Atharva Veda 5.13.3: Kanda 5, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 13, Mantra 3

Sukta 13

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

वृषा॑ मे॒ रवो॒ नभ॑सा॒ न त॑न्य॒तुरु॒ग्रेण॑ ते॒ वच॑सा बाध॒ आदु॑ ते । अ॒हं तम॑स्य॒ नृभि॑रग्रभं॒ रसं॒ तम॑स इव॒ ज्योति॒रुदे॑तु॒ सूर्यः॑

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 5.13.3

IAST Transliteration

vṛ́ṣā me rávo nábhasā ná tanyátuḥ ugréṇa te vácasā bādhé ā́d u te | aháṁ tamasyá nṛ́bhir àgrabhaṁ rásam támasas iva jyótiḥ úd etu sū́ryaḥ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Bull-strong is my roar, as thunder from the cloud: with fierce speech I drive it off from thee. I, with men, have seized the sap from darkness: as light from gloom let the Sun arise.

Translation

मेरा आवाज़ इतना ज़ोर का है जैसे बादल में बिजली चमकती है। मैं तेज़ शब्दों से तुम्हारा ज़हर भगा देता हूँ। मैं लोगों के साथ मिल के अंधेरे से ज़हर को बाहर निकाल लिया। जैसे अंधेरे के बाद सूरज निकलता है, वैसे ही ज़हर का काला दूर हो जाएगा।

The meaning

What it says

The speaker declares his roar bull-strong like thunder; with fierce speech he drives the affliction away. With men he has seized the rasa from darkness; as light from gloom, let the Sun arise.

The inner meaning

The ‘roar’ is the empowered voice that breaks paralysis. Darkness signifies collapse, fear, and the obscuring effect of poison; rasa is the reclaimed vitality. The rising Sun is recovery—return of clarity, warmth, and orientation after crisis.

The truth in it

In moments of danger and despair, courageous voice and collective support (‘with men’) help retrieve life-essence from darkness. Recovery is the return of light—physiological and psychological.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Bhaisajya (Healing) / Apotropaic

Its aim

To repel poison by sonic/mantric force and to restore the patient’s ‘rasa’ (vital essence), figured as light returning after darkness.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

वृषा । मे । रवः । नभसा । न । तन्यतु । उग्रेण । ते । वचसा । बाधे । आत् । उ । ते । अहम् । तमस्य । नृभिः । अग्रभम् । रसम् । तमसः । इव । ज्योतिः । उदेतु । सूर्यः

वृषा

the bull (strong one)bull-like, potent (of voice/spell: virile, forceful efficacy)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot वृषन् (प्रातिपदिक)

मे

of me / mymy (the priest’s mantra-voice)Pronounषष्ठी; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot अस्मद्

रवः

roar, soundroar, loud utterance (the voiced recitation as thunderous force)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot रव (प्रातिपदिक)

नभसा

with/like the sky (cloud)with the cloud/sky (as instrument/comparison: like from the heavens)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot नभस् (प्रातिपदिक)

न

not / like (as)like/as (comparative particle)Indeclinableनिषेध/उपमा-अव्ययRoot न

तन्यतुः

thunder (thunderclap)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot तन्यतु (प्रातिपदिक)

उग्रेण

with fierce (power)with fierce, terrible (power)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक; तृतीया; एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)

ते

of you / yourthy/for thee (addressed to the poison/affliction or the patient contextually)Pronounषष्ठी; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot युष्मद्

वचसा

with speech/wordwith speech, with the formula (mantra as weapon)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)

बाधे

I press/drive away, I repelI repel, I drive away, I press back (technical verb of apotropaic expulsion)Verbलट्; उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot बाध् (धातु)

आ

towards; intensifierIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्ययRoot आ

अदु

then, indeedIndeclinableनिपातRoot अदु

ते

to youfrom thee (expulsion away from the patient)Pronounचतुर्थी; एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot युष्मद्

अहम्

IPronounप्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot अस्मद्

तमस्य

of darknessNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)

नृभिः

with men, by menwith men, with helpers (assistants/witnesses; or ‘by human powers’)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया; बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot नृ (प्रातिपदिक)

अग्रभम्

I seized, I tookI have seized (the essence/antidote; or seized the poison to remove it)Verbलुङ् (अorist); उत्तमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot ग्रह् (धातु)

रसम्

sap, essencesap/essence (life-juice; antidotal potency)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot रस (प्रातिपदिक)

तमसः

from/of darknessfrom darkness (ablative: out of the dark state)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)

इव

like, asas if, like (simile marker)Indeclinableउपमा-अव्ययRoot इव

ज्योतिः

lightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)

उदेतु

let (it) rise, may (it) come uplet it rise up (precative: emergence of health)Verbलोट्; तृतीयपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot इ (धातु) + उद्

सूर्यः

the SunNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• (1) बाध॒ आदु॑ → बाधे आ अदु (ए + आ = ए आ; पदविभागेन पृथक्)
• (2) ज्योति॒रुदे॑तु → ज्योतिः उदेतु (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ः + उ → र्)
• (3) तम॑स इव → तमसः इव (षष्ठी-एकवचन ‘तमसः’ + इव; पदपाठे विसर्गः)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic (per anukramaṇī tradition for AV 5.13).

Devata

Functional: the Sun/light as healing power; adversarial: darkness/poison.

Chandas

Anuṣṭubh (probable).

Rasa

Vira and Adbhuta

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