Atharva Veda Sukta 25
Kanda 5Anuvaka 3Sukta 2513 Mantras

Sukta 25

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (hymn-family for fetal formation; specific r̥ṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī)

Devata: Dhātṛ (embryo-establisher/creator)

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (4 pādas of ~8 syllables; Atharvanic anuṣṭubh)

Yeh mantra garbh dharan ke liye hai. Isme Dhatri ko bulaya jaata hai jo garbh ko sthir karta hai. Sinivali aur Saraswati bhi aate hain bachche hone mein madad ke liye. Ashwin Kumar dono bhi is kaam mein saath dete hain. Yeh prarthana hai ki garbh theek se jam jaye aur aage badhta rahe. Maata aur bacche dono safe rahein yeh main irada hai. Dasve mahine tak garbh safe rahe aur delivery aasani se ho. Ladka baccha ho yeh bhi log kahte hain is mantra mein.

Kind of charm

Paushtika (prosperity)
Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 5.25

Mantras

Mantra 1

गर्भाधानम्। पर्व॑ताद् दि॒वो योने॒रङ्गा॑दङ्गात् स॒माभृ॑तम्। शेपो॒ गर्भ॑स्य रेतो॒धाः सरौ॑ प॒र्णमि॒वा द॑धत्

Bacche ki shuruwat. Pahad se, aasmaan se, garbh ki jagah se, ang se ang lekar aaye hain. Yeh virya deta hai, bacche ke beej ko rakhta hai, jaise patta rakh dete hain.

Mantra 2

यथे॒यं पृ॑थि॒वी म॒ही भू॒तानां॒ गर्भ॑माद॒धे। ए॒वा द॑धामि ते॒ गर्भं॒ तस्मै॒ त्वामव॑से हुवे

Jaise yeh badi dharti sabke bacche ko apne paas rakhti hai, waise main tumhare liye baccha rakhta hoon. Isliye main tumhe bulata hoon ki tum madad karo.

Mantra 3

गर्भं॑ धेहि सिनीवालि॒ गर्भं॒ धेहि सरस्वति । गर्भं॑ ते अ॒श्विनो॒भा ध॑त्तां॒ पुष्क॑रस्रजा

Sinivali, baccha de. Saraswati, tum bhi baccha de. Dono Ashwin Kumar jo kamal phool pehne hain, woh tumhare liye baccha den.

Mantra 4

गर्भं॑ ते मि॒त्रावरु॑णौ॒ गर्भं॑ दे॒वो बृह॒स्पतिः॑ । गर्भं॑ त॒ इन्द्र॑श्चा॒ग्निश्च॒ गर्भं॑ धा॒ता द॑धातु ते

Yeh mantra bacche ke liye hai. Mitra aur Varun tumhe bacche ka vardan dein. Brahaspati devta tumhe bacche dein. Indra aur Agni bhi tumhe bacche ka ashirwad dein. Dhaata tumhe bacche de.

Mantra 5

विष्णु॒र्योनिं॑ कल्पयतु॒ त्वष्टा॑ रू॒पाणि॑ पिंशतु । आ सि॑ञ्चतु प्र॒जाप॑तिर्धा॒ता गर्भं॑ दधातु ते

Vishnu bachhe ke liye kokh taiyaar karein. Tvashta uska roop banayein. Prajapati usme jaan daalein. Dhaata garbh ko sahi jagah laga dein.

Mantra 6

यद् वेद॒ राजा॒ वरु॑णो॒ यद् वा॑ दे॒वी सर॑स्वती । यदिन्द्रो॑ वृत्र॒हा वेद॒ तद् ग॑र्भ॒कर॑णं पिब

Raja Varun jo jaanta hai, devi Saraswati jo jaanti hai. Indra jo jaanta hai, woh sab gyaan is paani mein hai. Yeh paani piyo, bachha hone mein madad karega.

Mantra 7

गर्भो॑ अ॒स्योष॑धीनां॒ गर्भो॒ वन॒स्पती॑नाम्। गर्भो॒ विश्व॑स्य भू॒तस्य॒ सो अ॑ग्ने॒ गर्भ॒मेह धाः॑

Tum saari jadi-butiyon ka beej ho. Saare pedon ka beej ho. Saari duniya ki jaan ho. Agni, is garbh ko yahan sahi se basa do.

Mantra 8

अधि॑ स्कन्द वी॒रय॑स्व॒ गर्भ॒मा धे॑हि॒ योन्या॑म्। वृषा॑सि वृष्ण्यावन् प्र॒जायै॒ त्वा न॑यामसि

Hey Skanda, aa jaao aur apni taakat dikhaao. Garbh ko kokh mein rakh do. Tum bail ho, balwan ho. Aulad ke liye tumhe bulaya hai.

Mantra 9

वि जि॑हीष्व बार्हत्सामे॒ गर्भ॑स्ते॒ योनि॒मा श॑याम्। अदु॑ष्टे दे॒वाः पु॒त्रं सो॑म॒पा उ॑भया॒विन॑म्

Yeh mantra Barhat-saman ke liye hai. Isme dua hai ki baccha sahi jagah takat ho. Bhagwan jo Som ras peete hain, woh tumhe aisa beta den jo dono taraf se khush rakhe, duniya mein bhi aur ghar mein bhi.

Mantra 10

धातः॒ श्रेष्ठे॑न रू॒पेणा॒स्या नार्या॑ गवी॒न्योः । पुमां॑सं पु॒त्रमा धे॑हि दश॒मे मा॒सि सूत॑वे

Hey Dhat, tu sabse bada hai. Is aurat ke andar ek beta de. Woh beta dusve mahine mein paida ho. Yeh aurat gaay jaisi hai, bacche dene wali hai. Tu use ek strong beta de.

Mantra 11

त्वष्टः॒ श्रेष्ठे॑न रू॒पेणा॒स्या नार्या॑ गवी॒न्योः । पुमां॑सं पु॒त्रमा धे॑हि दश॒मे मा॒सि सूत॑वे

Hey Tvashtha, tu sabse bada hai. Is aurat ke andar ek beta de. Woh beta dusve mahine mein paida ho. Yeh aurat gaay jaisi hai, bacche dene wali hai. Tu use ek strong beta de.

Mantra 12

सवि॑तः॒ श्रेष्ठे॑न रू॒पेणा॒स्या नार्या॑ गवी॒न्योः । पुमां॑सं पु॒त्रमा धे॑हि दश॒मे मा॒सि सूत॑वे

Hey Savita, tu sabse bada hai. Is aurat ke andar ek beta de. Woh beta dusve mahine mein paida ho. Yeh aurat gaay jaisi hai, bacche dene wali hai. Tu use ek strong beta de.

Mantra 13

प्रजा॑पते॒ श्रेष्ठे॑न रू॒पेणा॒स्या नार्या॑ गवी॒न्योः । पुमां॑सं पु॒त्रमा धे॑हि दश॒मे मा॒सि सूत॑वे

Hey Prajapati, tu sabse bada hai. Is aurat ke andar ek beta de. Woh beta dusve mahine mein paida ho. Yeh aurat gaay jaisi hai, bacche dene wali hai. Tu use ek strong beta de.

Inside Sukta 25

How it unfolds

  1. How it opens

    The hymn opens by calling fertility and gestation powers to ‘place’ the embryo—Sinīvālī and Sarasvatī, aided by the Aśvins—establishing divine agency over conception.

  2. What it asks

    That the embryo be implanted, lie properly within the womb, remain unharmed, and mature to a successful full-term birth; in some verses the request specifies a ‘manly son’ and birth in the tenth month.

  3. Where its power lies

    Mantric speech is treated as an effective force that can ‘open,’ ‘set,’ and ‘secure’ the womb/embryo—sonic and divine powers acting together to prevent harm and ensure prosperities.

  4. How it closes

    The hymn seals the pregnancy by entrusting fetal formation and the timing of birth to Dhātṛ’s सर्वोत्तम रूप (most excellent forming power), aiming at safe delivery and a thriving child.

Famous verses

गर्भं धेहि (garbhaṃ dhehi)
Verse 5.25.3Core garbhādhāna/implantation verse invoking Sinīvālī, Sarasvatī, and the Aśvins as the principal fertility and medical powers who ‘bestow an embryo.’Read verse 5.25.3 →
गर्भस्ते योनिमा शयाम् (garbhas te yonim ā śayām)
Verse 5.25.9A key ‘settling/opening’ mantra: it asks for the proper opening/arrangement and for the embryo to lie correctly in the womb, while invoking the Soma-drinking gods for a well-endowed child.Read verse 5.25.9 →
दशमे मासि सूतवे (daśame māsi sūtave)
Verse 5.25.10Signature Dhātṛ verse linking divine formation with the explicit aim of a male child and full-term delivery; it clearly states the ‘tenth month’ completion ideal.Read verse 5.25.10 →

Kind of hymn

Strīkarmāṇi (Women’s Rites) / Bhaisajya-adjacent (obstetric protection)

What it is for

Successful conception/implantation, stable gestation, protection from injury or loss, and full-term delivery (often articulated as birth in the tenth month, with a desired male child).

Who it is for

Householders and ritual specialists (Atharvan priest/vaidya) performing rites for a woman seeking conception, safeguarding pregnancy, or preparing for safe delivery.

Also used as

  • Bhaisajya-adjacent (obstetric protection)
  • Śāntika (protective/pacifying)
  • Strīkarmāṇi (women’s rites; garbhādhāna/garbha-rakṣaṇa)

The deity

Dhātṛ is the cosmic ‘establisher’ who sets beings in their proper form and place; in obstetric context he is the one who ‘places’ the embryo rightly in the womb and shapes it toward safe birth. Sinīvālī and Sarasvatī function as fertility/gestation goddesses, while the Aśvins act as divine physicians ensuring successful implantation and well-being.

Powers of the deity

  • Implants and ‘sets’ the embryo securely in the womb (garbha-dhāraṇa)
  • Shapes and perfects fetal form and vitality
  • Protects pregnancy from harm, disorder, and miscarriage
  • Brings gestation to completion and supports timely delivery (tenth month motif)
  • Bestows prosperity and desired offspring (including the explicitly requested son in some verses)

Why the deity is called

Invoked to create and stabilize conception, keep the embryo unharmed and properly situated, and carry the pregnancy to full term with a healthy, well-endowed child.

The seer

  • Atharvanic seer-family (garbha-dhāraṇa / fetal-formation cycle; individual ṛṣi varies by anukramaṇī)Atharvan. Strīkarmāṇi and bhaisajya-adjacent charms: conception support (garbhādhāna), implantation, protection of the womb, averting miscarriage, and promoting full-term delivery through mantra and rite.

Other hymns of this seer

  • AV 5.25 (this sukta)
  • Related garbha/strīkarmāṇi hymns in AV Book 5 (adjacent fetal-protection material; specific attributions vary by recensions/anukramaṇīs)

Preparing for the rite

  • Select a clean, quiet space in the home (gṛhya setting) and seat the woman comfortably.
  • Perform basic purification (ācamanam), and establish a calm, protective intent (śānti-saṅkalpa).
  • If following Atharvanic practice, prepare consecrated water for sprinkling and a simple protective thread/amulet as optional supports (local tradition-dependent).

The rite

  • Recite the sukta in anuṣṭubh cadence, focusing on ‘implanting’ and ‘settling’ language during verses that address Sinīvālī/Sarasvatī/Aśvins and Dhātṛ.
  • During key verses, touch or gesture toward the navel/womb region (yoni/garbha-sthāna) as a placement act (ā-dhā / pratiṣṭhā symbolism).
  • Conclude with a protective sealing recitation (rakṣā-bandha intent), optionally sprinkling consecrated water around the woman and bed/chamber.

What it needs

  • None strictly required by the cited mantras
  • Optional: consecrated water (śānti-toya)
  • Optional: protective thread/amulet (rakṣā-sūtra/maṇi)

When

Performed prior to conception (garbhādhāna intent) or in early pregnancy for implantation/stability; can be repeated at sensitive intervals, and again as delivery approaches (month-counting traditions vary).

Amulets

  • Optional rakṣā-sūtra (protective thread)
  • Optional maṇi/amulet per local Atharvanic practice

Frequently Asked Questions

It is used for conception and pregnancy support—especially to ‘implant’ and stabilize the embryo, protect the mother from harm, and carry gestation to a successful full-term birth.

Sinīvālī and Sarasvatī represent fertility and nurturing gestation, the Aśvins are divine physicians, and Dhātṛ is the establisher who sets the embryo in proper form and place—together covering conception, protection, and maturation.

The cited verses work primarily through mantra and invocation; no required substance is named. Some traditions optionally add consecrated water or a protective thread/amulet as supportive ritual aids.

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