Atharva Veda 10.7.2: Kanda 10, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 7, Mantra 2
Sukta 7
कस्मा॒दङ्गाद् दीप्यते अ॒ग्निर॑स्य॒ कस्मा॒दङ्गा॑त् पवते मात॒रिश्वा॑ । कस्मा॒दङ्गा॒द् वि मि॑मी॒तेऽधि॑ च॒न्द्रमा॑ म॒ह स्क॒म्भस्य॒ मिमा॑नो॒ अङ्ग॑म्
kásmād áṅgād dī́pyate agnír asyá kásmād áṅgāt pavate mātáriśvā́ | kásmād áṅgād ví mimī́te ’ádhi candrámā máhaḥ skámbhasya mímāno áṅgam
From what member of him doth Agni blaze? from what member doth Mātariśvan blow? From what member doth the Moon, measuring, mete out the mighty realm on high—measuring a member of Skambha?
Aus welchem Glied von Ihm lodert Agni? aus welchem Glied weht Mātariśvan? Aus welchem Glied misst der Mond, messend, droben den mächtigen Raum aus — ein Glied des Skambha messend?
The meaning
What it says
The verse asks: from which ‘member’ of Skambha does Agni blaze, from which does Mātariśvan (wind) blow, and from which does the Moon measure out the great realm above—each as if measuring a limb of Skambha.
The inner meaning
Fire (drive/transformative energy), wind (breath/movement), and moon (rhythm/time/mind) are functions of a deeper integrity. The repeated questioning trains the mind to look beyond phenomena to their sustaining ground.
The truth in it
All manifest forces—energy, movement, and cyclical order—depend on an underlying support that is not itself exhausted by any single function. Inquiry into origins is itself stabilizing: it returns attention to first principles.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Cosmological/Speculative (Skambha); ancillary to Paustika and protective theology rather than direct Bhaisajya
Its aim
To identify the hidden cosmic support behind fire, wind, and lunar order; to secure ritual-cosmic alignment by contemplative recitation
Word by Word
Pada patha
कस्मात् । अङ्गात् । दीप्यते । अग्निः । अस्य । कस्मात् । अङ्गात् । पवते । मातरिश्वा । कस्मात् । अङ्गात् । वि । मिमीते । अधि । चन्द्रमा । महः । स्कम्भस्य । मिमानः । अङ्गम् ।
- कस्मात्
- from what?from what? from which (source/cause)—interrogative seeking the hidden support (skambha)Pronounपुं/नपुं, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot किम् (प्रातिपदिक) → कस्-
- अङ्गात्
- from a limb/partfrom the limb/member (of the cosmic Pillar); from a constituent partNounनपुंसक, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
- दीप्यते
- shines, blazesblazes, shines forth (as a manifested power)Verbलट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole KartāRoot दीप् (दीप्तौ)
- अग्निः
- Agni; fireAgni, Fire (sacrificial and cosmic heat; the luminous principle)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्य
- of this (one)of this (of him/it—i.e., of Skambha/the cosmic frame)Pronounपुं/नपुं, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- कस्मात्
- from what?from what? whence? (again pressing the metaphysical ground)Pronounपुं/नपुं, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot किम् → कस्-
- अङ्गात्
- from a limb/partfrom which limb/member (of the support)Nounनपुंसक, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot अङ्ग
- पवते
- blows; purifies/flowsblows/streams/purifies itself; moves as a cleansing current (esp. wind)Verbलट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole KartāRoot पू (पवने/शोधने)
- मातरिश्वा
- Mātariśvan (wind/fire-bringer)Mātariśvan (wind; the fire-bringer; the moving breath in the mother-space)Noun (proper/epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot मातरिश्वन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- कस्मात्
- from what?from what? from which originating member?Pronounपुं/नपुं, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot किम् → कस्-
- अङ्गात्
- from a limb/partfrom which limb (of Skambha)Nounनपुंसक, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot अङ्ग
- वि
- apart, asunder, distinctlyapart, asunder; distributively (marking measured extension)Indeclinable (prefix)उपसर्ग (क्रियाविशेषक)Root वि (उपसर्ग)
- मिमीते
- measures out; apportionsmeasures out, apportions (cosmic mensuration)Verbलट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole KartāRoot मा (माने/मितौ) [मि-धातु, reduplicated present]
- अधि
- over, uponupon, over; in the higher place (celestial positioning)Indeclinableउपसर्ग/संबन्ध-अव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अधि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- चन्द्रमाः
- the MoonNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot चन्द्रमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- महत्
- greatAdjectiveनपुंसक (or अव्ययवत्), प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (here: qualifying स्कम्भस्य अङ्गम्)Role ViśeṣaṇaRoot महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
- स्कम्भस्य
- of the Skambha (cosmic pillar/support)of Skambha, the Support/Pillar (cosmic prop; metaphysical substrate)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive)Root स्कम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
- मिमानः
- measuring; apportioningmeasuring, meting out (as an active agent of order)Participleवर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्), आत्मनेपदी, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (of implied action)Root मा (माने/मितौ) → मिमान (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
- अङ्गम्
- a limb/parta limb/member (a functional part of the cosmic body)Nounनपुंसक, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- कस्मा॒दङ्गाद् → कस्मात् + अङ्गात् (द् + अ → त्; final -त् retained before vowel in pada-resolution)
- अ॒ग्निर॑स्य → अग्निः + अस्य (visarga before vowel)
- कस्मा॒दङ्गा॑त् → कस्मात् + अङ्गात्
- तेऽधि → ते + अधि (’ = avagraha, a-elision)
- च॒न्द्रमा॑ → चन्द्रमाः (nom. sg. of चन्द्रमस्)
- म॒ह → महत् (Vedic shortened form used adjectivally)
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Traditionally attributed within Skambha cycle to Atharvanic seers (Angiras/Atharvan line; to be specified per anukramaṇī for 10.7).
- Devata
- Skambha (cosmic Support); with Agni, Vāyu (Mātariśvan), and Candramas as dependent manifestations
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh-like cadence (as common in AV speculative hymns; verify by pada count in critical edition)
- Rasa
- Adbhuta and Shanta
Sāyaṇa takes Skambha as the supreme support (parama-ādhāra), with ‘members’ as functional cosmic constituents. Agni is the tejas-principle arising from a limb of that support; Mātariśvan is vāyu/prāṇa moving as purifier; the Moon is kāla-mātrā (time-measure) that ‘measures out’ the great space (mahas), i.e., orders the celestial domain by its phases. The repeated interrogatives are not ignorance but a revelatory device: the hymn drives the hearer toward Skambha as the ultimate ground.
Skambha-cycle seer(s) (anukramaṇī-dependent; Atharvanic speculative poets)
Cosmological interrogation (brahmodya), integrating natural forces with a single metaphysical support; used to underwrite ritual-cosmic alignment.
By treating cosmic forces as ‘limbs’ of Skambha, the seer converts fear of nature into reverent comprehension—an Atharvanic form of protection through knowledge.
Skambha with dependent manifestations (Agni, Mātariśvan/Vāyu, Candramas)
The substrate from which elemental powers arise and through which they function in measured order.
Balances inner ‘fires’ (agni), breath (vāyu), and mind-rhythm (candra) by orienting them to a single support; useful for harmonizing prāṇa-tejas-manasa.
Protects by aligning the microcosm (body-breath-mind) with macrocosmic order; reduces fear of disruption.
Typically 4 pādas of ~11 syllables; interrogative repetition ‘kasmād aṅgād…’.
AV speculative hymns often loosen strict triṣṭubh counts; repeated formula creates a drum-like inquiry rhythm.
Propulsive, expansive, with rising questioning momentum.
Energizes contemplation; the repeated ‘kasmād aṅgād’ acts like a mantra-hook drawing attention to origins.
Prepare a śānti setting (clean ground, water for sprinkling, seated reciter facing east).
Recite the Skambha verses as a ‘jñāna-śānti’ (pacificatory knowledge-recitation) before/alongside domestic offerings.
Optionally accompany with ācamana and prokṣaṇa (sprinkling) to ‘stabilize’ the quarters, identifying Skambha as the support of directions and luminaries.
Kauśika Sūtra: Skambha-sūkta employed in brahmavarcasa/śānti contexts (general śānti-prayoga; exact sūtra-number varies by edition and is to be fixed against the school’s anukramaṇī and Kauśika paddhati).
Atharvan/Brahman officiant as śānti-kartṛ: recites, supervises purity acts, and frames the rite as cosmic stabilization rather than oblation-centered yajña.
Recite near the household fire (or lamp) at dawn: acknowledge fire, breath, and time as ordered by the underlying support; suitable as a preface to agnihotra-like domestic offerings (where practiced).
Dawn (agni kindling), or at lunar observances (new/full moon) as a reflection on time-measure.
Householder recitation; purohita may incorporate into śānti and brahmodya sequences.
As a morning ‘alignment’ chant before pranayama and scheduling the day (time-measure).
Agni (fire/heat); Mātariśvan (wind/breath); Candrama (moon/time-measure); Skambha (cosmic pillar/support)
Agni explicitly; fire as purifier/transformer and ritual core.
Fire-wind-moon form a triad of bodily-cosmic regulators: heat, movement, rhythm. Skambha is the integrator that prevents any one from becoming chaotic.
Aṅga (limb) metaphorically; no specific organ named.
Indirect harmonization: frames inner fire/breath/mind as aspects of one order, supporting regulation rather than treating a named disease.
Agni (metabolism), Vāyu (prāṇa/vāta), Candra/Soma (ojas, mind-cooling rhythm). This verse can be used as a contemplative support for tridoṣa balance (especially vāta regulation via grounding).
Somatic integration practice: relating breath, energy, and circadian rhythm to a stable ‘center’ (nervous system regulation).
Ritual community/household; the reciter’s inner faculties.
To establish cosmic dependence on Skambha and thereby stabilize ritual space and the reciter’s inner order.
Brahmodya inquiry; ‘limb’ mapping of forces onto a single sovereign support.
Disorder of elements (fear of fire/wind/night), loss of measure/time-order.
Stability enabling well-being (secondary).
- अङ्ग (aṅga)
- functional aspect of the whole; partial manifestation of a unitary ground
- अग्नि (agni)
- tejas; transformation; will; digestive/metabolic power
- मातरिश्वन् (mātariśvan)
- prāṇa; circulation; breath; life-movement
- चन्द्रमा (candramā)
- mind, soma-rhythm, time-measure, affective tides
- महि (mahi) / महः (mahaḥ)
- cosmic expanse; higher order
- वि मिमीते (vi mimīte)
- establishes rhythm, proportion, law (ṛta)
Trace three inner functions back to the witness-support: heat (agni) in belly, breath (vāyu) in chest, rhythm (candra) in mind—then rest in the ‘support’ beneath them.
maṇipūra (agni), anāhata (breath), ājñā (mind-rhythm)
Sama-vṛtti with attention moving belly → chest → forehead, then to whole-body centerline (skambha).
A central pillar in the spine; flame at navel, wind-stream at heart, moonlight at brow, all tethered to the pillar.
Inquiry (vicāra) leading to integrated presence.
Chant slowly, pausing after each question; in the pause, feel the corresponding inner function, then ‘return’ it to the central support.
Maintain a steady rise on each ‘kasmād aṅgād’; keep pādas even; treat it as reflective rather than argumentative.
Emphasize kasmād… kasmād… kasmād…; give weight to ‘skambhasya’ near the end.
Bright and questioning; not harsh.
Best chanted facing a flame or lamp to embody the first question; coordinate with calm breathing for the second.
3 times
When seeking stability amid change, regulating daily rhythm, or preparing for ritual work requiring composure.
Morning before work; before pranayama; on full-moon/new-moon days as reflection on time.
Integrated energy, steadier breath, clearer sense of rhythm and proportion in life.
If prone to anxiety, keep tempo slow and pauses longer; avoid turning inquiry into mental rumination.
No explicit herb occurs; the ‘substance’ is cosmological: fire, wind, and moon as operative powers. In Atharvanic logic, such powers function like ‘cosmic medicines’—stabilizers of life and order—so the mantra’s efficacy is conceptual (identifying the support) rather than pharmacological.
The verse presumes a specialist reciter who can handle speculative theology as ritual technology. The Atharvan/Brahman’s authority is grounded in knowing the hidden ‘support’ behind visible deities—an epistemic hierarchy (knowledge as power) characteristic of Atharvanic śānti practice.
The Skambha abstraction is more programmatically metaphysical than typical RV hymnody, though built from RV diction (Agni, Mātariśvan, Candramas). The repeated interrogative ‘kasmād aṅgāt’ and the ‘limb’ metaphor intensify a quasi-upaniṣadic analytic style within mantra form.
Gopatha tends to validate Atharvanic mantras by linking them to cosmic correspondences and brahman (sacral power). A Skambha hymn’s efficacy is framed as establishing bandhu (connections) between ritual speech and the world’s supports—thereby producing śānti (stability) and brahmavarcasa (sacral radiance).
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