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dawn (cf. RV. VI, 55, 1, and Ludwig's note, vol. iv, 147). All this is possible, but excessively problematic.
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
c, d. The cloudy allusions of the preceding Pâdas are obfuscated further by the statement here that the plant has been sprinkled with the blood of the brown horse of Yama, an expression which may also harbour an allusion to night (cf. syấvî, RV. I, 71, 1; III, 55, 11; Naighantuka I, 7). Elsewhere the horses of Savitar (RV. I, 35, 5), Agni (RV. II, 10, 2), Rudra (AV. XI, 2, 18) are designated as syâvá. The Padapâtha reads âsná, 'by the mouth,' and Zimmer adopts this reading, against the Pet. Lex., Kuhn (p. 61), Whitney in the Index Verborum, and Grill. The Padapâtha itself has asnáh in the next stanza-an obvious inconsistency. I cannot rid myself of the impression that there is some connection between this and a statement in
the Maitr. S. IV, 9, 19; Tait. År. IV, 29, asriñmukho rudhirenâ-bhyakto yamasya dûtak, 'the messenger of Yama bloody-mouthed, bedaubed with blood;' if so the brown horse of Yama may be a variant of the two dogs of Yama called syâma and sabala, ' sun and moon,' or ' day and night' (cf. Contributions, Third Series, Journ. Amer. Or. Soc. XV, 163 ff.), and this would again lead back to the word rấtrî in st. 1. Non liquet. Grill: 'It is conceived that the plant
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has absorbed the blood of a divine animal with which it has been sprinkled, and has acquired thereby corresponding strength and virtue.'
Stanza 9.
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a, b. Zimmer: 'aus des rosses maul (cf. the preceding note) herausgefallen lief sie an die bäume;' Kuhn: 'vom blut des rosses hergeeilt, glitt sie sogleich den bäumen zu ;' Grill: entsprungen aus des pferdes blut lief diese zu den bäumen hin.' sámpatitâ is not altogether satisfactory; the Pet. Lex. translates it 'zusammengeflossen, zusammengeronnen.' The entire picture is vague, and is not rendered less so by the next Pâda.
c. The meaning of this Pâda is by no means established. It is formulary in character and always employed in connection with plants. In the oshadhistuti, RV. X, 97, 9;
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| SR No. | 007681 |
| Book Title | Questions of King Milinda Part 01 |
| Original Sutra Author | N/A |
| Author | T W Rhys Davids |
| Publisher | Oxford |
| Publication Year | 1890 |
| Total Pages | 2695 |
| Language | English |
| Classification | Book_English |
| File Size | 47 MB |