Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VII/Hymn 37 (38)

37 (38). The wife to the husband.

[Atharvan.—lin̄goktadevatyam. ānuṣṭubham.]

Wanting in Pāipp., but perhaps by reason of the lacuna noted under the preceding verse. Employed by Kāuç. (79. 7) in the same ceremony as the preceding hymn, with the direction ity abhichādayati, which may well enough mean, as plainly required by the sense of the verse, 'she envelops him,' but is explained by the schol. as 'one envelops the two spouses.'

Translated: Weber, Ind. Stud. v. 248; Grill, 55, 179; Henry, 14, 67; Griffith, i. 343; Bloomfield, 96, 546.

1. I bridle (abhi-dhā) thee with my Manu-born garment, that thou mayest be wholly mine, mayest not make mention of other women.

The comm. explains manu- alternatively by mantreṇa, and takes kīrtayās as = uccares; and he supplies nāmadheyam as the latter's direct object, governing anyāsām. "Manu-born" is a strange epithet for a garment; perhaps the woman's embrace is intended, or her hair—if this be not too poetic. The second half-verse is nearly identical with 38. 4 c, d.