20-24 septembrie 2009 - Biblioteca Metropolitana Bucuresti

The bride with the yoke: Interpretation of the Kauśikasūtra 76.11-13 725[recitation of] Vaivāhikagaṇa, 15 stanza by stanza, he sprinkles [it] on thebride who is sitting under the yoke. He sprinkles water flowing over thegrass-blade into the yoke-hole, in such a manner that makes [it] flowover [that piece of] gold and flows down on the bride.Thus, it is clear from the above description in the ancillary texts ofboth Śaunaka and Paippalāda schools of the Atharvaveda, that the bride isnot tied to the yoke. A piece of gold is to be tied into the yoke-hole with ablade of grass.1.4. A fresh translation of the sūtrasWith this sufficient background, may I now present my translation ofthe sūtras:KauśS 76.11: śākhāyaṁ yugam ādhāya dakṣiṇato ’nyo dhārayati / –Having placed a yoke on a branch, another [person] holds it to the rightside.KauśS 76.12: dakṣiṇasyāṁ yugadury uttarasmin yugatardmani darbheṇavigrathya śaṁ ta iti lalāṭe saṁstabhya hiraṇyaṁ japati / – On the rightyoke-end, in the left yoke-hole having tied [a piece of] gold with a grassbladeand having fastened [it] on [the bide's] fore-head, he murmurs śaṁte (ŚS 14.1.40), [Let the gold be] auspicious for you” [over it].KauśS 76.13: tardma samayāvasiñcati / – At the same time [he] sprinklesthe yoke-hole.2. The nuptial rite with the yoke in practiceIt is worth mentioning here that, apart from the Atharvaveda tradition,quite a similar nuptial rite with a yoke has been prescribed in other Vedictraditions as well. 16The presence and employment of the yoke in the wedding ritual playsan important role amongst various tribals throughout contemporary India.15This group of mantras contains ten stanzas including the one śaṁ te hiraṇyam,which is PS 18.4.9. The mantras in the gaṇa are given in the Paippalādavivāhādisaṁskārapaddhati, p. 171 ff. Other traceable stanzas here are PS 18.4.10, 18.5.1, 18.4.4and 5. This portion of the Paippalādasaṁhitā is yet to see the light of the day. I have useda photocopy of the hand-written press copy of the Nuptial hymns, kindly made availableto me by Dipak BHATTACHARYA and the electronic text of the Saṁhitā prepared byArlo GRIFFITHS.16Cf. ĀpGS 2.4.8; KāṭhGS 25.8 and MāGS 1.10.5-7. It is also interesting to mentionhere that WINTERNITZ (1892:44), while commenting on the rite mentioned in the ĀpGS,cites examples from the marriage customs in the Indo-European societies where a yoke ofa wagon plays an important role.