Book 8: Hymn 7: A charm to restore a sick man to health

1The tawny-coloured, and the pale, the variegated and the red, The dusky-tinted, and the black,—all Plants we summon hither- ward. 2This man let them deliver from Consumption which the Gods have sent. The father of these Herbs was Heaven, their mother Earth, the Sea their root. 3The Waters are the best, and heavenly Plants. From every limb of thine have they removed Consumption caused by sin. 4I speak to Healing Herbs spreading, and bushy, to creepers, and to those whose sheath is single, I call for thee the fibrous and the reed-like, and branching. Plants, dear to the Visve Devas, powerful, giving life to men. 5The conquering strength, the power and might which ye, victo- rious Plants, possess, Therewith deliver this man here from this Consumption, O ye Plants: so I prepare the remedy. 6The living Plant that giveth life, that driveth malady away, Arundhatr, the rescuer, strengthening, rich a sweets I call, to free this man from scath and harm. 7Hitherward let the sapient come, the friendly sharers o f my speech. p. a341 That we may give this man relief and raise him from his evil plight. 8Germ of the Waters, Agni's food, Plants ever growing fresh and new, Sure, healing, bearing thousand names, let them be all collected here.

here. 9Let Plants whose soul is water, girt with Avakās, piercing with their sharp horns expel the malady. 10Strong, antidotes of poison, those releasers, free from Varuna, And those that drive away Catarrh, and those that frustrate magic arts, let all those Plants come hitherward. 11Let purchased Plants of mightier power, Plants that are praised for excellence. Here in this village safely keep cattle and horses, man and beast. 12Sweet is their root, sweet are these Plants' top branches, sweet also is their intermediate portion; Sweet is their foliage, and sweet their blossom, combined with sweetness is their taste of Amrit: food, fatness let them yield, with kine preceding. 13These Plants that grow upon the earth, whate'er their number and their size, Let these with all their thousand leaves free me from Death and misery. 14May the Plants' Tiger-amulet, protective, guardian from the curse, Beat off the brood of demons, drive all maladies afar from us. 15Before the gathered Plants they fly and scatter, as though a lion's roar or fire dismayed them. Expelled by Plants, let men's and kine's Consumption pass from us to the navigable rivers. 16Emancipated from the sway of Agni, of Vaisvānara, go, covering the earth, ye Plants whose ruler is Vanaspati. 17May these be pleasant to our heart, auspicious, rich in store of milk, These Plants of the Angirases which grow on mountains and on

These Plants of the Angirases which grow on mountains and on plains. 18The Plants I know myself, the plants that with mine eye I look upon, Plants yet unknown, and those we know, wherein we find that power is stored, p. a342 19Let all the congregated Plants attend and mark mine utterance, That we may rescue this man here and save him from severe distress. 20Asvattha, Darbha, King of Plants, is Soma, deathless sacrifice Barley and Rice are healing balms, the sons of Heaven who never die. 21Lift yourselves up, ye Healing Plants, loud is the thunder's crash and roar. When with full flow Parjanya, ye Children of Prisni! blesseth; you. 22We give the essence of that stream of nectar of this man to drink: So I prepare a remedy that he may live a hundred years. 23Well doth the wild boar know a Plant, the mungoose knows the Healing Herb. I call, to aid this man, the Plants which Serpents and Gandhar- vas know. 24Plants of Angirases which hawks, celestial Plants which eagles. know; Plants known to swans and lesser fowl, Plants known to all the birds that fly. Plants that are known to sylvan beasts,—I call them all to aid this man. 25The multitude of herbs whereon the Cows whom none may slaughter feed, all that are food for goats and sheep, So many Plants, brought hitherward, give shelter and defence to thee! 26Hitherward unto thee I bring the Plants that cure all maladies, All Plants wherein physicians have discovered health-bestowing

power. 27Let Plants with flower and Plants with bud, the fruitful and the fruitless, all, Like children of one mother, yield their stores for this man's perfeet health. 28From the Five-arrowed, from the Ten-arrowed have I delivered thee, Freed thee from Yama's fetter and from all offence against the Gods,