Atharva Veda
Mystic: especially on the constitution of man
yan manyur jāyām āvahat saṃkalpasya gṛhād adhi ka āsaṃ janyāḥ ke varāḥ ka u jyeṣṭhavaro 'bhavat
Mystic: especially on the constitution of man
When fury (manyú) brought his wife away from the house of contrivance (saṁkalpá), who were the groomsmen (jánya)? who the wooers (vará)? who also was chief wooer?
tapaś caivāstāṃ karma cāntar mahaty arṇave ta āsaṃ janyās te varā brahma jyeṣṭhavaro 'bhavat
Penance and also action were within the great sea (arṇavá); those were the groomsmen, those the wooers; the bráhman was chief wooer.
daśa sākam ajāyanta devā devebhyaḥ purā
Ten gods were born together from gods of old; whoever may know them plainly, he verily may talk big to-day.
This verse is not included in this edition.
Breath-and-expiration, sight, hearing, indestructibleness and destruction, out-breathing and up-breathing, speech, mind—they verily brought design (ā́kūti).
ajātā āsann ṛtavo 'tho dhātā bṛhaspatiḥ indrāgnī aśvinā tarhi kaṃ te jyeṣṭham upāsata
Unborn were the seasons, likewise Dhātar, Brihaspati, Indra-andAgni, the two Açvins, at that time: whom did they worship (upa-ās) [as] chief?
tapaś caivāstāṃ karma cāntar mahaty arṇave tapo ha jajñe karmaṇas tat te jyeṣṭham upāsata
Both penance, namely, and action were within the great sea; penance was born from action; that did they worship as chief.
yeta āsīd bhūmiḥ pūrvā yām addhātaya id viduḥ yo vai tāṃ vidyān nāmathā sa manyeta purāṇavit
The earth that was previous to this one (itás), which the sages (addhātí) indeed knew—whoever may know that by name, he may think himself knowing in ancient things.
kuta indraḥ kutaḥ somaḥ kuto agnir ajāyata kutas tvaṣṭā samabhavat kuto dhātājāyata
Whence was Indra, whence Soma, whence Agni born? whence did Tvashṭar come into being? whence was Dhātar born?
indrād indraḥ somāt somo agner agnir ajāyata tvaṣṭā ha jajñe tvaṣṭur dhātur dhātājāyata
From Indra Indra, from Soma Soma, from Agni Agni was born; Tvashṭar was born from Tvashṭar; from Dhātar Dhātar was born.
ye ta āsan daśa jātā devā devebhyaḥ purā putrebhyo lokaṃ dattvā kasmiṃs te loka āsate
The ten gods that were of old, born from gods—having given the world to [their] sons, in what world sit they?
yadā keśān asthi snāva māṃsaṃ majjānam ābharat śarīraṃ kṛtvā pādavat kaṃ lokam anuprāviśat
When he brought hair, bone, sinew, flesh, marrow, having made a body with feet, what world did he afterward enter?
kutaḥ keśān kutaḥ snāva kuto asthīny ābharat aṅgā parvāṇi majjānaṃ ko māṃsaṃ kuta ābharat
Whence brought he the hair, whence the sinew, whence the bones? the limbs, the joints, the marrow, the flesh who brought from whence?
saṃsico nāma te devā ye saṃbhārānt samabharan sarvaṃ saṃsicya martyaṃ devāḥ puruṣam āviśan
Pourers-together namely are those gods who brought together the bringings-together; having poured together the whole mortal, the gods entered man.
ūrū pādāv aṣṭhīvantau śiro hastāv atho mukham pṛṣṭīr barjahye pārśve kas tat samadadhād ṛṣiḥ
Thighs, feet, knee-joints, head, hands, also face, ribs, nipples (? barjahyà), sides: what seer put that together?
śiro hastāv atho mukhaṃ jihvāṃ grīvāś ca kīkasāḥ tvacā prāvṛtya sarvaṃ tat saṃdhā samadadhān mahī
Head, hands, also face, tongue and neck, vertebræ—all that, having enveloped with skin, the great putting-together put together.
yat taccharīram aśayat saṃdhayā saṃhitaṃ mahat yenedam adya rocate ko asmin varṇam ābharat
The great body which lay there, put together by the putting-together—who brought into it the color with which it shines (ruc) here today?
This verse is not included in this edition.
All the gods assisted (? upa-çikṣ); that she who was a woman knew; she who was wife of control (? váça), mistress (īçā́), brought color into it.
This verse is not included in this edition.
When Tvashṭar bored through [him?] who [was] the superior father of Tvashṭar, having made the mortal a house, the gods entered into man.
svapno vai tandrīr nirṛtiḥ pāpmāno nāma devatāḥ jarā khālatyaṃ pālityaṃ śarīram anuprāviśan
Sleep, weariness, misery (nírṛti), the deities named evils, old age, baldness, hoariness, entered the body afterward (ánu).
steyaṃ duṣkṛtaṃ vṛjinaṃ satyaṃ yajño yaśo bṛhat balaṃ ca kṣatram ojaś ca śarīram anuprāviśan
Theft, ill-doing, wrong, truth, sacrifice, great glory, both strength, dominion, and force, entered the body afterward.
bhūtiś ca vā abhūtiś ca rātayo 'rātayaś ca yāḥ kṣudhaś ca sarvās tṛṣṇāś ca śarīram anuprāviśan
Both growth (bhū́ti) and diminution, generosities and niggardlinesses, both hungerings and all thirstings, entered the body afterward.
nindāś ca vā anindāś ca yac ca hanteti neti ca śarīraṃ śraddhā dakṣiṇāśraddhā cānuprāviśan
Both revilings and non-revilings, both what [says] "come on" (hánta) and "no," faith, the sacrificial fee, and non-faith, entered the body afterward.
vidyāś ca vā avidyāś ca yac cānyad upadeśyam śarīraṃ brahma prāviśad ṛcaḥ sāmātho yajuḥ
Both knowledges and ignorances, and what else is to be taught (upa-diç); the bráhman entered the body; the verses, the chant, also the formula.
ānandā modāḥ pramudo 'bhīmodamudaś ca ye haso nariṣṭā nṛttāni śarīram anuprāviśan
Delights, joys, enjoyments, and they that enjoy enjoyments, laughter, sport, dances, entered the body afterward.
ālāpāś ca pralāpāś cābhīlāpalapaś ca ye śarīraṃ sarve prāviśann āyujaḥ prayujo yujaḥ
Both appeals (ālāpá) and pratings (pralāpá), and they who utter (-lap) addresses (abhīlāpa-)—all entered the body, joiners-on (āyúj), joiners-forth (prayúj), joiners.
prāṇāpānau cakṣuḥ śrotram akṣitiś ca kṣitiś ca yā vyānodānau vāṅ manaḥ śarīreṇa ta īyante
Breath-and-expiration, sight, hearing, indestructibleness and destruction, out-breathing and up-breathing, speech, mind—they go about (īja-) with the body.
āśiṣaś ca praśiṣaś ca saṃśiṣo viśiṣaś ca yāḥ cittāni sarve saṃkalpāḥ śarīram anuprāviśan
Both blessings (āçís) and precepts (praçís), demands (saṁçís) and explanations (viçís), thoughts, all devisings, entered the body afterward.
āsreyīś ca vāsteyīś ca tvaraṇāḥ kṛpaṇāś ca yāḥ guhyāḥ śukrā sthūlā apas tā bībhatsāv asādayan
Both those of the blood and those of the bladder, the hasting and those that are pitiable, the secret, the clear, the thick waters—those they caused to settle in the repugnant one.
asthi kṛtvā samidhaṃ tad aṣṭāpo asādayan retaḥ kṛtvājyaṃ devāḥ puruṣam āviśan
Having made bone [their] fuel, then they caused eight waters to settle; having made seed [their] sacrificial butter, the gods entered man.
yā āpo yāś ca devatā yā virāḍ brahmaṇā saha śarīraṃ brahma prāviśaccharīre 'dhi prajāpatiḥ
What waters [there are], and what deities, what virā́j, with bráhman; bráhman entered the body; on (ádhi) the body [is] Prajāpati.
sūryaś cakṣur vātaḥ prāṇaṃ puruṣasya vibhejire athāsyetaram ātmānaṃ devāḥ prāyacchann agnaye
The sun, the wind, shared [respectively] the eye, the breath of man; then his other self the gods bestowed (pra-yam) on Agni.
tasmād vai vidvān puruṣam idaṃ brahmeti manyate sarvā hyasmin devatā gāvo goṣṭha ivāsate
Therefore, indeed, one who knows man ⌊púruṣa⌋ thinks "this is bráhman"; for all deities are seated in him, as cows in a cow-stall.
prathamena pramāreṇa tredhā viṣvaṅ vigacchati ada ekena gacchaty ada ekena gacchatīhaikena niṣevate
By the first dying, it goes apart dividing threefold: yonder goes it with one [part]; yonder goes it with one; here with one it dwells (? ni-sev).
apsu stīmāsu vṛddhāsu śarīram antarā hitam tasmiṃ chavo 'dhy antarā tasmācchavo 'dhyucyate
Within waters that are sluggish (? stīmá), old, is the body placed; within that is might (? çáva, çávas ?); thence is it called might.