Atharva Veda 2.16.5: Kanda 2, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 16, Mantra 5

Sukta 16

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

विश्वं॑भर॒ विश्वे॑न मा॒ भर॑सा पाहि॒ स्वाहा॑

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 2.16.5

IAST Transliteration

viśváṃbhará víśvena mā́ bhárasā pāhi svā́hā

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

O All-upholding One, with thy universal might, by thy sustaining power do thou protect me—svāhā.

Translation

ヴィシュヴァンバラ（Viśvambhara）よ、汝の普遍の威力、汝の支えの力をもって我を護りたまえ――スヴァーハー（svāhā）。

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Word by Word

• विश्वंभऱ: O all-sustaining one
• विश्वंभऱ: — (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun/Adjective (epithet)
• Root: विश्वंभर (प्रातिपदिक; विśvaṃ-bhara)

• विश्वेन: with/through the whole (all)
• विश्वेन: Karaṇa
• Type: Adjective/Pronoun-like (sarva)
• Root: विश्व (सर्व/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)

• मा: me
• मा: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• भरसा: by (your) support/strength
• भरसा: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘bearing/support’)

• पाहि: protect
• पाहि: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु) ‘to protect’

• स्वाहा: svāhā (oblational exclamation)
• स्वाहा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वाहा (निपात/उद्गार)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (specific r̥ṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī for this hymn)

Devata: Viśvambhara (a sustaining protective power; often treated as a functional epithet rather than a narrowly personified deity)

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (short protective formula; exact metrical classification may be listed as anuṣṭubh in anukramaṇī traditions)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: vira