Atharva Veda 14.2.19: Kanda 14, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 19

Sukta 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

उत् ति॑ष्ठे॒तः किमि॒च्छन्ती॒दमागा॑ अ॒हं त्वे॑डे अभि॒भूः स्वाद् गृ॒हात्। शू॒न्यै॒षी नि॑रृते॒ याज॒गन्थोत्ति॑ष्ठाराते॒ प्र प॑त॒ मेह रं॑स्थाः

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 14.2.19

IAST Transliteration

út tiṣṭhetháḥ kím icchántī́dám ā́gāḥ aháṃ tvéḍe abhíbhūḥ svā́d gr̥hā́t | śū́nyaiṣī nírr̥te yā́jaganthóttiṣṭhārāte prá pata mā́ ihá raṃsthāḥ

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Up, rise! What seeking hast thou come to this place? I address thee, overpowering thee—away from our own house. Thou emptiness-seeker, to Nirṛti thou hast gone: arise, O Arāti; fly forth—linger not here.

Translation

उठ, उठ! क्या ढूँढ के आई है यहाँ? मैं तुझे बोलता हूँ, तुझे हटा देता हूँ, हमारे घर से बाहर। तू खाली पन ढूँढने वाली है, बुराई की तरफ गई है। उठ, दूर हो जा, यहाँ मत रह।

The meaning

What it says

An inauspicious female power (Arāti), linked with emptiness and Nirṛti, is commanded to rise up and leave: the speaker overpowers and drives her away from the house; she is told to fly forth and not linger.

The inner meaning

At the threshold of new domestic life, the mind confronts scarcity narratives—fear of poverty, barrenness, relational emptiness. The mantra personifies these as Arāti and decisively expels them, reinforcing the home as a protected psychological container.

The truth in it

A home thrives when scarcity and hostility are not entertained; clear boundaries and decisive refusal of destructive patterns create space for abundance and peace.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Strīkarmāṇi with apotropaic domestic protection

Its aim

To expel poverty, barrenness, and inauspicious forces from the house at the time of marriage/house-entry; to prevent the bride’s entry from being shadowed by Nirṛti.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

उत् । तिष्ठेथः । किम् । इच्छन्ती । इदम् । आगाः । अहम् । त्वा । ईडे । अभिभूः । स्वात् । गृहात् । शून्य-एषी । निरृते । याजगन्थ । उत् । तिष्ठ । अराते । प्र । पत । मा । इह । रंस्थाः ।

उत्

up, forthIndeclinableउपसर्ग (prefix) / indeclinableRoot उत् (उपसर्ग) / ud-

तिष्ठ

stand up!Verbलोट् (imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot स्था (तिष्ठति) / √sthā

इतः

from here, henceIndeclinableअव्ययRole ApādānaRoot इतः (अव्यय) / itaḥ

किम्

what?Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) / kim

इच्छन्ती

desiring, wishingseeking, desiring (fem.; of a hostile/inauspicious presence)Verbवर्तमान-कृदन्त (शतृ), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot इष् / √iṣ (इच्छति) → इच्छन्ती

इदम्

thisPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम) / idam

आगाः

you camehast thou come? (2sg perfect/aorist sense; arrival of evil)Verbलुङ् (aorist), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot गम् / √gam (आ + गम्) → आगाः

अहम्

IPronounप्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अहम् (सर्वनाम) / aham

त्वा

youthee (the addressed evil/poverty/inauspiciousness)Pronounद्वितीया, एकवचन (enclitic/object form)Role KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम) / tvad

ईडे

I praise / invokeI invoke/address (here: confront by formal speech; performative utterance)Verbलट् (present), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (वैदिक प्रयोग)Root ईड् / √īḍ (ईळते/ईडे)

अभिभूः

overcome! subdue!overpowering, subduing (as ritual force; ‘I am the overcomer’)Verbलोट् (imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot भू / √bhū (अभि + भू) → अभिभूः

स्वात्

from one’s ownfrom one’s own (proper) (i.e., rightful) placePronounपुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी, एकवचन (ablative)Role ApādānaRoot स्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) / sva

गृहात्

from the houseNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot गृह (प्रातिपदिक) / gṛha

शून्यैषी

seeking emptiness / going to a desolate placeAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot शून्य (प्रातिपदिक) + एषिन् (गमन/अन्वेषण-प्रातिपदिक) → शून्यैषी

निरृते

to Nirṛti (goddess of destruction/misfortune)to Nirṛti (goddess of dissolution, loss, misfortune; realm of the inauspicious)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot निरृति (प्रातिपदिक) / nirṛti

या

whoPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम) / yad

जगन्थ

you have goneVerbलिट् (perfect), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot गम् / √gam (जगाम) → जगन्थ

उत्

upup, away (renewed expulsion)Indeclinableउपसर्गRoot उत् (उपसर्ग) / ud-

तिष्ठ

stand up!Verbलोट् (imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot स्था (तिष्ठति) / √sthā

अराते

O hostility / O foe-like oneO non-giver/hostile one; enemy; poverty-spirit (arāti as personified want/ill-will)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, संबोधन, एकवचनRoot अराति (प्रातिपदिक) / arāti

प्र

forth, awayforth, forward (driving away)Indeclinableअव्ययRoot प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) / pra

पत

fly / fall away!fly, fall away, depart swiftly (expulsion verb)Verbलोट् (imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot पत् / √pat

मा

do notnot; do not (prohibitive)Indeclinableनिषेध (prohibitive particle)Root मा (निषेध-अव्यय) / mā

इह

hereIndeclinableअव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot इह (अव्यय) / iha

रंस्थाः

remain / take delight / stayremain, linger, take delight (injunctive/imperative: ‘do not stay here’)Verbलोट्/आशीर्लिङ्-प्राय (वैदिक), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRoot रम् / √ram (रंसते/रंस्थाः वैदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• उत्+तिष्ठेथः → उत् तिष्ठ (लोट्) इतः
• किम्+इच्छन्ती → किम् इच्छन्ती
• इच्छन्ती+इदम् → इच्छन्ती इदम्
• इदम्+आगाः → इदम् आगाः
• अहं+त्वा+ईडे → अहं त्वा ईडे
• अभिभूः+स्वात्+गृहात् → अभिभूः स्वात् गृहात्
• शून्यैषी+निरृते → शून्यैषी निरृते
• याजगन्थ → या जगन्थ
• जगन्थ+उत्तिष्ठ → जगन्थ उत् तिष्ठ
• उत्तिष्ठाराते → उत् तिष्ठ अराते
• पत+मेह → पत मा इह. (मन्त्रपाठे ‘तिष्ठेथः’ इति द्विवचन-रूपं दृश्यते; अर्थानुसारं एकवचन-आदेश ‘तिष्ठ’ इति पदच्छेदः ग्रहणीयः.)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic domestic tradition (ṛṣi-attribution varies by anukramaṇī).

Devata

Arāti / Nirṛti (as adversarial powers addressed for dismissal).

Chandas

Mixed/Anuṣṭubh-like (textual tradition varies).

Rasa

Raudra and Bhayankara

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