Hymns of the Atharvaveda - Book 16

HYMN I

On the preparation and use of holy water, with, a prayer for purification and freedom from sin

1The Bull of the Waters hath been let go; the heavenly fires have
been let go.
2Breaking, breaking down, crushing, crushing to pieces,
3Mroka, mind-destroying, rooting up, consuming, ruiner of the
soul, ruiner of the body.
4Here I let him go: thou washest me clean of him.
5With this we let him loose who hates us and whom we hate.
6Thou art in front of the waters. I let loose your sea.
7I let loose the Agni who is within the waters, Mroka the up-
rooter, the destroyer of the body.
8Your Agni who entered into the waters, even he here is that very
dread of yours.
9May he anoint you with Indra's own mighty power!
10May stainless waters cleanse us from defilement.
11May they carry sin away from us, may they carry away from us
the evil dream.
12Look on me with a friendly eye, O, Waters, and touch my skin
with your auspicious body.
13We call the gracious Fires that dwell in waters. Goddesses, grant
me princely power and splendour.

HYMN II

A charm to secure various blessings

1Away from distasteful food, strength and sweet speech,
2Are pleasant. May I obtain a pleasant voice.
3I have invoked the Protector; I have invoked his protection.
4Quick of hearing are mine ears; mine ears hear what is good-
Fain would I hear a pleasant sound.
5Let not good hearing and overhearing fail the Eagle's eye, the
undecaying light.
6Thou art the couch of the Rishis. Let worship be paid to the
divine couch.

HYMN III

A charm to secure power and long life

1I am the head of riches. Fain would I be the head of mine
equals.
2Let not Ruja and Vena desert me. Let not the Head and the
Preserver forsake me.
3Let not the Boiler and the Cup fail tme: let not the Supporter
and the Sustainer abandon me.
4Let not Unyoking and the Moist-fellied car desert me: let not
the Sender of Moisture and Matarisvan forsake me.
5Brihaspati is my soul, he who is called the Friend of man, dear
to my heart.
6My heart is free from sorrow; spacious is my dwelling-place. I
am the sea in capacity.

HYMN IV

A charm to secure long life and success

1I am the:centre of riches. Fain would I be the centre of mine
equals.
2Pleasant art thou to sit by one, a mother: immortal among
mortals.
3Let not inward breath desert me; let not outward breath depart
and leave me.
4Let Sūrya protect me from Day, Agni from Earth, Vāyu from
Firmament, Yama from men, Sarasvatī from dwellers on the
earth.
5Let not outward and inward breath fail me. Be not thou destruc-
tive among the men.
6Propitious to-day be dawns and evenings. May I drink water with
all my people safe around me.
7Mighty are ye, domestic creatures. May Mitra-Varuna stand
beside me. May Agni give me inward and outward breath.
May,he give me ability.

HYMN V

A charm against evil dreams

1We know thine origin, O Sleep. Thou art the son of Grahi, the
minister of Yama. Thou art the Ender, thou art Death. As
such, O Sleep, we know thee well. As such preserve us from
the evil dream.
2We know thine origin, O Sleep. Thou art the son of Destruction,
the minister of Yama, etc. (as in verse 1). p. 166
3We know thine origin, O Sleep. Thou art the son of Misery,
etc.
4We know thine origin, O Sleep. Thou art the son of Disappear-
ance, etc.
5We know thine origin, O Sleep. Thou art the son of Defeat etc.
6We know thine origin, O Sleep. Thou art the son of the sisters
of the Gods, the minister of Yama. Thou art the Ender, thou
are Death. As such, O Sleep, we know thee well. As such,
preserve us from the evil dream.

HYMN VI

A charm to avert evil dreams, and to transfer them to an enemy

1Now have we conquered and obtained: we have been freed
from sin to-day.
2Let Morning with her light dispel that evil dream that frightened
us.
3Bear that away to him who hates, away to him who curses us.
4To him whom we abhor, to him who hates us do we send it hence.
5May the Goddess Dawn in accord with Speech, and the Goddess
Speech in accord with Dawn,
6The Lord of Dawn in accord with the Lord of Speech and the
Lord of Speech in accord with the Lord of Dawn,
7Carry away to Such-an-one niggard fiends, hostile demons, and
Sadanvas,
8Kumbhikas, Dushikas, and Piyakas,
9Evil day-dream, evil dream in sleep,
10Wishes for boons that will not come, thoughts of poverty, the
snares of the Druh who never releases.
11This, O Agni, let the Gods bear off to Such-an-one that he may
be a fragile good-for-nothing eunuch.

HYMN VII

An imprecation on an enemy

1Herewith I pierce this man. With poverty I pierce him. With
disappearance I pierce him. With defeat I pierce him. With
Grāhi I pierce him. With darkness I pierce him.
2I summon him with the awful cruel orders of the Gods.
3I place him between Vaisvānara's jaws.
4Thus or otherwise let her swallow him up.
5Him who hates us may his soul hate, and may he whom we
hate hate himself.
6We scorch out of heaven and earth and firmament the man who
hates us.
7Suyāman son of Chakshus.
8Here I wipe away the evil dream on the descendant of Such-an-
one, son of Such-a-woman.
9Whatsoever I have met with, whether at dusk or during early
night,
10Whether waking or sleeping, whether by day or by night.
11Whether I meet with it day by day, from that do I bribe him
away.
12Slay him; rejoice in this; crush his ribs.
13Let him not live. Let the breath of life forsake him.

HYMN VIII

An imprecation on an enemy

1Whatever we have gained, whatever hath accrued to us, our
Right, our energy, our Devotion, our heavenly light, our p. 168
sacrifice, our domestic animals, our offspring, our men,—from
all share herein we exclude Such-an-one, descendant of Such-
an-one, son of Such-a-woman. Let him not be freed from the
noose of Grāhi. Here I bind up his splendour, his energy, his
vital breath, his life, and cast him down beneath me.
2Whatever we have gained, etc. (as in verse 1). Let him not be
freed from the noose of Nirriti, etc.
3Whatever we have gained, etc. Let him not be freed from the
noose of misery, etc.
4Whatever we have gained, etc. Let him not be freed from the
noose of disappearance, etc.
5Whatever we have gained, etc. Let him not be freed from the
noose of defeat, etc.
6Whatever we have gained, etc. Let him not be freed from the
noose of the sisters of the Gods, etc.
7Whatever we have gained, etc. Let him not be freed from the
noose of Brihaspati, etc.
8Whatever we have gained, etc. Let him not be freed from the
noose of Prajāpati, etc.
9Whatever we have gained, etc. Let him not be freed from the
noose of the Rishis, etc.
10Whatever we have gained, etc. Let him not be freed from the
noose of the Rishis' children, etc.
11Whatever, etc. Let him not be freed from the noose of the
Angirases, etc.
12Whatever, etc. Let him not be freed from the noose of the
Angirases, etc.
13Whatever, etc. Let him not be freed from the noose of the
Atharvans, etc.
14Whatever, etc. Let him not be freed from the noose of the
Atharvans, etc.
15Whatever, etc. Let him not be freed from the noose of the
Trees, etc.
16Whatever, etc. Let him not be freed from the noose of
Shrubs, etc.
17Whatever, etc. Let him not be freed from the noose of the
Seasons, etc.
18Whatever, etc. Let him not be freed from the noose of the
Season-groups, etc. p. 169
19Whatever, etc. Let him not be freed from the noose of the
Months, etc.
20Whatever, etc. Let him not be freed from the noose of the Half-
months, etc.
21Whatever, etc. Let him not be freed from the noose of Day and
Night, etc.
22Whatever, etc. Let him not be freed from the noose of continued
Day, etc.
23Whatever, etc. Let him not be freed from the noose of Heaven
and Earth, etc.
24Whatever, etc. Let him not be freed from the noose of Indra-
Agni, etc.
25Whatever, etc. Let him not be freed from the noose of Mitra-
Varuna, etc.
26Whatever, etc. Let him not be freed from the noose of King
Varuna, etc.
27Whatever we have gained, whatever hath accrued to us, our
Right, our energy, our Devotion, our heavenly light, our
sacrifice, our domestic animals, our offspring, our men,—from
all share herein we exclude Such-as-one, descendant of Such-
an-one, son of Such-a-woman. Let him not be freed from the
fetter and noose of Death. Here I bind up his splendour, his
energy, his vital breath, his life, and cast him down beneath
me.

HYMN IX

A charm to secure wealth and felicity

1Ours is superior place and ours is conquest: may I in all fights
tread down spite and malice.
2This word hath Agni, this hath Soma spoken. May Pūshan set
me in the world of virtue.
3We have come to the light of heaven; to the light of heaven
have we come: we have united with the light of Surya.
4Sacrifice is fraught with wealth for the increase of prosperity. I
would win riches; fain would I be wealthy. Do thou bestow
wealth upon me.

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