Atharva Veda 4.40.2: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 4, Sukta 40, Mantra 2

Sukta 40

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

ये द॑क्षिण॒तो जुह्व॑ति जातवेदो॒ दक्षि॑णाया दि॒शोऽभि॒दास॑न्त्य॒स्मान्। य॒ममृ॒त्वा ते परा॑ञ्चो व्यथन्तां प्र॒त्यगे॑नान् प्रतिस॒रेण॑ हन्मि

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 4.40.2

IAST Transliteration

yé dakṣiṇató juhváti jātavēdo dákṣiṇāyā diśó ’bhidā́santy asmā́n | yamám ṛtvā́ té parā́ñco vyathantāṁ pratyagéna pratisarḗṇa hanmi

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Whoso from the south offer, O Jātavedas—who from the southern quarter assail us: taking Yama in due order, let them be turned away and tremble; with the counter-turning, with the counter-charm, I smite them down.

Translation

हे जातवेदस्! जो कोणी दक्षिणेकडून आहुती देतो—जो दक्षिण दिशेकडून आमच्यावर हल्ला करतो—ऋतुक्रमाने यमाला ग्रहण करून ते पराङ्मुख होवोत व थरथर कापोत; प्रत्यग्-प्रयोगाने, प्रतिसर (प्रतिमंत्र/रक्षाबंध) याने मी त्यांना घाव घालून पाडतो.

The meaning

What it says

A directional counter-charm against hostile offerings from the South: invoking Jātavedas and aligning with Yama’s quarter-power, the aggressors are made to turn away and tremble; the practitioner smites them by pratyag-reversal and pratisara protection.

The inner meaning

Facing the ‘southern’ psychological zone—fear of death, endings, guilt—one recruits ethical gravity (Yama) and inner fire to stop fear-driven projections from dominating the psyche.

The truth in it

Where accountability (Yama) and clarity (Agni) are present, harmful acts lose leverage; boundaries plus moral order neutralize aggression.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Abhicārika / Apotropaic (directional counter-sorcery)

Its aim

To repel hostile rites from the south by invoking Yama as the quarter’s punitive power, reversing the attack through pratyag and securing the patron with pratisara.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

ये । द॒क्षि॒ण॒तः । जुह्व॑ति । जा॒त॒वे॒दः॒ । दक्षि॑णायाः । दि॒शः । अ॒भि॒दास॑न्ति । अ॒स्मान् । य॒मम् । ऋ॒त्वा । ते । प॒रा॒ञ्चः । व्य॒थ॒न्ताम् । प्र॒त्यगे॑न । प्र॒ति॒स॒रेण॑ । ह॒न्मि

ये

who (those who)those whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

दक्षिणतः

from/on the south (southern side)from the south/right side (southern quarter as vector of attack)Indeclinable (directional adverb)अव्ययम् (तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्तः)Role अधिकरणRoot दक्षिण (प्रातिपदिक)

जुह्वति

they offer (pour as oblation)offer (perform hostile oblation)Verbलट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot हु (धातु)

जातवेदः

O Jātavedas (Agni)O Jātavedas (invoked to witness and counteract)Noun (vocative address)पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्Role सम्बोधनRoot जातवेदस् (प्रातिपदिक; अग्नि-नाम)

दक्षिणायाः

of the southof the southern (quarter)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)

दिशः

of the direction/quarterdirection/regionNounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, षष्ठी, एकवचनम् (वैदिके: दिशः = दिशाः)Role सम्बन्धRoot दिश् (प्रातिपदिक)

अभिदासन्ति

they assail/attackassail, injure (magically attack)Verbलट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot अभि + दस् (धातु; ‘to harm/assail’)

अस्मान्

usPronounउत्तमपुरुष-प्रयोगः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम्Role कर्मRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

यमम्

Yama (Death)Yama (lord of restraint/death; invoked as coercive power against attackers)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot यम (प्रातिपदिक)

ऋत्वा

having gone to / having reachedin due order/alignment (ritually taking as proper power for the act)Gerundक्त्वा-प्रत्ययः (अव्ययम्)Role पूर्वकालRoot ऋ (धातु; ‘to go/attain’) → क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय

ते

theyPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

पराञ्चः

turned away; going awayturned away, repelledAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot पराञ्च् (प्रातिपदिक)

व्यथन्ताम्

let them be pained/afflictedlet them tremble, be distressedVerbलोट् (आशीर्लिङ्/आज्ञार्थे), तृतीयपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्, आत्मनेपदम्Role क्रियाRoot व्यथ् (धातु; ‘to be distressed/tremble’)

प्रत्यगेनान्

them, turned back toward (us) / those facing backPronoun/Adjectival form (Vedic compound-like inflection)द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (वैदिक-रूपम्: ‘प्रत्यगेनान्’ = ‘प्रत्यग्-एन-आन्’)Role कर्मRoot प्रत्यग् (प्रातिपदिक) + एन (तृतीया-एकवचन-प्रत्ययः, वैदिकः) + आन् (द्वितीया-बहुवचन-प्रत्ययः, ‘अस्मान्’ इत्यर्थे वैदिक-प्रयोगः)

प्रतिसरेण

with a counter-charm/amuletwith the counter-charm/amulet (protective binding)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role करणRoot प्रतिसर (प्रातिपदिक; ‘counter-charm, amulet, counter-spell’)

हन्मि

I strike/kill (I smite)I smite, I strike downVerbलट्, उत्तमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम्Role क्रियाRoot हन् (धातु)

Sandhi Notes

• ये | दक्षिणतः | जुह्वति | जातवेदः | दक्षिणायाः | दिशः | अभिदासन्ति | अस्मान् || यमम् | ऋत्वा | ते | पराञ्चः | व्यथन्ताम् | प्रत्यगेनान् | प्रतिसरेण | हन्मि ।
• 1) ‘दिशोऽभिदासन्ति’ = ‘दिशः + अभिदासन्ति’ (अः + अ → ओऽ)
• ‘प्रत्यग्’ + तृतीया-एकवचन ‘-एन’ + द्वितीया-बहुवचन ‘-आन्’ (एनान्-प्रयोगः) — मन्त्रभाषायां सर्वनामवत् ‘एनान्’ इत्यर्थ-सम्बन्धः।

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic tradition (not specified in excerpt)

Devata

Yama (as quarter-power) with Jātavedas addressed

Chandas

Triṣṭubh-like (requires metrical confirmation)

Rasa

Bhayankara 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