Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VII/Hymn 70 (73)

70 (73). Against an enemy's sacrifice.

[Atharvan.—pañcarcam. mantroktadevatyam uta çyenadevatākam. trāiṣṭubham: 2. atijagatīgarbhā jagatī; 3-5. anuṣṭubh (3. puraḥkakummati).]

The first two verses are found in Pāipp. xix. Used by Kāuç. (48. 27), with vi. 54, in a charm to spoil an enemy's sacred rites.

Translated: Ludwig, p. 374; Grill, 46, 187; Henry, 26, 91; Griffith, i. 360; Bloomfield, 90, 557.

1. Whatsoever he yonder offers with mind, and what with voice, with sacrifices, with oblation, with sacred formula (yájus), that let perdition, in concord with death, smite, his offering, before it comes true.

That is, before its objects are realized (comm. satyabhūtāt karmaphalāt pūrvam). This verse and the next are found also in TB. ii. 4. 2^1-2, which reads here, at end of b, yájuṣā havírbhiḥ (Ppp. has the same); in c, mṛtyúr nírṛtyā saṁvidānáḥ, and, for d, purā́ diṣṭā́d ā́hutīr asya hantu; Ppp. has, for d, purā dṛṣṭā rājyo hantv asya intending dṛṣṭād ājyam?⌋.

2. The sorcerers, perdition, also the demon—let them smite his truth with untruth; let the gods, sent by Indra, disturb (math) his sacrificial butter; let not that meet with success which he yonder offers.

TB. (as above) omits the meter-disturbing devā́s in c, and reads, in 'd, sámṛddhim (error for sám ardhi?), and, at the end, karóti. The comm. understands at the beginning yātudhā́nā (as fem. sing.). The verse (11 + 11: 13 + 11) is in no proper sense jagatī.

3. Let the two speedy over-kings, like two falcons flying together, smite the sacrificial butter of the foeman, whosoever shows malice against us.

The comm. understands in a, 'two messengers of death, thus styled'; the meaning is obscure. Almost all the authorities (save our R.?T., and this doubtless by accident) have at the end -aghāyánti; the comm., however, reads -yáti, as do, by emendation, both the edited texts.

4. Turned away [are] both thine arms; I fasten up thy mouth; with the fury of divine Agni—therewith have I smitten thine oblation.

The comm. understands bāhū in a also as object of nahyāmi, and understands the arms as fastened behind (pṛṣṭhabhāgasambaddhāu). ⌊TB. (ii. 4. 2²) has our a, b (with ápa for the ápi of our b) as the c, d of a vs. which is immediately followed by our next vs.⌋

5. I fasten back thine arms; I fasten up thy mouth; with the fury of terrible Agni—therewith have I smitten thine oblation.

SPP. has at the beginning ápi, his authorities being equally divided between ápi and ápa. The majority of ours (only D. noted to the contrary) have ápa, which is decidedly to be preferred, as corresponding also to 4 a, and as less repetitious. ⌊TB. (ii. 4. 23) has our vs., with ápa again (see vs. 4) in b, devásya bráhmaṇā for ghorásya manyúnā in c, and sárvam for téna and kṛtám for havís in d.⌋