Atharva Veda 3.4.2: Kanda 3, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 4, Mantra 2
Sukta 4
त्वां विशो॑ वृणतां रा॒ज्याऽय॒ त्वामि॒माः प्र॒दिशः॒ पञ्च॑ दे॒वीः । वर्ष्म॑न् रा॒ष्ट्रस्य॑ क॒कुदि॑ श्रयस्व॒ ततो॑ न उ॒ग्रो वि भ॑जा॒ वसू॑नि
tvā́ṃ víśo vṛṇatāṃ rājyā́ya tvā́m imā́ḥ pradíśaḥ páñca devī́ḥ | várṣman rāṣṭrásya kakúdi śrayasva táto no ugró ví bhajā vásūni
Let the peoples choose thee for kingship; thee let these five goddess-quarters choose. Upon the height, upon the realm’s crest, take thou thy station: thence, mighty one, deal out to us our treasures.
വിശങ്ങൾ നിന്നെ രാജ്യത്വത്തിനായി തിരഞ്ഞെടുക്കട്ടെ; ഈ അഞ്ചു ദേവീ ദിശകളും നിന്നെ തിരഞ്ഞെടുക്കട്ടെ. രാഷ്ട്രത്തിന്റെ വർഷ്മൻ (ഉന്നതസ്ഥാനം)യിൽ, കകുദ് (ശിഖരം) മേൽ നീ ആശ്രയിക്ക; അവിടെ നിന്ന്, ഹേ ഉഗ്രാ, ഞങ്ങൾക്ക് വസൂനി (ധനസമ്പത്ത്) വിഭജിച്ചു തരിക.
Rishi: Atharvanic/Angirasa tradition (per Anukramaṇī).
Devata: Pradiś (Directions) as devīḥ; kingship/realm (rāṣṭra).
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (to be confirmed).
Primary: vira
Secondary: adbhuta
Sāyaṇa emphasizes dual legitimation: human viś and divine Directions. The ‘five’ pradiś are treated as devīḥ, granting cosmic assent. ‘kakud’ is the realm’s summit—throne as the polity’s ‘hump’. From that apex the king must ‘vi-bhaj’—distribute wealth, a dharmic function ensuring loyalty and prosperity.
Legitimate election/recognition of the king by people and directions; enthrone him at the realm’s apex; secure distributive prosperity.
Organizational health: stakeholder buy-in + clear mandate improves group stability and resource fairness.
rajakarman
Consecrand/king; secondarily the community receiving vasu
Secure election/acclamation; establish the king at the apex; enable strong distribution of wealth to supporters.
Cosmic witnessing (directions as devīs) + enthronement imagery (crest) + command to ‘apportion’ (vi bhajā).
Illegitimacy, contested succession, directional hostility, resource drought in polity.
Treasury/wealth circulation, civic prosperity.
The people and the five divine quarters are asked to choose the consecrand for kingship. He is set upon the realm’s summit/crest; from there he distributes treasures to the community.
Legitimacy arises when both human consensus (viśaḥ) and one’s total life-orientation (directions) align. Standing on the ‘crest’ is stable self-command; distributing wealth is mature, non-hoarding power.
Authority is validated by consent and by alignment with the larger order; prosperity becomes real when power is distributive, not extractive.
- viśaḥ
- stakeholders; the many parts of society (and of psyche) that must agree
- pañca devīḥ pradiśaḥ
- complete spatial mandate (including zenith/nadir or center as fifth); totality of perspectives
- varṣman
- strategic vantage; elevated clarity
- kakud
- the backbone of the realm; peak of responsibility
- ugra
- capacity to act decisively for protection and order
- vasūni
- resources—material and moral capital to be apportioned
Legitimacy-through-alignment: let inner ‘parts’ (viśaḥ) and directions of life agree on one dharmic aim.
maṇipūra
4-4-6 breathing (inhale-hold-exhale) to stabilize before ‘taking the crest’.
Upright, steady, service-oriented authority.
After recitation, reflect: ‘From my highest clarity, how do I distribute my time/energy (vasūni) wisely?’
Keep a clear rise on vṛṇatām and śrayasva; let vi bhajā land decisively.
Do not compress pañca devīḥ; articulate the cluster pradiśaḥ cleanly.
kakudi (ka-ku-di) with short i, ugro with clear ‘gr’ cluster, vṛṇatām with retroflex ṇ
Authoritative but benevolent; ‘distribution’ line voiced warmly.
Pairs well with directional gestures (turning to quarters) during recitation.
Leadership selection, inauguration, community mandate, resource allocation decisions.
Before assuming responsibility; before budgeting/redistribution meetings; during installation ceremonies.
Clarity of mandate; stronger collective trust; improved sense of fairness and prosperity-flow.
Avoid reciting as a tool of manipulation; must be matched with transparent action.
Resolved Vedic sandhi/pada-division: (1) राज्याऽय → राज्याय (अवग्रह: आ + अ = आ). (2) त्वामि॒माः → त्वाम् + इमाः (म् + इ → मि in saṃhitā). (3) No further mandatory splits; ‘वि’ is the upasarga with imperative भज. Accent marks are retained from saṃhitā but do not change pada forms.
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