#023 OH MISFORTUNE I AM BINDING YOU WITH IRON THORNS SO THAT YOU CAN catch OUR ENEMIES

BOOK 7, CHAPTER 10, VERSES 115 : A TO D

The purpose of this verse set is to drive away misfortunes and attract auspicious Goddesses of Fortune.

In Hinduism, the Goddess of Fortune is Lakshmi. (In Latvia, North East Europe, the equivalent Goddess is "Lakme maate").

According to this Atharva Veda verse set, there are 101 Lakshmis. Of these some are auspicious and some others are baleful and baneful. These chants pray the Gods Savita (Sun God) and Jaata Veeda (Fire God) to drive away "evil Lakshmis" and send the "auspicious Lakshmi's". The presiding sages are Atharva and Angirasa..

KAAND`A 7, ANUVAKAM 10, SUUKTAM 115 VERSE 7-10-115 A
Pra prateetaha p"aapi Lakshmi nasyeetaha praamutaha
patayan mayeenaankeena d"visht`atee tva sajaamasi.

GIST
Oh misfortune! Go away from here. Do not show yourselves here. Get away even from far off countries. Oh Ill-luck! We are binding you with this iron thorn though you are at a far off place, for catching our enemies.

(Saying this chant, a crow's legs are to be tied with an iron thorn and a purood`aas`m (ground rice offered as oblation, often in a skull or a vessel).

VERSE 7-10-115 B

Yaa maa" Lakshmi patayaaluurnajusht`aa
abhicaskanda vandanee iva vrikshaa
anyatra asmat savitastaam itoo dhaaha
Hir"anyahastoo vasu noo raraan`aha.

GIST
The misfortune of collapsing is all pervading. The Goddess of misfortune dehydrated me like a Badanika creeper (a parasite creeper, may be like water lily) which spreads its tentacles all over the host tree. Oh all inspiring God! Take us away from that bedevilled place to elsewhere. Let the God holding gold in his hands (Hiranyahasta) give us riches.

VERSE 7-10-115 C

Eekaa s`atam Lakshmyoohi maryasya saakam
tanvaa jaanushoodhi jaataaha
taasam paapisht`haa niriitaha pra hi"inmaha
S`ivaaha asmaabhyaam Jaataveedoo niyachcha.

GIST
101 riches are born out of human body at the time of birth. Among them, we are hereby removing the baleful, baneful, sinful Goddesses. Oh Jaata Veeda (Fire God)! Gift us only the auspicious Goddesses.

VERSE 7-10-115 D
Eetaa eena vyaakaran`am khilee gaa nisht`hitaa iva
ramantaam pun`yaa Lakshmiiryaaha paapiist`haa a"niinas`am.

GIST
We are dividing these specific 101 riches into two classes.

Auspicious Goddesses. Just as cows stand all at one place, let all the auspicious Goddesses of luck live in me comfortably.

Let all the baleful, baneful, sinful Goddesses perish.