Page:Atharva-Veda samhita volume 2.djvu/324

xv. 5- is perhaps intended as exegetical, but it is at any rate most unexpected.—The vs. AV. xii. 1. 49 furnishes testimony (quite superfluous) to the familiarity of the ancient Hindus with "man-eaters."⌋

1. ⌊1.⌋ He moved out toward the fixed quarter; ⌊2.⌋ after him moved out both earth and fire and herbs and forest trees and they of forest trees and plants. ⌊3.⌋ Verily both of earth and of fire and of herbs and of forest trees and of them of forest trees and of plants doth he become the dear abode who knoweth thus.

2. ⌊4.⌋ He moved out toward the upward quarter; ⌊5.⌋ after him moved out both right and truth and sun and moon and asterisms. ⌊6.⌋ Verily both of right and of truth and of sun and of moon and of asterisms doth he become the dear abode who knoweth thus.

3. ⌊7.⌋ He moved out toward the highest quarter; ⌊8.⌋ after him moved out both the verses and the chants and the sacrificial formulas and the bráhman. ⌊9.⌋ Verily both of the verses and of the chants and of the sacrificial formulas and of the bráhman doth he become the dear abode who knoweth thus.

4. ⌊10.⌋ He moved out toward the great quarter; ⌊11.⌋ after him moved out both the itihāsá ('narrative') and the purāṇá ('story of eld') and the gā́thās ('songs') and the nārāçansī́s ('eulogies'). ⌊12.⌋ Verily both of the itihāsá and of the purāṇá and of the gā́thās and of the nārāçansī́s doth he become the dear abode who knoweth thus.

5. ⌊13.⌋ He moved out toward the most distant quarter; ⌊14.⌋ after him moved out both the fire of offering and the householder's fire and the southern fire and the sacrifice and the sacrificer and the cattle. ⌊15.⌋ Verily both of the fire of offering and of the householder's fire and of the southern fire and of the sacrifice and of the sacrificer and of the cattle doth he become the dear abode who knoweth thus.