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470
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
a, b. In close parallelism with V, 22, 2 a, b: see the note on the passage.
o. The epithet babhrú calls to mind Latin febris from febrv-is, which would then be the ' brown, sallow disease.'
d. The meaning of ványa, 'silvestris,' seems fairly certain. The Pet. Lex. suggests 'greenish,' in order to establish a parallelism with aruna and babhrú in the preceding Pada. Grohmann, 1. c., p. 385, translates 'dem wilden (wassergeborenen ?) Takman. If the word means 'forest-born' then it must refer to the malarial fever of the rainy season which is caused by the decay of the tropically prolific flora. Cf. the takmán várshika in AV. V, 22, 13. Living in wooded, ill-ventilated valleys is, according to Wise, l. C., p. 220, one of the causes of fever. Såyana, samsevyâya, 'to him that is to be adored.'
VI, 21. COMMENTARY TO PAGE 30. This interesting hymn is accompanied by equally interesting symbolic practices, at Kaus. 30, 8-10, part of which passage is unfortunately very obscure: 8. While reciting the hymn the person that desires the growth of hair (Sayana, kesavriddhikâmam) is rinsed off with water heated by burning plants that grow upon the earth under trees. 9. His head is rinsed off with an effusion prepared by heating dice in water. 10. (And also with an effusion prepared) from two nikata-plants ? (?).' The symbolism of the first practice is quite clear: as the head of the earth is clothed with plants (cf. st. 1), as the crown of the tree is full of leaves, so shall the person practising the charm be luxuriantly hirsute. But the dice (the fruit of the vibhitaka-tree) and the nikatà are left unexplained.
? Cf. the note on Kaus. 27, 29, in the introduction to III, a (p. 336, note).
* Very doubtful. Kesava, dâruharidraharidre (!) ka dvâbhyâm kvâthayitvå avasiñkati. Sâyana, haridrâkvâthodakena avasiñket. According to these authorities nikatâ would then be the yellow curcuma.
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