Page:Atharva-Veda samhita.djvu/312



⌊The fourth book is made up of forty hymns, divided into eight anuvāka-groups of five hymns each. The normal length of each hymn, as assumed by the Anukramaṇī, is 7 verses; but this is in only partial accord with the actual facts. There are twenty-one hymns of 7 verses each, as against nineteen of more than 7 verses each. Of these nineteen, ten are of 8 verses each; three are of 9 and three are of 10; two are of 12; and one is of 16 verses. The seven hymns which make the Mṛgāra group (hymns 23-29) have 7 verses each. And they are followed by a group of four Rigveda hymns (30-33). The last two hymns of the book (39-40) have a decided Brāhmaṇa-tinge. The entire book has been translated by Weber, Indische Studien, vol. xviii. (1898), pages 1-153.⌋

Found in Pāipp. v. (in the verse-order 2, 1, 3, 4 cd 5 ab, 6, 4 ab 5 cd, 7). Reckoned by Kāuç. (9. 1) as one of the hymns of the bṛhachānti gaṇa, and used in various ceremonies: with i. 4-6 and other hymns, for the health and welfare, of kine (19. 1); for success in study and victory over opponents in disputation (38. 23 f.); at the consummation of marriage (79. 11; the comm. says, only vs. 1); and vs. 1 on entering upon Vedic study (139. 10). These are all the applications in Kāuç. that our comm. recognizes; in other cases where the pratīka of vs. 1 is quoted, the vs. v. 6. 1, which is a repetition of it, is apparently intended: see under hymn v. 6. The editor of Kāuç. regards the rest of the anuvāka, from vs. 2 to the end of h. 5, to be prescribed for recitation in 139. 11; but this seems in itself highly improbable, and the comm. does not sanction it. In Vāit. (14. 1), vss. 1 and 2 are added to the gharma-hymn given for