Atharva Veda 20.39.3: Kanda 20, Anuvaka 4, Sukta 39, Mantra 3
Sukta 39
उद् गा आ॑ज॒दङ्गि॑रोभ्य आ॒विष्कृ॒ण्वन् गुहा॑ स॒तीः । अ॒र्वाञ्चं॑ नुनुदे व॒लम्
úd gā́ ā́jad áṅgirobhya āvíṣkṛṇván gúhā satī́ḥ | arvā́ñcaṃ nunude válam
Forth drave he the Cows; for the Angirases he made them manifest, though they abode in hiding-caves: hitherward he thrust away Vala.
Ia menghalau keluar Sapi-sapi; bagi para Aṅgirasa ia menampakkan mereka, meski mereka berdiam di gua-gua persembunyian. Ke arah sini ia mengusir Vala.
The meaning
What it says
Indra drove forth the cows, making them manifest for the Angirases though hidden in caves; he thrust Vala away toward us (or away, bringing gain hither).
The inner meaning
Hidden capacities (cows/light) are recovered when inner insight and disciplined effort (Angirases) cooperate with decisive force (Indra) to dispel the enclosing ‘Vala’—the habit of concealment and self-limitation.
The truth in it
What is truly ours—light, value, nourishment—often lies concealed behind enclosures; liberation is a revelation (āviṣkṛ) plus removal of the covering force.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Paustika (Prosperity) / Apotropaic (Obstacle-removal)
Its aim
To recover and secure wealth (cattle, goods, light/fortune) by driving away the enclosing obstruction (Vala) and turning the gain ‘hitherward’ to the patron.
Word by Word
Pada patha
उत् । गाः । आजत् । अङ्गिरः-भ्यः । आविः-कृण्वन् । गुहाः । सतीः । अर्वाञ्चम् । नुनुदे । वलम् ।
- उत्
- up, forth (preverb)up, forth; marking emergence/raising (ritually: bringing out what is hidden)Indeclinableउपसर्ग (prefix)Root उत् (उपसर्ग) / ud-
- गाः
- he went forth / came upthe cows; emblem of wealth/light, also the ‘rays’ recovered from concealmentVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद; 3rd person singular (आगात् > गाः, with ud-)Role Kartā (implicit subject)Root गै (धातु) / gai
- आजत्
- he drove/impelledhe drove/impelled (aor. of √aj); forceful setting-in-motionVerbलुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपद; 3rd person singularRole Kartā (implicit subject)Root अज् (धातु) / aj
- अङ्गिरोभ्यः
- to the AṅgirasesNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी/पञ्चमी बहुवचन (dat./abl. pl.)Role Sampradāna (to/for the Angirases)Root अङ्गिरस् (प्रातिपदिक) / aṅgiras
- आविष्कृण्वन्
- making manifest, revealingVerb (participle)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ); पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा एकवचनRole Kartā (agent-participle, agreeing with subject)Root आविष् + कृ (धातु) / āviṣ + kṛ
- गुहाः
- of the cave / of the hiding-placefrom the hiding-places/caves; the concealed locus of stolen goods/lightNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी एकवचन (gen. sg.)Role Adhikaraṇa (locative sense implied: ‘of/in the cave’)Root गुहा (प्रातिपदिक) / guhā
- सतीः
- being (there), existing (fem. pl.)being (there), existent; ‘true/real’ (Sayana-style: actually present though hidden)Adjective (participle used adjectivally)स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया बहुवचन (acc. pl.)Role Karma (object of ‘revealing’)Root सत् (प्रातिपदिक) / sat
- अर्वाञ्चम्
- turned this way, toward ushitherward, toward us; turning the gain to the sacrificer’s sideAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (acc. sg.)Role Karma (object)Root अर्वाञ्च् (प्रातिपदिक) / arvāñc
- नुनुदे
- he thrust/pushedhe thrust away/drove off (√nud); apotropaic expulsionVerbलिट्/परिप्रयोग (perfect-like); आत्मनेपद; 3rd person singularRole Kartā (implicit subject)Root नुद् (धातु) / nud
- वलम्
- Vala (the enclosure/obstacle; demon/fortress)Vala (the enclosing demon/cave); the obstruction that pens in wealth/lightNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन (acc. sg.)Role Karma (object of ‘pushed’)Root वल (प्रातिपदिक) / vala
Sandhi Notes
- उद् गा → उत् गाः (उद् + √गै, लुङ् 3sg; final द् before ग becomes त्; aorist form appears as गाः)
- आ॑ज॒दङ्गि॑रोभ्यः → आजत् अङ्गिरोभ्यः (final -द्/-त् before vowel; padapāṭha separates)
- आ॒विष्कृ॒ण्वन् → आविष् + कृण्वन् (compound with verbal root √कृ ‘to make/do’)
- गुहा॑ स॒तीः → गुहाः सतीः (gen. sg. of गुहा + acc. pl. of सती)
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Indra-Angiras complex (traditional RV attribution; AV 20 largely reuses RV material)
- Devata
- Indra (with Angirases as mythic assistants); Vala as the adversarial figure
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh (as transmitted in AV 20 RV-derived strata; metrical exactness may vary by pada division)
- Rasa
- Adbhuta and Vira
Sayana takes the ‘cows’ as both literal cattle and figurative rays/wealth recovered by Indra with the Angirases. ‘Making manifest’ is the decisive act: what is ‘satīḥ’ (truly existent) is merely concealed in ‘guhāḥ’. ‘Vala’ is the enclosing obstruction; ‘nunude’ signals the expelling, protective force that restores possession to the yajamāna.
Indra–Angiras/Vala mythic complex (RV seer tradition reused in AV 20)
Paustika recovery-charm: retrieval of cattle/wealth/light; obstacle-removal via revelation and expulsion of the encloser.
Angiras strand foregrounds ‘fiery discovery’—a key Atharvanic technique: find what is hidden (disease, theft, misfortune) and force it into the open.
Indra (with Angirases as assistants)
Revealer of hidden light/wealth; breaker of cave-enclosures; turns gains ‘hitherward’ to the patron.
Indirect: ‘revelation’ model maps to diagnosis—bringing hidden causes to light; restores nourishment/strength symbolized by cows.
Protects property and fortune by expelling the enclosing thief-force (Vala) and restoring rightful possession.
4 pādas of ~8 syllables; compact narrative movement.
AV anuṣṭubh often tolerates slight syllabic fluctuation; here the diction is brisk and mythic-episodic.
Quick, story-like; suited to ‘recovery’ and ‘bringing forth’ actions.
Creates a sense of unveiling and return—good for rites of retrieval (lost goods, lost confidence).
Prepare a protective/paustika setting (clean ground, water-sprinkling, orientation to the east).
Recite the mantra while symbolically ‘opening’ or ‘uncovering’ (e.g., untying a knot, opening a closed vessel, or drawing aside a covering) to enact āvíṣkṛṇván (‘making manifest’).
Perform a driving-away gesture (hand-sweep or staff-motion) outward from the patron toward the periphery, matching nunude (‘thrust away’).
Conclude by leading the beneficiary ‘hitherward’ (arvā́ñcam) with a step or beckoning motion, sealing the transfer of fortune.
Kauśika Sūtra: general Indra/Vala and ‘gā’ recovery mantras used in paustika and rakṣā-karmāṇi (exact sūtra varies by school arrangement; commonly grouped under wealth-recovery and obstacle-expulsion prayogas).
Atharvan priest as ritual technologist: reciter and director of the uncovering-and-expulsion sequence; he ‘turns’ the recovered good toward the patron and establishes protective boundaries.
For lost items or blocked income: recite while searching; symbolically ‘open’ a box/door/threshold; or recite facing a storage place to ‘reveal’ what is hidden.
When loss is discovered; during search; at dawn for ‘revelation’ symbolism.
Householder; optionally an Atharvanic specialist to frame it as retrieval (pratyānayana) charm.
Recite 27 times while methodically searching; end by placing a lamp near the household treasury/storage as a ‘revealing’ sign.
cows (gāḥ) as wealth/light; cave/hiding-place (guhā) as the locus of loss/occlusion; Vala as the obstructive enclosure
Implicit via Angiras ‘fiery’ identity (not explicit in wording).
Cows = recoverable vitality/wealth; cave = occlusion/unconscious storage; Vala = the binding shell; the mantra performs ‘opening’ and return.
‘Hidden’ illness or undiagnosed cause; depletion framed as loss of ‘cows’ (nourishment/ojas).
Revelatory framing: bring the hidden cause into awareness; expel the encloser principle; restore flow of nourishment.
Supports dhātu-puṣṭi imagery (nourishment) and removal of āvaraṇa (enclosure/obstruction) that prevents proper distribution.
Diagnostic clarity and recovery of energy after burnout; addressing hidden stressors or deficits.
Vala (enclosing force) and circumstances of concealment/loss.
Recovery of wealth/cattle/fortune; revelation of what is hidden; expulsion of enclosing obstruction (Vala).
Narrative identification with myth: as Indra revealed the hidden cows, so the patron’s hidden goods/fortune are revealed and returned (arvāñcam).
Theft, loss, misplacement, obscuration of opportunity, ‘blocked luck’.
Cattle/wealth, household fortune, illumination (metaphorical light).
- गाः (gāḥ)
- wealth, nourishment, light of understanding, recoverable life-energies
- अङ्गिरोभ्यः (aṅgirobhyaḥ)
- fiery seers/effortful insight; disciplined search and ritual intelligence
- आविष्कृण्वन् (āviṣkṛṇvan)
- bringing the hidden into consciousness; diagnosis and disclosure
- गुहाः (guhāḥ)
- unconscious, secrecy, loss, storage of blocked fortune
- वलम् (valam)
- the enclosing blockage: hoarding, constriction, occlusion of resources
- अर्वाञ्चम् (arvāñcam)
- drawing fortune back to the household/patron; reclamation
Uncovering the hidden: ask ‘what is enclosed?’—a belief, fear, or neglected resource—then open it with steady attention.
svadhisthana
Slow inhale imagining ‘opening the cave’; long exhale imagining Vala pushed away; 9 rounds then recite.
A cave in the lower abdomen/pelvis opens; warm light reveals calm white cows (vitality) walking outward toward you.
Curious, investigative, empowered.
Pair mantra with a practical ‘recovery action’ (search, budget review, medical check) to embody āviṣkṛṇvan (making manifest).
Anuṣṭubh-style even recitation; light RV accents retained on key nouns (gāḥ, aṅgirobhyaḥ, valam).
Give a slight lift on āviṣkṛṇvan; pause after guhā satīḥ to mark the ‘hidden’ state before the ‘thrusting away’.
Narrative, clear, slightly bright on ‘revelation’ words.
Effective when paired with a physical ‘opening’ gesture (untying a knot, opening a lid) to enact the Vala-breaking symbolism.
27 times
Lost property, blocked finances, hidden problems, feeling ‘cut off’ from one’s own energy.
During searches; when starting a recovery plan; when needing clarity about what is concealed.
Improved focus and systematic retrieval; sense of unveiling; renewed access to resources/energy.
Avoid paranoia about ‘hidden enemies’; keep the work practical and evidence-based.
No explicit plant is named; the operative ‘substance’ is mythic-ritual: concealment (guhā) versus manifestation (āvíṣkṛṇván). In Atharvanic practice this readily maps onto material proxies (coverings, knots, sealed containers) that function like ‘occluding agents’ to be ritually opened.
Wealth recovery is framed as priest-mediated: the Angirases (archetypal ritual specialists) are the beneficiaries/agents of revelation, while the patron receives the ‘hitherward’ gain. The verse naturalizes priestly efficacy as the mechanism by which property and fortune are restored.
The diction is thoroughly RV-heroic (Vala, Angirases, cow-recovery myth). AV 20’s language here is conservative, reflecting direct borrowing; the Atharvanic ‘innovation’ lies more in domestic/apotropaic redeployment than in morphology.
Gopatha frequently legitimizes Atharvanic mantras by aligning them with primordial victories and recoveries (light/wealth won from obstruction). This verse’s efficacy is thus grounded in paradigmatic myth: what Indra once ‘revealed’ and ‘drove out’ can be replicated ritually to reverse concealment and loss.
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