Musical instruments in Atharva Veda

We have reference to a number of musical instruments in the Atharva Veda. Karkari yatra vah prenkha harita arjuna uta yatraghatah | karkaryah samvadanti tatparetapsarasah pratibuddha abhutena || Atharva Veda IV.37. 5. Where your gold and silver swings are, where cymbals and lutes chime together, thither do ye, O Apsaras, pass away, (since) ye have been recognized.

karkariko nikhatakah || Atharva Veda XX.132-3 The lute dug up from out the ground ka esam karkari likhat || Atharva Veda XX.132.8 129 Who among these will touch the lute? Hymn to the battle-drum. (Dundubhi) uccairghoso dundubhih satvanayan vanaspatyah sambhrta ustriyabhih | vaca ksunavano damayantsapatnantsiha iva jesyannabhi taistanihi || Atharva Veda V.201. High sounds the voice of the drum, which acts the warrior, the wooden (drum), and equipped with the skin of the cow. Whetting thy voice, subduing the enemy, like a lion sure of victory, do thou loudly thunder against them! sanjayan prtana urdhvamayugrhya grhano bahudha vi caksva | daivim vacam dundubha a gurasva veghah satrunamupa bharasva vedah || Atharva Veda V. 204. In victorious battles raise thy roar! What may be captured, capture; sound in many places ! Favour, O drum, (our deeds) with thy divine voice; bring to (us) with strength the property of the enemy ! dundubhervacam prayatam vadantimasrnvati nabhita ghosabuddha | nari putram dhavatu hastagrhyamitri bhita samare vadhanam || Atharva Veda V. 205. When the wife of the enemy hears the voice of the drum that speaks to a far distance may she, aroused by the sound, distressed, snatch her son to her arms, and run, frightened at the clash of arms !

130 purvo dundubhe pra vadasi vacam bhumyah prsthe vada rocamanah | amitrasenamabhijanjamano dyumad vad dundubhe sunrtavat || Atharva Veda V.206. Do thou, O drum, sound the first sound, ring brilliantly over the back of the earth! Open wide thy maw at the enemies host; resound brightly, joyously, O drum ! vihrdayam vaimanasyam vadamitresu dundubhe | vidvesam kasmasam bhayamamitresu ni dadhmasyavainan dundubhe jahi || Atharva Veda V. 21. 1. Carry with thy voice, O drum, lack of heart, and failure of courage among the enemies ! Disagreement, dismay, and fright, do we place into the enemies: beat them down, O drum ! yatha mrgah samvijanta aranyah purusadadhi | eva tvam dundubhemitranabhi kranda pra trasayatho cittani mohaya || Atharva Veda V. 21. 4. As the wild animals of the forest start in fear from man, thus do thou, O drum, shout against the enemies, frighten them away, and bewilder their minds! yatha vrkadajavayo dhavanti bahubibhyatih | eva || Atharva Veda V. 21.5. As goats and sheep run from the wolf, badly frightened, thus do thou, O drum, shout against the enemies, frighten them away, and bewilder their minds!

131 yatha syenat patatrinah sam vijante ahardivi simhasya stanathoryatha | eva || Atharva Veda V. 21.6. As birds start in fear from the eagle, as by day and by night (they start) at the roar of the lion, thus do thou, O drum, shout against the enemies, frighten them away, and bewilder their minds ! paramitran dundubhina harinasyajinena ca | sarve deva atitrasan ye samgramasyesate || Atharva Veda V. 21.7. With the drum and the skin of the antelope all the gods, that sway the battle, have scared away the enemies. jyaghosa dundubhayo'bhi krosantu ya disah | senah parajita yatiramitranamanikasah || Atharva Veda V. 21. 9. The whirring of the bowstring and the drums shall shout at the directions where the conquered armies of the enemies go in successive ranks! rajanye dundubhavayatayamasvasya vaje purusasya maya | indram ya devi subhaga jajana sa na aitu varcasa samvidana || Atharva Veda VI. 38.4. (The brilliancy) that is in the man of royal caste, in the stretched drum, in the strength of the horge, in the shout of men (shall be ours)! May the lovely goddess that bore Indra come to us, endowed with lustre !

132 yasyam gayanti nrtyanti bhumyam matsa vyailabah | yudhyante yasyamakrando yasyam vadati dundubhih | sa no bhumih pranudatam sapatnanasapatnam ma prthivi krnotu || Atharva Veda XII. 1.41. The earth upon whom the noisy mortals sing and dance, upon whom they fight, upon whom resounds the roaring drum, shall drive forth our enemies, shall make us free from rivals! ka esam dundubhi hanat || Who among these will beat the drum. Vanaspati vanaspasyah sambhrta ustriyabhirvisvagotryah | pratrasamamitrebhyo vadajyenabhigharitah || Atharva Veda XX.132.9 Atharva Veda V. 21. 3. Made of wood, equipped with the skin of the cow, at home with every clan, put thou with thy voice terror into the enemies, when thou hast been anointed with ghee! Translations to all the Atharva Veda passages are form the book together titled 'Hymns of the atharva-veda' togther with extracts from the ritual books and the commentaries. Translated by Maurice Bloomfield - Sacred books of the east, volume 42 in the year-1897.