Atharva Veda 7.79.3: Kanda 7, Anuvaka 8, Sukta 79, Mantra 3

Sukta 79

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

आग॒न् रात्री॑ सं॒गम॑नी॒ वसू॑ना॒मूर्जं॑ पु॒ष्टं वस्वा॑वे॒शय॑न्ती । अ॒मा॒वा॒स्याऽयै ह॒विषा॑ विधे॒मोर्जं॒ दुहा॑ना॒ पय॑सा न॒ आग॑न्

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 7.79.3

IAST Transliteration

ā́gan rā́trī saṅgámanī vásūnām ūrjáṃ púṣṭaṃ vásvāveśáyantī | amāvāsyā́yai havíṣā vidhemórjaṃ dúhānā páyasā na ā́gan ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Night hath come, the gatherer of treasures, bringing wealth, infusing thriving strength. To New-Moon with oblation would we do worship: milking forth nourishment with milk, let her come unto us.

Translation

रात आ गई है, जो धन इकट्ठी करती है। यह संपत्ति लाती है और ताकत भी देती है। अमावस्या को हम पूजा करते हैं। दूध जैसी वो ताकत देती है, वो हमारे पास आए।

The meaning

What it says

Night has come—the gatherer of treasures—bringing wealth and installing nourishment and thriving. We worship New-Moon with oblation; milking nourishment with milk, let her come to us.

The inner meaning

The dark is not absence but a womb of replenishment. New-Moon night gathers scattered energies, consolidates resources, and ‘milks’ quiet strength from invisibility into life.

The truth in it

Periods of darkness and pause can be fertile: when honored, they yield nourishment, renewal, and the right kind of increase.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Paustika (Prosperity) / Gṛhya-lunar observance

Its aim

To secure nourishment (ūrj), thriving increase (puṣṭi), and the ‘gathering’ of wealth at the New-Moon night for the household.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

आगन् । रात्रीः । संगमनी । वसूनाम् । ऊर्जम् । पुष्टम् । वस्वा । आवेशयन्ती । अमावास्यायै । हविषा । विधेम । ऊर्जम् । दुहाना । पयसा । नः । आगन् ।

आगन्

they came / have comehas come hither; a successful arrival/epiphany (āgamanam) ensuring the rite’s efficacyVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद, 3rd person, pluralRole मुख्य क्रियाRoot आ√गम् (गम्)

रात्रीः

the nightsNight (as a goddess); the enveloping, protective power that gathers and concealsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot रात्रि- (प्रातिपदिक)

संगमनी

the bringer of union / the uniting (one)the bringer-together; uniter of goods/forces (saṅgama), especially of household wealthAdjective (epithet)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषण)Root संगमनी- (संगम + नी; प्रातिपदिक)

वसूनाम्

of the goods/wealthsof the Vasus/wealths; all material goods and sustaining resourcesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root वसु- (प्रातिपदिक)

ऊर्जम्

vigor / nourishmentvital sap, strength, nourishment; the ‘food-power’ to be drawn into the sacrificerNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot ऊर्ज्- (प्रातिपदिक)

पुष्टम्

nourishment / thrivingthriving increase, prosperity; the state of being well-nourished and augmentedNoun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (ऊर्जम् इति सह समाहार/द्वन्द्वार्थे)Root पुष्टि-/पुष्ट- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘nourishment, thriving’)

वस्वा

goods, richesas a wealthy one/possessing wealth; the goddess as ‘rich in goods’Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (वसूनि इत्यर्थे वैदिकरूपम्)Role कर्मRoot वसु- (प्रातिपदिक)

आवेशयन्ती

causing to enter / bringing incausing to enter, infusing; magically ‘installing’ prosperity within the house/lineageVerb (present participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ/शानच्-प्रकारः), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot आ√विश् (विश्) + णिच्

अमावास्यायै

to Amāvāsyā (new-moon night)to the New-Moon (Amāvāsyā) goddess; the liminal night suited to securing increaseNoun (deity/rite name)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot अमावास्या- (प्रातिपदिक)

हविषा

with an oblationwith oblation; the offering-substance as the transactional medium of powerNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot हविस्- (प्रातिपदिक)

विधेम

let us perform/offer; let us do (the rite)we would do service/offer duly; perform the rite in correct orderVerbलोट् (imperative/benedictive usage), परस्मैपद, 1st person, pluralRole मुख्य क्रियाRoot वि√धा (धा) (विधा/विधे)

ऊर्जम्

vigor / nourishmentnourishing strength again; the desired substance/power reiterated as the targetNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot ऊर्ज्- (प्रातिपदिक)

दुहाना

milking / yieldingmilking forth; yielding as a cow—metaphor for extracting nourishment by riteVerb (present participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot √दुह्

पयसा

with milk; by milkwith milk; emblem of abundance, fertility, and gentle increaseNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot पयस्- (प्रातिपदिक)

नः

for us / of usfor us; for our household/lineage (gṛha, gotra) as beneficiaryPronounषष्ठी (एन्क्लिटिक), बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)

आगन्

they came / have comehas come; the boon’s arrival is treated as already effected by the mantraVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद, 3rd person, pluralRole मुख्य क्रियाRoot आ√गम् (गम्)

Sandhi Notes

• पदच्छेदः (वैदिक-सन्धि-विग्रह): आगन् | रात्रीः | संगमनी | वसूनाम् | ऊर्जम् | पुष्टम् | वस्वा | आवेशयन्ती । अमावास्यायै | हविषा | विधेम | ऊर्जम् | दुहाना | पयसा | नः | आगन् ।
• 1) ‘रात्री॑’ इति संहितापाठे एकवचन-प्रतीतिः
• पदविभागे ‘रात्रीः’ (प्रथमा बहुवचन) — ‘आगन्’ (3pl) इत्यनेन सह सामञ्जस्यात्।
• 2) ‘अमावास्याऽयै’ = ‘अमावास्यायै’ (अ + आ सन्धिः; अवग्रहचिह्नः)।
• 3) ‘मोर्जम्’ = ‘मः ऊर्जम्’ इति न
• अत्र ‘विधेमोर्जम्’ = ‘विधेम ऊर्जम्’ (ए/ओ + उ- आरम्भे संधिः; संहितायां ओ-रूपम्)।
• 4) ‘वस्वा’ वैदिकरूपेण ‘वसूनि/वसू’ इत्यर्थे कर्मपदम् (द्वितीया बहुवचन-प्रयोगः) — ‘ऊर्जं पुष्टं वस्वा’ इति त्रयः कर्मपदानि ‘आवेशयन्ती’ इत्यस्य।

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic tradition (Anukramaṇī attribution varies for lunar hymns)

Devata

Rātrī / Amāvāsyā (New-Moon as goddess)

Chandas

Triṣṭubh (probable; requires metrical verification against pada-count in a critical edition)

Rasa

Adbhuta and Shanta

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