Sukta 21
Rishi: Atharvanic seer tradition for oṣadhi hymns (often anonymous/collective in later indices).
Devata: Oṣadhi (the herb) and Bhūmi/Pṛthivī as source of medicinal power.
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh tendencies with prose-like opening label; metrical classification varies due to the initial rubric-like phrase.
Dieser kurze Heil- und Nährhymnus verleiht dem keśavardhanī-Kraut („haarvermehrend“) Wirkkraft, indem er seine Potenz in Bhūmi/Pṛthivī gründet, der höchsten Stütze von Pflanzenleben und Heilkunst. Er „sammelt“ das Heilmittel von der äußeren Haut (tvac) der Erde, erhebt dann das Kraut als das vornehmste unter den Arzneien und wendet sich schließlich an die Kräuter als freigebige, unbesiegbare Kräfte, die das Haar stärken und vermehren.
Mantras
Mantra 1
केशवर्धनी औषधिः। इ॒मा यास्ति॒स्रः पृ॑थि॒वीस्तासां॑ ह॒ भूमि॑रुत्त॒मा। तासा॒मधि॑ त्व॒चो अ॒हं भे॑ष॒जं समु॑ जग्रभम्
Keśavardhanī ist ein Heilkraut. Von diesen drei Erden ist wahrlich der Boden der höchste; von ihrer Oberflächen-„Haut“ habe ich das Heilmittel ganz und gar genommen.
Mantra 2
श्रेष्ठ॑मसि भेष॒जानां॒ वसि॑ष्ठं॒ वीरु॑धानाम्। सोमो॒ भग॑ इव॒ यामे॑षु॒ दे॒वेषु॒ वरु॑णो॒ यथा॑
Du bist das Beste der Heilmittel, das Vorzüglichste der Pflanzen: wie Soma den Zeiten gleich Bhaga ist, wie Varuṇa unter den Göttern.
Mantra 3
रेव॑ती॒रना॑धृषः सिषा॒सवः॑ सिषासथ । उ॒त स्थ के॑श॒दृंह॑णी॒रथो॑ ह केश॒वर्ध॑नीः
Ihr seid freigebig, unbezwingbar; nach Gelingen strebend und Gelingen bewirkend. Ihr seid Haar-Kräftiger; ja wahrlich, Haar-Mehrer.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used to consecrate a hair-promoting herb so it strengthens hair and increases growth, treating the remedy as an earth-derived power that can be made ritually effective.
Because the hymn grounds medicinal potency in the earth itself: Bhūmi is called the highest support, and the remedy is said to be taken from the earth’s outer layer—symbolizing concentrated, accessible healing power.
Traditionally it refers to keśavardhanī, a hair-increasing herb; in practice, a locally known hair-strengthening plant may be used, but the rite’s logic is to treat the herb (especially its ‘skin/bark’ layer) as the medicine empowered by the mantra.
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