Atharva Veda 2.32.3: Kanda 2, Anuvaka 4, Sukta 32, Mantra 3
Sukta 32
अ॒त्रि॒वद् वः॑ क्रिमयो हन्मि कण्व॒वज्ज॑मदग्नि॒वत्। अ॒गस्त्य॑स्य॒ ब्रह्म॑णा॒ सं पि॑नष्म्य॒हं क्रिमी॑न्
atrívad váḥ krímayo hanmi kaṇvávaj jamadagnivát | agástyasya bráhmaṇā sáṃ pinaṣmy aháṃ krimīń ||
Like Atri I smite you, O ye worms; like Kaṇva, like Jamadagni. With Agastya’s holy spell I crush you utterly, I—ye worms—do crush you down.
अत्रि रिशि की तरह मैं तुम्हे मार रहा हूँ, हे कीड़े। कण्व की तरह, जमदग्नि की तरह मार रहा हूँ। अगस्त्य रिशि की ताकत से मैं तुम्हे कुचल रहा हूँ, मैं तुम्हे पूरा खत्म कर रहा हूँ।
The meaning
What it says
The speaker (Atharvan-healer) strikes and crushes the krimī́n (“worms,” i.e., parasitic agents of disease), invoking the exemplary power of famed ṛṣis—Atri, Kaṇva, Jamadagni, and Agastya—whose brahman (authoritative sacred speech) is treated as a weapon.
The inner meaning
The “worms” also symbolize intrusive thoughts, compulsions, and hidden corruptions that “eat” vitality. Calling the lineage of seers functions as a psychological anchoring: confidence, clarity, and inherited authority replace fear and helplessness.
The truth in it
Healing is strengthened when speech, intention, and trusted tradition align. Naming and confronting the harmful agent—then applying disciplined will—restores order in the body and mind.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Bhaisajya (Healing) / Rakṣoghna (Demon- and vermin-expelling)
Its aim
To kill/crush parasitic ‘worms’ conceived as the embodied cause of illness (intestinal/wound infestation; wasting and pain attributed to krimi).
Word by Word
Pada patha
अत्रि-वत् । वः । क्रिमयः । हन्मि । कण्व-वत् । जमदग्नि-वत् । अगस्त्यस्य । ब्रह्मणा । सम् । पिनष्मि । अहम् । क्रिमीन् ।
- अत्रिवत्
- like AtriAdjective (comparative/possessive) used adverbiallyनपुंसकलिङ्गे एकवचनम् (अव्ययीभाववत् क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण) / -वत्-प्रत्ययान्तRole Adhikaraṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/उपमान-भावः)Root अत्रि (ऋषि-नाम, प्रातिपदिक) + -वत्
- वः
- of you; youryou (pl.), i.e., you worms; object addressed for expulsion/slayingPronounषष्ठी बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक) / ‘your’Role Sampradāna (सम्बन्ध/अधिकार-सम्बन्धः)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- क्रिमयः
- worms; parasitesworms; vermin; internal parasites (agents of disease conceived as living beings)Nounपुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role Karma (हननस्य लक्ष्याः)Root क्रिमि (प्रातिपदिक)
- हन्मि
- I strike/killI smite, I slay (ritual killing by mantra; not merely physical destruction)Verbलट् (वर्तमानकालः), उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot हन् (धातु)
- कण्ववत्
- like KaṇvaAdjective used adverbiallyनपुंसकलिङ्गे एकवचनम् (क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण) / -वत्-प्रत्ययान्तRole Adhikaraṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/उपमान-भावः)Root कण्व (ऋषि-नाम, प्रातिपदिक) + -वत्
- जमदग्निवत्
- like JamadagniAdjective used adverbiallyनपुंसकलिङ्गे एकवचनम् (क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण) / -वत्-प्रत्ययान्तRole Adhikaraṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/उपमान-भावः)Root जमदग्नि (ऋषि-नाम, प्रातिपदिक) + -वत्
- अगस्त्यस्य
- of AgastyaNoun (proper name)पुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role Sampradāna (सम्बन्धः—‘of Agastya’)Root अगस्त्य (ऋषि-नाम, प्रातिपदिक)
- ब्रह्मणा
- by (his) sacred formula; by brahman-powerwith brahman: the potent sacred formulation/spell (mantric force as a weapon/medicine)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्
- together; completelytogether, completely (intensifier: ‘utterly’, ‘to pieces’)Indeclinable (preverb)अव्ययम्; उपसर्गः (पि-√नष्/पिष् इत्यस्य सह)Role क्रियाविशेषकःRoot सम् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- पिनष्मि
- I crush; I poundI crush, I pound (metaphor of pulverizing the worms; also aligns with grinding/pounding in remedies)Verbलट् (वर्तमानकालः), उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot √पिष्/पिनष् (धातु: ‘to crush, pound’)
- अहम्
- IPronounप्रथमा एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- क्रिमीन्
- worms; parasitesworms (accusative plural; the disease-causing beings to be destroyed/expelled)Nounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot क्रिमि (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविग्रहः): अत्रिवत् वः क्रिमयः हन्मि कण्ववत् जमदग्निवत् । अगस्त्यस्य ब्रह्मणा सम् पिनष्मि अहम् क्रिमीन् । टिप्पणी: ‘-वत्’ प्रत्ययान्ताः (अत्रिवत्/कण्ववत्/जमदग्निवत्) क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण ‘यथा अत्रिः…’ इत्यर्थे प्रयुक्ताः। ‘सम्’ उपसर्गः ‘पिनष्मि’ इत्यनेन सह ‘सम्पिनष्मि’ इति संहितायां भवति।
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic tradition; verse invokes ṛṣis Atri, Kaṇva, Jamadagni, Agastya as paradigmatic authorities (ṛṣi-nāma-prayoga).
- Devata
- Krimi (worms) as the addressed adversary; brahman/mantra as operative power.
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh (approx.; pāda-structure consistent with common AV healing stanzas)
- Rasa
- Vira and Raudra
Sāyaṇa takes ‘krimi’ as disease-producing worms (whether within the body or in wounds), to be destroyed by mantric force. The series ‘Atri/Kaṇva/Jamadagni/Agastya’ functions as an invocation of exemplary ṛṣis whose brahman is famed for subduing hostile beings; ‘pinaṣmi’ is explained as complete destruction (saṃ—samantāt), i.e., crushing so that no remnant of the krimis remains. ‘Brahmaṇā’ is the operative instrument: the mantra itself as a medicinal weapon.
Ṛṣi-nāma-prayoga: Atri, Kaṇva, Jamadagni, Agastya (invoked as paradigmatic authorities); practical voice is Atharvan-healer
Bhaiṣajya (anti-parasitic/anti-krimi) and rakṣoghna speech; empowerment through seer-lineage and brahman as curative force.
By invoking multiple seers, the mantra constructs a composite authority: the healer’s speech becomes a convergence of ancestral victories over unseen harm, intensifying efficacy and patient confidence.
Krimī́n (worms) as the addressed adversary; operative power is brahman/mantra
Krimi are framed as embodied disorder and consumption—agents that undermine life-force and integrity; the mantra reasserts ṛta-like order by annihilating them.
Brahman as a crushing/expelling force; seer-invocation amplifies therapeutic authority.
Apotropaic: prevents persistence/return of infestation by total ‘crushing’ and verbal domination.
4 pādas × ~8 syllables (with AV license: sandhi and name-compounds may shift count)
Name-invocations (Atri-vat/Kaṇva-vat/Jamadagni-vat) can create metrical compression; reciters often maintain cadence by lightening internal consonant clusters.
Hammering, percussive—well-suited to ‘smite/crush’ semantics.
Produces a forceful expulsive momentum; psychologically ‘drives out’ the imagined infestation.
Seat the patient facing east; the Atharvan officiant sits to the north.
Recite AV 2.32 over the patient, concentrating on the affected locus (abdomen/wound).
Perform a symbolic ‘crushing’: press and rub the patient’s abdomen or the afflicted spot downward while uttering ‘saṃ pinaṣmi’ (or mimic pounding with a pestle/stone near the patient).
Optionally accompany with blowing (prāṇanā/niḥśvāsa) or spitting aside to expel the krimis, according to local śākhā-prayoga.
Conclude with a protective tying/guarding act (rakṣā-bandha) if prescribed in the practitioner’s tradition, to prevent return of krimis.
Kauśika Sūtra: krimi-nāśana (worm-destruction) rites; specific mapping varies by edition/numbering—commonly placed among the Bhaisajya-karmāṇi for ‘krimi’ with AV 2.32 recitation.
Atharvan/Brahman as bhaiṣajya-kartṛ: he empowers the act by recitation, directs the bodily manipulation (pressing/rubbing), and ‘identifies’ with the ṛṣis named, treating their brahman as a transmissible curative force.
Recite over medicine/water or while touching the affected area (abdomen/skin lesion) with a crushing/pressing gesture; can be paired with hygienic cleansing.
At onset of symptoms; traditionally at dawn or before food, aligning with purificatory intent.
Atharvan-healer or knowledgeable household reciter; emphasis on firm voice and correct articulation of ṛṣi-names.
KauśS: krimi-bhaiṣajya context for AVŚ 2.32 (general ritual frame: recitation with medicinal administration/gesture; exact sūtra numbering varies by edition).
As a supportive chant alongside medical diagnosis and anti-parasitic treatment; used as a focus ritual for adherence and recovery.
brahman (mantra as curative weapon); implicit pounding/crushing imagery (suggestive of triturated remedies, though not named here)
Even without named herbs, ‘saṃ pinaṣmi’ evokes preparation of kṛmighna medicines: the mantra itself becomes the pestle that pulverizes disease; the patient’s body is reimagined as a field cleared of pests.
Krimi—parasitic infestation / “worm-caused” wasting, pain, itching, intestinal or wound infestation (traditional nosology).
Verbal assault + symbolic crushing (saṃ-piṣ) to destroy the agent’s cohesion; lineage-empowerment to intensify efficacy.
Krimi-roga: internal (koṣṭha) and external (bāhya) krimi; treatment logic often includes kṛmighna dravyas, bitter/pungent measures, and purgation—here mirrored by ‘crush and expel’.
Anti-parasitic intent (helminths, protozoal infestation) and/or antimicrobial ‘germ’ metaphor; also supportive psychoneuroimmune framing via reduced fear and increased agency.
Krimi (parasites)
To kill/crush worms and end worm-caused illness; to prevent recurrence by total domination of the agent.
Ṛṣi-nāma-prayoga (name-evocation), vāc as weapon, and ‘crushing’ imagery aligned with triturated remedies/physical gestures.
Re-infestation, wasting, hidden internal harm.
- क्रिमि (krimí)
- any consuming, invasive force—disease, decay, obsession, self-sabotage
- हन्मि (hanmi)
- decisive refusal; cutting off what harms
- ब्रह्मन्/ब्रह्मणा (brahman/brahmaṇā)
- therapeutic speech-act; structured intention that reorganizes disorder
- सं पिनष्मि (saṃ pinaṣmi)
- pulverizing the disease’s cohesion; breaking its “hold”
- ऋषि-नामा (Atri/Kaṇva/Jamadagni/Agastya)
- lineage-authorization; archetypes of mastery over affliction
Expelling ‘inner parasites’—habits that drain prāṇa; cultivate decisive inner boundaries.
Maṇipūra (digestive fire/agency)
Short, firm exhalations (kapālabhāti-like, gentle) coordinated with ‘hanmi/saṃ pinaṣmi’—avoid if medically contraindicated.
Visualize dark worm-forms breaking apart into dust and dissolving in a bright inner fire at the navel.
Focused, martial clarity (ekāgratā with protective intent).
Chant in sets with steady cadence; end with silent resting attention in the abdomen, affirming cleanliness and strength.
Atharvavedic recitation with clear udātta emphasis; keep name-compounds flowing without over-separating.
Stress the finite verbs: hánmi, saṃ pinaṣmi; maintain crisp articulation of ṛṣi-names (átri-vat, káṇva-vat, jamadágni-vat, agástyasya).
Firm, commanding, slightly percussive.
Often paired with a pressing/crushing hand-gesture or recited over a prepared remedy; the performative force (vāc) is central.
21 times
Suspected intestinal parasites, persistent itching/infestation anxiety, or ‘draining’ chronic symptoms (traditional frame).
Before taking prescribed medicine; during cleansing routines; at symptom flare-ups.
Increased sense of protection and agency; traditional intent of expelling parasites; supports adherence to treatment and hygiene.
Not a substitute for medical care—seek diagnosis for parasitic infection, fever, blood in stool, severe abdominal pain, or dehydration.
No explicit herb is named in this verse; instead, the mantra itself (‘brahmaṇā’) is foregrounded as the therapeutic instrument. The imagery of ‘crushing’ (pinaṣmi) readily aligns with pharmacological preparation (pounding/grinding), suggesting that in applied ritual a triturated remedy could be synchronized with the spoken act, but the textual strategy here is to treat disease as an animate foe destroyed by authoritative seer-power rather than by a specified plant.
Efficacy is anchored in named ṛṣis and in ‘brahman’ as a specialized, priestly technology. The performer speaks in the first person (‘aham’), claiming delegated authority through lineage-like exemplars (Atri, Kaṇva, Jamadagni, Agastya). This models healing as a controlled, expert act—legitimized by canonical seers—rather than as lay empiricism, reinforcing the Atharvan priest’s social role as ritual-healer and protector.
The verse uses RV-familiar formulae of seer-comparison (-vat) and first-person performative violence (‘hanmi’). The Atharvanic innovation is the strongly pragmatic, medicalized targeting of ‘krimi’ as a disease-agent and the explicit coupling of ‘brahmaṇā’ with a concrete destructive verb (‘saṃ pinaṣmi’), a style characteristic of AV’s applied incantatory register (more direct, operational, and adversarial than many RV hymns).
The Gopatha Brahmaṇa generally frames Atharvanic mantras as efficacious through correct knowledge (vidyā), correct application (prayoga), and the intrinsic power of brahman when handled by the Brahman/Atharvan specialist. In that logic, naming authoritative ṛṣis functions as a validation device: the rite works because it is aligned with primordial seer-success and because the performer deploys brahman as a weapon against embodied evil (here, krimi). A precise GB passage tied uniquely to AV 2.32.3 is not securely standard across citations; the contextual principle, however, is consistent: brahman, properly wielded, compels and destroys hostile agencies.
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