7c. Hymn to Expiate the Irregular Appearance

[Full title: 7. Miscellaneous Hymns (c): Hymn to Expiate the Irregular Appearance of the First Pair of Teeth of a Child on the Upper Line]

The list contains another hymn,^[1] which too does not relate to a woman directly, but, deals with a baby whose first pair of teeth appears on the upper line.

Here also, such types of teeth are considered to be violent like that of a tiger and are spoken of as devouring the parents of the baby.^[2] So, to prevent such type of disaster, the gods Brahmanaspati, and Jātavedas are invoked.^[3]

That pair of teeth, firstly growing on the upper row is asked to eat the grains like rice, barley, beans, sesame etc., but, not the mother and the father of the baby.^{[4] [5]}

After being blessed by the gods, those teeth are asked to be conjoint, pleasant and propitious.^[6] They are also prayed to give up their fierceness and to place the same anywhere else leaving the baby safe along with his parents uninjured.^[7]

Thus, the hymns, pertaining to women, as discussed in the foregoing passages, throw considerable light on the various directions of the life of the women of Atharvavedic period. A good number of hymns, connected to birth-related aspect of women, lays emphasis on fruitful conception of a woman, protection of the foetus during pregnancy and safe delivery of the baby after ten months. During this entire process, women were given special care.

A huge portion of the hymns are observed as being related to love and jealousy. In most of the hymns of this nature, women are portrayed as the centre of love. However, women’s desire for the love of a man has also been observed.

The use of various herbs, medicine and amulets, as described in the hymns, carries great importance for the understanding of Atharvavedic religion and society. While summing up, it can be said that women of that period are found to have confined to the familial affairs only and their participation in social activities is barely marked.

Thus, the hymns, discussed above, reflect various aspects of womanhood, prevalent at that time. Most of the hymns, have their focus on the mutual relationship between a man and a woman. On the basis of their mutual love and the joint rulership of the household, they got united into an abiding duality. Divinities have been implored, magical charms have been practiced to ensure a spouse to the needy ones. The birth-related hymns, describe the female anatomical system and the biological process of child-birth. A huge portion of the hymns, is related to the love charms, which portray a clear socio-cultural picture of that time, which has already been discussed in proper contexts.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Ibid., 6.140

[2]:

vyāghrau vyāghravat hiṃsakau yau dantau uparipaṃktisthau avarūḍhau avāṅmukhaṃ prarūḍhau prathamata utyannau pitaraṃ mātaraṃ ca jighatsataḥ attuṃ bhakṣayitum icchataḥ / Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[3]:

tau dantau brahmaṇaspate śivau kṛṇu jātavedaḥ / Atharvaveda, 6.140.1 he brahmaṇaspate mantrasyādhipate he jātavedaḥ jātānāṃ veditaragne tau tathāvidhau dantau śivau sukhakarau mātāpitrorahiṃsakau kṛṇu kuru / Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[4]:

vrīhimattaṃ yavamattamatho māṣamatho tilam / eṣa vāṃ bhāgo nihito ratnadheyāya dantau mā hiṃsiṣṭaṃ pitaraṃ mātaraṃ ca / Atharvaveda,

[5]:

.140.2

[6]:

upahutau sayujau syonau dantau sumaṅgalau / Atharvaveda, 6.140.3 upahutau samīpam āhūtau devena anujñātau vā sayujau samānaṃ yuñjānau mitrabhūtau syonau sukhakarau sumaṅgalau suśobhanau evaṃ guṇaviśiṣṭau tau dantau bhavatām / Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[7]:

anyatra vāṃ ghoraṃ tanva paraitu dantau mā hiṃsiṣṭaṃ pitaraṃ mātaraṃ ca / Atharvaveda, 6.140.3