Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book XVIII

Book XVIII.

⌊Funeral verses.⌋

⌊Funeral ceremonies.—This eighteenth book is the sixth and last book of the third grand division (books xiii.–xviii.) of the Atharvan collection, and shows very clearly that general unity of subject which is the distinguishing characteristic of the books of that division. In particular, however, the verses of the book do not show an orderliness of arrangement corresponding with that unity of subject. In large part, the verses of this book appear also in the Rigveda and in book vi. of the Tāittirīya Āraṇyaka, and the readings of these two texts are wont to agree together rather than with those of the Atharvaveda. As appears from the excerpts below, p. 814, the Pañcapaṭalikā seems to have a special name for this book, 'The Yamas' or 'Yama-hymns.' The book has been translated by Weber in the Sitzungsberichte der königlich Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin (cited below as "Sb.") for 1895 and 1896. The bhāṣya is not wanting.⌋

The funeral ceremonies of the ancient Hindus (like their nuptial ceremonies—see p. 738) have been often treated: thus, as early as 1801, by Colebrooke, in vol. vii. of the Asiatic Researches (the paper is reprinted by Cowell in his edition of H. T. Colebrooke's Essays, vol. i.: see pages 172-206); by H. H. Wilson, Works, ii. 270 f.; by R. Roth, ZDMG. viii. 467-475; by Max Müller, ZDMG. ix., appendix, pages i-lxxxii; by Monier-Williams in his Religious Thought and Life in India, chapter xi.; and by H. Oldenberg, Religion des Veda, pages 570-591. Closely akin in subject is Whitney's essay on The Vedic doctrine of a future life, reprinted in his Oriental and Linguistic Studies, i. 46-63.—See also my notes upon the customs and ritual of cremation and burial (AGS. iv. 1-6) in my Sanskrit Reader, pages 401-405, and my notes on RV. x. 18 etc., Reader, pages 382-386: in both places I have given many pertinent bibliographical references.—The sixth prapāṭhaka of the Tāittiriya Āraṇyaka is devoted to the funeral rites, and contains much of the material of this book of the AV. Rājendralāla Mitra's analysis of the prapāṭhaka (pages 41-48 of the "Contents" prefixed to his text-edition) may well be consulted, and also pages 33-58 of his Introduction.—The most comprehensive treatment of the subject has been given by Dr. W. Caland, under the title Die Altindischen Todten- und Bestattungsgebräuche mit Benutzung handschriftlicher Quellen dargestellt, Verhandelingen der Koninklijke Akademie van Wetenschappen te Amsterdam, Afdeeling Letterkunde, Deel 1. N° 6, Amsterdam, 1896, pages xiv + 193.⌋

⌊Hymns (or anuvākas) 1 and 2 are treated by Weber (as above) in the Sitzungsberichte for 1895, pages 815-866; and hymns (or anuvākas) 3 and 4, in the Sitzungsberichte for 1896, pages 253-294.—Weber's essays give first a general introduction for the whole book (Sb., 1895, pages 815-819); and then, for each anuvāka, a special introduction followed by a translation with running comment. Each special introduction treats of the ritual uses of the anuvāka concerned and of the provenience of the various verses or groups of verses which enter into its composition and also of some general matters relating to that anuvāka.⌋

⌊Divisions of the book.—The material of this book is divided by our text into 4 anuvākas and this division coincides with the division into 4 hymns. (Compare the anuvāka-division of books xii. and xiii. and xiv.) A conspectus for book xviii. follows:

Anuvākas	1	2	3	4
Hymns	1	2	3	4
Verses	61	60	73	89
Decad-division	5 tens + 11	6 tens	6 tens + 13	8 tens + 9

Of the "decads," anuvākas 1, 2, 3, and 4 contain respectively 6, 6, 7, and 9. The sum is 28 "decad"-sūktas. These 4 anuvākas and 28 sūktas are recognized by the Major Anukr., as noted below, next ¶. The sum of verses is 283, as is also stated by the same treatise, if we disregard an apparent misreading, ibidem.⌋

⌊The Major Anukr. begins its treatment of the book thus: o cit sakhāyam (xviii. 1. 1) iti caturanuvākam aṣṭāviṅçatisūktakaṁ tryaçītidviçatanavatyarcaṁ (? read -dviçatarcam) yamadevatyaṁ trāiṣṭubhaṁ kāṇḍam atharvā mantroktabahudevatyaṁ ca.⌋

⌊That is to say: 'The book that begins with o cit sakhāyam has four anuvākas and twenty-eight sūktas and two-hundred-and-eighty-three verses and is in triṣṭubh meter; the seer is Atharvan; and the deities are Yama and many others mentioned in its mantras.'⌋

⌊The Pañcapaṭalikā.—The excerpts from the Old Anukr. are given piecemeal at the end of each anuvāka and may here be reconstructed into a metrical couplet:

ekaṣaṣṭiç ca ṣaṣṭiç ca saptatis tryadhikā paraḥ:
ekonanavatiç cāi ’va yameṣu vihitā ṛcaḥ.

That is to say: 'Sixty-one; and sixty; the next [anuvāka] three-over-seventy; and ninety-less-one: are the verses disposed among the Yama-hymns.' These excerpts are quoted in part and verbatim by the Major Anukr.⌋

⌊It would thus appear from the Old Anukr. that the division into anuvākas is indeed of considerable antiquity. On the other hand, we cannot claim much intrinsic significance for the coincident division into hymns: at all events, the fact that a ritual sequence runs over the division-line between hymns 1 and 2 (see my note to 1. 49) makes against such significance; and my suggestion (p. 848) as to a possible misdivision between hymns 3 and 4 points the same way.⌋ ⌊See p. clx, near end.⌋

The whole book is wanting in Pāipp., although a very few of the verses (namely, 1. 46; 2. 13, 17; 3. 56; 4. 49) are found here and there in its text. In the Vāit, which has no chapter devoted to funeral rites, only fifteen scattered passages ⌊covering about a score of verses⌋ are used; but in the Kāuç., most of the verses from 1. 40 on to the end of the book are quoted, solely in the chapter (adhyāya xi.: sections or kanḍikās 80-89) which deals with funeral rites and rites to the Fathers or Manes. ⌊See p. 1016.⌋

Hymn- number			Page
Book XVIII.—Funeral Verses. Seer: Atharvan
1	⌊Funeral verses⌋		815
2	⌊Funeral verses⌋		830
3	⌊Funeral verses⌋		846
4	⌊Funeral verses⌋		869