Atharva Veda 4.39.7: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 4, Sukta 39, Mantra 7
Sukta 39
दि॒क्षु च॒न्द्राय॒ सम॑नम॒न्त्स आ॑र्ध्नोत्। यथा॑ दि॒क्षु च॒न्द्राय॑ स॒मन॑मन्ने॒वा मह्यं॑ सं॒नमः॒ सं न॑मन्तु
díkṣu candrā́ya sám anamant sá ā́rdhnot | yáthā díkṣu candrā́ya sám anamann evá máhyaṁ saṁnámaḥ sáṁ namantu
In the quarters they bowed together to Candra; thereby he attained success. As in the quarters they bowed to Candra, so, even thus, let acts of homage bow together unto me.
ദിക്കുകളിൽ ചന്ദ്രനോട് ഒരുമിച്ച് നമസ്കരിച്ചു; അതിനാൽ അവൻ സിദ്ധി പ്രാപിച്ചു. ദിക്കുകളിൽ ചന്ദ്രനോട് എങ്ങനെ ഒരുമിച്ച് നമസ്കരിച്ചുവോ, അതുപോലെ തന്നേ എനിക്കുമെതിരേ നമസ്കാരകൃത്യങ്ങൾ ഒന്നിച്ച് വണങ്ങട്ടെ—എനിക്ക് സമ്യക് നമനം സംഭവിക്കട്ടെ.
The meaning
What it says
The quarters (dik) collectively bowed to Candra (Moon), and he thereby achieved success; likewise, let acts of homage and coordinated submission converge toward the speaker/patron.
The inner meaning
The mind’s scattered ‘directions’ (attention, impulses, social forces) are gathered under a single calming regulator (Moon). When inner faculties synchronize, social recognition and cooperation follow. The charm aims at coherence—others ‘align’ because one’s own field is aligned.
The truth in it
Authority often arises from harmonizing many vectors into one rhythm. What the cosmos models (directions coordinated under lunar order), the human sphere can mirror (collective assent).
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Paustika (Prosperity) / Vaśīkaraṇa-adjacent
Its aim
To induce coordinated submission/homage toward the patron, using the Moon’s sovereignty in the directions as precedent.
Word by Word
Pada patha
दिक्षु । चन्द्राय । सम् । अनमन् । सः । आर्ध्नोत् । यथा । दिक्षु । चन्द्राय । सम् । अनमन् । एव । मह्यम् । संनमः । सम् । नमन्तु ।
- दि॒क्षु
- in the directionsin the directions/quarters; among the spatial powers that order the worldNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot दिश् (प्रातिपदिक: दिक्/दिश्)
- च॒न्द्राय॒
- to/for the Moonto Candra (Moon), measurer of time and growth; here a sovereignty figureNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्
- together, completely (prefix)together, in concertIndeclinableउपसर्ग (क्रियाविशेषक)Root सम् (उपसर्ग)
- अनमन्
- bowed, inclinedthey bowed/submittedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot नम्
- सः
- hehe/that one (Candra, or the one who thereby succeeds—contextual)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्ताRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आर्ध्नोत्
- attained, prosperedattained success/prosperedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot ऋध्
- यथा॑
- just asas, just asIndeclinableसम्बन्ध/उपमानार्थ अव्ययRoot यथा (अव्यय)
- दि॒क्षु
- in the directionsin the directions/quarters; among the spatial powers that order the worldNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी; बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot दिश् (प्रातिपदिक: दिक्/दिश्)
- च॒न्द्राय॑
- to/for the Moonto Candra (Moon), measurer of time and growth; here a sovereignty figureNounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्
- together, completely (prefix)together, in concertIndeclinableउपसर्ग (क्रियाविशेषक)Root सम् (उपसर्ग)
- अनमन्
- bowed, inclinedthey bowed/submittedVerbलङ् (अनद्यतनभूत); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot नम्
- एव
- indeed, just soso, even thusIndeclinableनिश्चयार्थ/अवधारणार्थ अव्ययRoot एव (अव्यय)
- मह्यम्
- to mePronounउभयलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी; एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- संनमः
- a reverent bow, homagehomage/submission as a converging forceNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्ताRoot सं-नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सम्
- together, completely (prefix)together, in concertIndeclinableउपसर्ग (क्रियाविशेषक)Root सम् (उपसर्ग)
- नमन्तु
- let (them) bowlet them bow; may they inclineVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRoot नम्
Sandhi Notes
- (1) सम॑नम॒न्त्स → सम् + अनमन् + सः
- (2) स॒मन॑मन्ने॒वा → सम् + अनमन् + एव (final -न् + ए- gives -न्ने- in saṃhitā)
- (3) सं॒नमः॒ → सम् + नमः (anusvāra from m before n; orthographic saṃ-)
- (4) सं न॑मन्तु → सम् + नमन्तु (prefix separated in pada-style)
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic tradition (edition-dependent).
- Devata
- Candra (Moon) and the Dik-deities (quarters).
- Chandas
- Mixed; anuṣṭubh-like with Atharvanic prose cadence.
- Rasa
- Shanta and Vira
Sāyaṇa treats the ‘quarters’ as divine regulators; their coordinated bowing to the Moon signifies lunar lordship over time, sap, and periodic increase. The speaker appropriates that coordinated submission: the mantra is a vaśīkaraṇa-like transfer of cosmic obedience into human social space.
Anonymous/Anukramaṇī-variant (Atharvanic)
Paustika-vaśīkaraṇa border: charms of social harmonization and ‘collective assent’ using cosmic precedent (itihāsa-like exemplum).
Atharvanic speech here functions as social technology: by citing a cosmic model of coordinated obeisance, the mantra attempts to reproduce that pattern in human relations.
Candra with Dik-devatās (Directions)
Moon governs cycles, growth, and the ‘cooling’ cohesion of time; directions represent totality and omnipresence of space.
Indirect: calms agitation, supports sleep and mental settling (lunar cooling).
Protects status and social standing by drawing diffuse forces into agreement rather than conflict.
4 pādas; syntactic breaks may override strict metrical segmentation
Didactic exemplum + application (‘yathā… evā…’) gives a charm-like, almost juridical rhythm.
Incantatory parallelism; the second sentence mirrors the first to ‘transfer’ success.
Creates a sense of inevitability: what happened in the cosmic model is compelled to recur for the speaker.
Recite while turning or gesturing toward the four quarters (or circumambulating once) to ‘collect’ the dik-powers.
At ‘sam anamann’, perform a slight bow; at ‘namantu’, direct the gesture toward the intended audience/target.
Seal with a concluding act of assent (silent or with ancillary formulae), optionally pairing with the ‘cow’ verse to convert submission into prosperity.
Kauśika Sūtra: saṁnati/vaśīkaraṇa applications of AV 4.39 (general; numbering varies).
Atharvan priest as spatial-ritual operator; he maps the mantra onto the quarters through bodily orientation and controlled gesture.
Recite before entering an assembly, negotiation, interview, or when seeking reconciliation; optionally face the moon or the four directions in sequence.
Evening/night under visible moon; also on Mondays in later practice logic (not required by AV).
Householder recitation; a purohita may prescribe direction-facing gestures.
Directional grounding practice (turning to quarters) combined with recitation for composure.
Directions (dik) as spatial deities; Candra (Moon) as regulator of growth/time
Space itself is enlisted: by invoking ‘all quarters,’ the charm seeks total social coverage—no ‘angle’ left unswayed—under the Moon’s cohesive rhythm.
Social anxiety/leadership cohesion: a ritualized cognitive script for confidence and group alignment.
Others’ attitudes/behaviors toward the patron
To cause unified homage/submission and successful outcomes for the patron through lunar-directional precedent.
Exemplum-transfer (yathā… tathā) + spatial totalization (all quarters) + lunar charisma (candra) as regulator.
Opposition, disrespect, fragmentation of support.
Status, influence, success in assemblies/transactions.
- दिक्षु (dikṣu)
- all sides of life; social field; dispersed attentional vectors
- चन्द्र (candra)
- cool sovereignty, cyclic regulation, charisma, growth-time
- सम् अनमन् (sam anaman)
- convergence, coordination, voluntary alignment
- आर्ध्नोत् (ārdhnot)
- effective completion; siddhi through order
- संनमः (saṃnamaḥ)
- recognition, consent, cooperative yielding
Gather the ‘quarters’ of attention into a cool lunar center at the brow/heart; cultivate composure that invites cooperation.
Ajna (coordination) with soothing to Anahata (social harmony).
Slow exhale-lengthening (4–6 breathing) to evoke lunar calm before recitation.
Cool, steady, socially open.
Recite while mentally turning through the directions; on ‘mahyaṃ’ feel the field align without coercion—more magnetism than force.
Keep ‘candrāya’ clearly articulated; slight emphasis on ‘sam’ in ‘sam anaman’ to signal convergence.
Mark the yathā–evā correlation with a deliberate pause; let ‘mahyaṃ’ be firm but not harsh.
Cool, composed, authoritative.
This is a ‘pattern-transfer’ charm; effectiveness is traditionally tied to clear intention and directional awareness while reciting.
9 times
Seeking cooperation, respect, and smooth outcomes in group settings.
Before meetings/negotiations; at night or early evening for a ‘lunar’ tone.
Greater composure and perceived authority; improved receptivity from others.
Avoid using to manipulate against others’ welfare; pair with ethical intent to prevent social backlash.
Indirect: lunar governance is associated with sap (soma-like increase) and growth cycles, which underwrite fertility and plant vigor. The verse operationalizes that association socially (submission) rather than pharmaceutically.
It ritualizes authority: just as cosmic powers submit to a celestial ruler, so should human agents submit to the patron. This reflects a worldview where hierarchy is naturalized by cosmic analogy and enforceable by Atharvanic speech.
The formulaic repetition and explicit self-directed benefit (‘mahyaṁ’) are Atharvanic hallmarks. The diction is relatively straightforward; the innovation lies in pragmatic coercive intent.
By bandhu: quarters ↔ ordered space; Moon ↔ periodic increase; submission ↔ social order. The rite claims that reproducing cosmic ordering in microcosm compels analogous ordering among people.
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