Atharva Veda 3.21.4: Kanda 3, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 21, Mantra 4
Sukta 21
यो दे॒वो वि॒श्वाद् यमु॒ काम॑मा॒हुर्यं दा॒तारं॑ प्रतिगृ॒ह्णन्त॑मा॒हुः । यो धीरः॑ श॒क्रः प॑रि॒भूरदा॑भ्य॒स्तेभ्यो॑ अ॒ग्निभ्यो॑ हु॒तम॑स्त्वे॒तत्
yó devó viśvā́d yám u kā́mam āhúr yáṁ dātā́ram pratigṛhṇántam āhúḥ | yó dhī́raḥ śakráḥ paribhū́r adā́bhyaḥ tébhyo agníbhyo hútam astv etát
The god whom from every side they call ‘Desire,’ whom they call the Giver that receiveth in return; who is wise, mighty, an over-lord, unconquerable—to those Fires let this oblation be offered.
ព្រះអង្គដែលពីគ្រប់ទិសទាំងឡាយហៅថាជាសេចក្តីប្រាថ្នា ដែលហៅថាជាអ្នកប្រគេនដែលទទួលយកវិញ។ ព្រះអង្គដែលជាអ្នកប្រាជ្ញា មានឫទ្ធិ ជាម្ចាស់លើសលប់ មិនអាចបរាជ័យ។ សូមឲ្យយញ្ញបូជានេះថ្វាយដល់ព្រះអគ្គីទាំងឡាយនោះ។
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (variable)
Devata: Agni (as Kāma/Dātṛ; functional epithets)
Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like (mixed)
Primary: adbhuta
Secondary: shanta
Sāyaṇa notes the epithets as functional: Agni is ‘kāma’ insofar as he is the object and fulfiller of aims through sacrifice; he is ‘dātṛ’ as boon-bestower, yet ‘pratigṛhṇan’ because he receives the offering and returns fruit (phala) in reciprocity. ‘Adābhya’ underscores apotropaic invulnerability: the invoked fire cannot be thwarted by hostile beings.
To obtain desired goods and secure invulnerable protection by establishing reciprocal exchange with Agni as giver-and-receiver.
Conceptual link to strengthening jatharāgni and balancing desire-driven rajas (non-therapeutic).
Ritual framing for impulse control and goal-setting; gratitude/exchange mindset for financial stress (non-clinical).
mixed
Obtain desired goods (kāma) and establish invulnerable protection through reciprocal offering to Agni as giver-and-receiver.
Homa with intentional naming (kāma/dātṛ/pratigṛhṇant) to ‘program’ the exchange; refrain to plural fires for distributed guardianship.
Loss of wealth, instability, deception, failed exchange/transactions.
Wealth, successful reciprocity (gifts, trade, patronage), fulfillment of wishes.
Agni is praised as the deity called Kāma (Desire) from every side, also called the Giver who receives back (reciprocal exchange); he is wise, mighty, an over-lord, unconquerable; oblation is offered to the Fires.
Desire is not rejected but refined: when desire is entrusted to the inner fire, it becomes purposeful aspiration. The ‘giver-who-receives’ mirrors psychological reciprocity—what one feeds (habits, intentions) returns as character and fortune.
Prosperity and protection arise through right exchange: offerings (effort, gratitude, restraint) return as stability, resources, and invulnerability to chaos.
- काम (kāma)
- directed aspiration; motivational energy that must be ‘cooked’ into dharma
- दातारम् (dātāram)
- the source of boons—fire as transformer that ‘gives’ outcomes
- प्रतिगृह्णन्तम् (pratigṛhṇantam)
- law of reciprocity; offerings return as merit, cohesion, protection
- धीरः (dhīraḥ)
- stable discernment that makes desire non-destructive
- शक्रः (śakraḥ)
- effective power; capacity to actualize intention
- अदाभ्यः (adābhyaḥ)
- invulnerability through integrity and disciplined exchange
Observe desire as energy; offer it into a steady inner flame so it becomes aspiration rather than craving.
manipura
Exhale-offering practice: on each exhale, imagine placing ‘kāma’ into fire; on inhale, receive steadiness.
A two-way stream: golden offering into a red-gold flame; returning as a cool protective aura around the skin.
Sattvic motivation—bright, non-compulsive.
State a wish, then state the reciprocal dharmic action you will take; recite to bind both sides of the exchange.
Keep ‘kāma’ and ‘dātāram’ clearly articulated; refrain as steady anchor.
Do not blur conjuncts in ‘pratigṛhṇantam’; keep nasal + aspirate clean.
prati-gṛhṇantam: retroflex ‘ṇ’ in gṛhṇ-; keep ‘ṛ’ vocalic, adābhya: long ‘ā’ in second syllable, paribhūḥ: lengthen ‘ū’
Warm, inviting tone (prosperity) with firm closure on the offering line.
Best used with an explicit saṅkalpa of ‘right exchange’; Atharvanic efficacy is tied to precise intention + offering.
5
Seeking resources, support, successful transactions, or fulfillment of a wish without inviting instability.
Before giving/receiving gifts, signing agreements, beginning a venture, or making a vow.
Clearer desire, improved reciprocity in relationships and finances, steadier sense of safety.
Avoid framing as greedy extraction; pair with a concrete act of giving (dāna) to match ‘pratigraha’.
पदच्छेदः (सम्भाव्य): यः देवः विश्वात् यम् कामम् आहुः | यम् दातारम् प्रतिगृह्णन्तम् आहुः | यः धीरः शक्रः परिभूः अदाभ्यः | तेभ्यः अग्निभ्यः हुतम् अस्तु एतत् || मुख्य-सन्धयः: (1) कामम्+आहुः → काममा॒हुः (अ + आ = आ; म्-परसवर्ण/अनुस्वार-प्रयोगः) । (2) आहुः+यम् → आहुर्यम् (विसर्गस्य रेफादेशः: उः + य → उर्य) । (3) प्रतिगृह्णन्तम्+आहुः → प्रतिगृह्णन्तमा॒हुः (अ + आ = आ) । (4) अदाभ्यः+तेभ्यः → अदाभ्यस्तेभ्यः (विसर्गस्य स्-आदेशः: अः + त → अस्त) । (5) तेभ्यः+अग्निभ्यः → तेभ्योऽग्निभ्यः (अः + अ → ओऽ; अवग्रह) । (6) हुतम्+अस्तु → हुतमस्तु (म् + अ → म) ।
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