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462
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
The hymn has been translated by Ludwig, Der Rigveda, III, 501 ff.; Florenz, Bezzenberger's Beiträge, XII, 262 ff. cf. also Bergaigne et Henry, Manuel Védique, p. 149. The Anukramanî, takshakadaivatam (cf. Kaus. 28, 1; 29, 1, and the introduction to IV, 6).
Stanza 1. Imperfect metaphors. In the second half the notion is that night puts a stop to all activity, and thus the physician stops the action of the poison. In Pada c the notion seems to be that the hamsá is awake at night; cf. Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, p. 90. Såyana takes hamısá in the sense of atman, soul (cf. brahmán = paramahamsa), 'as the entire body, but not the soul, is at rest.' Perhaps hamsá is here, as frequently elsewhere, the sun. Can we trust the present poet to know that the sun is at work by night in another hemisphere? The sense would then be that every creature but the hamsá (i. e. the sun) is at rest. Cf. RV. X, 136, 5. Ludwig, wie die nacht das übrige lebende tötet (? dhvansåt),' or, 'as night separates the remaining living things from the sun (hamsa).'
Stansa 2. 0. asanvát (Padap. asan-vát) is &n. dey., literally that which has a mouth.' Sayana, asyayuktam. In effect the word seems to mean the present' (that which can speak, or breathe ?' highly and grotesquely poetic, if true). The Pet. Lex. suggests that it is either an obscure derivative of root as, 'be,' or a corruption of asannam. Does it stand for asthanvát, corporeal ;' cf. Avestan astvāt? The change of asthan to åsan may have crept in from åsné in 3 d. Or possibly, åtmanvat. The Paippalâda has asunvat.
Stanza 8. c. Parushni is the name of a river : Zimmer, 1. c., p. 11. Sipala seems to be a fanciful, typical river, or lake, named after the water-plant sîpåla, avakâ (blyxa octandra), ib., p. 71. The avakâ quenches fire, see Contributions, Second Series, Amer. Journ. Phil. XI, p. 342 ff. The entire stanza
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