Atharva Veda 12.3.54: Kanda 12, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 3, Mantra 54
Sukta 3
त॒न्वं स्व॒र्गो ब॑हु॒धा वि च॑क्रे॒ यथा॑ वि॒द आ॒त्मन्न॒न्यव॑र्णाम्। अपा॑जैत् कृ॒ष्णां रुश॑तीं पुना॒नो या लोहि॑नी॒ तां ते॑ अ॒ग्नौ जु॑होमि
tanvàṃ svargó bahudhā́ ví cakre yáthā vid átmann anyávārṇām | apā́jait kṛṣṇā́ṃ ruśátīṃ punāná yā́ lóhinī tā́ṃ te agnáu juhomi ||
The heavenly Power hath fashioned the body manifoldly, even as the wise discern within the self a changed hue. It hath driven off the black, while purifying it into shining brightness: that Red One—her I offer for thee in Agni.
Die himmlische Macht hat den Leib vielfach gestaltet, wie die Weisen im Ātman eine veränderte Färbung erkennen. Sie hat das Schwarze vertrieben und es reinigend in leuchtenden Glanz verwandelt: jene Rote—sie opfere ich dir in Agni.
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (AVŚ 12.3 complex; specific ṛṣi per anukramaṇī)
Devata: Agni as purifier/transmuter; secondarily ‘Lohinī’ as personified red potency
Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like (with Atharvanic irregularities)
Primary: adbhuta
Secondary: shanta
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