Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book X/Hymn 2
2. The wonderful structure of man.
Found also (except vss. 8, 18, 23, 28) in Pāipp. xvi. (in the verse-order 1-7, 26, 27, 9-12, 17, 15, 13, 14, 16, 22, 19, 24, 25, 20, 21, 30, 29, 31, 32, 33). Quoted (vs. 1) in Vāit. 37. 19, together with the other puruṣasūkta (xix. 6), in the puruṣamedha or human sacrifice; not noticed in Kāuç.
Translated: Muir, v. 375 (nearly all); Ludwig, p. 398; Scherman, Philosophische Hymnen, p. 41 (nearly all); Deussen, Geschichte, i. 1. 265; Henry, 5, 45; Griffith, ii. 6.
1. By whom were brought the two heels of a man (púruṣa)? by whom was his flesh put together? by whom his two ankle-joints (gulphá)? by whom his cunning (péçana) fingers? by whom his apertures? by whom his (two) uchlakhás in the midst? who [put together] his footing
(pratiṣṭhā́)?
The pada-text divides ut॰çlakhāú, as if there were such a word as çlakha. Ppp. reads, instead of keno ’chlakhāu, keno ’cchinaṁ ko; also, in a, pārṣṇīy ābhṛte pāuruṣasya; and, in c, peçinīṣ. Péçana is more literally 'arranging, adorning.'
2. From what, now, did they make a man's two ankle-joints below, his two knee-joints above? separating (? nir-ṛ) his two back-thighs (ján̄ghā), where, forsooth, did they set them in? the two joints of his knees—who indeed understands (cit) that?
Nirṛ́tya is a difficult and doubtful expression here. Ppp. reads nirṛtijan̄ghe ni dadhuḥ; also, in d, saṁdhīm ū ca jānā. In b it has again pāuruṣasya.
3. There is joined, fourfold (cátuṣṭaya), with closed (sáṁhita-) ends, above the two knees, the pliant (çithirá) trunk; what the hips are, the thighs—who indeed produced (jan) that, by which the body (kúsindha) became very firm?
Ppp. reads saṁhatantaṁ in a, and sudhṛtam in d.
4. How many gods [and] which were they, who gathered (ci) the breast, the neck-bones of man? how many disposed the two teats? who the two collar-bones (? kaphoḍá)? how many gathered the shoulder-bones (pl.)? how many the ribs?
Ppp. has again pāuruṣasya in b. In c it reads ni dadhuṣ kaṣ kapolāu. The mss. are extremely discordant as to the form of the word which our edition gives as kaphāuḍāú; that is the reading of Bp.W.D.; P.M.R.s.m. have kapheḍāú, I. kaphāujhāú, E.O.R.p.m.T.K. kaphoḍāú (which accordingly has the most authority in its favor ⌊all SPP's mss. read so⌋); several saṁhitā-mss. (P.M.T.O.p.m.R.s.m.) have káṣ before it. The meaning given is, of course, conjectural only; 'collar-bone' is Ludwig's guess, and seems to suit the connection (though that is a rather weak ground of preference) better than the 'perhaps elbow' of the Pet. Lexx. The Anukr. takes no notice of the lacking syllable in a.
5. Who brought together his two arms, saying "he must perform heroism"? what god then set on his two shoulders upon the body (kúsindha)?
⌊Ppp. has kṛṇavān for karavāt in b, and, for d, kvasindhād adhādadhi.⌋
6. Who bored out the seven apertures in his head—these ears, the nostrils, the eyes, the mouth? in the might of whose conquest (vijayá) in many places quadrupeds [and] bipeds go their way.
Bp. reads at the end yā́man. Ppp. puts nāsike after cakṣaṇī, and reads in c vijāyasya mahamani, and at the end yomūn. The Anukr. does not heed that d is a triṣṭubh pāda.
7. Since in his jaws he put his ample (purūcī́) tongue, then attached (adhi-çri) [to it] great voice; he rolls greatly on among existences, clothing himself in the waters: who indeed understands that?
With c is to be compared ix. 10. 11 d; the irregularity of the pāda is not noticed by the Anukr. Ppp. reads instead of c: sa ā varīvarti mahinā vyomaṁ: avasānaṣ kata cit pra veda. Our text ought to read varīvartti.
8. Which was that god who [produced] his brain, his forehead, his hindhead (? kakā́ṭikā), who first his skull, who, having gathered a gathering in man's jaws, ascended to heaven?
D. reads cityám in c; all the mss. agree in ruroha, although ruróha is obviously required. ⌊Otherwise Henry.⌋ The verse, as noted above, is wanting in Ppp.
9. Numerous things dear and not dear, sleep, oppressions and wearinesses, delights and pleasures—from where does formidable man bring (vah) them?
Ppp. reads in b -tandriyaḥ, and in d again pāur-.
10. Whence now in man [come] mishap, ruin, perdition, misery, accomplishment, success, non-failure? whence thought (matí), uprisings (úditi)?
The minor Pet. Lex. suggests for úditi 'end, disappearance.' Ppp. reads in b kuto ‘dhi pur-. Vyṛddhis instead of ávy- would improve both sense and meter.
11. Who disposed in him waters, moving apart, much moving, produced for river-running, strong (tīvrá), ruddy, red, dark and turbid, upward, downward, crosswise in man?
Ppp. reads in a āpo dadhāt, and in c combines (as the meter requires us to read) tīvrā ’ruṇā. The verse (8 + 8 + 7: 11 + 11 = 45) is very stupidly defined as jagatī by the Anukr.
12. Who set form in him? who both bulk (mahmán) and name? who [set] in him progress (gātú)? who display (ketú)? who [set] behaviors (carítra) in man?
Ppp. again pāuruṣe at the end.
13. Who wove in him breath? who expiration and respiration (vyāná)? what god attached (adhi-çri) conspiration (samāná) to man here?
Ppp. reads adadhāt for avayat in a, and again pāuruṣe.
14. What one god set sacrifice in man here? who [set] in him truth? who untruth? whence [comes] death? whence the immortal?
Ppp. reads, for b etc., eko ‘gre adhi pāuruṣe: ko anṛtaṁ ko mṛtyuṁ ko amrtaṁ dadhāu.
15. Who put about him clothing (vā́sas)? who prepared (kalpay-) his life-time? who extended to him strength? who prepared his swiftness?
Ppp. reads for a ko vāsasā pari dadhāt, and elides ko ‘syā- in d.
16. With what did he stretch the waters along? with what did he make the day to shine? with what did he kindle (anu-idh) the dawn? with what did he give the coming-on of evening?
The pada-text reads ā́paḥ (as in 11 a) in a. Ppp. elides ‘nv after it. ⌊For āindha, cf. Gram. §684 c.⌋
17. Who put in him seed, saying "let his line be extended"? who conveyed into him wisdom? who gave (dhā) [him] music? who dances?
Ppp. has, for a, ko ‘smin reto ‘dadhāt; at end of b, itaḥ; for d, ko vāçām ko anṛtaṁ dadhāu.
18. With what did he cover this earth? with what did he surround the sky? by what is man a match for (abhí) mountains in greatness? by what, for deeds?
This verse, as noted above, is wanting in Ppp.
19. With what does he go after Parjanya? with what [after] the out-looking Soma? with what [after] both sacrifice and faith? by whom was mind put in him?
Ppp. reads āpnoti for anv eti, and has for c, d our 20 c, d (but puruṣaḥ in c).
20. Wherewith does he obtain one learned in revelation (çrótriya)? wherewith this most exalted one? wherewith does man [obtain] this Agni? wherewith did he measure (make?) the year?
Ppp. has for b our 19 b again; also puruṣaḥ in c.
21. The bráhman obtains one learned in revelation, the bráhman this most exalted one; the bráhman [as] man this Agni; the bráhman measured the year.
Here and in vss. 23 and 25 an instrumental is distinctly and strongly called for, instead of the nominative bráhma; yet to call bráhma an instr., and translate it as such, does not seem possible. ⌊Cf. Caland, KZ. xxxi. 261.⌋ Ppp. reads, for c, d, brahma yajñasya çraddhā ca brahmā ’smi ca hataṁ manaḥ.
22. Wherewith does he dwell upon (? anu-kṣi) the gods? wherewith [upon] the people of the god-folk? wherewith this other asterism? whereby is authority (kṣatrá) called real (sát)?
The sense here is very obscure, and the rendering mechanical. ⌊Griffith suggests that the point may lie in using nakṣatram as if it were na kṣatram, 'non-power,' in opposition to kṣatram in d.⌋ Ppp. has, for b, kena devīr ajanayad diçaḥ. The meter requires in a kṣyati, as the forms are written in some texts. The Anukr. takes no notice of the irregularity.
23. The bráhman dwells upon the gods, the bráhman [upon] the people of the god-folk; the bráhman this other asterism; the bráhman is called real authority.
This verse is wanting in Ppp.
24. By whom is this earth disposed? by whom the sky set above? by whom this atmosphere, the expanse, set aloft and across?
Ppp. reads, for a, kene ’daṁ bhūmir nihataḥ.
25. By the bráhman is the earth disposed; the bráhman [is] the sky set above, the bráhman this atmosphere, the expanse, set aloft and across.
Ppp. reads, for a, b, brahmaṇā bhūmir niyatā brahma dyām uttarāṁ dadhāu, thus relieving in b the difficulty as to the construction of brahma. ⌊Ci. note to vs. 21.⌋
26. Atharvan, having sewed together his head, and also (yát) his heart—aloft from the brain the purifying one sent [them] forth, out of the head.
'The purifying one' (pávamāna) is soma; it is perhaps identified here with Atharvan; but the whole sense is extremely obscure. Ppp. reads at the end çīrṣṇaḥ.
27. Verily that head of Atharvan [is] a god-vessel, pressed together; breath defends that, the head, food, also mind.
For samubjīta, as said of a koça, compare ix. 3. 20 above. Ppp. reads prāṇo ‘bhi in c, and çrīm for çiras in d. The three nouns in d might be nom. instead of accus.
28. Was he now created upward (ūrdhvá)? [or] was he now created crosswise? did man grow unto (ā-bhū) all the quarters?—he who knoweth the bráhman's stronghold, from which man is [so] called.
The meaning of the protracted final syllables here is unquestionable, although it has been overlooked by both Muir and Ludwig. The cases of protraction call out much treatment from the Prāt.: see the rules i. 70, 97, 105; iv. 6, 120, 121, and the notes upon them. The mss. differ in regard to accenting or leaving unaccented the final syllable of b; nor is the usage of either RV. or AV. sufficiently settled to determine which reading ought to be preferred. Puruṣa in this verse and the sequel seems to approach its later meaning of 'supernal Person or Spirit.' There is no apparent connection between the two halves of the verse: for the second, see vs. 30. The whole verse is wanting in Ppp. The Anukr. should have called it a prastārapan̄kti; bhurig bṛhatī is purely mechanical (10 + 11: 8 + 8 = 37).
29. Whoever indeed knoweth that bráhman's stronghold, covered with amṛ́ta—unto him both the bráhman and the Brahmans have given sight, breath, progeny.
The verse is found also in TA. (i. 27. 3), which reads purīm at end of b, brahmā for brāhmāç in b, and āyuḥ kīrtim for cakṣuḥ prāṇam in d (the accentuation is corrupt and worthless through the whole verse). Ppp. has also in d āyuṣ for cakṣuḥ, and at the end dadhuḥ.
30. Him verily sight doth not desert, nor breath, before old age, who knoweth the bráhman's stronghold (púr), from which man (púruṣa) is [so] called.
The latter half-verse is identical with 28 c, d. Ppp. reads puraḥ at end of b, and yasmāt in d.
31. Eight-wheeled, nine-doored, is the impregnable stronghold of the gods; in that is a golden vessel, heaven-going (svargá), covered with light.
The verse is found also in TA. (i. 27. 2-3), which reads hiraṇmayas in c, and inserts lokás after svargás in d. ⌊Reminiscences of this verse are seen in x. 8. 43 a, b.⌋
32. In that golden vessel, three-spoked, having three supports—what soul-possessing monster (yakṣá) there is in it, that verily the knowers of the bráhman know.
Ppp. reads in b tridive for tryare, and, in c, antar for yakṣam. ⌊Pādas c, d recur at x. 8. 43 c, d.⌋
33. The bráhman entered into the resplendent, yellow, golden, unconquered stronghold, that was all surrounded with glory.
The verse is found also in TA. (i. 27. 3-4), which again reads hiraṇmayīm, and brahmā́ vivéça ⌊so both ed's⌋ (the accent has no authority, as it is full of faults in this vicinity; but the comm. explains brahmā́ as = prajāpatiḥ: which also does not go for much). ⌊TA. has further vi- for pra- at the beginning and ends with -jitā (which the comm. explains as -jitām).⌋ Ppp. likewise has hiraṇmayīm; and further, in d viveçā ca parājitaḥ.
⌊The quoted Anukr. says for this second hymn tisraḥ (i.e. 3 above the norm of 30).—Here ends the first anuvaka, with 2 hymns and 65 verses.⌋