Page:Atharva-Veda samhita.djvu/312

Book IV.

⌊The fourth book is made up of forty hymns, divided into eight anuvāka-groups of five hymns each. The normal length of each hymn, as assumed by the Anukramaṇī, is 7 verses; but this is in only partial accord with the actual facts. There are twenty-one hymns of 7 verses each, as against nineteen of more than 7 verses each. Of these nineteen, ten are of 8 verses each; three are of 9 and three are of 10; two are of 12; and one is of 16 verses. The seven hymns which make the Mṛgāra group (hymns 23-29) have 7 verses each. And they are followed by a group of four Rigveda hymns (30-33). The last two hymns of the book (39-40) have a decided Brāhmaṇa-tinge. The entire book has been translated by Weber, Indische Studien, vol. xviii. (1898), pages 1-153.⌋

⌊Weber's statement, that there are twenty-two hymns of 7 verses each and two of 9, rests on the misprinted number (7, for 9) at the end of hymn 20.⌋

⌊The Anukr. states (at the beginning of its treatment of book ii.) that the normal number of verses is 4 for a hymn of book i., and increases by one for each successive book of the first five books. That gives us, for

Book	i.	ii.	iii.	iv.	v.,	as normal number of
Verses	4	5	6	7	8,	respectively.

In accord therewith is the statement of the Anukr. (prefixed to its treatment of book iv.) that the seven-versed hymn is the norm for this book: brahina jajñānam iti kāṇḍaṁ, saptarcaṁ sūktaṁ prakṛtir, anyā vikṛtir ity avagachet.⌋

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1. Mystic.

[Vena.—bārhaspatyam utā ”dityadāivatam. trāiṣṭubham: 2, 5. bhurij.]

Found in Pāipp. v. (in the verse-order 2, 1, 3, 4 cd 5 ab, 6, 4 ab 5 cd, 7). Reckoned by Kāuç. (9. 1) as one of the hymns of the bṛhachānti gaṇa, and used in various ceremonies: with i. 4-6 and other hymns, for the health and welfare, of kine (19. 1); for success in study and victory over opponents in disputation (38. 23 f.); at the consummation of marriage (79. 11; the comm. says, only vs. 1); and vs. 1 on entering upon Vedic study (139. 10). These are all the applications in Kāuç. that our comm. recognizes; in other cases where the pratīka of vs. 1 is quoted, the vs. v. 6. 1, which is a repetition of it, is apparently intended: see under hymn v. 6. The editor of Kāuç. regards the rest of the anuvāka, from vs. 2 to the end of h. 5, to be prescribed for recitation in 139. 11; but this seems in itself highly improbable, and the comm. does not sanction it. In Vāit. (14. 1), vss. 1 and 2 are added to the gharma-hymn given for

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