Women in the Atharva-veda Samhita
by Pranab Jyoti Kalita | 2017 | 62,142 words
This page relates 鈥�7a. Hymn to Remove Evil Signs from a Man and a Woman鈥� of the study on women in the Vedic society reflecting the Atharva-veda Samhita in English. These pages discusses the social aspects of women, education, customs of marriage, practices of polyandry and polygamy, descriptions of female deities and various rites and rituals. It is shown how women earned much praise in ancient Indian society. Included are Sanskrit text and references of the Atharvaveda and commentary by Sayana-Acharya.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
7a. Hymn to Remove Evil Signs from a Man and a Woman
[Full title: 7. Miscellaneous Hymns (a): Hymn to Remove Evil Signs from a Man and a Woman]
Next to this, comes the hymn which starts with the mantra, nirlak峁ya峁� lal膩mya峁�[1] 鈥�, etc. In this hymn, certain bodily characteristics which are considered to be unlucky for men are attempted to be removed.
First of all, the unlucky spots, appearing on the forehead are driven away.[2] Not only this, but, all the signs, which are harmful like that of an enemy, are also driven away from one鈥檚 body.[3] After warding off these evil characteristics, the imposition of good signs as laid down in the scriptures like the 厂腻尘耻诲谤颈办补艣腻蝉迟谤补 etc., to beget offspring is also spoken of.[4]
Then 厂补惫颈迟峁�, the impeller deity is prayed to remove the evil marks existing on one鈥檚 feet.[5] Next to this, the gods 痴补谤耻峁嘺, Mitra and Aryaman are asked to remove the evil signs from one鈥檚 hands.[6] Thereafter, Anumati, the female deity who approves the desires of all and bestows accordingly is prayed[7] as because, she is sent forth by the gods like Indra etc., for the welfare of the laudators.[8]
The frightful and the sinful signs of a man, existing in his hair, in his eyes and even in his external and internal body are to be smitten away with the application of certain mantras.[9] And thus, after being freed from such unfair marks, the god 厂补惫颈迟峁� is invoked for the advancement of the same person.[10]
Lastly, the hymn refers to certain unlucky marks of a woman.[11] A woman whose feet are like that of an antelope is called 谤颈艣测补辫补诲墨.[12] A woman is, again, called 惫峁涐梗补诲补迟墨[13] who has big teeth like that of a bull; 驳辞蝉别诲丑腻,[14] if she walks like a cow and 惫颈诲丑补尘腻,[15] when she snores unpleasantly. As these signs are of a woman, hence, the terms are in feminine gender, showing their distinction from the terms vil墨岣峢ya峁� lal膩mya峁�, which are spoken of as common to both man and woman.[16] The terms vil墨岣峢ya峁� lal膩mya峁�, perhaps indicate the spot on the forehead, caused by the hair, braided to the opposite direction of the main stream of hair. The spot may appear thus as if the forehead is licked out.[17]
All these signs of both man and woman are to be rubbed and made disappeared for their well-being.
Bloomfield[18] has learnt this hymn as being aimed only for a woman. But, the contents have shown that his observation is wrong, as both man and woman are treated in this hymn.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Ibid., 1.18
[2]:
[3]:
补谤腻迟颈岣� 艣补迟谤耻岣� / ar膩tibad ani峁ａ弓akaram avayav膩ntargata峁� durlak峁峁嘺峁� ni岣uv膩ma岣� / 厂腻测补峁嘺 on Atharvaveda, 1.18.1
[4]:
[5]:
Atharvaveda, 1.18.2
[6]:
Ibid.
[7]:
[8]:
诲别惫腻岣� indr膩daya岣� im膩m ukt膩m 补苍耻尘补迟颈峁� saubhag膩ya saubh膩gy膩ya 补蝉尘腻办补峁� 蝉补耻产丑腻驳测补峁� d膩tu峁� pr膩s膩vi峁岣� preritavanta岣� / 厂腻测补峁嘺 on Atharvaveda, 1.18.2
[9]:
cf., Atharvaveda, 1.18.3
[10]:
鈥� devastv膩 蝉补惫颈迟腻 s奴dayatu / Ibid. deva dyotan膩tmaka岣� 蝉补惫颈迟腻 prerako 诲别惫补岣� tv膩 tv膩峁� s奴dayatu 艣reyase prerayatu / d奴ragatadurlak峁峁嘺峁� tv膩峁� 艣reyas膩 蝉补峁僢补诲诲丑补峁� karotu ityartha岣� / 厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid.
[11]:
cf., Atharvaveda, 1.18.4
[12]:
峁浥泍apad墨m 峁浥泍asya s膩ra峁単asyeva p膩dau yasy膩岣� s膩 峁浥泍apad墨 / 厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid.
[16]:
[17]:
lal膩myam lal膩masth膩ne lal膩峁璦pr膩nte bhavam / 迟补迟丑腻惫颈诲丑补峁� vil墨岣峢yam vi艣e峁峁嘺 l墨岣峢a峁� vil墨岣峢am / vil墨岣峢e bhavam vil墨岣峢yam / vil墨岣峢amiva 蝉迟丑颈迟补峁� ke艣膩n膩峁� pratilomyar奴pa峁� lal膩峁璦pr膩nte vartam膩nam / 厂腻测补峁嘺 on Atharvaveda, 1.18.4
[18]:
Vide, Bloomfield, M., Op.cit., p.109