Women in the Atharva-veda Samhita
by Pranab Jyoti Kalita | 2017 | 62,142 words
This page relates ‘Charm to Allay Jealousy’ 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(b). Charm to Allay Jealousy
[Full title: 3. Rites Related to Love and Jealousy, (b): Charm to Allay Jealousy]
The presence of jealousy makes a relation full of trouble. Hence, to secure happiness in a relation, some practices were exercised by the people of the Atharvavedic period.
In order to overcome an envious man and to allay his jealousy toward a woman, the woman had to stare at him or to touch him or to offer alms to him muttering the Atharvavedic mantras, īrṣyāyādhrājiṃ…, etc. (6.18.1-3), janād viśvajanīnāt…, etc. (7.46.1), and tvāṣṭreṇāham…, etc. (7.74.3).[1]
While performing this charm, the jealous person was offered to eat a mixture of Saktu (saktumantha), after having been consecrated with the mantra, janād viśvajanīnāt…, etc.[2]
Moreover, water, boiled by a heated axe was also consecrated with the mantra, agnerivāsya…, etc. (7.47.1), and was given to the jealous person to drink.[3]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
īrṣyāyā dhrājiṃ janādviśvajanīnāttvāṣṭreṇāhamiti pratijāpaḥ pradānābhimarśanāni / Ibid., 36.25
[2]:
tathā tatraiva karmaṇi anayā saktumantham abhimantrya īrṣyāvate dadyāt / Sāyaṇa in his Introduction to the commentary on Atharvaveda, 7.46 saktumanthamabhimantrya īrṣyālukāya dadāti … bhakṣārtham / Keśava on Kauśika-sūtra, 36.25
[3]:
īrṣyāvināśakarmaṇi taptaparaśunā kvāthitamudakam “agnerivāsya dahataḥ” ityanayā abhimantrya īrṣyāluṃ pāyayet / Sāyaṇa in his Introduction to the commentary on Atharvaveda, 7.47