1. The plants that
are brown, and those that are white; the red ones and the speckled ones; the
sable and the black plants, all (these) do we invoke.
2. May they protect this man from the disease sent by the gods, the herbs whose
father is the sky, whose mother is the earth, whose root is the ocean.
3. The waters and the heavenly plants are foremost; they have driven out from
every limb thy disease, consequent upon sin.
4. The plants that spread forth, those that are busby,
those that have a single sheath, those that creep along, do I address; I call
in thy behalf the plants that have shoots, those that have stalks, those that
divide their branches, those that are derived from all the gods, the strong
(plants) that furnish
life to man.
5. With the might that is yours, ye mighty ones, with the power and strength
that is yours, with that do ye, O plants, rescue this man from this disease!
I now prepare a remedy.
6. The plants givalâ ('quickening'), na-ghâ-rishâ ('forsooth-no-harm'), gîvanti
('living'), and the arundhatî, which removes
(disease), is full of blossoms, and rich in honey, do I call to exempt him from
injury.
7. Hither shall come the intelligent (plants) that understand my speech, that
we may bring this man into safety out of misery!
8. They that are the food of Agni (the fire), the
offspring of the waters, that grow ever renewing themselves, the firm (plants)
that bear a thousand names, the healing (plants), shall be brought hither!
9. The plants, whose womb is the avaki (blyxa octandra), whose essence
are the waters, shall with their sharp horns thrust aside evil!
10. The plants which release, exempt from Varuna
(dropsy), are strong, and destroy poison; those, too, that remove (the disease)
baldsa, and ward off witchcraft shall come hither!'
11. The plants that have been bought, that are right potent, and are praised,
shall protect in this village cow, horse, man, and cattle!
12. Honied are the roots of these herbs, honied their tops, honied their
middles, honied their leaves, honied
their blossoms; they share in honey, are the food of immortality. May they
yield ghee, and food, and cattle chief of all!
13. As many in number and in kind the plants here are upon the earth, may they,
furnished with a thousand leaves, release me from death and misery!
14. Tiger-like is the amulet (made of) herbs, a saviour,
a protector against hostile schemes: may it drive off far away from us all
diseases and the Rakshas!
15. As if at the roar of the lion they start with fright, as if (at the roar)
of fire they tremble before the (plants) that have been brought hither. The
diseases of cattle and men have been driven out by the herbs: let them pass
into navigable streams!
16. The plants release us from Agni Vaisvânara. Spreading over the earth, go ye, whose king is
the tree!
17. The plants, descended from Angiras, that grow upon the mountains and in the plains, shall be
for us rich in milk, auspicious, comforting to the heart!
18. The herbs which I know, and those which I see with my
sight; the unknown, those which we know, and those which we perceive to be
charged with (power),--
19. All plants collectively shall note my words, that we may bring this
man into safety out of misfortune,--
20. The asvattha (ficus religiosa), and the darbha among
the plants; king Soma, amrita (ambrosia) and the oblation; rice and barley, the
two healing, immortal children of heaven!
21. Ye arise: it is thundering and crashing, ye plants, since Parganya (the god of rain) is favouring
you, O children of Prisni (the spotted cloud), with
(his) seed (water).
22. The strength of this amrita (ambrosia) do we crive this man to drink. Moreover, I prepare a remedy, that he may live a hundred years!
23. The boar knows, the ichneumon knows the healing
plant. Those that the serpents and Gandharvas know, I
call hither for help.
24. The plants, derived from the Angiras, which the
eagles and the heavenly raghats (falcons) know, which
the birds and the flamingos know, which all winged (creatures) know, which all
wild animals know, I call hither for help.
25. As many plants as the oxen and kine, as many as
the goats and the sheep feed upon, so many plants, when applied, shall furnish
protection to thee!
26. As many (plants), as the human physicians know to contain a remedy, so
many, endowed with every healing quality, do I apply to thee!
27. Those that have flowers, those that have blossoms, those that bear fruit,
and those that are without fruit, as if from the same mother they shall suck sap,
to exempt this man from injury!
28. 1 have saved thee from a depth of five fathoms, and, too, from a depth of
ten fathoms; moreover, from the foot-fetter of Yama,
and from every sin against the gods.
{06096}
TOGTHER WITH EXTRACTS FROM THE RITUAL BOOKS AND THE
COMMENTARIES TRANSLATED
BY MAURICE BLOOMFIELD Sacred Books of the East,
volume 42[1897]