Atharvaveda Samhita — Kanda 5 — Chapter 17

AV 5 17.1

ते ऽवदन् प्रथमा ब्रह्मकिल्बिषे ऽकूपारः सलिलो मातरिश्वा । वीडुहरास् तप उग्रं मयोभूर् आपो देवीः प्रथमजा ऋतस्य

te 'vadan prathamā brahmakilbiṣe 'kūpāraḥ salilo mātariśvā | vīḍuharās tapa ugraṃ mayobhūr āpo devīḥ prathamajā ṛtasya

They spoke of it first, in the matter of the offence against the brahman (or: the brahman's wife): the boundless one, the flood, Mātariśvan; (also) the firm-bearing(?) heat, terrible (yet) bringing ease, and the divine Waters, first-born of ṛta.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

AV 5 17.2

सोमो राजा प्रथमो ब्रह्मजायां पुनः प्रायछद् अहृणीयमानः । अन्वर्तिता वरुणो मित्र आसीद् अग्निर् होता हस्तगृह्या निनाय

somo rājā prathamo brahmajāyāṃ punaḥ prāyachad ahṛṇīyamānaḥ | anvartitā varuṇo mitra āsīd agnir hotā hastagṛhyā nināya

King Soma first gave back the brahman's wife, without resentment; Varuṇa and Mitra were the ones who fetched her back, Agni as hotṛ led her, taking her by the hand.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AV 5 17.3

हस्तेनैव ग्राह्य आधिर् अस्या ब्रह्मजायेति चेद् अवोचत् । न दूताय प्रहेया तस्थ एषा तथा राष्ट्रं गुपितं क्षत्रियस्य

hastenaiva grāhya ādhir asyā brahmajāyeti ced avocat | na dūtāya praheyā tastha eṣā tathā rāṣṭraṃ gupitaṃ kṣatriyasya

By the hand itself must her pledge be seized, once one has said, "She is a brahman's wife"; she has stood so as not to be sent for a messenger — thus is the realm of the kṣatriya kept guarded.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

AV 5 17.4

याम् आहुस् तारकैषा विकेशीति दुछुनां ग्रामम् अवपद्यमानाम् । सा ब्रह्मजाया वि दुनोति राष्ट्रं यत्र प्रापादि शश उल्कुषीमान्

yām āhus tārakaiṣā vikeśīti duchunāṃ grāmam avapadyamānām | sā brahmajāyā vi dunoti rāṣṭraṃ yatra prāpādi śaśa ulkuṣīmān

She whom they call "the star with loosened hair," coming down upon the village as calamity — she is the brahman's wife; she burns apart the realm, where the hare with the meteor has appeared.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

AV 5 17.5

ब्रह्मचारी चरति वेविषद् विषः स देवानां भवत्य् एकम् अङ्गम् । तेन जायाम् अन्व् अविन्दद् बृहस्पतिः सोमेन नीतां जुह्वं न देवाः

brahmacārī carati veviṣad viṣaḥ sa devānāṃ bhavaty ekam aṅgam | tena jāyām anv avindad bṛhaspatiḥ somena nītāṃ juhvaṃ na devāḥ

The brahmacārin goes about, busily performing his service; he becomes one limb of the gods. By him Bṛhaspati found again his wife, who had been led away by Soma, as the gods (found) the offering-ladle.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

AV 5 17.6

देवा वा एतस्याम् अवदन्त पूर्वे सप्तऋषयस् तपसा ये निषेदुः । भीमा जाया ब्राह्मणस्यापनीता दुर्धां दधाति परमे व्योमन्

devā vā etasyām avadanta pūrve saptaṛṣayas tapasā ye niṣeduḥ | bhīmā jāyā brāhmaṇasyāpanītā durdhāṃ dadhāti parame vyoman

Indeed the gods of old spoke about her, and the seven seers who sat down with fervour: "Fearsome is a brāhmaṇa's wife, when led away; she sets ill-placement in the highest heaven."

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

AV 5 17.7

ये गर्भा अवपद्यन्ते जगद् यच् चापलुप्यते । वीरा ये तृह्यन्ते मिथो ब्रह्मजाया हिनस्ति तान्

ye garbhā avapadyante jagad yac cāpalupyate | vīrā ye tṛhyante mitho brahmajāyā hinasti tān

The embryos that miscarry, and whatever living thing is torn away, the heroes who are crushed against one another — the brahman's wife destroys them.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AV 5 17.8

उत यत् पतयो दश स्त्रियाः पूर्वे अब्राह्मणाः । ब्रह्मा चेद् धस्तम् अग्रहीत् स एव पतिर् एकधा

uta yat patayo daśa striyāḥ pūrve abrāhmaṇāḥ | brahmā ced dhastam agrahīt sa eva patir ekadhā

And even if a woman has had ten former husbands who were not brāhmaṇas, if a brahman has taken her hand, he alone is the husband.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AV 5 17.9

ब्राह्मण एव पतिर् न राजन्यो न वैश्यः । तत् सूर्यः प्रब्रुवन्न् एति पञ्चभ्यो मानवेभ्यः

brāhmaṇa eva patir na rājanyo na vaiśyaḥ | tat sūryaḥ prabruvann eti pañcabhyo mānavebhyaḥ

A brāhmaṇa alone is (her) husband, not a man of royal rank, not a vaiśya; that is what Sūrya goes proclaiming to the five (peoples) descended from Manu.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AV 5 17.10

पुनर् वै देवा अददुः पुनर् मनुष्या अददुः । राजानः सत्यं गृह्णाना ब्रह्मजायां पुनर् ददुः

punar vai devā adaduḥ punar manuṣyā adaduḥ | rājānaḥ satyaṃ gṛhṇānā brahmajāyāṃ punar daduḥ

The gods gave (her) back, men gave (her) back; kings, holding to the truth, gave the brahman's wife back.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AV 5 17.11

पुनर्दाय ब्रह्मजायां कृत्वा देवैर् निकिल्बिषम् । ऊर्जं पृथिव्या भक्त्वोरुगायम् उपासते

punardāya brahmajāyāṃ kṛtvā devair nikilbiṣam | ūrjaṃ pṛthivyā bhaktvorugāyam upāsate

Having given back the brahmin's wife, having made (themselves) free of offence together with the gods, having shared in the nourishing strength of the earth, they possess wide room (to walk in).

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

AV 5 17.12

नास्य जाया शतवाही कल्याणी तल्पम् आ शये । यस्मिन् राष्ट्रे निरुध्यते ब्रह्मजायाचित्त्या

nāsya jāyā śatavāhī kalyāṇī talpam ā śaye | yasmin rāṣṭre nirudhyate brahmajāyācittyā

No wife of his, bringing a hundred (gifts), fair, lies upon his couch, in whose kingdom the brahmin's wife is held back in ignorance.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AV 5 17.13

न विकर्णः पृथुशिरास् तस्मिन् वेश्मनि जायते । यस्मिन् राष्ट्रे निरुध्यते ब्रह्मजायाचित्त्या

na vikarṇaḥ pṛthuśirās tasmin veśmani jāyate | yasmin rāṣṭre nirudhyate brahmajāyācittyā

No broad-headed (calf) with (marked) ears is born in that dwelling, in whose kingdom the brahmin's wife is held back in ignorance.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

AV 5 17.14

नास्य क्षत्ता निष्कग्रीवः सूनानाम् एत्य् अग्रतः । यस्मिन् राष्ट्रे निरुध्यते ब्रह्मजायाचित्त्या

nāsya kṣattā niṣkagrīvaḥ sūnānām ety agrataḥ | yasmin rāṣṭre nirudhyate brahmajāyācittyā

No chamberlain of his with a golden necklace goes at the head of the (offering) baskets, in whose kingdom the brahmin's wife is held back in ignorance.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

AV 5 17.15

नास्य श्वेतः कृष्णकर्णो धुरि युक्तो महीयते । यस्मिन् राष्ट्रे निरुध्यते ब्रह्मजायाचित्त्या

nāsya śvetaḥ kṛṣṇakarṇo dhuri yukto mahīyate | yasmin rāṣṭre nirudhyate brahmajāyācittyā

No white (horse) of his with black ears is honoured, yoked at the pole, in whose kingdom the brahmin's wife is held back in ignorance.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AV 5 17.16

नास्य क्षेत्रे पुष्करिणी नाण्डीकं जायते बिसम् । यस्मिन् राष्ट्रे निरुध्यते ब्रह्मजायाचित्त्या

nāsya kṣetre puṣkariṇī nāṇḍīkaṃ jāyate bisam | yasmin rāṣṭre nirudhyate brahmajāyācittyā

In his field no lotus-pond, no lotus-stalk with its root-shoot comes into being, in whose kingdom the brahmin's wife is held back in ignorance.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain

AV 5 17.17

नास्मै पृश्निं वि दुहन्ति ये ऽस्या दोहम् उपासते । यस्मिन् राष्ट्रे निरुध्यते ब्रह्मजायाचित्त्या

nāsmai pṛśniṃ vi duhanti ye 'syā doham upāsate | yasmin rāṣṭre nirudhyate brahmajāyācittyā

They do not milk out the dappled cow for him, those who attend to her milking, in whose kingdom the brahmin's wife is held back in ignorance.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition

AV 5 17.18

नास्य धेनुः कल्याणी नानड्वान्त् सहते धुरम् । विजानिर् यत्र ब्रह्मणो रात्रिं वसति पापया

nāsya dhenuḥ kalyāṇī nānaḍvānt sahate dhuram | vijānir yatra brahmaṇo rātriṃ vasati pāpayā

No good milch-cow of his, no draught-ox endures the yoke-pole, where a brahmin, parted from his wife, passes the night wretchedly.

AI translation rendered from the Sanskrit, not a published edition — the model flagged this verse as uncertain