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VII, 56. COMMENTARY.
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pulverised, (sewed up in the skin of a living animal [freshly slain) and fastened as an amulet upon the patient). 7. He is given to drink (yellow curcuma in ghee) ??
Stanza 5 is rubricated, along with sundry mantras against serpents and other disturbing forces, at Kaus. 139, 8, in the course of practices, preparatory to the study of the Vedas.
The hymn has been translated by Ludwig, Der Rigveda, III, 502 ; Grilla, pp. 5, 183 ff. ; Henry, Le livre VII de l'Atharva-véda, pp. 21, 82 ff. The Anukramani, man. troktavriskikadevatakam.
Stansa 1. For tíraskirągi and ásita, see the note on VI, 56, 2; for pridáku(cf. trápdalis, tópoalls, and népdos), see Zimmer, p. 94. Grill's sturdy attempt to determine the specific character of the pridáku yields no acceptable result. The meaning of kankáparvan, Scorpion' (? Sâyana, dainsakaviseshât), can merely be conjectured. Kesava and the Anukramanî describe the entire charm as a cure for the bite of scorpions, vriskikabhaishagyam. The Paippalâda has angaparvano. See kánkata, satinákankata, and prakarkatá, RV. I, 191, 1. 7.
Stansa 2.
Cf. I, 34, 1; VIII, 7, 12; RV. I, 191, 10. 13. madhůh, &n. dey., is apparently made for the occasion (type vadhů), to ensure completer assonance with the preceding madhu; the ordinary madhvi would be less agreeable. But the Atharvan presents quite a list of such feminines ; see Lanman, Noun-Inflection, pp. 402, 406.
Cf. Kaus. 26, 43, in the introduction to II, 8. Ants especially are a famous antidote against poison ; see the introduction to VI, 100, and cf. st. 7.
? Thus according to Dârila who refers to Kaus. 28, 4 (see the introduction to IV, 6, also a charm against serpents).
Sâyana, pardayati kutsitam sabdayati.
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