Atharva Veda 6.21.1: Kanda 6, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 21, Mantra 1

Sukta 21

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

केशवर्धनी औषधिः। इ॒मा यास्ति॒स्रः पृ॑थि॒वीस्तासां॑ ह॒ भूमि॑रुत्त॒मा। तासा॒मधि॑ त्व॒चो अ॒हं भे॑ष॒जं समु॑ जग्रभम्

IAST Transliteration

keśavardhanī́ óṣadhiḥ | imā́ yā́s tisráḥ pṛthivī́s tāsā́ṃ ha bhū́mir uttamā́ | tāsā́m ádhi tváco aháṃ bheṣajáṃ sámu jagrabhám

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

The Hair-Increaser is a herb. Of these three earths, verily the soil is the highest; from their surface-skin have I wholly taken the remedy.

Translation

କେଶବର୍ଧନୀ ଏକ ଔଷଧି। ଏହି ତିନି ପୃଥିବୀମାନଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ସତ୍ୟକୁହିଲେ ଭୂମି ହିଁ ସର୍ବୋତ୍ତମ; ସେମାନଙ୍କର ତ୍ୱଚା-ସଦୃଶ ପୃଷ୍ଠଭାଗରୁ ମୁଁ ସମ୍ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ ଭାବେ ଏହି ଭେଷଜ (ଚିକିତ୍ସା) ଗ୍ରହଣ କରିଛି।

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Word by Word

• केशवर्धनी: hair-growing (herb), ‘Keshavardhanī’
• केशवर्धनी: Kartā (वाक्य-आरम्भ में नाम/विशेष्य) / विषय-निर्देशक
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: केश-वर्धनी (प्रातिपदिक; वर्ध्-धातु से निष्पन्न स्त्रीलिङ्ग) अथवा केशवर्धन- (विशेषण) + ई (स्त्री) प्रत्यय

• औषधिः: herb, medicinal plant
• औषधिः: Kartā (सम्बन्ध-वाक्य में विधेय/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: औषधि- (प्रातिपदिक)

• इमाः: these
• इमाः: Kartā (याः… तिस्रः… इमाः = ‘these’ as subject)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• याः: which (who/that)
• याः: Kartā (सम्बन्धवाक्य-प्रवर्तक)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम)

• तिस्रः: three
• तिस्रः: Kartā-विशेषण (पृथिवीः का विशेषण)
• Type: Numeral/Adjective
• Root: त्रि- (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)

• पृथिवीः: earths, worlds (earth-realms)
• पृथिवीः: Kartā (सम्बन्धवाक्य का मुख्य कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी- (प्रातिपदिक)

• तासाम्: of those (of them)
• तासाम्: सम्बन्ध (genitive; ‘of them’)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: — (वाक्य-सम्बन्धक/बल-प्रदर्शक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (निपात)

• भूमिः: the earth, ground
• भूमिः: Kartā (तासाम्… भूमिः = ‘the earth is…’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूमि- (प्रातिपदिक)

• उत्तमा: highest, best
• उत्तमा: Kartā-विशेषण (भूमिः का विधेय-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उत्तम- (विशेषण; ‘उद्’ उपसर्ग + तमप्/तम)

• तासाम्: of those (of them)
• तासाम्: सम्बन्ध (genitive; ‘of them’)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• अधि: upon, over
• अधि: Adhikaraṇa-सूचक (locative sense: ‘upon/over’)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय; here as preverb/preposition)

• त्वचः: of the skin; of the bark (of the plant)
• त्वचः: सम्बन्ध (genitive; ‘of the skin/bark’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वच्- (प्रातिपदिक)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Kartā (जग्रभम् का कर्ता)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम)

• भेषजम्: remedy, medicine
• भेषजम्: Karma (जग्रभम् का कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भेषज- (प्रातिपदिक)

• समु: together, completely (as preverb)
• समु: — (क्रिया-विशेषक; ‘completely/together’)
• Type: Indeclinable (preverb)
• Root: सम् (उपसर्ग) + उ (वैदिक उपसर्ग-रूप; ‘समु’ = ‘सम्’ का वैदिक रूप)

• जग्रभम्: I have seized/taken (I took up)
• जग्रभम्: Kriyā (मुख्य क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) [परस्मैपद]; उपसर्ग: सम्- (समु)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic seer tradition for oṣadhi hymns (often anonymous/collective in later indices).

Devata: Oṣadhi (the herb) and Bhūmi/Pṛthivī as source of medicinal power.

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh tendencies with prose-like opening label; metrical classification varies due to the initial rubric-like phrase.

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: adbhuta