Atharva Veda 13.2.8: Kanda 13, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 8

Sukta 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

स॒प्त सूर्यो॑ ह॒रितो॑ यात॑वे॒ रथे॒ हिर॑ण्यत्वचसो बृह॒तीर॑युक्त । अमो॑चि शु॒क्रो रज॑सः प॒रस्ता॑द् वि॒धूय॑ दे॒वस्तमो॒ दिव॒मारु॑हत्

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 13.2.8

IAST Transliteration

saptá sū́ryo haríto yātáve rathé híraṇya-tvacaso bṛhatī́r ayukta | amóci śukró rájasaḥ parástād vidhū́ya devás támo dívam ā́ruhat ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Seven tawny mares, golden-skinned, great, did Sūrya yoke upon the chariot for his going. Released, the bright god from beyond the dusky region, shaking off the darkness, mounted up to heaven.

Translation

សេះពណ៌លឿងប្រាំពីរ មានស្បែកមាស ធំទូលាយ ព្រះសូរ្យបាននឹងនៅលើរថសម្រាប់ការធ្វើដំណើររបស់ព្រះ។ ព្រះដែលភ្លឺត្រូវបានដោះលែងពីតំបន់ងងឹត កក្រើកចេញនូវងងឹត ឡើងទៅកាន់ស្ថានសួគ៌។

The meaning

What it says

Sūrya yoked seven great golden-skinned tawny mares to his chariot; released from beyond the dim region, he shook off darkness and ascended to heaven.

The inner meaning

The ‘seven mares’ are coordinated life-powers (senses/energies) harnessed to a single luminous intention; liberation (amoci) is the daily release from dullness, and ‘shaking off’ tamas is the psyche’s capacity to reset.

The truth in it

Renewal is rhythmic: when our energies are yoked to clarity, darkness is not fought but shed—again and again—through disciplined return to light.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Apotropaic (Light-against-darkness) / Paustika

Its aim

To ritually model and thereby secure the Sun’s daily victory over darkness; used to repel inauspiciousness, fear, and nocturnal malign influences.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

स॒प्त । सूर्यः । ह॒रितः । यात॑वे । रथे॑ । हिर॑ण्य-त्वचसः । बृह॒तीः । अ॒युक्त । अमो॑चि । शु॒क्रः । रज॑सः । प॒रस्ता॑त् । वि॒धूय॑ । दे॒वः । तमः । दिव॑म् । आरु॑हत्

सप्त

sevenAdjective(संख्याविशेषण) प्रथमा बहुवचन (पुं.)—‘सूर्याः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्Role KartāRoot सप्तन् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)

सूर्याः

suns / solar beingsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)

हरितः

golden/greenish (bright)tawny mares (Harits; luminous carriers)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन—‘सूर्याः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्Role KartāRoot हरित (प्रातिपदिक)

यातवे

to go / to ride forthfor going; in order to travel (purpose infinitive)Verb (infinitive)तुमुन्-अर्थे दत्तिव्/चतुर्थी एकवचन (वैदिक) — ‘गन्तुम्’Role PrayojanaRoot या (धातु) → यातु (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) / यातृ-भावः

रथे

on/in the charioton the chariot (locative; the vehicle of ascent)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot रथ (प्रातिपदिक)

हिरण्यत्वचसः

having golden skin/coveringgolden-skinned; with golden hides (radiant brilliance; protective splendor)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन—‘सूर्याः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्Role KartāRoot हिरण्य-त्वचस् (समास-प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-भावः)

बृहतीः

great, loftygreat; lofty; expansive (as mighty powers, also hinting at ‘bṛhat’ cosmic magnitude)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन—‘(हरितः/अश्वाः)’ इत्यनुमेयस्य विशेषणम्Role KartāRoot बृहती (प्रातिपदिक)

अयुक्त

yoked / harnessedhe yoked (set in harness; ritual ‘engagement’ of power)Verb (participle)लुङ्/लिट्-भावे भूतकृदन्तः; प्रथमा एकवचन (पुं.)—कर्तरि, ‘देवः’ इत्यस्य सहRole KartāRoot युज् (धातु) → अ-युक्त (कृदन्त; भूतकृदन्त)

अमोचि

was released / was set freewas released; was set free (the bright one breaks loose from constraint)Verbलुङ् (अorist), आत्मनेपद, 3 एकवचनRole KriyāRoot मुच् (धातु) → अ-मोचि

शुक्रः

the bright onethe bright one; shining (Sūrya as pure brilliance)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot शुक्र (प्रातिपदिक)

रजसः

from/of the space/dusty realmfrom the space/atmospheric region; from the misty realm (also ‘dusty’ obscuration)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot रजस् (प्रातिपदिक)

परस्तात्

from beyond / on the farther sidefrom beyond; from the farther side (transcending the obscuring region)Indeclinableअव्यय (दिशा/स्थानवाचक)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot परस्तात् (अव्यय)

विधूय

having shaken offshaking off; casting away (apotropaic gesture: expulsion of tamas)Verb (gerund)क्त्वान्त (अव्ययीभाव), ‘विधूय’ = ‘shake off, having shaken off’Role Kriyā (पूर्वकर्म)Root धू (धातु) + वि- → विधूय

देवः

the godNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)

तमः

darknessNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)

दिवम्

to heaven / the skyto heaven; the sky (the bright domain)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (गत्यर्थे)Root दिव्/द्यौ (प्रातिपदिक)

आरुहत्

ascended / mountedhe mounted; he ascended (the daily victorious ascent)Verbलुङ् (अorist/इम्पर्फेक्ट-वैदिक), परस्मैपद, 3 एकवचनRole KriyāRoot रुह् (धातु) + आ- → आरुहत्

Sandhi Notes

• सप्त सूर्याः हरितः यातवे रथे हिरण्यत्वचसः बृहतीः अयुक्त । अमोचि शुक्रः रजसः परस्तात् विधूय देवः तमः दिवम् आरुहत् । Sandhi:
• (1) ‘सूर्यो॑ ह॒रितो॑’ = ‘सूर्याः हरितः’ (ओ + ह → ओह्; visarga/स्वर-समायोजन वैदिक)
• (2) ‘यात॑वे॒ रथे॒’ = ‘यातवे रथे’ (स्वर-सन्धि)
• (3) ‘परस्ता॑द् वि॒धूय॑’ = ‘परस्तात् विधूय’ (त् + व → त्-व्)
• (4) ‘तमो॒ दिव॒मारु॑हत्’ = ‘तमः दिवम् आरुहत्’ (visarga before voiced consonant; दिवम् + आरुहत् = दिवमारुहत्)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Sūrya-hymn tradition (anukramaṇī-dependent)

Devata

Sūrya

Chandas

Triṣṭubh/Jagatī-type (requires metrical audit in the chosen AV edition)

Rasa

Vira and Adbhuta

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