Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book VI/Hymn 8

8. To win a woman's love.

[Jamadagni.—kāmātmadāivatam. pathyāpan̄kti.]

Not found in Pāipp. Used by Kāuç. (35. 21), in the rites concerning women, with vi. 9 and 102 and ii. 30, for bringing a woman under one's control.

Translated: Weber, Ind. Stud. (1862) v. 261; Florenz, 257 or 9; Grill, 54, 158; Griffith, i. 248; Bloomfield, 100, 459.

1. As the creeper (líbujā) has completely embraced the tree, so do thou embrace me—that thou mayest be one loving me, that thou mayest be one not going away from me.

The refrain of the hymn is found twice above, at the end of i. 34. 5; ii. 30. 1. SPP. here again, in opposition to his mss., gives the pada-reading ápa॰gāḥ in e. The Anukr. takes no notice of the metrical deficiency of a ⌊but see note to 7. 1⌋.

2. As the eagle, flying forth, beats down his wings upon the earth, so do I beat down thy mind—that thou etc. etc.

The comparison here is a strikingly ineffective one, and the attempts of the translators to give it aptness are to no purpose.

3. As the sun goeth at once about heaven-and-earth here, so do I go about thy mind—that thou etc. etc.

Part of SPP's mss. read paryāíti in b. The comm. gives çīghram 'swiftly' as the meaning of sadyas.