Atharva Veda 1.13.3: Kanda 1, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 13, Mantra 3

Sukta 13

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

प्रव॑तो नपा॒न्नम॑ ए॒वास्तु॒ तुभ्यं॒ नम॑स्ते हे॒तये॒ तपु॑षे च कृण्मः । वि॒द्म ते॒ धाम॑ पर॒मं गुहा॒ यत् स॑मु॒द्रे अ॒न्तर्नि॑हि॑तासि॒ नाभिः॑

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 1.13.3

IAST Transliteration

právato napā́n náma evā́stu túbhyaṃ námas te hetáye tápúṣe ca kṛṇmaḥ | vidmá te dhā́ma paramáṃ guhā́ yát samudré antár nihitā́si nā́bhiḥ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

From the descents, O Offspring, let homage be—yea, homage—unto thee. Homage we make to thy missile and to thy burning heat. We know thy highest station, that which is in the secret place: within the ocean thou art laid away, the navel (central hub).

Translation

Von den Abstiegen her, o Sprössling, sei dir Huldigung — ja, Huldigung. Huldigung erweisen wir deinem Wurfgeschoss und deiner brennenden Glut. Wir kennen deine höchste Stätte, die im Verborgenen liegt: im Ozean bist du innen niedergelegt, als Nabel, als Mitte.

The meaning

What it says

Homage is offered to ‘Offspring of the Descents’ (prava̍to napāt), and to its missile (heti) and burning heat (tapas). The speaker claims knowledge of its highest secret station: hidden in a cave-like secrecy; within the ocean it lies deposited as the navel (central hub).

The inner meaning

A dangerous inner energy (heat/weapon-like impulse) is acknowledged and ritually pacified by naming its seat and honoring its power. Knowing the ‘hidden station’ is psychological insight: when one recognizes where reactive heat arises, it can be redirected into protection and purification.

The truth in it

Power that is denied becomes destructive; power that is recognized, located, and honored becomes protective and life-sustaining.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Bhaisajya (Healing) / Apotropaic (protective propitiation of a burning/weapon-bearing power)

Its aim

To propitiate and redirect a dangerous fiery/weapon-like agency so that its heat destroys affliction and does not strike the sacrificer; to secure protection by acknowledging the hidden seat of the power.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

प्रवतः । नपात् । नमः । एव । अस्तु । तुभ्यम् । नमः । ते । हेतये । तपुषे । च । कृण्मः । विद्म । ते । धाम । परमम् । गुहा । यत् । समुद्रे । अन्तः । निहितासि । नाभिः ।

प्रवतः

from the slope/stream (down-flow)from the slopes/descents; (as Sayana-style functional gloss) from the flowing/downward regions whence the power issuesNounपुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी; एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot प्रवत् (प्र + वत्) / प्रवत्- (प्रातिपदिक)

नपात्

O offspring/descendant (epithet)O offspring/descendant (epithet of a fiery, hidden power; ‘son’ as concentrated potency)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot नपात्- (प्रातिपदिक)

नमः

obeisance, salutationobeisance; a propitiatory bow that pacifies and compels favorNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः)Role KarmaRoot नमस्- (प्रातिपदिक)

एव

indeed, justindeed, just so; emphatic fixation of the act’s efficacyIndeclinableअव्ययRoot एव (अव्यय)

अस्तु

let it belet it be; performative optative establishing the rite’s successVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRoot अस् (धातु)

तुभ्यम्

to youunto thee; dative of the addressed powerPronounद्वितीय-पुरुष-सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

नमः

salutationobeisance; repeated to strengthen appeasement and bindingNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (अव्ययीभाववत्)Role KarmaRoot नमस्- (प्रातिपदिक)

ते

to youto thee/thy; enclitic marking the recipient/possessorPronounद्वितीय-पुरुष-सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी; एकवचन (ते = तुभ्यम्)Role SampradānaRoot त्वद्/युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

हेतये

to the impeller/cause (as a power)to the missile/weapon; to the striking agency (often the burning dart of a deity)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot हेतु- (प्रातिपदिक)

तपुषे

to the heat/ardor (tapas)to the heat/burning; to the consuming ardor that destroys disease/evilNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot तपु- (प्रातिपदिक)

च

andand; coordination of weapon and heat as paired forcesIndeclinableअव्ययRoot च (अव्यय)

कृण्मः

we make/dowe make/do; ritual ‘making’ (karman) by speech-act and offeringVerbलट्; उत्तमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot कृ (धातु)

विद्म

we knowwe know; claim of esoteric knowledge that authorizes controlVerbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/वेद-प्रयोगः ‘we know’); उत्तमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot विद् (धातु)

ते

yourthy; of theePronounद्वितीय-पुरुष-सर्वनाम; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole SambandhaRoot त्वद्/युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

धाम

abode, seat, splendorabode, station, ordinance; the seat/source of powerNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot धामन्- (प्रातिपदिक)

परमम्

highest, supremehighest, supreme; the ultimate locus beyond ordinary reachAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (धाम इति विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot परम- (प्रातिपदिक)

गुहायाम्

in the cave/hidden placeNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot गुहा- (प्रातिपदिक)

यत्

which/thatwhich; relative introducing the concealed locationPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया; एकवचन (सम्बन्धक-प्रयोगः)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

समुद्रे

in the oceanin the ocean; in the cosmic waters (a frequent hiding-place of fire/power)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot समुद्र- (प्रातिपदिक)

अन्तः

withinwithin; interior concealmentIndeclinableअव्ययRoot अन्तः (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्)

निहितासि

you are placed/hiddenthou art deposited/hidden; placed away as latent forceVerbनिहिता (स्त्री. प्रथमा एक.) + असि (लट्; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन)Root नि + धा (धातु) → निहित (कृदन्त)

नाभिः

navel; central hub/sourceas navel/hub; the central knot or ‘navel’ of the waters (cosmic center, source-point)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot नाभि- (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• प्रवतः | नपात् | नमः | एव | अस्तु | तुभ्यम् | नमः | ते | हेतये | तपुषे | च | कृण्मः || विद्म | ते | धाम | परमम् | गुहायाम् | यत् | समुद्रे | अन्तः | निहिता असि | नाभिः । मुख्य-सन्धयः:
• (1) नपा॒न्नमः = नपात् + नमः (त् + न → न्न)
• (2) ए॒वास्तु = एव + अस्तु (अ + अ → आ)
• (3) नमस्ते = नमः + ते (विसर्ग-सन्धिः: ḥ + त → स्त)
• (4) गुहा॒ यत् = गुहायाम् + यत् (पदपाठे गुहायाम्; संहितायां ‘गुहा’ इति संक्षेप/प्रयोगः)
• (5) अ॒न्तर्नि॑हि॑तासि = अन्तः + निहिता + असि (अन्तः + नि → अन्तर्-; निहिता असि → निहितासि)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic seer-tradition (exact r̥ṣi attribution depends on anukramaṇī; commonly treated as Atharvan/Āṅgirasa milieu for such propitiatory verses)

Devata

A fiery, hidden ‘Offspring’ power (often interpreted in the wider Vedic idiom as a form of Agni/Apām Napāt-like potency), together with its personified ‘missile’ and ‘heat’

Chandas

Triṣṭubh-like cadence (as transmitted; metrical classification may vary by pada division in different recensions)

Rasa

Adbhuta and Bhayankara

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