Atharva Veda 5.13.11: Kanda 5, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 13, Mantra 11

Sukta 13

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

त॒स्तुवं॒ न त॒स्तुवं॒ न घेत् त्वम॑सि त॒स्तुव॑म्। त॒स्तुवे॑नार॒सं वि॒षम्

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 5.13.11

IAST Transliteration

tástuvaṃ ná tástuvaṃ ná ghet tvám asi tástuvam | tástuvenārásaṃ viṣám

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

‘Tastuvam’—not ‘tastuvam’; let it not seize: thou art the Tastuvam. By the Tastuvam (make) the poison sapless.

Translation

「タストゥヴァム」――「タストゥヴァム」にあらず。これ（毒・災い）よ、汝を捕らえるな。汝こそタストゥヴァムなり。タストゥヴァムによって、毒を汁なきもの（力なきもの）とせよ。

The meaning

What it says

A parallel formula to 5.13.10: ‘tastuvam—(and) not tastuvam; let it not seize: you are the tastuvam. By the tastuvam make the poison sapless.’

The inner meaning

A second ‘key-name’ is deployed, suggesting layered defenses. Psychologically, it reinforces redundancy: if one safeguard fails, another stands—reducing helplessness.

The truth in it

Resilience is multiplicity of supports; repeated reaffirmation of protective identity weakens invasive forces.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Bhaisajya (Healing) / Amulet-technology within anti-venom rite

Its aim

To empower a second named counter-agent (‘tastuvam’) to prevent poison from seizing and to drain its potency

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Word by Word

Pada patha

त॒स्तुव॑म् । न । त॒स्तुव॑म् । न । घे॒त् । त्वम् । अ॒सि॒ । त॒स्तुव॑म् । त॒स्तुवे॑न । अ॒र॒सम् । वि॒षम्

तस्तुवम्

(the) praised one / one who is to be praisedtastuvam—name of a protective counter-agent (parallel to tābuvam), likely an amulet/remedy designation; in Sayana’s functional reading, a specific anti-venom implementNoun/Adjective (epithet)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (as predicate/epithet applied to त्वम्)Root तस्तुव (प्रातिपदिक; स्तु-धातोः परिपूर्ण/भूतकृदन्त-आधारः)

न

notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न

तस्तुवम्

praised onetastuvam (repetition for ritual fixation)Noun/Adjective (epithet)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (predicate/epithet)Root तस्तुव (प्रातिपदिक; स्तु-धातोः)

न

notIndeclinableनिषेधRoot न

घेत्

let (it) not seize / may (it) not take holdmay it seize/strike (let it not take hold)Verbलोट्/विधिलिङ्-प्राय (वैदिक injunctive/imperative usage), परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष, एकवचनRoot घे (धातु; वैदिक रूप)

त्वम्

youthou (address to the protective object)Pronounउत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot युष्मद्

असि

areart (identity assertion)Verbलट्, परस्मैपद, 2 पुरुष, एकवचनRoot अस् (भू)

तस्तुवम्

praised onetastuvam (confirming the object’s empowered identity)Noun/Adjective (epithet)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (predicate/epithet)Root तस्तुव (प्रातिपदिक; स्तु-धातोः)

तस्तुवेन

with/by the praised one (as an instrument/means)by/with the tastuvam (instrumental means)Noun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot तस्तुव (प्रातिपदिक; स्तु-धातोः)

अरसम्

tasteless; sapless; without potencysapless, without potencyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अ-रस (प्रातिपदिक)

विषम्

poisonNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot विष (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• पदच्छेद (सम्भाव्य): तस्तुवम् | न | तस्तुवम् | न | घेत् | त्वम् | असि | तस्तुवम् | तस्तुवेन | अरसम् | विषम् ।
• 1) ‘घेत्’ वैदिक-प्रयोगः
• सामान्य संस्कृते ‘गृह्णीयात्/गृह्णात्’ इत्यादि अपेक्षितम्, अत्र निषेधेन ‘न घेत्’ = ‘न गृह्णीयात्/न गृहीत्’ (may it not seize).
• 2) ‘तस्तुवेन’ = तस्तुव + एन (तृतीया-एकवचन).
• 3) ‘अरसं विषम्’ कर्मधारय-भावेन: ‘poison (made) tasteless/ineffective’

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic tradition (anukramaṇī-dependent)

Devata

Protective counter-agent (tastuvam); viṣa as adversary

Chandas

Anuṣṭubh-like

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