# Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book IX/Hymn 1

1. To the honey-whip etc.
⌊Partly prose—14 a and 21 to the end.⌋ Found also ⌊with vs. 3 before 2, vs. 7 before 6, and vs. 18 before 16⌋ in Pāipp. xvi.; ⌊but according to a note in W's Collation-book, vss. 1-24 occur in Pāipp. at folios 226 a, 108 a, 69 b, i.e. in several different ​kāṇḍas!⌋. The hymn is called the madhusūkta 'honey-hymn' in Vāit. 16. 12, and is prescribed to be recited to accompany the mixing of soma with milk in a part of the agniṣṭoma ceremony. It is reckoned to the varcasya gaṇa (see note to Kāuç. 12. 10); and (always in company with iii. 16; vi. 69) is directed in Kāuç. 10. 24*; 12. 15; 13. 6 to be recited in various ceremonies. ⌊See also notes to vss. 13, 18.⌋ *⌊vi. 125. 2 and ix. 1. 1 and xix. 3. 1 have the same pratīka (divaspṛthivyās). SPP. understands the comm. at iii. 16 and at vi. 69 as intending ix. 1 by divaspṛthivyās⌋ but the comm. at xix. 3 understands xix. 3 as intended (cf. Whitney's introduction to xix. 3).—The "honeyed whip," mádhumatī káçā, of the Açvins is mentioned in the RV. (i. 22. 3; 157. 4). Oldenberg, Rel. des Veda, p. 209, thinks it refers to the morning dew. Cf. Macdonell, Ved. Mythol., p. 49, 54.⌋
1. Verily from sky, from earth, from atmosphere, from ocean, from fire, from wind was born the honey-whip; noting (cāy) it, [as] putting on immortality, all creatures (prajā́) rejoice to meet it with their hearts.
The irregularities of meter in a and c may be rectified ⌊very unsatisfactorily⌋ by combining pṛthivyā́ ’nt- (as Ppp. actually reads) and resolving cāyitu-ā́. Divás p- is prescribed by Prāt. ii. 68.
2. Great, all-formed [is] the milk of it; also they call thee the seed of ocean; whence the granting honey-whip cometh, thither breath, thither immortality (amṛ́ta) hath entered in.
Ppp. puts payas in a after viçvarūpam ⌊and combines payo ‘syās⌋ and puts tvā in b after uta; and it reads at the end diviṣṭaṁ. It also gives the verse after our vs. 3. The metrical definition of the Anukr. is wrong, since a fair triṣṭubh is restorable by a little resolution (viçu-a, pṛ-āṇas).
3. Men, manifoldly meditating (mimāṅs-) severally see its movement (caritá) on the earth; verily from fire, from wind was born the honey-whip, the formidable daughter (naptí) of the Maruts.
Pāda c is identical with 1 b, pādas c, d with 10 c, d. Ppp. reads at end of a pṛthivyāṣ; at end of d, ugrā anapatiḥ (also in vs. 10).
4. Mother of the Ādityas, daughter of the Vasus, breath of creatures (prajā́), navel of immortality (amṛ́ta), gold-colored, dripping with ghee (ghṛtā́cī), the honey-whip moves among mortals [as] a great brightness (bhárga).
Bp.p.m., Bp.$^2$T. read gárbhas in d, and our edition follows them, doubtless erroneously. ⌊All of SPP's authorities give bhárgas.⌋ With a, b compare RV. viii. 101 (90). 15 a, b ⌊and MB. ii. 8. 15 a, b⌋. The Anukr. does not heed the redundant syllable in c. ⌊Correct gárbhaç to bhárgaç.⌋
5. The gods generated the whip of honey; of it there came to be an all-formed embryo; this, when born [and] tender, its mother fills; it, [when] born, looks abroad on all existences.
Ppp. has at the end bhuvanā ’bhi vaste.
​6. Who knows (pra-vid) that, who understands (cit) that which [is] the unexhausted soma-holding vessel of the heart of it? The priest (brahmán) of excellent wisdom—he may revel in it.
'Of it' (b) is fem., and so relates to the 'honey-whip'; 'in it,' at the end, relates to the 'vessel.' Akṣitas (Ppp. akṣatas) at the end of b is plainly an intrusive addition to the pāda; the Anukr., wrongly reckoning the initial a of asyās as unelided, counts 15 syllables in the pāda, and calls both this and the next verse by the unusual and indefinite name mahābṛhatī.
7. He knows those two, he understands them that [are] its two unexhausted, thousand-streaming breasts; they milk out refreshment (ū́rj), unresisting.
'Its,' i.e. of the 'honey-whip.' Ppp. reads again akṣatāu in b, and it puts this verse before our vs. 6.
8. She that, crying much, great, vigor-bestowing, loud-noised, goes unto her course (? vratá), bellowing at three gharmás—she lows a lowing, she abounds (pī) with milk (páyas).
'Crying loudly,' lit. 'making to excess the sound hing'; 'abounds with milk,' perhaps rather 'gives milk in streams.' The verse is very obscure; it is in part identical with 10. 6 below (= RV. i. 164. 28). Its irregular meter (11 + 10 [11?]: 9 + 11 = 41 syllables) is very ill defined by the Anukr. ⌊which seems to scan as 11 + 9: 9 + 11⌋.
9. Whom, when fattened, the waters wait upon, the mighty (çākvará) bulls that are self-ruling, they rain, they cause to rain, for him who knows this, his desire, refreshment, waters.
'Whom' is fem.; 'they' (c) is masc, = the bulls. Parts of this verse and the following one are lost in Ppp. The Anukr. ⌊seems to scan as 11 + 11: 9 + 9⌋.
10. Thunder [is] thy voice, O Prajāpati; a bull, thou castest (kṣip) vehemence (? çúṣma) over the earth; verily from fire, from wind was born the honey-whip, the formidable daughter of the Maruts.
The latter half-verse we had above, as 3 c, d; the former half-verse is repeated below, as 20 a, b ⌊with diví for ádhi at the end⌋. ⌊Bloomfield thinks çuṣma is 'lightning': ZDMG. xlviii. 566.⌋ O. reads at the beginning stanayitnúṣ ṭe. The metrical description of the Anukr. means only that the syllables are 40 in all (10 + 12: 11 + 7), and that one pāda contains seven.
11. As at the early pressing soma is loved (priyá) of the Açvins, so, O Açvins, let splendor be maintained in my self.
12. As at the second pressing soma is loved of Indra-and-Agni, so, O Indra-and-Agni, let splendor be maintained in my self.
13. As at the third pressing soma is loved of the Ṛibhus, so, O Ṛibhus, let splendor be maintained in my self.
14. May I generate honey; may I win honey; rich in milk, O Agni, have I come; unite me here with splendor.
The second part of the verse we have had above as vii. 89. 1 c, d. The edition reads, with all the mss., vaṅçiṣīya, but it should be emended to vaṅsiṣīya (root van); cf. the similar misreading at xvi. 9. 4. Ppp. reads madhu janiṣī manu mambikīyah; and it combines agnā "gamaṁ. By reckoning the first part of the passage as metrical (which it is not) the Anukr. counts out a good purauṣṇih.
15. Unite me, O Agni, with splendor, with progeny, with life-time; may the gods know me as such; may Indra know, together with the seers.
We had the verse above, as vii. 89. 2.
16. As the honey-makers bring together honey upon honey, so, O Açvins, let splendor be maintained in my self.
Ppp. reads, for the second half-verse, evā me 'çvinā balam ojaç ca dhriyatām: cf. our 17 c, d. The line is, like the corresponding parts of 11-13, not metrical as it stands.
17. As the flies (mákṣā) smear down here honey upon honey, so, O Açvins, let my splendor, brilliancy, strength, and force be maintained.
In a, delete the superfluous accent-mark under dhu. Ppp. has quite another version of a, b: yathā makṣā mayuntyujaṁ dakṣiṇām adhi: and it omits balam ojas in d. The omission of any one of the three nouns in our d would rectify the meter.
18. What honey on hills (girí), on mountains, what in kine, in horses, in strong drink (súrā) as poured out, what honey [is] there, [be] that in me.
With this verse and the next are to be compared vi. 69. 1, 2 ⌊where the use by Vāit. is given⌋. Ppp. has only yadi giriṣyavipāṁ citviṣī in place of this verse, and puts it before our 16.
19. O ye Açvins, lords of beauty! anoint me with the honey of bees (sāraghá), that I may speak splendid words among the people.
This verse differs only by one word from vi. 69. 2.
20. Thunder [is] thy voice, O Prajāpati; a bull, thou castest vehemence on the earth, on the sky; upon that live all cattle; with this it lavishes (pṛ) food (íṣ) [and] refreshment.
21. Earth [is] the staff, atmosphere the embryo, sky the whip, lightning the snapper (? prakaçá), of gold the globule (bindú).
The Pet. Lex. conjectures "Peitschenriemen" for prakaçá. Ppp. leaves the initial of antarikṣam unelided, and for prakaças has prakāçā madhokaçā ci ghṛtācī.
22. He who knows the seven honeys of the whip becomes rich in honey: the Brahman, and the king, and the milch-cow, and the draft-ox, and rice, and barley; honey the seventh.
One does not see why the Anukr. calls the passage brāhmī purauṣṇih ⌊that is $^6$⁄$_4$ of 12: 8 + 8 = 18: 12 + 12 = 42⌋ rather than simply brāhmī uṣṇih ⌊$^6$⁄$_4$ of 8 + 8: 12 = 12 + 12: 18 = 42⌋; it is the only example of either name in the treatise. ⌊The not very sufficient reason for the preference would seem to be the position of the avasāna, which divides the "vs." as 18:24 and not as 24: 18.⌋ ⌊Ppp. has in a madhukaçāyās for kaç- and sapta madhumatīm for madhumān bhavati; then follows madhumato lokāṅ jayati (cf. vs. 23).⌋
23. Rich in honey he becomes; rich in honey becomes his provision (āhāryà); worlds rich in honey he conquers, who knows thus.
24. When it thunders in a clear sky, that is Prajāpati himself becoming manifest to his creatures; therefore I stand with the sacred cord over the right shoulder, saying: O Prajāpati, take notice (anu-budh) of me: creatures [take notice], Prajāpati takes notice of him who knows thus.
In order to make an aṣṭi (64 syll.) of this piece of prose, we have to restore ánu and separate íti in d, and to resolve ánu enam in e; and to make six pādas the last line has to be violently divided; the pada-text intimates a division after the second ánu. ⌊Ppp. in a-b has a tat also before prajāpatis and in e it reads prajā budhyante for prajāp- budhyate.⌋
⌊The hymn begins with divás and the quoted Anukr. says "divaç" ca catur-uttarāḥ (referring to a plus of 4 over the normal 20).⌋