# Atharva-Veda Samhita/Book XIX/Hymn 52

52. Of and to desire (kā́ma).
[Brahman.—pañcakam. mantroktakāmadāivatam. trāiṣṭubham. 3. 4-p. uṣṇih; 5. upariṣṭādbṛhatī.]
Found also in Pāipp. i. Used* in Kāuç. 6. 37, with xix. 59, at the very end of the sections on the parvan-ceremony (hence perhaps a later addition?), to appease the fuel, in case there has been an omission of the due ceremony; again, in 45. 17 (with iii. 29. 7; vi. 71; vii. 67), after the end of the vaçācamana ceremony (also here a later addition?), to accompany the acceptance of something; once more, in 68. 29, in the savayajñas, with the acceptance of the sacrificial gifts (? sadakṣiṇam) and the Paddhati (note to ​Kāuç. 79. 28) adds it at the end of the chapter of marriage ceremonies. The comm. notes the Kāuç. uses, but not the Paddh. one; and he adds one application, from Pariç. 10. 1, of this hymn with the two following and xix. 6 (the puruṣasūkta), in the rite of presenting a golden image of the earth. *⌊See table on p. 896.⌋
1. Desire here came into being (sam-vṛt) in the beginning, which was the first seed of mind; O desire, being of one origin with great desire, do thou impart abundance of wealth to the sacrificer.
The first half-verse is nearly identical with RV. x. 129. 4 a, b ⌊TB. ii. 4. 1$^1$; 8. 9$^4$; TA. i. 23. 1⌋, which differ only by adding ádhi at end of a; the word is missed in our verse both for sense and for meter. Our text omits* at beginning of c a sá (sá kāma) that is in both these respects superfluous; it is found, however, also in Ppp. The comm. explains kā́mena bṛhatā́ to mean mahatā deçakālavastuparicchedarahitena kāmayitrā parameçvareṇa. The last pāda is xviii. 1. 43 d. *⌊And so accents kā́ma.⌋
2. Thou, O desire, art set firm with power, mighty, shining (vibhā́van), companion for him who seeks a companion; do thou, formidable, overpowering in fights, impart power [and] force to the sacrificer.
The second pāda nearly corresponds with RV. x. 91. 1 d, which, however, reads suṣákha sakhīyaté. The authorities give sakha ā́ sakhīyaté (or -te); and the pada-mss. make the very blundering division vi॰bhā́u: ā॰sakhe: ā́: sakh-. ⌊The comm. understands sakhīyate (not as dative pple, but) as finite verb-form (3d sing., which would have to be accentless: he says bhavacchabdādhyāhāreṇa prathamapuruṣaḥ. SPP. follows the comm. in reading vibhā́vā sakha ā́ ⌊SPP's pada-text is vibhā́॰vā: sakhe: ā́⌋; but he disagrees with the comm. by ⌊making a participle of⌋ sakhīyaté, which he accents. The translation implies sákhā, i.e. sákhā ā́. ⌊We have ā́ with the denominative çravasyāt at RV. v. 37. 3; but with the pple, ā́ seems very strange; nor do I see how W. meant to take it. One is tempted to fall back on the RV. reading suṣákhā; the more so, inasmuch as⌋ Ppp. presents the RV. reading suṣakhā. In d, Ppp. has soho ’jo yaj-.
3. To him that desired from afar, that trembled on at the inexhaustible—the places (ā́çā) listen to him; by desire they generated heaven.
It is of no consequence how this verse, especially the first half, is rendered; it is nothing but corrupt nonsense. The degree of its corruption may be seen by comparing it with the corresponding verse in TA. iii. 15. 1: sadyáç cakamānā́ya pravepanā́ya ⌊Poona ed., -vepān-⌋ mṛtyáve: prā́ ’smā ā́çā açṛṇvan kā́menā ’janayan púnaḥ; neither version is translatable. The majority of authorities read in b pravipāṇā́yākṣayé ⌊or -ā́kṣaye⌋ (the pada-readings are, for the first part, pravi॰pānā́ya, and, for the second, ā॰kṣayé or ā́॰kṣaye or ā॰kṣaye); but some have pratipāṇā́ya ⌊the lingual ṇ of which seems to betray the ti as a corruption for vi⌋ and prāripāṇā́ya. The comm. understands pratipāṇāya and akṣaye, and SPP. follows him, accenting pratipāṇā́ya and ákṣaye, and reading in pada-text prati॰pāṇā́ya (as if that would or could become in saṁhitā-text -pāṇ-!); with his usual carelessness, the comm. takes -pāṇāya, in spite of its ṇ, from root pā (= sarvatorakṣanāyā ’bhimataphalaprāpaṇāya: the latter equivalent looks as if he also saw something of pra-āp in it!). Ppp. has in b pratipāṇāyākṣe, in c āsmā ’çṛṇvann, and in d -janayat saha. The translation implies in b pravipāṇā́yā́ ’kṣaye. The Anukr. apparently scans the verse as 7 + 7: 7 + 7 = 28.
​4. By desire hath desire come to me, out of heart to heart; the mind that is theirs yonder, let that come unto me here.
In TA. (iii. 15. 2) a corresponding verse follows the one quoted under vs. 3: kā́mena me kā́ma ā́ ’gād dhṛ́dayād dhṛ́dayam mṛtyóḥ: yád amī́ṣām adáḥ priyáṁ tád āí ’tū́ ’pa mā́m abhí. SPP. has the same text as we, both deviating in d from the mss., which leave upa unaccented (p. upa॰mā́m); ⌊but SPP's R. has úpa mā́m and the comm. also takes upa mām as two words⌋. Ppp. combines kāmā ”gan in a.
5. Desiring what, O desire, we make to thee this oblation, let that all succeed with us; then eat (vī) thou of this oblation: hail!
The verse is found, ⌊cited by pratīka at Kāuç. 92. 30, and⌋ written in full ⌊sakalapāṭha⌋ at 92. 31, prescribed for use at the end of the madhuparka ceremony.* SPP. gives the same text as we; the mss. leave kṛṇmási unaccented in b, and most of them accent té after it. At the beginning, all the pada-mss. ⌊except possibly L., of which no note is made⌋ very strangely read yát॰kāmaḥ, though no saṁhitā-mss. have kāmaḥ; ⌊with the support of the latter, as also of the comm. and of Ppp., both ed's read yát kāma⌋. *⌊See p. 897, ¶3.⌋