Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book IV

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
1324781Atharva-Veda Samhita — Book IVWilliam Dwight Whitney

Book IV.

⌊The fourth book is made up of forty hymns, divided into eight anuvāka-groups of five hymns each. The normal length of each hymn, as assumed by the Anukramaṇī, is 7 verses; but this is in only partial accord with the actual facts. There are twenty-one hymns of 7 verses each, as against nineteen of more than 7 verses each. Of these nineteen, ten are of 8 verses each; three are of 9 and three are of 10; two are of 12; and one is of 16 verses. The seven hymns which make the Mṛgāra group (hymns 23-29) have 7 verses each. And they are followed by a group of four Rigveda hymns (30-33). The last two hymns of the book (39-40) have a decided Brāhmaṇa-tinge. The entire book has been translated by Weber, Indische Studien, vol. xviii. (1898), pages 1-153.⌋

⌊Weber's statement, that there are twenty-two hymns of 7 verses each and two of 9, rests on the misprinted number (7, for 9) at the end of hymn 20.⌋

⌊The Anukr. states (at the beginning of its treatment of book ii.) that the normal number of verses is 4 for a hymn of book i., and increases by one for each successive book of the first five books. That gives us, for

Book i. ii. iii. iv. v., as normal number of
Verses 4 5 6 7 8, respectively.

In accord therewith is the statement of the Anukr. (prefixed to its treatment of book iv.) that the seven-versed hymn is the norm for this book: brahina jajñānam iti kāṇḍaṁ, saptarcaṁ sūktaṁ prakṛtir, anyā vikṛtir ity avagachet.⌋

Hymn-
number
Page

IV. Book the fourth

1 Mystic 142
2 To the unknown god 145
3 Against wild beasts and thieves 148
4 For recovery of virility: with a plant 149
5 An incantation to put to sleep 151
6 Against the poison of a poisoned arrow 152
7 Against poison 154
8 Accompanying the consecration of a king 156
9 For protection etc.: with a certain ointment 158
10 Against evils: with a pearl-shell amulet 161
11 In praise of the draft-ox 163
12 To heal serious wounds: with an herb 166
13 For healing 168
14 With the sacrifice of a goat 169
15 For abundant rain 172
16 The power of the gods 176
17 Against various evils: with a plant 179
18 Against witchcraft: with a plant 181
19 Against enemies: with a plant 182
20 To discover sorcerers: with an herb 184
21 Praise of the kine 186
22 For the success and prosperity of a king 188
23 Praise and prayer to Agni 190
24 Praise and prayer to Indra 191
25 Praise and prayer to Vāyu and Savitar 193
26 Praise and prayer to heaven and earth 194
27 Praise and prayer to the Maruts 196
28 Praise and prayer to Bhava and Çarva 197
29 Praise and prayer to Mitra and Varuṇa 198
30 Self-laudation of Speech (?) 200
31 Praise and prayer to fury (manyú) 201
32 Praise and prayer to fury (manyú) 203
33 To Agni: for release from evil 205
34 Extolling a certain rice-mess offering 206
35 Extolling a rice-mess offering 208
36 Against demons and other enemies 209
37 Against various superhuman foes: with an herb 211
38 For luck in gambling: by aid of an Apsaras 214
39 For various blessings 216
40 Against enemies from the different quarters 218