6f. Hymns to Allay Jealousy

[Full title: 6. Hymns Related to Love and Jealousy (f): Hymns to Allay Jealousy]

The jealousy, arising into the mind of a man after knowing his wife as being seen by others is regarded as the first impetus of jealousy.^[1] Due to such state of mind, his heart burns.^[2] Therefore, the man is desired to be freed for such types of pain.^[3] As the Earth, the substratum of all beings is dead-minded, and even more dead than a dead person, but, yet, endures all sorts of sufferings, in the same way, the mind of an envious person is also wanted to be freed from jealousy.^[4] The emulation which has found its place into the heart of a man and which causes the agitation of the mind is intended to be cleansed like that of a blacksmith, who releases the hot vapour from the bag of skin.^[5]

The hymn janād viśvajanīnād^[6] …, etc., also is aimed at the mitigation of jealousy. Sāyaṇācārya^[7] has paraphrased this as being addressed to certain auṣadha. From the descriptions of the same, it may be conjectured that the auṣadha probably may be one type of medicinal substance. Here, the qualities of such medicine which may appease anger and jealousy are described.^{[8] [9]} The medicine is spoken of as being collected from places which is beneficial for all beings,^[10] collected from the oceans^[11] and collected from some remote places.^[12] Sāyaṇācārya,^[13] thereby identifies the auṣadha with the flour of barley.

Next to this, the god who removes jealousy is extolled to soothe the anger and the emulation of an envious person.^[14] He is asked to do so with the water, boiled by the heat of a hot axe, just like the fire which is also appeased with water.^[15]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

īrṣyāyāḥ / strīviṣayā akṣamā atra īrṣyā mainām anyo drākṣīt ityevaṃrūpā / tasyā īrṣyāyāḥ dhrājim / vegayuktāṃ gatiṃ prathamām prathamotpannām / Sāyaṇa on Atharvaveda, 6.18.1

[2]:

agniṃ hṛdayyaṃ śokaṃ … / Atharvaveda, 6.18.1 hṛdayyaṃ hṛdayadāhakaṃ tatra bhava kopāgniṃ śokaṃ ca / Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[3]:

… taṃ te nirvāpayāmasi / Atharvaveda, 6.18.1

[4]:

cf., Ibid., 6.18.2

[5]:

ado yat te hṛdi śritaṃ manaskaṃ patayiṣṇukam / tatasta īrṣyāṃ muñcāmi nirūṣmāṇaṃ dṛteriva // Ibid., 6.18.3

[6]:

Ibid., 7.45

[7]:

atra īrṣyānivartanakṣamam auṣadhaṃ saṃbodhyate / Sāyaṇa, Ibid., 7.45.1

[8]:

īrṣyāyāḥ krodhasya nāma khalu bheṣajam nivartanakṣamam auṣadhaṃ / Sāyaṇa on Atharvaveda,

[9]:

.45.1

[10]:

viśvajanīnāt viśvajanahitāt / tādṛśāt janāt / janapadādityarthaḥ / Sāyaṇa on Atharvaveda, 7.45.1

[11]:

tathā sindhutaḥ samudrāt / Sāyaṇa on Atharvaveda, 7.45.1

[12]:

dūrāt dūradeśād / Sāyaṇa on Atharvaveda, 7.45.1

[13]:

saktumanthanalakṣaṇam auṣadham / Sāyaṇa on Atharvaveda, 7.45.1

[14]:

cf., Atharvaveda, 7.45.2 īrṣyānivārako devaḥ saṃbodhyate / Sāyaṇa, Ibid.

[15]:

taptaparaśukvathitenodakena śamaya śāntāṃ kurviti īrṣyānivārako devaḥ saṃbodhyate / … / yathā agniṃ jvalantam udnā udakena śamayati tadvat / Sāyaṇa on Atharvaveda, 7.45.2