Atharva Veda 19.39.5: Kanda 19, Anuvaka 4, Sukta 39, Mantra 5
Sukta 39
त्रिः शाम्बु॑भ्यो॒ अङ्गि॑रेभ्य॒स्त्रिरा॑दि॒त्येभ्य॒स्परि॑ । त्रिर्जा॒तो वि॒श्वदे॑वेभ्यः । स कुष्ठो॑ वि॒श्वभे॑षजः सा॒कं सोमे॑न तिष्ठति । त॒क्मानं॒ सर्वं॑ नाशय॒ सर्वा॑श्च यातुधा॒न्यः
tríḥ śā́mbhubhyo áṅgirebhyas trír ādítyebhyaḥ pári | trír jā́to viśvádevebhyaḥ | sá kúṣṭho viśvábheṣajaḥ sā́kaṃ sómena tiṣṭhati | takmā́naṃ sárvaṃ nāśaya sárvāś ca yātudhā́nyaḥ ||
Thrice from the Śambhus, from the Aṅgirases; thrice from about the Ādityas; thrice born from the All-Gods. That Kuṣṭha, the universal medicine, abides together with Soma. Destroy every Takmán-fever, and all the Yātudhānī demonesses.
Dreimal von den Śambhus, von den Aṅgirases; dreimal rings um die Ādityas; dreimal geboren aus den Allgöttern (Viśvadevas). Jener Kuṣṭha, das Allheilmittel, steht zusammen mit Soma. Vernichte jedes Takmán-Fieber und alle Yātudhānī-Dämoninnen.
The meaning
What it says
Kuṣṭha is declared ‘thrice’ obtained/born from powerful divine groups: Śambhus, Aṅgirases, Ādityas, and Viśvadevas. Kuṣṭha, the universal medicine, stands together with Soma. The mantra commands: destroy all Takmán (fever) and all Yātudhānī demonesses.
The inner meaning
The remedy is authorized by multiple lineages—benign (Śambhu), fiery/forceful (Aṅgiras), solar order (Āditya), and collective divinity (Viśvadeva). Healing requires both nourishment/ecstasy (Soma) and exorcistic clarity (expelling fever/demons). The repeated ‘triḥ’ stabilizes the mind: a rhythmic insistence that the cure is fully sanctioned.
The truth in it
Lasting healing integrates multiple dimensions—calming, strength, order, community—and confronts both biological disturbance (fever) and the ‘demonic’ patterns of fear, obsession, or contagion that cling to illness.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Bhaisajya (Healing) / Rakshoghna (Demon-expelling)
Its aim
To establish Kuṣṭha as a universally sanctioned panacea, conjoined with Soma, and to effect the destruction of all fever and demonic afflictors.
Word by Word
Pada patha
त्रिः । शाम्भुभ्यः । अङ्गिरेभ्यः । त्रिः । आदित्येभ्यः । परि । त्रिः । जातः । विश्वदेवेभ्यः । सः । कुष्ठः । विश्व-भेषजः । साकम् । सोमेन । तिष्ठति । तक्मानम् । सर्वम् । नाशय । सर्वाः । च । यातुधान्यः
- त्रिः
- thricethrice; ritual intensifier indicating repeated consecration/threefold originIndeclinableअव्यय (पुनरुक्ति/संख्या-अव्यय)Root त्रिस्
- शाम्बुभ्यः
- to/for the Śāmbus (a class of beings)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी/षष्ठी? (अत्र दत्तिवचन-प्रयोगः) दत्तिवचन बहुवचन (दत्तिविभक्ति बहुवचन)Role SampradānaRoot शाम्बु (प्रा.)
- अङ्गिरेभ्यः
- to the Aṅgirasesfrom the Aṅgirases; Atharvanic priestly lineage associated with fire, spells, and healingNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी बहुवचनRole SampradānaRoot अङ्गिरस् (प्रा.)
- त्रिः
- thricethrice; repetition reinforcing multi-source legitimacyIndeclinableअव्ययRoot त्रिस्
- आदित्येभ्यः
- to the Ādityasfrom the Ādityas; solar/ṛta-guarding deities, conferring purity and protectionNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी बहुवचनRole SampradānaRoot आदित्य (प्रा.)
- परि
- around; all aroundfrom around/from; also connotes encompassing derivation and protective pervasionIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot परि
- त्रिः
- thricethrice; culminating the triadic consecrationIndeclinableअव्ययRoot त्रिस्
- जातः
- born; arisenborn; mythic birth establishing authority and efficacyAdjectiveभूतकृदन्त (क्त); पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot जन् (धातु) → जात (कृदन्त) अथवा प्रा. जात
- विश्वदेवेभ्यः
- to the All-Gods (Viśvedevas)from the All-Gods; universal divine sanctionNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी बहुवचनRole SampradānaRoot विश्वदेव (प्रा.)
- सः
- he/that (one)that/he; resumptive pronoun pointing to KuṣṭhaPronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम)
- कुष्ठः
- Kuṣṭha (the medicinal herb)Kuṣṭha; the herb-deityNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot कुष्ठ (प्रा.)
- विश्वभेषजः
- the universal medicineuniversal medicine; panacea-like designation (curer of all)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole KartāRoot विश्व-भेषज (प्रा.)
- साकम्
- together (with)together with; co-presence/combination in ritual and potencyIndeclinableअव्ययRole KaraṇaRoot साकम्
- सोमेन
- with Somawith Soma; the sacral plant/drink, here as co-agent enhancing healing and sanctityNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot सोम (प्रा.)
- तिष्ठति
- stands; remainsstands, abides; remains present/installed as an enduring powerVerbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष एकवचनRoot स्था (धातु)
- तक्ष्मानम्
- fever (Takman)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तक्ष्मन् (प्रा.)
- सर्वम्
- entirely; all (of it)all; total scopeAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (तक्ष्मानम् इति कर्मणः विशेषणम्) अथवा क्रियाविशेषणवत्Role KarmaRoot सर्व (प्रा.)
- नाशय
- destroy; drive awaydestroy; operative expulsionVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष एकवचनRoot नश्/नाशय (णिजन्त) < नश् (धातु)
- सर्वाः
- allall (fem. pl.); all demonessesAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचन (यातुधान्यः इति कर्मणः विशेषणम्) अथवा प्रथमा बहुवचन (पाठभेदे)Role KarmaRoot सर्व (प्रा.)
- च
- andand; conjunctionIndeclinableअव्यय (समुच्चय)Root च
- यातुधान्यः
- witches; sorceresses (yātudhānīs)Yātudhānī demonesses; hostile agents of illnessNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचन (कर्म) — ‘यातुधान्यः’ वैदिक-रूपम्Role KarmaRoot यातुधानी (प्रा.) / यातुधान (प्रा.)
Sandhi Notes
- त्रिः शाम्बुभ्यः अङ्गिरेभ्यः त्रिः आदित्येभ्यः परि । त्रिः जातः विश्वदेवेभ्यः । सः कुष्ठः विश्वभेषजः साकम् सोमेन तिष्ठति । तक्ष्मानम् सर्वम् नाशय सर्वाः च यातुधान्यः । मुख्य-सन्धयः:
- (1) शाम्बुभ्यः + अङ्गिरेभ्यः → शाम्बुभ्योऽङ्गिरेभ्यः (ओऽ + अ → ओऽ)
- (2) त्रिः + आदित्येभ्यः → त्रिरादित्येभ्यः (विसर्ग/ः → र् पूर्वस्वरे)
- (3) त्रिः + जातः → त्रिर्जातः (ः → र्)
- (4) विश्वदेवेभ्यः + सः → विश्वदेवेभ्यः सः (विसर्गः पदान्ते स्थितः; संहितायां विरामः)
- (5) साकम् + सोमेन → साकं सोमेन (अन्त्य-म्/म्-परिवर्तनं वैदिकपाठे)
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic transmission (to be confirmed via anukramaṇī).
- Devata
- Kuṣṭha (oṣadhi-devatā) with Soma as associated power; adversaries: Takmán and Yātudhānīs.
- Chandas
- Mixed/Anuṣṭubh-dominant (to be verified; the verse is longer and may involve pāda-extension).
- Rasa
- Vira and Raudra
Sāyaṇa interprets the threefold ‘birth’ as layered consecration: Kuṣṭha derives power from beneficent beings (Śambhu), from Atharvanic-Aṅgiras authority, and from solar Āditya purity, finally receiving universal sanction from Viśvedevas. ‘Viśvabheṣaja’ marks it as a remedy for manifold diseases. ‘Together with Soma’ indicates augmentation: Soma’s sanctity and invigorating quality co-operate with Kuṣṭha. The closing imperative repeats the hymn’s core karman: annihilation of fever and demonesses.
Anukramaṇī attribution uncertain (AVŚ 19; hymn-level tradition Atharvanic)
Bhaiṣajya with rakṣoghna thrust: establishing a herb’s divine pedigree and issuing direct commands to fever and demonic afflictors.
This is classic Atharvan synthesis: medicinal ontology (herb as devatā) + exorcistic imperative (nāśaya) + Soma-sanctification.
Kuṣṭha (with Soma-saṃyoga)
A panacea validated by multiple divine collectives; when conjoined with Soma, it becomes both restorative and ritually pure, able to expel fever and hostile beings.
Anti-fever, restorative, revitalizing; supports recovery from systemic heat disorders and wasting influences.
Rakṣoghna: drives away yātudhānī-type afflictors; protects the household/patient from recurring attacks.
Likely 6 pādas of ~8 syllables or 4 pādas with expanded segments; the repeated triḥ clauses create a litany-like opening, followed by anuṣṭubh-like command clauses.
Litany (triḥ… triḥ… triḥ…) is a typical Atharvanic ‘charging’ device that can override strict metrical symmetry.
Incantatory and forceful; accelerates into imperative nāśaya.
Builds authority through repetition, then releases it as a command against fever and demons.
The priest consecrates Kuṣṭha by triple recitation (matching ‘tríḥ’), optionally touching the herb three times or making three passes over the patient.
If Soma (or a Soma-substitute in domestic setting) is available, he mixes/associates it with the remedy (sprinkling, anointing, or offering a sip), reciting ‘sā́kaṃ sómena tiṣṭhati’ to install co-presence.
He applies/binds the Kuṣṭha to the patient.
He pronounces the final expulsion command to drive out fever and yātudhānīs, possibly accompanied by spitting away/throwing a small portion to the north or into running water (common apotropaic gestures in AV praxis).
Kauśika Sūtra: combined oṣadhi-prayoga with Soma-associated sanctification in healing rites; takman-expulsion procedures (exact numbering varies by recension/edition; to be fixed in a DH alignment table).
Atharvan as consecrator and exorcist-healer: he performs triple activation, integrates Soma-sanctity, and executes the final banishing command.
Recite over the febrile patient; optionally over water or a medicinal preparation; conclude with the nāśaya command as a ‘seal’ against recurrence.
At onset of fever; repeat at fever peaks and at dawn/dusk for several days.
Atharvan healer; may combine with fumigation, herb application, and protective boundary rites.
Takmán-removal and rakṣoghna procedures are prominent in Kauśika; exact sūtra citation for AVŚ 19.39 usage requires verification.
Chant as supportive prayer alongside medical fever care.
Kuṣṭha (universal medicine); Soma (co-agent of sanctity and vitality)
Kuṣṭha is ‘installed’ as medicine by cosmic pedigree; Soma supplies sanctity, refreshment, and ojas-like restoration; together they defeat both heat-disorder (fever) and malignant agencies.
Takmán (fever, including recurrent/undulating fevers) and demon-caused afflictions (yātudhānī).
Divine legitimation (multiple origins) + Soma-conjunction (sanctifying co-agent) + direct expulsion command (nāśaya) targeting both physiological fever and spiritual agents.
Fever (jvara) management: reducing pathological heat and restoring ojas; Soma imagery aligns with rasāyana/ojas nourishment; kuṣṭha used in some formulations for vāta-kapha and pain, and in broader Atharvanic use as protective panacea.
Fever management + infection control: antipyretic care, hydration, rest, and addressing anxiety/night-fears that accompany illness.
Patient with fever; household threatened by recurring illness/night-attack patterns.
Install Kuṣṭha as universally authorized medicine allied with Soma; annihilate all fevers and hostile female-coded afflictors.
Genealogical authorization (triple origin) + alliance (Soma-sākam) + imperative exorcism (nāśaya) functioning as a verbal ‘strike’.
Takmán (fever) and yātudhānī-type harms (night terrors, wasting, contagion-like forces).
- त्रिः (triḥ)
- Totality and reinforcement; triple sealing of efficacy across realms/times
- शाम्भुभ्यः (śāmbhubhyaḥ)
- Pacifying, welfare-giving current in healing
- अङ्गिरेभ्यः (aṅgirebhyaḥ)
- Fierce, transformative fire-power—aggressive removal of disease
- आदित्येभ्यः (ādityebhyaḥ)
- Solar order, immunity-as-law, restoration of ṛta-like regularity
- विश्वदेवेभ्यः (viśvadevebhyaḥ)
- Universal consent; panacea status
- विश्वभेषजः (viśvabheṣajaḥ)
- Remedy that addresses both symptom and spiritual cause
- सोमेन साकम् (somena sākam)
- Vital sap/nectar principle; sanctity, refreshment, and regenerative joy
- तकम्ान (takmān)
- Heat-disorder; invasive, recurring affliction
- यातुधान्यः (yātudhānyāḥ)
- Parasitic destructive forces—night-terrors, wasting, infection-like agencies
Burn away feverish agitation; invoke cool, nourishing Soma-like awareness while maintaining fierce clarity against intrusive patterns.
Maṇipūra (fever/heat regulation imagery) balanced by Sahasrāra/Ājñā (Soma-as-nectar visualization).
Cooling breath (śītali/śītkārī) if appropriate and safe; otherwise slow breathing with emphasis on a cooling exhale during ‘nāśaya’.
A cool lunar nectar (Soma) bathing the body while a green-gold kuṣṭha aura drives out a red ‘fever’ form and shadowy yātudhānī figures beyond a boundary line.
Commanding, lucid, protective.
Keep the litany measured (triḥ…); deliver nāśaya with unwavering intent; end with a moment of silent cooling attention.
Keep the triḥ-repetitions metrically even; treat nāśaya as the climactic accented command; maintain consistent pitch contour across repetitions.
Pause lightly after each triḥ phrase to mark the threefold sealing; emphasize viśvabheṣajaḥ and nāśaya.
Incantatory, authoritative; slightly stronger volume on nāśaya.
A common Atharvanic pattern is triple repetition for sealing; repeating the whole verse three times matches the triḥ motif.
3 times
Fever episodes, recurrent fevers, or when illness is accompanied by fear, nightmares, or a sense of ‘oppression’.
At fever onset and at transitions (dawn/dusk); optionally repeat during chills/peaks.
Traditional: destruction of fever and hostile agencies; experiential: resolve, calm, and a cooling restorative focus.
Seek medical care for high, persistent, or dangerous fevers; avoid cooling breath practices if contraindicated (respiratory issues, very cold constitution).
The mantra constructs a multi-source divine pedigree for the herb, turning pharmacology into theology. The triple-birth motif functions like repeated consecration, while Soma provides an additional sacral ‘carrier’ that stabilizes and amplifies efficacy.
By rooting the remedy in Aṅgiras authority and All-Gods sanction, the text legitimizes Atharvanic healing within broader Vedic hierarchy. The healer’s control over consecration (triple recitation) and Soma-association underscores ritual expertise as a social resource.
The genealogical ‘born from X’ idiom is archaic and RV-like, but its application to an herb as ‘viśvabheṣaja’ and its immediate linkage to demon-expulsion is distinctively Atharvanic, blending mythic legitimation with direct operative commands.
Gopatha’s tendency to universalize Atharvanic rites by connecting them to Viśvedevas and to brahmanic consecration supports the verse’s strategy: efficacy is guaranteed by layered divine provenance and by Soma’s sacral presence, with the mantra as the binding mechanism.
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