Atharva Veda 8.7.2: Kanda 8, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 7, Mantra 2

Sukta 7

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

त्राय॑न्तामि॒मं पुरु॑षं॒ यक्ष्मा॑द् दे॒वेषि॑ता॒दधि॑ । यासां॒ द्यौष्पि॒ता पृ॑थि॒वी मा॒ता स॑मु॒द्रो मूलं॑ वी॒रुधां॑ ब॒भूव॑

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 8.7.2

IAST Transliteration

trā́yantām imáṃ púruṣaṃ yákṣmād devéṣitā́d ádhi | yā́sāṃ dyáuḥ pitā́ pṛthivī́ mātā́ samudró mū́laṃ vīrúdhāṃ babhū́va ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Let them protect this man from yakṣma, from the malady the Gods have sent. Of those whose father is the Sky, whose mother is the Earth, whose root and primal source the Ocean-waters have become.

Translation

فلتَحْمِهِ هذه (الأعشاب) هذا الرجلَ من اليَكْشْما (yakṣma)، من العِلّة التي أرسلها الآلهة. يا من أبوها السَّماء، وأمُّها الأرض، والتي صار البحرُ—مياهُه—جذرَ النَّباتاتِ الزاحفة ومصدرَها الأوّل.

The meaning

What it says

The herbs are asked to protect a person from yakṣma, a disease sent by the gods. The plants are described cosmically: Sky as father, Earth as mother, and Ocean as their root/source.

The inner meaning

Illness is framed as both physical and moral/numinous burden (deveṣita). Healing requires reconciliation with cosmic order: one is re-rooted in the larger parents (Dyauḥ/Pṛthivī) and the deep waters (samudra) of life.

The truth in it

When suffering feels ‘fated’ or overwhelming, reconnecting to origins—earth, sky, water—restores agency and support; remedies work best when the person feels held by a larger order.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Bhaisajya (Healing)

Its aim

To protect/cure a patient from yakṣma (wasting disease), even when construed as divinely inflicted.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

त्रायन्ताम् । इमम् । पुरुषम् । यक्ष्मात् । देवेषितात् । अधि । यासाम् । द्यौः । पिता । पृथिवी । माता । समुद्रः । मूलम् । वीरुधाम् । बभूव ।

त्रायन्ताम्

let them protectlet them protect/save (3pl imperative; protective activation of herbs)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Root √त्रै (त्राणे)

इमम्

thisPronounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

पुरुषम्

man/personNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)

यक्ष्मात्

from disease/consumptionfrom yakṣma (wasting disease; often tuberculosis-like consumption; any chronic affliction)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी, एकवचनम्Role ApādānaRoot यक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक)

देवेषितात्

impelled/sent by the godssent by the gods (divinely inflicted/authorized disease; hence harder to avert)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी, एकवचनम् (यक्ष्मात् इति विशेषणम्)Role ApādānaRoot देवेषित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; देव + √इष्/इष् ‘प्रेरणे’ → इषित ‘impelled’)

अधि

over; upon; in additionfrom, against, over (governing separation/protection sense with ablative)Indeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययम्Root अधि

यासाम्

of which (of whom)of which (herbs), whose (relative genitive plural)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role SambandhaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

द्यौः

Heaven (Sky)Heaven (Sky), cosmic father principleNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)

पिता

fatherNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)

पृथिवी

EarthNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)

माता

motherNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)

समुद्रः

oceanocean/sea; cosmic waters (source/reservoir of vitality)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)

मूलम्

root; baseroot; origin (both botanical and cosmological ‘root-cause’)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot मूल (प्रातिपदिक)

वीरुधाम्

of plants/herbsof the plants/creepers (vīrudh; vegetal life broadly)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role SambandhaRoot वीरुध् (प्रातिपदिक)

बभूव

became; has becomehas become/was (perfect; establishes primordial origin myth)Verbलिट् (परोक्षभूत/परिपूर्णभूत), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Root √भू (भवति)

Sandhi Notes

• त्रायन्तामि॒मं → त्रायन्ताम् + इमम्
• यक्ष्मा॑द् → यक्ष्मात् (त् + द् sandhi in saṃhitā)
• दे॒वेषि॑ता॒दधि॑ → देवेषितात् + अधि
• यासां॒ द्यौष्पि॒ता → यासाम् + द्यौः + पिता (ः + प् → ष्प् in saṃhitā)
• पृ॑थि॒वी मा॒ता → पृथिवी + माता (no change)
• मूलं॑ वी॒रुधां॑ → मूलम् + वीरुधाम् (म् + व् sandhi)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic tradition

Devata

Oṣadhayaḥ/Vīrudhaḥ (Herbs/Plants) as saviors; disease entity: Yakṣma

Chandas

Likely Triṣṭubh-family; verify against metrical counts in critical editions.

Rasa

Shanta and Karuna

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