Atharva Veda 5.25.6: Kanda 5, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 25, Mantra 6
Sukta 25
यद् वेद॒ राजा॒ वरु॑णो॒ यद् वा॑ दे॒वी सर॑स्वती । यदिन्द्रो॑ वृत्र॒हा वेद॒ तद् ग॑र्भ॒कर॑णं पिब
yád véda rā́jā váruṇo yád vā́ devī́ sárasvatī | yád índro vṛtrahā́ véda tád gárbhakáraṇaṁ piba ||
What king Varuṇa knoweth, or what the goddess Sarasvatī; what Indra, Vṛtra-slayer, knoweth—drink thou that, the maker of the embryo.
राजा वरुण जो जानता है, देवी सरस्वती जो जानती है। इंद्र जो जानता है, वो सब ज्ञान इस पानी में है। यह पानी पियो, बच्चा होने में मदद करेगा।
The meaning
What it says
Invoking what Varuṇa, Sarasvatī, and Indra (Vṛtrahan) know: the beneficiary is told to ‘drink that’—the garbha-karaṇa (embryo-making) drink.
The inner meaning
Conception-support is validated by three authorities: moral-cosmic law (Varuṇa), flowing intelligence/speech (Sarasvatī), and victorious life-force that overcomes obstruction (Indra Vṛtrahan). Drinking becomes internalization of order, clarity, and obstacle-removal.
The truth in it
What we ‘take in’ becomes us: when nourishment is aligned with truth/order, clear intelligence, and courageous breakthrough, creative processes succeed. Knowledge itself is medicine when embodied.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Strikarmani (Conception rite) / Bhaisajya
Its aim
To induce conception or strengthen conception through a consecrated drink (garbhakaraṇa-pāna).
Word by Word
Pada patha
यत् । वेद । राजा । वरुणः । यत् । वा । देवी । सरस्वती । यत् । इन्द्रः । वृत्र-हा । वेद । तत् । गर्भ-करणम् । पिब ।
- यत्
- which (thing)what(ever); that which (secret/efficacious knowledge)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) / यद्-शब्द
- वेद
- knowsknows; possesses as effective knowledge/powerVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √विद् (विदँ ज्ञाने)
- राजा
- kingking; sovereign (epithet emphasizing Varuṇa’s juridical power)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- वरुणः
- VaruṇaVaruṇa; lord of order, binder/looser of bonds affecting the wombNoun (Deity name)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (राजा-वरुणः as subject) सह-सम्बन्धRoot वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- which (thing)what(ever)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) / यद्-शब्द
- वा
- oror else; alternatively (inclusive enumeration)Indeclinableअव्ययRoot वा (निपात)
- देवी
- the goddessgoddess; divine lady (Sarasvatī as inspired speech/flow)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
- सरस्वती
- SarasvatīSarasvatī; goddess of speech and life-giving flow, invoked for generative potencyNoun (Deity name)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (देवी-सरस्वती as subject) सह-सम्बन्धRoot सरस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- which (thing)what(ever)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) / यद्-शब्द
- इन्द्रः
- IndraIndra; forceful protector, remover of obstructorsNoun (Deity name)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- वृत्रहा
- slayer of VṛtraVṛtra-slayer; destroyer of blockage (metaphor for impediments to conception)Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (इन्द्रस्य विशेषणम्)Root वृत्रहन् (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/उपपद-समास)
- वेद
- knowsknows; holds the effective meansVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √विद् (विदँ ज्ञाने)
- तत्
- thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- गर्भकरणम्
- conception-causing (drink/means); that which produces pregnancyembryo-making, conception-producing (a drink/means that causes pregnancy)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (पिब इत्यस्य)Root गर्भ-करण (प्रातिपदिक; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/कर्मधारय-समास: ‘गर्भस्य करणम्’)
- पिब
- drinkdrink! (imperative to the woman; ingestion as ritual technology)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRoot √पा (पा पाने)
Sandhi Notes
- यत् वेद राजा वरुणः | यत् वा देवी सरस्वती | यत् इन्द्रः वृत्रहा वेद | तत् गर्भकरणम् पिब ||
- 1) यदिन्द्रो → यत् + इन्द्रः (त् + इ → दि; visarga restored)
- 2) तद् गर्भकरणं → तत् + गर्भकरणम् (final -d/-t before g; anusvāra/म् restored as neuter acc.sg./nom.sg. -म्)
- 3) वृत्रहा is the nominative singular of the epithet वृत्रहन् used with इन्द्रः
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic tradition (uncertain without anukramaṇī confirmation)
- Devata
- Varuṇa, Sarasvatī, Indra (as guarantors of the remedy’s efficacy)
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh (probable; requires metrical verification)
- Rasa
- Vira and Shanta
Sāyaṇa takes garbhakáraṇa as a prepared potion (auṣadha-yukta pāna) empowered by the ‘knowledge’ (veda) of major deities. The triple yád…yád…yád frames a comprehensive appeal: juridical Varuṇa removes binding faults, Sarasvatī supplies auspicious flow/speech, Indra smites obstructing forces; their combined ‘known’ remedy is transferred into the drink by mantra.
Anukramaṇī-dependent; Atharvanic domestic-strīkarman setting (anonymous)
Bhaisajya/strī-karman: consecrated drinks and authoritative divine witnessing to ensure fertility and safe conception.
A paradigmatic Atharvan ‘pāna-charm’: efficacy is routed through divine knowledge and then embodied through drinking—vāc becomes pharmacology.
Varuṇa, Sarasvatī, Indra (Vṛtrahan)
Varuṇa guarantees lawful order and containment; Sarasvatī guarantees life-giving flow and articulate intelligence; Indra guarantees the breaking of obstructions to fertility and vitality.
Supports fertility and conception by removing ‘blocks’ and stabilizing lawful bodily order; Sarasvatī adds nourishing flow.
Protects against unseen harms, ritual/ethical disorder, and obstructive forces symbolized by Vṛtra.
4 pādas × ~8 syllables; rhetorical repetition ‘yad… yad… yad… tad…’ creates strong cadence.
Formulaic listing and climax imperative (piba) typical of AV domestic charms.
Rising authority through three witnesses → sharp imperative closure.
Builds trust/legitimacy, then ‘activates’ by command to ingest—felt as decisive and empowering.
A drink is prepared (water, milk, or herbal infusion per local prayoga).
The priest recites the mantra over the vessel, ‘charging’ it with the deities’ veda (effective knowledge).
At piba, the woman drinks the potion; the imperative is enacted literally.
Protective follow-up may include silent guarding and avoidance rules (niyama) for early gestation.
Kauśika Sūtra: garbhakaraṇa-pāna application of AV 5.25 (edition-dependent citation).
Atharvan as consecrator of ingestible medicine: he verbalizes divine authority into a material medium and directs consumption.
Recite over a prepared drink (milk/water/herbal decoction per tradition/family practice) and give it to drink as part of a conception rite; maintain cleanliness and auspicious setting.
During fertile window or at a chosen auspicious time; often morning.
A practitioner may consecrate; householders can perform under guidance; emphasis on correct intention and purity.
If used devotionally, recite over a safe beverage; do not add herbs without medical guidance, especially in fertility treatment contexts.
Consecrated drink/potion (garbhakaraṇa)
Implicit via Sarasvatī and the drink; fertility-through-flow symbolism.
The drink is ‘knowledge made liquid’: what the gods know becomes an embodied creative capacity through ingestion, aligning order (Varuṇa), flow (Sarasvatī), and breakthrough (Indra).
Infertility/failed conception; weakness of conception; obstructed fertility (conceptual).
Garbha process (womb/embryo indirectly)
Consecration of a drink by divine epistemic authority; ingestion as transfer of power; Indra-as-breakthrough addresses ‘obstruction’.
Comparable to fertility tonics and garbhādhāna-supportive formulations (conceptual parallel); Sarasvatī/flow resonates with āpya/nourishing principle.
Ritualized fertility beverage as psychosomatic support; stress reduction and adherence to timed interventions (while not claiming biomedical causality).
Woman/partner receiving the drink (context-dependent).
Empower and administer a consecrated fertility drink to induce/strengthen conception.
Tri-witness validation (Varuṇa/Sarasvatī/Indra) + ingestion command; vāc as activation of pharmakon.
Obstructions to conception, unseen harms, ritual/ethical disorder affecting fertility.
Progeny, household continuity, auspicious birth.
- वरुण (varuṇa)
- Ṛta/order, binding law, moral clarity, containment
- सरस्वती (sarasvatī)
- Flow, speech, fertility through clarity, life-giving river-intelligence
- इन्द्र वृत्रहा (indra vṛtrahā)
- Obstacle removal, breakthrough of blocked flow, potency
- वेद (veda)
- Authoritative efficacy; ‘known’ = proven, reliable
- गर्भकरण (garbhakaraṇa)
- Consecrated fertility medicine; internalized creative power
- पिब (piba)
- Incorporation, embodiment, making vow effective through ingestion
Unblocking creative flow while staying aligned with truth/order; embodying a ‘yes’ to life.
Svādhiṣṭhāna (flow/fertility) with support from Viśuddha (Sarasvatī/speech) and Maṇipūra (Indra/breakthrough).
Gentle ujjāyī (soft) to steady; visualize flow on inhale, release obstruction on exhale; avoid strain in pregnancy.
A clear river (Sarasvatī) flowing into a protected lake (Varuṇa’s containment) while a lightning-vajra (Indra) dissolves a knot/block; the drink becomes that flowing light.
Confident receptivity—calm but decisive.
Chant once, then sip mindfully in silence; hold the intention of lawful, compassionate creation and release fixation on outcome.
Rhetorical ‘yad… yad… yad…’ should rise slightly; place firm stress on ‘tad garbhakaraṇaṃ piba’ as activation. Preserve AV accents where transmitted.
Pause after each witness clause: yad veda rājā varuṇaḥ | yad vā devī sarasvatī | yad indro vṛtrahā veda | tad garbhakaraṇaṃ piba.
Clear, directive but not harsh; confident tone.
As a pāna-charm, the mantra’s ‘seal’ is the act of drinking; synchronize final pāda with the first sip if ritually used.
3 times
Fertility intention-setting, emotional support during conception प्रयास, ritual strengthening alongside medical fertility care.
Before consuming a safe beverage during a fertility-focused prayer; at calm times, not during acute distress.
Greater confidence, reduced anxiety, sense of clearing obstacles and aligning with supportive order.
Do not ingest unknown herbal mixtures; consult clinician in fertility treatment/pregnancy; stop and seek help for adverse symptoms.
Here the mantra explicitly presupposes a material carrier: garbhakaraṇa is something drinkable. The text models a classic Atharvanic interface—speech sacralizes pharmacology, and ingestion becomes the delivery mechanism for divine ‘knowledge’ as potency.
Female fertility is addressed through a controlled, priest-mediated pharmacological act. The woman is commanded (piba) within a ritual script, while the priest and high gods authorize the remedy—an asymmetry typical of Atharvanic domestic rites.
The nominal compound garbhakaraṇa (‘embryo-making’) is a functional, quasi-technical formation aligning with AV’s applied register. The rhetorical yád…yád…yád is RV-common, but here it is repurposed to validate a concrete medical-ritual object.
Gopatha’s emphasis on correct application (karman) fits this verse tightly: the mantra’s force culminates in an imperative action (drinking). Efficacy is not merely praise but a performative transfer of power into a consumable medium.
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