Atharva Veda 6.21.2: Kanda 6, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 21, Mantra 2

Sukta 21

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

श्रेष्ठ॑मसि भेष॒जानां॒ वसि॑ष्ठं॒ वीरु॑धानाम्। सोमो॒ भग॑ इव॒ यामे॑षु॒ दे॒वेषु॒ वरु॑णो॒ यथा॑

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 6.21.2

IAST Transliteration

śréṣṭham asi bheṣajānā́ṃ vásiṣṭhaṃ vīrudhā́nām | sómo bhága iva yā́meṣu devéṣu váruṇo yáthā

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Thou art the best of remedies, the most excellent of plants: as Soma is like Bhaga in the seasons, as Varuṇa among the gods.

Translation

তুমি ভেষজসমূহৰ ভিতৰত শ্ৰেষ্ঠ, বীৰুধসমূহৰ ভিতৰত অতি উত্তম। ঋতুসকলত যেন সোম ভগাৰ দৰে, দেৱসকলৰ মাজত যেন বৰুণ—তেনেকৈ তুমি।

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Word by Word

• श्रेष्ठम्: best, most excellent
• श्रेष्ठम्: विशेषण (सम्बन्धः) — ‘असि’ इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम्
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; √श्रि/श्रय् ‘to lean on, excel’ → श्रेयस्/श्रेष्ठ superlative stem)

• असि: you are
• असि: अख्यात (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (भू-सत्तायाम्)

• भेषजानाम्: of medicines/remedies
• भेषजानाम्: सम्बन्ध (genitive) — ‘श्रेष्ठम्’ इत्यस्य सम्बन्धः
• Type: Noun
• Root: भेषज (प्रातिपदिक)

• वसिष्ठम्: most excellent
• वसिष्ठम्: विशेषण (सम्बन्धः) — ‘असि’ इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम् (द्वितीयं विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; ‘most excellent’)

• वीरुधानाम्: of herbs/plants
• वीरुधानाम्: सम्बन्ध (genitive) — ‘वसिष्ठम्’ इत्यस्य सम्बन्धः
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीरुध् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘herb, plant’)

• सोमः: Soma
• सोमः: कर्तृ/विषय (उपमान-वाक्यस्य विषयः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)

• भगः: Bhaga (the god of fortune/share)
• भगः: उपमान (इव-युक्तः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भग (प्रातिपदिक)

• इव: like, as
• इव: उपमान-निर्देशक
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• यामेषु: in the watches/periods (of time)
• यामेषु: अधिकरण (locative) — ‘in the times/watches’
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम (प्रातिपदिक; ‘watch of night/time/period’)

• देवेषु: among the gods
• देवेषु: अधिकरण (locative) — ‘among the gods’
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)

• वरुणः: Varuṇa
• वरुणः: उपमान-विषय (यथा-युक्तः) / कर्तृ (अन्तर्निहित-‘अस्ति’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: उपमान/प्रकार-निर्देशक
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (oṣadhi-focused hymn).

Devata: Oṣadhi (keśavardhanī); invoked comparanda: Soma, Bhaga, Varuṇa.

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like (two pādas; compact comparative structure).

Mantra Rasa

Primary: adbhuta

Secondary: shanta