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Hymns of the Atharva Veda, by Ralph T.H. Griffith, [1895], at sacred-texts.com


p. 258

HYMN LVII

A charm against evil dreams

1As men discharge the utmost debt, collect the eighth and
   sixteenth part,
  So to the foeman we transfer together all the evil dream.
2Princes came together, debts came together, Kushthas came to-
   gether,
  Sixteenths came together. The whole evil dream that hath visited
   us we send away as a bad dream to the man who hates us.
3Child of Gods' Consorts, minister of Yama is the good Dream:
   that which is my trouble we drive away to the enemy.
4Thou whose name is Rough art the mouth of the Black Bird.
  As such we know thee, Dream, as such we know thee well. Like
   a horse art thou, O Dream. As they bind girth and surcingle
   on a horse, so bind the alien mischief-maker, the scorner of
   the Gods.
5The evil dream that threatens us, threatens our cattle or our
   home.
  That let the scorner of the Gods, the alien mischief-maker bind
   as a gold jewel round his neck.
6Having measured off nine cubits' distance from us we give away
   the whole of the evil dream to the man who hates us.


Next: Hymn 58: A prayer for prosperity, accompanying a sacrifice