Atharva Veda 6.49.3: Kanda 6, Anuvaka 5, Sukta 49, Mantra 3

Sukta 49

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

सु॒प॒र्णा वाच॑मक्र॒तोप॒ द्यव्या॑ख॒रे कृष्णा॑ इषि॒रा अ॑नर्तिषुः । नि यन्नि॒यन्त्युप॑रस्य॒ निष्कृ॑तिं पु॒रू रेतो॑ दधिरे सूर्य॒श्रितः॑

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 6.49.3

IAST Transliteration

suparṇā́ vā́cam akratópa dyavyā́khare kṛ́ṣṇā iṣirā́ anartiṣuḥ | ní yán niyánty úparasya níṣkṛtim purū́ réto dadhire sū́ryaśritaḥ

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

The fair-winged made speech; upon the heavenly hollow the black, the swift, bestirred themselves in dance. When they lead down the upper one’s outlet, much seed they have deposited, resting upon the Sun.

Translation

സുപർണന്മാർ വാക്കിനെ സൃഷ്ടിച്ചു; ദിവ്യമായ പൊള്ളത്തിന്മേൽ (ആകാശീയ ഗർഭത്തിൽ) കറുത്തവരും വേഗികളുമായവർ നൃത്തത്തിൽ ചലിച്ചു. അവർ മേലുള്ളവന്റെ നിർഗമന-വഴി താഴേക്ക് നയിക്കുമ്പോൾ, സൂര്യാശ്രിതരായി അവർ ധാരാളം രേതസ് (വീര്യം/ബീജം) നിക്ഷേപിച്ചു.

The meaning

What it says

The fair-winged beings made speech; on the heavenly hollow the black swift ones danced. When they lead down the upper one’s outlet, much seed they deposited, resting on the Sun.

The inner meaning

Vāc is fashioned as a controlling technology: speech orders chaotic, dark, restless forces by directing them to an exit (niṣkṛti). ‘Seed’ (retaḥ) symbolizes restored potency once obstruction is guided out; Sūrya provides stable, clarifying support.

The truth in it

Naming and directing (skillful speech) can transform chaos into flow: when the ‘exit path’ is re-established, vitality returns and is stabilized by clarity (solar consciousness).

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Bhaisajya (Healing) / Apotropaic expulsion

Its aim

To control and conduct a dark, restless harmful agency to its ‘exit’ and to re-establish vital essence (retaḥ) under solar stability.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

सु॒प॒र्णाः । वाच॑म् । अ॒क्र॒त । उप॑ । द्यव्या॑ख॒रे । कृष्णाः॑ । इ॒षि॒राः । अ॒न॒र्ति॒षुः॑ । नि । यत् । नि॒यन्ति॑ । उप॑रस्य । निष्कृ॑तिम् । पु॒रू । रेतः॑ । द॒धि॒रे । सू॒र्य॒श्रितः॑

सुपर्णाः

the fair-winged ones (birds)fair-winged ones; birds (often mythic birds; agents/messengers)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot सुपर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)

वाचम्

speech, utteranceNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot वाच् (प्रातिपदिक) स्त्री

अक्रत

they made, they producedthey made/formed (performed; brought into effect)Verbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपदम्, 3 पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रियापदRoot कृ (धातु)

उप

towards, neartoward, upon (directional; ‘set upon’)Indeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot उप

द्यवि

in heaven, in the skyNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः (वेदे), सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role अधिकरणRoot द्यौ/दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)

आखरे

it sounded/was uttered aloudVerbलिट्/लुङ्-प्रयोगः (वेदिकः), परस्मैपदम्, 3 पुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियापदRoot आ-खर्/खर् (धातु) (वेद. ‘उच्चैः शब्दं कर्तुम्/उद्घोषयितुम्’)

कृष्णाः

the black (ones)black/dark (ominous coloration; disease/hostile beings)Adjective (used substantively)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot कृष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)

इषिराः

swift, vigorousswift, impetuous (energetic agents)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot इषिर (प्रातिपदिक)

अनर्तिषुः

they danced, they moved aboutthey danced/moved restlessly (agitated motion; swarming)Verbलिट् (परोक्ष), परस्मैपदम्, 3 पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रियापदRoot नृत् (धातु) + अनु-

नि

down, indown, away (depressive/settling particle)Indeclinableउपसर्ग/निपातRole क्रियाविशेषणRoot नि

यत्

which, that whichwhen (temporal connector)Pronoun (relative)नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म (यत्…तत्-सम्बन्धे) / विषयRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

नियन्ति

they restrain, they guidethey lead down, bring under control (subduing motion)Verbलट्, परस्मैपदम्, 3 पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रियापदRoot यम् (धातु) + नि-

उपरस्य

of the upper (one/region)of the upper (region/one); belonging to what is aboveNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot उपर (प्रातिपदिक)

निष्कृतिम्

release, expiation, deliverancethe outlet/exit; expulsion-point (ritual ‘way out’ for the harm)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot निष्कृति (प्रातिपदिक) स्त्री

पुरु

much, abundantIndeclinable/Adjective (quantifier)अव्ययवत् (बहु-अर्थे)Role विशेषणRoot पुरु

रेतः

seed, semenseed, semen; generative fluid (vital potency; also ‘essence’)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot रेतस् (प्रातिपदिक) नपुं

दधिरे

they placed, they depositedthey placed/held (established, deposited)Verbलिट् (परोक्ष), आत्मनेपदम्, 3 पुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रियापदRoot धा (धातु)

सूर्यश्रितः

resting on the sun; sun-supportedAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ (विशेषणम्) / सम्बन्धRoot सूर्य-श्रित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; श्रि धातु, क्त)

Sandhi Notes

• सुपर्णाः वाचम् अक्रत् उप द्यवि आखरे । कृष्णाः इषिराः अनर्तिषुः । नि यत् नियन्ति उपरस्य निष्कृतिम् पुरु रेतः दधिरे सूर्यश्रितः । मुख्य-सन्धयः:
• (1) अक्रत + उप → अक्रतोप (स्वर-सन्धि/ओ-आदेशः)
• (2) द्यवि + आखरे → द्यव्या॑खरे (इ/आ संयोगे ‘य्’ आगमः)
• (3) यत् + नियन्ति → यन्नियन्ति (त् + न → न्न)
• (4) नि + यत् → नि यत् (पदविरामे सन्धि न)
• (5) नियन्ति + उपरस्य → नियन्त्युपरस्य (इ + उ → यु; अन्त्य-इकारस्य य्-आदेशः)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic tradition

Devata

Vāc (Speech), Sūrya (as stabilizing support), and the expulsion-path (niṣkṛti)

Chandas

Likely Triṣṭubh/Jagatī-type (requires full hymn metrical audit)

Rasa

Adbhuta and Shanta

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