Atharva Veda 1.33.3: Kanda 1, Anuvaka 4, Sukta 33, Mantra 3
Sukta 33
यासां॑ दे॒वा दि॒वि कृ॒ण्वन्ति॑ भ॒क्षं या अ॒न्तरि॑क्षे बहु॒धा भव॑न्ति । या अ॒ग्निं गर्भं॑ दधि॒रे सु॒वर्णा॒स्ता न॒ आपः॒ शं स्यो॒ना भ॑वन्तु
yā́sāṃ devā́ diví kṛṇvánti bhakṣáṃ yā́ antárikṣe bahudhā́ bhávanti | yā́ agníṃ gárbhaṃ dadhiré suvarṇā́s tā́ na ā́paḥ śáṃ syōnā́ bhavantu
Those Waters whose portion the Gods in heaven do order for enjoyment; those which in the mid-air manifoldly take form; those golden ones that have received Fire as embryo within them—may those Waters be for us welfare, kindly and benign.
आसमान में देवता लोग पानी का हिस्सा बाँट रहे हैं। हवा में वो पानी कितने रूप ले लेता है। उस पानी में अग्नि भी बसा है, और वो सोना जैसा चमकता है। ऐसा पानी हमारे लिए भला करे, हमे अच्छा करे।
The meaning
What it says
Waters are praised as those whose share the gods arrange in heaven, and which take many forms in the mid-air; they are golden and hold Agni as embryo; may they be benign and welfare-bringing.
The inner meaning
Recognizes the psyche’s ‘many waters’: emotions and energies changing forms; asks that divine ordering (devas) regulate them, and that inner heat (Agni) mature within them into healing rather than turmoil.
The truth in it
Life’s vital medium is multiform and context-dependent; when ordered by higher intelligence, it becomes nourishment rather than chaos. Transformation (fire) must be gestated within receptivity (water).
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Bhaisajya (Healing) / Apotropaic purification
Its aim
To secure the benevolent, soothing, and health-giving operation of waters (for bathing, sprinkling, drinking), warding off harm and establishing śam (welfare).
Word by Word
Pada patha
यासाम् । देवाः । दिवि । कृण्वन्ति । भक्षम् । याः । अन्तरिक्षे । बहुधा । भवन्ति । याः । अग्निम् । गर्भम् । दधिरे । सुवर्णाः । ताः । नः । आपः । शम् । स्योनाः । भवन्तु ।
- यासाम्
- of which (waters)of which (waters); whose (powers/streams) (gen. pl. fem.)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- देवाः
- the godsthe gods; the divine powers (as users/ordainers of the waters)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- दिवि
- in heavenin heaven; in the celestial regionNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)
- कृण्वन्ति
- make, preparethey make, fashion, appoint (as a share/portion for use)Verbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot कृ (धातु)
- भक्षम्
- food, nourishmentfood, enjoyment, portion to be consumed; (Sayana: bhogya-bhāga, the gods’ allotted ‘share’)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- याः
- which (waters)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्तरिक्षे
- in the mid-air, atmospherein the mid-air/atmosphere; the intermediate spaceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot अन्तरिक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- बहुधा
- in many ways, manifoldlyin many ways; manifoldly; in many forms/streamsIndeclinableअव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot बहुधा (अव्यय)
- भवन्ति
- become, arethey become, come to be; they manifest (as various waters: rain, dew, etc.)Verbलट् (वर्तमान); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot भू (धातु)
- याः
- which (waters)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निम्
- Agni, fireAgni, fire; the sacrificial fire (also the inner heat/tejas carried by waters)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- गर्भम्
- as an embryo; as a germ (within)as an embryo/wombed seed; a contained vital principle (here: fire as ‘germ’ within waters)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्म (द्वितीयकर्म) / विधेयRoot गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
- दधिरे
- have placed, have heldthey have placed/held; they bear, contain (perfect/middle sense: ‘they have taken into themselves’)Verbलिट् (परोक्श/परफेक्ट); आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot धा (धातु; दधा-)
- सुवर्णाः
- golden, fair-brightgolden, of good lustre; (Sayana: śobhanavarṇāḥ—auspicious-coloured, beneficent)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole विशेषण (याः… आपः) / कर्तृRoot सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
- ताः
- thosePronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- नः
- for us, ourfor us; to us (our household/community)Pronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक); बहुवचनRole सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (for us / of us)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आपः
- watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot अप्/आप् (प्रातिपदिक)
- शम्
- welfare, peaceweal, welfare, healing peace; auspicious benefitIndeclinableअव्ययRole फल/प्रयोजन (as ‘well-being’)Root शम् (अव्यय) / शम् (प्रातिपदिक-नपुंसक)
- स्योनाः
- kindly, gentle, soothingkindly, gracious, gentle; soothing (lit. ‘easy-going/pleasant’)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole विशेषण (आपः)Root स्योन (प्रातिपदिक)
- भवन्तु
- may they belet them be; may they become (benedictive/imperative)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ/विधिलिङ्-समकक्ष); परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचनRole क्रिया (आशीः/विधि)Root भू (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- यासाम् | देवाः | दिवि | कृण्वन्ति | भक्षम् | याः | अन्तरिक्षे | बहुधा | भवन्ति | याः | अग्निम् | गर्भम् | दधिरे | सुवर्णाः | ताः | नः | आपः | शम् | स्योनाः | भवन्तु ।
- 1) यासां → यासाम् (anusvāra as m before dental in padapāṭha-style resolution)
- 2) सुवर्णाः + ताः → सुवर्णाः ताः (visarga before dental t; no further change in pada resolution)
- 3) न॒ आपः → नः आपः (enclitic gen./dat. form ‘नः’)
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic tradition (Āpaḥ-sūkta attribution varies in ancillary lists; commonly treated as Atharvan/Angiras-type)
- Devata
- Āpaḥ (Waters), with implicit Agni (as garbha) and the Devas as cosmic ordainers
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh (11-syllable cadence typical of āpaḥ praise)
- Rasa
- Adbhuta and Shanta
Sāyaṇa glosses āpaḥ as sentient, beneficent agencies of purification and healing. ‘Bhakṣa’ is taken as the gods’ bhogya-bhāga, the allotted share/means of enjoyment in heaven (rain and its celestial distribution). ‘Bahudhā’ is explained as the waters’ diverse manifestations (rain, rivers, springs, dew). ‘Agniṃ garbham dadhire’ is interpreted as the waters containing tejas (fire/heat) in latent form—hence their power to ripen, digest, and heal. ‘Suvarṇāḥ’ is read as auspiciously lustrous/beneficent in colour and quality. The closing benediction (śaṃ syonāḥ) is a standard Atharvanic sealing: waters are invoked to become soothing, non-harmful, and prosperity-bearing for the sacrificer.
Unknown (Āpaḥ hymn tradition)
Water consecration for healing, apotropaic purification, and restoring right ‘measure’ (bhakṣa) of nourishment.
Embodies Atharvanic ‘cosmic hygiene’: aligning bodily waters with divine order across heaven–mid-air–earth.
Āpaḥ (Waters), with Devas as ordainers; Agni as garbha
Waters circulate through realms; devas apportion them as nourishment; Agni within waters is the hidden solar/fiery principle enabling purification and vitality.
Supports digestion/metabolic balance (agni), hydration, cooling of excess heat, and calming of agitation; ritually removes unseen contamination.
Guards against inauspicious influences carried through ‘in-between’ spaces (antarikṣa)—storms, miasma, liminal dangers.
4 pādas (11+11+11+11) typical triṣṭubh movement.
Atharvanic triṣṭubh may show occasional resolution or slightly expanded caesura; still strongly triṣṭubh in cadence.
Flowing, wave-like, expansive—mirrors waters taking many forms.
Energizes while soothing; suitable for drawing water, preparing sprinkling, or invoking rain-like blessing.
Prepare clean water in a vessel (preferably from a flowing source; alternatively well-water ritually ‘made’ pure).
Recite the mantra over the water, facing east or north, with controlled breath (prāṇāyāma optional per local prayoga).
Sprinkle (prokṣaṇa) the patient/householder and the ritual space; or administer as sipping (ācamana) and/or bathing (snāna) according to the ailment/occasion.
Conclude by directing the remainder to a clean place (root of a tree or flowing water), avoiding impure disposal, to preserve the mantra-charged efficacy.
Kauśika Sūtra: general āpaḥ-prayoga (sprinkling/ablution) sections for śānti and bhaiṣajya; exact sūtra varies by school mapping of AV 1.33 (to be fixed against the practitioner’s Kauśika edition).
Atharvan/Brahman officiant as mantra-technologist: consecrates the water by recitation, performs prokṣaṇa/ācamana direction, and ensures avoidance of ritual pollution that would ‘invert’ the waters’ beneficence.
Consecrate drinking water for the sick; sprinkle rooms after illness; prepare bath for feverish restlessness or post-travel cleansing.
Morning and evening; after travel; during seasonal transitions/monsoon onset; before administering herbal remedies.
Householder recites over a water vessel; may add a clean gold-colored object symbolically (if tradition allows).
Used in water-preparation, sprinkling, and purification sequences in Kauśika-style practice; exact sūtra depends on rite cluster.
Recite over a glass of water as a calming pre-meal ritual to encourage measured intake.
Āpaḥ (waters: rain/river/sprinkling water); Agni as garbha (latent heat/tejas within water); Suvarṇa (golden lustre/auspicious quality; sometimes ritually echoed by gold or bright substances)
Waters in multiple forms: rain, mist, river, sprinkled water—emphasized by bahudhā bhavanti.
Agni as embryo: inner solar seed within water; balanced transformative capacity.
Waters are the multiform medium of life; when measured by higher order, they become nourishment; their inner ‘gold’ is the luminous healing intelligence.
General affliction, dehydration/heat agitation (conceptually), impurity from liminal exposure; preventive health.
Invokes properly apportioned, divinely ordered waters; aligns prāṇa (antarikṣa) and digestion/tejas (Agni-garbha) with hydration and purity.
Āpaḥ supports rasa dhātu; ordering of ‘bhakṣa’ suggests proper diet measure; pacifies pitta while sustaining agni in balanced form.
Hydration + regulation of intake; calming breathwork for stress; ritual as adherence-support for healthy routines.
Person/household; also water source used in rite.
Secure benevolent waters for drinking/bathing/sprinkling; avert harm from liminal forces; establish welfare.
Cosmic mapping (heaven–mid-air) + identification of waters’ divine portion + sealing refrain ‘śaṃ syonāḥ’.
Pollution, miasma, inauspicious atmospheric influences, misfortune carried through transitions.
- देवाः (devāḥ)
- higher faculties/regulators; ordering principles
- दिवि (divi)
- subtle realm; ideals/blueprint of order
- भक्षम् (bhakṣam)
- right measure; wholesome intake
- अन्तरिक्षे (antarikṣe)
- in-between realm; breath/prāṇa; transitional states
- बहुधा (bahudhā)
- adaptability; multiplicity of forms (rain, mist, rivers) and moods
- अग्निं गर्भम् (agniṃ garbham)
- maturing inner power; controlled metabolism/clarity
- शम् / स्योनाः (śam / syonāḥ)
- pacified nervous system; safe healing
Prāṇa-water meditation: feel breath as ‘antarikṣa waters’ changing forms; invite divine regulation and calm.
svādhiṣṭhāna (water) with maṇipūra (agni) balance
Nadi-śodhana (alternate nostril) for ‘ordering’ (devāḥ) + gentle warmth at navel on ‘agniṃ garbham’.
Gold-lit water circulating through channels; a small steady flame at the navel safely held in a cool lake.
Fluid stability—responsive but not reactive.
Chant 3 or 9 times before drinking water; pause to sense ‘right portion’ (bhakṣa) and stop at satiety.
Triṣṭubh requires longer breath; keep udātta peaks clear in yāsāṃ devā divi…; land the refrain smoothly.
Observe caesura after key phrases (divi kṛṇvanti bhakṣam | yā antarikṣe…).
Flowing, resonant, ‘watery’ timbre.
If used for sprinkling, speak the refrain while actually sprinkling; keep the first half as invocation over the vessel.
3 times
During recovery when hydration and calm are needed; after travel; during seasonal change; before meals for mindful intake.
Over drinking water, bath water, or room-sprinkling water; especially in liminal times (dusk, post-journey).
Soothing, sense of protection, improved routine adherence (hydration, measured intake), calm breath.
If illness involves fluid restriction (e.g., certain heart/kidney conditions), follow medical advice; use mantra as supportive, not directive.
No explicit herb is named; the ‘substance’ is water itself, construed as a living pharmakon. The mantra grounds water’s medicinal capacity in cosmology: (1) divine allocation in heaven (regularity/legitimacy), (2) atmospheric multiplicity (rain/dew forms), and (3) contained tejas (Agni as garbha), which functions like an internal ‘active principle’ enabling ripening, warming, and restoration. In later practice, this supports using mantra-charged water as a universal carrier for herbal or mineral remedies.
Efficacy is mediated by priestly speech: waters are powerful, yet they are made specifically ‘for us’ (naḥ) through correct invocation. The gods ‘appoint’ the portion in heaven, while the Atharvan specialist operationalizes that cosmic order domestically via consecration and sprinkling—an implicit hierarchy: Devas (cosmic sovereignty) → Atharvan priest (ritual technology) → household/patient (recipient).
The diction is strongly RV-like (āpaḥ praise, śaṃ syonāḥ formula, and the cosmological triad of heaven–midspace–immanent fire). ‘Agniṃ garbhaṃ dadhire’ echoes older Vedic speculation about latent fire in waters. The Atharvanic tendency is not lexical novelty here but pragmatic sealing: the benedictive ‘bhavantu’ frames the hymn as an applied charm, aligning inherited RV phraseology with domestic/medical deployment.
Gopatha’s general Atharvanic theology treats mantras as instruments that ‘yoke’ cosmic powers to human aims; waters are paradigmatic śānti-agents because they purify, cool, and carry sacrificial potency. While a direct Gopatha citation for AV 1.33.3 must be verified in a chapter-by-chapter concordance, the contextual logic is consistent: āpaḥ are efficacious because they participate in sacrifice (Agni-in-waters; divine distribution) and thus can be ritually redirected to remove impurity and restore wholeness.
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