v
to thee!"[1] Here is a spell for the cure of leprosy by means of a dark-coloured plant:—
Born in the night art thou, O herb,
Dark-coloured, sable, black of hue:
Rich-tinted, tinge this leprosy,
And stain away its spots of grey! (I.23,1).
There is also a distinct reference to a remedy for promoting the growth of hair.
"As a goddess upon the goddess earth thou wast born, O plant! We dig thee up, O nitatní, that thou mayest strengthen (the growth) of the hair.
"Strengthen the (old hair), beget the new! That which has come forth render more luxurious!" VI. 136. 1-2.
The Healing Arts differentiated.Although in the Vedic age caste as a hereditary system did not exist, the healing arts had evidently acquired sufficient importance to be pursued by particular members of the patriarchal families. Thus with that charming sim-- ↑ Bloomfield: "Hymns of the Atharva-veda" pp. 43-44.
