Atharva Veda
To guard a pregnant woman from demons
yau te mātonmamārja jātāyāḥ pativedanau durṇāmā tatra mā gṛdhad aliṃśa uta vatsapaḥ
To guard a pregnant woman from demons
The two spouse-finders which thy mother rubbed up for thee when born (fem.)—for them ⌊tátra⌋ let not the ill-named one be greedy, the aliṅça nor the vatsápa (calf-drinker or -protector?).
palālānupalālau śarkuṃ kokaṃ malimlucaṃ palījakam āśreṣaṃ vavrivāsasam ṛkṣagrīvaṃ pramīlinam
Palāla (straw) and anupalāla (after-straw), çárku, kóka (cuckoo), malimlucá (robber), palī́jaka, the entwiner (āçréṣa), the wrap-garmented, the bear-necked, the winking one.
mā saṃ vṛto mopa sṛpa ūrū māva sṛpo 'ntarā kṛṇomy asyai bheṣajaṃ bajaṃ durṇāmacātanam
Approach (saṁ-vṛt) thou not; creep thou not on; creep not down between the thighs; I make for her a remedy, the bajá, expeller of the ill-named.
durṇāmā ca sunāmā cobhā saṃvṛtam icchataḥ arāyān apa hanmaḥ sunāmā straiṇam icchatām
Both the ill-named and the well-named—both seek approach (saṁvṛ́t); the niggards (arā́ya) we smite away; let the well-named seek what is woman's (strāíṇa).
yaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ keśy asura stambaja uta tuṇḍikaḥ arāyān asyā muṣkābhyāṃ bhaṃsaso 'pa hanmasi
The ásura that is black, hairy, tuft-born, also snouted (túṇḍika)—the niggards we smite away from her pudenda, from her buttocks (bhánsas).
anujighraṃ pramṛśantaṃ kravyādam uta reriham arāyāṁ śvakiṣkiṇo bajaḥ piṅgo anīnaśat
The after-snuffling, fore-feeling, and the much-licking flesh-eater, the niggards, the dog-kiṣkins, hath the brown bajá made to disappear.
yas tvā svapne nipadyate bhrātā bhūtvā piteva ca bajas tānt sahatām itaḥ klībarūpāṃs tirīṭinaḥ
He who lies with (ni-pad) thee in sleep, having become [like] a brother and like a father—them, eunuch-formed, tiara-decked (tirīṭín), let the bajá force (sah) from here.
yas tvā svapantīṃ tsarati yas tvā dipsati jāgratīm chāyām iva pra tānt sūryaḥ parikrāmann anīnaśat
He who surprises (tsar) thee sleeping, who tries to harm thee waking—them the circling (pari-kram) sun hath made to vanish away like a shadow.
yaḥ kṛṇoti mṛtavatsām avatokām imāṃ striyam tam oṣadhe tvaṃ nāśayāsyāḥ kamalam añjivam
Whoever makes this woman one having a dead child (-vastá), or a miscarriage, him, O herb, do thou make disappear, lustful ⌊accusative⌋ for her, slippery.
ye śālāḥ parinṛtyanti sāyaṃ gardabhanādinaḥ kusūlā ye ca kukṣilāḥ kakubhāḥ karumāḥ srimāḥ tān oṣadhe tvaṃ gandhena viṣūcīnān vi nāśaya
They who dance around the dwellings (çā́lā) in the evening, making donkey-noises—they that [are] kusū́las (granaries) and kukṣilás (paunchy), exalted (kakubhá), karúmas, srímas—these, O herb, with thy smell do thou make to disappear scattered.
ye kukundhāḥ kukūrabhāḥ kṛttīr dūrśāni bibhrati klībā iva pranṛtyanto vane ye kurvate ghoṣaṃ tān ito nāśayāmasi
The kukúndhas, the kukū́rabhas, that bear skins (kṛ́tti), pelts (? dūrçá), dancing on like impotent men, that make a noise in the forest—them we make disappear from here.
ye sūryaṃ na titikṣanta ātapantam amuṃ divaḥ arāyān bastavāsino durgandhīṃl lohitāsyān makakān nāśayāmasi
They who do not endure yonder sun, burning down from the sky, the niggards, buck-clothed, ill-smelling, red-mouthed, the mákakas, we make to disappear.
ya ātmānam atimātram aṃsa ādhāya bibhrati strīṇāṃ śroṇipratodina indra rakṣāṃsi nāśaya
They who, putting their excessive self on the shoulder, carry [it], thrusters-forth of women's hips—O Indra, make the demons disappear.
ye pūrve vadhvo yanti haste śṛṅgāni bibhrataḥ āpākesthāḥ prahāsina stambe ye kurvate jyotis tān ito nāśayāmasi
They who go before a woman, bearing horns (pl.) in the hand, stayers in the oven, laughing out, who make light in the tuft—them we make to disappear from here.
yeṣām paścāt prapadāni puraḥ pārṣṇīḥ puro mukhā khalajāḥ śakadhūmajā uruṇḍā ye ca maṭmaṭāḥ kumbhamuṣkā ayāśavaḥ tān asyā brahmaṇaspate pratībodhena nāśaya
Of whom the front-feet are behind, the heels in front, the faces in front, who are threshing-floor-born, dung-smoke-born, who are úruṇḍas and maṭmaṭás, pot-testicled, ayāçús (impotent ?)—these from her, O Brahmaṇaspati, do thou make to disappear by attention (? pratībodhá).
paryastākṣā apracaṅkaśā astraiṇāḥ santu paṇḍagāḥ ava bheṣaja pādaya ya imāṃ saṃvivṛtsaty apatiḥ svapatiṃ striyam
With eyes cast about, not looking forward (? ápracan̄kaça), womenless be the eunuchs; make to fall down, O remedy, him who, not her husband, tries to approach this woman that has a husband.
uddharṣiṇaṃ munikeśaṃ jambhayantaṃ marīmṛśam upeṣantam udumbalaṃ tuṇḍelam uta śāluḍam padā pravidhya pārṣṇyā sthālīṃ gaur iva spandanā
The bristling, hermit-haired, grinding up, much handling one, hastening up, copper-colored, snouted (? tuṇḍéla) and çáluḍa, pierce thou forth with the foot, with the heel, as a kicking cow a pot.
yas te garbhaṃ pratimṛśāj jātaṃ vā mārayāti te piṅgas tam ugradhanvā kṛṇotu hṛdayāvidham
Whoever shall handle thy embryo, or shall make it born dead—let the brown one, with formidable bow, make him pierced to the heart.
ye amno jātān mārayanti sūtikā anuśerate strībhāgān piṅgo gandharvān vāto abhram ivājatu
They who suddenly make die those that are born, [who] lie by the bearing [women]—the Gandharvas, woman-seekers (?), let the brown one drive, as the wind a cloud.
parisṛṣṭaṃ dhārayatu yaddhitaṃ māvapādi tat garbhaṃ ta ugrau rakṣatām bheṣajau nīvibhāryau
Let [her] maintain what is left (?); what is set, let not that fall down; let the two formidable remedies, to be borne in the under garment, defend thine embryo.
pavīnasāt taṅgalvāc chāyakād uta nagnakāt prajāyai patye tvā piṅgaḥ paripātu kimīdinaḥ
From the rim-nosed, the tan̄galvà, the shady (? chā́yaka) and naked, from the kimīdín, let the brown one protect thee about for progeny, for husband.
dvyāsyāc caturakṣāt pañcapadād anaṅgureḥ vṛntād abhiprasarpataḥ paripāhi varīvṛtāt
From the two-mouthed, the four-eyed, the five-footed, the fingerless one, from the much twining twiner (vṛ́nta) that creeps forth upon [one], do thou protect [her] about.
ya āmaṃ māṃsam adanti pauruṣeyaṃ ca ye kraviḥ garbhān khādanti keśavās tān ito nāśayāmasi
They who eat raw meat, and who the flesh of men, the hairy ones [that] devour embryos—them we make to disappear from here.
ye sūryāt parisarpanti snuṣeva śvaśurād adhi bajaś ca teṣāṃ piṅgaś ca hṛdaye 'dhi nividhyatām
They that creep away from the sun, as a daughter-in-law away from her father-in-law—let both bajá and pin̄gá pierce in into their heart.
piṅga rakṣa jāyamānaṃ mā pumāṃsaṃ striyaṃ kran āṇḍādo garbhān mā dabhan bādhasvetaḥ kimīdinaḥ
Pin̄gá, defend thou [the child] in process of birth; let them not make the male female; let not the egg-eaters injure the embryos; drive thou the kimīdíns from here.
aprajāstvaṃ mārtavatsam ād rodam agham āvayam vṛkṣād iva srajam kṛtvāpriye pratimuñca tat
Childlessness, still-birth, also crying, guilt (aghá), barrenness (? āvayá)—that do thou attach to [our] enemy (ápriya), as if having made a garland from a tree.