Atharva Veda 13.2.10: Kanda 13, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 10
Sukta 2
उ॒द्यन् र॒श्मीना त॑नुषे॒ विश्वा॑ रु॒पाणि॑ पुष्यसि । उ॒भा स॑मु॒द्रौ क्रतु॑ना॒ वि भा॑सि॒ सर्वां॑ल्लो॒कान् प॑रि॒भूर्भ्राज॑मानः
udyán raśmī́nā tanuṣe víśvā rūpā́ṇi puṣyasi | ubhā́ samudráu kratúnā ví bhāsi sárvāṃl lokā́n paribhū́r bhrā́jamānaḥ ||
Rising, with thy rays thou stretchest forth; all forms thou makest to prosper. Over both the oceans by thy purpose thou shinest abroad, blazing, encompassing all worlds.
Al alzarte, con tus rayos te extiendes; todas las formas haces prosperar. Sobre ambos océanos, por tu designio, resplandeces ampliamente, fulgurante, abarcando todos los mundos.
The meaning
What it says
As he rises, Sūrya stretches forth with rays; he makes all forms thrive. By purpose (kratu) he shines over both oceans, blazing and encompassing all worlds.
The inner meaning
Rays are like extensions of awareness and energy that ‘feed’ every capacity. Kratu is directed will: when intention is steady, one’s life-forms (habits, projects) mature and stabilize.
The truth in it
Life prospers under order and regularity. Nourishment is not only substance but also rhythm, direction, and encompassing care.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Paustika (Prosperity) with apotropaic radiance
Its aim
To promote thriving, maturation, and stability of ‘forms’ (life, crops, social order) under the Sun’s ordinance; to establish protective enclosure over all regions.
Word by Word
Pada patha
उ॒द्यन् । र॒श्मीना । त॒नु॒षे॒ । विश्वा॑ । रु॒पाणि॑ । पु॒ष्य॒सि॒ । उ॒भा । स॒मु॒द्रौ । क्रतु॑ना । वि । भा॒सि॒ । सर्वान् । लो॒कान् । प॒रि॒भूः । भ्राज॑मानः
- उद्यन्
- rising (one)rising (the Sun in ascent; the moment of activation)Adjective (participle)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (सूर्यः/उषाः-सम्बद्धः कर्तृविशेषण)Root उद्-यन् (√या ‘गमन’ से वर्तमान कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) अथवा ‘उद्यन्’ (उदितः/उद्गच्छन्) ‘उदयमान’
- रश्मीना
- with a ray / by (your) raywith rays (instrumental; rays as extending ‘threads’ of power)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot रश्मि (प्रातिपदिक)
- तनुषे
- you stretch/spreadthou stretchest; extendest (spreading out, pervading)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole क्रियाRoot √तन् (तनुते)
- विश्वा
- allAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole Karma (रूपाणि-विशेषण)Root विश्व (सर्व) (प्रातिपदिक)
- रूपाणि
- forms, appearancesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
- पुष्यसि
- you nourish, make thrivethou makest thrive; nourishest (paustika force: growth, well-being)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √पुष् (पुष्यति)
- उभा
- bothAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचनRole Karma (समुद्रौ-विशेषण)Root उभ (प्रातिपदिक)
- समुद्रौ
- the two seas/oceansseas; the two oceans (cosmic bounds; waters as totality)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचनRole KarmaRoot समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- क्रतुना
- by (your) power/will, by resolvewith will; with purposeful power; with ordinance (effective intention; ritual intelligence)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot क्रतु (प्रातिपदिक)
- वि
- apart, widely, distinctlyforth; widely; distinctly (dispersion of light)IndeclinableRoot वि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- भासि
- you shinethou shinest (radiating as protective and nourishing act)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √भा (भाति)
- सर्वान्
- allAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole Karma (लोकान्-विशेषण)Root सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- लोकान्
- worlds, realmsworlds; regions; peoples (domains under solar oversight)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
- परि
- around, all aroundIndeclinableRoot परि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- भूः
- you become/are (one who)Verbमध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन (वैदिक रूप); काल/लकारः सन्दर्भतः वर्तमानार्थेRole क्रियाRoot √भू (भवति) — ‘भूः’ (आदेश/आशीर्लिङ्-प्रयोगवत्; यहाँ ‘भूर्भवसि’ अर्थे) अथवा √भू (लट्) 2sg ‘भवसि’ का वैदिक संक्षेप
- भ्राजमानः
- shining, blazingshining forth; blazing (intensified brilliance; purifying potency)Adjective (present participle)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā-विशेषण (उद्यन्…भ्राजमानः) अथवा कर्तृपद (अन्तर्निहित ‘त्वम्’)Root √भ्राज् (दीप्तौ)
Sandhi Notes
- उद्यन् | रश्मीना | तनुषे | विश्वा | रूपाणि | पुष्यसि | उभा | समुद्रौ | क्रतुना | वि | भासि | सर्वान् | लोकान् | परि | भूः | भ्राजमानः । विशेष: ‘सर्वां॑ल्लो॒कान्’ = सर्वान् + लोकान् (न् + ल → ँल्ल्/ल्ल्; वैदिक अनुनासिक-चिह्न सहित)
- ‘परि॒भूर्भ्राज॑मानः’ = परि + भूः + भ्राजमानः (उपसर्ग-योग; ‘भूः’ वैदिक संक्षिप्त/विशेष-रूप)
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Sūrya-hymn tradition (anukramaṇī-dependent)
- Devata
- Sūrya
- Chandas
- Mixed/irregular (requires metrical verification; AV 13 often preserves RV-like meters with Atharvanic adaptation)
- Rasa
- Vira and Shanta
Sāyaṇa takes ‘puṣyasi’ as the Sun’s nourishing function—ripening and sustaining visible forms. ‘Ubhā samudrau’ is read cosmologically (the waters bounding the world), and ‘kratunā’ as the Sun’s purposeful ordinance. ‘Paribhūḥ’ indicates both surpassing and encircling: the Sun’s light encloses the worlds, hence protective.
Sūrya-hymn tradition (AV 13 Āditya cycle; anukramaṇī-dependent)
Paustika solar rites: growth, thriving, enclosure-protection via cosmic radiance.
Embodies Atharvanic prosperity-magic grounded in cosmic maintenance: the Sun ‘stretches’ vitality into all forms, making the household and fields flourish.
Sūrya
Animator of forms; measurer of space; encircler of worlds; regulator of waters and boundaries.
Strengthens vitality (ojas/tejas), supports digestion/metabolic ‘fire’ by analogy, promotes recovery through regularity.
Creates an encompassing ‘field’ of light; wards off disorder, stagnation, and inimical influences by exposure.
Likely 4 pādas with variable syllable counts; AV 13 often preserves RV-like cola but allows expansions (e.g., sarvāṃl lokān paribhūḥ).
Sandhi and accentual phrasing may create hypermetric pādas; performance follows sense-breaks rather than strict metrical isochrony.
Expansive and ‘stretching’—mirrors the imagery of rays extending and worlds encompassed.
Energizing yet stabilizing; suited to prosperity and daily-regimen recitation.
At sunrise, recite with an intention for nourishment (puṣṭi) of household goods: cattle, grain, children.
If integrated into a domestic prosperity rite, sprinkle water eastward before recitation, aligning ‘both oceans’ with a microcosmic water gesture.
During ‘puṣyasi’, touch or look upon the object of prosperity (grain store, cattle pen, patient’s food) to ‘link’ the mantra to the target.
End by circumambulating the target once (clockwise) to enact ‘paribhūḥ’ (encompassing protection).
Kauśika Sūtra: paustika sunrise applications (growth/prosperity recitations; exact sutra-number requires edition collation).
Atharvan as paustika operator: he ‘binds’ solar nourishment to specific household assets through gaze, touch, and circumambulation.
Morning recitation for household prosperity: facing east, then turning slowly to ‘encircle’ the space; can be paired with offering water (arghya) to the Sun.
Sunrise; beginning of work in fields/home.
Optional; householder-led paustika practice is appropriate.
Recite during morning walk in sunlight; set intention (kratu) for the day.
Rays (raśmi) as nourishing/protective ‘threads’; Oceans/waters (samudra) as cosmic boundary markers
Explicit: ‘both oceans’ (ubhā samudrau) as cosmic waters/boundaries.
Solar blaze (bhrājamāna) implicit as celestial fire.
Rays act as nourishing ‘threads’ binding life to order; waters mark the perimeter—light rules within the boundary, preventing leakage of fortune.
Weakness, failure-to-thrive, stagnation (conceptual); seasonal lethargy.
Paustika nourishment through solar radiance; re-establishes rhythm and directed purpose (kratu) as health-support.
Supports agni/tejas via solar symbolism; aligns with morning routine and regulated exposure to light.
Circadian alignment for energy and sleep quality; motivational/behavioral activation via ‘purpose’ framing.
Make ‘all forms’ thrive—body, household, crops, plans; establish protective enclosure over all regions.
Prosperity invocation + cosmic totalization (both oceans/all worlds) to seal the working in every direction.
Decline, sterility, disorder, loss of direction.
Health, agriculture, household stability, successful undertakings.
- उद्यन् (udyan)
- renewal; daily re-beginning of vitality
- रश्मि (raśmi)
- channels/threads of energy; disciplined extension of power
- रूप (rūpa)
- all embodied expressions—health, crops, social forms
- पुष्यसि (puṣyasi)
- maturation, strengthening, increase (paustika)
- क्रतु (kratu)
- right intention that orders and protects
- उभौ समुद्रौ (ubhā samudrau)
- cosmic boundaries; totality of domains; seen/unseen worlds
Expansion of prāṇa with directed intention (kratu): ‘stretch the rays’ through the body and day’s tasks.
maṇipūra (will/tejas)
Gentle sūrya-bhedana or equal breathing while visualizing rays extending from navel/heart to limbs.
Golden rays threading through organs and daily ‘forms’ (relationships, work), making them ‘ripen’.
Bright steadiness; purposeful attention.
On each pāda, set one domain to prosper (body, home, work, community), ending with a sense of being encompassed and protected.
Maintain clear udātta on udyán, raśmī́nā, krátuṇā, bhrā́jamānaḥ per recitational tradition; avoid flattening long vowels.
Pause after puṣyasi; emphasize the sweep in ‘sarvāṃl lokān paribhūḥ’.
Warm, steady, slightly resonant (paustika tone).
Good as a ‘daily prosperity seal’: recite while sprinkling clean water at the four directions, imagining the Sun’s enclosure.
7 times
Starting a new project, seeking growth in health/finances, stabilizing routines.
Morning; before work/study; during agricultural or household planning.
Increased vitality, steadier intention, sense of protective order around one’s life.
If using sunlight exposure, avoid overexposure/heat stress; hydrate.
The verse is conceptually ‘agronomic’ without naming plants: solar rays are the causal substrate of ripening and growth. In Vedic medical thought, nourishment (puṣṭi) is itself therapeutic; thus the Sun becomes a generalized ‘nutrient’ agent.
Prosperity is mediated by ritual speech: the household’s material well-being is framed as dependent on priestly-managed alignment with cosmic ordinance (kratu). This supports a social economy where ritual specialists claim competence over fertility and success.
The semantic cluster (raśmi, puṣyasi, samudra, kratu) is RV-familiar. The Atharvanic tendency is to foreground utility—prosperity and enclosure—rather than purely hymnic praise.
Gopatha’s ritual rationalizations often treat cosmic processes as templates for domestic efficacy. The Sun’s pervasion and nourishment provide a cosmological warrant for rites seeking puṣṭi and protective ‘encompassing’ of the patron’s domain.
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