Atharva Veda 9.2.25: Kanda 9, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 25

Sukta 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

यास्ते॑ शि॒वास्त॒न्वःऽ काम भ॒द्रा याभिः॑ स॒त्यं भव॑ति॒ यद् वृ॑णी॒षे। ताभि॒ष्ट्वम॒स्माँ अ॑भि॒संवि॑शस्वा॒न्यत्र॑ पा॒पीरप॑ वेशया॒ धियः॑

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 9.2.25

IAST Transliteration

yā́s te śivā́s tanvàḥ kā́ma bhadrā́ yā́bhiḥ satyáṁ bhávati yád vṛṇī́ṣe | tā́bhis tvám asmā́ṁ abhí sáṁviśasvā́nyátra pāpī́r ápa veśayā dhíyaḥ

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Those gracious forms of thine, O Kāma—those goodly powers whereby what thou choosest becomes true—therewith do thou enter in upon us and abide; but elsewhere drive thou away the evil thoughts.

Translation

काम, तुम्हारे जो अच्छे रूप हैं, जो शक्तियाँ हैं, उनसे जो भी तुम चाहो वो सच हो जाता है। उस शक्ति से हम में आओ और हमारे पास रहो। और बुरी सोच को वहाँ से भगा दो।

The meaning

What it says

Invokes Kāma’s auspicious (śivāḥ, bhadrāḥ) forms by which what he chooses becomes true; asks him to enter and dwell in “us,” and to drive evil thoughts elsewhere.

The inner meaning

Desire is requested to become an indwelling regulator of cognition: not craving as agitation, but kāma as benevolent intentionality that makes chosen aims ‘true’ through sustained attention and value-alignment. Intrusive, self-sabotaging, or hostile thoughts are expelled as apotropaic mental hygiene.

The truth in it

What we repeatedly choose and dwell upon shapes reality through action, perception, and social consequence; inner ecology matters—cultivating auspicious motivations while relocating destructive thoughts is a universal discipline.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Paustika (Prosperity) with Apotropaic mental-purification

Its aim

To invite Kāma’s auspicious powers to indwell the patron and to expel inauspicious or obstructive thoughts (internal and/or hostile).

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Word by Word

Pada patha

याः । ते । शिवाः । तन्वः । काम । भद्राः । याभिः । सत्यम् । भवति । यत् । वृणीषे । ताभिः । त्वम् । अस्मान् । अभि । संविशस्व । अन्यत्र । पापीः । अप । वेशय । धियः ।

याः

which (fem. pl.)which; those (relative pronoun introducing Kāma’s powers)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole Kartā (सम्बन्ध-कर्तृ; ‘याः … तन्वः’)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

ते

of you / yourthy; belonging to KāmaPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (अर्थतः ‘तव’)Role Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) / तद् (सर्वनाम) — here: ‘ते’ = ‘तव’ (enclitic gen.)

शिवाः

auspicious, kindlyauspicious, gracious; beneficent (healing/fortunate aspects)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (तन्वः इति विशेष्ये)Role Kartā-viśeṣaṇaRoot शिव (प्रातिपदिक)

तन्वः

bodies, formsforms/bodies; manifestations, operative ‘embodiments’ of powerNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot तनू (प्रातिपदिक)

काम

O Kāma (Desire)O KāmaNounपुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot काम (प्रातिपदिक) — vocative

भद्राः

fortunate, beneficentgood, благотворные; bringing welfare and successAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (तन्वः इति विशेष्ये)Role Kartā-viśeṣaṇaRoot भद्र (प्रातिपदिक)

याभिः

by which (fem. pl.)by which; with which (instrumental relative)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

सत्यम्

truthtruth, reality; realized fact (wish made real)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (अत्र: प्रथमा—‘सत्यं भवति’)Role Kartā (भवति इत्यस्य)Root सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)

भवति

becomes, comes to bebecomes; comes to passVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole अकर्मकRoot भू (धातु)

यत्

what (that which)what; that whichPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

वृणीषे

you choosethou choosest; thou selectest (Kāma’s elective power)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole Kartā (त्वम्) + Karma (यत्)Root वृ (वृणोति ‘to choose’)

ताभिः

with thosewith those; by means of those (powers)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole KaraṇaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

इष्ट्वम्

you, the desired/pleasing oneCompound (Adj + Pronoun)इष्ट (विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक—अव्यक्त) + त्वम् (प्रथमा, एकवचन)Role Kartā (त्वम्)Root इष्ट (कृदन्त; √इष्/√यज्? here: ‘इष्ट’ = ‘desired/pleasing’) + त्वम् (सर्वनाम)

त्वम्

youthouPronounप्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

अस्मान्

usus; the patron and householdPronounद्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

अभिसंविशस्व

enter into (us), come intoVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole Kartā (त्वम्) + Karma (अस्मान्)Root विश् (प्रवेशने) + उपसर्गाः: अभि-सम्

अन्यत्र

elsewhereelsewhere; away from hereIndeclinableअव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (स्थान)Root अन्यत्र (अव्यय)

पापीः

evil (fem. pl.), harmful (ones)evil, more sinful; harmful (hostile, inauspicious)Noun/Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot पापी (स्त्री; ‘evil one/evil [powers]’)

अप

awayaway; off (expulsive particle)Indeclinableअव्ययRole क्रियाविशेषण/उपसर्गःRoot अप (उपसर्ग/निपात)

वेशय

cause to enter / drive (them) intocause to enter/drive into; dispatch (send away, re-locate)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (णिच्)Role Kartā (त्वम्) + Karma (पापीः … धियः)Root विश् (प्रवेशने) — causative: वेषयति

धियः

thoughts, intentionsthoughts, intentions; mental formations (here: harmful counsels/impulses)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot धी (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• पदच्छेद (सम्भाव्य): याः ते शिवाः तन्वः, काम, भद्राः
• याभिः सत्यं भवति यत् वृणीषे। ताभिः इष्ट्वम् अस्मान् अभि-सम्-विशस्व
• तन्वः + (इति/अथ) पदविराम-चिह्न
• वास्तविक संधिः न, पदविभागसूचकः।
• 2) ‘ताभिष्ट्वम्’ = ताभिः + त्वम् (विसर्ग/उच्चारण-समाससदृश संधिः; इष्ट्वम् इति पाठभेद/संहितापाठ-रूप: ‘इष्ट’ (विशेषण) + त्वम्)।
• 3) ‘अभिसंविशस्व’ = अभि + सम् + विशस्व (√विश्, लोट्, आ.).
• 4) ‘पापीरप’ = पापीः + अप (विसर्गलोपः/संहितायां संयोगः)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic seer attribution within Kāma-hymn complex (varies).

Devata

Kāma (as beneficent indwelling power)

Chandas

Anuṣṭubh

Rasa

Shanta and Adbhuta

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