Atharva Veda 19.32.5: Kanda 19, Anuvaka 4, Sukta 32, Mantra 5
Sukta 32
त्वम॑सि॒ सह॑मानो॒ऽहम॑स्मि॒ सह॑स्वान्। उ॒भौ सह॑स्वन्तौ भू॒त्वा स॒पत्ना॑न्सहिषीवहि
tvám asi sáhamāno ’háṃ asmi sáhasvān | ubháu sáhasvantau bhūtvā́ sápatnān sahiṣīvahi
Thou art the overmastering one; I am the mighty. Let us two, being both possessed of might, together overpower our rivals.
Engkau yang menundukkan; aku yang perkasa. Marilah kita berdua, sama-sama berdaya, bersama menewaskan para seteru kita.
The meaning
What it says
You (darbha) are the overmastering one; I am possessed of might. Let us both, being mighty, together overpower our rivals.
The inner meaning
The practitioner unites personal resolve with an externalized symbol of power (darbha) to form a single ‘alliance’ that can overcome fear, hesitation, and opposition.
The truth in it
Power multiplies through alignment: when intention, instrument, and disciplined action cooperate, obstacles and adversaries lose their leverage.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Abhicarika (rival-subduing) / Apotropaic empowerment
Its aim
To generate joint potency (operator + darbha) for overcoming rivals in dispute, competition, or hostility.
Word by Word
Pada patha
त्वम् । अ॒सि॒ । सह॑मानः । अ॒हम् । अ॒स्मि॒ । सह॑स्वान् । उ॒भौ । सह॑स्वन्तौ । भू॒त्वा । स॒पत्ना॑न् । स॒हि॒षी॒व॒हि॒
- त्वम्
- youthou; the invoked implement/power (darbha)Pronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं (सर्वनाम), प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (वाक्य-१)Root युष्मद्
- असि
- areart; identification formulaVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole अस्ति-क्रिया; कर्तृ=त्वम्Root अस् (अस्ति)
- सहमानः
- enduring, bearing, withstandingenduring, overpowering; one who bears down opponentsAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (त्वम्-विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम्Root सह् (धातु) → सहमान (शतृ/शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त)
- अहम्
- II; the ritual performerPronounपुं/स्त्री/नपुं (सर्वनाम), प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (वाक्य-२)Root अस्मद्
- अस्मि
- amam; self-identification in the charmVerbलट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनRole अस्ति-क्रिया; कर्तृ=अहम्Root अस् (अस्ति)
- सहस्वान्
- mighty, powerful, victoriouspossessing might/endurance; victorious in contestAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (अहम्-विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम्Root सहस्वन् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सहस्/सह’ से व्युत्पन्न)
- उभौ
- both (of us)both; performer and implement alliedPronoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचनRole कर्तृ (वाक्य-३)Root उभ (प्रातिपदिक)
- सहस्वन्तौ
- both powerfulboth being mighty/enduring; mutually reinforced potencyAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (उभौ-विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृ-विशेषणम्Root सहस्वन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
- भूत्वा
- having becomehaving become; performative transformationVerb (absolutive)क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (पूर्वकालिक क्रिया)Role कर्तृ-सापेक्ष (उभौ…भूत्वा)Root भू
- सपत्नान्
- rivals, adversariesrivals, adversaries; social competitors/enemiesNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot सपत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
- सहिषीवहि
- let us overcome/vanquishlet us overpower/vanquish; dual exhortation to joint conquestVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), उत्तमपुरुष, द्विवचन, परस्मैपदRole कर्तृ=उभौ; कर्म=सपत्नान्Root सह्
Sandhi Notes
- त्वम् असि सहमानः । अहम् अस्मि सहस्वान् । उभौ सहस्वन्तौ भूत्वा सपत्नान् सहिषीवहि ।
- 1) ‘सहमानोऽहमस्मि’ = सहमानः + अहम् + अस्मि
- विसर्ग-सन्धि में ‘ः + अ’ → ‘ोऽ’ (ओऽ) रूप।
- 2) ‘सपत्ना॑न्सहिषीवहि’ = सपत्नान् + सहिषीवहि
- ‘न् + स’ संयोग (अनुस्वार/नकार-परिवर्तन नहीं, केवल संधि-संयोग)।
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic tradition (unspecified here)
- Devata
- Darbha / Sahas (might) as operative power
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh (probable)
- Rasa
- Vira and Raudra
Sayana reads a deliberate pairing: the darbha is ‘sahamāna’ (able to bear and subdue), while the sacrificer becomes ‘sahasvān’ by association. The dual verb frames a coalition—implement plus operator—directed against sapatnas (rivals), a standard Atharvanic social-enmity category.
Anukramaṇī-unspecified (Darbha charm cluster)
Abhicārika empowerment and rival-subduing formulas; creation of operator–implement ‘joint agency’ (sāhitya) to overpower opposition.
A concise Atharvan technique: personify the implement, declare mutual strength, then command victory—turning ritual into an alliance rather than a mere request.
Darbha as Sahas (might) in allied form with the practitioner
Channels sanctioned power into human contests; makes victory a function of aligned force rather than brute violence.
Protects the practitioner’s standing and agency by neutralizing rivals’ advantage.
4 pādas × ~8 syllables
Strong parallelism (tvam… aham… ubhau…) creates marching rhythm typical of rival-subduing charms.
Martial and compact; suitable for repeated charging.
Builds confidence and a sense of ‘paired strength’—operator and implement acting as one.
Take darbha in hand (right hand commonly) while reciting ‘tvam asi…’.
State the self-identification ‘aham asmi…’ to effect ritual empowerment (ātma-sādhana).
Hold darbha together with a second tuft or form a pair (symbolizing ‘ubhau’) and direct the intention toward named rivals.
Conclude with a forward gesture (or knot-tightening) on ‘sahiṣīvahi’ to enact conquest.
Kauśika Sūtra: rites employing darbha for sapatna-sahana (overcoming rivals) and stambhana; recited during grasping/tying of darbha (edition-dependent citation).
Atharvan priest as empowerer: installs ‘sahas’ (might) in the client through identification and handling of darbha.
Hold a darbha tuft in the right hand; optionally tie a simple knot while reciting ‘ubhau…’; keep it on person during the encounter; afterwards place it at a boundary/threshold or dispose respectfully.
Immediately before entering contest, debate, negotiation, or confrontation; also before travel into hostile territory.
Often self-performed; a specialist may add additional binding mantras and directional rites.
Darbha-based rival-subduing/binding operations in Atharvan praxis (exact Kauśika citation not supplied).
Used as a private empowerment recitation before interviews, court appearances, or competitive events—framed ethically as protection and confidence.
Darbha grass
Implicit: darbha can be held, knotted, or worn as a small bundle/cord to embody the alliance.
The grass is not merely protective material; it becomes a partner in agency—strength externalized and made graspable.
Performance psychology: anchoring confidence via a tangible token and a rehearsed empowerment script before competition or confrontation.
Rivals/opponents (sapatnān).
To generate joint might (practitioner + darbha) for overpowering rivals in disputes, competition, or hostility.
Identification + alliance formula (tvam… aham… ubhau…) followed by command of victory (sahiṣīvahi).
Opposition, competitive harm, social/ritual rivalry; also counters intimidation.
- सहमान (sahamāna)
- resilience that outlasts opposition; dominance through endurance
- सहस्वान् (sahasvān)
- inner capacity; cultivated potency
- उभौ…सहस्वन्तौ (ubhau…sahasvantau)
- synergy of human agency + consecrated medium
- सपत्न (sapatna)
- external competitor; also inner rivalries (doubt, distraction)
Cultivate ‘sahas’ (fortitude) without hatred; let strength be clean and purposeful.
Maṇipūra (will/strength) with grounding to Mūlādhāra (stability).
3–5 rounds of strong but controlled exhale (kapālabhāti-light) followed by calm breathing; then recite steadily.
A green-gold ally-shield forming at the solar plexus; two streams (self + darbha) merging into one force-field.
Centered courage; non-reactive strength.
After recitation, speak minimally and act decisively; keep intention protective/ethical to avoid karmic recoil in Atharvan framing.
Clear, assertive monotone; slight stress on sah- syllables (sahamāna, sahasvān, sahasvantau).
Keep sandhi: sahamāno’ham; articulate the avagraha as a light glide, not a pause.
Low, confident, controlled—avoid angered shouting.
Hold or knot darbha during the ‘ubhau’ line to embody the alliance; release tension after recitation to prevent agitation.
9 times
Grounding walk before confrontation; Brief vow of truthful speech (satya); Post-event calming (slow breathing, water sipping) to discharge intensity
Competition, disputes, hostile environments, intimidation, or when needing assertive protection.
Right before engagement; also as a daily confidence practice during prolonged conflict periods.
Increased courage and boundary strength; traditional sense of allied protection and rival-overcoming potency.
Use ethically; do not escalate conflict; combine with practical measures (mediation, documentation, security) where needed.
The mantra treats darbha not as inert matter but as an agent (‘thou art’). Its ‘might’ is transferable by contact and identification, producing a combined subject (‘we two’) that can act against rivals.
Rivalry (sapatna) is normalized as a social condition; ritual expertise offers a sanctioned means to manage competition. The performer’s authority is augmented by alliance with a consecrated object, reflecting a technology of power accessible through priestly mediation.
The explicit ‘I am’ empowerment formula and the dual exhortation aimed at rivals are more typical of Atharvanic charm-style than RV praise-hymn discourse, emphasizing performative identity and practical outcomes.
A Gopatha-like frame would interpret the identification statements as brahmanically efficacious: naming and becoming (bhūtvā) are causative in ritual speech, enabling the practitioner to ‘become’ mighty and thus prevail.
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