Atharva Veda 13.2.12: Kanda 13, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 12

Sukta 2

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

दि॒वि त्वात्त्रि॑रधारय॒त् सूर्या॒ मासा॑य॒ कर्त॑वे । स ए॑षि॒ सुधृ॑त॒स्तप॒न् विश्वा॑ भू॒ताव॒चाक॑शत्

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 13.2.12

IAST Transliteration

diví tvā́t trír adhārayat sū́ryā mā́sāya kártave | sá éṣi sudhṛ́tas tápan víśvā bhūtā́vacā́kaśat ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

In heaven they set thee fast, O Sūrya, thrice over, to make the month its course. Thou goest, firmly stayed, burning; thou hast made all beings visible below.

Translation

ଦିବିରେ ତୁମକୁ, ହେ ସୂର୍ୟ, ତିନିଥର ଦୃଢ଼ଭାବେ ସ୍ଥାପିତ କଲେ—ମାସ ତାହାର ଗତି କରିବା ପାଇଁ। ତୁମେ ସୁଧୃତ (ଦୃଢ଼) ହୋଇ ଗମନ କର; ତପିତ ହୋଇ ଦହୁଛ; ତୁମେ ତଳେ ଥିବା ସମସ୍ତ ଭୂତକୁ ଦୃଶ୍ୟ କରିଦେଲ।

The meaning

What it says

In heaven they fixed Sūrya thrice to make the month’s course; he goes firmly set, burning, making all beings visible below.

The inner meaning

Stability enables illumination: when the mind is ‘fixed’ (dhṛta), its heat (tapas/tejas) reveals what was hidden—bringing unconscious content into awareness.

The truth in it

Time and visibility depend on steadfast order; what is steady can illuminate and protect.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Paustika (Prosperity) / Apotropaic (Protective) with cosmological-theological framing

Its aim

To secure orderly time, visibility, and the Sun’s protective radiance—thereby repelling concealed harms and stabilizing communal well-being.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

दि॒वि । त्वा॒त् । त्रिः॑ । अ॒धा॒र॒य॒त् । सू॒र्य॒ । मा॒सा॒य॒ । कर्त॑वे । सः । ए॒षि॒ । सु॒धृ॑तः । त॒प॒न् । विश्वा॑ । भू॒ता । अ॒व॒चाक॑शत् ।

दिवि

in heaven, in the skyin heaven; in the celestial region (seat of the Sun’s ordinance)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot दिव् (प्रातिपदिक: द्यौ/दिव्)

त्वा

you (as object)Pronounद्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

त्रिः

thricethrice; in threefold fashion (often read as three stations/three times)Indeclinableअव्यय; क्रियाविशेषणRoot त्रिः (अव्यय)

अधारयत्

(he) placed/held (up), supportedhe/it set, upheld, established (fixed in place by cosmic order)Verbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद; प्रथमा एकवचनRoot धृ (धारणे) + अधि-

सूर्यः

the SunNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्ताRoot सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)

मासाय

for a monthfor the month; for monthly reckoning (time-measure)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot मास (प्रातिपदिक)

कर्तवे

to do, to maketo make, to effect, to accomplish (to ‘do’ the month, i.e., produce its course)Verbal noun (infinitive)तुमुन्-अर्थे दातिव्/चतुर्थी एकवचन (वैदिक: -तवे)Role प्रयोजन (उद्देश्य)Root कृ (करणे) → कर्तृ (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)

सः

hehe; that very one (the Sun)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्ताRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

एषि

goes, moves onthou goest; thou movest onward (regular solar motion)Verbलट्; मध्यम?—न, प्रथमा एकवचन (वैदिक: ‘एषि’ = ‘एति/एषति’ प्रकारः)Root इ (गत्यर्थ) / एष् (गत्यर्थ) (वैदिक प्रयोग)

सुधृतः

well-held, firmly supportedAdjective (past participle)पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्ता-विशेषणRoot सु- + धृ (धारणे) → धृत (कृदन्त)

तपन्

heating, shiningheating, burning; shining with heat (curative/repellent brilliance)Adjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्ता-विशेषणRoot तप् (सन्तापे/दीप्तौ) → तपत् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)

विश्वाः

allAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन (भूताः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्म-विशेषणRoot विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)

भूताः

beings, creaturesNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot भूत (भू-धातोः क्त) (प्रातिपदिक)

अचाकशत्

(he) made (them) shine / illuminedVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद; प्रथमा एकवचनRoot कश्/काश् (दीप्तौ) + आ- (वैदिक: चकास/चकाश्) → अचाकशत्

Sandhi Notes

• पदच्छेदः: दिवि | त्वा | त्रिः | अधारयत् | सूर्यः | मासाय | कर्तवे || सः | एषि | सुधृतः | तपन् | विश्वाः | भूताः | अचाकशत् ।
• 1) ‘दिवि त्वा’ इत्यत्र संधिः न विशेषः (इ-त् संयोगः)।
• 2) ‘त्वात्त्रिः’ पाठे ‘त्वा त्रिः’ इति पदच्छेदः
• दीर्घस्वरानन्तरं तकारस्य द्वित्व/उच्चारण-प्रभावेन ‘त्वात्त्रिः’ इति संहितापाठः।
• 3) ‘स एषि’ इत्यत्र ‘सः’ + ‘एषि’ → ‘स एषि’ (विसर्गलोपः स्वरादौ)।
• 4) ‘भूतावचाकशत्’ पाठे ‘भूताः अचाकशत्’ → ‘भूताऽचाकशत्’ (अः + अ → आ; संहितायां दीर्घः), देवनागरी-लिप्यन्तरे ‘भूतावचाकशत्’ इति दृश्यते।

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Traditionally associated with Sūrya/Āditya stuti strata in AV 13; exact r̥ṣi assignment varies by anukramaṇī tradition.

Devata

Sūrya (Āditya) as regulator of time and revealer (cakṣus).

Chandas

Anuṣṭubh (predominant in this section).

Rasa

Shanta and Adbhuta

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