Atharva Veda 6.21.3: Kanda 6, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 21, Mantra 3

Sukta 21

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

रेव॑ती॒रना॑धृषः सिषा॒सवः॑ सिषासथ । उ॒त स्थ के॑श॒दृंह॑णी॒रथो॑ ह केश॒वर्ध॑नीः

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 6.21.3

IAST Transliteration

revatī́r anā́dhṛṣaḥ siṣā́savaḥ siṣāsatha | utá stha keśadṛ́ṃhaṇīr átho ha keśavárdhanīḥ

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Ye are bounteous, unassailable, striving for success and making success; ye are hair-strengtheners, yea, indeed, hair-increasers.

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Word by Word

• रेवतीः: prosperous (female ones); rich, bountiful
• रेवतीः: कर्तृ
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: रेवत् (प्रातिपदिक) ← रेवत् ‘धन/समृद्धि-युक्त’

• अनाधृषः: unassailable; not to be overpowered
• अनाधृषः: कर्तृ
• Type: Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: अनाधृष (प्रातिपदिक) ← a- + √धृष् ‘धर्षणे/साहसे’

• सिषासवः: desiring to instruct/guide; eager to set in order
• सिषासवः: कर्तृ
• Type: Verb (desiderative participle used as adjective)
• Root: √सा/शा (शासने ‘to instruct/command’) → desiderative stem सिषास-

• सिषासथ: you (pl.) desire to instruct / you seek to guide
• सिषासथ: कर्तृ
• Type: Verb
• Root: √सा/शा (शासने) desiderative base सिषास-

• उत: and; also; moreover
• उत: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत

• स्थ: you are / you stand
• स्थ: कर्तृ
• Type: Verb (enclitic)
• Root: अस् (भू/अस्तित्वे) — enclitic 2nd pl. of ‘to be’

• केशदृंहणीः: hair-strengtheners; those that make the hair firm
• केशदृंहणीः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun/Adjective (f.)
• Root: केश-दृंहणी (समास-प्रातिपदिक) ← केश ‘hair’ + √दृंह्/दृह् ‘to make firm/strengthen’ (णिनि-प्रत्यय) दृंहणी

• अथो: and then; moreover; indeed
• अथो: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथो

• ह: indeed; surely (emphatic particle)
• ह: —
• Type: Indeclinable (particle)
• Root: ह

• केशवर्धनीः: hair-growers; those that promote hair growth
• केशवर्धनीः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun/Adjective (f.)
• Root: केश-वर्धनी (समास-प्रातिपदिक) ← केश ‘hair’ + √वृध् ‘to increase’ (णिनि-प्रत्यय) वर्धनी

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (oṣadhi hymn complex).

Devata: Oṣadhīs (herbs) as personified powers; specifically keśadṛṃhaṇī/keśavardhanī functions.

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like (compact two-pāda verse).

Mantra Rasa

Primary: vira

Secondary: adbhuta