Atharva Veda 6.123.2: Kanda 6, Anuvaka 13, Sukta 123, Mantra 2
Sukta 123
जा॒नी॒त स्मै॑नं पर॒मे व्योऽम॒न् देवाः॒ सध॑स्था वि॒द लो॒कमत्र॑ । अ॒न्वा॒ग॒न्ता यज॑मानः स्व॒स्तीऽष्टापू॒र्तं स्म॑ कृणुता॒विर॑स्मै
jānīta smáinaṃ paramé vyòman devā́ḥ sadhásthā víd lókam átra | anvāgántā yajámānaḥ svastí ’ṣṭāpūrtáṃ smá kṛṇutāvír asmai ||
Acknowledge ye it, indeed, in the highest heaven; O gods, companions of one seat, take knowledge of the world here. Following on, the sacrificer (comes) in welfare: make ye for him, manifestly, the merit of sacrifice and of pious gift.
ऊपर आसमान में इसको याद रखो। देवी-देवता जो साथ बैठते हैं, इस दुनिया का पूरा ग्यान रखो। जो बंदा यज्ञ करता है, वो आगे बढ़ता है, सब ठीक रहता है। उसके लिए यज्ञ और दान का पूरा फल साफ-साफ बना दो।
The meaning
What it says
The gods, seated together in the highest heaven, are asked to recognize “this” and to know the world here; the yajamāna follows in well-being, and the gods are urged to make his iṣṭa-pūrta (merit from sacrifice and charitable works) manifest for him.
The inner meaning
A stabilization formula: the psyche seeks ratification from an “upper court” (devas as witnesses) so that one’s social-religious identity and accumulated merit become felt as real, visible, and protective in the lived world (loka atra).
The truth in it
Human flourishing depends on recognized order: when actions of offering and generosity are witnessed, integrated, and affirmed, they become enduring capital—ethical, social, and spiritual—that supports welfare.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Paustika (Prosperity) / Social-religious legitimation
Its aim
To have divine witnesses ratify concord and to convert it into visible merit (iṣṭa-pūrta) and welfare for the yajamāna.
Word by Word
Pada patha
जानीत । स्म । एनम् । परमे । व्योमन् । देवाः । सध-स्थाः । विद । लोकम् । अत्र । अन्वा-गन्ता । यजमानः । स्वस्ति । अष्टा-पूर्तम् । स्म । कृणुत । आविः । अस्मै ।
- जानीत
- know (you all), recognizeknow/recognize; ritually acknowledge as establishedVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), मध्यमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role वाक्य-क्रियाRoot √ज्ञा (जानीते)
- स्म
- indeed; justindeed; emphatic/injunctive particleIndeclinableनिपातः (स्मरण/प्रत्ययार्थकः, पदपूरणः)Root स्म
- एनम्
- himthis (one/it); the saumanasa/treasure just mentionedPronounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot इदम् (एतद्-प्रातिपदिकम्)
- परमे
- in the highestin the highest; supreme sphereAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role अधिकरणRoot परम
- व्योमन्
- in the sky/firmamentin heaven/sky; cosmic locus of fixationNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role अधिकरणRoot व्योमन्
- देवाः
- the godsO gods; divine witnesses/guarantorsNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot देव
- सधस्थाः
- sharing one seat/assembly; seated togethercompanions at one seat; co-assembled (also ‘gods at one session’)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (देवाः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root सधस्था
- विद
- knows; has foundknow! perceive!; imperative to witness/confirmVerbलिट् (परोक्शे/वेदार्थे), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम् (वेद = ‘knows’)Role वाक्य-क्रियाRoot √विद् (वेद)
- लोकम्
- the world; realmworld/realm; the ordered social-cosmic spaceNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot लोक
- अत्र
- herehere; in this place/assemblyIndeclinableदेशवाचक-अव्ययम्Role अधिकरण (देश)Root अत्र
- अन्वागन्ता
- come after; follow (hither)following after; coming in attendanceVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role वाक्य-क्रियाRoot अनु-आ-√गम्
- यजमानः
- the sacrificerthe sacrificer/patron; beneficiary of the riteNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot यजमान
- स्वस्ति
- well-being; blessingwelfare, safety; auspicious conditionNoun/Indeclinableस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम् (आशीर्वादार्थे; ‘well-being’)Role कर्म/प्रार्थ्य-वस्तुRoot स्वस्ति
- अष्टापूर्तम्
- the ‘iṣṭa-and-pūrta’ merit (sacrificial and charitable works)merit of ‘iṣṭa and pūrta’; sacrificial and charitable works (ritual + public benefaction)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot अष्टापूर्त
- स्म
- indeed; justindeed; emphaticIndeclinableनिपातःRoot स्म
- कृणुत
- make; do (you all)make, effect; bring about (for him)Verbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role वाक्य-क्रियाRoot √कृ (कृणोति)
- आविः
- manifestly; openlymanifest, openly; make evident/visibleIndeclinableअव्ययम् (प्रकाशार्थे)Root आविस्/आविः
- अस्मै
- for himfor him; for the yajamānaPronounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot इदम् (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिकम्)
Sandhi Notes
- पाठे ‘व्योऽमन्’ = व्योमन् (व्योमन् इति नपुंसक-सप्तमी एकवचनम्; ओऽवग्रहः पदसन्धि-चिह्नः)
- ‘लोकमत्र’ = लोकम् + अत्र (म् + अ → मत्र)
- ‘स्वस्तीऽष्टापूर्तम्’ = स्वस्ति + अष्टापूर्तम् (इ + अ → य्; अवग्रहः)
- ‘कृणुता॒विर॑स्मै’ = कृणुत + आविः + अस्मै (त् + आ → ता; आविः अस्मै इति पृथक् पदे)
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Not specified in excerpt; verify via Anukramaṇī.
- Devata
- Devas as witnesses; saumanasa/merit as operative power.
- Chandas
- Likely Anuṣṭubh (verification needed).
- Rasa
- Shanta and Adbhuta
Sāyaṇa treats the gods as witnesses who ‘know’ and thereby stabilize the loka ‘here’—a sacralization of the social space. Aṣṭāpūrta is glossed as iṣṭa (Vedic offerings) plus pūrta (wells, rest-houses, gifts), i.e., total religious merit; the mantra requests that such merit become ‘āvis’—evident and effective—for the patron.
Paustika legitimation and witness-formulas: securing divine assent so merit becomes efficacious in the household and community.
Represents an Atharvanic style of ‘social magic’: not coercion but ratification—turning ritual and charity into durable protection through divine witnessing.
Viśve Devāḥ / Devāḥ as witnessing assembly
They function as the collective authority that registers, confirms, and ‘publishes’ merit (iṣṭāpūrta) into the human world.
Protects welfare (svasti) by ensuring one’s dharmic actions are recognized and thus bear fruit without obstruction.
Anuṣṭubh (likely; requires pad-count verification against Śaunaka text)
4 pādas of ~8 syllables (with Atharvanic resolutions and sandhi-driven variability)
Possible hypermetric/irregular syllable counts typical in AVŚ book 6; some pādas may run 9 due to compounds (e.g., sadhasthā).
Declarative and juridical—like a proclamation before witnesses.
Creates a sense of formal confirmation; suitable for steady, measured recitation to ‘seal’ merit.
Recite while facing the assembly and (optionally) the fire as divine witness.
Gesture to the space ‘here’ (atra) to mark it as a ritually ordered loka.
Invoke gods as sadhásthaḥ (co-seated) to ‘know’ and thereby seal the rite.
Conclude with a patron-focused petition that iṣṭa-pūrta merit become manifest (āvis) for him.
Kauśika Sūtra: paustika rites for welfare/merit and concord (general; exact sūtra-number requires AVŚ-KS mapping for 6.123.2).
Atharvan priest: sacralizes the local space, calls divine witness, and channels merit to the yajamāna.
Recited to sanctify acts of giving/feeding and to ‘publish’ household merit—especially after offerings or charitable acts.
After completion of offering and/or dāna; at thresholds of social recognition (hosting guests, communal meals).
Householder may recite; a purohita can recite as formal witness-voice.
Used as an affirmation after charity/volunteering or family rites to frame actions as spiritually consequential.
aṣṭāpūrta (ritual+charitable merit) as an accumulable ‘substance’ of efficacy; loka ‘here’ as ritually constituted space
Iṣṭāpūrta is treated like a subtle ‘substance’ that can be increased, safeguarded, and made visible—an Atharvanic economy of unseen power converted into concrete welfare.
Stress reduction through ritualized affirmation and community validation; reinforces prosocial behavior linked to wellbeing.
yajamāna (householder/patron)
To obtain divine recognition and make the yajamāna’s iṣṭāpūrta visibly efficacious as welfare and standing.
Witness-invocation + performative request (āviḥ-karaṇa: making potency ‘manifest’).
Loss/obstruction of merit; social instability; lack of recognition.
Merit, reputation, household stability, auspicious trajectory.
- परमे व्योमन् (parame vyoman)
- the supreme register of truth; the level where deeds are ‘sealed’ beyond dispute
- देवाः सधस्थाः (devāḥ sadhasthāḥ)
- a unified assembly of powers; consensus of cosmic order validating the rite
- लोकम् अत्र (lokam atra)
- the ritually constituted social field; the immediate life-world to be stabilized
- यजमानः (yajamānaḥ)
- the responsible agent whose identity is formed by giving/ritual duty
- स्वस्ति (svasti)
- a protective state produced by alignment with ṛta and communal harmony
- इष्टापूर्त (iṣṭāpūrta)
- accumulated dharmic potency as a transferable, quasi-substantial force
- आविः (āviḥ)
- making merit ‘operational’—seen as health, status, success
Merit as light made manifest (āviḥ): contemplate the conversion of intention into visible beneficence.
Even nasal breathing; recite on long exhalations to cultivate steadiness and sincerity.
Sāttvic assurance and social rootedness.
Pair recitation with a concrete act of giving; then sit briefly, imagining the act ‘registered’ in the highest vyoman and returning as svasti in daily life.
AVŚ recitation with udātta/anudātta/svarita as per Śaunaka śākhā tradition; keep clear udātta on vocatives (devāḥ) and key imperatives (jānīta, vida, kṛṇuta).
Maintain sentence breaks at ‘devāḥ sadhasthā’ and before ‘anv-āgantā’.
Clear, formal, proclamatory.
Best used as a ‘seal’ (mudrā-like) after an act of offering or charity; avoid hurried chanting—witness-formulas depend on clarity.
3 times
After charity, hosting guests, completing a vow, or seeking social-religious legitimacy (new home, new role, community responsibilities).
Immediately after the act (dāna/annadāna/offerings), or at day’s end to consolidate merit.
Sense of auspicious continuity; strengthened confidence that good actions will bear fruit; improved household harmony.
Do not treat as a substitute for ethical action—its efficacy presumes actual iṣṭa and pūrta.
Again non-botanical: efficacy is framed as ‘merit’ (aṣṭāpūrta) made visible. This is a key Atharvanic extension of ‘medicine’ into moral economy—ritual and charity become curative/protective capital.
The yajamāna is the focal beneficiary; gods and priests are invoked to convert communal order into patronal merit. The inclusion of pūrta gestures to emerging public-works piety, aligning elite status with benefaction.
Aṣṭāpūrta is more characteristic of later Vedic ethical-ritual discourse than early RV; it signals a broadened religious field beyond soma-offering into social charity.
Gopatha’s concern with Atharvanic rites in domestic society coheres with ‘loka here’ being ritually constituted and with merit-transfer. Precise Gopatha citation requires concordance work.
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