Atharva Veda 4.39.5: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 4, Sukta 39, Mantra 5
Sukta 39
दि॒व्याऽदि॒त्याय॒ सम॑नम॒न्त्स आ॑र्ध्नोत्। यथा॑ दि॒व्याऽदि॒त्याय॑ स॒मन॑मन्ने॒वा मह्यं॑ सं॒नमः॒ सं न॑मन्तु
divyā́ ’dityā́ya sám anamant sá ā́rdhnot | yáthā divyā́ ’dityā́ya sám anamann evá máhyaṁ saṁnámaḥ sáṁ namantu
The heavenly ones bowed in unison to Āditya; thereby he attained success. As the heavenly ones bowed to Āditya, so, even thus, let acts of homage bow together unto me.
انحنى أهلُ السماء جميعًا في انسجامٍ لِـ«آدِتْيا» (Āditya)، فبذلك نال الظَّفَر. وكما انحنى أهلُ السماء لآدِتْيا، كذلك—فلتنحنِ أعمالُ التحيةِ والسجودِ مجتمعةً إليَّ.
The meaning
What it says
The heavenly beings bowed together to Āditya and thereby he succeeded. As they bowed to Āditya, so may acts of homage bow together to me.
The inner meaning
Social reality bends toward perceived sovereignty. The mantra trains the mind to embody solar steadiness; when one’s inner ‘sun’ is centered, scattered forces (people, tasks, doubts) align and cooperate.
The truth in it
Coherence generates influence. When a principle of order is recognized (like the Sun’s centrality), multiplicity naturally coordinates around it.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Paustika (Prosperity) / Vaśīkaraṇa-adjacent (subjugation through reverence)
Its aim
To cause persons/powers to incline and submit (offer homage) to the patron, modeled on the gods’ submission to Āditya.
Word by Word
Pada patha
दिव्याः । आदित्याय । सम् । अनमन् । सः । आर्ध्नोत् । यथा । दिव्याः । आदित्याय । सम् । अनमन् । एव । मह्यम् । संनमः । सम् । नमन्तु ।
- दिव्याय
- to the heavenlyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक) < दिव्
- आदित्याय
- to Āditya (the Sun)to Āditya (Sun as sovereign order/power)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्
- together, completely (as preverb)together, wholly; in convergence/submissionIndeclinable (prefix/preverb)उपसर्गRoot सम्
- अनमत्
- bowed, bent downVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत); प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (क्रिया)Root नम् (धातु)
- सः
- hehe/that one (the beneficiary: Āditya, or the one who gains by their submission—contextual)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्ताRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आर्ध्नोत्
- attained, succeededattained, prospered, succeeded; reached the desired endVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत); प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (क्रिया)Root ऋध्/अर्ध् (धातु; ‘to prosper/attain’)
- यथा
- just asas, just as (model for the present wish)Indeclinableसम्बन्धाव्यय (उपमान/प्रकार)Root यथा
- दिव्याय
- to the heavenlyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक) < दिव्
- आदित्याय
- to Āditya (the Sun)to Āditya (Sun as sovereign order/power)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी-एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot आदित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्
- together, completely (as preverb)together, wholly; in convergence/submissionIndeclinable (prefix/preverb)उपसर्गRoot सम्
- अनमन्
- bowed (they bowed)they bowed, inclined; submitted (ritualized ‘bending toward’)Verbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत); प्रथम-पुरुष; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (क्रिया)Root नम् (धातु)
- एव
- indeed, just soeven so, precisely thusIndeclinableनिपातRoot एव
- मह्यम्
- to mePronounचतुर्थी-एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- संनमः
- (my) reverent bowing / salutationconvergence/bowing; the act/state of submission (personified as ‘homage’)Noun (action/gesture) / Kṛdanta-like nominalपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्ता (आशीर्वचन-प्रयोगे ‘let there be…’)Root सम् + नम् → संनम (भाव/क्रियानाम); अथवा ‘सं-नमस्’ (नमस्-प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्
- together, completely (as preverb)together, wholly; in convergence/submissionIndeclinable (prefix/preverb)उपसर्गRoot सम्
- नमन्तु
- let them bow / may they bend downlet them bow; may they incline (optative/imperative wish)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ/आशीर्लिङ्गसदृश); प्रथम-पुरुष; बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (क्रिया)Root नम् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- पाठे ‘दि॒व्याऽदि॒त्याय॒’ = ‘दिव्याय आदित्याय’ (आ + अ → आऽ)
- ‘सम॑नम॒न्त्स’ = ‘सम् अनमत् सः’ (सम् + अनमत्; अन्त् + सः → अन्त्स)
- ‘स॒मन॑मन्ने॒वा’ = ‘सम् अनमन् एव’ (सम् + अनमन्; अनमन् + एव)
- ‘सं॒नमः॒’ = ‘सम्-नमः/संनमः’ (सम् + नमः → संनमः; अनुस्वार/संयोग)
- ‘सं न॑मन्तु’ = ‘सम् नमन्तु’ (सम् + न… → सं न… वैदिक-पाठभेद/पदपाठे सम् पृथक्)
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic tradition (edition-dependent Anukramaṇī attribution).
- Devata
- Āditya (Sun) as exemplar of sovereignty; secondarily ‘saṁnamaḥ’ (homage) as an operative abstraction.
- Chandas
- Atharvanic mixed meter; largely anuṣṭubh-like cola with prose flexibility.
- Rasa
- Shanta and Vira
Sāyaṇa reads this as a paradigmatic precedent (itihāsa-like ‘as it was, so may it be’). ‘Divyāḥ’ are the celestial powers/quarters; their ‘samanamana’ is orderly submission to solar sovereignty (Āditya as dharma/ṛta). The speaker transfers that same centripetal obedience to himself: social deference is ritually compelled by mantra.
Atharvanic tradition (anukramaṇī attribution varies by edition)
Paustika and vaśīkaraṇa-adjacent charms: gaining success and social compliance by modeling cosmic hierarchy (gods → Āditya).
Demonstrates Atharvanic ‘mimetic sovereignty’: by aligning with the Sun’s archetype, the patron seeks consensual bending of social forces—homage as a magical-ethical technology.
Āditya (Sun) with Saṃnamaḥ (collective homage) as operative abstraction
Center of visibility, time, and order; model of rightful dominance to which even gods align.
Indirect: solar clarity supports mental health, circadian order, and vitality (traditional association).
Protects by legitimizing authority and dispelling ambiguity/hostility; creates a field where opposition ‘bows’.
Two sentence-units with yathā… evā… structure; metrical regularity is secondary to parallelism.
Prose-flexibility with strong syntactic parallelism (yathā… evā…); typical of pragmatic charms.
Processional, ceremonial—like a courtly bowing sequence.
Instills confidence and ‘magnetic’ composure; useful before audiences, negotiations, or leadership acts.
Recite while facing the person/assembly to be influenced, or toward a symbolic substitute (effigy, seat, or threshold).
Perform a physical ‘inclining’ gesture (namana): the priest and patron bow slightly at the key verb (namantu) to enact the desired social motion.
Optionally accompany with sprinkling of water (āpo) toward the target space to ‘soften’ resistance and induce compliance.
Kauśika Sūtra: rites of saṁnati/vaśīkaraṇa employing AV 4.39 (general application; numbering varies).
Atharvan priest as controller of social outcomes; he times bodily gesture with the optative ‘namantu’ to convert speech into compelled deference.
Recited before meeting elders, entering an assembly, seeking favor, or beginning a venture where recognition/support is needed.
Morning or before public appearance; solar association favors daytime recitation.
Householder may recite; a purohita might employ in success/prosperity rites for patrons.
Use as a composure mantra before interviews/presentations; pair with respectful conduct to avoid purely coercive intent.
Āditya (solar sovereignty); gesture of bowing (namas) as ritual technology
No material drug is required: the ‘substance’ is social energy (namas) and solar legitimacy. Gesture becomes technology; posture and speech enact sovereignty.
Performance psychology for leadership/public speaking; cultivating calm authority and social rapport.
People, circumstances, and ‘acts of homage’ (saṃnamaḥ) directed toward the patron.
To attract unified homage/compliance and thereby attain success, modeled on the gods’ bowing to Āditya.
Mimetic analogy (yathā… evā…): cosmic precedent is invoked to reproduce the same social dynamic for the chanter.
Social opposition, lack of recognition, fragmentation of support.
Status, success, influence, favorable reception.
- आदित्य (āditya)
- sovereignty, clarity, legitimacy, central ordering power
- दिव्याः (divyāḥ)
- higher faculties/forces; social ‘stakeholders’
- सम् (sam-)
- coherence, consensus, alignment
- नमस् / नमन्तु (namas/namantu)
- inclination of circumstances; receptivity and recognition
- आर्ध्नोत् (ārdhnot)
- achievement through unified support
- संनमः (saṃnamaḥ)
- a ‘field’ of compliance; coordinated submission of obstacles
Solar centering—becoming the ‘inner Āditya’ around which thoughts and relationships align.
Manipura (solar center)
Sūrya-bhedana (gentle, if trained) or simply mindful breathing facing sunlight; avoid forceful practice in heat conditions.
Dignified calm, ethical authority.
Stand or sit upright; offer a real namas to the Sun (or principle of truth) first, then chant to invite alignment of circumstances through humility + clarity.
Measured, ceremonial delivery; keep the parallelism audible (yathā… evā…).
Emphasize ‘sam anaman’ (together they bowed) and ‘saṃ namantu’ (let them bow together).
Clear, dignified, non-threatening—like formal proclamation.
Best paired with an actual respectful bow (namas) at start/end; Atharvanic ‘success’ charms often rely on congruence of speech and gesture.
12 times
Seeking recognition, cooperation, or success in negotiations, leadership, or public settings.
Before interviews, meetings, ceremonies, or starting a project requiring collective support.
Greater composure and perceived legitimacy; improved social alignment and confidence.
Avoid manipulative intent; genuine respect and ethical action are the safest ‘container’ for this charm’s vaśīkaraṇa-adjacent energy.
None explicit; the operative ‘substance’ is social force (namas) treated as a manipulable entity. This is typical of Atharvanic rites where abstractions (homage, fear, disease) are reified and directed.
It presumes hierarchy as ritually transferable: the cosmic model (gods bow to Sun) authorizes human claims to obedience. The mantra functions as a technology for producing consent/deference within community structures.
The optative ‘namantu’ and analogical ‘yathā…evá’ are common, but the explicit aim of redirecting divine-patterned submission to a human ‘me’ is characteristically Atharvanic and more pragmatically coercive than typical Rigvedic praise.
Gopatha’s bandhu logic legitimizes social control by cosmic precedent: solar sovereignty organizes the heavens; the rite replicates that ordering principle in the patron’s sphere, making ‘submission’ a transferable cosmic pattern.
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