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370
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
performance takes place) while he sits upon a stake or a pestle ' (generous suggestions! cf. VII, 90, 3). For hymns (and their collateral practices) dealing with the same subject, see VI, 72 ; 101 ; VII, yo; Kaus. 40, 16-18; 36, 35-7.
Stanza 1. The Gandharvas, the divine libertines (IV, 37, 11), who enjoy themselves in the company of the heavenly nymphs, the Apsaras, are peculiarly likely to stand in need, and have a knowledge of regenerating plants. Hence the Gandharva digs them up. But why should Varuna need an aphrodisiac? At VII, 90, 2, a charm for inhibiting the redundant sexual power of an enemy, the divine law of Varuna 'withers excessive fire.' The paradox may be only a seeming one. Varuna, as is well known, not infrequently appears in opposition to Indra, and his name even is occasionally, by etymological play (root var), assimilated to Vritra, the demon, whom Indra at RV. I, 32, 7 turns in a castrate (vádhri); cf. RV. IV, 42, 7; X, 124, 4. 5, and Bergaigne, La Religion Védique, III, 144 ff. Sayana does not comment upon this extraordinary imputation against Varuna, the most highly respected of all the gods.
Stansa 2. c. I have followed Sayana in regarding úd egatu as transitive, udvrittam karotu, and, utkrishtaviryayuktam karotu. Cf. the similar double use of the root úd ar (úd iyarti), and the simple root îr. The Pet. Lex., 'sich rühren, sich erheben.' This translation fits poorly for Påda c.
Stanza 3. a, b. Sâyana with some MSS. (Samhita and Pada pâtha) reads virohito for viróhato, and construes it as an epithet of the penis, putrapautrâdirūpena virohanasya nimittam pum
1 The first part of Sätra 16 in the edition is to be regarded with Kesava as an independent Stra. Kesava was not at hand until the body of the text was in print.
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