Atharva Veda Sukta 13
Kanda 2Anuvaka 2Sukta 135 Mantras

Sukta 13

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (often transmitted under Atharvan/Āṅgiras lineages; specific r̥ṣi attribution depends on anukramaṇī tradition for AVŚ 2.13).

Devata: Agni (as āyurdāḥ—bestower of longevity and protector).

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like cadence (edition-dependent; Atharvavedic meters here may be catalogued variably—verify against the AV anukramaṇī).

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 2.13

Mantras

Mantra 1

दीर्घायुःप्राप्तिः। आ॒युर्दा अ॑ग्ने ज॒रसं॑ वृणा॒नो घृ॒तप्र॑तीको घृ॒तपृ॑ष्ठो अग्ने । घृ॒तं पी॒त्वा मधु॒ चारु॒ गव्यं॑ पि॒तेव॑ पु॒त्रान॒भि र॑क्षतादि॒मम्

O Agni, giver of life, choosing ripe old age, ghee-faced, ghee-backed, O Agni: having drunk the ghee—sweet, pleasant, cow-born—do thou, as a father his sons, encompass and guard this man here.

Mantra 2

परि॑ धत्त ध॒त्त नो॒ वर्च॑से॒मं ज॒रामृ॑त्युं कृणुत दी॒र्घमायुः॑ । बृह॒स्पतिः॒ प्राय॑च्छ॒द् वास॑ ए॒तत् सोमा॑य॒ राज्ञे॒ परि॑धात॒वा उ॑

Enwrap ye, wrap ye it about us for our splendour: make ye old age and death depart, and fashion long life. Bṛhaspati bestowed this garment for King Soma, to be put on round about, verily.

Mantra 3

परी॒दं वासो॑ अधिथाः स्व॒स्तयेऽभू॑र्गृष्टी॒नाम॑भिशस्ति॒पा उ॑ । श॒तं च॒ जीव॑ श॒रदः॑ पुरू॒ची रा॒यश्च॒ पोष॑मुप॒संव्य॑यस्व

Round thee this garment hast thou put for welfare; thou hast become, verily, the herds’ protector from imprecation. Live thou a hundred years, yea many autumns; and wealth and thriving—wrap them close about thee.

Mantra 4

एह्यश्मा॑न॒मा ति॒ष्ठाश्मा॑ भवतु ते त॒नूः । कृ॒ण्वन्तु॒ विश्वे॑ दे॒वा आयु॑ष्टे श॒रदः॑ श॒तम्

Come hither, O Stone; stand thou close at hand. Let thy body be as stone. Let all the Gods conjointly fashion for thee life—an hundred autumns.

Mantra 5

यस्य॑ ते॒ वासः॑ प्रथमवा॒स्यं॑१ हरा॑म॒स्तं त्वा॒ विश्वे॑ऽवन्तु दे॒वाः । तं त्वा॒ भ्रात॑रः सु॒वृधा॒ वर्ध॑मान॒मनु॑ जातन्तां ब॒हवः॒ सुजा॑तम्

Whose first vesture, even thy earliest garment, we take up—may all the Gods befriend and guard thee. Thee, waxing ever, may thy brothers, good increasers, follow with birth in multitude—well-born.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is used to pray for long life and safe old age, while also protecting the person from harm caused by curses or hostile speech and strengthening prosperity in the home.

These are symbols (and sometimes ritual substances) of nourishment and life-sap; Agni ‘receives’ them and, in return, is asked to convert that nourishment into vitality, protection, and longevity.

The garment functions like a wearable protection: it is ritually put around the person for svasti (well-being), to guard the herd/wealth-base, and to ‘wrap on’ thriving and a “hundred autumns” of life.

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