Rig Veda · 191 of 1027

Mandala 1: HYMN CXCI. Water. Grass. Sun.

1.VENOMOUS, slightly venomous, or venomous aquatic worm,— Both creatures, stinging, unobserved, with poison have infected me.

Insight

The closing hymn of Mandala 1 is a charm against poisonous creatures — snakes, biting insects, venomous worms, scorpions. The Rishi calls on water, grass, and the sun to draw out the poison and on the gods to make the venom invisible to itself. This is the Atharvanic layer surfacing inside the Rig Veda — magic and folk-medicine alongside high cosmology, the same religion that praised Dawn and asked apophatic questions about origins also kept formulas for snakebite. The fourth Veda, the Atharva, is full of such material. Reading this hymn at the close of Mandala 1 is a useful reminder that Vedic religion was a working religion for actual lives: poisonous animals were a daily threat, and the same priesthood that staged Aśvamedhas also chanted for shepherds bitten in the field.

2.Coming, it kills the unobserved; it kills them as it goes away, It kills them as it drives them off, and bruising bruises them to death.

3.Sara grass, Darbha, Kuśara, and Sairya, Muñja, Vīraṇa, Where all these creatures dwell unseen, with poison have infected me.

4.The cows had settled in their stalls, the beasts of prey had sought their lairs, Extinguished were the lights of men, when things unseen infected me.

5.Or these, these reptiles, are observed, like lurking thieves at evening time. Seers of all, themselves unseen: be therefore very vigilant.

6.Heaven is your Sire, your Mother Earth, Soma your Brother, Aditi Your Sister: seeing all, unseen, keep still and dwell ye happily.

7.Biters of shoulder or of limb, with needle-stings, most venomous, Unseen, whatever ye may be, vanish together and be gone.

8.Slayer of things unseen, the Sun, beheld of all, mounts, eastward, up, Consuming all that are not seen, and evil spirits of the night.

9.There hath the Sun-God mounted up, who scorches much and everything. Even the Āditya from the hills, all-seen, destroying things unseen.

10.I hang the poison in the Sun, a wine-skin in a vintner’s house, He will not die, nor shall we die: his path is far: he whom Bay Horses bear hath turned thee to sweet meath.

11.This little bird, so very small, hath swallowed all thy poison up. She will not die, nor shall we die: his path is far: he whom Bay Horses bear hath turned thee to sweet meath.

12.The three-times-seven bright sparks of fire have swallowed up the poison’s strength. They will not die, nor shall we die: his path is far: he whom Bay Horses bear hath turned thee to sweet meath.

13.Of ninety rivers and of nine with power to stay the venom’s course,— The names of all I have secured: his path is far: he whom Bay Horses bear hath turned thee to sweet meath.

14.So have the peahens three-times-seven, so have the maiden Sisters Seven Carried thy venom far away, as girls bear water in their jars.

15.The poison-insect is so small; I crush the creature with a stone. I turn the poison hence away, departed unto distant lands.

16.Forth issuing from the mountain’s side the poison-insect spake and said: Scorpion, they venom is but weak.