________________
620
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
A demon by the name of Andhaka is in the epics a familiar victim of Siva, who is styled andhakaghatin in Mahabhârata XII, 10356, and Siva is the later representative of Rudra. The Paippalada reads adhvagaghatin, 'the slayer of the wayfarer.' This suits admirably, since the hymn is intended as a prayer for protection against the dangers of a journey; cf. st. 4, and the practices (in the introduction). But its very suitableness lays it open to the suspicion of being an easy reading which shirks the difficulty involved in the less familiar ardhaka (andhaka).
Stanza 11. For the last Pada, cf. XI, 9, 7. 14; 10, 7, and our Contributions, Second Series, Amer. Journ. Phil. XI, 339 ff. The female mourners indicate, of course, the presence of death.
Stanza 12. b. The MSS. read sahasraghním, -ghnyám, and -ghní. The vulgate has adopted the impossible -ghním; Sayana, -ghnyám; and Shankar Pandit, -ghnf. We have translated the latter, as a locative singular from -hán, with háste, understood.
Stanza 18. Cf. X, 1, 26; Sat. Br. XIV, 4, 2, 18: padanî means 'tracking the steps,' not 'leading the steps' (Pet. Lex.), as may be seen especially in the passage of the Sat. Br., where vindate is the synonym of nî.
Stanza 14. b. The text has karato, not karatho : change the construction accordingly to the third person.
Stanzas 16, 17. St. 15 is formulaic: see, e.g. XI, 4, 7. St. 17 is rubricated in Ath. Paris. 33, 3.
Stansa 18. In the epic literature, Kesin is a demon slain by Krishna. In RV. I, 164, 44, three Kesin are mentioned: they are Agni, Surya, and Vayu; further, RV. X, 136 is a hymn to
Digized by Google
