7b. Hymn for a Son, Born at an Unlucky Star

[Full title: 7. Miscellaneous Hymns (b): Hymn for a Son, Born at an Unlucky Star]

After this, comes the hymn which starts with the mantra, pratno hi kamīḍyo^[1] …, etc. This hymn starts with the supplication of Agni, who is ancient and at the same time, recent also.^[2] For the bestowal of good fortune, he is praised in this hymn.^[3] But, the relation of this hymn with woman may not be traced from this, and it will be clear further on.

A boy, here, is regarded as killing his elderly persons, like his father, brothers etc., if he is born on the star Jyeṣṭhā.^[4] As the star kills others, hence, it is called jyeṣṭhaghnī.^[5] That the star jyeṣṭhaghnī kills the elderly persons is referred to in the Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa^[6] also. A son, who is born on the star Mūla, destroys the entire race.^[7] The Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa^[8] furnishes the etymology of this Mūla as the star, which destroys certain race by its mūla, i.e. root.

Therefore, this Mūla star is considered to be a sinful one.^[9] The life of the child, born on this star is endangered as because the star cuts the root of its lineage and hence, the child is wished to be protected from the wrath of Yama, the god of death.^{[10] [11]} For the long life of the same, all the evil influences of the unlucky stars are also asked to be warded off.^[12]

The day on which the sinful stars arise is called as cruel as a tiger.^[13] The child, born on such a star is called as a nakṣatrajā and wished to be a brilliant one.^[14] Such a child is asked not to slay his parents when he will be a full grown one.^[15]

This hymn, though, does not pertain to a woman directly, yet, is enumerated by Bloomfield in the list of Strīkarmāṇi hymns, perhaps because of its relation to the birthrelated aspects.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Atharvaveda, 6.110

[2]:

cf., Ibid., 6.110.1

[3]:

svāṃ cāgne tanvaṃ piprāyasvāsmabhyaṃ ca saubhagamā yajasva / Ibid.

[4]:

tasyāṃ jyeṣṭhyaghnyāṃ jātaḥ putraḥ jyeṣṭhasya pitṛbhātrāderhantā bhavati / Sāyaṇa, Ibid., 6.110.2

[5]:

jyeṣṭhaṃ vayasā pravṛddhaṃ hantīti jyeṣṭhaghnī jyeṣṭhākhyaṃ nakṣatram / Sāyaṇa on Atharvaveda, 6.110.2

[6]:

jyeṣṭham eṣām avadhiṣmeti tajjyeṣṭhaghnī / Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa, 1.5.2.8

[7]:

mūlanakṣatraṃ hi mūlonmūlanakaram / Sāyaṇa on Atharvaveda, 6.110.2

[8]:

mūlam eṣām avṛkṣāmeti tanmūlavarhaṇī / Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa, 1.5.2.8

[9]:

cf., ataḥ pāpanakṣatre jātam … / Sāyaṇa on Atharvaveda, 6.110.2

[10]:

ataḥ pāpanakṣatre jātam enaṃ kumāraṃ yamasya sambandhinaḥ yamena kriyamāṇād mūlavarhaṇād saṃtānamūlocchedanāt pari pāhi paritaḥ sarvato rakṣa / Sāyaṇa on Atharvaveda,

[11]:

.110.2

[12]:

atyenaṃ neṣad duritāni viśvā dīrghāyutvāya śataśāradāya / Atharvaveda, 6.110.2

[13]:

vyāghrehnyajaniṣṭa vīro … / Ibid., 6.110.3 vyāghre vyāghravatkrure ahni udīrite pāpanakṣatre vīraḥ putraḥ ajaniṣṭa jāto’bhūt / Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[14]:

nakṣatrajā duṣṭe nakṣatre jātaḥ / jāyamāna eva suvīraḥ śobhanavīryayukto bhavatu / Sāyaṇa on Atharvaveda, 6.110.3

[15]:

sa mā vadhīt pitaraṃ vardhamāno mā mātaraṃ pra minijjanitrīm / Atharvaveda, 6.110.3