Verse 11.33

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

श्रुतीरथर्वाङ्गिरसीः कुर्यादित्यविचारयन् ।
वाक्षस्त्रं वै ब्राह्मणस्य तेन हन्यादरीन् द्विजः ॥ ३३ ॥

śrutīratharvāṅgirasīḥ kuryādityavicārayan |
vākṣastraṃ vai brāhmaṇasya tena hanyādarīn dvijaḥ || 33 ||

He should make use of the sacred texts of the Atharva-Veda, without hesitation. Speech indeed is the Brāhmaṇa’s weapon; by that should the twice-born strike his enemies.—(33)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

This verse is for the purpose of removing doubts as to what constitutes the ‘power’ of the Brāhmaṇa.

‘Śruti’ is what is heard. The meaning is that he should employ those malevolent rites that are found revealed in the Atharva-Veda. This particular Veda has been mentioned because it abounds in injunctions of malevolent spells,—which also are not such as have been actually forbidden by the other Vedas.

Or, the term ‘atharvāṅgirasī’ may be taken as standing for all those sacred texts that deal with malevolent rites.

Or, the term ‘Atharva’ itself may be taken as standing for the rites themselves; as we find it used in such passages.as—‘the Atharvana is the name of that sacrifice which is performed with a view to a definite desirable result.’—(33)

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 11.31-35)

[See 9.290 above; and texts thereunder; also 9.313-321.]

See Comparative notes for Verse 11.31.