Atharva Veda 6.20.3: Kanda 6, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 20, Mantra 3
Sukta 20
अ॒यं यो अ॑भिशोचयि॒ष्णुर्विश्वा॑ रू॒पाणि॒ हरि॑ता कृ॒णोषि॑ । तस्मै॑ तेऽरु॒णाय॑ ब॒भ्रवे॒ नमः॑ कृणोमि॒ वन्या॑य त॒क्मने॑
ayáṃ yó abhíśocayiṣṇúr víśvā rūpā́ṇi háritā kṛṇóṣi | tásmai te ’ruṇā́ya babhráve námaḥ kṛṇomi ványāya takmáne
This Fever, who, burning, makest all forms to be yellow-hued—unto thee, the ruddy, the brown, I make obeisance: homage to the wild-born Fever.
यह बुखार सब चीज़ों को पीला कर देता है। यह जलता है और सब रंग बदल देता है। मैं तुम पीले और भूरे रंग वाले बुखार को प्रणाम करता हूँ। तुम जंगल में पैदा हुए हो।
The meaning
What it says
The speaker identifies Fever (Takman) as burning and making all forms yellowish; then offers homage to it in its ruddy and brown forms, calling it ‘wild-born’ (vanya).
The inner meaning
The mantra maps symptoms (color changes) into a ritual taxonomy: naming the fever’s appearances reduces its terror and gives the healer a handle. By bowing to its forms, the psyche stops fighting blindly and instead contains the experience, preparing for dismissal and treatment.
The truth in it
What is clearly named becomes governable: recognition of a problem’s changing forms is the first step in mastering it.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Bhaisajya (Healing) / Apotropaic demonology
Its aim
To identify and ritually domesticate Takman’s polymorphic symptoms (color-forms), compelling its retreat through propitiation.
Word by Word
Pada patha
अयम् । यः । अभिशोचयिष्णुः । विश्वा । रूपाणि । हरिता । कृणोषि । तस्मै । ते । अरुणाय । बभ्रवे । नमः । कृणोमि । वन्याय । तक्मने ।
- अयम्
- this (one)this (one/agent here); the present, manifest feverPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- who/whichwho; relative marker identifying Takman’s propertiesPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अभिशोचयिष्णुः
- causing to burn/afflict; tormentingburning, causing to glow/torment; fever as scorching afflicterAdjective (agentive) / Participle-likeपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot अभि-शुच्/शोच् (धातु) → अभिशोचयिष्णु (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वानि
- all (things)Adjective (used substantively)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- रूपाणि
- forms, appearancesforms; the many clinical ‘appearances’/types of feverNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
- हरिता
- with/into greenish-yellow (hue)yellowish/greenish; the ‘harit’ coloration (jaundice-like hue) associated with febrile statesAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम् (करणे)Role KaraṇaRoot हरित (प्रातिपदिक)
- कृणोषि
- you make, you renderthou makest; thou bringest about (symptoms)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot कृ (धातु)
- तस्मै
- to him/for himto that (one); dative of addressed agentPronounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- yourto thee/for thee; pronominal dativePronounषष्ठी, एकवचनम् (सम्बन्धे) — ‘thy/your’Role सम्बन्धःRoot त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अरुणाय
- to the ruddy one (Aruna)to the ruddy one; fever conceived as red heatNoun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot अरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
- बभ्रवे
- to the brown one (Babhru)to the brown one; darker febrile complexion/typeNoun/Adjective (epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot बभ्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
- नमः
- obeisance, homageobeisance; pacifying salutation to neutralize hostilityNoun (indeclinable-like in use)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम् (नमः-प्रयोगः)Role KarmaRoot नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- कृणोमि
- I make/performI make; performative act of offering homageVerbलट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot कृ (धातु)
- वन्याय
- to the wild one (forest-born)wild/forest-born; fever as coming from the wilderness (outside social order)Adjective (epithet) / Noun (as epithet)पुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot वन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- तक्ष्मने
- to Takman (fever/ague personified)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, एकवचनम्Role SampradānaRoot तक्ष्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- अयम् | यः | अभिशोचयिष्णुः | विश्वानि | रूपाणि | हरिता | कृणोषि || तस्मै | ते | अरुणाय | बभ्रवे | नमः | कृणोमि | वन्याय | तक्ष्मने ।
- (1) तेऽरुणाय = ते + अरुणाय (स्वर-सन्धिः: ए + अ → एऽ).
- (2) अन्यत्र स्पष्ट सन्धि-परिवर्तनं न
- ‘अयम् यः’ इत्यत्र संहितायां यकारादि-सम्योगः केवलम्।
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic/Āṅgirasa attribution in traditional indices for Takman material.
- Devata
- Takman (Fever) in multiple epiphanies.
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh-like (two pādas with extended cadence; metrical exactness varies by recension).
- Rasa
- Bhayankara and Shanta
Sāyaṇa glosses the ‘many forms’ as Takman’s variable manifestations (seasonal, intermittent, color-marked). The color-epithets (aruṇa, babhru, harit) are read symptomatically and demonologically: fever ‘paints’ the body. ‘Vanya’ marks its origin outside the settled sphere; homage is a strategic placation so the agent withdraws.
Unknown (Takman material often Atharvanic/Āṅgirasa in indices; not specified here)
Bhaiṣajya incantations using symptom-description (especially color taxonomy) to identify, constrain, and expel Takman.
The seer uses diagnostic poetics as magic: to see the fever truly is already to begin its ritual capture and dismissal.
Takman (Fever)
A roaming heat-agent that alters complexion and vitality; in Atharvanic thought it is negotiable through propitiation and command once properly identified.
Indirect: by acknowledging and propitiating, the fever is induced to depart; the mantra also guides appropriate remedy selection by recognizing symptom forms.
Protects by preventing fever’s escalation through ritual containment and by discouraging panic.
Likely 4 pādas × 11 syllables; the first hemistich is descriptive, the second propitiatory; Atharvanic phonetic clusters may shift surface counts.
Symptom-descriptive verses can stretch cadence for vividness (color words, participles); functional incantation takes precedence over perfect metrical regularity.
Narrative-to-command movement: description flows, then tightens into homage.
Helps the reciter ‘track’ the fever’s forms and then ritually contain them with a decisive namas.
Recite while observing/‘naming’ the fever’s visible signs (color, heat, weakness).
At ‘haritā’ and the color-epithets, gesture toward the patient’s skin/eyes to ‘fix’ the symptom in speech.
At ‘namo…kṛṇomi’, perform a pacifying hand-motion (as if offering) and then an outward casting motion to send the fever away to the wild.
Optionally accompany with cooling applications or herbal administration, aligning the physical cooling with the verbal pacification.
Kauśika Sūtra: Takman-karmāṇi — recitation over the patient with dismissal-gestures; used with fever-rites alongside AV 6.20 (edition-dependent numbering).
Atharvan priest as diagnostician-exorcist: he classifies the fever by ‘forms’ and neutralizes it through controlled address.
Recited while assessing the patient (observing heat and complexion) and before giving remedies; can be paired with cooling drinks or herbal preparations where culturally appropriate and medically safe.
At fever onset; when color changes are noted; during recurring bouts.
Householder-healer or purohita; emphasis on attentive observation and calm tone.
Kauśika Sūtra includes Takman appeasement/expulsion rites in bhaiṣajya sections (exact numbering varies by edition).
Used as a contemplative ‘symptom naming’ prayer that encourages careful monitoring and timely medical escalation.
Color symbolism (harit/aruṇa/babhru) as diagnostic-ritual taxonomy; Speech-offering (namas)
color-forms (haritā/aruṇa/babhru) as diagnostic substances in Atharvanic semiotics
Color is treated as a tangible sign-substance: by speaking the colors, the healer ‘grasps’ the fever’s modes and limits its freedom to roam.
Takman (fever), especially with visible color changes (yellowing, flushing, darkened pallor).
Complexion/visible ‘forms’ (rūpāṇi) implicitly; systemic heat.
Ritual identification (naming colors/forms) + propitiation (namas) to domesticate and send away the disease-agent; supports concurrent herbal/medical intervention.
Jvara with pitta coloring (aruṇa/haritā) and possible āma/heaviness (babhru) as conceptual parallels; symptom-based differentiation guiding supportive measures.
Symptom monitoring (skin color, pallor, jaundice signs) and calming framing of illness; encourages attentive observation while seeking medical care when needed.
Takman as an agent; secondarily the patient’s symptom-complex.
To recognize Takman’s polymorphic manifestations and pacify it so it withdraws; to prevent it from ‘taking new forms’ unchecked.
Diagnostic naming (color taxonomy) + propitiatory homage; ‘domesticating the wild’ (vanya) through vāc.
Escalation, recurrence, and confusion/misrecognition of symptoms.
- अभिशोचयिष्णु (abhiśocayiṣṇu)
- Inflammatory heat; consuming intensity of illness
- विश्वा रूपाणि (viśvā rūpāṇi)
- Polymorphic symptomatology; fever’s shifting presentations
- हरिता (haritā)
- Jaundiced pallor, feverish discoloration; diagnostic sign
- अरुण (aruṇa)
- Flush, heat, acute inflammatory surge
- बभ्रु (babhru)
- Dull, lingering fever; earthy heaviness, chronicity
- वन्य (vanya)
- Untamed, outside-domestic order; disease as intrusive wilderness force
- नमः कृणोमि (namaḥ kṛṇomi)
- Ritual appeasement to domesticate and command withdrawal
Non-reactive recognition of changing sensations; naming heat and color as passing phenomena.
manipura
Cooling breath emphasis: lengthen exhale; optionally śītalī/śītkārī (if appropriate and safe) after recitation, not during acute chills.
Visualize the fever as a colored heat-cloud (yellow/red/brown) being respectfully acknowledged, then drifting out into the forest (vanya) away from the body, while cool clarity returns.
Witnessing awareness that contains intensity without panic.
Recite softly 3–9 times, then rest in quiet observation of sensations; follow with practical care (hydration, rest, medical guidance).
Keep the descriptive first half flowing; slightly slow and deepen tone on ‘namaḥ kṛṇomi’ for propitiatory weight.
Articulate color-words distinctly (haritā, aruṇa, babhru) as they function diagnostically; avoid harshness—this is appeasement.
Low, steady, bedside-soft; compassionate firmness.
Color-naming is part of the charm’s ‘capture’: speak them as if pinning down the fever’s disguises, then soften into namas to induce withdrawal.
3 times
Fever with noticeable changes in complexion; caregiver needing a calm framework for observation and response.
During symptom check-ins; before giving medicine; when anxiety rises about changing signs.
Calmer monitoring, reduced panic, sense of ritual control; supports disciplined care routines.
Yellowing can indicate serious illness (e.g., jaundice): seek medical care promptly; do not delay treatment.
Even when herbs are not named, the mantra functions as a diagnostic-ritual preface: by stabilizing the fever’s ‘form’ in language (color-typology), it authorizes the matching of a cooling or counter-colored remedy in practice.
‘Vanya’ encodes a boundary between village order and dangerous exteriority. Fever is imagined as an outsider force; the priest’s speech reasserts social control by negotiating with and expelling the intruder.
The explicit symptom-color taxonomy and direct demon-address are more typical of Atharvanic applied discourse than RV hymnody, which more often frames illness indirectly through divine conflict or general affliction.
Gopatha’s Atharvanic hermeneutic privileges naming and classification as power: to name the agent and its forms is to bind it within brahman, enabling release/expulsion through the same speech.
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