________________
•
6
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
harm shall suffer this person here, for whom I bespeak thee morn and eve, aye the entire day!
4. Thou art the most superior of the plants, as a steer among cattle, as the tiger among beasts of prey. Verily no harm shall suffer this person here, for whom I bespeak thee morn and eve, aye the entire day!
5. Thrice begotten by the Sâmbu Angiras, thrice by the Adityas, and thrice by all the gods, this kushtha, a universal remedy, stands together with soma. Destroy thou every takman, and all female spooks!
6. The asvattha-tree is the seat of the gods in 1 the third heaven from here. There came to sight the amrita (ambrosia), there the kushtha-plant was
born.
7. A golden ship with golden tackle moved upon the heavens. There came to sight the amrita, there the kushtha-plant was born.
8. On the spot where the ship glided down, on the peak of the Himavant, there came to sight the ambrosia, there the kushtha-plant was born. This kushtha, a universal remedy, stands together with soma. Destroy thou every takman, and all female spooks!
9. (We know) thee whom Ikshvâku knew of yore, whom the women, fond of kushtha, knew, whom Vâyasa and Mâtsya knew: therefore art thou a universal remedy.
10. The takman that returns on each third day, the one that continues without intermission, and the yearly one, do thou, (O plant) of unremitting strength, drive away down below!
Digitized by Google
