Library·Atharvaveda Saṃhitā (Śaunaka)·5·5.18
नैतां ते देवा अददुस् तुभ्यं नृपते अत्तवे । मा ब्राह्मणस्य राजन्य गां जिघत्सो अनाद्याम् ॥१॥
naitāṃ te devā adadus tubhyaṃ nṛpate attave | mā brāhmaṇasya rājanya gāṃ jighatso anādyām ||1||
Her the gods did not give thee for thee to eat, O lord of men (nṛpáti); do not thou, O noble, desire to devour (ghas) the cow of the Brahman, that is not to be eaten.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
अक्षद्रुग्धो राजन्यः पाप आत्मपराजितः । स ब्राह्मणस्य गाम् अद्याद् अद्य जीवानि मा श्वः ॥२॥
akṣadrugdho rājanyaḥ pāpa ātmaparājitaḥ | sa brāhmaṇasya gām adyād adya jīvāni mā śvaḥ ||2||
A noble hated of the dice, evil, self-ruined (-párājita)—he may eat the cow of the Brahman: "let me live today, not tomorrow."
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
आविष्टिताघविषा पृदाकूर् इव चर्मणा । सा ब्राह्मणस्य राजन्य तृष्टैषा गौर् अनाद्या ॥३॥
āviṣṭitāghaviṣā pṛdākūr iva carmaṇā | sā brāhmaṇasya rājanya tṛṣṭaiṣā gaur anādyā ||3||
Like an ill-poisonous adder enveloped with [cow-] hide, this cow of the Brahman, O noble, is harsh, not to be eaten.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
निर् वै क्षत्रं नयति हन्ति वर्चो ऽग्निर् इवारब्धो वि दुनोति सर्वम् । यो ब्राह्मणं मन्यते अन्नम् एव स विषस्य पिबति तैमातस्य ॥४॥
nir vai kṣatraṃ nayati hanti varco 'gnir ivārabdho vi dunoti sarvam | yo brāhmaṇaṃ manyate annam eva sa viṣasya pibati taimātasya ||4||
Verily it conducts away his authority, smites his splendor; like fire taken hold of it burns up all; he who thinks the Brahman to be food, he drinks of Timātan poison.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
य एनं हन्ति मृदुं मन्यमानो देवपीयुर् धनकामो न चित्तात् । सं तस्येन्द्रो हृदये ऽग्निम् इन्धे उभे एनं द्विष्टो नभसी चरन्तम् ॥५॥
ya enaṃ hanti mṛduṃ manyamāno devapīyur dhanakāmo na cittāt | saṃ tasyendro hṛdaye 'gnim indhe ubhe enaṃ dviṣṭo nabhasī carantam ||5||
Whatever insulter of the gods, desirous of riches, not from knowledge, slays him, thinking him gentle, in his heart Indra kindles a fire; both the firmaments (nábhas) hate him as he goes about.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
न ब्राह्मणो हिंसितव्यो ऽग्निः प्रियतनोर् इव । सोमो ह्य् अस्य दायाद इन्द्रो अस्याभिशस्तिपाः ॥६॥
na brāhmaṇo hiṃsitavyo 'gniḥ priyatanor iva | somo hy asya dāyāda indro asyābhiśastipāḥ ||6||
The Brahman is not to be injured, like fire, by one who holds himself dear; for Soma is his heir, Indra his protector against imprecation.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
शतापाष्ठां नि गिरति तां न शक्नोति निःखिदम् । अन्नं यो ब्रह्मणाम् मल्वः स्वाद्व् अद्मीति मन्यते ॥७॥
śatāpāṣṭhāṃ ni girati tāṃ na śaknoti niḥkhidam | annaṃ yo brahmaṇām malvaḥ svādv admīti manyate ||7||
He swallows down what (f.) has a hundred barbs; he is not able to tear it out—the fool who thinks of the food of Brahmans "I am eating what is sweet."
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
जिह्वा ज्या भवति कुल्मलं वाङ् नाडीका दन्तास् तपसाभिदिग्धाः । तेभिर् ब्रह्मा विध्यति देवपीयून् हृद्बलैर् धनुर्भिर् देवजूतैः ॥८॥
jihvā jyā bhavati kulmalaṃ vāṅ nāḍīkā dantās tapasābhidigdhāḥ | tebhir brahmā vidhyati devapīyūn hṛdbalair dhanurbhir devajūtaiḥ ||8||
His tongue becomes a bow-string, his voice an [arrow-] neck, his teeth [become] shafts (nāḍīkā́) smeared with penance; with these the Brahman (brahmán) pierces the insulters of the gods, with bows having force from the heart [and] speeded by the gods.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
तीक्ष्णेषवो ब्राह्मणा हेतिमन्तो याम् अस्यन्ति शरव्यां न सा मृषा । अनुहाय तपसा मन्युना चोत दुराद् अव भिन्दन्त्य् एनम् ॥९॥
tīkṣṇeṣavo brāhmaṇā hetimanto yām asyanti śaravyāṃ na sā mṛṣā | anuhāya tapasā manyunā cota durād ava bhindanty enam ||9||
The Brahmans have sharp arrows, have missiles; what volley (çaravyā̀) they hurl, it is not in vain; pursuing (anu-hā) with fervor and with fury, they split him down even from afar.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
ये सहस्रम् अराजन्न् आसन् दशशता उत । ते ब्राह्मणस्य गां जग्ध्वा वैतहव्याः पराभवन् ॥१०॥
ye sahasram arājann āsan daśaśatā uta | te brāhmaṇasya gāṃ jagdhvā vaitahavyāḥ parābhavan ||10||
They that ruled, a thousand, and were ten hundreds, those Vāitahavyas, having devoured the cow of the Brahman, perished (parā-bhū).
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
गौर् एव तान् हन्यमाना वैतहव्यां अवातिरत् । ये केसरप्राबन्धायाश् चरमाजाम् अपेचिरन् ॥११॥
gaur eva tān hanyamānā vaitahavyāṃ avātirat | ye kesaraprābandhāyāś caramājām apeciran ||11||
The cow herself, being slain, pulled down those Vāitahavyas, who cooked the last she-goat of Kesaraprābandhā (?).
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
एकशतं ता जनता या भूमिर् व्यधूनुत । प्रजां हिंसित्वा ब्राह्मणीम् असंभव्यं पराभवन् ॥१२॥
ekaśataṃ tā janatā yā bhūmir vyadhūnuta | prajāṃ hiṃsitvā brāhmaṇīm asaṃbhavyaṃ parābhavan ||12||
Those hundred and one fellows (? janátā) whom the earth shook off, having injured the progeny of the Brahmans, perished irretrievably.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
देवपीयुश् चरति मर्त्येषु गरगीर्णो भवत्य् अस्थिभूयान् । यो ब्राह्मणं देवबन्धुं हिनस्ति न स पितृयाणम् अप्य् एति लोकम् ॥१३॥
devapīyuś carati martyeṣu garagīrṇo bhavaty asthibhūyān | yo brāhmaṇaṃ devabandhuṃ hinasti na sa pitṛyāṇam apy eti lokam ||13||
The insulter of the gods goes about among mortals; he becomes one who has swallowed poison, [becomes] mainly composed of bones; he who injures the Brahman, the connection of the gods, he goes not to the world to which the Fathers go.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
अग्निर् वै नः पदवायः सोमो दायाद उच्यते । हन्ताभिशस्तेन्द्रस् तथा तद् वेधसो विदुः ॥१४॥
agnir vai naḥ padavāyaḥ somo dāyāda ucyate | hantābhiśastendras tathā tad vedhaso viduḥ ||14||
Agni verily our guide. Soma is called [our] heir, Indra slayer of imprecation (?): so know the devout that.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)
इषुर् इव दिग्धा नृपते पृदाकूर् इव गोपते । सा ब्राह्मणस्येषुर् घोरा तया विध्यति पीयतः ॥१५॥
iṣur iva digdhā nṛpate pṛdākūr iva gopate | sā brāhmaṇasyeṣur ghorā tayā vidhyati pīyataḥ ||15||
Like an arrow smeared [with poison], O lord of men, like an adder, O lord of cattle—that arrow of the Brahman is terrible; with it he pierces the insulting.
Translated by William Dwight Whitney (1905)