else as suggesting their use: such are the "fetters" of vss. 10, 16; the "trap" of vs. 16; the "net" of vss. 4-8 and 18; the "net-stakes" of vss. 5, 12.⌋
⌊Finally, with "hail to these" (svā́hāi ’bhyás of vs. 24), the sorcerer makes, with his right hand, for his friends (16. 18) an oblation in the fire kindled with the drill of badhaka; and with "wail to those" (durā́hā ’mī́bhyas of vs. 24), he makes, with his left, in the same fire an oblation of the uncanny in̄giḍa for the destruction of the army of his enemies (16. 19). Then, setting up a branch of red açvattha to the north of his fire, he winds it with threads of blue and red with the last pāda of vs. 24, and moves it to the south (16. 20).⌋
⌊In counter-sorcery, in̄giḍa is the regular surrogate for ghee (Kāuç. 47.3). In the rites accompanying iii. 6 (the hymn is notably affiliated with ours in respect of substance and expression: cf. "fetters," açvattha, khadira; cf . also viii. 8. 3 a with iii. 6. 2 a; 10 a, b with 5 a, b; 19 c with 7 c), it is used (48. 4) for smearing the threads or symbolical fetters; similarly at 14. 28, above; and again (with vi. 75: Kāuç. 48. 31) with a leaf of red açvattha.⌋
⌊A most interesting critical result is won from the study of the ritual use of our hymn, to wit: that here (vs. 2 c) we have an instance in which both alternatives (dhūmám and agním) of an ūha have been adopted into the received text. This has given it a semblance of metrical blemish (Henry, Bloomfield, and Whitney all suggest the excision of amítrāḥ), the true meaning of which has been missed by the Occidental exegetes. SPP. (as above) understands Keçava's introd. to Kāuç. 14 aright and explains it clearly, p. 65818.—It may be noted that Ppp. unintelligently, with its agniṁ dhāmaṁ (intending dhūmaṁ), has both alternatives, but in the wrong order.⌋
Translated: Muir, v. 88 (vss. 5-8); Ludwig, p. 527; Henry, 23, 61; Griffith, i. 412; Bloomfield, 117, 582.
1. Let Indra the shaker shake (math) [them], he the mighty hero, stronghold-splitter, in order that we may slay by thousands the armies of our enemies.
Quoted in Kāuç. 16.9 ⌊see introd.⌋.
2. Let the putrid rope, breathing on [it], make yonder army putrid; seeing afar smoke, fire, let our enemies set fear in their hearts.
Ppp. reads agniṁ dhāmaṁ in c. The different parts of the verse are quoted in Kāuç. 16. 10, 12, 13, where the 'putrid rope' appears to be understood as an actual rope which is burnt, and of which the 'smoke' and 'fire' are to frighten the foe. It is perhaps quite as likely that the ceremony is founded on a crass misinterpretation of the verse, and that the 'rope' is a poisonous serpent (as conjectured by Ludwig). The omission of amítrās in d would rectify the meter. ⌊With regard to the last and to the whole verse, see the introd.⌋
3. Crush yonder men out, O açvattá; devour (khād) them speedily, O khadirá; let them be suddenly ⌊tājád⌋ broken ⌊bhāñj⌋ like hemp bhán̄ga⌋; let the slayer (vádhaka) slay (han) them with deadly weapons (vadhá).
