Atharva Veda 3.3.2: Kanda 3, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 3, Mantra 2

Sukta 3

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

दू॒रे चि॒त् सन्त॑मरु॒षास॒ इन्द्र॒मा च्या॑वयन्तु स॒ख्याय॒ विप्र॑म्। यद् गा॑य॒त्रीं बृ॑ह॒तीम॒र्कम॑स्मै सौत्राम॒ण्या दधृ॑षन्त दे॒वाः

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 3.3.2

IAST Transliteration

dūré cit sántam aruṣā́sa índram ā́ cyā́vayantu sakhyā́ya vípram | yád gā́yatrīm bṛhatī́m árkam asmai sautrāmaṇyā́ dadhṛ́ṣanta devā́ḥ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Though he be far away, let the ruddy Powers set Indra in motion hither, for friendship, (to aid) the inspired priest; for when, with the Sautrāmaṇī, the Gods took courage to frame for him the Gāyatrī, the Bṛhatī, and the hymn of praise.

Translation

وإن كان بعيدًا، فلتُحَرِّكِ القوى الحمراء إِندرا إلى هنا، صداقةً، لنصرةِ الكاهنِ المُلهَم. إذ حينَ تشجَّعَتِ الآلهةُ مع سَوْترَامَني (Sautrāmaṇī) فصاغوا له غاياتري (Gāyatrī) وبْرِهَتي (Bṛhatī) وترنيمةَ المديح.

The meaning

What it says

Even if Indra is far away, the ruddy (luminous) powers are urged to set him in motion toward the singer-priest as a friend. The verse recalls how, in the Sautrāmaṇī context, the gods ‘took courage’ and fashioned metrical forces—Gāyatrī, Bṛhatī—and a charged hymn (arka) for Indra.

The inner meaning

When vitality feels distant, one invokes the inner ‘Indra’ (agency, courage, decisive strength). The ‘aruṣa’ powers are the rising impulses of life-force that mobilize stalled will. Naming meters is a technique of re-patterning speech and breath: regulated utterance restores confidence and coherence.

The truth in it

Strength returns when supportive forces are summoned through disciplined speech, rhythm, and friendship/alliance; distance (external or internal) can be overcome by correctly directed intention and invocatory order.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Bhaisajya / Paustika (strengthening-deliverance; Sautrāmaṇī-linked invigoration)

Its aim

To draw Indra near even from afar and secure his friendly, strengthening aid—especially for restoration of vigor and deliverance from debility or peril under the Sautrāmaṇī paradigm.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

दूरे । चित् । सन्तम् । अरुषासः । इन्द्रम् । आ । च्यावयन्तु । सख्याय । विप्रम् । यत् । गायत्रीम् । बृहतीम् । अर्कम् । अस्मै । सौत्रामण्या । दधृषन्त । देवाः ।

दूरे

far awayfar away; even at a distance (marking remoteness to be overcome by the rite)Adjective (used adverbially)नपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे/स्त्रीलिङ्गे; सप्तमी एकवचन (अव्ययीभाव-प्रयोगः: ‘दूर’ = ‘far away’)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot दूर (प्रातिपदिक)

चित्

even, indeedeven, indeed; emphatic particle strengthening the overcoming of distanceIndeclinableनिपातः (अवधारण/अपि-अर्थे)Root चित् (निपात)

सन्तम्

being, existingbeing, existing (there); the one who is situated/abiding (Indra as present though remote)Adjective/Participleवर्तमान कृदन्तः; पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचन (इन्द्रम् विशेषयति)Role Karma (as qualifier of the object)Root अस् (धातु) → सन्त् (वर्तमान कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)

अरुषासः

the ruddy ones (dawns / reddish lights)the ruddy (dawns/bright ones); luminous powers that impel and bring (often construed as dawn-rays or fiery helpers)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अरुष (प्रातिपदिक)

इन्द्रम्

IndraIndra; the mighty helper, especially as deliverer and giver of strength (here tied to Sautrāmaṇī deliverance)Noun (proper)पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)

आ

hither, towardshither, toward (directional preverb: bringing Indra near)Indeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गः (आ- = ‘towards, hither’), च्यावयन्तु इत्यस्य सहRoot आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

च्यावयन्तु

may they cause to move/bringlet them move/impel/bring (him) forth; causative ‘set in motion’—a ritual ‘drawing near’ of the deityVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे) परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः बहुवचन; णिच्-प्रयोगः (causative)Role KriyāRoot च्यु (धातु) [णिच्]

सख्याय

for friendship, for companionshipfor friendship, for alliance; to establish friendly relation (sakhya) with the invoked powerNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे/पुंलिङ्गे; चतुर्थी एकवचन (दत्त्यर्थे)Role SampradānaRoot सख्य (प्रातिपदिक)

विप्रम्

the inspired sagethe inspired sage/poet-priest; also ‘wise one’ (here: the ritualist/chanter as the beneficiary or agent of invocation)Nounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)

यत्

which, that (which)when/that; introducing the causal ground of efficacyPronoun (relative)नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (सम्बन्ध-निर्देशः; ‘that which’)Role Karma (of implied ‘they fashioned/produced’)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

गायत्रीम्

the Gāyatrī (metre/chant)the Gāyatrī (meter/chant); a potent metrical form used as a magical-ritual instrumentNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot गायत्री (प्रातिपदिक)

बृहतीम्

the Bṛhatī (metre)the Bṛhatī (meter); ‘the great’—a stronger, expansive metrical forceNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot बृहती (प्रातिपदिक)

अर्कम्

a hymn/chant (arka)a hymn/chant of praise; also ‘ray’—a charged utterance functioning as a ritual implementNounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अर्क (प्रातिपदिक)

अस्मै

to him (to Indra)for him, to him (Indra as recipient/target of the metrical-hymnic offering)Pronounपुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot अयम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → अस्मद्-प्रयोगः (दत्त्यर्थे)

सौत्रामण्याः

(as) Sautrāmaṇī(-deities/rites), of the SautrāmaṇīNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचन (देवाः इत्यस्य विशेषण/सम्बद्ध-नाम)Role Kartā (appositional/qualifying)Root सौत्रामणी (प्रातिपदिक)

दधृषन्त

they dared, they venturedthey dared/ventured/undertook; ‘they set about’ (the gods initiated/established the efficacious chant/rite)Verbलिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्णभूत) परस्मैपदम्; प्रथमपुरुषः बहुवचनRole KriyāRoot धृष् (धातु)

देवाः

the godsthe gods; divine authorities guaranteeing the mantra’s precedent and powerNounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनRole KartāRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• पदच्छेदः: दूरे | चित् | सन्तम् | अरुषासः | इन्द्रम् | आ | च्यावयन्तु | सख्याय | विप्रम् || यत् | गायत्रीम् | बृहतीम् | अर्कम् | अस्मै | सौत्रामण्याः | दधृषन्त | देवाः । प्रमुख-सन्धयः:
• (1) ‘सन्तम् अरुषासः’ इति पदसीमा पर विसर्ग/स्वर-सन्धि न
• केवल संहिता-पाठे संयोगः।
• (2) ‘इन्द्रम् आ’ इत्यत्र म् + आ संहिता में ‘इन्द्रमा’ (अनुस्वार/मकार-परसवर्ण) रूपेण दृश्यते।
• (3) ‘सौत्रामण्या दधृषन्त’ इत्यत्र ‘सौत्रामण्याः’ (प्रथमा बहु.) + ‘दधृषन्त’ संहिता में ‘सौत्रामण्या’ इव संक्षिप्त/स्वर-समायोजन सहित पठ्यते
• पदपाठानुसारः ‘सौत्रामण्याः’ ग्रहणीयः।

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic/Angiras-type attribution (as per AV anukramaṇī for 3.3; requires recension-specific confirmation).

Devata

Indra (with luminous ‘aruṣa’ helpers; chandas invoked as auxiliary power).

Chandas

Mixed/triadic chandas-reference within the verse (Gāyatrī, Bṛhatī); the verse itself is not simply reducible to a single meter because it thematizes meters as operative forces.

Rasa

Vira and Adbhuta

Sayana's Commentary

The Seer

The Deity

The Metre

The Rite

In the Home

Substances

Healing Context

Magic Charm Layer

Symbols in this Mantra

Yogic Application

Chanting Notes

Practical Application

Scholarly Questions