Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VII/Hymn 66 (68)

66 (68). For recovery of sacred knowledge (brā́hmaṇa).

[Brahman.—brāhmaṇam. triṣṭubh.]

Found also in Pāipp. xx. Reckoned in Kāuç. (9. 2) to bṛhachāntigaṇa, with some of the hymns next following.

Translated: Henry, 25, 89; Griffith, i. 359.

1. If it was in the atmosphere, if in the wind, if in the trees, or if in the bushes—what the cattle heard uttered—let that bráhmaṇa come again to us.

Ppp. reads: yady antarikṣaṁ yadi vā rajāṅsi tata vṛkṣeṣu bhayanalapeṣu: ajasravan paç- etc. Nearly all the authorities give ásravan in c; our D. has áçr-, and, according to SPP., three of his pada-mss. he therefore gives in his text áçravan, which is also the comm's reading; and that is implied in the translation. The comm. connects the hymn with the prescriptions as to the time of study or refraining from study of the sacred texts (referring to ĀpÇS. xv. 21. 8), and regards it as a spell for recovering what has been lost by being learned under wrong circumstances—in cloudy weather, in sight of green barley, within hearing of cattle, etc.