Atharva Veda 9.2.16: Kanda 9, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 16
Sukta 2
यत् ते काम॒ शर्म॑ त्रि॒वरू॑थमु॒द्भु ब्रह्म॒ वर्म॒ वित॑तमनतिव्या॒ध्यंऽ कृ॒तम्। तेन॑ स॒पत्ना॒न् परि॑ वृङ्ग्धि॒ ये मम॒ पर्ये॑नान् प्रा॒णः प॒शवो॒ जीव॑नं वृणक्तु
yát te kā́ma śárma tri-varū́tham udbhú bráhma várma vítatam anati-vyā́dhyam kṛtám | téna sapátnān pári vṛṅgdhi yé máma páry enān prāṇáḥ páśavo jī́vanaṁ vṛṇaktu
That shelter of thine, O Kāma—threefold-guarded—sprung forth as sacred spell, as armour spread abroad, made not to be overpassed by sickness: therewith do thou shear away the rivals, who beset me round about; let breath, let cattle, let life choose (and cleave to) me.
Jener Schutz von dir, o Kāma, dreifach umwehrt, hervorgegangen als Brahman-Zauberformel, als weithin ausgebreitetes Panzerkleid, gemacht, dass Krankheit nicht hindurchdringe: damit schere hinweg die Nebenbuhler, die mich rings bedrängen; Atem, Vieh und Leben mögen mich erwählen (und an mir haften).
Rishi: Traditionally Atharvanic/Angirasa attribution for Kāma materials (varies by anukramaṇī tradition)
Devata: Kāma (personified Desire) as conquering and protective power
Chandas: Predominantly Anuṣṭubh-type cadence (Atharvanic mixed metrics possible)
Primary: vira
Secondary: shanta
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