Atharva Veda 4.22.2: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 22, Mantra 2
Sukta 22
एमं भ॑ज॒ ग्रामे॒ अश्वे॑षु॒ गोषु॒ निष्टं भ॑ज॒ यो अ॒मित्रो॑ अ॒स्य। वर्ष्म॑ क्ष॒त्राणा॑म॒यम॑स्तु॒ राजेन्द्र॒ शत्रुं॑ रन्धय॒ सर्व॑म॒स्मै
enám bhaja grā́me áśveṣu góṣu níṣṭaṃ bhaja yó amítró asya | várṣma kṣatrā́ṇām ayám astu rā́jendra śátruṃ randhaya sárvam asmai ||
Allot to him in the village, among horses, among cows, the choicest portion; whoso is his foe—this man let him be the eminence of powers, O King. O Indra, subject the enemy, subject them all, unto him.
اقسِمْ له في القرية، وبين الخيل، وبين البقر، أطيبَ النصيب؛ ومَن كان عدوًّا له فليُذَلَّ. ليكن هذا الرجلُ ذُروةَ القُوى، أيها الملك. يا إندرا، أخضِعِ العدوَّ، أخضِعْهم جميعًا له.
The meaning
What it says
A prayer that the client receive the best allotment in village resources, horses, and cows; let any foe be displaced, while the client becomes the ‘eminence’ (varṣman) of kṣatra; Indra is asked to subject all enemies to him.
The inner meaning
Resource-security and social legitimacy: the mind seeks its rightful share (niṣṭa) and the esteem that prevents deprivation-anxiety. ‘Enemy’ includes envy, scarcity-mindset, and destabilizing comparison.
The truth in it
Prosperity and authority are socially distributed; stability comes when one’s share is both sufficient and recognized as legitimate—otherwise rivalry proliferates.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Rājakarman / Abhicārika (Subjugation and Preferential Allotment)
Its aim
To secure for the client the best shares of communal wealth and to reduce all rivals/enemies to obedience.
Word by Word
Pada patha
एनम् । भज । ग्रामे । अश्वेषु । गोषु । निष्टम् । भज । यः । अमित्रः । अस्य । वर्ष्म । क्षत्राणाम् । अयम् । अस्तु । राज । इन्द्र । शत्रुम् । रन्धय । सर्वम् । अस्मै ।
- एनम्
- him/this (person)him/this one; the clientPronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → एनद्/एतद्-श्रुति (acc. sg.)
- भज
- allot/assign; placeallot, bestow, apportion; grant a share/possessionVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot भज्
- ग्रामे
- in the villagein the village; settled community resourcesNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्वेषु
- among the horsesamong horses; elite wealth and military mobilityNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- गोषु
- among the cowsamong cows; primary wealth and ritual economyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- निष्टम्
- (as) fixed/assigned (place/lot)the best share, choicest portion; preferential allocationAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषणवत्)Role कर्मRoot निष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; ‘settled/placed/assigned’; also used adverbially)
- भज
- assign/placebestow; repetition intensifies the grantVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot भज्
- यः
- whowho; relative marker introducing the foePronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अमित्रः
- enemyenemy; rival claimantNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (यः… अमित्रः)Root अमित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्य
- of him/of this (man)of him; against this clientPronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वर्ष्म
- strength, vigor, eminenceheight, bulk, eminence; figurative ‘stature’ of powerNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (अत्र प्रथमा)Role कर्तृ/विशेष्य (अयम्… वर्ष्म)Root वर्ष्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- क्षत्राणाम्
- of the kṣatra-powers / of rulers/warriorsof rulerships/powers (kṣatra); the domain of political mightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot क्षत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अयम्
- this (one)this one; the client singled outPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्तु
- let (him/it) belet be; jussive establishmentVerbलोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot अस्
- राजा
- kingNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अस्तु)Root राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraO Indra; invoked as enforcerNoun (Vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- शत्रुम्
- the enemyenemy; hostile opponentNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
- रन्धय
- subdue/overpowersubject, reduce to obedience; political subjugationVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (णिच्-प्रयोगः: ‘cause to be subdued’)Role क्रियाRoot रन्ध् (रध्/रन्ध् ‘to subdue, bring under control’)
- सर्वम्
- wholly, completelyall; totality of enemies/hostilityAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (समस्तं/पूर्णतः—क्रियाविशेषणवत्)Role कर्म/क्रियाविशेषणRoot सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्मै
- for him/to himto him; for the client’s benefitPronounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot अयम् (अस्मद्-प्रयोगः; दत्तिवाचक सर्वनाम)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सम्भाव्यः): एनम् | भज | ग्रामे | अश्वेषु | गोषु | निष्टम् | भज | यः | अमित्रः | अस्य | वर्ष्म | क्षत्राणाम् | अयम् | अस्तु | राजा | इन्द्र | शत्रुम् | रन्धय | सर्वम् | अस्मै ।
- 1) ‘एमं’ इति संहितापाठे ‘एनम्’ (एतद्/एनद्-रूप) एव
- ए/एन्-परिवर्तनं वैदिक-उच्चारण/लिप्यन्तर-भेदेन।
- 2) ‘राजेन्द्र’ = ‘राजा इन्द्र’ (अ + इ → ए) संधिः
- अत्र ‘इन्द्र’ सम्बोधनम्।
- 3) ‘निष्टं’ = ‘निष्टम्’ (अनुस्वार/हलन्त-लिप्यन्तर-भेदः)।
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic/Āṅgirasa milieu (varies by anukramaṇī)
- Devata
- Indra (with the king as ritual addressee)
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh-like (requires metrical verification)
- Rasa
- Vira and Adbhuta
Sāyaṇa emphasizes distributive sovereignty: the king receives the ‘best share’ in village wealth (cattle, horses). ‘Vārṣma’ is glossed as pre-eminent stature among kṣatra-powers. The double address (rāj / indra) binds human kingship to Indra’s coercive capacity; ‘randhaya’ is the key verb of making rivals compliant.
Āṅgirasa milieu (allocation + subjugation charm)
Rājakarman concerned with shares (bhāga), cattle/horse prosperity, and coercive pacification of rivals.
Shows Atharvanic ‘economy-magic’: speech securing the best portion in communal distribution, backed by Indra’s coercive kingship.
Indra (as Rājā/King)
Regulator of victory and social precedence; empowers the patron to receive prime shares and to compel obedience.
Guards wealth (cattle/horses) and protects status from rival claims and hostile factions.
4 × ~11; Atharvanic compression around enumerations (grāme/aśveṣu/goṣu).
List-style pādas can produce irregular syllable counts; reciters often maintain rhythm by lengthening key words (niṣṭaṃ, varṣman).
Enumerative then climactic; builds from goods → eminence → total subjugation.
Creates a sense of ‘claim’ and ‘seal’ over communal resources; good for oath-like affirmation.
Recite while presenting symbolic tokens of wealth (e.g., a cow-product, a horse-hair/bridle piece, or village earth) to the client.
Perform a ‘best share’ gesture: place the token in the client’s right hand or on a higher seat to enact níṣṭa.
Utter the Indra-line while facing outward from the client, projecting subjugation toward rivals.
Kauśika Sūtra: royal prosperity and enemy-subjugation rites (rājakarmāṇi; exact sūtra number requires edition alignment).
Atharvan priest mediates redistribution ideology: he ritually legitimizes preferential allotment and invokes Indra to enforce compliance.
Used in household prosperity rites for livestock/business, often with ethical reinterpretation (rivalry → obstacles).
At new ventures, acquisition of animals/property, community decisions about shares, or before assemblies.
Atharvan ritualist voices the claim; patron may repeat key lines as affirmation.
Recite before financial negotiations; pair with charitable giving to reduce the ‘abhicāra edge’ and align with communal welfare.
Village resources (grāma); Horses (aśva); Cows (go)
Horses and cows are ‘living wealth’—mobility/force and nourishment/continuity. The mantra treats prosperity as a distributable share (bhāga) that can be ritually redirected.
Prosperity-affirmation for livelihood security; can support anxiety regulation around scarcity and competition.
Rivals contesting shares/status; hostile claimants within the community.
Secure choicest shares of communal wealth and ensure all foes/rivals are subjected to the client.
Apportionment command (bhaj) + enemy-identification (yo amitraḥ) + enthronement of eminence (varṣman) + Indraic subjugation (randhaya sarvam).
Loss of property, unfavorable allotment, social marginalization.
Cattle, horses, village wealth, status-based access to resources.
- bhaj
- distribution of fortune; karmic ‘portion’ and social recognition
- grāma
- the social field where status and resources circulate
- aśva
- mobility, military capacity, prestige
- go
- wealth, nourishment, continuity, ritual capital
- niṣṭa
- optimal outcome; preferential destiny
- varṣman
- preeminence of power; the ‘high ground’ of authority
- rājendra
- sovereign force that ratifies hierarchy
- randhaya
- binding of rivalry into obedience
Rightful share (bhāga) contemplation: receiving without grasping; leading without envy.
maṇipūra
Moderate pace; inhale on enumerations (grāme… aśveṣu… goṣu), exhale on commands (bhaja, randhaya).
Visualize cows/horses as steady streams of support; rivals dissolve into cooperative silhouettes beneath a protective canopy.
Confident steadiness; non-reactive awareness toward comparison.
After chanting, practice gratitude and a small act of redistribution (dāna) to harmonize ‘best share’ with dharma.
Maintain clear udātta lifts on bhája and rājendra; keep steady pitch through the enumerative segment.
Give rhythmic triplet feel to grāme / aśveṣu / goṣu; emphasize niṣṭám; climax on randhaya sárvam asmái.
Confident, measured, ‘administrative’ authority.
This is a ‘share-claim’ charm; intention should be framed as receiving rightful, non-harmful precedence to avoid agitation and social backlash.
9 times
Securing livelihood, fair (or favorable) outcomes in resource allocation, business deals, community leadership selection.
Before negotiations, bidding, community decisions, or acquiring livestock/property.
Greater confidence, improved bargaining clarity, sense of support and legitimacy; symbolic ‘opening’ of prosperity channels.
Avoid unethical manipulation; pair with fairness and transparency; if conflict escalates, switch to a śānti mantra.
None; the material field is economic (cows, horses, village). The mantra is a redistribution charm, sacralizing elite access to resources.
It naturalizes hierarchy by making ‘best share’ a ritual entitlement of kingship. Wealth categories (cows/horses) index both agrarian and martial capital under royal claim.
The imperative ‘bhaja’ in a distributive-economic sense and the explicit listing of wealth domains is more administrative/domestic than RV praise style, though Indra’s subjugating role is inherited.
Gopatha’s logic of bandhu supports the idea that speech can ‘allot’ shares: the mantra is a juridical-sacral act, with Indra as cosmic sanction behind human redistribution.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Atharva Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
