Atharva Veda 19.49.4: Kanda 19, Anuvaka 5, Sukta 49, Mantra 4

Sukta 49

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

सिं॒हस्य॒ रात्र्यु॑श॒ती पीं॒षस्य॑ व्या॒घ्रस्य॑ द्वी॒पिनो॒ वर्च॒ आ द॑दे । अश्व॑स्य ब्र॒ध्नं पुरु॑षस्य मा॒युं पु॒रु रू॒पाणि॑ कृणुषे विभा॒ती

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 19.49.4

IAST Transliteration

síṃhasya rā́try uśatī́ pī́ṃṣasya vyā́ghrasya dvīpíno várco ā́ dade | áśvasya bradhnáṃ púruṣasya māyúṃ púru rū́pāṇi kṛṇuṣe vibhātī́ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Night, kindly, takes unto herself the splendor of the lion, of the panther, of the tiger, of the spotted beast. The horse’s tawny brightness, the man’s loud might she takes: manifold forms thou fashionest, shining forth.

Translation

Die holdgesinnte Nacht nimmt den Glanz des Löwen, des Panthers, des Tigers, des gefleckten Tieres an sich. Des Pferdes fahl-goldene Helle, des Mannes laute Kraft nimmt sie an; du, strahlend, schaffst viele Gestalten.

The meaning

What it says

Rātri (Night), addressed as a luminous power, “takes” (appropriates) the splendor/force (varcas) of feared predators—lion, panther/leopard, tiger, and the “spotted beast”—and also takes the horse’s tawny brilliance and the human’s māyu (roaring force). She “makes many forms,” shining forth.

The inner meaning

The psyche’s nocturnal faculty gathers instinctual powers (predatory vigilance, speed, dominance, fearlessness) and reorganizes them into protective competence rather than panic. Night becomes the integrator of shadow-energy: what terrifies by day is transmuted into guardianship at night.

The truth in it

Darkness is not mere absence but a transformative matrix: when consciously invoked, the unknown can be converted into protection, strength, and adaptive multiplicity (puru rūpāṇi).

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Rakṣoghna/Apotropaic with Paustika undertone

Its aim

To appropriate the feared powers of predators as protective force under Night’s control, thereby deterring threats

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Word by Word

Pada patha

सिंहस्य । रात्रि । उशती । पींषस्य । व्याघ्रस्य । द्वीपिनः । वर्चः । आ । ददे । अश्वस्य । ब्रध्नम् । पुरुषस्य । मायुम् । पुरु । रूपाणि । कृणुषे । विभाती ।

सिंहस्य

of the lionof the lion; emblem of royal/terrible strengthNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)

रात्र्युः

of the nightNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन (वैदिक रूप: रात्र्याः/रात्र्युः)Role सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)

उशती

desiring, eager (night)gracious, desirous (to bestow); benevolent in taking on powersAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole विशेषण (to रात्र्युः) / कर्तृ-सम्बन्धRoot उशत् (प्रातिपदिक; √वश्/उश् ‘to desire, be eager’ से वर्तमान कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)

पींषस्य

of the pīṃṣa (a fierce creature)of the leopard/panther (piṃṣa); fierce nocturnal predatorNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root पींष (प्रातिपदिक; ‘a fierce animal/serpent’—वैदिक शब्द)

व्याघ्रस्य

of the tigerof the tiger; terror and dominanceNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root व्याघ्र (प्रातिपदिक)

द्वीपिनः

of the leopard (spotted one)of the spotted beast (leopard); wild, stealthy forceNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root द्वीपिन् (प्रातिपदिक)

वर्चः

splendour, radiancesplendor, vital brilliance; protective radiance/majestyNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (वेदे: वर्चः)Role कर्म (object of आ ददे)Root वर्चस् (प्रातिपदिक)

आ

towards, unto (prefix)unto, toward; intensifier of taking/assumingIndeclinableउपसर्ग (prefix to ददे)Root आ (उपसर्ग)

ददे

takes, assumesshe places, she takes to herself; assumes (powers as her own)Verbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परफेक्ट); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole क्रिया (मुख्य क्रिया)Root √दा (दाने) / वैदिक मध्यमपद-आत्मनेपद ‘to take/receive/put on’

अश्वस्य

of the horseof the horse; speed and vigorNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)

ब्रध्नम्

the tawny (colour/one)tawny brightness; ruddy sheen (horse’s radiant color/force)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (object, understood with आ ददे)Root ब्रध्न (प्रातिपदिक; ‘tawny, ruddy’)

पुरुषस्य

of the man/personof man; human vitality and agencyNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक)

मायुम्

the cry/roarcry/roar, vehement sound; also ‘might’ expressed as voice (intimidatory power)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (object, understood with आ ददे)Root मायु (प्रातिपदिक; ‘cry/roar/voice’—वैदिक)

पुरु

manymany, manifold; abundant multiplicityIndeclinable/Adjectiveअव्ययवत् प्रयोग (quantifier)Role विशेषण (to रूपाणि)Root पुरु (अव्यय/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक ‘many’)

रूपाणि

forms, shapesforms, shapes; appearances assumed by NightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचनRole कर्म (object of कृणुषे)Root रूप (प्रातिपदिक)

कृणुषे

you make, you fashionthou makest, fashionest; actively produces transformationsVerbलट् (वर्तमान); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRole क्रिया (मुख्य क्रिया)Root √कृ (करणे) ‘to make’

विभाती

shines forth, is radiantshining forth, appearing; manifesting in varied brilliance (despite darkness)Verbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रिया (अनुषङ्ग/वर्णनात्मक)Root √भा (दीप्तौ) ‘to shine’ + वि-

Sandhi Notes

• सिंहस्य | रात्र्युः | उशती | पींषस्य | व्याघ्रस्य | द्वीपिनः | वर्चः | आ | ददे | अश्वस्य | ब्रध्नम् | पुरुषस्य | मायुम् | पुरु | रूपाणि | कृणुषे | विभाती ।
• 1) ‘रात्र्यु॑श॒ती’ = रात्र्युः + उशती (उ-आदि शब्द; विसर्ग/उकारान्त-षष्ठी एकवचन का वैदिक संधि-रूप).
• 2) ‘वर्च॒ आ द॑दे’ में ‘वर्चः’ (नपुंसक द्वितीया एकवचन) + ‘आ’ (उपसर्ग) पृथक् पद
• संहिता में विराम-रहित उच्चारण.
• 3) ‘द्वी॒पिनो॒’ = द्वीपिनः (षष्ठी एकवचन; ओ-स्वर वैदिक संहिता-रूप)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic/Angirasa tradition

Devata

Rātri

Chandas

Triṣṭubh-like

Rasa

Adbhuta and Vira

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