Atharva Veda 1.13.4: Kanda 1, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 13, Mantra 4

Sukta 13

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

यां त्वा॑ दे॒वा असृ॑जन्त॒ विश्व॒ इषुं॑ कृण्वा॒ना अस॑नाय धृ॒ष्णुम्। सा नो॑ मृड वि॒दथे॑ गृणा॒ना तस्यै॑ ते॒ नमो॑ अस्तु देवि

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 1.13.4

IAST Transliteration

yā́m tvā́ devā́ asṛ́janta víśva íṣuṁ kṛṇvāná asanā́ya dhṛṣṇúm | sā́ no mṛḍa vidáthé gṛṇānā́s tásyai te námo astu devi ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Thee whom the Gods, yea all of them, sent forth—fashioning thee a missile, bold to be hurled for smiting—be gracious unto us, while in the rite we hymn thee: to her, to thee, be reverence; homage be, O Goddess.

Translation

諸神――すべての神々――が汝を放ち出し、汝を投げ放たれて討ち滅ぼすための、勇猛なる飛び矢（いしゅ）として作り成した。祭儀（ヴィダタ）において我らが汝を讃歌するとき、我らに慈しみを垂れたまえ。彼女に、汝に、礼拝あれ。女神よ、汝に敬礼あれ。

The meaning

What it says

A goddess-like ‘Missile’ (iṣu) sent forth by all the gods, made bold for smiting, is hymned in the rite and asked to be gracious; homage is offered to her.

The inner meaning

The verse handles aggressive power by personifying it and negotiating with it: the same force that can strike enemies/afflictions must be pacified toward the self. It is a psychology of controlled wrath—weaponized focus without self-harm.

The truth in it

Power is ambivalent: what protects can also injure. Ethical and ritual containment—reverence, naming, and right aim—turns raw force into guardianship.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Abhicarika / Apotropaic (weaponized protection; turning hostile force outward while pacifying it toward the patron)

Its aim

To consecrate and direct a divinely empowered ‘missile-force’ against affliction/hostility, while ensuring it remains benign toward the performer and household.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

याम् । त्वा । दे॒वाः । अ॒सृ॒ज॒न्॒त॒ । विश्वे । इषुम् । कृ॒ण्वा॒नाः । अस॒नाय । धृ॒ष्णुम् । सा । नः । मृ॒ड॒ । वि॒दथे॑ । गृ॒णा॒नाः । तस्यै । ते । नमः । अ॒स्तु॒ । दे॒वि॒ ।

याम्

whom/which (fem., acc. sg.)whom/which (fem. acc. sg.); the invoked female power (here, the missile/arrow as a goddess-like agency)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

त्वाम्

you (acc. sg.)Pronoun(सामान्यतः) द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

देवाः

the godsthe gods; divine agents who authorize and empower the riteNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्तृRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)

असृजन्त

created / sent forththey let go, discharged, sent forth; (Sayana-style) ‘they produced/impelled’ the missile for its appointed functionVerbलङ् (अनद्यतन-भूत), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचनRole क्रियाRoot सृज् (धातु)

विश्वे

all (of them)all (of them), the All-gods collectively; total divine consensus behind the actAdjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (देवाः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)

इषुम्

an arrowarrow, missile; in Atharvanic idiom also a ‘directed force’ (apotropaic or aggressive) released by mantraNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot इषु (प्रातिपदिक)

कृण्वानाः

making / fashioningmaking, fashioning, preparing; ritually ‘constituting’ the missile as efficaciousParticipleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (कर्तरि)Role कर्तृ (देवाः इत्यस्य सह-विशेषणम्)Root कृ (धातु) → कृण्वान (शतृ-प्रत्यय, वर्तमान कृदन्त)

असनाय

for a missile/weapon (as a weapon)for hurling/throwing (lit. for ‘casting’); for striking the target—disease, demon, or hostile willNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot असन (प्रातिपदिक) [= असन ‘missile/weapon’]

धृष्णुम्

bold, impetuous, fiercebold, impetuous, unresisted; a ‘dauntless’ force that overcomes obstruction (disease/evil)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्म (इषुम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Root धृष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)

सा

sheshe/that (fem. nom. sg.); the same missile-power now entreated as beneficent to ‘us’Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

नः

of us / to usto us/our; the ritual community (household/patron) seeking protectionPronounषष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्ध (अधिकार/सम्प्रदानार्थे ‘to us/our’)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

मृड

be gracious / show mercybe gracious, show mercy, bring relief; standard Atharvanic appeasement formula to turn a dangerous power into a protectorVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot मृड् (धातु) [= मृड्/मृळ् ‘to be gracious, to show mercy’]

विदथे

in the rite/assembly (at the worship)in the (solemn) service/assembly, at the rite; the liturgical setting where praise is performedNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot विदथ (प्रातिपदिक)

गृणाना

praising, singingParticipleस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (कर्तरि)Role कर्तृ (सा इत्यस्य सह-विशेषणम्)Root गॄ/गृ (धातु) → गृणान (शानच्-प्रत्यय, वर्तमान कृदन्त)

तस्यै

to herto her (dat. sg.); to that goddess-like missile-powerPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

ते

yourto thee/thy; second-person dative/genitive nuance—‘for thee’ in reverential addressPronounषष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्धRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

नमः

salutationobeisance, reverent submission; a pacifying act that ‘binds’ the power to favorable operationNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन (अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः)Role कर्तृ (अस्तु इत्यस्य)Root नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)

अस्तु

let there belet there be; optative/jussive force—ritual performative establishing the offering of homageVerbलोट् (आशीर्लिङ्/आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot अस् (धातु)

देवि

O goddessO goddess; explicit feminization/personification of the missile as a divine female agencyNoun (vocative)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा, एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot देवी (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• याम् त्वाम् देवाः असृजन्त विश्वे इषुम् कृण्वानाः असनाय धृष्णुम् । सा नः मृड विदथे गृणाना तस्यै ते नमः अस्तु देवि । विशेषाः:
• (1) ‘यां त्वा’ → याम् त्वाम् (अनुस्वार/नासिक्य-सन्धि; मन्त्रपाठे ‘त्वा’ एन्क्लिटिक-रूपम्)।
• (2) ‘देवा’ → देवाः (विसर्गः पदान्ते)।
• (3) ‘विश्व इषुम्’ → विश्वे इषुम् (ए-आदेशः: प्रथमा-बहुवचन ‘विश्वे’)।
• (4) ‘सा नो’ → सा नः (एन्क्लिटिक ‘नः’)।
• (5) ‘नमो अस्तु’ → नमः अस्तु (विसर्ग-सन्धि)।

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Uncertain here from the isolated verse; commonly Atharvanic/Āṅgirasa attribution is typical for early protective hymns (needs hymn-level anukramaṇī confirmation).

Devata

Iṣu (the Missile/Arrow) personified as Devī; implicitly backed by Viśve Devāḥ.

Chandas

Likely Triṣṭubh (based on cadence and length; requires pada syllable count on full hymn context for certainty).

Rasa

Vira 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