gabhasti; the comm. again bibhasti. The comm. has two different conjectures, both worthless, for uttaradrāu. ⌊Pischel discusses ápsas, Ved. Stud. i. 308 ff., and this vs. at p. 312. Aufrecht discusses the roots bhas, KZ. xxxiv. 458. Hillebrandt discusses this vs., Ved. Mythol. i. 154.⌋

3. The eagles have uttered (kṛ) their voice close in the sky; in the lair (ākhará) the black lively ones have danced; when they come down to the removal of the lower [stone], they have assumed much seed, they that resort to the sun.

In c, RV. has nyàn̄ (p. nyàk) ní yanti, for which our reading is evidently a corruption—as is probably also níṣkṛtim for RV. niṣkṛtám, and sūryaçrítas for RV. -çvítas at the end. The comm. has divi instead of dyavi in a. Ppp. has a very original d: puro vāco dadhire sūryasya. There is no reason for reckoning this jagatī as virāj.