Atharva Veda 7.39.1: Kanda 7, Anuvaka 4, Sukta 39, Mantra 1

Sukta 39

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

आपः। दि॒व्यं सु॑प॒र्णं प॑य॒सं बृ॒हन्त॑म॒पां गर्भं॑ वृष॒भमोष॑धीनाम्। अ॒भी॒प॒तो वृ॒ष्ट्या त॒र्पय॑न्त॒मा नो॑ गो॒ष्ठे र॑यि॒ष्ठां स्था॑पयाति

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 7.39.1

IAST Transliteration

ā́paḥ | divyáṃ supárṇaṃ payasáṃ bṛhántam apā́ṃ gárbhaṃ vṛṣabhám óṣadhīnām | abhī́pato vṛṣṭyā́ tarpáyantam ā́ no goṣṭhé rayiṣṭhā́ṃ sthāpayāti ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Waters! The heavenly fair-winged one, the great nourishment—waters’ embryo, the bull of herbs—descending, with rain refreshing: may it establish for us, within the cow-stall, wealth most rich.

Translation

ទឹកទាំងឡាយ! អ្នកដែលមានស្លាបស្អាតលើស្ថានសួគ៌ អាហារដ៏អស្ចារ្យ ដែលជាកូនក្នុងទឹក ជាគោដ៏ប្រសើរនៃឱសថទាំងឡាយ ចុះមកតាមភ្លៀងធ្វើឲ្យត្រជាក់ត្រូប សូមឲ្យទ្បានតាំងទ្រព្យសម្បត្តិដ៏សម្បូរបែបក្នុងក្រុមគោរបស់យើង។

The meaning

What it says

Invocation to the Waters: a heavenly ‘fair-winged’ great nourishment, the embryo of waters, the bull of herbs, descending and refreshing with rain—may it establish richest wealth in our cattle-stall.

The inner meaning

A vision of fertility circuits: waters → rain → herbs → cattle → wealth. The ‘winged’ nourishment suggests life-force moving between heaven and earth; prosperity is grounded in ecological coherence.

The truth in it

Well-being is relational and systemic: nourishment arises when the cycles of water and growth are honored. Wealth is not mere possession but sustained reciprocity with natural processes.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Paustika (Prosperity) / Bhaisajya-adjacent (waters-herbs nexus)

Its aim

To secure rain-fed nourishment, flourishing herbs, and the establishment of wealth—especially cattle-wealth—at the homestead.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

आपः । दि॒व्यम् । सु॒प॒र्णम् । प॒य॒सम् । बृ॒हन्त॑म् । अ॒पाम् । गर्भ॑म् । वृष॒भम् । ओष॑धीनाम् । अ॒भी॒प॒तः । वृ॒ष्ट्या । त॒र्पय॑न्तम् । आ । नः । गो॒ष्ठे । र॒यि॒ष्ठाम् । स्था॒प॒या॒ति

आपः

watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अप् (प्रातिपदिक) → आप्-

दिव्यम्

heavenly, celestialAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (सुपर्णम् विशेषण)Role KarmaRoot दिव्य (प्रातिपदिक; दिव् ‘द्युत्/स्वर्ग’ से) → दिव्य-

सुपर्णम्

the fair-winged one (bird; often the sun/Agni as a bird)fair-winged (bird-like; swift bearer; often solar/garuḍa-like imagery)Noun (also used adjectivally)पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot सुपर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) → सुपर्ण-

पयसः

of milk; of sap/nourishing fluidNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive)Root पयस् (प्रातिपदिक) → पयस्-

बृहन्तम्

great, vastgreat, abundantAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (सुपर्णम् विशेषण)Role KarmaRoot बृहन्त् (प्रातिपदिक) → बृहन्त्-

अपाम्

of the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; बहुवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive)Root अप् (प्रातिपदिक) → अप्-

गर्भम्

embryo; womb; inner essenceembryo, womb, hidden source (generative core)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक) → गर्भ-

वृषभम्

bull (fertilizing/strong one)bull (fertilizer; potent male principle)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचनRole KarmaRoot वृषभ (प्रातिपदिक) → वृषभ-

ओषधीनाम्

of the herbs/medicinal plantsof the herbs (plants; medicinal and nutritive)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; बहुवचनRole Sambandha (Genitive)Root ओषधि (प्रातिपदिक) → ओषधि-

अभीपतः

flying toward; swooping uponfrom above; down upon (as descending influence)Participle (verbal adjective)पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (सुपर्णम् विशेषण)Role KarmaRoot अभि-√पत् (पत् ‘गत्यर्थ’) → अभीपत् (वर्तमान कृदन्त/शतृ)

वृष्ट्या

with rain; by rainfallwith rain (rainfall as nourishment/medicine)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot वृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) → वृष्टि-

तर्पयन्तम्

satisfying; causing to be filled/refreshedsatisfying, refreshing, filling (causing to thrive)Participle (causative present)पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (सुपर्णम् विशेषण)Role KarmaRoot √तृप् (तर्पणे) → तर्पयत् (णिच्; शतृ)

आ

toward; hitherunto; toward (directive particle)Indeclinableअव्ययRoot आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)

नः

for us / of usus; ourPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी; बहुवचन (enclitic)Role Sampradāna (beneficiary) / SambandhaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम) → नः

गोष्ठे

in the cowshed; in the cattle-penin the cow-stall/cattle-pen (domestic wealth locus)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot गोष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक) → गोष्ठ-

रयिष्ठाम्

the richest; most prosperous (fortune)most wealthy; richest in goodsAdjective (superlative)स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन (इष्टां/समृद्धिं implied; or ‘most-wealthy (fortune)’ as object)Role KarmaRoot रयिष्ठा (प्रातिपदिक; superlative of रयि ‘wealth’) → रयिष्ठा-

स्थापयाति

sets/establishes; causes to be placedmay he/it set up, establish (fix firmly; install prosperity)Verbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद (Vedic form: स्थापयाति ≈ स्थापयति)Role Kartā (implicit subject: आपः) / main predicateRoot √स्था (गतिनिवृत्तौ/स्थितौ) → स्थापयति (णिच्) ; here Vedic variant 3sg

Sandhi Notes

• पदच्छेद (resolved): आपः | दिव्यम् | सुपर्णम् | पयसः | बृहन्तम् | अपाम् | गर्भम् | वृषभम् | ओषधीनाम् | अभीपतः | वृष्ट्या | तर्पयन्तम् | आ | नः | गोष्ठे | रयिष्ठाम् | स्थापयाति।
• 1) ‘अभीपतो’ is taken as accusative singular ‘अभीपतः’ (Kṛdanta, शतृ) qualifying ‘सुपर्णम्’
• avyaya ‘आ’ + enclitic pronoun ‘नः’.
• 3) ‘स्थापयाति’ is a Vedic present-form variant of causative ‘स्थापयति’ (√स्था + णिच्)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic tradition (hymn-level attribution varies by anukramaṇī)

Devata

Āpas (Waters) / Rain-nourishment as divine agency

Chandas

Triṣṭubh-like cadence (longer pādas; not strict anuṣṭubh)

Rasa

Shanta 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