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Sr. IV, 13, 7, tasyâs (tasya) bhaktivâno bhûyâsma; cf. Whitney, Sanskrit Grammar2, § 462 d.
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
VI, 80. COMMENTARY TO PAGE 13.
The subject matter of this hymn is identical with a Brahmana legend, told at Maitr. S. I, 6, 9; Kâth. S. VIII, 1; Tait. Br. I, 1, 2, 4-6 (cf. also Sat. Br. II, 1, 2, 13-16). The substance of the story is that certain demons (asura) called kâlakânga piled up a fire-altar in order to ascend by it to heaven. Indra joined them, adding a brick of his own. When they had climbed to heaven, Indra pulled out his brick and they tumbled down. They became spiders, all but two who flew up and became the two heavenly dogs. In our essay, 'The two dogs of Yama in a new rôle,' printed in the third series of Contributions, Journ. Amer. Or. Soc. XV, 163 ff.1, it has been shown that the two heavenly dogs, otherwise the two dogs of Yama, are the sun and the moon. The mythic character of the kâlakânga is altogether uncertain. We have surmised (1. c., p. 169) that they are either the galaxy, or the stars in general, conceived as spiders. Possibly some especial group of stars, three in number (cf. st. 2 of our hymn), is intended.
All this is embalmed in the present hymn in a technical oblation (havís; cf. the note on VI, 39, 1) which is designated 'the majesty of the heavenly dog,' i. e. presumably, the majesty of the sun.' This and an appeal to the three kâlakânga are the central points of the hymn, and the ritual, in a fashion altogether obscure, manipulates the prayer as a cure for paralysis (pakshahatabhaishagyam, Dârila and Kesava) 2. But the sense of the Sûtras, Kaus.
1 Cf. also the note on IV, 20, 7 b.
2 Cf. Wise, Hindu System of Medicine, pp. 253, 256. According to Sâyana, kâkakapotasyenâdipakshihatam, it would seem as though paralysis was supposed to be inflicted by strokes of the wings of crows, pigeons, eagles, and other birds (cf. also Kesava). Apparently purely symbolic: pakshin, 'winged, bird,' and paksha, 'side, half' (hemiplegia).
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