Atharva Veda 5.2.5: Kanda 5, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 5
Sukta 2
त्वया॑ व॒यं शा॑शद्महे॒ रणे॑षु प्र॒पश्य॑न्तो यु॒धेन्या॑नि॒ भूरि॑ । चो॒दया॑मि त॒ आयु॑धा॒ वचो॑भिः॒ सं ते॑ शिशामि॒ ब्रह्म॑णा॒ वयां॑सि
tváyā vayáṃ śā́śadmahe raṇéṣu prapáśyanto yudhényāni bhū́ri | codáyāmi te ā́yudhā vácobhiḥ sáṃ te śiśāmi bráhmaṇā váyāṃsi
With thee we conquer in the battles, beholding far, and many are the warlike deeds. I urge thy weapons onward with my words; with holy power I wholly whet for thee thy vital forces.
तुम्हारे साथ हम जंग जीतेंगे। हम देखेंगे कि काफी लड़ाइयाँ होंगी। मैं तुम्हारे हथियार को अपनी बातों से आगे बढ़ाता हूँ। अपनी शक्ति से तुम्हारी ताकत को और तेज़ करता हूँ।
Rishi: Atharvanic/Angirasa tradition (attribution varies by anukramaṇī)
Devata: Brahman (sacred speech) as power; Indra-like victory aid implicit
Chandas: Triṣṭubh (approximate)
Primary: vira
Secondary: adbhuta
Sayana emphasizes the priest’s agency: by ‘vacas’ he impels weapons, and by ‘brahman’ he ‘sharpens’ (śiśāmi) the patron’s powers. The verse is a programmatic statement of Atharvanic ritual technology: speech acts as a whetstone for martial efficacy.
To empower weapons and sharpen the warrior’s energies through priestly speech, ensuring repeated victory.
Conceptually supports ojas/tejas regulation—channeling vigor rather than scattering it.
Performance coaching/psychological priming; verbal cueing that improves motor output and attention.
mixed
Weapons and the fighter’s ‘vayāṃsi’ (energetic faculties).
To propel weapons and sharpen the warrior’s vital energies through priestly speech-power.
Mantric ‘codanā’ (urging) + ‘śiśā’ (whetting) through brahman—speech as consecratory stimulant.
Mis-aim, panic, morale collapse, hostile confusion; secondarily counter-speech from rivals.
With you we win battles, seeing far; many warlike deeds are accomplished. By my words I drive your weapons forward; with brahman I sharpen your vital powers.
The mantra asserts the Atharvanic ‘substance-action’ of speech: disciplined words organize perception (“seeing far”), energize tools, and ‘hone’ prāṇa-like capacities rather than merely excite rage.
Skill and power are amplified by rightly directed language—speech can coordinate action, focus attention, and intensify life-force.
- प्रपश्यन्तः (prapaśyantaḥ)
- situational awareness; foresight and strategic clarity
- युधेन्यानि (yudhenyāni)
- decisive actions aligned with one’s role (svadharma)
- आयुधा (āyudhā)
- all instruments—tools, skills, technologies—requiring activation and guidance
- वचोभिः (vacobhiḥ)
- speech as operative force; command, counsel, mantra
- ब्रह्मणा (brahmaṇā)
- authorized, truth-bearing speech that ‘consecrates’ action
- शिशामि (śiśāmi)
- refinement of energy; making prāṇa/drive precise
- वयांसि (vayāṃsi)
- life-energies, stamina, morale, coordinated faculties
Speech-to-action integrity: let words become aligned intention that guides the body.
vishuddha
Ujjāyī light, synchronized with pāda breaks; exhale on ‘codāyāmi’ and ‘śiśāmi’.
Words as luminous arrows entering the tools/hands, making movements exact and steady.
Saṅkalpa-driven clarity (niścaya) with energized calm.
Speak the mantra audibly once, then mentally once; conclude with silence, feeling the ‘whetted’ vitality as steady warmth.
Maintain Vedic accents; keep ‘tvayā́’ and key verbs (‘codāyā́mi’, ‘śiśā́mi’) prominent.
Mark the two operative actions: codāyāmi (urge) and śiśāmi (whet)—slight emphasis and clear pause after each pāda.
Differentiate vaco-bhiḥ (vaco) from vāc; keep ‘bh’ aspirated., Śiśāmi: clear palatal ś, short i vowels., Brahmaṇā: retroflex ṇ, long ā at end.
Bright, directive, not shouted; ‘instructional’ tone.
If used for tool-consecration, touch the tool lightly at ‘āyudhā’ and touch the chest at ‘vayāṃsi’ as pragmatic ritual cues.
7
Before demanding tasks requiring precision and courage (competition, surgery-like focus, leadership decisions).
Immediately before action; also during training to reinforce clean technique.
Sharper focus, steadier energy, reduced error from scattered attention.
Avoid pairing with anger; the mantra aims at controlled vigor, not escalation.
पदच्छेदः (वेदिक-सन्धि-निरसन): त्वया | वयम् | शाशद्महे | रणेषु | प्रपश्यन्तः | युधेन्यानि | भूरि | चोदयामि | ते | आयुधा | वचोभिः | सम् | ते | शिशामि | ब्रह्मणा | वयांसि । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) चोदयामि त॒ आयुधा → चोदयामि | ते | आयुधा (त॒ = ते, उदात्त-चिह्नयुक्तः) (2) वचोभिः सं ते → वचोभिः | सम् | ते (सं = सम्, परे ‘त’ इत्यादौ अनुस्वार-रूप) ।
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