Mantra 2

Sukta 56

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

बन्धस्त्वाग्रे विश्वचया अपश्यत् पुरा रात्र्या जनितोरेके अह्नि । ततः स्वप्नेदमध्या बभूविथ भिषग्भ्यो रूपमपगूहमानः

IAST Transliteration

bándhas tvā́gre viśvá-cayā apaśyat purā́ rā́tryā janitór éke áhni | tátaḥ svápne idám adhyā́ babhūvitha bhiṣágbhyo rū́pam apágūhamānaḥ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

The Binding One first beheld thee, with vision ranging everywhere, of old—before Night—within the single day of the Two Begetters. Thence, in Dream, didst thou here come into being, hiding thy form away from the physicians.

Word by Word

बन्धःBond, binding (a being/personified bond)

त्वाyou (accusative)

अग्रेin front; at first; formerly

विश्वचयाwith all-seeing/with universal insight (lit. ‘all-collecting/ all-perceiving’)

अपश्यत्saw

पुराformerly; before

रात्र्याःof the night

जनितोःof the two begetters/parents

एकेin one (single)

अह्निday (on a day)

ततःthereupon; from that

स्वप्नेin a dream

इदम्this

अध्याover, upon; in addition/thereon (Vedic adverb)

बभूविथyou have become; you became

भिषग्भ्यःto/for the physicians (healers)

रूपम्form; appearance

अपगूहमानःconcealing; hiding away

Attribution

Rishi: Traditionally Atharvanic/Angirasa attribution for late-book apotropaic material (specific r̥ṣi varies by anukramaṇī tradition).

Devata: Svapna (Dream) as a personified power; associated with Bandha (Binding).

Chandas: Mixed/late Atharvanic triṣṭubh-jagatī tendency (late book style; exact metrical scansion requires pada-length verification).

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"bhayankara","secondary_rasa":"adbhuta","emotional_arc":"Uncanny discovery of a hidden agent → recognition and containment through naming.","listener_experience":"Chills, then relief through clarity; a sense that the problem has a ‘handle’.","intensity":7}