Atharva Veda 4.39.9: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 4, Sukta 39, Mantra 9
Sukta 39
अ॒ग्नाव॒ग्निश्च॑रति॒ प्रवि॑ष्ट॒ ऋषी॑णां पु॒त्रो अ॑भिशस्ति॒पा उ॑ । न॒म॒स्का॒रेण॒ नम॑सा ते जुहोमि॒ मा दे॒वानां॑ मिथु॒या क॑र्म भा॒गम्
agnā́v agníś carati práviṣṭa ṛ́ṣīṇāṁ putró abhiśastipā́ u | namaskārḗṇa námasā te juhomi mā́ devā́nāṁ mithuyā́ kárma bhāgám
Within the Fire doth Agni move, entered therein—son of the Seers, a warder-off of imprecation. With salutation, with obeisance, to thee I offer: let not the gods’ portion of the rite be taken in falsewise manner.
अग्नीतच अग्नि प्रविष्ट होऊन संचार करतो—ऋषींचा पुत्र, अभिशाप-निवारक. नमस्कार व नमसा सहित मी तुला आहुती अर्पितो; यज्ञकर्मात देवांचा भाग मिथ्या रीतीने हिरावला जाऊ नये.
The meaning
What it says
Agni moves within Agni (in the fire), entered therein—son of the seers, warder-off of imprecation. With salutation, the speaker offers oblation, praying that the gods’ share not be taken wrongly/falsewise in the rite.
The inner meaning
The verse treats ritual error and social hostility (abhíśasti) as real dangers. Inner purification is enacted through humility (namas) and precision—an antidote to anxiety about ‘doing it wrong’ and to fear of accusation.
The truth in it
Integrity in action—doing the offering rightly—protects communities from conflict and individuals from guilt. Reverent attention is itself a protective technology.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Bhaisajya / Apotropaic (protective rite against curse and ritual fault)
Its aim
To secure Agni’s protection against abhíśasti (hostile accusation/curse) and to prevent misallocation of the gods’ sacrificial share (ritual error-doṣa).
Word by Word
Pada patha
अ॒ग्नौ । अ॒ग्निः । च॒र॒ति॒ । प्र॒वि॒ष्टः । ऋषी॑णाम् । पु॒त्रः । अ॒भि॒श॒स्ति॒पाः । उ॒ । न॒म॒स्का॒रेण॑ । नम॑सा । ते॒ । जु॒हो॒मि॒ । मा॒ । दे॒वा॒नाम् । मि॒थु॒या । क॒र्म॒ । भा॒गम्
- अग्नौ
- in/at Agni (in the fire)in the fire (in Agni as the ritual locus; the consecrated medium of offering)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी-एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot अग्नि
- अग्निः
- Agni (fire)Agni (the divine fire; also the priestly power that conveys and guards)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot अग्नि
- चरति
- moves, goes aboutmoves, ranges (operates effectively within; circulates as protective force)Verbलट् (वर्तमान); प्रथम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot चर्
- प्रविष्टः
- entered, having enteredentered, gone in (installed/infused; made present in the rite)Participle (Adjective)क्त (भूतकृदन्त); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषणम् अग्निः) / कर्मणि-भावःRoot प्र-विश्
- ऋषीणाम्
- of the seersNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-बहुवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot ऋषि
- पुत्रः
- sonNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole कर्तृ (सम्बन्ध-विशेषणम् अग्निः) / समानााधिकरणRoot पुत्र
- अभिशस्तिपाः
- protector against imprecation/accusationNoun (Agent) / Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-एकवचन (बहुव्रीहिः/कर्मधारयः; ‘अभिशस्तिं पाति’)Role कर्तृ (विशेषणम् अग्निः)Root अभिशस्ति-प
- उ
- indeed, verilyIndeclinableनिपातRoot उ
- नमस्कारेण
- with salutationNounपुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-एकवचनRole करणRoot नमस्कार
- नमसा
- with reverence, with homagewith homage, with bowing (devotional/appeasing act; a means of averting fault)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया-एकवचनRole करणRoot नमस्
- ते
- to/for you; of youto thee (to Agni; dative of recipient of oblation)Pronounषष्ठी-एकवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (यस्यार्थे जुहोमि)Root त्वद् (युष्मद्)
- जुहोमि
- I offer (as oblation), I sacrificeI offer (I pour into the fire; perform the oblation with mantra)Verbलट् (वर्तमान); उत्तम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot हु
- मा
- do notlest, may not (prohibitive; apotropaic prevention of ritual error)Indeclinableनिषेधार्थक निपात (प्रायः लोट्/विधिलिङ्-निषेधः)Root मा
- देवानाम्
- of the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-बहुवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot देव
- मिथुया
- falsely, wronglyIndeclinableक्रियाविशेषण (अव्यय)Root मिथुया
- कर्म
- deed, actact, rite, ritual performance (karman as efficacious sacrificial action)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्मRoot कर्मन्
- भागम्
- share, portionNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-एकवचनRole कर्म (द्वितीय-कर्म/उपपद-सम्बन्धः)Root भाग
Sandhi Notes
- अग्नौ | अग्निः | चरति | प्रविष्टः | ऋषीणाम् | पुत्रः | अभिशस्तिपाः | उ | नमस्कारेण | नमसा | ते | जुहोमि | मा | देवानाम् | मिथुया | कर्म | भागम् । सन्धि-विशेषाः:
- (1) अग्नावग्निश्चरति = अग्नौ + अग्निः + चरति (औ + अ → आव्; विसर्गः + च → श्च)
- (2) प्रविष्ट ऋषीणाम् = प्रविष्टः + ऋषीणाम् (विसर्ग-लोपः पदान्ते)
- (3) पुत्रो = पुत्रः (विसर्ग-लोपः पदान्ते)
- (4) अभिशस्तिपा उ = अभिशस्तिपाः + उ (विसर्ग-लोपः)
- (5) नमस्कारेण नमसा = नमस्कारेण + नमसा (सन्धि न आवश्यकः; पदविभागः)
- (6) मा देवानां = मा + देवानाम् (सन्धि न आवश्यकः)
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic tradition
- Devata
- Agni (as protector against abhíśasti and guardian of correct offering)
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (AV mixed; requires padic verification)
- Rasa
- Shanta and Bhayankara
Sāyaṇa glosses Agni as the internal carrier of the offering and as ‘abhíśasti-pā’—the remover of hostile denunciation and curse that might arise from rivals or from ritual fault. ‘Mithuyā karman-bhāgam’ is taken as misassignment of the oblation (offering to a wrong deity, wrong time, wrong procedure), which would generate doṣa; the mantra is thus a prophylaxis against sacrificial error and its social-legal consequences (abhíśasti as accusation).
Atharvanic ritual corpus attribution
Śānti-protection around ritual correctness; guarding against abhíśasti (hostile speech/curse) through Agni-centered offerings.
Represents the Atharvan concern with doṣa (fault) and social-ritual vulnerability: correct offering is both spiritual and apotropaic.
Agni (protective, rite-guarding)
Gatekeeper of offerings; purifier and witness who ensures the gods receive their due and wards off hostile speech.
Indirect: heals the rite and thereby restores wellbeing; ‘cures’ the social/ritual wound of accusation and fault.
Strong protection against curses, slander, and misallocation of sacred portions.
4 × ~8 (requires full padic scansion; AV often shows irregularities)
Ritual prose-like density in compounds (abhiśastipāḥ) may compress rhythm; still functions as anuṣṭubh incantation.
Solemn, juridical cadence—like a protective legal formula.
Stabilizes the performer; reduces fear of error; frames Agni as vigilant guardian.
Prepare the domestic fire (gārhapatya or āhavanīya as applicable) and seat the performer facing east.
Consecrate the oblation (commonly ghee) with silent purification and intention: removal of curse/accusation and prevention of ritual fault.
Recite the mantra while making an offering into Agni (juhoti), explicitly performing namas (salutation) as a pacifying gesture.
Conclude with a brief śānti: mental resolve that the gods’ ‘bhāga’ has been correctly assigned; optionally follow with additional namas-mantras to Agni.
Kauśika Sūtra: general prayoga for abhíśasti-śānti and agnihotra-style oblation with namas-mantras.
Atharvan/Brahman officiant as doṣa-śāntika: supervises correctness, neutralizes hostile speech (abhíśasti), and seals the rite by apotropaic intention.
Recite when lighting the domestic fire (gārhapatya-like setting) before important vows, offerings, or household ceremonies; especially if conflict/accusation is present.
At the start of a rite; before offering; when correcting a suspected mistake.
Householder performs; a knowledgeable Atharvan may be called for expiatory correction.
General śānti/rite-protection use plausible within Kauśika’s corrective rites (specific citation not provided).
Use as intention-setting before any solemn undertaking; pair with practical checklist to reduce errors.
Agni (consecrated fire); Havis (oblation; unspecified—typically ghee/food-offering)
Central: Agni as consecrated fire; the medium that transforms offering into protected divine share.
Fire is the validator: it consumes only what is rightly offered and exposes what is ‘mithuyā’—thus it protects by making the rite true.
abhíśasti (imprecation/hostile accusation) and ritual fault (mithuyā karma) as ‘social-ritual afflictions’
Appeal to Agni as purifier/witness; offering with namas to correct/secure the rite; prevention of misdirected sacrificial share.
Not directly Ayurvedic; aligns with Atharvan concept that misfortune and ‘harm’ can be speech-born and ritually corrected.
Stress from blame/accusation; performance anxiety; community conflict—ritual as coping and social repair.
Hostile speech/curse; ritual misallocation; unseen fault-beings.
Pacify dangers from curses/accusations and prevent ritual misperformance that could ‘steal’ the gods’ portion.
Oblation with explicit humility (namas) + juridical prohibition formula (mā… bhāgam).
Imprecation, slander, ritual failure and its feared consequences.
- अग्नौ अग्निः (agnāv agniḥ)
- awareness within its own luminous field; self-validating sacred presence
- प्रविष्टः (praviṣṭaḥ)
- indwelling protector; the sacred ‘inside’ the rite and the heart
- ऋषीणां पुत्रः (ṛṣīṇāṃ putraḥ)
- authorized tradition; Agni as heir of inspired speech and correct practice
- अभिशस्तिपाः (abhiśastipāḥ)
- shield against curses, slander, hostile speech
- नमस्कार / नमस् (namaskāra/namas)
- ego-lowering that restores ritual alignment
- मिथुया कर्म (mithuyā karma)
- misapplied effort; error that diverts sacred ‘portion’ (bhāga)
Ritual integrity as inner integrity: align speech, intention, and action.
Anahata (reverence/namas) and Vishuddha (speech purity).
Three slow breaths before offering; exhale on namas to release ego and fear.
A steady inner flame in the heart; hostile words dissolve as ash before reaching you.
Reverent vigilance; calm accountability.
Chant before difficult conversations or formal commitments; keep posture upright, palms together briefly on namaskāreṇa.
Solemn recitation; keep compounds clear; slight emphasis on abhiśastipāḥ and mithuyā.
Pause after abhiśastipāḥ; treat mā…bhāgam as a protective injunction with clear negation.
Grave, steady, respectful; not aggressive.
Often paired with actual offering; the mantra’s force is strengthened when synchronized with the ladle movement into fire.
9 times
Fear of mistakes in ritual/important tasks; being targeted by blame, accusation, or hostile speech.
Before ceremonies, contracts, exams, public speaking, or family meetings; also when correcting an error.
Calm focus, sense of protection, strengthened ethical/ritual alignment.
If facing harassment or legal issues, seek appropriate support; mantra is supportive, not a substitute for action.
No explicit plant occurs; the operative ‘substance’ is Agni plus havis. The mantra treats correct oblation as a medicinal prophylaxis: ritual accuracy itself functions as the curative agent against curse/accusation.
‘Abhíśasti’ implies a social field of accusation, rivalry, and reputational harm; the Atharvan priest’s competence in doṣa-śānti protects patrons from both supernatural and quasi-juridical consequences of ritual failure.
The diction is RV-like (Agni, juhomi, namas), but the explicit anxiety about ‘mithuyā karman-bhāgam’ foregrounds Atharvanic concern with misperformance and its apotropaic correction, a thematic intensification beyond many RV praise-hymns.
Gopatha frequently frames Atharvanic mantras as remedial technologies for doṣa and hostile forces; this verse aligns with that logic by making namas and correct bhāga-allocation the mechanism that restores ritual order and averts punitive backlash.
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