Atharva Veda 11.3.141: Kanda 11, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 3, Mantra 141
Sukta 3
ताभ्या॑मेनं॒ प्राशि॑षं॒ ताभ्या॑मेनमजीगमम्
tā́bhyām enaṁ práśiṣaṁ tā́bhyām enam ajīgamam
With those two I made him eat; with those two I made him go forth (I led him on).
इन दोनों कदम से मैंने उसे खाना खिलाया। इन्हीं से मैंने उसे आगे बढ़ाया और चला दिया।
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (variable attribution)
Devata: Savitar’s impulsion / ritual agency
Chandas: Late Atharvanic operative formula (not strict metrical ṛc)
Primary: vira
Secondary: shanta
Sayana construes the repeated dual ‘tābhyām’ as insistence on the paired instrumental power (connected with Savitar’s ‘two steps’ or the two hands in feeding). ‘prāśiṣam’ is causative/performative: the priest effects ingestion; ‘ajīgamam’ likewise effects movement/attainment—both are ritualized causations, not mere narration.
To ensure the beneficiary’s successful ingestion of the efficacious food and his onward progress toward complete bodily integrity and fortune.
Hands/feet (implied by ‘two’ and leading/going).
Re-establishes two vital functions—eating and moving—through ritual command and supportive caregiving action.
Restoring agni (appetite) and vāta regulation (movement); supportive of convalescence routines.
Caregiver-assisted feeding and early mobilization protocols; behavioral activation for depression/lethargy.
paustika
Beneficiary (child, patient, initiate, traveler)
To ensure the beneficiary eats the consecrated food successfully and proceeds forward auspiciously.
Performative speech-act synchronized with paired bodily instruments (hands/steps): ‘I caused’ as verbal causation.
Loss of appetite, stagnation, failure to progress, inauspicious transitions.
Growth, vitality, successful undertakings.
With those two (steps/hands) I made him eat; with those two I made him go forth (led him).
Paired agency (two hands/two steps) integrates nourishment and direction: the rite claims mastery over two essentials—assimilation (eating) and trajectory (going).
Well-being depends on two harmonized movements: taking in what sustains and moving forward with purpose.
- ताभ्याम् (tābhyām)
- balanced dual forces—right/left, receiving/acting, nourishment/progress
- प्राशिषम् (prāśiṣam)
- guided assimilation; intentional nourishment
- अजीगमम् (ajīgamam)
- directed progress; overcoming inertia and obstacles
Integrate ‘receiving’ and ‘advancing’: nourishment and purposeful movement as one practice.
Manipura (assimilation) + Muladhara (grounded movement)
Inhale while bringing food to mouth (prāśiṣam); exhale while stepping forward (ajīgamam).
Golden energy enters with food, then flows down into the legs, enabling two confident steps forward.
Empowered, steady, cared-for.
Practice as a micro-ritual: mindful bite + mindful step, repeated gently to rebuild routine and confidence.
Prose with strong parallel stress: TĀBHYĀM… PRĀŚIṢAM / TĀBHYĀM… AJĪGAMAM.
Keep the two clauses equal in length and force; slight pause between them.
tābhyām: keep long ā and clear bhy cluster., prāśiṣam: śi should be palatal (sha), not s., ajīgamam: long ī; hard g (ji-ga-).
Confident, supportive, performative.
Best recited exactly while performing the two actions; the mantra is a ‘verbal handle’ for coordinated ritual movement.
2
Helping someone regain appetite and mobility; initiating a child into a routine; beginning a journey after a meal.
During assisted feeding and immediately after, when standing and taking the first steps forward.
Traditional: thriving and auspicious progress; practical: encouragement, structure, and caregiver focus on two key functions.
Ensure safe swallowing and fall-prevention; adapt steps to capacity.
पदच्छेदः: ताभ्याम् एनम् प्राशिषम् | ताभ्याम् एनम् अजीगमम्। 1) ताभ्याम् + एनम् → ताभ्यामेनम् (अनुस्वार/मकार-सन्धि; पदान्त-म् + ए- आरम्भे संयोगः). 2) एनम् + अजीगमम् → एनमजीगमम् (म् + अ-).
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