Book 7: Hymn 56: A charm against poisonous bites and stings

1Whether it came from viper, from black snake or snake with transverse stripes, Or Kankaparvan's bite, this herb hath made the poison power- less. 2Honey-born, honey-dropping, rich in honey, honeysweet, this herb, Is medicine that heals the wound and kills the gnat that bites and stings. 3Whatever bit, or sucked thy blood, we summon thence away from thee The ineffectual poison of the little sharply-stinging gnat. 4Thou here who crookest wicked jaws, thou tortuous, jointless, limbless thing, These jaws thou, Brāhmanaspati! shalt bend together like a reed. 5This scorpion here that creeps along, low on the ground and powerless— p. a294 I have removed his poison and then utterly demolished him. 6No strength in thy two arms hast thou, nor in thy head, nor in thy waist: Then what is that small thing thou so viciously bearest in thy tail? 7The emmets make a meal of thee and peahens tear and mangle thee: All ye are crying out, In sooth the scorpion's poison hath no strength. 8Thou creature who inflictest wounds both with thy mouth and with thy tail, No poison in thy mouth hast thou: what at thy tail's root will there be?