Atharva Veda 2.21.3: Kanda 2, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 21, Mantra 3
Sukta 21
सूर्य॒ यत् ते॒ऽर्चिस्तेन॒ तं प्रत्य॑र्च॒ यो॒३स्मान् द्वेष्टि॒ यं व॒यं द्वि॒ष्मः
sū́rya yát te ’rcís ténā táṃ práty àrca yó ’smā́n dvéṣṭi yáṃ vayáṃ dvíṣmaḥ
O Sūrya, with that ray of thine, shine thou back upon him—who hateth us—him whom we in turn do hate.
ທ່ານສູລຍະ, ດ້ວຍຮົ່ວແສງທາງຂອງທ່ານ, ຈົ່ງສ່ອງແສງກັບໄປຫາຜູ້ນັ້ນ, ຜູ້ທີ່ເຈັບປະຕູພວກເຮົາ, ຜູ້ທີ່ພວກເຮົາເຈັບປະຕູ.
The meaning
What it says
The speaker asks Sūrya to use his arciṣ (ray/flame) to shine back upon the hater—returning hostile force to its source.
The inner meaning
The ‘ray’ is directed attention: the mantra trains the mind to meet hostility with lucid exposure rather than fear—bringing the aggressor’s intent into the light.
The truth in it
What is hidden thrives; what is illuminated loses power. Clear seeing is itself a protective weapon.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Abhicarika (Counter-sorcery / hostile-repulsion)
Its aim
To turn back the Sun’s scorching power upon a hater/enemy, repelling malice and causing the aggressor to be struck by his own hostility.
Word by Word
Pada patha
सूर्य । यत् । ते । अर्चिः । तेन । तम् । प्रति-अर्च । यः । अस्मान् । द्वेष्टि । यम् । वयम् । द्विष्मः ।
- सूर्य
- O SunO Sūrya (Sun), the visible sovereign luminary invoked as a punitive and purifying powerNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन/प्रथमा एकवचन (हे सूर्य)Role सम्बोधन (address)Root सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- यत्
- which/thatthat which; the particular (ray/heat) being specified for magical redirectionPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (of प्रत्यर्च) / सम्बन्ध (relative)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- ते
- of you/yourthy; belonging to thee (Sun), i.e., thine own efficacious energyPronounषष्ठी एकवचन (enclitic)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्चिः
- ray, flame, radianceflame, ray, radiance; the Sun’s burning beam conceived as a weapon/agencyNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विषय (of the relative clause: ‘your ray is…’)Root अर्चिस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- तेन
- with that (ray)with that (ray); instrumental of the very force to be turned back upon an enemyPronounतृतीया एकवचन (नपुंसक/पुं/स्त्री—here referring to अर्चिः)Role करणRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- तम्
- him/that onehim; that person (the hostile one) singled out as targetPronounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (of प्रत्यर्च)Root तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रति
- towards, back (in return)Indeclinableअव्ययRole दिशा/प्रत्यभिमुखता (preverb to अर्च्)Root प्रति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- अर्च
- shine/flash (back), strike with radianceVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot अर्च् (धातु)
- यः
- whowho; the one that (relative clause introducing the aggressor)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (of द्वेष्टि)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्मान्
- usus; the ritual community/household under Atharvanic protectionPronounद्वितीया बहुवचनRole कर्म (of द्वेष्टि)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- द्वेष्टि
- hateshates, bears malice; hostile intent treated as an actionable forceVerbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot द्विष् (धातु)
- यम्
- whomwhom; the person (enemy) also identified as the object of our counter-hostilityPronounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (of द्विष्मः)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वयम्
- wewe; the performers/clients of the rite (speaker aligned with the Atharvan priest)Pronounप्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्तृ (of द्विष्मः)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- द्विष्मः
- hatewe hate, we are hostile to; formal declaration enabling sanctioned counteractionVerbलट् (वर्तमान); उत्तमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot द्विष् (धातु)
Sandhi Notes
- सूर्य | यत् | ते | अर्चिः | तेन | तम् | प्रति | अर्च | यः | अस्मान् | द्वेष्टि | यम् | वयम् | द्विष्मः ।
- 1) तेऽर्चिः = ते + अर्चिः (अ + अ → ’/अवग्रह)
- 2) यो॒३स्मान् = यः + अस्मान् (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ḥ + अ → ओ; hence योऽस्मान्)
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic tradition (specific r̥ṣi attribution for this verse varies by anukramaṇī; commonly treated as Atharvan/Āṅgirasa milieu for such counter-hostility hymns).
- Devata
- Sūrya (Sun), as punitive and protective radiance
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh (likely; to be confirmed against pada-count in the Saunaka accentual text)
- Rasa
- Vira and Raudra
Sāyaṇa takes arciṣ as the Sun’s burning splendour (tējomayaṃ raśmi-jālaṃ) and glosses prati-arc as ‘counter-illumination’ that becomes counter-injury: the hostile man’s dvesas is to be repelled by the Sun’s own force. The verse is framed as a lawful retaliation: the speaker does not initiate enmity without cause, but returns it upon ‘yo ’smān dveṣṭi’.
Solar-based pratyāvartana (reversal) formulas; verbal ‘mirroring’ techniques in Atharvanic counter-sorcery.
Shows Atharvanic reliance on luminous forces as both protection and punishment: light as law.
Sūrya
Illuminator and revealer; dispeller of darkness and concealment; regulator of visibility and truth.
Supports restoration through ‘illumination’—driving away gloom, lethargy, and impurity conceptually.
Radiant deflection: hostile intent cannot remain hidden; it is exposed and turned back.
4×8 (approx.)
Charm-parallelism: substitution of one ‘weapon-quality’ (arciṣ) within a stable metrical mold.
Sharp and bright; the ‘praty-’ cluster gives a snapping return-feel.
Invokes a ‘flash’ effect—auditorily mimicking a beam that goes out and rebounds.
At sunrise, the Atharvan priest faces the Sun, establishing the enemy as the mental/ritual ‘target’ (saṅkalpa).
He recites the mantra while performing a ‘returning’ gesture (pratyāhāra/pratyavartana): extending the hands toward the Sun and drawing them back toward the imagined enemy-direction, signifying rebound.
Optionally (in domestic practice), he may accompany recitation with a protective boundary act for the client (paridhi-like delimitation around the dwelling), declaring the household as ‘asmān’.
The rite concludes with a brief silent gaze upon the Sun (sūrya-darśana) to ‘seal’ the transfer of arciṣ as punitive agency.
Kauśika Sūtra: Sūrya-pratyavāya / dveṣa-pratīkāra type application.
Atharvan/Brahman as apotropaic technician: he identifies hostile intent (dveṣas) as a quasi-substance, then redirects it through solar power, maintaining ritual legitimacy by grounding action in prior aggression.
Recite while facing east with open eyes at first light; imagine a ray forming a protective line at the doorway/threshold.
Dawn; also midday for ‘full radiance’ effect.
Householder recitation; specialist optional for serious feud contexts.
Use as a short protective chant before meetings or travel when facing antagonistic persons.
Sūrya’s arciṣ (ray/heat) as the operative ‘substance’ (non-material weaponized radiance)
अर्चिः as flame/ray (fiery light).
Light is treated as a quasi-material agent that can be aimed; it functions as both revelation and retribution.
Arciṣ/tejas aligns with ‘tejas’ as metabolic brilliance; here used defensively, not therapeutically.
Anti-bullying boundary setting; ‘bring it to light’ approach to covert hostility.
The hater/enemy.
To reflect Sūrya’s ray back onto the hostile person, neutralizing their capacity to harm through exposure and recoil.
Pratyāvartana via luminous ‘weapon’ (arciṣ) + imperative (pratyarca).
Covert malice, slander, and hostile magical projection.
- अर्चिः (arciṣ)
- focused awareness; piercing discernment; truth that exposes deception
- प्रत्यर्च (praty-arc)
- reflective return; mirroring the aggressor’s intent
- सूर्य (sūrya)
- unblinking witness; moral optics of the cosmos
- द्वेष (dveṣa)
- psychic toxin; binding aversion that rebounds
Focused radiance: cultivate a steady ‘beam’ of attention that exposes and releases fear.
Ājñā (discernment) and Maṇipūra (solar force)
Inhale imagining gathering light at brow/solar plexus; exhale ‘sending’ and ‘returning’ on pratyarca.
A golden beam extends from the heart/brow, meets a dark knot, and returns as harmless light.
Clear, wakeful, non-reactive strength.
Keep gaze soft; do not fixate on the enemy’s image—focus on light’s impartial function. Close with a cooling exhale.
Maintain accent on sūryá and arcíṣ; articulate pratyárca with clear palatal ‘c’.
Slight stress on the ‘praty-’ to signal reversal; keep the relative clause steady and repeated identically for spell-force.
Bright, ringing, not shouted; like a clear call in open air.
Because this is a ‘light-weapon’ charm, traditional delivery favors clear diction over volume—‘shine’ through precision.
21 times
When dealing with covert hostility, gossip, or manipulative antagonists.
Before entering contentious environments; after sensing ‘heavy’ social energy.
Increased clarity and psychological protection; reduced fear of hidden attacks.
Do not use to fuel paranoia; pair with practical steps (documentation, boundaries).
No plant is named; the operative ‘substance’ is solar arciṣ (radiance/heat) conceptualized as a transferable weapon. This is typical of Atharvanic technology where non-material forces (tejas, manyu, dvesas) function like pharmacological agents: they can be ‘applied’ (instrumental tेन) and ‘returned’ (prati-).
The speaker’s ‘we’ presumes a protected in-group (household/patron plus priest) entitled to invoke cosmic sanction against a social enemy. The Atharvan priest mediates legitimate retaliation: hostility is not private vengeance but ritually authorized counteraction, reinforcing priestly control over conflict management.
The compact imperative prati-arc ‘shine back’ foregrounds a pragmatic, performative diction characteristic of Atharvanic spells. While RV knows arciṣ and solar rays, the Atharvanic usage is more explicitly juridical-magical (enemy-targeting with relative clause ‘yo ’smān dveṣṭi’), aligning cosmic phenomenon with direct social aggression.
Gopatha’s general Atharvanic theory treats mantras as efficacious through correct application (yukti) and identification (bandhu) between cosmic powers and human aims. Here the bandhu is Sun = tejas = punitive truth-force; by aligning the enemy’s dvesas with a cosmic counterforce, the rite ‘returns’ harm without the performer bearing the guilt of initiating it.
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