________________
672
HYMNS OF THE ATHARVA-VEDA.
c. The MSS. of the vulgate read sárvân vinaktatégaso, for which the edition substitutes vinashta-. This is Såyana's reading (vinashtategasah hataviryân), and with a slight alteration (vinishta-) that of one of the MSS. used by Shankar Pandit. The latter recites all the readings of his manuscripts ; they are (besides vinakta-), bhanakti, bhinakti, minaktu, vinakti, and vinaktu. He has chosen the last, making the Pada, sárvấn vinaktu tégasah, may (the gaigidá) expel all strength' (note, however, the ordinarily neuter gender of tégas). We prefer the text of the editio princeps and Sayana.
Stansa 8. a. Sâyana, abhikaratâ utpåditam nadam dhvanim, 'the noise got up by the person practising witchcraft (against any one);' cf. Kesava's purushahava in the introduction to II, 4 (p. 281). The MSS., Samhitâ and Padapatha, read kritrim anna-adám!
b. Our translation of saptá visrásah by seven debilitating (charms)' is a purely etymological conjecture; cf. expressions like visrastânga, lax of limb,' visrastaketana, lax in mind, and the like. Sâyana, visramsanah ... mordhanishtheshu nâsârandhradvaya-kakshurgolakadvaya-srotrakhidradvaya-mukhakuhara-rûpeshu saptasu khidreshu abhikaratå utpâditâ sapta nishyandâh, i.e.' discharges from the seven openings of the head, induced by one practising witchcraft.'
Stanse 4. The same stanza with variants occurs at AV. II, 4, 6.
Stansa 5. c. The text of the vulgate has sâsahé, a reading which is now supported by one of the MSS. at the base of Shankar Pandit's edition. The MSS. in general have sâsaha, Padapâtha sasaha, each with a considerable variety of accentuations. Sâyana comments upon the following text for Pâdas c, d, vishkandham ogasâ saha samskandham oga ogaså. For his explanation of v/shkandha, see the note on II, 4, 1 c (p. 282); his comment upon sámskandha is as
Digized by Google