Atharva Veda 5.13.1: Kanda 5, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 13, Mantra 1

Sukta 13

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

सर्पविषनाशनम्। द॒दिर्हि मह्यं॒ वरु॑णो दि॒वः क॒विर्वचो॑भिरु॒ग्रैर्नि रि॑णामि ते वि॒षम्। खा॒तमखा॑तमु॒त स॒क्तम॑ग्रभ॒मिरे॑व॒ धन्व॒न् नि ज॑जास ते वि॒षम्

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 5.13.1

IAST Transliteration

sarpa-viṣa-nāśanam | dadír hí máhyaṃ váruṇo diváḥ kavír vácobhir ugráir ní riṇāmi te viṣám | khātám ákhātam utá saktám ágrabham írāiva dhánvan ní jajāsa te viṣám ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Destruction of serpent-venom. For Varuṇa, the heavenly Sage, is a giver unto me: with potent words I drive away thy poison. Poison dug in, poison not dug in, and poison that clingeth—this have I seized; like a rushing force, running, I have crushed away thy poison.

Translation

إبطالُ سُمِّ الحيّة. إنَّ ڤارونا، الحكيمَ السماويَّ (الكَڤي)، واهبٌ لي حقًّا؛ وبكلماتٍ شديدةٍ أطردُ عنك سُمَّك. سُمٌّ مدفونٌ، وسُمٌّ غيرُ مدفونٍ، وسُمٌّ عالقٌ—هذا كلَّه قد قبضتُ عليه؛ وكقوّةٍ مندفعَةٍ في الفلاة، أسحقُ سُمَّك وأزيله.

The meaning

What it says

A serpent-venom-destroying charm: Varuṇa, heavenly sage, grants power; with fierce words the speaker drives away the poison. Whether poison is ‘dug in,’ ‘not dug in,’ or clinging, the speaker seizes and crushes it away like a rushing force.

The inner meaning

Poison is any invasive fear, shock, or obsessive thought that ‘clings’ or ‘digs in.’ Varuṇa’s sovereignty symbolizes the psyche’s capacity to unbind and restore lawful order. The “ugra vāc” is assertive boundary-setting that refuses contamination.

The truth in it

What harms us often persists by attachment and hidden embedding. Naming it, confronting it, and invoking a higher principle of order can break its hold—whether the harm is obvious, subtle, or entrenched.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Bhaiṣajya (Healing) / Apotropaic (anti-venom, anti-snake)

Its aim

To neutralize and expel snake-venom from the victim regardless of whether it is settled, unsettled, or clinging; to invoke Varuṇa’s sovereign power to ‘unbind’ the poison’s hold.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

सर्प-विष-नाशनम् । ददिः । हि । मह्यम् । वरुणः । दिवः । कविः । वचोभिः । उग्रैः । नि । रिणामि । ते । विषम् । खातम् । अखातम् । उत । सक्तम् । अग्रभम् । इरैव । धन्वन् । नि । जजास । ते । विषम् ।

द॒दिः

curd (as the acting agent in the charm)giver; bestower (epithet: the one who grants a remedy/means)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot दधि (प्रातिपदिक) अथवा √धा (कृदन्त-निष्पन्न)

हि

indeed, forfor; indeed (assertive particle)IndeclinableनिपातRoot हि

मह्यम्

to me, for meto me; for my benefit (speaker as patient/ritual agent)Pronounचतुर्थी एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot अहम् (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)

वरुणः

VaruṇaNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)

दिवः

of heaven, of the skyof heaven (celestial source of authoritative power)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचनRoot दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)

कविः

seer, sageseer-poet; wise one (possessing effective insight)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot कवि (प्रातिपदिक)

वचोभिः

with words, by utteranceswith words; by utterances (mantric instrument)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)

उग्रैः

fierce, potentAdjectiveपुं/नपुंसक; तृतीया बहुवचन (वचोभिः इति विशेषणम्)Role KaraṇaRoot उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)

नि

down, away (intensifier with verb)down, away (directional particle of removal)Indeclinableउपसर्गRoot नि

ऋणामि

I drive away / removeVerbलट्; उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot √ऋ (ऋणोति/ऋणाति)

ते

your, of youthy/your (of the victim/patient; or of the poison addressed)Pronounषष्ठी एकवचनRoot त्वद् (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)

विषम्

poison, venomNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot विष (प्रातिपदिक)

खातम्

dug in, burieddug-in; buried (poison ‘embedded’ in the body/ground)Participle (past passive) used adjectivallyनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (विषम् इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot √खन् (कृदन्त: क्त) / खात (प्रातिपदिक)

अखातम्

not dug up / unburiednot dug-in; unburied (poison not yet settled—incipient)Participle (past passive) used adjectivallyनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (विषम् इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot अ- + √खन् (कृदन्त: क्त) / अखात (प्रातिपदिक)

उत

and alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक निपातRoot उत

सक्तम्

clinging, stuck (fastened)clinging, attached (poison adhering to tissue/limb)Participle (past passive) used adjectivallyनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (विषम् इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot √सञ्ज्/√सक् (कृदन्त: क्त) / सक्त (प्रातिपदिक)

अग्रभम्

I seized, I graspedI have seized; I grasp (ritual capture of the poison to extract it)Verbलुङ् (अorist); उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot √ग्रह् (लुङ्)

इव

like, asIndeclinableउपमानवाचक निपातRoot इव

धन्वन्

in the desert/waste, on dry groundrunning; coursing (as one who runs—speed of removal)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचन (वेदिक-रूप)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot धन्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)

नि

down, awayIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot नि

जजास

you have crushed / you have worn downI have worn away; I have crushed down (intensive perfect: poison is ground out)Verbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट, वेदिक); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot √जस् (जसति) / √जन्? (वेदिक-रूप)

ते

your, of youthy/your (as above)Pronounषष्ठी एकवचनRoot त्वद् (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)

विषम्

poison, venomNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot विष (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• कविर्वचोभिः → कविः वचोभिः
• उग्रैर्नि → उग्रैः नि
• (मन्त्रारम्भे) द॒दिर्हि → द॒दिः हि. अन्यत्र स्पष्ट-सन्धि न्यूनः। ‘खातम् अखातम् उत सक्तम्’ इति त्रयः क्त-प्रत्ययान्ताः विशेषणरूपेण ‘विषम्’ (कर्म) प्रति। ‘धन्वन्’ वेदिक-सप्तमी एकवचन (धन्वनि इत्यर्थे) । ‘जजास’ वेदिक-लिट्-रूपः
• अर्थतः ‘मर्दितवान्/क्षपितवान्’ इति।

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic healer-seer (specific anukramaṇī attribution varies within AV 5th kāṇḍa).

Devata

Varuṇa (as healer/unbinder) and the targeted Viṣa (as adversarial entity)

Chandas

Mixed/irregular (Atharvanic healing verses often loosen strict RV meters)

Rasa

Vira and Raudra

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