Page:Atharva-Veda samhita volume 2.djvu/334

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xv. 15-
BOOK XV. THE ATHARVA-VEDA-SAṀHITĀ.
790

2. [There are] seven breaths, seven expirations (apāná), seven outbreathings (vyāná).

3. His breath that is first, upward by name, that is this fire.

4. His breath that is second, preferred (? prāúḍha) by name, that is yon sun (ādityá).

The pada-mss. accent, doubtless falsely, pra॰ū́ḍhaḥ (instead of prá॰ūḍhaḥ); Bs. and O.p.m. read próḍh-: see Prāt. iii. 45, note.


5. His breath that is third, inferred (? abhyū̀ḍha) by name, that is yon moon.

Some mss. ⌊of W's and of SPP's also⌋ accent ‘bhyū́ḍho, and Bp. has accordingly abhi॰ū́ḍhaḥ (but D. abhí॰ū-); our text makes the necessary correction to abhyù-; ⌊and so SPP.⌋.


6. His breath that is fourth, mighty (vibhū́) by name, that is this cleansing one (pávamāna).

That is, doubtless, the wind, and not soma.


7. His breath that is fifth, womb (? yóni) by name, that is these waters.

8. His breath that is sixth, dear by name, that is these cattle.

9. His breath that is seventh, unlimited by name, that is these creatures (prajā́).


16. Paryāya the sixteenth.

[saptaka. 1, 3. sāmny uṣṇih; 2, 4, 5. prājāpatyo ’ṣṇih; 6. yājuṣī triṣṭubh; 7. āsurī gāyatrī.]

⌊The metrical definitions of the Anukr. imply in every verse the inclusion of the words yo ‘sya (pronounced as yo asya), and the reading of apānaḥ as 3 syllables.—As noted at p. 771, end, SPP. puts each time before yo ‘sya the words tásya vrā́tyasya with an avasāna-mark.⌋

In this hymn, the mss. in general omit at the beginning both and asya, while in 15 and 17 they omit only . Some, however, have asya here also (so K.; R. yó asya throughout).

Translated: Aufrecht, Ind. Stud. i. 137; Griffith, ii. 198.


1. His expiration that is first, that is the day of full moon.

2. His expiration that is second, that is the day of the moon's quarter (áṣṭakā).

3. His expiration that is third, that is the day of new moon.

4. His expiration that is fourth, that is faith.

5. His expiration that is fifth, that is consecration.

6. His expiration that is sixth, that is sacrifice.

7. His expiration that is seventh, that is these sacrificial gifts.

⌊Bloomfield, AJP. xvii. 411, makes some observations on the word çraddhā, vs. 4.⌋