20-24 septembrie 2009 - Biblioteca Metropolitana Bucuresti

The significance of the four commendations in theAtharvavedic traditionJULIETA RotaruCentre of Eurasiatic and Afroasiatic Studies,Metropolitan Library of Bucharest – BucharestTo commend oneself or the close ones to divinity is among the commonestaspects of the complex relation with superior powers. Out of fear and threatof life man commits himself or his family members to the care of gods,spirits, animals, cosmic or earthly elements or whatever comes in his realmand is thought to endanger his life or prevent him from accomplishing hisactions.1. The rite of commendation (paridāna) in the Vedic domestic ritualAll the four Saṃhitās are full of petitions towards animate or animatedentities, seeking to consign a person to the latter’s protection. One of theearliest description of such commendation is found in the ŚatapathaBrāhmaṇa(ŚatBr) 11.5.4, being a part of the ceremony of the pupil’s initiation in theVedic study:brahmacáryam gām íty āha bráhmaṇa evaìtád ātmnaṃ nívedayatibrahmacāry ásānty āha brahmaṇa evaìtád ātmnam páridadātyáthainam āha ko nmāsti prajpatir vai káḥ prājāpatyám evaìnaṃtátkṛtvópanayate | áthāsya hástaṃ gṛhṇāti índrasya brahmacāryásy agnír ācāryás távāhám ācāryás távāsāv íty ete vai śréṣṭhebáliṣṭhe deváte etbhyām evaìnaṃ śréṣṭhābhyām báliṣṭhābhyāṃdevátābhyām páridadāti táthā hāsya brahmacārī na kṃcanrtimrcati na sa yá evaṃ véda | áthainam bhūtébhyaḥ páridadātiprajpataye tvā páridadāmi devya tvā savitre páridadāmty etevai śréṣṭhe várṣiṣṭhe deváte etbhyām evaìnaṃ śréṣṭhābhyāṃ