Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VII/Hymn 56 (58)

56 (58). Against poison of snakes and insects.

[Atharvan.—aṣṭarcam. mantroktavṛçcikadevatāham: 2. vānaspatyā; 4. brāhmaṇaspatyā.* ānuṣṭubham: 4. virāṭprastārapan̄kti.]

The first four verses are found in Pāipp. xx.† It is used in Kāuç. (32. 5) in a remedial rite against venomous bites, with the direction "do as stated in the text"; and vs. 5 accompanies, with vi. 56 etc., an offering in the ceremony of entering on Vedic study (139. 8). *⌊The mss. have -patyam ute ’dam: but the statement should refer rather to the verse than to the hymn.⌋ †⌊Also vs. 8: see below.⌋

Translated: Ludwig, p. 502; Grill, 5, 183; Henry, 21, 82; Griffith, i. 353; Bloomfield, 29, 552.

1. From the cross-lined [snake], from the black snake, from the adder (pṛ́dāku) [what is] gathered—that poison of the heron-jointed (?) one hath this plant made to disappear.

Ppp. reads an̄gaparvaṇas in c; the comm. says simply etannāmakād daṅçakaviçeṣāt. According to the comm., the plant intended is the madhuka (or -kā), which is the name of various trees and herbs.

2. This plant [is] sweet-(mádhu-)born, sweet-dripping, sweetish, sweet; it is the remedy of what is dissevered (vi-hru), also grinder-up of stinging insects.

The comm. reads in b madhuçcyut. ⌊Henry renders víhruta by 'la morsure.'⌋

3. Whence bitten, whence sucked—thence do we call [it] out for thee; of the petty, hastily-biting (?) stinging insect the poison [is] sapless.

The great majority of SPP's authorities, with some of ours (Bp.O.) read in c triprad-, and so also the comm., who explains it as 'stinging with three organs, namely, mouth, tail, and feet'; the pada-division tṛpra॰d- is against this (it would be tri॰prad-), and SPP. also accepts in his text tṛpra॰d-. The comm. further reads nir vayāmasi in b. He explains yátas in a as for yátra, 'in whatever part thou art bitten' etc.; and dhītám by pitaṁ sarpādinā. Ppp. reads yataṣ prataṁ at end of a, nayāmasi at end of b, and tṛpradaṅçmano in c.

4. Thou who here, crooked, jointless, limbless, makest crooked twisted (vṛjiná) faces—those [faces] mayest thou, O Brahmaṇaspati, bend together like a reed.

Sam-nam, lit. 'bend together,' virtually 'straighten out': i.e., apparently, 'reduce the distortion' (ṛjūkuru, comm.). Half SPP's authorities read nama. Ppp. has a different text in part: ayaṁ yo vikaro vikaṭo viparvā aha mukhāny eṣāṁ vṛj-; and, in c, deva savitar (for bramaṇaspate).

5. Of the sapless çarkóṭa, crawling on, on the ground (nīcī́na)—its poison, verily, I have taken away, likewise I have ground it up.

The comm. reads in c adiṣi (taking it from dā 'cut') instead of ādiṣi (p. asya: ā॰ádiṣi). He understands the çarkoṭa to be a kind of snake; Henry renders it "scorpion" ⌊after Grill⌋.

6. Not in thy (two) arms is there strength, not in thy head, nor in thy middle; then what petty thing bearest thou in that evil way in thy tail?

Or kim may be 'why?' (so the comm.) instead of 'what?' In this verse the comm. regards a ⌊pucchena⌋ daṅçī vṛçcikaḥ as the thing addressed. Amuyā́ is an adverb of disgust or contempt; pāpáyā here apparently intensifies it.

7. Ants eat thee; pea-hens pick thee to pieces; verily may ye all say "the poison of the çarkóṭa is sapless."

All SPP's pada-mss. read pipī́likā (not -kāḥ) in a. SPP. understands (one does not see why) the comm. to take bhalabravātha as one word; he (the comm.) glosses it with sādhu brūta; in a, b he makes the addressee a snake. ⌊Pischel, Ved. Stud. i. 62, discusses bhala.⌋

8. Thou that strikest (pra-hṛ) with both, with both tail and mouth—in thy mouth is no poison; how then may there be in thy tail-receptacle?

Or, again, 'what may there' etc. The last two verses lack each a syllable, unheeded by the Anukr. The comm. this time once more declares a scorpion (vṛçcika) intended; pucchadhi, according to him, designates a romavān avayavaḥ. ⌊Ppp. has for c āsye cana te viṣaṁ.⌋