Page:Atharva-Veda samhita.djvu/602

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vii. 64-
BOOK VII. THE ATHARVA-VEDA-SAṀHITĀ.
432
The second half-verse is found without variant in AÇS. ii. 7. 11. The comm. takes amṛkṣat from root mṛç, as the translation does; cf. TS. iii. 2. 62, yát kṛṣṇaçakunáḥ...avamṛçét...yác chvā́ ’vamṛçét. ⌊See the note of Henry or Griffith.⌋ Such a verse (8 + 11: 8 + 8) is elsewhere called by the Anukr. an urobṛhatī.


65 (67). To the plant apāmārgá: for cleansing.

[Çukra.—tṛcam. apāmārgavīrudddivatam. ānuṣṭubham.]

Not found in Pāipp. Used by Kāuç. (46. 49) in a ceremony of expiation, with a fire of apāmārgá; and vss. 1, 2 are reckoned (note to 39. 7) to the kṛtyā gaṇa. And the comm. regards vss. 2 and 3 as intended at 76. 1 in the nuptial ceremonies, instead of xiv. 2. 66 (both verses having the same pratīka); in this he is evidently wrong.

Translated: Grill, 38, 186; Henry, 25, 89; Griffith, i. 358; Bloomfield, 72, 556.


1. Since thou, O off-wiper (apāmārgá), hast grown with reverted fruit, mayest thou repel (yu) from me all curses very far from here.

⌊The verse closely resembles iv. 19. 7.⌋ All the authorities (except one of SPP's) read apāmārga without accent at beginning of b; both texts make the necessary correction to áp-. The comm. understands the plant (Achyranthes aspera: see note to iv. 17. 6) to be used here as fuel.


2. What [is] ill-done, what pollution, or what we have practised evilly—by thee, O all-ways-facing off-wiper, we wipe that off (apa-mṛj).

Or (b) 'if we have gone about evilly.' All the authorities have táyā instead of tváyā at beginning of c, but both texts make the obviously necessary correction. The comm. reads tvayā.


3. If we have been together with one dark-toothed, ill-nailed, mutilated, by thee, O off-wiper, we wipe off all that.

The comm. reads vaṇḍena in b; and he has also āçima for āsima, which is not a bad emendation.


66 (68). For recovery of sacred knowledge (brā́hmaṇa).

[Brahman.—brāhmaṇam. triṣṭubh.]

Found also in Pāipp. xx. Reckoned in Kāuç. (9. 2) to bṛhachāntigaṇa, with some of the hymns next following.

Translated: Henry, 25, 89; Griffith, i. 359.


1. If it was in the atmosphere, if in the wind, if in the trees, or if in the bushes—what the cattle heard uttered—let that bráhmaṇa come again to us.

Ppp. reads: yady antarikṣaṁ yadi vā rajāṅsi tata vṛkṣeṣu bhayanalapeṣu: ajasravan paç- etc. Nearly all the authorities give ásravan in c; our D. has áçr-, and, according to SPP., three of his pada-mss. he therefore gives in his text áçravan, which is also the comm's reading; and that is implied in the translation. The comm. connects the hymn with the prescriptions as to the time of study or refraining from study