Atharva Veda 2.25.1: Kanda 2, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 25, Mantra 1

Sukta 25

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

पृश्निपर्णी। शं नो॑ दे॒वी पृ॑श्निप॒र्ण्यशं॒ निरृ॑त्या अकः । उ॒ग्रा हि क॑ण्व॒जम्भ॑नी॒ ताम॑भक्षि॒ सह॑स्वतीम्

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 2.25.1

IAST Transliteration

śáṃ no devī́ pṛ́śniparṇy áśaṃ nírṛtyā́ akaḥ | ugrā́ hí kaṇvá-jambhanī tá̄m abhákṣi sáhasvatīm ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Bring weal to us, O Goddess Pṛśniparṇī; from Nirṛti do thou make for us unharm. For fierce indeed is she, the Kaṇva-crusher: that mighty one have I partaken.

Translation

Pṛśniparṇī. Bawalah sejahtera kepada kami, wahai Dewi Pṛśniparṇī; daripada Nirṛti jadikanlah kami tidak ditimpa mudarat. Kerana garang benar dia, pemecah Kaṇva; yang perkasa itu telah aku makan/ambil sebagai ramuan—dia yang penuh daya.

The meaning

What it says

Invocation to the goddess-herb Pṛśniparṇī to bring welfare (śam) and make ‘unharm’ (aśam) from Nirṛti (calamity). She is fierce, a Kaṇva-crusher; the speaker has partaken (abhakṣi) of that mighty one.

The inner meaning

The herb is internalized: ‘I have partaken’ signals embodied healing—taking in resilience. Nirṛti represents depressive inevitability and misfortune-thinking; Pṛśniparṇī is the fierce counter-force that breaks that spell.

The truth in it

Well-being is supported by both protection-from (removing calamity) and nourishment-within (ingesting strength); remedies work best when integrated into life, not merely invoked.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Bhaisajya (Healing) / Apotropaic

Its aim

To secure welfare and freedom from harm by driving away Nirṛti (calamity, deathliness, misfortune) through the empowered herb Pṛśniparṇī.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

शम् । नः । देवी । पृश्निपर्णि । अशम् । निरृत्याः । अकः । उग्रा । हि । कण्व-जम्भनी । ताम् । अभक्षि । सहस्वतीम् ।

पृश्निपर्णी

(O herb) PṛśniparṇīNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (सम्बोधन/प्रथमा-रूपेण स्तुति-शीर्षक)Role सम्बोधन (आह्वान) / कर्तृ-सम्बन्धःRoot पृश्निपर्णी (प्रातिपदिक; ओषधि-नाम)

शम्

well-being, welfareweal; auspicious welfare; a pacifying, healing goodIndeclinableअव्ययRole विशेषण-भाव (फल/उद्देश्य)Root शम् (अव्यय)

नः

for us / of usfor us; to us (the patient/household as beneficiary)Pronounषष्ठी बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक ‘नः’ = ‘अस्माकम्/अस्मभ्यं’ प्रसङ्गानुसार)Role सम्प्रदान (हित-लाभ-सम्बन्धः) / सम्बन्धRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

देवी

the goddessO goddess; the herb personified as a divine agent of cureNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot देवी (प्रातिपदिक)

पृश्निपर्णि

O PṛśniparṇīO Pṛśniparṇī; the speckle-leaved medicinal plant invoked as a protective powerNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचन (विकल्पतः प्रथमा एकवचन; मन्त्रेषु सम्बोधन-प्रयोगः)Role सम्बोधनRoot पृश्निपर्णी (प्रातिपदिक; ओषधि-नाम)

अशम्

not-welfare, harmnon-harm; freedom from injury; a state of unimpaired healthIndeclinableअव्यय (निषेधार्थः)Role विशेषण-भाव (अपेक्षित-फलस्य निषेधः)Root अ-शम् (नञ्-पूर्वक अव्यय/भाव)

निरृत्याः

of Nirṛti (goddess of destruction/misfortune)from Nirṛti; from the power of dissolution, misfortune, and death-dealing calamityNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole अपादान/सम्बन्ध (यस्याः—तस्याः)Root निरृति (प्रातिपदिक)

अकः

harm, afflictiondo thou make; effect; accomplish (apotropaically: ‘ward off and set right’)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विषय (अनिष्ट-रूपः)Root अक (प्रातिपदिक; ‘अक’ = पीडा/दुःख/अनिष्ट)

उग्रा

fierce, powerfulfierce; potent; of strong medicinal/magical forceAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot उग्र (प्रातिपदिक)

हि

indeed, forfor indeed; emphatic particle grounding the claim of efficacyIndeclinableअव्यय (निपात; हेतौ/प्रमाणे)Role सम्बन्ध-निपातRoot हि (अव्यय)

कण्वजम्भनी

the ‘Kaṇva-crushing’ one (a powerful herb/goddess-epithet)‘crusher of the Kaṇvas’; a mythic epithet: the herb as one that breaks hostile sorcerers/afflictorsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (देव्याः/ओषधेः विशेष-नाम)Root कण्व-जम्भनी (समास-प्रातिपदिक; ‘कण्व’ + ‘जम्भनी’)

ताम्

herthat (herb); her—this very PṛśniparṇīPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

अभक्षि

I have eaten/consumedI have eaten/partaken; ritually ingested/applied (as medicine or consecrated draught)Verbलुङ् (आगम-रहितः), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अहं) + कर्म (ताम्)Root भक्ष् (धातु)

सहस्वतीम्

the mighty/strong onethe mighty one; she who has strength/overpowering capacity (to conquer disease and evil)Noun/Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्म (ताम् इत्यस्य विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन)Root सहस्वती (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• पृश्निपर्णि + अशम् → पृश्निपर्ण्यशम् (इ-य्-आदेशः)
• निरृत्याः + अकः (षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः; संहितायां विसर्ग-लोप/स्वर-परिवर्तनं वैदिक-प्रयोगानुसार)
• ताम् + अभक्षि → तामभक्षि (अनुस्वार/म् + अ-)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic tradition (herb-hymn seer; often transmitted under Atharvan/Angiras lineages—exact attribution depends on anukramaṇī).

Devata

Pṛśniparṇī (oṣadhi-devī), with apotropaic opposition to Nirṛti.

Chandas

Anuṣṭubh (probable; common for Atharvanic healing verses—confirmable by pada count in a critical edition).

Rasa

Shanta 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