Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book X/Hymn 6
6. With an amulet.
Found also in great part (not vss. 18, 19, 23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 33, 35) in Pāipp. xvi. A number of verses and parts of verses are prescribed in Kāuç. 19 ⌊and its schol.⌋ to be used in various acts of a ceremony for prosperity, and a few in other connections. Verses 1 and 3 are also used in Vāit. ⌊For details, see under the several verses.⌋
Translated: Henry, 18, 65; Griffith, ii. 21; Bloomfield, 84, 608.
1. The head of the niggardly (arātīyú) cousin, of the evil-hearted hater, I cut off with force.
The hymn (vs. 1) is quoted in Kāuç. 19. 22, with 3 and a couple of yet earlier hymns. At 8. 12, also, the verse is used in connection with the preparation of the darbha-sickle. Further, it is reckoned (note to Kāuç. 19. 1) as a puṣṭika mantra. In Vāit. 10. 2, it accompanies the cutting of a sacrificial post.
2. This amulet, born of the plow-share, shall make defense (várman) for me; it hath come to me filled with stir-about, with sap, together with splendor.
Ppp. reads tṛptas instead of púrṇas in c. ⌊Pada b is cited with vss. 1, 4 c, 6 b in the schol. to Kāuç. 19. 23.⌋
3. In that the skilful smith (tákṣan) hath smitten thee away with the hand by a knife, from that let the lively, bright (çúci) waters purify thee, that art bright.
Ppp. has in b vāçyā, which is the more proper form of the word. But vāsyā is read also in the Āp. (vii. 9. 9) version of the verse, which further has te for tvā in a, and, for c, d, āpas tat sarvaṁ jīvalāḥ çundhantu çucayaḥ çucim. In Kāuç. 8. 13 and Vāit. 10. 3, the verse is used to accompany the washing off of an instrument or post.
4. Let this golden-garlanded amulet, bestowing (dhā) faith, sacrifice, greatness, dwell a guest in our house.
⌊For Dārila's citation of c, see under vs. 2.⌋
5. To it we distribute (kṣad) ghee, strong drink, honey, food after food; for us, as a father for his sons, let it provide (cikits-) what is better and better, more and more, morrow after morrow—the amulet, coming from the gods.
Ppp. omits the fifth pāda. By a curious blunder, most of our mss. (all save I.O.D.) leave surām in a unaccented; ⌊and so do four of SPP's⌋.
6. What amulet, plow-share, ghee-dripping, the formidable khadirá, Brihaspati bound on, in order to force—that Agni fastened on; it yields (duh) to him sacrificial butter, more and more, morrow after morrow; with that do thou slay thy haters.
The series of epithets in b, c is an obscure one; perhaps 'made of khadira-wood and shaped like a plow-share,' is meant; the comm. to Kāuç. 19. 23 says khādiryāç cibukāyāḥ kartavyaḥ. Ppp. reads after d ājyāya rasāya kam: so ‘smā ājyaṁ duhe. There is no reason why the Anukr. should call the verse virāj.
7. What amulet etc. etc.—that Indra fastened on, in order to force, to heroism; it yields to him strength, more and more etc. etc.
8. What amulet etc. etc.—that Soma fastened on, in order to great hearing (çrótra) [and] sight (cákṣas); it yields to him splendor, more and more etc. etc.
9. What amulet etc. etc.—that the sun fastened on; therewith he conquered these quarters; it yields to him growth (bhū́ti), more and more etc. etc.
Ppp. has Soma in this verse, and the sun in the preceding one; and here it reads varcas for bhūtim; for 8 e it has draviṇāya rasāya kam; and, for varcas, mahit (?).
10. What amulet etc. etc.—bearing that amulet, the moon conquered the strongholds of the Asuras, the golden [strongholds] of the Dānavas; it yields to him fortune, more and more etc. etc.
Ppp. reads tejas for çriyam.
11. What amulet Brihaspati bound on for the swift wind, that yields him vigor (vā́jina), more and more etc. etc.
A number of our mss. (I.O.R.D.) read vājínam in c. ⌊So do the great majority of SPP's, and he adopts it in his text. But four of his read vā́jinam.⌋ In this batch of verses (11-17) Ppp. has sundry unimportant exchanges and variants; the details are not given.
12. What amulet Brihaspati bound on for the swift wind, with that amulet the Açvins defend this plowing (kṛṣí); it yields for the two physicians greatness, more and more etc. etc.
13. What amulet Brihaspati bound on for the swift wind, Savitar, bearing that amulet, conquered with it this heaven (svàr); it yields to him pleasantness (sūnṛ́tā), more and more etc. etc.
14. What amulet Brihaspati bound on for the swift wind, bearing that amulet the waters run always unexhausted; it yields to them immortality (amṛ́ta), more and more etc. etc.
15. What amulet Brihaspati bound on for the swift wind, that healthful amulet king Varuṇa fastened on; it yields to him truth, more and more etc. etc.
16. What amulet Brihaspati bound on for the swift wind, bearing that amulet, the gods conquered by fight all worlds; it yields to them conquest, more and more etc. etc.
The pada-text resolves yudhā́jayan erroneously into yudhā́ ájayan (instead of aj-).
17. What amulet Brihaspati bound on for the swift wind, that healthful amulet here the deities fastened on; it yields to them everything, more and more etc. etc.
Part of our mss. (Bp.P.W.I.D.K.) ⌊and a great majority of SPP's⌋ read amuñcata in d. ⌊The error has doubtless crept in by confusion with the oft repeated abadhnata below and perhaps with the amuñcata of vs. 15. Cf. my note to vi. 74. 2.⌋
18. The seasons bound it on; they of the seasons bound it on; the year, having bound it on, defends all existence.
As noted above, this verse and the one following are wanting in Ppp.
19. The intermediate quarters bound on; the directions bound it on; the amulet created by Prajāpati hath made my haters beneath me (ádhard).
20. The Atharvans bound on; the descendants of Atharvan bound on; allied (medín) with them, the An̄girases split the strongholds of the barbarians; with it do thou slay thy haters.
21. Dhātar fastened it on; he disposed (vi-kḷp) [all] existence; with it do thou slay thy haters.
Ppp. reads in b subhūtāny akalpayat.
22. What [amulet] Brihaspati bound on for the gods, a destruction of Asuras—that amulet hath come here to me, together with sap, with splendor.
Ppp. reads in b -kṣatim, and substitutes for c, d our 23 c, d (23, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30, 33, 35 being wanting in Ppp.).
23. What [amulet] etc. etc., together with kine, with goats and sheep, together with food, with progeny.
24. What [amulet] etc. etc., together with rice and barley, together with greatness, growth.
25. What [amulet] etc. etc., with a stream of honey, of ghee, together with sweet drink—the amulet.
26. What [amulet] etc. etc., together with refreshment, with milk, together with property, with fortune.
27. What [amulet] etc. etc., together with brightness, with brilliance, together with glory, with fame.
The mss. vary greatly as to the accent of kīrtyā, only D. having the correct kīrtyā́; P.M.T. have kī́rtyā, the rest kīrtyā̀. ⌊C.f. JAOS. x. 381. Correct the Berlin edition, and also that of SPP., who has kīrtyā̀, against the majority of his authorities.⌋
28. What [amulet] etc. etc., together with all growths.
Ppp. reads ojasā tejasā saha.
29. This amulet here let the deities give to me in order to prosperity—the overpowering, dominion-increasing, rival-damaging amulet.
This verse and the one following are quoted in Kāuç. 19. 25, in connection with earlier quotations from this same hymn; ⌊the second pāda of this verse further in the schol. to 19. 22⌋.
30. Together with bráhman, with brightness, I fasten on myself the propitious one; free from rivals, rival-slaying, it hath made my rivals beneath me.
Besides the quotation in Kāuç. 19. 25 (see just above), this verse is used in the comm. to Kāuç. 26. 40. Muñcāsi in b is a misprint for muñcāmi.
31. Let this god-born amulet make me superior to my hater; whose milked-out milk these three worlds worship, let that amulet mount here upon me, in order to supremacy, at the head.
That is, probably, 'mount upon my head.' According to Prāt. ii. 65, we ought to read maṇíṣ kṛ-; ⌊this is the reading of three of SPP's mss., but of none of W's so far as noted: both texts give maṇíḥ⌋. The pāda sa mā ’yam adhi rohatu (31 e, 32 c) is quoted in the comm. to Kāuç. 19. 25. The Anukr. takes no notice of the redundant syllable in a. Ppp. reads, for e, sa tvā ’yam abhi rakṣatu.
32. What gods. Fathers, men, always subsist upon, let that amulet mount here upon me, in order to supremacy, at the head.
The Anukr. passes without notice the redundant syllable in a.
33. As seed in a cultivated field (urvárā) grows up in what is dragged with the plow-share, so in me let progeny, cattle, food upon food, grow up.
The Anukr. seems to read c, d as 9 + 7 syllables.
34. On whom, O sacrifice-increasing amulet, I have fastened thee, propitious, him do thou quicken unto supremacy, O amulet of a hundred sacrificial gifts.
⌊Cf. Bloomfield, AJP. xvii. 409.⌋
35. This fuel, laid on together, do thou, O Agni, enjoying, welcome with oblations; in him may we find favor, welfare, progeny, sight, cattle—in Jātavedas kindled with worship (bráhman).
Some of our mss. (R.T.p.m.D.) read agne without accent, and this is decidedly preferable, since a pāda-division before juṣāṇás gives an anuṣṭubh pāda followed by a triṣṭubh, while one after the same word gives a triṣṭubh followed by an irregular combination of syllables. The pada-text puts its mark of pāda-division after juṣāṇas, to correspond with its accentuation of ágne. ⌊Of SPP's authorities, only four have agne against nine with ágne, and his text adopts the latter reading.⌋ The concluding division is hopelessly unmetrical. The Anukr. intends us to divide 8 + 11 (or 11 + 8): 8 + 8 + 11 = 46, a virāḍ jagatī. The verse is thrice quoted in Kāuç. (2. 41; 19. 24; 137. 30) to accompany the piling of fuel on the fire. It is wanting in Ppp.
⌊The quoted Anukr. says for this sixth hymn pañca (i.e. 5 over 30).—Here ends the third anuvāka, with 2 hymns and 85 verses.⌋