Atharva Veda 2.28.2: Kanda 2, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 28, Mantra 2

Sukta 28

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

मि॒त्र एनं॒ वरु॑णो वा रि॒शादा॑ ज॒रामृ॑त्युं कृणुतां संविदा॒नौ। तद॒ग्निर्होता॑ व॒युना॑नि विद्वान् विश्वा॑ दे॒वानां॒ जनि॑मा विवक्ति

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 2.28.2

IAST Transliteration

mítra énaṃ váruṇo vā riśā́dā jarā́mṛtyuṃ kṛṇutāṃ saṃvidānáu | tád agnír hótā vayúnāni vidvā́n víśvā devā́nāṃ jánimā vivakti ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

May Mitra—or Varuṇa, the devourer of hurt—by joint accord make for this man a turning from age-and-death. That Agni, the Hotṛ, knowing the ordinances, distinguisheth all the births and offices of the Gods.

Translation

Que Mitra — o Varuṇa, devorador del daño — de común acuerdo obren para este hombre un apartamiento de la vejez-y-la-muerte. Ese Agni, el Hotṛ, conocedor de las ordenanzas (vayunāni), distingue todos los nacimientos y oficios de los dioses.

The meaning

What it says

Mitra or Varuṇa, acting in mutual agreement, are asked to turn away jarā-mṛtyu (senescence and death) from the patient; Agni as Hotṛ, knower of ritual ordinances, ‘distinguishes’ (vivakti) the births/functions of the gods—i.e., sets the rite in correct order so the petition takes effect.

The inner meaning

Psychologically, the verse externalizes fear of decline into a negotiable cosmic order: when inner life is aligned (saṃvidāna ‘in concord’), the ‘devourer of hurt’ becomes a regulator rather than a threat. Agni-as-discernment represents the mind’s capacity to place impulses, duties, and forces into their proper ‘offices,’ reducing chaos that feels like aging/death.

The truth in it

Longevity is framed as harmony: when protective order (Mitra/Varuṇa) and discerning intelligence (Agni) cooperate, destructive drift is checked and life is re-ordered toward continuity.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Bhaisajya (Healing) / Ayusya (Life-prolonging)

Its aim

To avert senescence-and-death from the patient and secure continued life by divine concord and correct ritual differentiation.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

मि॒त्रः । ए॒न॒म् । व॒रु॒णः । वा॒ । रि॒शा॒दाः । ज॒रा॒मृ॒त्यु॒म् । कृ॒णु॒ता॒म् । स॒म्॒-वि॒दा॒नौ । तत् । अ॒ग्निः । हो॒ता॒ । व॒युना॑नि । वि॒द्वा॒न् । वि॒श्वा॑ । दे॒वा॒ना॒म् । जनि॑मा । वि॒व॒क्ति ।

मित्रः

Mitra (the deity)Mitra; the covenant-guardian, friendly power who stabilizes social/ritual order and wards harm by concordNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)

एनम्

this one; himthis one (the patient/subject); the person upon whom the rite is performedPronounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक: एनद्-श्रुति)

वरुणः

Varuṇa (the deity)Varuṇa; lord of ṛta and binding law, remover of transgression and its punitive afflictionsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)

वा

oror; alternative agency (either Mitra or Varuṇa as effective protector)Indeclinableअव्ययRoot वा

रिशादः

the harm-eater; destroyer of injuryNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot रिशाद (प्रातिपदिक; ‘रिश’ + ‘आद’ = हानिकर-भक्षकः)

जरामृत्युम्

old age and deathold-age-and-death; the wasting, terminal destiny conceived as a hostile power to be averted/redirectedNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot जरामृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक; द्वन्द्व/समाहार: जरा + मृत्यु)

कृणुताम्

let the two make/dolet them make/ordain (for him); performatively 'constitute' a new condition—here, the turning-away of senescence/deathVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचनRoot कृ (धातु)

संविदानौ

being in agreement; acting in concertParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (वर्तमान/भाव-प्रत्यय: -आन)Role कर्तृRoot सम्-विद् (धातु) → संविदान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)

तत्

thatthat (result/act); the accomplished protective arrangement just invokedPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

अग्निः

AgniAgni; sacrificial fire as divine mediator, purifier, and conveyor of efficacious speechNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)

होता

the Hotṛ; officiating priestHotṛ; the invoking priest-function embodied by Agni, who calls and installs the gods in the riteNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अग्निः-समनाधिकरण)Root होतृ (प्रातिपदिक)

वयुनानि

devices; means; wise ordinancesdevices/stratagems, wise ordinances; ritual know-how and divine 'means' by which effects are securedNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot वयुन (प्रातिपदिक)

विद्वान्

knowing; wiseknowing; possessing correct ritual knowledge (vidyā) that makes the mantra operativeParticiple (Adjective)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (कृत्: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययार्थ ‘ज्ञातवान्’)Role कर्तृ (अग्निः-समनाधिकरण)Root विद् (धातु) → विद्वस् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)

विश्वा

allall; the totality (of divine powers/operations)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)

देवानाम्

of the godsof the gods; the divine collective whose births/functions are ritually differentiatedNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)

जनिमा

births; originsbirths/origins, manifestations; the distinct modes of appearance and offices of the godsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (वैदिक रूप)Role कर्मRoot जनिमन्/जनिमा (प्रातिपदिक; ‘जन्’ से भाव/नामा)

विवक्ति

apportions; distinguishes; distributeshe separates/distinguishes/discloses; articulates the proper divisions—i.e., assigns each deity its ritual roleVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot वि-√वच् (धातु)

Sandhi Notes

• मित्रः | एनम् | वरुणः | वा | रिशादः | जरामृत्युम् | कृणुताम् | संविदानौ || तत् | अग्निः | होता | वयुनानि | विद्वान् | विश्वा | देवानाम् | जनिमा | विवक्ति । प्रमुख-सन्धयः:
• (1) मित्र एनम् → मित्रः एनम् (अः + ए → ए, विसर्ग-लोप/परिवर्तन)
• (2) अग्निर्होता → अग्निः होता (विसर्गः + ह → र्-आदेशः) ।

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic/Angiras-type attribution (as typical for AV healing/life rites; specific r̥ṣi assignment depends on the anukramaṇī tradition for 2.28).

Devata

Mitra-Varuṇa; Agni (Hotṛ) as ritual mediator

Chandas

Triṣṭubh (11-syllable cadence typical of the verse’s structure)

Rasa

Shanta and Adbhuta

Sayana's Commentary

The Seer

The Deity

The Metre

The Rite

In the Home

Substances

Healing Context

Magic Charm Layer

Symbols in this Mantra

Yogic Application

Chanting Notes

Practical Application

Scholarly Questions