History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c92.13

v7.c92.13

Magic spells are found in plenty in the Atharvaveda and some mystic words or syllables are used even in the Ṛgveda; e. g. the word '*vaṣaṭ*' occurs in Ṛg. VII. 99. 7, VII. 100. 7 and other verses and the word *svāhā*¹⁶⁶⁷ occurs over a dozen times in the Ṛgveda (e. g. in I. 13. 12, V. 5, 11, VII. 2. 11). A sleep-inducing spell occurs in Ṛg. VII. 55. 5-8,¹⁶⁶⁸ which verses occur also in the Atharvaveda IV. 5. 6, 5, 1, 3 and which spell was probably employed by a *purohita* to put to sleep some noble man complaining of sleeplessness at night. Some Western scholars have held that this hymn is a lover's charm for a clandestine meeting with his lady-love. But the whole hymn has hardly any words of love in it and the author is not able to accept that theory as proved. Ṛgveda X. 145 is a hymn to be employed against a co-wife, the first verse of which is 'I dig up this herb, which is a most powerful creeper, by which (a woman) injures her co-wife and by which she secures her husband (to herself alone)'