Yajur Sama Atharvan Vedas

ATHARVA VEDA
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crushes the svaga and the vriskika both.
16. Indra did set at naught for me the serpent, (and so did) Mitra and Varuna, Vâta and Parganya
both.
17. Indra did set at naught for me the serpent, the adder, male and female, the svaga, (the serpent) that
is striped across, the kasarnîla, and the dasonasi.
18. Indra slew thy first ancestor, O serpent, and since they are crushed, what strength, forsooth, can
be theirs?
19. I have gathered up their heads, as the fisherman the karvara (fish). I have gone off into the river's
midst, and washed out the serpent's poison.
20. The poison of all serpents the rivers shall carry off! Slain are they that are striped across, crushed
are the adders!
21. As skilfully I cull the fibre of the plants, as I guide the mares, (thus), O serpent, shall thy poison
go away!
22. The poison that is in the fire, in the sun, in the earth, and in the plants, the kândâ-poison, the
kanaknaka, thy poison shall go forth, and come!
23. The serpents that are sprung from the fire, that are sprung from the plants, that are sprung from
the water, and originate from the lightning; they from whom great brood has sprung in many ways,
those serpents do we revere with obeisance.
24. Thou art, (O plant), a maiden, Taudî by name.; Ghritâkî, forsooth, is thy name. Underfoot is thy
place: I take in hand what destroys the poison.
25. From every limb make the poison start; shut it out from the heart! Now the force that is in thy
poison shall go down below!
26. The poison has gone to a distance: he has shut it out; he has fused the poison with poison. Agni
has put away the poison of the serpent, Soma has led it out. The poison has gone back to the biter.
The serpent is dead!
XI, 2. Prayer to Bhava and Sarva for protection from dangers.
1. O Bhava and Sarva, be merciful, do not attack (us); ye lords of beings, lords of cattle, reverence be
to you twain! Discharge not your arrow even after it has been laid on (the bow), and has been drawn!
Destroy not our bipeds and our quadrupeds!
2. Prepare not our bodies for the dog, or the jackal; for the aliklavas, the vultures, and the black birds!
Thy greedy insects, O lord of cattle (pasupate), and thy birds shall not get us to devour!
3. Reverence we offer, O Bhava, to thy roaring, to thy breath, and to thy injurious qualities; reverence
to thee, O Rudra, thousand-eyed, immortal!
4. We offer reverence to thee from the east, from the north, and from the -south; from (every)
domain, and from heaven. Reverence be to thy atmosphere!
5. To thy face, O lord of cattle, to thy eyes, O Bhava, to thy skin, to thy form, thy appearance, (and to
thy aspect) from behind, reverence be!
6. To thy limbs, to thy belly, to thy tongue, to thy mouth, to thy teeth, to thy smell (nose), reverence
be!
7. May we not conflict with Rudra, the archer with the dark crest, the thousand-eyed, powerful one,
the slayer of Ardhaka!
8. Bhava shall steer clear from us on all sides, Bhava shall steer clear from us, as fire from water!
May he not bear malice towards us: reverence be to him!
9. Four times, eight times, be reverence to Bhava, ten times be reverence to thee, O lord of cattle! To
thy (charge) have been assigned these five (kinds of) cattle: cows, horses, men, goats and sheep.
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