Atharva Veda 5.20.9: Kanda 5, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 20, Mantra 9
Sukta 20
सं॒क्रन्दनः॑ प्रव॒दो धृ॒ष्णुषे॑णः प्रवेद॒कृद् ब॑हु॒धा ग्रा॑मघो॒षी। श्रेयो॑ वन्वा॒नो व॒युना॑नि वि॒द्वान् की॒र्तिं ब॒हुभ्यो॒ वि ह॑र द्विरा॒जे
saṃ-krándanaḥ pravadó dhr̥ṣṇú-seṇaḥ pravedá-kr̥d bahudhā́ grāma-ghoṣī | śréyo vanvānáḥ vayúnāni vidvā́n kīrtíṃ bahúbhyo ví hara dvirā́je ||
Arouser of the battle-cry, a herald, of daring host; a maker of foreknowledge, in many wise, village-resounding: seeking the better, knowing well the stratagems, bear thou forth fame from among the many, O lord of double splendour.
यह लड़ा का नारा उठाने वाला है। बहुत हिम्मत वाला सेनापति है। पहले से जान लेता है क्या होगा। गाँव-गाँव में उसकी आवाज़ गूँजती है। भलाई चाहता है, चालाकी से जानता है। इतने लोगों में से नाम और कीर्ति ले कर आ।
Rishi: Atharvanic/Angirasa milieu (traditional attribution uncertain in this unit)
Devata: Indra/royal power (implicit); kīrti as functional devatā
Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like (martial praise style)
Primary: vira
Secondary: adbhuta
Sāyaṇa reads the epithets as royal/martial qualifications: saṃkrandana as ‘one who makes the enemy cry out’ or ‘who raises the war-shout’; pravedakṛt as the producer of prajñā/foreknowledge (including omens and counsel). grāmaghoṣī marks public audibility—fame and fear spread through settlements. dvirāje is taken as a kingly address (ruling two domains or shining with twofold majesty), fitting a consecrated leader.
To secure strategic intelligence, public renown, and victorious prestige for a leader whose host is bold and widely acclaimed.
Reputation/leadership priming: affirmations that integrate strategy + public communication can improve performance and social confidence.
rajakarman
Leader/warrior and his public standing
Secure strategic foresight, public acclaim, and victorious prestige; amplify the leader’s proclamation and fame.
Epithets-as-enchantment: naming desired capacities as already present, thereby ‘installing’ them; fame treated as transferable potency.
Obscurity, loss of morale, strategic blindness, reputational harm.
Kīrti (renown), political success, social capital.
A praise/empowerment for a leader: he is the arouser of battle-cry, a herald of a daring host, maker of foreknowledge, resounding through villages; seeking the better, knowing stratagems, he bears forth fame among the many—O lord of double splendour.
The verse sanctifies strategic intelligence and reputation. ‘Foreknowledge’ is anticipatory insight; ‘village-resounding’ is social legitimacy. ‘Double splendour’ suggests inner competence + outer recognition (or counsel + action) as paired radiances.
Victory is not only force but information, strategy, and earned renown; true leadership unites inner excellence with public trust.
- संक्रन्दनः (saṃkrandanaḥ)
- mobilizer of collective courage; initiating momentum
- प्रवदः (pravadaḥ)
- public communication; narrative control
- धृष्णुसेणः (dhṛṣṇuṣeṇaḥ)
- fearless capacity; disciplined team
- प्रवेदकृद् (pravedakṛd)
- intelligence, scouting, anticipatory planning
- ग्रामघोषी (grāmaghoṣī)
- reputation, social reach, public mandate
- वयुनानि (vayunāni)
- systems-thinking, tactics, right arrangement
- कीर्तिम् (kīrtim)
- transferable prestige; social ‘mana’
- द्विराजे (dvirāje)
- twofold radiance: inner/outer, strategy/valor, counsel/command
Twofold radiance (dvirāja): cultivate inner excellence and outer service/reputation without vanity.
maṇipūra (status/agency) with ājñā (strategy/foreknowledge)
Moderate breath; on ‘kīrtiṃ… vi hara’ exhale imagining fame as a garland of light settling calmly on the heart.
Strategic calm with confident expression.
After chanting, sit briefly and list (mentally) three ‘vayuna’—ordered steps—so the mantra’s kīrti is grounded in right action.
Proclamatory; keep epithets distinct and evenly spaced; slight lift on kīrtiṃ and dvirāje.
Do not blur consonant clusters: saṃkrandanaḥ, dhṛṣṇuṣeṇaḥ, pravedakṛt. Maintain caesura after grāmaghoṣī.
saṃkrandanaḥ: nasal ṃ before k; clear kr, dhṛṣṇuṣeṇaḥ: vocalic ṛ; retroflex ṣ; long e in seṇa, pravedakṛt: keep ‘pra-veda’ clear; dental kṛt, grāmaghoṣī: long ā; gh aspirated; long ī, dvirāje: dv cluster clear; long ā
Confident, resonant, ‘public’ tone—like a formal proclamation.
As a kīrti-charm, pair with ethical vow: fame sought as the byproduct of right order (vayuna), not mere display—otherwise it can invert into social backlash.
3
Seeking recognition for work, stepping into leadership, needing strategic clarity and public voice.
Before speeches, interviews, competitions, or major public decisions.
Greater confidence, clearer strategy, improved public presence and reputation.
Avoid ego-inflation; if anxiety is high, slow the tempo slightly to prevent agitation.
पदच्छेद (सम्भाव्य): संक्रन्दनः | प्रवदः | धृष्णुषेणः | प्रवेदकृत् | बहुधा | ग्रामघोषी || श्रेयः | वन्वानः | वयुनानि | विद्वान् | कीर्तिम् | बहुभ्यः | वि | हर | द्विराजे । मुख्य सन्धि/रूप-टिप्पणी: (1) ‘की॒र्तिं ब॒हुभ्यो॒’ = कीर्तिम् + बहुभ्यः (म् + ब → म्, उच्चारण-समासक्त). (2) ‘वि ह॑र’ में ‘वि’ उपसर्ग पृथक् पद है। (3) ‘द्विराजे’ सम्बोधन-एकवचन रूप (ए-प्रत्यय) के रूप में ग्रहण। (4) ‘प्रवेदकृत्’ समास/कृदन्त: प्र-विद् + कृत् (कर्तरि ‘maker/causer’).
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