Women in the Atharva-veda Samhita
by Pranab Jyoti Kalita | 2017 | 62,142 words
This page relates ‘Hymn to Obtain a Wife’ 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.
3. Hymn to Obtain a Wife
Like the hymns, meant for a bachelorette, longing for a husband, the Atharvaveda records a hymn for the bachelors also who are yearning for a wife. This hymn starts with the mantra, āgacchataḥ āgatasya[1] …, etc.
In this hymn, it is observed that the bachelor desiring for a wife tries to propitiate Indra.[2] With this purpose, he propitiates Indra with the epithets śatakratu, vṛtrahā, etc., which describe the valourous deeds of Indra.[3] He also glorifies Indra for his attractive hands which look like a hook and which hold wealth like gold.[4] He calls Indra by his name Śacīpati and lauds him to procure a wife who may be able to beget sons for him.[5] In addition, the bachelor also mentions that in order to bring a wife, Bhaga advised him to follow the path of the Aśvins by which they carried Sūryā, the daughter of Savitṛ.[6]
In this hymn, it is observed that though the wooer is spoken of as desiring a woman to marry, but his basic need is to procreate sons and that can be achieved through his wife. In the sense of wife, here the term jāyā[7] has been used and this term, as interpreted by Sāyaṇācārya[8] emphasizes the generative aspect of a woman. Besides, another term jani[9] is also found in this hymn, which specially denotes the birth of a male child.
In the foregoing hymns, it is observed that a husband to the spinster and a wife to the wifeless one, have been sought along with their prosperity with progeny and other wealth. This is because of the fact that the happiness of a conjugal life depends upon their abundance of wealth.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Ibid., 6.82
[2]:
āgacchataḥ āgatasya nāma gṛhṇāmyāyataḥ / indrasya vṛtraghno vanve vāsavasya śatakratoḥ // Ibid., 6.82.1
[3]:
[4]:
yasteṅkuśo vasudāno bṛhannindra hiraṇyayaḥ / Atharvaveda, 6.82.3 he indra te tava yoṅkuśaḥ aṅkuśavad ākarṣako hastaḥ vasudānaḥ vasuni dhanāni dhīyante dhāryante asminniti vasudhānaḥ / ata eva bṛhan mahān hiraṇyayaḥ hiraṇmayaḥ atra hiraṇyapracuraḥ // Vide, Sāyaṇa, Ibid.
[6]:
yena sūryāṃ sāvitrīmaśvinohatuḥ pathā / tena māmabravīt bhago jāyāmā vahatāditi // Ibid., 6.82.2
[7]:
Ibid., 6.82.2,3
[8]:
jāyantesyām apatyānīti janirjāyā / Sāyaṇa, Ibid., 6.82.3
[9]:
putreṇotpattirjaniḥ / Ibid.