Atharva Veda 13.3.5: Kanda 13, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 3, Mantra 5

Sukta 3

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

यस्मि॑न् विराट् प॑रमे॒ष्ठी प्र॒जाप॑तिर॒ग्निर्वै॑श्वान॒रः स॒ह प॒ङ्क्त्या श्रि॒तः । यः पर॑स्य प्रा॒णं प॑र॒मस्य॒ तेज॑ आद॒दे तस्य॑ दे॒वस्य॑। क्रु॒द्धस्यै॒तदागो॒ य ए॒वं वि॒द्वांसं॑ ब्राह्म॒णं जि॒नाति॑ । उद् वे॑पय रोहित॒ प्र क्षि॑णीहि ब्रह्म॒ज्यस्य॒ प्रति॑ मुञ्च॒ पाशा॑न्

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 13.3.5

IAST Transliteration

yásmin virā́ṭ parameṣṭhī́ prajā́patiḥ agnír vaiśvānaráḥ sáha paṅktyā́ śritáḥ | yáḥ párasya prāṇáṃ paramásya téja ādadé tásya devásya | krúddhasyáitád ā́go yá eváṃ vidvā́ṃsaṃ brāhmaṇáṃ jinā́ti | úd vepaya rohita prá kṣiṇīhi brahmajyásya práti muñca pā́śān

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

In whom Virāj, Parameṣṭhin, Prajāpati, and Agni Vaiśvānara, together with Paṅkti, are established; who took to himself the breath of the Beyond, the splendour of the Highest—of that god, when angered, this is the offence: he who, knowing thus, wrongs a learned Brahmin. Up, make him tremble, O Rohita; waste him away: against the brahma-injurer loose forth the nooses.

Translation

വിരാട്, പരമേഷ്ഠി, പ്രജാപതി, അഗ്നി വൈശ്വാനരൻ—പങ്ക്തിയോടുകൂടെ—സ്ഥിതിചെയ്യുന്നവൻ; പരത്തിന്റെ പ്രാണവും പരമത്തിന്റെ തേജസ്സും തന്റെ ഉള്ളിൽ ഏറ്റെടുത്തവൻ—ആ ദേവൻ ക്രുദ്ധനായാൽ ഇതാണ് അപരാധം: ഇങ്ങനെ അറിഞ്ഞിട്ടും വിദ്യാവാൻ ബ്രാഹ്മണനെ പീഡിപ്പിക്കുന്നവൻ/അന്യായം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ. ഹേ രോഹിത, എഴുന്നേറി അവനെ വിറപ്പിക്ക; അവനെ ക്ഷയിപ്പിക്ക; ബ്രഹ്മഹിംസകനോടു വിരോധമായി പാശങ്ങൾ വിട്ടുവിടുക.

The meaning

What it says

The verse locates within a supreme principle the forms Virāj, Parameṣṭhin, Prajāpati, and Agni Vaiśvānara, together with Paṅkti. It says this god took the breath of the Beyond and the Highest splendor. Wronging a learned Brahmin is an offense against this angered god; Rohita is commanded to make the offender tremble, waste away, and be bound by nooses.

The inner meaning

Ritual order (Agni, metre/Paṅkti, cosmic speech Virāj) is not separate from life-force (prāṇa) and brilliance (tejas). To harm the knower is to attack the integrative center that holds psyche and society together; the psyche then experiences fragmentation: fear, depletion, and constriction.

The truth in it

When the structures that integrate meaning—language, discipline, ethical authority, and inner fire—are violated, the violator’s own coherence collapses. True power is integrative, not exploitative.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Abhicarika (Punitive) with cosmological-theological enumeration

Its aim

To marshal the totality of ritual order (metre, fire, creator-forms) as a sanctioning force against one who harms a learned Brahmin.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

यस्मिन् । विराट् । परमेष्ठी । प्रजापतिः । अग्निः । वैश्वानरः । सह । पङ्क्त्या । श्रितः । यः । परस्य । प्राणम् । परमस्य । तेजः । आददे । तस्य । देवस्य । क्रुद्धस्य । एतत् । आगः । यः । एवम् । विद्वांसम् । ब्राह्मणम् । जिनाति । उत् । वेपय । रोहित । प्र । क्षिणीहि । ब्रह्म-ज्यस्य । प्रति । मुञ्च । पाशान्

यस्मिन्

in whichin whom (as the support/locus)Pronounपुं/नपुं; सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

विराट्

Virāj (cosmic metre/power)Virāj (cosmic expanse/metre-person; radiant totality)Nounस्त्री; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot विराज् (प्रातिपदिक)

परमेष्ठी

Paramesthin (highest lord)Parameṣṭhin (highest-situated lord; supreme station)Nounपुं; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot परमेष्ठिन् (प्रातिपदिक)

प्रजापतिः

PrajāpatiNounपुं; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot प्रजापति (प्रातिपदिक)

अग्निः

AgniNounपुं; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)

वैश्वानरः

Vaiśvānara (universal fire)Vaiśvānara (Agni as ‘belonging to all men’; universal fire)Noun/Adjectiveपुं; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot वैश्वानर (प्रातिपदिक)

सह

together withIndeclinableRoot सह (अव्यय)

पङ्क्त्या

with the Paṅkti (metre)with the Paṅkti (fivefold metre/structure; ritual quintuple order)Nounस्त्री; तृतीया एकवचनRole करणRoot पङ्क्ति (प्रातिपदिक)

श्रितः

resting/establishedresting, supported, establishedParticiple (Adjective)पुं; प्रथमा एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणरूपेण)Root श्रि (धातु) → श्रित (कृदन्त)

यः

whoPronounपुं; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

परस्य

of the other/upperof the farther/other, of the supreme (transcendent)Adjectiveपुं/नपुं; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot पर (प्रातिपदिक)

प्राणम्

breath, life-forceNounपुं; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)

परमस्य

of the highestAdjectiveपुं/नपुं; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot परम (प्रातिपदिक)

तेजः

splendour, fiery powersplendour, fiery energy (potency)Nounनपुं; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)

आददे

has taken/appropriatedtook, seized, appropriated (drew into himself)Verbलिट् (परिपूर्ण/परोक्श); प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन; आत्मनेपदRoot आ√दा (धातु)

तस्य

of thatPronounपुं/नपुं; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

देवस्य

of the godgodNounपुं; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)

क्रुद्धस्य

of the angeredangeredParticiple (Adjective)पुं; षष्ठी एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त)Role सम्बन्धRoot क्रुध् (धातु) → क्रुद्ध (कृदन्त)

एतत्

thisPronounनपुं; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म/प्रथमा (संदर्भे)Root एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

आगः

sin, offenceoffenceNounनपुं; प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म/प्रथमा (संदर्भे)Root आगस् (प्रातिपदिक)

यः

whoPronounपुं; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

एवम्

thusIndeclinableRoot एवम् (अव्यय)

विद्वांसम्

a knowing one, learnedlearned knowerParticiple (Noun/Adj)पुं; द्वितीया एकवचन; वर्तमानकृदन्त (वत्/वांस)Role कर्मRoot विद् (धातु) → विद्वांस् (कृदन्त)

ब्राह्मणम्

a BrāhmaṇaBrahminNounपुं; द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)

जिनाति

injures/overpowersinjuresVerbलट्; प्रथमपुरुष एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot जि/ज्यै? (धातु; वैदिक प्रयोगे ‘जि’ = हिंस/पराजय)

उत्

up, forthupIndeclinableRoot उत् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

वेपय

make (him) tremblemake trembleVerbलोट्; मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot √विप्/√वेप् (धातु; कारणे) → वेपय (आज्ञार्थ)

रोहित

O RohitaNoun (Vocative)पुं; सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot रोहित (प्रातिपदिक)

प्र

forth, forwardforthIndeclinableRoot प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

क्षिणीहि

destroy, waste awaywaste awayVerbलोट्; मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot √क्षि (धातु; क्षय/क्षीणकरण) → क्षिणीहि (आज्ञार्थ)

ब्रह्मज्यस्य

of the slayer/injurer of a brāhmaṇa (brahma-killer)of the brahma-injurerNounपुं; षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot ब्रह्मज्य (प्रातिपदिक; ब्रह्मन्+ज्या/ज्य ‘हानि/वध’)

प्रति

against, back uponagainstIndeclinableRoot प्रति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

मुञ्च

release/let loosereleaseVerbलोट्; मध्यमपुरुष एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot √मुच् (धातु) → मुञ्च (आज्ञार्थ)

पाशान्

nooses, bondsnoosesNounपुं; द्वितीया बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot पाश (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• यस्मिन् | विराट् | परमेष्ठी | प्रजापतिः | अग्निः | वैश्वानरः | सह | पङ्क्त्या | श्रितः || यः | परस्य | प्राणम् | परमस्य | तेजः | आददे | तस्य | देवस्य || क्रुद्धस्य | एतत् | आगः | यः | एवम् | विद्वांसम् | ब्राह्मणम् | जिनाति || उद्(उत्) | वेपय | रोहित | प्र | क्षिणीहि | ब्रह्मज्यस्य | प्रति | मुञ्च | पाशान् । संधि-विशेष: अग्निर्वैश्वानरः = अग्निः + वैश्वानरः
• क्रुद्धस्यैतदागो = क्रुद्धस्य + एतत् + आगः
• उद् वेपय = उत् + वेपय (उद् रूप)
• एवं विद्वांसं = एवम् + विद्वांसम् (अनुस्वार)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic/Angiras-type (anukramaṇī-dependent)

Devata

Rohita; supreme deity encompassing Virāj/Parameṣṭhin/Prajāpati/Agni (syncretic high-theology)

Chandas

Mixed; includes paṅkti symbolism (not necessarily strict Paṅkti metre in all recensions)

Rasa

Raudra and Vira

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