7. There is an elaborate pun m this verse, JtM designates a special spoon used in the Soma sacrifice, it is therefore ‘taken by Soma* (rf. j ji 1-3). It also comes to mean ‘speech’, personified as the goddess of Speech who often leaves the gods and must be brought back again, like Bfhaspati’s wife Sayana says that JuhQ is the name of the wife of Efbaspati, but this renders the metaphor pointless 8, Heaven, the realm of Vi?nu who strides across it.
10.102 Mtidgala's Wife afjd the Bull m the Chariot This mysterious dialogue hymn conceals an erotic and pro- creative mytli in the tale of a strange chariot race. Sayana tells tti'o versions of the story m his introduction: ‘Thieves stole away all of Mudgala’s cattle but one old bull, yoking this rcmairung one to Ws cart, he yoked a wooden club (or, perhaps, a horse or bull named ‘wooden club’J' to the other side and went after the tliicves, taking back his own Cows,’ The second version is shorter ‘Mudgala yoked a hull and a wooden dub, went into battle, and won the combat.* Tlicjc commentaries do not mention the central role of Mudgala's wife, nor do they tell us anything of the nature of this mysterious wooden club or how it could be liarncsicd to a chariot,* points whidi arc somcwlm (but not cmirclj) clarified by the hjmn itself.
Tlic central image of the bsmn is the chariot race diat Is 'imultancovislj n battle and a starch for cattle; these fiequcmly nvethp in Ycdic thought, for the ciiariot race is a fortriAJur- aii'.n of bailie (U) c luimang In llnglantl, all the g.iorj of wir anil onb tc\emy per cent of the danger); the sicnf'Cc, ton, lecludnl a rro<J- c.,ttlc rani, ‘nua pamcj’ar hitdc/rictJ ra.d K ueuiual in hating four itamforn i'ifwjr the d moieei the rig VEDA • IS a 'wofnati imtcad of a man (Mudgala’s wife apparently racehorse is played by an o ^ > and the part of the second racehorse is played by Much is made of the fourth transformation, w u ^ racing chariot (a transformation ^ ^ upon the clever use of the piece of wood, in vetse y). The story as a whole, particularly the woman c arioteer and the unusual chariot-animal, bears a striking resemblance to an old Irish myth;^ this, together with o a e parallels with Greek myths and Roman rituals, rt^ests an Indo-European origin for this strange tale.
-tue hymn opens with Mudgala^s blessing on the race ^ n. description of the beginning of the race ^ u ^ n ^)* The opponents try in vain to j ^ races all the faster (v. 6). The / (w. 7~8), amazing the onlookers ^ triumph (perhaps satirical) ^ ends with a benediction Eom the onlookers ^v. ii; and from Mudgala (v. rz).
[Mf/£^a/a.] Ret Indra boldly push forward your perversely t ^ Indra, invoked by so many) . ^rk ^ spoils/^ X be wind whipped up her robe when she mounted the ^^lot and won a thousand cows. For Mudffala’s wife was the charioteer in the contest for cattle* be- coming the very army of Indra, she gambled and "won tne spoils.
J- [A^/^^a/a/] ‘Hold back the thunderbolts of the enemv who rushes against me to kill me, O generous Tndra^ Drive aside the missile of the Dasa or the Arra " 7 ^ TO* f w ° wr with a horn like a club he rushed against tko ' attack and crushed it. The animal with heawr t stretched forth his forefeet briskly eager trT ^ race, longing for fame. ™ The attackers excited the bull to bellow and to stales / WOMEN right in the middle of the battle. Through him, Mudgala won as spoils of war a thousand and a hundred well- grazed cows.
The bull rumbled® as he was yoked; his long-haired charioteer 1® shouted. The droppmgs of the headstrong bull, who was runiung yoked to the wagon, struck Mudgala’s wife.^ 7 Qevcrly hc^ struck off the rim of tire chariot wheel and yoked the steer to it,i® usmg all his force and skill. India aided the husband of cows; the humpbacked bull galloped with great leaps "f The man with a whip and braided hair^* was successful in bmdmg the wood to the rope. The bull performed tlic deeds of a hero for the great crowd, increasmg m vigour as he looked at the cows.^® 9 [fys/atiders:] ‘Sec over there the yoke-mate of the bull, the wooden club, lying m the middle of the racecourse. Through him Mudgala won a thousand cows, and a hundred, in the races.’
^0 ‘Let all misfortunes stay for awayl’ ‘Who has ever seen such a thing?’ ‘Hold on to tlic one that he yoked.’ ‘Thej arc not bringing grass or water to him.’*® ‘Going above the yoking pole, he pulls as if he wished to command the drive forw'ard ‘She has von, like a despised wife who wins back her husband, like a full-breasted woman who pours water c\en with a poor water-wheel Let us conquer with a cluriotcct w’iio is so eager and nimble. Let her prize be ncli and auspiaous ’ [MiJi-a/t: •'] ‘ YoUflndra, arc theeje of the eje of the whole world. Por you arc the bull who stria’cs to win the race, driving a bull v ith a steer for hit yoke-matc.'*» r.orrs ThU it ciijmiinl, jr tlic term (a'-j.-’o’-i) i» a that rr’f'i * "9 the EIG VEDA onn' f^jrnets (in Bavaria and elsewhere) do yoke a horse to emntv Vf r other, or even leave the second shaft nr>rJ r ’ z' ^t)r two strange and unmatched chariot anlmais, and I 164 for a mysterious chariot.
}<! ^ of the goddess Alacha harnessed to a chariot when she IS pregnant.
3^/ective ‘perversely transformed’ implies that it is perfor Tirlni normal haulage function to that of a war chariot, tor which It IS unsuited.
5 spoils are the cows taken by the thieves, Sayana suggests, u thunderbolt that is usually his own enptvi apparently designates a missile hurled by the Mndil'l > ^ stand for a club (a doublet of the club used by chariot wheeT^^ enemy, perhaps to jam the spokes' of the ^ inhabitant of the invaded ing fome ^ enemy who is another member of the invadattackers try to make the bull roar and urinate tbe K Ti so wiU be delayed. Since mio-h^ j drunk a lake of water in the previous verse, he might stale of his own accord anyway.
Qiay rumble as he stales; the verse is unclear, and it may be the cart or the wooden club that rumbles. Cf. the rumbling cart l^g hair here indicates that the charioteer is a woman, in contrast with the charioteer with braided hair in verse 8.
I I. Apparently droppings strike the charioteer because the buU IS running so ftst The bull is excreting, as he staled in the prestoD JdT;vT“t fbrious, and since he does not have to TreJ un^^l Mfdgala-s wife is in the direct hne of Gre. One might see connotations of fettilitv in the manure, but it is certainly a most peculiar verse, 12. Mudgala.
13. Through parallel constructions, the verse trated hullfthe steer) ^ a metaphor for the wooden club i^aTis yoked by Mudgala, and contrasts him with the uallonino- h,ll husband of cows) who is aided by Indra and whose dee* «e further described m verse 8. The contrast between the bull d th steer is repeated in verses 9 and 12.
14. This would appear to be Mudgala, if it is in fact he who is the WOMEN subj<^ of the first part of verse 7, as seems most bkely But there c a secondary reference to POsan, the solar charioteer who is a o sa d to have a whip and braided hair, and who may be imagmed M the divine compamon in the taang chariot, standme beside Mudgala s wife m the form of Mudgala himself. ^ waitmg to be given away at the end ot the racecourse exates the bull 16 \Vble the bull is given fodder after the race, the wooden dub IS not, of course club, gomg in front, looks as if he feels himself O OC the true driver, or so the onlookers )oke.
thf complex overtones The basic image is that of nc dark horse overcoming obstadcs (the improvised chariot) to jn, as a neglected wife wins back her husband Mudgala’s wife may have been thus neglected, cither because she had borne no fK k Tr because she was married to an old ascetic while ch^rior“^^n“ nimble’ in more ways than as a r'n u? the woman charioteer, she becomes prosnmng the nee. the prize subsututing for the children she never Saf^o- ‘u" w-ater-wheel’. In this mcc. as In the LopamudrS and her old ascetic husband the h together The pouring of water supplies continued locnphot, Mudgala hope lo accojuplph INCANTATIONS AND SPELLS The Atharva Veda is the locus classicus for magic spells, but the later parts of the R/^ Veda also contain many imprecations ond chants. Some deal with white magic or mcdicme (lo 97), some with bad dreams (10 164) or sleep (7.5 5), and some with the problem of black magic or sorcery (7.104). Many deal ■'Mth the riles de passage’, the wife hopes to overcome her nvals (10 145), succeeds m overcoming her rivals (10.159), mshes to become pregnant (10.184) Jiftd to have a healthy child (10 162). These lifc-affirmmg spells culminate m the wish that underlies so much of the Kig Veda - the wish that death uill go elsewhere, at least for a little while longer (10 165).
10-97 The Hea/ifjg Vlants A doctor praises the heahng herbs that supply his medicines and blesses the man whose illness he hopes to cure.
1 The tawny plants were born m the ancient times, tliree ages before the gods; now I will meditate upon their hundred and seven forms ^ i Mothers, you have a hundred forms and a thousand growths. You who have a hundred ways of working, make this man whole for me.
3 Be joyful, you plants that bear flowers and those that bear fruit. Like marcs that win tlie race together, the growing plants will carry us across.
4 You mothers who arc called plants, I say to you who arc goddesses • let me win a horse, a cow, a robe - and your verj' life, O man."
/ In tlic sacred fig-tree is your home; in the tree of leaves^ your dw clling-phcc has been made. You will surely win a cow as your share if you win a man * 6 He in whom the plants gather like lungs m the assembly, lint priest is called a healer, a slayer of demons,® an cxpcllcr of disease.
7 Tlic one that brings horses, the one that brings Soma, the one tint gives strength, the heightener of strcngtii - all these plants I have found to stretch out tlic health of this man ^ Like cows from the cow -pen, out stream the powers of the plants tint will win wealth - and tour life, O man.
S> Your mother’s mme is Hetivcr, and so tou arc the Rrtiorcn ' You arc streams that fit on v mgs. Rcs’orc w hu'ct er his been injured.
/a Tlict have itcpped oter all hsrrtera Itle a thief inm a snv. gH-n Tie plants hate drnen out wiuteter wou'-d w ji I'j the Im> h.
THE RIG VEDA victory prize, the life of the disease"^ vanishes as if before a hunter grasping at his life. _ ^.
J2 He through whom you plants creep limb by hmb, joiot by joint, you banish disease from him hke a huge man coming between fighters.^ Fly away, disease, along with the blue jay and^ fhe jay? disappear with the howl of the wind, with the rain storm. 14 Let one of you help the other; let one stand by the other. All of you working together, help this speech of mine to succeed.
r/ Those that bear fruit and those without fruit, those without flower and those that bear flowers, sent by Brhaspati ® let them free us from anguish.
16 Let them free me from the effects of a curse, and also from what comes from Varuna,ao and from the fetter sent by Yama and from every offence of the gods.^ 77 Flying down from the sky, the plants spoke: that man shall not be harmed whose life we join.
1 8 Of all the many plants in hundreds of forms, whose king is Soma, you ^re supreme, a remedy for need and a blessing for the heart.
ip You plants whose king is Soma, spread out over the earth as you were sent by Brhaspati: unite your power in this plant.
20. Do not harm the man who digs you up, nor him for whom I dig you up; let all our two-footed and four- footed creatures be without sickness, 21 You growing plants who hear this, and those who have gone far away, all coming together unite your power in this plant.
22 The plants speak together with King Soma; ‘Whom- ever the Brahmin priest treats, we will carry him across, O king,’ 2p Plant, you are supreme; the trees are your subjects. Let the man who seeks to injure us be our subjects.
INCANTATIONS AND SPELLS NOTES L That is, the 107 types or species of healing herbs.
_ 2. This, as in verse 8, is a direct address to the patient whose life u in danger.
3' The sacred fig is the Aivattha; the tree of leaves is the Panja.
4- That IS, if you win back the life of this man.
5- Rakjases, local demons, not the grand Asuras of heaven.
(>• A pun on Iskfti and Nijkrti 7 The cuter is depicted as killing the disease to save the patient. R disease named here (jakfa) is a kind of consumption* • The ‘mediator’ is a powerful king who remains neutral and n crvcncs between two warring kings 9 Brhaspati is the deity who presides over spells.
10 Varuna sends a noose that consists m the disease of dronsv 11 Oflmccs committed by men against the gods, bringing is^cs down upon the offender, and offences committed by the 10 offences themseises consisting in diseases Cf.
12 The particular plant about to be used m the healmg of the patient.
10.164 Agamst Bad Dreams and Sms fhe evil thoughts that rum waking life, that ruin the work of >c poet, and that rum peaceful sleep arc all to be banished by an otherwise unknown god, the Master of Thought.
> Go away. Master of 'Thought, get out and wander in the far distance. In Uic far distance saj to Destruction » Die thought of a h\ ing creature is of many 1 indj.‘* - n.cj cliooic the boon that mrkes tlicm happy; )oVe the lead hone tint males them happ\; the eje of the son of Ytv3->\an* ma) e» them happj. llic iliou^M o'" B living crcaMire is of mant kinda.'
THE RIG VEDA let Agni place far away from us all these misdeeds that are displeasing.
4 If we commit an offence, O Indra, O Brahmanaspati, let the prophet descended from Angiras^ protect us from oppression by those who hate us.
/ We have conquered today, and we have won; we have become fcee of sin. The waking dream, the evil intent - let it fall upon the one we hate; let it fall upon the one who hates us.
NOTES 1. The goddess Nirfti, chaos and death.
3. Yama, king of the dead.
4. Probably Agni or Bfhaspati.
7-5 5 Sleeping Spell Several different suggestions have been made for the context of this hymn. Sayana relates it to Vasistha’s hymns to Varuna:^ Vasi§tha, having fasted for three days, entered Varuna s house to get food; he spoke this hymn to quiet the watch- dog. The hymn is also said to have been used by thieves and housebreakers, by lovers on secret nocturnal rendezvous in their mistresses’ houses,^ by mothers singing it as a lullaby to their children, or by the domestic priest (Purohita) praying for a peaceful slumber for the inhabitants of the house.
/ Lord of the House,® you who drive away diseases and permeate all forms,^ be a gentle friend to us.
2 White and tawny son of Sarama,® when you bare your teeth they gleam like spears in your snapping jaws. Fall fast asleep I ^ Bark at the thief or at the marauder, as you run up and back again, O son of Sarama. But you are barking at those who sing Indra’s praises; why do you threaten us? Fall fast asleep 1 INCANTATIONS AND SPELLS 4 Tear apart the wild boar, for he would tear you apart. But you are barking at those who sing Indra’s praises, why do you threaten us ^ Fall fast asleep 1 ; Let the mother sleep; let the father sleep; let the dog sleep; let the master of the house sleep. I.et all the Jcins- men sleep, let our people all around sleep.
6 The one who rests and the one who moves, and whoever sees us — we close their eyes tightly as we close up this house.
7 The bull widi a thousand horns,® who rises up out of the sea - with the help of that powerful one wc put the people to sleep.
^ The women lying on benches or lying m chairs or lying in beds, the wives who smell good — we put all of them to sleep.
NOTES 2 This Rig Vcdic h>mn is specifically adapted to use by lovers •a the Atharra VeAa (4 5) 5. Vastospau, the Lord of the House, is a god to whom the pre- vious hjTnn (7 54) IS dedicated 4 This Is usuall) an epithet of Soma, sometimes of Agni 5. Saratra is the eponymous ancestor of all brindled dogs Cf lo.ioS and JO 14.10-11 f'. The moon, ‘homed’ both in the sense of resembling (when CTctcent) the horns of a bull and of has mg the rays of moonlight (hooting away from him lil c horns from the head of an animal 10 145 Wnal If'/rcr ‘ndi h>mn is appropriately dedicated to Indranl, wife of the notnnou'lj womanizing Indra / I di;: op this plati',* the most powc'ful thing tiat gtoui, w'th wl.ich one drncs o.n the rivat v ife and wit.s thn huilTand cntitih fv orcielt.
THi: RIG VRDA i Bi'oad-lcRvcd plant sent by the gods to bring and the power to triumph, blow my rival wife away an make my husband mine alone., ^ O highest one, I am the highest one, higher than ai ^ liighcst women, and my rival wife is lower than ^ lowest women.
^ I will not even take her name into my mouth; he takes no pleasure in this person.^ Far, far into the distance we make the rival wife go.
/ I have emerged triumphant, and you also® have triumphed. The two of us, full of the power to triump > will triumph over my rival wife., ^ I have placed the plant of triumph on you,^ and graspe you with my power to triumph. Let your heart after me like a cow after a calf, like water running own bed.
NOTES - 1. The magic plant used in many Vedic spells.
2. That is, the husband does not really love the rival wife ox c(^ wife (or other woman competing for the husband’s love):, who is not even worthy of being mentioned.
3. The magic plant is here directly addressed as an ally.
4. This verse is said to the husband, on whose head the plant is placed.
10.159 Triumphant Wife This hymn, which is connected with a dawn sacrifice (w. i and 4), expresses a woman’s triumphant conquest of her husband and banishing of her rival wives. Tradition associates it with Indrani, though she is never mentioned in the hymn.
I There the sun has risen, and here my good fortune^ has risen. Being a clever woman, and able to triumph,^ I have triumphed over my husband.
I am the banner; I am the head. I am the formidable one £ INCANTATIONS AND SPELLS who has the deading word. My husband will obey my will alone, as I emerge tnumphant.
} My sons kill their enemies and my daughter is an empress, and I am completely victorious. My voice is supreme m my husband’s ears.
4 The oblation that Indra made and so became glorious and supreme, this is what I have made for you, O gods, I have become truly without rival wives.
/ Without rival wives, killer of rival wives, victonous and pte-emment, I have grabbed for myself the attraction of the other women as if it were the wealth of flighty women, 6 I have conquered and become pre-emment over these rival wives, so that I may rule as empress over this hero and over the people, NOTES 1. Maga, the happiness that consists in being loved by one’s hus- band a That is, to win out against all the other women, as well as to win over the husband. Cf to 145.
10 184 por a Safe Pregmney and Birlh i Let Vijnui prepare the womb; let Tvajtp shape the forms. Let Prajlpati shed Uic seed; let Dliatf place the embno in jou - IMacc the embryo, Sinisnli;- place the embrjo, Sarasvatl. l.ct the twin A<vins, the lotus-jprlanded gods, place tlic emh-jo in }ou, d With golden kindling voods the Alvins churn out firi, ’ We invoke ilut onh'^o for \ou to britv; forih in the tenth montli « orrs l-r'-U'V.
1 tir: RIG VEDA 2. These arc goddesses who assist at birth.
5. The churning of the firc-sticUs is a sexual metaphor, resulting in the birth of a child, who is fire, born out of water (the fluids 0 the ocean or the sky) as the child is born out of the fluids of the womb.
10.162 To Trofect ihe 'Bmhryo 1 Let Agni the killer of demons^ unite with tliis prayer and expel from here the one whose name is evil, who lies with disease upon your embryo, your womb.
2 The one whose name is evil, who lies with disease upon your embryo, your womb, the flesh-eater — Agni has driven him away with prayer.
j The one who kills the embryo as it settles, ^ as it rests, ^ it stirs, who wishes to kill it when it is born - we will drive him away from here.
^ The one who spreads apart your two thighs, who lies between the married pair, who licks the inside of your womb — we will drive him away from here.
/ The one who by changing into your brother, or your husband, or your lover lies with you, who wishes to kill your offspring — we will drive him away from here.
if The one who bewitches^ you with sleep or darkness and lies with you — we will drive him away from here.
NOTES 1. Rak§ases, earthly demons.
2. The three stages of the embryo: just conceived, unmoving, and, in the third month, moving.
3. Literally, deludes.
7.104 Demons in Dell In banishing all evil spirits to a dark hole (a place that may prefigure the post-Vedic hell of the demons), the poet also takes the opportunity to wish evils upon the head of his INCANTATIONS AND SPELLS rival priest, a ‘sorcerer’ who apparently accuses the author of the hymn of being a sorcerer.
r Indra and Soma, bum the demon and crush him; bulls, hurl down those who thrive on darkness. Shatter those who lack good thoughts, scorch them, kill, dnve out, cut down the devourers ^ Indra and Soma, let evil heat boil up around him who plots evd, hke a pot set on a fire. Set unrelcntmg hatted against the fiend,r the flesh-eatmg Brahmin-hater with the evil eye.
i Indra and Soma, pierce the evil-doers and hurl them into file pit, the bottomless darkness, so that not a single one will come up from there agam. Let this furious rage of yours overpower them 1 ^dra and Soma, together roll tlie shattermg weapon from the sky, from the earth, upon the one who plots cwl. Carve out of the mountains the hissing thinnS with which you burn down the demon who thrives ^ J Indra and Soma, roll it from tlie sky. With unageinc weapons of heat that bum like fire and strike like stone pierce the devourers and hurl tliem into the abyss Let them go into silence.
^ Indra and Soma, let this prajer embrace jou all around iiLc the girtli around two pnvc-wmmng horses. Like a put of princes, 3 urge on these prayers, this invocation that 1 send to you by meditition.
/ Blot against them. Swooping down swiftly kill th/. demons who bate us and would break us to bits Ind end Soma, let nothing good happen to the evil-doer w has c\cr irietl to injure me wntli his hatred.
f \X1ioevcr hxs rpoken against me \ ith false words J a-as acting with a puw heart. O Indra, let bin, wJnm eo.bing eaen as he tails.dtoin rucKmv 1,1 r ill w-A(er P‘-re htan or ah lYcf TTIE RIG VEDA them over to the serpent/ or Jet him set them in lap of Destruction.^ _.
■TO Agni, whoever wants to injure the sap of our drink, o our horses, of our cows, of our own bodies, he is our enemy, a thief and a robber; let him fall upon hat times; let him perish with his own body and his offspring- II Let him with his own body and his offspring be beyon, let him be below all three earths. Gods, dry up the glory of the one who wants to injure us by day or by night ijz For the clever man it is easy to distinguish: true an false words fight against one another. Soma favours the one of them that is true, that is straight; he kills the false.
ij Surely Soma does not push forward the one who is dishonest, nor the ruler who holds power falsely. He kills the demon, he kills the one who speaks lies.® Both of these lie in Indra’s snare.
i^ As if I worshipped false gods, or considered the gods useless - why, Agni knower of creatures, why are you angry with us? '^ Gather into your destruction those who speak hateful words.
7/ Let me die at once if I am a sorcerer, or if I have burnt up a man’s span of life. Let the one who. falsely calls me a sorcerer be cut off from ten heroes.® Ilf The one who calls me a sorcerer, though I am not a sorcerer, or the one who says he is pure, though he is demonic - let Indra strike him with lus great weapon. Let him fall to the lowest depths imder all creation.
77 She® who ranges about at night like an owl, hiding her body in a hateful disguise, let her fall into the endless pits. Let the pressing-stones slay the demons with their rumblings.
iS Maruts, scatter yourselves among all the peoples. Seek out, grab, and crush the demons who become birds and fly about at night, the ones who have injured the sacri- fice of the gods.
ry Roll the stone from the sky, generous Indra. Sharpen it INCANTATIONS AND SPELLS ' completely "when Soma lias sliarpened it. Ftom in front, ftom behind, firom below, from above, strike the demons with the mountom.
20 There they go I The dog-sorcerers “ are flymg away. Viaously they wish to harm Indra, who carmot be harmed. Indra sharpens his weapon against the slanderers. Now let him loose his bolt at the sorcerers.
21 Indra shattered the sorcerers who snatched away the oblation and waylaid him. Indra sphts them as an axe sphts a tree, bursting apart the demons as if they were day pots, 22 Kill the owl-sorcerer, the owlet-sorcerer, the dog- sorcerer, the cuckoo-sorcerer, the eagle-sorcerer, the Vulture-sorcerer.^ Indra, crush the demon to powder as if with a millstone.
2} Do not let the demon of the sorcerers get close to us Let the light-i* blot out the fiends who work m couples. Let the earth protect us from earthly anguish, and the middle realm of space protect us &om the anguish of the sky.
2^ Indra, kill the male sorcerer and the female who deceives by her power of illusion. Let the idol-worshippcrs smk down with broken necks; let them never sec the rising sun.
2J Look here, look there, Indra and Soma; smy awakcl Hurl the weapon at Uic demons; hurl the tliundcrbolt at the sorcerers I j-.OTrs I. A ctcaturr called Kiinldin, who. nccordinp to the commmta- t(<r, foc, ahwit »a>in(7, '\\1iat now?’ (hrj-iJl'I-t) Tlie other dcroo-* In ihU Irnno arc pencrall}* Idcnoficd a% 5 I'rohilih chino'cera, IiVe tire Alvmt.
4 To dcidi hi hve, perhtpt, or xn iKc (-res* V[u* j. Nlrr'k til THE niG VEDA 6. Or the one who spenks spells of blnck mngi'c.
7. That is, I <lonU worship false gods, so win*’ do you punish me as if I did?
8. Perhaps from ten generations of heroic sons, or from the assistance that ten heroes could render him in defence against the speaker.
9. A witch or sorceress.
10. Sorcerers who take the form of dogs, or werewolves. - 11. Sorcerers in the forms of various animals.
The light of dawn, that will end the power of the night- roaming demons.
The Dove of Death The dove, the messenger of the god of death, is driven from the house.
1 Gods, a dove has come here seeking someone, sent as a messenger by Destruction.^ We will sing against him; vre will perform an expiation. Let all be well with out tv.ro-footed creatures, all be well with our four-footed creatures.
2 Let the dove that has been sent to us be kind; gods, let the bird be harmless in our houses. Let the inspired Agni relish our oblation. Let the winged spear^ spare us.
^ Do not let the winged spear attack us; it settles by the fireplace in the kitchen. Let all be well with our cows and OT^ men; gods, do not let the dove harm us here.
^ screeches is in vain; vain, too, the settling of the dove by the fire.^ I bow low before Yama, before death, who sent this dove as a messenger.
/ DnVe dove out, pushing him -with a verse. Rejoicing in food, lead the cow around and wipe out all the evil traces. Let it^ fly forth, flying its best, and leave us strength to live.
INCANTATIONS AND STELDS NOTES 1. Nlftti.
2 The dove is likened to a missile flidng on wings.
3. The bad omen of the owl’s screech and of the dove’s entrance into the house are both made naught 4- The dove, who is to leave behmd it the strength of those in the house as well as, perhaps, of the dove.
1 t ; I APPENDIX I f Ahhrevtations ■'^tthors of Translations I t( iiu t j' OST I I t BUS W Noiman Brown, India and Indolo^ Tatyana Yakovlcna Elizarenkova, Kigveda: Izbraimyi Gimny Charles Rockwell Lanman, Sanskrit Keader Arthur A. Macdonell, Vedte Keader for Students F Max MOllcr, Vedic Hymns Antonio T. de Nicolds, Meditations through the Kg Veda John Muir, Original Sanskrit Texts Raimundo Panikkar, The Vedic Experience Louis Renou, Etudes vidiques et panmiennes Louis Renou, Hymnes spimlatifs du Vida Journals and Senes Containing Articles vith Commentanes (c) mbori A foe AjPb AO AOr bdcr; UOS IIK lA ir Ilf JA J tos JA\ JKhtV JPOKX Annals of the Bbandarkar Oriental Research Institute AH India Oriental Conference (sp. Summary of Proceedings') American Joimiai of Phtlosoply Acta Or lent a ha Arcbtr Oncntalni Bulletin of the Deccan College Receareh Irstitute Bulletin of the School of Orierta! {and Afncan) Studies I farr in! Oriental Series } Inlory of Rtligio-i J^'dijn Anli,pniy JrA'C-rri I 'rriit tmeen ABBREVlATrONS JB{n)RS JGJKSV JIBS JMSUB join JKAS JKASn NIA OLZ ON PAPS PrAOS S'B SBB SBE SP WZKU WZKSOA ZDMG