Satapatha Bramhana Part 03

SR No.: 007679
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Julius Eggeling
Publisher: Oxford
Publication Year: 1894
Total Pages: 2382
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 45 MB

Page 1101

HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
For the history of the interpretation of the apakit-hymns, see the introduction to VI, 83 (cf. also VI, 25 and VII, 76). The practice connected with this part of the hymn is described at Kaus. 32, 8-10, to wit: 8. With a bow made of bamboo, which is dårbhyasha? (? cf. Kaus. 35, 28 in the introduction to III, 25, and Kausika, Introduction, p. li), and has a bowstring made of black wool, with black arrows that have bunches of wool (tied ?) to their points (the pustules are hit), while the (two first stanzas of) the hymn are being recited. 9. With the fourth stanza (?)? the bow is brought near (the pustules) and they are hit (with the arrows). 10. (The patient is then washed off at the time when the stars fade away (at dawn) with water) which has been warmed by quenching in it a burning bunch of wool.' The arrow of bamboo in the practice symbolises the root (found by) the divine sage in st. 1 ; the flake of black wool embodies the statement in st. 2 d.
Stansa 1. Cf. for the colours mentioned here, VI, 83, 2. 3, and more generally I, 23 and 24.
Sâyana, dârbhůsha. ? This can hardly be the fourth stanza of the present hymn, which belongs to a totally different sphere. Kesava fuses VII, 74, 1. 2 with VII, 76, 1. 2, and thus obtains a hymn of four stanzas. As extraordinary as this seems it may yet be true, and we may note that VII, 76, 1. 2 are also endowed with independent individuality, being separated in the ritual from the remainder of the hymn. See the introduction to VII, 76. But the matter is rendered uncertain on account of Kaus. 31, 16, where we have apakita â susrasa iti, i.e. the pratîkas of VI, 83, and VII, 76, rubricated together. Kesava's hypothesis may be based upon a confusion of the two pralîkas apakitah (VI, 83), and apakitâm (VII, 74). Sâyana in his introducLion to VII, 76 makes this very blunder, reading, apatitâm â susrasah for Kausika's (31, 16) apakita â susrasah.
• For the rendering of this Satra, see Kaus. 27, 29 in the introduction to III, 7.
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