Page:Atharva-Veda samhita volume 2.djvu/106

Book X.

⌊This tenth book is the third of the second grand division of the Atharvan collection. For a general statement as to the make-up of the books of this division, reference should again be made to page 471. The Old Anukramaṇī describes the length of hymns 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10 by giving the overplus of each hymn over 30 verses. The assumed normal length in the case of book ix. seems to be 20 verses. The whole book has been translated by Victor Henry, Les livres X, XI, et XII de l'Atharva-veda traduits et commentés, Paris, 1896. The bhāṣya again is lacking. There are no paryāya-hymns in this book.⌋

⌊The anuvāka-division of the book (as noted above, page 472) is into five anuvākas of two hymns each. The "decad"-division likewise is as described on page 472. A tabular conspectus for this book also may be acceptable:

Anuvākas	1		2		3		4		5
	$\scriptstyle {\overbrace {\quad \quad \quad \quad \quad } }$		$\scriptstyle {\overbrace {\quad \quad \quad \quad \quad } }$		$\scriptstyle {\overbrace {\quad \quad \quad \quad \quad } }$		$\scriptstyle {\overbrace {\quad \quad \quad \quad \quad } }$		$\scriptstyle {\overbrace {\quad \quad \quad \quad \quad } }$
Hymns	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Verses	32	33	25	26	50	35	44	44	27	34
Decad-div.	10+10+12	10+10+13	10+10+5	10+10+5	5 tens	3 tens+5	3 tens+14	3 tens+14	10+10+7	10+10+14

Sum of verses, 350. The sum of "decad"-sūktas is 35. In this book, therefore, the average length of the "decad"-sūktas is precisely 10 verses.⌋

1. Against witchcraft and its practisers.

[Pratyan̄girasa.—dvātriṅçat. kṛtyādūṣaṇadevatyam. ānuṣṭubham: 1. mahābṛhatī; 2. virāṇ nāma gāyatrī; 9. pathyāpan̄kti; 12. pan̄kti; 13. urobṛhatī; 15. 4-p. virāḍ jagatī; 17, 20, 24. prastārapan̄kti (20. virāj); 16, 18. triṣṭubh; 19. 4-p. jagatī; 22. 1-av. 2-p. ārcy uṣṇih; 23. 3-p. bhurig viṣamā gāyatrī; 28. 3-p. gāyatrī; 29. madhyejyotiṣmatī jagatī; 32. dvyanuṣṭubgarbhā 5-p. atijagatī.]

Found also in Pāipp. xvi. The hymn (vs. 1) is quoted in Kāuç. 39. 7, with several others, in a ceremony against witchcraft, and several of its verses or parts of verses elsewhere. The Vāit. uses only one half-verse (21 c, d).

Translated: Ludwig, p. 520; Henry, i, 39; Griffith, ii. 1; Bloomfield, 72, 602.

1. She whom the adepts {cikitsú) prepare, all-formed, hand-made, like a bride at a wedding—let her go far off; we push her away.

'She,' because kṛtyā 'witchcraft' is feminine. The name, mahābṛhatī, given to the verse, is improperly applied, ⌊if we understand it as defined by RV. Prāt. xvi. 48: here is meant rather that defined as of three jāgata pādas (12 + 12: 11) at Ind. Stud. viii. 243⌋.

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