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Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (often transmitted under Atharvan/Angiras attribution for apas-healing formulae; specific r̥ṣi not stated in the given excerpt)
Devata: Āpaḥ (the Waters), personified as a sovereign healing power
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (probable; short pāda structure consistent with common AV meters)
この短いアタルヴァ・ヴェーダ讃歌は、水(Āpaḥ)と薬の精髄(rasa)を、生きた主権的な治癒力として捉え、穢れを洗い清めて全き状態へと回復させるものとして語る。祈願と儀礼において聖別された水(およびそれに連なる植物の霊力)に依り、誦者は治療の「薬」、安穏な住まい(kṣaya)、そして家に生成的な繁栄を求める。
Mantra 1
अपां भेषजम्। आपो॒ हि ष्ठा म॑यो॒भुव॒स्ता न॑ ऊ॒र्जे द॑धातन । म॒हे रणा॑य॒ चक्ष॑से
諸々の水は薬(bhēṣajam)である。まことに汝ら水は、喜びを生み出すもの。ゆえにわれらに活力を授けよ――大いなる戦いのために、また視る力のために。
Mantra 2
यो वः॑ शि॒वत॑मो॒ रस॒स्तस्य॑ भाजयते॒ह नः॑ । उ॒श॒तीरि॑व मा॒तरः॑
汝らのうち、最も吉祥にして慈しき精髄(ラサ)を有する者よ——その分け前を、まさにここで我らに授けたまえ。喜びつつ養わんとする母たちのごとく。
Mantra 3
तस्मा॒ अरं॑ गमाम वो॒ यस्य॒ क्षया॑य॒ जिन्व॑थ । आपो॑ ज॒नय॑था च नः
それゆえ我らは、しかるべく汝らに赴かん、ああ水たちよ——安住の住処のために(生命を)活気づける力をもつ汝らに。ああ水たちよ、また我らのために(善きものを)生み出したまえ。
Mantra 4
ईशा॑ना॒ वार्या॑णां॒ क्षय॑न्तीश्चर्षणी॒नाम्। अ॒पो या॑चामि भेष॒जम्
水の主宰にして、人々の住処たるものよ。われは諸々の水に、薬(bhēṣajam)を乞い願う。
It asks the Waters to become ‘medicine’—to cleanse impurity and illness, restore vitality, and bring stable well-being to the person and home.
Water is fetched cleanly, the verses are recited over it, and then it is used for sprinkling (purification) and, when appropriate, a small sip as a healing intake.
Rasa is the curative essence—especially associated with plants—understood as the kindly, nourishing potency that the Waters can carry and deliver for healing.
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