Atharva Veda 3.21.6: Kanda 3, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 21, Mantra 6
Sukta 21
उ॒क्षान्ना॑य व॒शान्ना॑य॒ सोम॑पृष्ठाय वे॒धसे॑ । वै॒श्वा॒न॒रज्ये॑ष्ठेभ्य॒स्तेभ्यो॑ अ॒ग्निभ्यो॑ हु॒तम॑स्त्वे॒तत्
ukṣā́nnāya vaśā́nnāya sómapṛṣṭhāya vedháse | vaiśvānarájyeṣṭhebhyás tébhyo agníbhyo hutám astv etát ||
To him whose food is the bull, to him whose food is the vaśā, to Soma-backed Ordainer:—to those Fires whose chief is Vaiśvānara, to those Agnis, be this oblation offered, yea, let it be so.
牡牛を食とする者に、vaśāを食とする者に、ソーマを背に戴く制定者ヴェーダスに——。ヴァイシュヴァーナラを長とする諸火、諸アグニに、この供物が捧げられよ、まことにそのようになれ。
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (often transmitted under Atharvan/Angiras lineages for śānti hymns; specific r̥ṣi attribution depends on anukramaṇī)
Devata: Agni (plural forms), especially Vaiśvānara; implicitly the kravyād aspect to be appeased
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (predominant cadence; exact metrical scan may vary by pada)
Primary: shanta
Secondary: adbhuta
Sayana treats the epithets as naming fierce, many-formed Agnis to whom a propitiatory offering is directed, so that their dangerous aspect (here, connected with kravyād/‘flesh-eating’ fire in the surrounding verses) is pacified. ‘Vaiśvānara’ is glossed as the principal fire among the group; the plural ‘agnibhyaḥ’ indicates distributed fire-powers pervading regions and rites.
To propitiate and pacify manifold Agni-forms, especially the perilous ‘kravyād’ aspect, by formal oblation and address.
Fiery afflictions broadly construed (burning sensations, ‘heat’ disorders), and apotropaic protection from fire-related harm/kravyād influence.
Pacification through offering: feed/appease the consuming power so it ceases to consume improperly; restores right relation with agni.
Agni regulation (jāṭharāgni as analogue) and pitta pacification by ‘Soma-backed’ tempering; ritual cooling through proper offering.
Ritualized stress regulation: acknowledging ‘anger/heat’ and channeling it into structured practice; also fire-safety ritual psychology.
shantika
To propitiate manifold Agnis and especially pacify dangerous fire-aspects so they do not harm the household or patient.
Homa/oblation formula (havis) with comprehensive address; naming epithets to ‘locate’ and settle each fire in its proper sphere.
Accidental fire, lightning/fire intrusion (by extension), ‘fiery’ malevolent forces, kravyād contamination.
An offering formula addressed to multiple Agni-forms—those who ‘eat bull’ and ‘eat vaśā’, to the Soma-backed Ordainer, and to the fires whose chief is Vaiśvānara—may this oblation be offered.
A ritual of appeasement: acknowledge the consuming, potentially dangerous powers within life (heat, metabolism, anger, decay) and feed them rightly so they do not feed on us.
Destructive energies cannot be wished away; when recognized and given proper channels (discipline, ritual, ethics), they become protective and sustaining.
- agni (अग्नि) / agnayaḥ (अग्निभ्यः)
- transformative power; digestion, passion, destruction and purification
- vaiśvānara (वैश्वानर)
- shared metabolic/cosmic fire that sustains order; communal hearth
- kravyād (implicit)
- death/decay force needing pacification so it stays in its sphere
- huta (हुतम्)
- regulated exchange; giving to what consumes so it does not take unlawfully
- vedhas (वेधस्)
- ordering intelligence that sets boundaries for powers
- soma-pṛṣṭha (सोमपृष्ठ)
- cooling, luminous support to fiery force—fire tempered by soma
Inner agni pacification: visualize a steady central flame (Vaiśvānara) that is bright but not scorching; offer ‘breath’ into it to regulate intensity.
manipura
Sītalī/Sītkārī (cooling breath) after recitation; or slow nāḍī-śodhana to balance heat.
A golden flame in the navel area capped by a cool moon-disc (Soma) above it.
Composed, regulated, ‘contained heat’.
Work with heat ethically: transform anger into clarity; end with cooling practices and grounding (feet awareness).
Even, liturgical; keep compounds clearly segmented to avoid slurring.
Emphasize vaiśvānara-jyeṣṭhebhyaḥ and the offering closure ‘hutam astu etat’.
वैश्वानर: articulate śv cluster clearly., सोमपृष्ठाय: keep ṣṭh conjunct crisp., उक्षान्नाय/वशान्नाय: keep gemination/cluster clarity; do not nasalize unnecessarily.
Solemn, steady, offering-tone.
Coordinate each recitation with a small offering (or a symbolic hand-offering gesture) to ‘complete’ the performative force.
3
Fear after fire accident, recurring ‘heated’ conflict in home, illness experienced as burning/restlessness.
During a small lamp/homa offering, especially evenings; also after storms/lightning fear.
Sense of safety, cooling of ‘heat’, restored order and confidence around fire.
Maintain actual fire safety; avoid open flames if unsafe; medical care for burns/fever is essential.
पदच्छेद (सम्भाव्य): उक्षान्नाय | वशान्नाय | सोमपृष्ठाय | वेधसे | वैश्वानर-ज्येष्ठेभ्यः | तेभ्यः | अग्निभ्यः | हुतम् | अस्तु | एतत् । 1) उक्षान्नाय = उक्षन् + अन्न + (चतुर्थी एकवचन) → -अन्नाय (समासान्त/प्रातिपदिक-निर्माण) । 2) वशान्नाय = वशा + अन्न + (चतुर्थी एकवचन) → -अन्नाय । 3) सोमपृष्ठाय = सोम + पृष्ठ + (चतुर्थी एकवचन) । 4) वेधसे: वैदिक चतुर्थी-एकवचन रूप -से (वेधस्-शब्द) । 5) वैश्वानरज्येष्ठेभ्यः = वैश्वानर + ज्येष्ठ + (चतुर्थी बहुवचन) । 6) हु॒तम॑स्त्वे॒तत्: संहितायां ‘हुतम् अस्तु एतत्’ → ‘हुतमस्त्वेतत्’ (अस्तु + एतत् = स्त्वेतत्; उकार-लोप/संयोग) ।
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Atharva Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
