Atharva Veda 13.3.7: Kanda 13, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 3, Mantra 7

Sukta 3

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

यो अ॑न्ना॒दो अन्न॑पतिर्ब॒भूव॒ ब्रह्म॑ण॒स्पति॑रु॒त यः । भू॒तो भ॑वि॒ष्यद् भुव॑नस्य॒ यस्पति॒स्तस्य॑ दे॒वस्य॑ । क्रु॒द्धस्यै॒तदागो॒ य ए॒वं वि॒द्वांसं॑ ब्राह्म॒णं जि॒नाति॑ । उद् वे॑पय रोहित॒ प्र क्षि॑णीहि ब्रह्म॒ज्यस्य॒ प्रति॑ मुञ्च॒ पाशा॑न्

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 13.3.7

IAST Transliteration

yó annādó annápatir babhū́va bráhmaṇas pátir utá yáḥ | bhūtó bhaviṣyád bhúvanasya yás pátis tásya devásya | kruddhásyaitád ā́go yá eváṃ vidvā́ṃsaṃ brāhmaṇáṃ jinā́ti | úd vepaya rohita prá kṣiṇīhi brahmajyásya práti muñca pā́śān

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

He who became the Eater of food, the Lord of food; who is Lord of brahman also; who is master of what hath been and what shall be, the lord of the world of being—of that God. This is the offence against that wrathful God, whoso thus wrongs a knowing Brahmin. Make him quake, O Rohita; waste him away; against the Brahmin-hurter loose back the nooses.

Translation

ಯಾರು ಅನ್ನಭೋಕ್ತ (ಅನ್ನಾದ)ನಾಗಿ, ಅನ್ನದ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ (ಅನ್ನಪತಿ)ಯಾಗಿ ಆದನೋ; ಯಾರು ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಣಸ್ಪತಿ ಕೂಡ ಆಗಿರುವನೋ; ಯಾರು ಭೂತ-ಭವಿಷ್ಯಗಳ ಅಧಿಪತಿ, ಭವನ (ಲೋಕ)ದ ಸ್ವಾಮಿ ಆಗಿರುವನೋ—ಆ ದೇವನ ಕುರಿತು. ಕ್ರುದ್ಧನಾದ ಆ ದೇವನಿಗೆ ವಿರುದ್ಧವಾಗಿ ಇದು ಅಪರಾಧ—ಯಾರು ಹೀಗೆ ಜ್ಞಾನಿಯಾದ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣನನ್ನು ಹಿಂಸಿಸಿ/ಅಪಮಾನಿಸಿ ಜಯಿಸಲು ಯತ್ನಿಸುತ್ತಾನೋ. ಹೇ ರೋಹಿತ, ಅವನನ್ನು ನಡುಗಿಸು; ಅವನನ್ನು ಕ್ಷೀಣಗೊಳಿಸು; ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಹಂತನ ಮೇಲೆ ಪಾಶಗಳನ್ನು ಪ್ರತಿಯಾಗಿ ಬಿಡು (ಕಟ್ಟಿ ಬಿಗಿಸು).

The meaning

What it says

The deity is praised as eater and lord of food, and as lord of brahman; master of what has been and what will be, lord of the world. Against that wrathful god it is an offence to wrong a knowing Brahmin; Rohita is commanded to make the offender tremble, waste away, and to reverse the nooses upon him.

The inner meaning

Food (anna) is sovereignty over life; brahman is sovereignty over meaning and law. When one harms a knower, one attacks both sustenance and sacred intelligence; the consequence is depletion (kṣaya) and loss of support—social and existential.

The truth in it

Power over resources and power over knowledge are inseparable foundations of society. Violating the guardians of knowledge corrodes both prosperity and legitimacy, returning constraint upon the violator.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Abhicarika (Punitive/Counter-curse); protection of Brahmin and brahman

Its aim

To invoke a sovereign deity (lord of food and brahman) to punish the Brahmin-injurer by fear, depletion, and fettering.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

यः । अन्नादः । अन्नपतिः । बभूव । ब्रह्मणः-पतिः । उत । यः । भूतः । भविष्यत् । भुवनस्य । यः-पतिः । तस्य । देवस्य । क्रुद्धस्य । एतत् । आगः । यः । एवम् । विद्वांसम् । ब्राह्मणम् । जिनाति । उत् । वेपय । रोहित । प्र । क्षिणीहि । ब्रह्मज्यस्य । प्रति । मुञ्च । पाशान्

यः

who (he who)who (the deity characterized)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

अन्नादः

food-eater, eatereater of food (consumer; sovereign who appropriates offerings)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot अन्नाद (अन्न + आद ‘eater’)

अन्नपतिः

lord/master of foodlord of food (controller of sustenance; dispenser/withholder)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot अन्नपति (अन्न + पति)

बभूव

became / has becomehas become, came to be (assumed this lordship)Verbलिट् (परोक्शभूत/परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root भू (धातु)

ब्रह्मणस्पतिः

Brahmaṇaspati (lord of prayer/sacred speech)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot ब्रह्मणस्-पति (समास)

उत

and alsoIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root उत

यः

whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

भूतः

become; past (as a state)the become/past (what has been; the existent)Adjective/Participleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot भूत (भू-क्त)

भविष्यत्

future (that which will be)the future (what will be; fate under divine control)Adjective/Participleनपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रातिपदिकवत् (here as ‘future’), एकवचनम् (अव्यक्त-विशेषणवत्)Root भविष्यत् (भू-शतृ/भविष्यत्-प्रातिपदिक)

भुवनस्य

of the world/beingof the world/creaturely realm (totality of beings)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Root भुवन (भू + यु/अन)

यः

whowhoeverPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

पतिः

lordNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot पति

तस्य

of him/thatof thatPronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

देवस्य

of the godNounपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Root देव

क्रुद्धस्य

of (the) angry oneof the wrathful oneAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Root क्रुद्ध (क्रुध्-क्त)

एतत्

thisPronounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

आगः

sin, offenceoffense, guiltNounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot आगस्

यः

whowhoeverPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

एवम्

thus, in this waythus (knowing this formula/structure)Indeclinableअव्ययम्Root एवम्

विद्वान्

knowing, learnedAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role Karma (object-qualifier) / Kartā (in apposition)Root विद्वस् (विद्-वत्)

ब्राह्मणम्

a BrahminBrahminNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot ब्राह्मण

जिनाति

overpowers, harms, conquerswrongs, injuresVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root जि (धातु; ‘to conquer/overpower’)

उत्

up, forth (as preverb)up, forthIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गःRoot उत्

वेपय

make (him) tremblemake trembleVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; णिच्-प्रयोगः (कारयति)Root विप्/वेप् (धातु; causative)

रोहित

O Rohita (a deity/epithet)O RohitaNoun/Proper nameपुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role Sampradāna (addressed) /Root रोहित (प्रातिपदिक; voc.)

प्र

forth, forward (as preverb)forth, intenselyIndeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गःRoot प्र

क्षिणीहि

destroy, waste awaywaste awayVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root क्षि (धातु; ‘to destroy/waste away’)

ब्रह्मज्यस्य

of brahma-slaying / of injury to a Brahminof the Brahmin-hurter (brahman-injurer)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (पाठभेद-संभाव्य), षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Root ब्रह्मज्य (ब्रह्मन् + ज्या/ज्य ‘injury/violence’ → ‘Brahmin-slaying/violence against brahman’)

प्रति

back, in return, againstback upon (reversal)Indeclinable (preverb)उपसर्गः/अव्ययम्Root प्रति

मुञ्च

release, let looserelease/let looseVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Root मुच् (धातु)

पाशान्

nooses, bondsnooses/bondsNounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role KarmaRoot पाश

Sandhi Notes

• अन्नादो → अन्नादः (visarga in pada)
• अन्नपतिर् → अन्नपतिः
• ब्रह्मणस्पतिरुत → ब्रह्मणस्पतिः + उत
• भविष्यद् → भविष्यत् (final -d before pause/pada)
• यस्पतिः → यः + पतिः
• तस्य देवस्य → तस्य + देवस्य
• एतदागो → एतत् + आगः
• एवम् विद्वांसं → एवम् + विद्वान् (acc. sg. in saṃhitā often appears as विद्वांसम्; pada normalized to stem-form vidvān)
• उद् वेपय → उत् + वेपय
• रोहित प्र → रोहित + प्र
• ब्रह्मज्यस्य प्रति → ब्रह्मज्यस्य + प्रति
• मुञ्च पाशान् → मुञ्च + पाशान्

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic/Angirasa (requires anukramaṇī verification).

Devata

Sovereign deity identified by lordship of food and brahman (Bṛhaspati/Varuṇa-like), with Rohita as addressed agent.

Chandas

To be confirmed by metrical scan; refrain-driven.

Rasa

Vira and Raudra

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