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444
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
Studien, IX, p. 381 ff. (especially pp. 411–12); Ludwig, Der Rigveda, III, 510; Zimmer, 1. C., pp. 380 ff.; Grill, pp. 12, 153 ff.; cf. also Hillebrandt, Vedachrestomathie,p.49. The Anukramani designates it as a takmanåsanadevatyam (sc. suktam); Bhrigu-Angiras are the authors.
Stanza 1. 2. Because the first Pada is a gagatî followed by three trishtubh Pädas the Anukramanî designates the stanza as a bhurig. It is possible, however, to obtain a trishtubh by reading ápabâdhatetáh with elision and crasis; cf. Roth in Kuhn's Zeitschrift, XXVI, 50 ff. I prefer to retain the gagatî, because it frequently appears in trishtubh stanzas, without the possibility of a change.
b. pâtádakshâh (stem pūtádakshas) is not easily rendered. Roth, 1.c., 'von unversehrter kraft;' the Petersburg lexicons, Grohmann, and Grassmann, 'von reiner gesinnung;' Hillebrandt, von geläuterter gesinnung;' Grill, 'lautern sinnes;' Ludwig, von geheiligter kraft;' Max Müller, Vedic Hymns, Sacred Books of the East, vol. xxxii, p. 493, 'endowed with pure strength.' But 'lautere gesinnung idealises over much, and pure strength' is vague. Perhaps after all our translation of tried skill or strength' comes nearest to the true sense of the original. Cf. RV. III, 1, 5, krátum punânáh kavibhih pavítraih,' purifying his intellect by wise means of purification. The epithets pâtá-daksha and ptá-dakshas are employed very frequently in connection with the Adityas, singly or collectively, and it is perhaps significant that Daksha is one of the Adityas.
d. Ludwig takes the words amuya bhavantu in their plainest sense, 'sollen nach jener seite hinweggehn.' But amuya frequently has a sinister, contemptuous meaning,
in that well-understood, suitable, evil manner;' it is a kind of euphemism like English 'gone,' German (slang) caput.' Cf. amuyá sáyanam, RV. I, 32, 8; pâpáyâ-muyá, RV. I, 29, 5, &c. ; and Grill's note, p. 155.
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