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COMMENTARY.
I, 7.
237
RV. VI, 75, 15. Hence the repetition of the same expression with four other gods is secondary and mechanical. The medicine man wants to make sure that he does not neglect and offend. Sâyana justifies the mention of Mitra and Varuna by a reference to Tait. S. II, 4, 10, 2; of Kandra by saying, asya oshadhîsatvât sarasya pitritvena vyapadesah; and of Surya by relying again upon Tait. S. II, 4, 10, 2.
Stanza 6.
a. Sâyana explains gávînyor by, ântrebhyo vinirgatasya mûtrasya mûtrâsayaprâptisâdhane pârsvadvayasthe nâdyau gavinyau ity ukyate. The urethra and the ureter? Cf. the dual gavinyau in Tait. S. III, 3, 10, 1; and gavînike, AV. I, 11, 5; IX, 8, 7.
b. The majority of the MSS. read sámsrutam; but one of Shankar Pandit's MSS. has sámsrutam. For the root sru, 'flow,' see Bloomfield and Spieker, Proc. Amer. Or. Soc., May, 1886 (Journal, vol. xiii, p. cxx). For years I have had sámsritam written as a possible emendation on the margin of my copy of the text, and now Sâyana persistently (three times) comments upon the same reading.
Stanza 7.
b. The MSS. are divided between the readings vártram and vártam. Sâyana comments upon the latter, vartam vartate pravahati galam atre-ti varto mârgah, and some of the MSS. of Kaus. 25, 16, a Sutra coined with evident reference to this stanza (vartim bibhetti, see the translation above), also read vartam. Dârila comments, vartam mûtrabilam. I do not feel certain that this is not the correct word for the text: 'like the outlet of a lake.' For vártra, see Tait. S. I, 6, 8, 1; Maitr. S. I, 4, 10.
I, 7. COMMENTARY TO PAGE 64.
This and the following hymn are directed chiefly against the species of beings called yâtudhana, a term which oscillates between the meaning 'human sorcerer' and 'hostile
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