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Rishi: Traditionally Atharvanic/Angiras lineage (AV 20 often reuses RV material; attribution follows the borrowed RV hymn’s ascription in many recensions).
Devata: Várchas (Splendour) / the praised subject as bearer of radiance; implicitly Agni/Soma-style consecratory power via speech.
Chandas: Triṣṭubh/Jagatī-type cadence typical of RV-derived material (exact metrical identification depends on pada-count in the source RV verse).
AV 20.48は、マントラの言葉(gíraḥ/Vāc)がもつ灌頂的な力によって、受益者にvárchas――輝ける臨在、権威、そして公的名声――を「塗油し授ける」繁栄・威信の讃歌である。牝牛と子牛の養いの比喩、さらに母(大地)から父(天上の光)へ至る宇宙的行程を用いて、個人の光輝を昼・暁・光明の諸停留所という安定した秩序のうちに位置づけ、活力と評判が絶えず増大するように祈る。
Mantra 1
अ॒भि त्वा॒ वर्च॑सा गिरः॒ सिञ्च॑न्ती॒राच॑र॒ण्युवः॑ । अ॒भि व॒त्सं न धे॒नवः॑
汝の上に、光輝をもって、動きゆく言葉の讃歌がその力を灌ぎそそぐ――乳牛が子牛に注ぐがごとく。
Mantra 2
ता अ॑र्षन्ति शु॒भ्रियः॒ पृञ्च॑न्ती॒र्वर्च॑सा प्रि॒यः । जा॒तं जा॒त्रीर्यथा॑ हृ॒दा
かの輝けるものらは流れ出で、光輝をもって愛しき人を和合させる。生みの母たちが心をもって新生児を慈しむように。
Mantra 3
वज्रा॑पव॒साध्यः॑ की॒र्तिर्म्रि॒यमा॑ण॒माव॑हन्।मह्य॒मायु॑र्घृ॒तं पयः॑
得がたき名声は、われが滅びゆくとき、ここにわれへと、いのちと、ギー(酥油)と、乳とを運び来たらせた。
Mantra 4
आयं गौः पृश्नि॑रक्रमी॒दस॑दन्मा॒तरं॑ पु॒रः । पि॒तरं॑ च प्र॒यन्त्स्वः
この斑(まだら)の牝牛は歩み出で、母の前に坐した。さらに進み、天の光のうちに父へと至った。
Mantra 5
अ॒न्तश्च॑रति रोच॒ना अ॒स्य प्रा॒णाद॑पान॒तः । व्य॑ख्यन्महि॒षः स्वः
彼の内に、輝ける界はめぐり動く。吸気(prāṇa)と呼気(apāna)よりして。大いなる者は天界を顕わした。
Mantra 6
त्रिं॒शद् धामा॒ वि रा॑जति॒ वाक् प॑त॒ङ्गो अ॑शिश्रियत्। प्रति॒ वस्तो॒रह॒र्द्युभिः॑
三十の座処があり、広く輝き現れる。言(ヴァーク)――翼あるもの――はそこに座を占めた。暁に向かい、昼に向かい、光り満つる日々によって(はたらく)。
Várchas is radiant splendour—charisma, prestige, vitality, and the kind of visible excellence that brings recognition and authority. The hymn treats it as something that can be conferred and stabilized through mantra (Vāc).
The image says the uttered mantras nourish and empower the recipient the way milch-cows feed a calf—abundantly, protectively, and in a way that makes growth visible. It also links prosperity (cows) with consecration (sprinkling).
It can be recited at dawn or before an important public or professional moment to cultivate confident, auspicious presence. Some traditions add a simple water (or water-and-milk) sprinkling to embody the hymn’s ‘anointing by speech,’ but clear recitation and intention are central.
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