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494
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
nabhyam nâbhaye hitam rathakakramadhyaphalakam pradhåv adhi nemidese sambadhnâti.
VI, 71. COMMENTARY TO PAGE 196.
An expiatory prayer (prâyaskittam) to obviate any impropriety, such as greed and worldliness, on the part of the Brahman who receives gifts, or the absence of sacredness in the gift itself. At Kaus. 45, 17 it is recited along with other mantras upon the receipt of the dakshinâ; at Kaus. 57, 29-30 the begging Brahman disciple offers, while reciting the hymn, the fruits of his mendicancy: the firewood which he has begged is put on the fire in the evening and in the morning, while reciting this hymn. At Vait. Sû. 4, 16 the Brahman consumes with it his share of the rice-cakes at the new-moon and full-moon sacrifices.
The hymn has been translated by Ludwig, Der Rigveda, III, 433; Grill2, pp. 66, 165. The Anukramanî, brahmâ **gneyam.
Stanza 3.
This seems to be spoken by a non-Brahmanical sacrificer (yagamâna), to make sure that the fruits of his sacrifice shall not fail him. For the second hemistich the Dasa, Karmâni (paddhati) at Kaus. 57, 29 substitutes the second hemistich of VI, 53, 2.
VI, 73. COMMENTARY TO PAGE 135.
This is one of the sâmmanasyâni (sc. sûktâni), 'charms designed to produce harmony,' treated at Kaus. 12, 5 ff. See the introduction to III, 30 for the practices connected with these hymns. The charm seems to be undertaken by the patriarchal head of a community; cf. Sat. Br. IV, 1, 5, 3 ff. The hymn is rubricated also among the vâstoshpatîyâni (sc. sûktâni), 'hymns to Vâstoshpati' (cf. st. 3, note), at Kaus. 8, 23, and note; the third stanza in the course of ceremonies connected with the building of a house, Kaus.
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