Page:Atharva-Veda samhita.djvu/556

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vi. 140-
BOOK VI. THE ATHARVA-VEDA-SAṀHITĀ.
386

1. The (two) tigers that, having grown down, desire to devour father and mother—those (two) teeth, O Brahmaṇaspati, make thou propitious, O Jātavedas.

Our P.M.W. read kṛṇuhi in d. Ppp., instead of d, gives the refrain of 2, 3: mā hiṅs- etc.


2. Eat ye (two) rice; eat ye barley; then beans, then sesame; this is your deposited (níhita) portion for treasuring, ye (two) teeth; do not injure father and mother.

Instead of atho māṣam in b, Ppp. has māṣām attam; it begins c with sa for eṣa, and reads -dheyam in d. The comm. paraphrases ratnadheyāya by ramaṇīyaphalāya. The verse (8 + 8 : 8 + 7 + 11 = 42) is but ill-defined by the Anukr. ⌊It is really an anuṣṭubh with d catalectic, and with a triṣṭubh refrain.⌋


3. Invoked [are] the two conjoint, pleasant, very propitious teeth; let what is terrible of your selves (tanū́) go away elsewhere, ye teeth; do not injure father and mother.

Ppp. reads aghorāu sayujā saṁvidānāu, and adds at the end anyatra vāṁ tanvo ghoratn astu. The comm. reads tanvās in c. The definition of the Anukr. fits the verse (7 + 8: 13 + 11) very ill. ⌊Whitney's notes show that he had suspected sayújāu to be a misreading for suyújāu, and the latter is the form actually given by the Index Verborum; but further notes show that Bp. and the Anukr. read sa-. With them agree SPP. and the comm. and Ppp. Correct the Index accordingly.⌋


141. With marking of cattle's ears.

[Viçvāmitra.—āçvinam. ānuṣṭubham.]

Found also in Pāipp. xix. (in the verse-order 1, 3, 2). Used by Kāuç. (23. 12-16) in a ceremony for welfare called citrākarman: after due preparation and ceremony, the ears are cut with vs. 2, and the blood is wiped off and eaten (by the creature, comm.) with vs. 3. The hymn is reckoned (note to 19. 1) to the puṣṭika mantras. The schol. also uses vs. 2 in the ceremony of letting loose a bull (note to 24. 19).

Translated: Ludwig, p. 469; Zimmer, p. 234; Griffith, i. 324.


1. May Vāyu collect them; let Tvashṭar stay fast in order to [their] prosperity; may Indra bless them; let Rudra take care for [their] numbers.

Samā́karat (p. sam॰ā́karat) might, of course, also be indicative (sam-ā́-akarat). Ppp., in c, combines indrā ”bhyo, and reads bruvat; in d, it has ‘va gachatu for cikitsatu. The comm. renders dhriyatām by dhārayatu, and d by pādāsyādirogaparihāreṇa bahvīḥ karotu.


2. With the red knife (svádhiti), make thou a pair (mithuná) on [their] two ears; the Açvins have made the mark; be that numerous by progeny.

The comm. explains mithunam as strīpuṅsātmakaṁ cihnam, and regards it as applied to the calf's ears. ⌊If the comm. is correct on this point, as is altogether likely,