Women in the Atharva-veda Samhita
by Pranab Jyoti Kalita | 2017 | 62,142 words
This page relates 鈥楪oddess Apah (Apas)鈥� of the study on women in the Vedic society reflecting the Atharva-veda Samhita in English. These pages discusses the social aspects of women, education, customs of marriage, practices of polyandry and polygamy, descriptions of female deities and various rites and rituals. It is shown how women earned much praise in ancient Indian society. Included are Sanskrit text and references of the Atharvaveda and commentary by Sayana-Acharya.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
5. Goddess 膧pa岣� (膧辫补蝉)
膧pa岣� [膧辫补蝉], i.e. water is deified in the Atharvaveda with prime importance. Her godship is celebrated in seven entire hymns,[1] and in many other scattered references. There, she is called the mother of the whole universe,[2] and thereby, she is expected to serve her offspring like a mother.[3] 厂补惫颈迟峁� is spoken of as being born from 膧pa岣�.[4] Agni too owes his origin to 膧pa岣�,[5] and is spoken of as dwelling in 膧pa岣�.[6] 膧pa岣� holds Agni in her womb,[7] and 痴补谤耻峁嘺 too observes everything being on 膧pa岣�.[8] Such 膧pa岣� is enjoyed by Indra in the atmosphere.[9] She holds Agni and Soma.[10]
The Atharvavedic seers have used various appellations of water on the basis of its nature. When it exists in the cloud and traverse here and there, then, it makes sound and hence, it is called 苍补诲墨, a word, derived from the root nad, i.e. to sound.[11] Likewise, its other names like 腻辫补岣�, udaka, etc., also bear certain meanings.[12] Water is called 腻辫补岣� because it was received by Indra after being released by 痴补谤耻峁嘺 or 膧诲颈迟测补.[13] As the flowing water was attempted to be hindered by Indra by his own power, it is called 惫腻谤.[14] Being obstructed by Indra, the willingly flowing water declared itself as the great and breathed up.[15] So, it is called udaka, derived from the root an, with the prefix ut and suffix ka.[16]
On the basis of its source, the Atharvavedic seers have given it some other names also. They call the water of the desert, 诲丑补苍惫补苍测腻岣�.[17] The water of deep land, which is rich in water, is called 补苍耻辫测腻岣�.[18] Water of dug sources like well, pond, etc., is called 办丑补苍颈迟谤颈尘腻岣�.[19] Again, 惫腻谤峁kya岣�[20] is the word to denote rainwater.
In the Atharvaveda, 膧pa岣� is closely connected with sacrifice. She is called 峁泃腻惫补谤墨,[21] i.e. related to sacrifice. Water is called the sister of the sacrificer.[22] She is called to the sacrifice[23] and besought to enable the same in bringing fruit.[24] The oblation of ghee for sacrifice is spoken of as to be collected from water.[25] She is called mayobhuva, i.e. bestower of happiness[26] and is urged to give food and nourishment to the invokers.[27] She is also prayed for the bestowal of progeny.[28] She is called the mother of 丑颈谤补峁噛补, i.e. gold, the best of all resources[29] and hence, is beseeched to bless and to place people according to their own wishes.[30] She is entreated to be pleasant to the sacrifice and to the drinkers,[31] and to cause happiness to people.[32]
The usefulness of water is not confined only within human beings, but, is extensive to cattle also. Water of rivers, etc., where cattle drink, is called by the invoker.[33] Cows and horses are expected to be strong enough by means of drinking water.[34]
膧pa岣� is spoken of as the possessioner of healing power. All sorts of medicines exist in water.[35] Hence, one begs before water to give the medicine of fever, etc.[36] Water in form of river is specially called as having medicinal values. Water which flows through the rivers like 骋补峁単腻, etc., having its source in the mountains is urged to bestow the medicine of heart burning.[37] The same is implored to recover the pains of eyes and legs.[38] She is called the most effective amongst all remedies.[39] She is called 蝉颈苍诲丑耻谤腻箩帽墨 and 蝉颈苍诲丑耻辫补迟苍墨 as she is the wife of the oceans.[40] Water of a river is called 丑补颈尘补惫补迟墨,[41] as it has the mountains as its sources.
Water in general is called 艣颈惫腻,[42] i.e. auspicious. 叠丑别峁箩墨[43] is her epithet for having remedial value. She is called 补测补办峁补峁僰补谤补峁嚹�,[44] i.e. recovering diseases. She is also called 补尘墨惫补肠腻迟补苍墨,[45] i.e. destroyer of diseases. She is the remedy for all diseases.[46] She is urged to nourish the herbs.[47] For the bestowal of long life, she is called 箩墨惫补濒腻.[48]
Thus, the seers realising all the beneficial aspects of water, deified her and glorified her exalted position as a female deity. They also eulogised her for the removal of sins and to purify themselves.[49] They knew her as being able to fulfil all their desires and hence, called her 艣补办惫补谤墨.[50] Such a goddess is invoked to be pleasant in the sacrifice, tasteful and pleasant to the drinkers and to remove one鈥檚 diseases.[51]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Ibid., 1.4-6; 1.33; 2.23; 3.13; 6.23
[3]:
Atharvaveda, 1.5.2
[5]:
鈥� y膩svagni岣� / Ibid.
[9]:
Ibid., 1.33.3
[10]:
鈥� 膩sannagn墨峁mau bibhraty膩pa it t膩岣� / Ibid., 3.13.5
[12]:
he 蝉颈苍诲丑补惫补岣� syandana艣墨l膩 腻辫补岣� va岣� yu峁膩ka峁� n膩m膩ni 腻辫补岣� udakam ity膩d墨ni / any膩nyapi sarv膩峁噄 t膩ni t膩d峁浥浤乶i / an惫腻谤th膩n墨tyartha岣� / 厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid.
[13]:
Atharvaveda, 3.13.2
[14]:
indro va岣� 艣aktibhirdev墨stasm膩d 惫腻谤苍腻尘补 vo hitam / Ibid., 3.13.3
[15]:
[16]:
tasm膩t k膩ra峁嚹乨 udakam iti ap膩峁� 苍腻尘补 ucyate nirucyate udanan膩t / udakam iti ut p奴rv膩d aniterau峁嚹乨ika岣� kapratyayo nak膩ralopa艣ca / 厂腻测补峁嘺 on Atharvaveda, 3.13.4
[18]:
[19]:
办丑补苍颈迟谤颈尘腻岣� khananena nirv峁泃t膩岣� k奴pod产丑补惫腻 腻辫补岣� / 厂腻测补峁嘺 on Atharvaveda, 1.6.4
[21]:
[22]:
鈥� j膩mayo adhvar墨yat膩m / Atharvaveda, 1.4.1
[23]:
Ibid.
[24]:
腻辫补岣� na岣� asm膩kam 补诲丑惫补谤补峁� 测补箩帽补峁� 办谤颈测补尘腻峁嘺峁� karma hi峁噕antu pr墨峁嘺yantu phalaprad膩nasamartha峁� kurvantu / 厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid., 1.4.2
[27]:
Ibid., 1.5.3
[28]:
he 腻辫补岣� y奴ya峁� na岣� asm膩n janayatha putrapautr膩dir奴pe峁嘺 utp膩dayatha / 厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid.
[29]:
sarvadhanam奴labh奴tasya 丑颈谤补峁噛补sya m膩t峁沚h奴t膩bhya岣� adbhya岣� utpatte岣� 艣rava峁嚹乨 ap膩m adhipatitvam / 厂腻测补峁嘺 on Atharvaveda, 1.5.4
[30]:
manu峁膩峁嚹佱箖 k峁yant墨 niv膩sayitr墨岣� / abhimatadhanaprad膩nena svasth膩ne nive艣ant墨rityartha岣� / 厂腻测补峁嘺 on Atharvaveda, 1.5.4
[31]:
艣a峁� no dev墨rabhi峁ａ弓aya 腻辫辞 bhavantu p墨taye / Atharvaveda, 1.6.1
[32]:
cf., Ibid., 1.6.4; 33.1-4
[35]:
apsva ntaram峁泃amapsu bhe峁jam / Ibid.
[36]:
腻辫补岣� p峁涐箛墨ta 产丑别峁箩补峁� 鈥� / Ibid., 1.6.3 apsu me somo abrav墨dantarvi艣v膩ni bhe峁j膩 / Ibid., 1.6.2
[38]:
Ibid., 6.24.2
[39]:
鈥� bhi峁j膩峁� subhi峁ktam膩岣� / Ibid.
[40]:
[41]:
Atharvaveda, 19.2.1 丑补颈尘补惫补迟墨岣� 丑颈尘补惫补迟补岣� parvat膩d 膩gat膩岣� / 厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid.
[43]:
Atharvaveda, 3.7.5; 19.2.5 bhe峁j墨岣� bhe峁jabh奴t膩岣� / 厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid., 3.7.5
[44]:
Atharvaveda, 19.2.5 补测补办峁补峁僰补谤补峁嚹弗 arogak膩ri峁噛o / 厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid.
[45]:
Atharvaveda, 3.7.5; 6.91.3 补尘墨惫补肠腻迟补苍墨岣� am墨v膩n膩峁� rog膩峁嚹佱箖 vin膩艣ayitrya岣� / 厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid., 6.91.3
[48]:
Ibid., 10.6.3
[49]:
Ibid., 6.23.2; 51.2
[50]:
艣补办惫补谤墨岣� 艣akvarya岣� 艣akt膩岣� abhimataphalaprad膩nasamarth膩 腻辫补岣� / 厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid., 3.13.7
[51]:
Ibid., 1.6.1