Atharva Veda 6.21.2: Kanda 6, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 21, Mantra 2

Sukta 21

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

श्रेष्ठ॑मसि भेष॒जानां॒ वसि॑ष्ठं॒ वीरु॑धानाम्। सोमो॒ भग॑ इव॒ यामे॑षु॒ दे॒वेषु॒ वरु॑णो॒ यथा॑

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 6.21.2

IAST Transliteration

śréṣṭham asi bheṣajānā́ṃ vásiṣṭhaṃ vīrudhā́nām | sómo bhága iva yā́meṣu devéṣu váruṇo yáthā

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Thou art the best of remedies, the most excellent of plants: as Soma is like Bhaga in the seasons, as Varuṇa among the gods.

Translation

ನೀನು ಭೇಷಜಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಶ್ರೇಷ್ಠ, ವೀರುಧಗಳಲ್ಲಿ (ಸಸ್ಯಗಳಲ್ಲಿ) ಅತ್ಯುತ್ತಮ. ಋತುಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಸೋಮನು ಭಗನಂತೆ ಇರುವಂತೆ, ದೇವರಲ್ಲಿ ವರುಣನಂತೆ (ನೀನು) ಇರುವೆ.

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Word by Word

• श्रेष्ठम्: best, most excellent
• श्रेष्ठम्: विशेषण (सम्बन्धः) — ‘असि’ इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम्
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; √श्रि/श्रय् ‘to lean on, excel’ → श्रेयस्/श्रेष्ठ superlative stem)

• असि: you are
• असि: अख्यात (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √अस् (भू-सत्तायाम्)

• भेषजानाम्: of medicines/remedies
• भेषजानाम्: सम्बन्ध (genitive) — ‘श्रेष्ठम्’ इत्यस्य सम्बन्धः
• Type: Noun
• Root: भेषज (प्रातिपदिक)

• वसिष्ठम्: most excellent
• वसिष्ठम्: विशेषण (सम्बन्धः) — ‘असि’ इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम् (द्वितीयं विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; ‘most excellent’)

• वीरुधानाम्: of herbs/plants
• वीरुधानाम्: सम्बन्ध (genitive) — ‘वसिष्ठम्’ इत्यस्य सम्बन्धः
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीरुध् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘herb, plant’)

• सोमः: Soma
• सोमः: कर्तृ/विषय (उपमान-वाक्यस्य विषयः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम (प्रातिपदिक)

• भगः: Bhaga (the god of fortune/share)
• भगः: उपमान (इव-युक्तः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भग (प्रातिपदिक)

• इव: like, as
• इव: उपमान-निर्देशक
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• यामेषु: in the watches/periods (of time)
• यामेषु: अधिकरण (locative) — ‘in the times/watches’
• Type: Noun
• Root: याम (प्रातिपदिक; ‘watch of night/time/period’)

• देवेषु: among the gods
• देवेषु: अधिकरण (locative) — ‘among the gods’
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)

• वरुणः: Varuṇa
• वरुणः: उपमान-विषय (यथा-युक्तः) / कर्तृ (अन्तर्निहित-‘अस्ति’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)

• यथा: as, just as
• यथा: उपमान/प्रकार-निर्देशक
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (oṣadhi-focused hymn).

Devata: Oṣadhi (keśavardhanī); invoked comparanda: Soma, Bhaga, Varuṇa.

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like (two pādas; compact comparative structure).

Mantra Rasa

Primary: adbhuta

Secondary: shanta