Atharva Veda 2.32.2: Kanda 2, Anuvaka 4, Sukta 32, Mantra 2
Sukta 32
वि॒श्वरू॑पं चतुर॒क्षं क्रिमिं॑ सा॒रङ्ग॒मर्जु॑नम्। शृ॒णाम्य॑स्य पृ॒ष्टीरपि॑ वृश्चामि॒ यच्छिरः॑
viśvárūpaṃ caturakṣáṃ krímiṃ sāráṅgam árjunam | śṛṇā́my asya pṛṣṭī́r ápi vṛścāmi yác chíraḥ ||
The worm, all-formed, four-eyed, the speckled, the pale,—him I shatter: his ribs I break; yea, I cut away that head of his.
Robaka o wielu postaciach, czterookiego, cętkowanego, bladego - jego kruszę: jego żebra łamię, tak, odcinam jego głowę.
The meaning
What it says
The worm is described as ‘all-formed,’ ‘four-eyed,’ speckled and pale. The speaker shatters it, breaks its ribs, and cuts off its head.
The inner meaning
Monstrous description externalizes fear/disgust into an image that can be attacked. The violent dismemberment is a therapeutic script: break the parasite’s structure (hold), remove its ‘head’ (command center), and end its agency within the body.
The truth in it
To end a recurring affliction, confront it clearly and disable its capacity to return—dismantle the system, not just the symptom.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Bhaisajya (Healing) / Apotropaic (anti-parasitic)
Its aim
Expulsion and destruction of disease-worms (krimi), ensuring they are broken, cut, and rendered incapable of returning.
Word by Word
Pada patha
वि॒श्व-रू॑पम् । चतुर्-अ॒क्षम् । क्रिमि॑म् । सा॒रङ्ग॑म् । अर्जु॑नम् । शृ॒णामि॑ । अ॒स्य॒ । पृ॒ष्टीः । अ॒पि॒ । वृ॒श्चा॒मि॒ । यत् । शिरः॑
- विश्व-रूपम्
- all-formed, of every formof all-forms, protean; the worm appearing in manifold shapes (hence hard to detect), yet to be mastered by the spellAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot विश्व-रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
- चतुर्-अक्षम्
- four-eyedfour-eyed; a marked, uncanny creature (a demonized parasite), singled out for excisionAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot चतुर्-अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
- कृमिम्
- worm; parasiteNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot कृमि (प्रातिपदिक)
- सारङ्गम्
- sāraṅga (a kind of deer / name used for a creature)spotted, deer-like/variegated; an epithet describing the worm’s mottled appearance (and thus its identifiable ‘body’ for ritual targeting)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot सारङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
- अर्जुनम्
- Arjuna; ‘the white/bright one’ (name/epithet)white/bright (arjuna); the pale worm (or pale-headed parasite), named to fix it by speech and render it vulnerableNoun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot अर्जुन (प्रातिपदिक)
- शृणामि
- I crush / I breakI break, I shatter; performative utterance of crushing/fragmenting the parasite’s powerVerbलट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot √शॄ (शृणाति) / √शॄ (to break, crush, destroy)
- अस्य
- of it; of this (creature)of it, of this (worm); deictic fixation of the targetPronounषष्ठी, एकवचन (पुं/नपुं)Role सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- पृष्ठीः
- backs; ridges (lit. ‘back-parts’)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot पृष्ठि (प्रातिपदिक)
- अपि
- also; moreoveralso, moreover; intensifier—complete destruction, not partialIndeclinableअव्ययRoot अपि (अव्यय)
- वृश्चामि
- I cut offI cut off, I hew away; surgical-magical severing (as with a blade or sharp grass)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot √व्रश्च् (वृश्चति) / √वृश्च् (to cut off)
- यत्
- that whichthat which, namely; specifying the decisive partPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (सम्बन्ध-प्रयोगः: ‘that which’)Role कर्म (of वृश्चामि)Root यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- शिरः
- headhead; the worm’s ‘head’ as seat of life/agency—removal ensures death and non-returnNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot शिरस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- विश्वरूपं चतुरक्षं क्रिमिं सारङ्गम् अर्जुनम् । शृणामि अस्य पृष्ठीः अपि वृश्चामि यत् शिरः ।
- 1) शृणाम्यस्य = शृणामि + अस्य (इ + अ → य्, संधिः)
- 2) पृष्ठीरपि = पृष्ठीः + अपि (विसर्गलोपः/रुत्व-प्रयोगः पदपाठे ‘पृष्ठीः अपि’)
- 3) यच्छिरः = यत् + शिरः (त् + श् → च्छ्, परसवर्ण/व्यञ्जनसंधिः)
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic tradition (often attributed generically within krimi-hymn corpora; specific r̥ṣi assignment depends on Anukramaṇī tradition).
- Devata
- Krimi (the worm) as the addressed/target entity; the operative power is the Atharvanic brahman (spell-force).
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh (4 pādas of 8 syllables; Atharvanic norm for practical charms).
- Rasa
- Raudra and Vira
Sāyaṇa glosses krimi as a disease-causing worm (external or internal), treated here as a quasi-demonic agent. The epithets (viśvarūpa, caturakṣa, sāraṅga, arjuna) are taken as descriptive ‘marks’ by which the unseen is made graspable to speech; naming is binding. ‘Ribs/back’ (pṛṣṭīḥ) are explained as the supports of the creature’s body; ‘head’ is the principal seat of vitality—its severance signifies total neutralization. The verbs śṛṇāmi/vṛścāmi are performative: the mantra itself effects crushing and cutting, even if the physical act is symbolic.
Anukramaṇī-variant / Atharvanic krimi-corpus (specific ṛṣi uncertain for this single verse)
Fierce apotropaic bhaiṣajya: aggressive, cutting language to destroy disease-agents (krimi) through symbolic dismemberment.
The Āṅgirasa strand supplies the ‘fierce medicine’: violence in speech as a controlled therapeutic tool against invasive life-forms.
Krimi (target) + Cutting/Brahman-force (operative)
Embodies invasive multiplicity and stealth; the mantra counters by rendering it visible and vulnerable through naming and symbolic violence.
Mantra-as-weapon: shattering, breaking, decapitating—ritual analog of deworming/clearing infestation.
Prevents return by ‘decapitation’ (ending command/reproduction).
8+8+8+8
Strong caesura after descriptive epithets; second half packed with verbs—typical charm anuṣṭubh with action-dense closure.
Two-beat: description (identify) → destruction (act).
Names ‘fix’ the target; verbs ‘execute’ it—listeners feel a clean transition from fear to control.
Prepare a small quantity of water (or a medicinal mixture) for the patient; alternatively, prepare a morsel of food to be consumed.
Seat the patient; the Atharvan priest faces the patient and identifies the affliction as krimi.
Recite the mantra while making a cutting gesture in the air over the patient’s abdomen/affected area, as if severing the worm’s ‘head’ and ‘ribs’.
Optionally touch a blade, reed, or sharp kuśa-tip to the vessel’s rim or to the patient’s skin (non-injuring), synchronizing the ‘cutting’ verb (vṛścāmi).
Have the patient drink the water (or eat the prepared morsel), transferring the mantra’s destructive force inward against internal parasites.
Dispose of remnants (water dregs/food scraps) away from the dwelling, symbolically sending the krimi out.
Kauśika Sūtra: krimi-nāśana (worm-destruction) procedures; applied in the cluster of rites for expelling krimi with recitation over water/food and symbolic cutting (exact numbering varies by edition).
Atharvan/Brahman as healer-exorcist: identifies the krimi, performs the verbal ‘binding and cutting,’ and administers the charged medium (water/food) to effect internal purgation.
Recite while preparing/administrating a deworming remedy; may accompany symbolic cutting gesture over water/food or near the patient’s abdomen.
At onset; repeated over several days; often morning before meals.
Atharvan healer may lead; household head can perform with instruction.
KauśS: krimi-nāśana rites with cutting/binding gestures and water/herb administrations (edition-dependent for AVŚ 2.32).
Use as a focused ‘anti-invasion’ affirmation alongside clinical treatment.
Cutting implement (knife/razor) or sharp grass used as a symbolic ‘cutter’; Water for rinsing/ablution (common in krimi-removal rites); Amulet-thread or binding cord (to ‘bind’ and expel the krimi, per Atharvanic practice)
Implied: binding thread/cord sometimes used in krimi rites (not in verse, but common Atharvanic technique).
Implied cleansing/rinsing in krimi expulsion rites (not explicit here).
The ‘cutter’ symbolizes decisive intervention. Even when no tool is used, vāc itself becomes the blade—speech that separates health from infestation.
Krimi (worms/parasites), possibly including visible worms and broader vermin imagery.
Implicit internal body; no specific organ named.
Apotropaic dismemberment imagery to ‘break’ infestation; supports physical measures (herbs, purgation, hygiene).
Krimi-roga; ‘arjuna/pale’ can align with depletion (dhātu-kṣaya) seen in chronic infestation.
Targeted anti-parasitic therapy; ‘cutting off the head’ parallels eliminating lifecycle stages and preventing reinfection.
Krimi as disease-agent
Destroy parasites by symbolic shattering and decapitation; ensure incapacity to persist or return.
Diagnostic epithet-chain (naming as capture) + violent verbs (speech-as-weapon) + implied cutting implement as ritual prop.
Persistent infestation, relapse
Health and strength; protection of household vitality
- विश्व-रूपम् (viśva-rūpam)
- protean disease; many presentations/diagnoses
- चतुर्-अक्षम् (catur-akṣam)
- hyper-vigilant threat; the sense of being watched/haunted
- क्रिमिम् (krimim)
- intruder, internal devourer
- सारङ्गम् (sāraṅgam)
- mixed symptoms; spotted manifestations
- अर्जुनम् (arjunam)
- draining vitality; pallor/anemia association
- शृणामि (śṛṇāmi)
- break entrenched pattern
- पृष्टीः (pṛṣṭīḥ)
- support-structures of the affliction
- वृश्चामि (vṛścāmi)
- surgical severing; decisive boundary-making
- शिरः (śiraḥ)
- source of control/reproduction; root node
Cutting through invasive patterns (physical or mental): identify, name, dismantle.
maṇipūra (inner fire)
Ujjāyī with a firm exhale on the destructive verbs (mentally if gentle practice is needed).
A bright blade of sound cutting dark threads; the ‘head’ (root) dissolves into light; abdomen becomes clear and warm.
Fearless, concentrated, boundary-affirming.
Channel raudra into disciplined action: combine mantra with diet/hygiene and medical compliance; avoid turning aggression outward toward people.
Make the epithet chain (viśvarūpaṃ… arjunam) smooth; strike the verbs (śṛṇāmi, vṛścāmi) with crisp emphasis.
Slight pause after ‘arjunam’; then accelerate slightly through the action verbs to convey execution.
Forceful but controlled; not shouted.
Often paired with a symbolic cutting gesture; if performed gently, keep the gesture minimal and intention-focused.
3 times
Deworming period; feeling ‘invaded’ by recurring illness patterns.
Before taking prescribed/approved deworming medicine; during household cleaning to prevent reinfection.
Increased resolve and adherence to treatment; traditional sense of ‘breaking the cycle.’
Do not replace medical care; avoid unsafe folk purgatives; seek pediatric guidance for children.
This verse itself foregrounds ‘cutting’ and ‘shattering’ rather than naming a specific herb; the botanical/medical medium (water, food, or a plant-based mixture) functions as a carrier for the mantra’s agency. In Atharvanic therapeutics, the substance is often secondary to the performative speech-act: the plant or vehicle becomes efficacious by being ‘informed’ with the verbal operation (śṛṇāmi, vṛścāmi). Where sharp grasses or reeds are used, they concretize the metaphor of severance—turning linguistic violence into a controlled, non-lethal ritual technology.
The healer-priest’s authority is enacted through specialized speech that names, classifies, and annihilates an otherwise invisible affliction. The patient is largely passive; efficacy is mediated by the Atharvan’s ritual competence. The worm is also ‘demonized’ (four-eyed, protean), aligning illness with hostile agency and legitimating priestly intervention as both medical and apotropaic governance within the household.
The diction is characteristically Atharvanic in its direct, coercive performatives (first-person present: śṛṇāmi, vṛścāmi) aimed at a concrete target (krimi). Compared to many Rigvedic hymns’ praise-and-request structure, this is an operational utterance: naming plus immediate destruction. The piling of epithets (viśvarūpa, caturakṣa, sāraṅga, arjuna) functions as a technical ‘diagnostic’ catalogue—an Atharvanic tendency toward classificatory, quasi-clinical description in service of ritual control.
In the Gopatha’s Atharvanic theology, efficacy is grounded in brahman as a force that, when correctly deployed, compels realities—especially in domestic crises (disease, impurity, hostile beings). A krimi-charm’s success is thus not merely pharmacological but juridical-cosmic: the worm is ‘sentenced’ by true speech. The mantra’s precision (naming, specifying body-parts, declaring severance) exemplifies the principle that articulated form (nāman + kriyā) binds and overcomes harmful agencies.
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