Atharva Veda 14.2.33: Kanda 14, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 33

Sukta 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

उत् ति॑ष्ठे॒तो वि॑श्वावसो॒ नम॑सेडामहे त्वा । जा॒मिमि॑च्छ पितृ॒षदं॒ न्यक्तां॒ स ते॑ भा॒गो ज॒नुषा॒ तस्य॑ विद्धि

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 14.2.33

IAST Transliteration

út tíṣṭheto víśvāvāso námasā īḍāmahe tvā | jāmím íccha pitṛ́ṣadaṃ nyàktāṃ sá te bhāgó jánūṣā tásya viddhi

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Up, stand thou forth from hence, O Viśvāvasu: with reverence we hymn thee. Seek thou thy proper mate, the one that sitteth with the Fathers, turned away; that is thy portion by birth—know thou that portion.

Translation

विश्वावसु, अब यहाँ से उठ के चला जा। हम तुझे नमस्ते करते हैं। अपना साथी ढूँढ़ ले, वो जो अपने पूर्वज के साथ बैठी है, वही तुझे मिलनी है। यह तेरा हिस्सा है, यह जान ले।

The meaning

What it says

Viśvāvasu (a Gandharva) is addressed: ‘Rise up and depart from here; we praise you with reverence. Seek your proper mate—the one seated with the Fathers, turned away. That is your share by birth; know it.’ The aim is dismissal/banishment from the bridal sphere.

The inner meaning

The Gandharva represents liminal erotic fascination and possessive fantasy that can ‘claim’ the bride/psyche before lawful union. The mantra externalizes and relocates that attachment to its proper domain (pitṛ-sad, the ancestral/otherworld), enabling psychological separation and mature commitment.

The truth in it

Transitions require clean boundaries. Desires and attachments that belong to prior stages must be respectfully released, so new bonds can form without haunting interference.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Strikarmani (Women's Rites) / Apotropaic (wedding-protection)

Its aim

To dismiss the Gandharva Viśvāvasu and sever his prior claim over the bride, securing lawful marital transfer and fertility.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

उत् । तिष्ठ । इतः । विश्वावसो इति । नमसा । ईडामहे । त्वा । जामिम् । इच्छ । पितृषदम् । न्यक्ताम् । सः । ते । भागः । जनुषा । तस्य । विद्धि

उत्

up; forth (preverb)up, forth; a ritual ‘raising’/rousing imperative markerIndeclinableउपसर्ग (prefix)Root उत् (उपसर्ग)

तिष्ठ

stand up; ariseVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot स्था (धातु)

इतो

from hereIndeclinableअव्यय; अपादानार्थे (from here)Role ApādānaRoot इतः (अव्यय)

विश्वावसो

O Viśvāvasu (name/epithet)O Viśvāvasu (proper name of a Gandharva; ‘all-wealthy’), addressed as the obstructing male spiritNoun (proper/epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole Sampradāna (addressed recipient)Root विश्वावसु (प्रातिपदिक)

नमसा

with reverence; by homagewith reverential obeisance; a coercive politeness that compels complianceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)

ईडामहे

we praise; we invokewe praise/invoke (formal liturgical address; also a binding speech-act)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदRoot ईड्/ईळ् (धातु)

त्वा

you (as object)thee/you (direct object of invocation)Pronounद्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

जामिम्

a kinsman; one of the same familythe ‘proper mate/kinswoman’ (here: the bride as rightful spouse; also ‘one of one’s own’)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot जामि (प्रातिपदिक)

इच्छ

seek; desireseek, desire, claim (imperative: redirect your desire to what is allotted)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)

पितृषदम्

(one) abiding among the Fathers; father-haunting/ancestral-dwellingsitting with the Fathers; belonging to the ancestral realm (i.e., not among the living household)Adjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot पितृषद् (प्रातिपदिक; पितृ + सद् ‘sitting/abiding’)

न्यक्ताम्

the marked/hidden one (fem.); the one turned/placed downturned downward/away; removed, set aside (a banishing qualifier)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot न्यक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; नि + अञ्ज्/अक्त ‘smeared/marked’, or ‘turned down/hidden’ in Vedic usage)

सः

he; that onethat (one); he (resumptive pronoun)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

ते

to you / of youto thee; thy (dative/genitive of allotment)Pronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचन (enclitic)Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

भागः

share; portionportion, share, due allotment (the ‘assigned’ sphere of the Gandharva)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (nominal predicate) / Karma (as ‘share’ assigned)Root भाग (प्रातिपदिक)

जनुषा

by birth; by natureby birth, by innate nature; as fixed by origin (fate-like entitlement)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot जनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)

तस्य

of that; thereofof that (portion/realm)Pronounपुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole Sambandha (genitive relation)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

विद्धि

know; understandknow, recognize, take cognizance (imperative: accept the boundary)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot विद् (धातु) ‘to know’

Sandhi Notes

• (1) उत् ति॑ष्ठे॒तो → उत् + तिष्ठ + इतो (उत् + तिष्ठ; ‘इतो’ as separate avyaya ‘from here’)
• (2) नम॑सेडामहे → नमसा + ईडामहे (a/e sandhi)
• (3) पितृ॒षदं॒ → पितृषदम् (anusvāra/ending normalization)
• (4) स ते → सः + ते (visarga before dental)
• Other words are already in pada form

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Traditionally attributed within the AV wedding corpus; often treated as Atharvanic/Angirasa transmission (exact r̥ṣi varies by anukramaṇī).

Devata

Gandharva Viśvāvasu (as addressed/banished).

Chandas

Mixed/Anuṣṭubh-like wedding-prose cadence (edition-dependent).

Rasa

Shanta 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