A charm against witchcraft

1Afar let her depart: away we drive her whom, made with hands, all-beautiful, Skilled men prepare and fashion like a bride amid her nuptial train.

2Complete, with head and nose and ears, all-beauteous, wrought with magic skill Afar let her depart: away we drive her.

3Made by a Sidra or a Prince, by priests or women let her go. Back to her maker as her kin, like a dame banished by her lord.

4I with this salutary herb have ruined all their magic arts, The spell which they have cast upon thy field, thy cattle, or thy men.

5Ill fall on him who doeth ill, on him who curseth fall the curse! We drive her back that she may slay the man who wrought the witchery.

6Against her comes the Angirasa, the Priest whose eye is over us. Turn back all witcheries and slay those practisers of magic arts.

7Whoever said to thee, Go forth against the foeman up the stream, To him, O Krityā, go thou back. Pursue not us, the sinless ones.

8He who composed thy limbs with thought as a deft joiner builds a car, Go to him: thither lies thy way. This man is all unknown to thee.

9The cunning men, the sorcerers who fashioned thee and held thee fast, — This cures and mars their witchery, this, repellent, drives it back the way it came. With this we make thee swim.

10When we have found her ducked and drenched, a hapless cow whose calf hath died, Let all my woe depart and let abundant riches come to me.

11If, as they gave thy parents aught, they named thee, or at sacri-fice, From all their purposed evil let these healing herbs deliver thee.

12From mention of thy name, from sin against the Fathers or the Gods, These herbs of healing shall by prayer release thee, by power, by holy texts, the milk of.Rishis.

13As the wind stirs the dust from earth and drives the rain cloud from the sky, So, chased and banished by the spell, all misery departs from me.

14Go with a resonant cry, depart, like a she-ass whose cords are loosed. Go to thy makers: hence! away! Go driven by the potent spell.

15This, Krityā, is thy path, we say, and guide thee. We drive thee back who hast been sent against us. Go by this pathway, breaking loose for onslaught even as a host complete with cars and horses.

16No path leads hitherward for thee to travel. Turn thee from us: far off, thy light is yonder. Fly hence across the ninety floods, the rivers most hard to pass. Begone, and be not wounded.

17As wind the trees, so smite and overthrow them: leave not cow, horse, or man of them surviving Return, O Krityā, unto those who made thee. Wake them from sleep to find that they are