# Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book V/Hymn 7

7. Against niggardliness and its effects.
[Atharvan (?).—daçakam. bahudevatyam (1-3, 6-10. arātīyās; 4, 5. sārasvatyāu). ānuṣṭubham: 1. virāḍgarbhā prastārapan̄kti; 4. pathyābṛhatī; 6. prastārapan̄kti.]
Not found in Pāipp. Used by Kāuç. in the nirṛtikarman (18. 14), with an offering of rice-grains; and, with iii. 20 and vii. 1, in a rite for good-fortune (41. 8); while the schol. also adds it to vi. 7 (46. 4, note), in removing obstacles to sacrifice; of separate verses, vs. 5 (schol., vss. 5-10) appears, with vii. 57, in a ceremony (46. 6) for the success of requests. Vāit. has the hymn (or vs. 1) in the agnicayana (28. 19), with the vanivāhana rite; further, vs. 6 in the parvan sacrifices (3. 2), with an oblation to Indra and Agni; and vs. 7 at the agniṣṭoma (12. 10) in expiation of a forbidden utterance. The hymn in general seems to be a euphemistic offering of reverence to the spirit of avarice or stinginess.
Translated: Ludwig, p. 305; Grill, 39, 145; Griffith, i. 198; Bloomfield, 172, 423; Weber, xviii. 190.
1. Bring to us, stand not about, O niggard; do not prevent (? rakṣ) our sacrificial gift as led [away]; homage be to baffling (vīrtsā́), to ill-success; homage be to the niggard.
P.M.W. omit mā́ in a. One sees, without approving, the ground of the metrical definition of the Anukr.
2. What wheedling (? parirāpín) man thou puttest forward, O niggard, to him of thine we pay homage: do not thou disturb my winning (vaní).
The third pāda can be read as full only by violence. ⌊See Gram. §1048.⌋
3. Let our god-made winning progress (pra-kḷp) by day and by night; we go forth after the niggard; homage be to the niggard.
Bp.$^2$ reads vas for nas in a; in c Bp.$^2$P.M.K. read arātím, and H.E.I. árātim; our text should doubtless have adopted árātim. The third pāda is redundant by a syllable.
​ 4. Sarasvatī, Anumati, Bhaga, we going call on; pleasant (juṣṭá) honeyed speech have I spoken in the god-invocations of the gods.
5. Whomever I solicit (yāc) with speech, with Sarasvatī, mind-yoked, him may faith find today, given by the brown soma.
'Faith given,' i.e. 'confidence awakened.' With b compare 10.8, below. ⌊See Bloomfield, AJP. xvii. 412; Oldenberg, ZDMG. l. 448.⌋
6. Do not thou baffle our winning nor speech. Let Indra and Agni both bring good things to us. De ye all, willing today to give to us, welcome the niggard.
That is, probably (if the reading is correct), give a pleasant reception that may win favor. The mss. vary between vī̀rtsīs and vī́r-; theoretically, the former is decidedly to be preferred, for, if í + i make ī̀, then a fortiori i + í: see note to Prāt. iii. 56. In c, H.E.O.K. read ṇo after sárve. The first half-verse is very irregular.
7. Go thou far away, O ill-success; we conduct away thy missile; I know thee, O niggard, as one putting (? mīv) down, thrusting down.
The fourth pāda lacks a syllable.
8. Likewise, greatly making thyself naked, thou fastenest on (sac) a person in dreams, O niggard, baffling the plan and design of a man (púruṣa).
It seems as if nagnā bobhuvatī were the equivalent of mahānagnī bhavantī 'becoming a wanton,' the intensive element being shifted from the adjective to the verb. The pada-text reads svapna-yā́, by Prāt. iv. 30.
9. She that, being great, of great height (-unmāna), permeated all regions—to her, the golden-haired, to perdition have I paid homage.
10. Gold-colored, fortunate, gold-cushioned, great—to her, the golden-mantled, to the niggard have I paid homage.
The tenth prapāṭhaka, the first of the three very unequal ones into which this book is divided, ends here.