6c. Hymns to Arouse the Passionate Love of a Woman

[Full title: 6. Hymns Related to Love and Jealousy (c): Hymns to Arouse the Passionate Love of a Woman]

In case where the woman becomes a mischievous one, then, to scorch her with love for the man, certain divine entities are lauded in the hymn which starts with the mantra, rathajitāṃ rathajite^[1] …, etc.

In this hymn, the herb Māṣa, which may be won by chariot is informed that the nymphs like Urvaśī etc., who conquer the universe with chariot and who cause disaffection preside over love.^[2] Hence, it is observed that without the pangs of love, a woman becomes disinclined to a man.^[3] Therefore, gods are requested to send forth love to the woman.^[4] The wicked woman who never expects the man to remember her is wanted to be subdued so that she too may expect him as longing for her.^[5]

Further, Agni, Maruts and the atmosphere are also asked to make the woman a delirious one so that she may totally come under the domination of the man.^[6]

In the hymn which follows the above one and which starts with the mantra, ni śīrṣato ni^[7] …, etc., a man imposes mental pain over his wife.^[8] He wants his wife to be striken with the same down from her feet upto her head.^[9] He praises the goddess Anumati and Ākuti to send forth love to his wife, after being propitiated with his oblations.^[10]

Consequently, the woman, after being subdued, becomes anxious for her husband.^[11] She calls him to come back and to become the father of his sons at home, from wherever he may be, either from vicinity or from a distant.^[12]

The relation between love and pain is very close. In the Taittirīya Saṃhitā,^[13] love is spoken of as identical to the Gandharvas and pain to the Apsarases and therefore, pain is regarded as the wife of love.^[14] In the hymn that starts with the mantra, yaṃ devāsmaraya^[15] …, etc., all the gods; Indrāṇī, i.e. the wife of Indra; Indra and Agni and Mitra and Varuṇa are spoken of as pouring the love along with his wife pain within water or on the atmosphere in order to parch the dwellers of the same.^[16] With the same, i.e. love and pain, a man intends to inflict his wife.^[17] While imposing love and pain over her, he seems to be very much sincere. This is because, he declares that the imposition is performed according to the laws of Varuṇa, the presiding deity of water^[18] and thus, he justifies his performance.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Atharvaveda, 6.130

[2]:

rathajitāṃ rathajiteyīnāmapsarasāmayaṃ smaraḥ / Ibid., 6.130.1 he rathajite rathena jetavye māṣākhye oṣadhi rathajitām rathena ātmīyena vāhanena viśvaṃ jayantīnāṃ dhīnām dhyānajananīnāṃ virāgaviśeṣasya utpādayitrīṇām apsarasām urvaśīprabhṛtīnāṃ saṃbandhī ayaṃ smaraḥ kāmaḥ / Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[3]:

ataḥ iyaṃ duṣṭā strī māṃ smarakṛtapīḍābhāvād na kāmayata ityarthaḥ / Sāyaṇa on Atharvaveda, 6.130.1

[4]:

devāḥ pra hiṇuta smaramasau māmanu śocatu / Atharvaveda, 6.130.1 he devāḥ taṃ smaraṃ kāmaṃ pra hiṇuta etasyā samīpaṃ preṣayata / Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[5]:

cf., Atharvaveda, 6.130.2-3

[6]:

unmādayata maruta udantarikṣa mādaya / agna unmādayā tvamasau māmanu śocatu // Ibid., 6.130. enām unmādaya svātmānaṃ vismṛtya yathā asmākaṃ vaśe bhavati tathā kuru / Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[7]:

Atharvaveda, 6.131

[8]:

… ādhyo ni tirāmi te / Ibid., 6.131.1 ādhyaḥ ādhiṃścintāviśeṣān ni tirāmi śarīre nikṣipāmi / Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[9]:

ni śīrṣato ni pattata ādhyo ni tirāmi te / Atharvaveda, 6.131.1

[10]:

cf., Atharvaveda, 6.131.2

[11]:

cf., Ibid., 6.131.3

[12]:

cf., Ibid.

[13]:

kāmo gandharvastasyādhayopsarasaḥ / Taittirīya-saṃhitā, 3.4.7.3

[14]:

sā hi smarasya bhāryā / Sāyaṇa, Ibid., 6.132.1

[15]:

Atharvaveda, 6.132

[16]:

yaṃ devā smaramasiñcannapsvantaḥ śośucānaṃ sahādhyā / Ibid., 6.132.1 cf., Ibid., 6.132.2-5

[17]:

taṃ te tapāmi … / Ibid., 6.132.1-5

[18]:

… varuṇasya dharmaṇā / Ibid. varuṇasya jalādhipaterdevasya dharmaṇā dhāraṇaśaktyā / Sāyaṇa, Ibid., 6.132.1