Page:Atharva-Veda samhita volume 2.djvu/34

23. Let not the sorcerous demon reach us; let the kimīdíns that are paired fade away; let the earth protect us from earthly distress, let the atmosphere protect us from heavenly.

RV. reads, in a, b, yātumā́vatām ápo ’chatu mithunā́ yā́ kimīdínā. Ppp. has kimādinām. The comm. glosses apo ’chantu with simple apa gacchantu. The pada-division of yāt- in a is yātu॰mā́vat both in AV. and in RV.; the word is the subject of Prāt. iv. 8.

24. O Indra, smite the man sorcerer, likewise the woman ⌊who is⌋ prevailing with magic (māyā́); let the neckless false-worshipers vanish (? ṛd); let them not see the sun moving upward.

The obscure ṛdantu in c is glossed by the comm. with naçyantu; Ppp. reads rujanta instead. Çā́çadānām the comm. explains as = hiṅsatīm.

25. Look thou on; look abroad; O Soma, Indra also, watch ye; hurl ye the deadly weapon at the demons, the thunderbolt at the sorcerers (yātumánt).

⌊Here ends the second anuvāka, with 2 hymns and 51 verses. The quoted Anukr. says turīyam āhur iha pañcaviṅçakam.⌋

5. Against witchcraft etc.: with an amulet.

[Çukra.—dvāviṅçam. kṛtyādūṣaṇadevatyam uta mantroktadevatyam. ānuṣṭubham: 1. upariṣṭādbṛhatī; 2. 3-p. virāḍgayatrī; 3. 4-p. bhurigjagatī; 5. saṁstārapan̄kti bhurij; 6. upariṣṭādbṛhatī; 7, 8. kakummatī; 9. 4-p. puraskṛti jagatī; 10. triṣṭubh; 11. pathyāpan̄kti; 14. 3-av. 6-p. jagatī; 15. purastādbṛhatī; 19. jāgatīgarbhā triṣṭubh; 20. virāḍgarbhā* prastārapan̄kti; 21. parāvirāṭ triṣṭubh; 22. 3-av. 7-p. virāḍgarbhā bhurik çakvarī.]

Found also (except vs. 18) in Pāipp. xvi. *⌊The Berlin ms. reads -garbhā ”stāra-, which is more nearly right.⌋

⌊Kāuç. uses the hymn, with iii. 5 etc., to accompany the binding on of an amulet in a rite (19. 22) for general prosperity; and again, with ii. 11 etc., in a rite (39. 7) against witchcraft. It is reckoned (note to 19. 1) to the puṣṭika mantras. To the svastyayana gaṇa (note to 25. 36) are reckoned vs. 18 (not 15: and probably not xix. 20. 4, which has the same pratīka as 18) and its fellow vs. 19; and to the abhaya gaṇa (note to 16. 8), vs. 22. The comm. cites from Nakṣ. Kalpa (19) the use of the hymn in a mahāçānti called rāudrī. Vāit. passes the hymn unnoticed.⌋

Translated: Henry, 14, 50; Griffith, i. 400; Bloomfield, 79, 575.

1. This reverting amulet, a hero, is bound on a hero; heroic, rival-slaying, true hero, a very propitious protection.

The comm. calls the amulet tīlakavṛkṣanirmita, thus ⌊cf. comm. to vss. 4, 8⌋ identifying tilaka and srāktya. Ppp. omits our b and the first words of our c, reading as its b sapatnahas suvīraḥ: then paripāṇaḥ etc.

2. This amulet, rival-slaying, having excellent heroes, powerful, vigorous, overpowering, formidable, a hero, goes to meet the witchcrafts, spoiling [them].

Ppp. reads etu in c.