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HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
udbhutam visham, 'the poison sprung from the filth of loathsome animals.'
Stansa 7. Såyana agrees with all Western authorities in deriving ápîshan from the root pish, to wit : aushadham apimshan. He glosses vishagiri by kandamælâdivishotpattihetuh parvatah.
IV, 7. COMMENTARY TO PAGE 26. The practices, Kaus. 28, 1-4, obviously refer to this hymn as well as IV, 6. See the introduction to the preceding hymn. Translations are offered by Ludwig, Der Rigveda, III, 201 ; Grill?, pp. 28, 121 ff. The Anukramani, vânaspatyam.
Stanza 1. All Western interpreters regard varanávati as a river ; cf., in addition to the authorities given above, Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, p. 20. Såyana, varanà nama vrikshaviseshah te asyåm santi. ti varanavati; cf. varaná (crataeva roxburghii), AV. VI, 85, 1; X, 3, 2 ff., where the same puns upon derivatives of the root var are displayed. The formation of the word varanávatî might be compared with sîtikâvatî and hladikávatî in RV. X, 16, 14=AV. XVIII, 3, 60; see our Contributions, Second Series, Amer. Journ. Phil. XI, p. 341 ff. Cf. also madávatî in st. 4 (cf. IV, 6, 3c), as a designation of the poisonous plant. varanávatî would then be the name of the curative plant, the antidote, 'affording protection.' But the ceremonies in the Satra (28, 1) begin with the use of water, and the appearance of vấr in Pâda a also points to the name of a river.
Stanza 2. d. Cf. RV. I, 187, 10; Åpast. Sr. XII, 4, 13. Cf. for this and the next stanza the ritual, above, Kaus. 28, 4.
Stansa 3. a. In deciding upon the meaning of tiryàm we have had in mind the evident concatenation of st. 2 with 3 a, b. The
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