Library·Atharvaveda Saṃhitā (Śaunaka)·5·5.17
ते ऽवदन् प्रथमा ब्रह्मकिल्बिषे ऽकूपारः सलिलो मातरिश्वा । वीडुहरास् तप उग्रं मयोभूर् आपो देवीः प्रथमजा ऋतस्य ॥१॥
te 'vadan prathamā brahmakilbiṣe 'kūpāraḥ salilo mātariśvā | vīḍuharās tapa ugraṃ mayobhūr āpo devīḥ prathamajā ṛtasya ||1||
These spoke first at the offense against the Brahman (bráhman-): the boundless sea, Mātariçvan, he of stout rage (-háras), formidable fervor, the kindly one, the heavenly waters, first-born of right (ṛtá).
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
सोमो राजा प्रथमो ब्रह्मजायां पुनः प्रायछद् अहृणीयमानः । अन्वर्तिता वरुणो मित्र आसीद् अग्निर् होता हस्तगृह्या निनाय ॥२॥
somo rājā prathamo brahmajāyāṃ punaḥ prāyachad ahṛṇīyamānaḥ | anvartitā varuṇo mitra āsīd agnir hotā hastagṛhyā nināya ||2||
King Soma first gave (pra-yam) back the Brahman's wife, not bearing enmity; he who went after [her] was Varuṇa, Mitra; Agni, invoker, conducted [her] hither, seizing her hand.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
हस्तेनैव ग्राह्य आधिर् अस्या ब्रह्मजायेति चेद् अवोचत् । न दूताय प्रहेया तस्थ एषा तथा राष्ट्रं गुपितं क्षत्रियस्य ॥३॥
hastenaiva grāhya ādhir asyā brahmajāyeti ced avocat | na dūtāya praheyā tastha eṣā tathā rāṣṭraṃ gupitaṃ kṣatriyasya ||3||
To be seized by the hand indeed is the pledge (? ādhí) of her, if one has said "[she is] the Brahman's wife"; she stood not to be sent forth for a messenger: so is made safe (gupitá) the kingdom of the Kshatriya.}}
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
याम् आहुस् तारकैषा विकेशीति दुछुनां ग्रामम् अवपद्यमानाम् । सा ब्रह्मजाया वि दुनोति राष्ट्रं यत्र प्रापादि शश उल्कुषीमान् ॥४॥
yām āhus tārakaiṣā vikeśīti duchunāṃ grāmam avapadyamānām | sā brahmajāyā vi dunoti rāṣṭraṃ yatra prāpādi śaśa ulkuṣīmān ||4||
The misfortune, descending (ava-pad) upon the village, of which they say "this is a star with disheveled hair"—as such, the Brahman's wife burns up the kingdom, where hath gone forth a hare (? çaçá) accompanied with meteors (ulkuṣī́ -).
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
ब्रह्मचारी चरति वेविषद् विषः स देवानां भवत्य् एकम् अङ्गम् । तेन जायाम् अन्व् अविन्दद् बृहस्पतिः सोमेन नीतां जुह्वं न देवाः ॥५॥
brahmacārī carati veviṣad viṣaḥ sa devānāṃ bhavaty ekam aṅgam | tena jāyām anv avindad bṛhaspatiḥ somena nītāṃ juhvaṃ na devāḥ ||5||
The Vedic student (brahmacārin) goes about serving (viṣ) much service; he becomes one limb of the gods; by him Brihaspati discovered the wife, conducted by Soma, like the sacrificial spoon, O gods.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
देवा वा एतस्याम् अवदन्त पूर्वे सप्तऋषयस् तपसा ये निषेदुः । भीमा जाया ब्राह्मणस्यापनीता दुर्धां दधाति परमे व्योमन् ॥६॥
devā vā etasyām avadanta pūrve saptaṛṣayas tapasā ye niṣeduḥ | bhīmā jāyā brāhmaṇasyāpanītā durdhāṃ dadhāti parame vyoman ||6||
The gods of old verily spoke about her, the seven seers who sat down with penance (tápas); fearful [is] the wife of the Brahman when led away; she makes (dhā) discomfort (durdhā́) in the highest firmament (vyòman).
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
ये गर्भा अवपद्यन्ते जगद् यच् चापलुप्यते । वीरा ये तृह्यन्ते मिथो ब्रह्मजाया हिनस्ति तान् ॥७॥
ye garbhā avapadyante jagad yac cāpalupyate | vīrā ye tṛhyante mitho brahmajāyā hinasti tān ||7||
What embryos are aborted (ava-pad), what living creatures (jágat) are torn away (apa-lup), what heroes are mutually shattered—them the Brahman's wife injures.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
उत यत् पतयो दश स्त्रियाः पूर्वे अब्राह्मणाः । ब्रह्मा चेद् धस्तम् अग्रहीत् स एव पतिर् एकधा ॥८॥
uta yat patayo daśa striyāḥ pūrve abrāhmaṇāḥ | brahmā ced dhastam agrahīt sa eva patir ekadhā ||8||
And if [there were] ten former husbands of a woman, not Brahmans—provided a Brahman has seized her hand, he is alone her husband.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
ब्राह्मण एव पतिर् न राजन्यो न वैश्यः । तत् सूर्यः प्रब्रुवन्न् एति पञ्चभ्यो मानवेभ्यः ॥९॥
brāhmaṇa eva patir na rājanyo na vaiśyaḥ | tat sūryaḥ prabruvann eti pañcabhyo mānavebhyaḥ ||9||
A Brahman [is] indeed her husband, not a noble (rājanyà), not a Vāiçya: this the sun goes proclaiming to the five races of men (mānavá).
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
पुनर् वै देवा अददुः पुनर् मनुष्या अददुः । राजानः सत्यं गृह्णाना ब्रह्मजायां पुनर् ददुः ॥१०॥
punar vai devā adaduḥ punar manuṣyā adaduḥ | rājānaḥ satyaṃ gṛhṇānā brahmajāyāṃ punar daduḥ ||10||
The gods verily gave back; men (manuṣyà) gave back; kings, apprehending (grah) truth, gave back the Brahman's wife.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
पुनर्दाय ब्रह्मजायां कृत्वा देवैर् निकिल्बिषम् । ऊर्जं पृथिव्या भक्त्वोरुगायम् उपासते ॥११॥
punardāya brahmajāyāṃ kṛtvā devair nikilbiṣam | ūrjaṃ pṛthivyā bhaktvorugāyam upāsate ||11||
Having given back the Brahman's wife, having brought about (kṛ) freedom of offense with the gods, sharing (bhaj) the refreshment (ū́rj) of the earth, they occupy (upa-ās) broad space (urugyá).
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
नास्य जाया शतवाही कल्याणी तल्पम् आ शये । यस्मिन् राष्ट्रे निरुध्यते ब्रह्मजायाचित्त्या ॥१२॥
nāsya jāyā śatavāhī kalyāṇī talpam ā śaye | yasmin rāṣṭre nirudhyate brahmajāyācittyā ||12||
Not on his couch lies a beautiful hundred-bringing (-vāhī́) wife, in whose kingdom the Brahman's wife is obstructed through ignorance.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
न विकर्णः पृथुशिरास् तस्मिन् वेश्मनि जायते । यस्मिन् राष्ट्रे निरुध्यते ब्रह्मजायाचित्त्या ॥१३॥
na vikarṇaḥ pṛthuśirās tasmin veśmani jāyate | yasmin rāṣṭre nirudhyate brahmajāyācittyā ||13||
A wide-eared, broad-headed [ox?] is not born in that dwelling, in whose etc. etc.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
नास्य क्षत्ता निष्कग्रीवः सूनानाम् एत्य् अग्रतः । यस्मिन् राष्ट्रे निरुध्यते ब्रह्मजायाचित्त्या ॥१४॥
nāsya kṣattā niṣkagrīvaḥ sūnānām ety agrataḥ | yasmin rāṣṭre nirudhyate brahmajāyācittyā ||14||
A distributer (kṣattár) with necklaced neck goes not at the head of his crates (? sūnā́) [of food], in whose etc. etc.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
नास्य श्वेतः कृष्णकर्णो धुरि युक्तो महीयते । यस्मिन् राष्ट्रे निरुध्यते ब्रह्मजायाचित्त्या ॥१५॥
nāsya śvetaḥ kṛṣṇakarṇo dhuri yukto mahīyate | yasmin rāṣṭre nirudhyate brahmajāyācittyā ||15||
A white, black-eared [horse] does not make a show (mahīy), harnessed to his [chariot-] pole, in whose etc. etc.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
नास्य क्षेत्रे पुष्करिणी नाण्डीकं जायते बिसम् । यस्मिन् राष्ट्रे निरुध्यते ब्रह्मजायाचित्त्या ॥१६॥
nāsya kṣetre puṣkariṇī nāṇḍīkaṃ jāyate bisam | yasmin rāṣṭre nirudhyate brahmajāyācittyā ||16||
Not in his field [is] a lotus-pond, the bulb (? bísa) of the bulb-bearing lotus is not produced (jan), in whose etc. etc.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
नास्मै पृश्निं वि दुहन्ति ये ऽस्या दोहम् उपासते । यस्मिन् राष्ट्रे निरुध्यते ब्रह्मजायाचित्त्या ॥१७॥
nāsmai pṛśniṃ vi duhanti ye 'syā doham upāsate | yasmin rāṣṭre nirudhyate brahmajāyācittyā ||17||
Not for him do they who attend to (upa-ās) her milking milk out the spotted [cow], in whose etc. etc.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
नास्य धेनुः कल्याणी नानड्वान्त् सहते धुरम् । विजानिर् यत्र ब्रह्मणो रात्रिं वसति पापया ॥१८॥
nāsya dhenuḥ kalyāṇī nānaḍvānt sahate dhuram | vijānir yatra brahmaṇo rātriṃ vasati pāpayā ||18||
Not his [is] a beautiful milch-cow, [his] draft-ox endures not the pole, where a Brahman stays a night miserably (pāpáyā) without a wife (-jāni).
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)