Atharva Veda · 452 of 724

HYMN VI

The glorification of an all-powerful amulet 1. With power I cut away the head of my malignant rival, of mine evil-hearted enemy. 2. This Amulet of citron-wood shall make for me a trusty shield Filled with the mingled beverage, with sap and vigour hath it come. 3. What though the strong-armed carpenter have cleft thee with his hand and axe. Pure animating waters shall cleanse thee and make thee bright again. 4. This Amulet, decked with chain of gold, shall give faith, sacrifice, and might, and dwell as guest within our house. 5. To this we give apportioned food, clarified butter, wine, and meath. May it provide each boon for us as doth a father for his sons. p. 18 Again, again, from morn to morn, having approached the deities. 6. The Charm Brihaspati hath bound, the fatness-dropping citron- wood, the potent Khadira for strength, This Agni hath put on: it yields clarified butter for this man. Again, again, from morn to morn. With this subdue thine enemies. 7. The Charm Brihaspati hath bound, the fatness-dropping citron- wood, the potent Khadira, for strength, This Charm hath Indra put on him for power and manly puissance. It yieldeth strength to strengthen him, again, again, from morn to morn, having approached the deities. 8. The Charin Brihaspati, etc. This Charm hath Soma put on him for might, for hearing, and for sight. This yields him energy indeed, again, again, etc. 9. The Charm Brihaspati, etc. This Sūrya put on him, with this conquered the regions of the sky. This yieldeth him ability, again, etc. 10. The Charm Brihaspati, etc. This Charm did Chandra wear, with this conquered the forts of Asuras, the golden forts of Dānavas. This yields him glory and renown, again, etc. 11. The Amulet Brihaspati bound on the swiftly-moving Wind. This yieldeth him a vigorous steed, again, etc. 12. The Asvins with this Amulet protect this culture of our fields. This yields the two Physicians might, again, etc. 13. Savitar wore this Amulet: herewith he won this lucid heaven. This yields him glory and delight, again, etc. 14. Wearing this Charm the Waters flow eternally inviolate. This yieldeth them ambrosia, again etc. 15. King Varuna assumed and wore this salutary Amulet. This yieldeth him his truthfulness, again, etc. 16. Wearing this Amulet the Gods conquered in battle all the worlds. This yieldeth victory for them, again, etc. 17. The Amulet Brihaspati formed for the swiftly-moving Wind, This salutary Amulet the Deities assumed and wore. p. 19 This yieldeth them the universe, again, again, from morn to morn. With this subdue thine enemies. 18. The seasons formed that Amulet, the Groups of Seasons fashion- ed it. The Year having constructed it preserveth everything that is. 19. The regions of the heaven, the points that lie between them fashioned it. Created by Prajāpati, may the Charm cast my foemen down. 20. Atharvan made the Amulet, Atharvan's children fashioned it. With them the sage Angirases broke through the Dasyus' fortresses. With this subdue thine enemies. 21. Dhātar bound on this Amulet: he ranged and ordered all that is. With this do thou subdue thy foes. 22. The Amulet Brihaspati formed for the Gods, that slew the fiends. That Amulet here hath come to me combined with sap and energy. 23. The Amulet, etc. That Amulet here hath come to me, hath come with cows, and goats, and sheep, hath come with food and progeny. 24. The Amulet, etc. That Amulet here hath come to me with store of barley and of rice, with greatness and prosperity. 25. The Amulet, etc. That Amulet here hath come to me with streams of butter and of mead, with sweet delicious beverage. 26. The Amulet, etc. That Amulet here hath come to me with power and abundant strength, hath come with glory and with wealth. 27. The Amulet, etc.. That Amulet here hath come to me with splendour and a blaze of light, with honour and illustrious fame. 28. The Amulet Brihaspati made for the Gods, that slew the fiends, That Amulet here hath come to me combined with all prosperities. 29. That Amulet may the Deities bestow on me to win success, The conquering, strength-increasing Charm, the damager of enemies. 30. I bind on me my happy fate with holy prayer and energy. Foeless destroyer of the foe, it hath subdued mine enemies. 31. May this Chaim, offspring of the Gods, make me superior to my foe. So may this charm whose milk expressed these three worlds longingly await, Be fastened on me here, that it may crown me with surpassing power. 32. The Charm to which men, Fathers, Gods look ever for their maintenance, May this be fastened on me here, to crown me with surpassing power 33. As, when the plough hath tilled the soil, the seed springs up in. fertile land, Let cattle, progeny, and food of every kind spring up with me. 34. Charm, forwarder of sacrifice, who hast a hundred priestly fees. Speed to preeminence him to whom I have attached thy happy fate. 35. Love thou, O Agni, pleased with burnt oblations, this sacred fuel that is ranged in order. In him may we find grace and loving-kindness, happiness, progeny, and sight and cattle, in Jātavedas kindled with devotion.

Insight · 2

Which of his members is the seat of Fervour? Which is the base of Ceremonial Order? Where in him standeth Faith? The seer is interrogating a cosmic figure named Skambha as if his body were the world: where in the great Pillar does each abstract principle reside? Tapas (fervour), ṛta (cosmic order), shraddhā (faith), dharma (duty), satya (truth), all of them are asked after as if Skambha contained them like a body contains organs. The hymn is a sustained meditation on a single proposition: there is one upholding principle, and everything we name as a separate reality is part of it.Wave RR insight — Skambha as upholding principle; abstract nouns located in cosmic body.

Who out of many, tell me, is that Skambha to whom with longing go the turning pathways? Skambha is the axis to which everything that moves orients. Time, the months, the seasons, the waters, the gods, all incline toward him. The Norse Yggdrasil, the world-tree from which Odin hung; the Mesopotamian kiskanû tree at the centre of the world; the Mesoamerican axis mundi at the centre of every Maya city plan; the Sufi qutb, the spiritual pole around whom the saints are arranged; all of these are recognizable cousins of Skambha. The axis-mundi mythologem is one of the oldest in religion, and the Atharvan gives it perhaps its most fully developed Vedic articulation.Wave RR anchor — Skambha / axis-mundi cross-tradition (Yggdrasil, qutb, kiskanû).