Atharva Veda 20.11.3: Kanda 20, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 11, Mantra 3

Sukta 11

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

इन्द्रो॑ वृ॒त्रम॑वृणो॒च्छर्ध॑नीतिः॒ प्र मा॒यिना॑ममिना॒द् वर्प॑णीतिः । अह॒न् व्यंसमु॒शध॒ग् वने॑ष्वा॒विर्धेना॑ अकृणोद् रा॒म्याणा॑म्

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 20.11.3

IAST Transliteration

índro vṛtrám avṛṇoc chárdhanītiḥ prá māyínām aminād várpaṇītiḥ | áhann vyàṃsam uśádhag váneṣv āvír dhénā akṛṇod rāmyā́ṇām

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Indra laid open Vṛtra, as leader of the host; forth he crushed the wiles of the crafty, with smiting power. He slew the crooked one, scorching him in the forests; he made the milch-cows manifest, for the pleasant habitations.

Translation

Indra öffnete Vṛtra, als Führer des Heeres; er zerschmetterte die Listen der Listigen mit schlagender Kraft. Er erschlug den Krummen, versengte ihn in den Wäldern; er machte die melkenden Kühe sichtbar, für die lieblichen Wohnstätten.

The meaning

What it says

Indra as host-leader opens (splits) Vṛtra, crushes the tricks of sorcerous/crafty foes, burns down the ‘crooked one’ in the forest, and makes the hidden milch-cows appear—restoring pleasant dwelling-places.

The inner meaning

The psyche’s ‘blockage’ (vṛtra) is pierced by decisive will and disciplined force; deceptive patterns (māyā) are exposed and broken. ‘Scorching in the forests’ images burning through unconscious thickets (habit, fear). The ‘cows made manifest’ are recovered energies—nourishment, confidence, steady resources.

The truth in it

When obstruction and deception dominate, clarity + courageous action reopen the channels of life; what is hidden but life-giving (resources, support, insight) becomes available again.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Raksha (Protective) / Abhicarika-counter (counter-sorcery) framed as Indra myth

Its aim

To remove obstruction (mythic Vṛtra → practical impediment), crush sorcerous adversaries, and restore prosperity (cows/wealth)

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Word by Word

Pada patha

इन्द्रः । वृत्रम् । अवृणोत् । शर्ध-नीतिः । प्र । मायिनाम् । अमिनात् । वर्पणी-तिः । अहन् । व्यंसम् । उशधक् । वनेषु । आविः । धेनाः । अकृणोत् । राम्याणाम्

इन्द्रः

IndraIndra; slayer of obstruction, model for removing disease/hostilityNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)

वृत्रम्

Vṛtra (the obstructor)Vṛtra; the Obstructor (mythic blockage; by extension, impediment/disease)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot वृत्र (प्रातिपदिक)

अवृणोत्

overcame / struck downhe uncovered/opened; removed the covering (unblocking, releasing)Verbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √वृ (वृणोति ‘to choose/cover/ward off’; here ‘to smite/overcome’ in Vedic usage)

शर्धनीतिः

(he) of battle-guidance / leader of the hostleader of the host; commander who drives the troop (martial efficacy)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (इन्द्रस्य विशेषण-रूपेण)Root शर्धनीति (प्रातिपदिक; ‘host/army-leading, battle-guidance’)

प्र

forth, forwardforth; intensifier of the act of crushingIndeclinableअव्ययRoot प्र (उपसर्ग/निपात)

मायिनाम्

of the sorcerers / of the illusionistsof the crafty/illusion-working; sorcerous foes (magical adversaries)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root मायिन् (प्रातिपदिक)

अमिनात्

he damaged / destroyedhe damaged/crushed; broke down (neutralized hostile magic)Verbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √मि/मीन् (मिनाति ‘to diminish, damage, destroy’)

वर्पणीतिः

(he) of mighty form / of splendid appearancewith smiting force/weaponry; possessing the power to strike (Sayana: vadhopāya)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (इन्द्रस्य विशेषण-रूपेण)Root वर्पणीति (प्रातिपदिक; ‘form/beauty/shape; (power of) appearance’)

अहन्

he slewhe slew; killed (decisive removal)Verbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √हन् (to strike, slay)

व्यम्

widely / in the open expanseNoun (used adverbially)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषणवत्)Role कर्म/क्रियाविशेषणRoot व्यम् (प्रातिपदिक; Vedic ‘spreading/expanse’; used adverbially/accusative)

सम्

together, completelyIndeclinableअव्ययRoot सम् (उपसर्ग/निपात)

उशधक्

the burning one / the consuming (force)burning/consuming; scorching (as if with heat—apotropaic ‘fever’ against demons)Adjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (कर्मपद-रूपेण)Role कर्मRoot उशधक् (प्रातिपदिक; Vedic, ‘burning/consuming’; often of fire/heat)

वनेषु

in the forestsin the woods; wilderness space of danger and spiritsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot वन (प्रातिपदिक)

आविः

manifestly, openlymanifest, in the open; made visible (bringing hidden threats to light)Indeclinableअव्ययRoot आविस्/आविः (अव्यय)

धेनाः

cowsmilch-cows; sources of nourishment/wealth (restored prosperity)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)

अकृणोत्

he made / he causedhe made/caused; effected (ritual causation)Verbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √कृ (करोति ‘to make, do’)

राम्याणाम्

of the pleasant (things/places)of the delightful/pleasant (places or states); making the world habitable/pleasantAdjective (substantivized)नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (सन्दर्भानुसार), षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root राम्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘pleasant, delightful’)

Sandhi Notes

• (1) इन्द्रो वृत्रम् → इन्द्रः + वृत्रम् (विसर्ग-लोपः/ओ-आदेशः)
• (2) अवृणोच्छर्धनीतिः → अवृणोत् + शर्धनीतिः (त् + श → च्छ, छकारादेशः)
• (3) ममिनाद् वर्पणीतिः → अमिनात् + वर्पणीतिः (पदपाठे त्; संहितायां द्-आदेशः/घोषीकरणम्)
• (4) व्यंसम् → व्यम् + सम् (अनुस्वार/संयोग-सन्धिः)
• (5) उशधग् वनेषु → उशधक् + वनेषु (क् → ग् परे घोषे ‘व’)
• (6) वनेष्वाविः → वनेषु + आविः (उ + आ → वा)
• (7) आविर्धेनाः → आविः + धेनाः (विसर्ग-लोपः)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Rigvedic provenance (AV 20 RV-adoption; r̥ṣi per RV source hymn)

Devata

Indra

Chandas

Triṣṭubh

Rasa

Vira and Raudra

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