Atharva Veda 5.17 · Vedas – Griffith · Verses Across
Hinduism · Vedas · Atharva Veda
Atharva Veda 5.17The abduction and restoration of a Brāhman's wife
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Hinduism · Vedas · Atharva Veda
Atharva Veda 5.17
The abduction and restoration of a Brāhman's wife
GriffithEnglish
These first, the boundless Sea, and Mātarisvan, fierce glowing Fire, the Strong, the Bliss-bestower, And heavenly Floods, first-born by holy Order, exclaimed against the outrage on a Brāhman.
King Soma first of all, without reluctance, made restitution of the Brāhman's consort. Mitra and Varuna were the inviters: Agni as Hotar took her hand and led her.
The man, her pledge, must by the hand be taken when he hath cried, She is a Brāhman's consort. She stayed not for a herald to conduct her: thus is the kingdom of a ruler guarded.
She whom they call the star with loosened tresses, descending as. misfortune on the village, The Brāhman's consort, she disturbs the kingdom where hath appeared the hare with fiery flashing.
Active in duty serves the Brahmachāri: he is a member of the Gods' own body. Through him Brihaspati obtained his consort, as the Gods gained the ladle brought by Soma.
Thus spake of her those Gods of old, Seven Rishis, who sate them down to their austere devotion: Dire is a Brāhman's wife led home by others: in the supremest heaven she plants confusion.
When infants die, untimely born, when herds of cattle waste away, When heroes strike each other dead, the Brāhman's wife destroyeth them.
Even if ten former husbands—none a Brāhman—had espoused a dame, And then a Brāhman took her hand, he is her husband, only he,
Not Vaisya, not Rājanya, no, the Brāhman is indeed her lord: This Sūrya in his course proclaims to the Five Races of man-kind.
So then the Gods restored her, so men gave the woman back again. Princes who kept their promises restored the Brāhman's wedded wife.
Having restored the Brāhman's wife, and freed them, with Gods' aid, from sin, They shared the fulness of the earth and worn themselves extended sway.
No lovely wife who brings her dower in hundreds rests upon his bed, Within whose kingdom is detained, through want of sense, a Brāhman's dame.
No broad-browed calf with wide-set ears is ever in his homestead born. Within whose kingdom is detained, through want of sense, a Brāhman's dame.
No steward, golden-necklaced, goes before the meat-trays of the man. Within whose kingdom is detained, through want of sense, a Brāhman's dame.
No black-eared courser, white of hue, moves proudly, harnessed to his car, In whose dominion is detained, through want of sense, a Brāhman's dame.
No lily grows with oval bulbs, no lotus-pool is in his field, In whose dominion is detained, through senseless love, a Brāhman's dame.
The men whose task it is to milk drain not the brindled cow for him, In whose dominion is detained, through senseless love, a Brāhman's dame.
His milch-cow doth not profit one, his draught-ox masters not the yoke, Wherever, severed from his wife, a Brāhman spends the mournful night.
