Sukta 21
Rishi: Atharvanic seer tradition for oṣadhi hymns (often anonymous/collective in later indices).
Devata: Oṣadhi (the herb) and Bhūmi/Pṛthivī as source of medicinal power.
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh tendencies with prose-like opening label; metrical classification varies due to the initial rubric-like phrase.
Is mantra mein ek aisi jadi bolayi gayi hai jo baal badhane ka kaam karti hai. Is jadi ki taakat Bhumi aur Prithvi se aati hai, kyunki woh sab podhon aur dawaiyon ka asli aadhaar hai. Pehle is jadi ko dharti ke upar ki khaal se uthaya jata hai. Phir is jadi ko sab dawaiyon mein sabse upar bataya gaya hai. Aakhir mein sab jadiyon ko pukara jata hai ki woh baal ko mazboot karein aur badhayein. Yeh jadiyan kabhi haar nahi maanti aur aadmi ko acha karte hain.
Mantras
Mantra 1
केशवर्धनी औषधिः। इ॒मा यास्ति॒स्रः पृ॑थि॒वीस्तासां॑ ह॒ भूमि॑रुत्त॒मा। तासा॒मधि॑ त्व॒चो अ॒हं भे॑ष॒जं समु॑ जग्रभम्
Yeh podha baalon ko badhata hai. Teen dharti mein se yeh upar wali dharti sabse acchi hai. Main is dharti ki upar ki skin se yeh dawa nikal ke laaya hoon.
Mantra 2
श्रेष्ठ॑मसि भेष॒जानां॒ वसि॑ष्ठं॒ वीरु॑धानाम्। सोमो॒ भग॑ इव॒ यामे॑षु॒ दे॒वेषु॒ वरु॑णो॒ यथा॑
Tum saari dawaon mein sabse acchi ho. Saare podhon mein tum sabse badi ho. Jaise deviyon mein Soma bada hai, waise tum badi ho. Jaise deviyon mein Varuna bada hai, waise tum podhon mein badi ho.
Mantra 3
रेव॑ती॒रना॑धृषः सिषा॒सवः॑ सिषासथ । उ॒त स्थ के॑श॒दृंह॑णी॒रथो॑ ह केश॒वर्ध॑नीः
Yeh sab bade dene wale hain, koi inpe chad nahi sakta. Yeh jeet ke liye lage hain aur jeet bhi dilate hain. Baalon ko mazboot karte hain, haan, sach mein baal badhate hain.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used to consecrate a hair-promoting herb so it strengthens hair and increases growth, treating the remedy as an earth-derived power that can be made ritually effective.
Because the hymn grounds medicinal potency in the earth itself: Bhūmi is called the highest support, and the remedy is said to be taken from the earth’s outer layer—symbolizing concentrated, accessible healing power.
Traditionally it refers to keśavardhanī, a hair-increasing herb; in practice, a locally known hair-strengthening plant may be used, but the rite’s logic is to treat the herb (especially its ‘skin/bark’ layer) as the medicine empowered by the mantra.
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