Atharva Veda 3.12.8: Kanda 3, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 12, Mantra 8

Sukta 12

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

पू॒र्णं ना॑रि॒ प्र भ॑र कु॒म्भमे॒तं घृ॒तस्य॒ धारा॑म॒मृते॑न॒ संभृ॑ताम्। इ॒मां पा॒तॄन॒मृते॑ना॒ सम॑ङ्ग्धीष्टापू॒र्तम॒भि र॑क्षात्येनाम्

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 3.12.8

IAST Transliteration

pūrṇáṁ nā́ri prá bhara kúmbham etáṁ ghṛtásya dhā́rām amṛ́tena sámbhṛtām | imā́ṁ pātṝ́n amṛ́tena sám aṅdhi iṣṭāpūrtám abhí rakṣāty enām ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Bring forth, O woman, this jar filled full—its stream of ghee, with amṛta duly gathered. With amṛta anoint the guardians: merit of sacrifice and gift shall guard her round about.

Translation

Wynieś, o niewiasto, ten dzban w pełni napełniony, jego strumień klarowanego masła, z amritą należycie zebraną. Namaszcz amritą strażników: zasługa ofiary i daru niech ją chroni dookoła.

The meaning

What it says

A woman is instructed to bring forward a completely full jar/kalasha whose flowing stream is ghee, gathered/charged with amṛta. With that amṛta she is to anoint the pātr̥/guardians; the accrued merit of sacrifice and gifting (iṣṭāpūrta) is invoked as a surrounding protection for “her” (the woman/household/installed presence).

The inner meaning

Fullness (pūrṇam) is cultivated deliberately: one brings the “vessel of consciousness” forward, fills it with sustaining clarity (ghṛta), and charges it with death-averting confidence (amṛta). Anointing the “guardians” externalizes inner boundaries: protective habits, vows, and social/ritual supports become lubricated and steady. Iṣṭāpūrta functions psychologically as moral capital—felt safety arising from remembered right action.

The truth in it

Protection is strengthened when material nourishment, sacred intention, and ethical merit converge: abundance is not only possessed, it is installed and maintained through consecration and reciprocity.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Paustika (Prosperity) / Rakṣoghna (Protective)

Its aim

To install fullness and death-averting consecration in the house via a ghee/amṛta jar; to anoint protectors and secure protection through iṣṭāpūrta merit.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

पू॒र्णम् । ना॒रि॒ । प्र । भ॒र । कु॒म्भम् । ए॒तम् । घृ॒तस्य॑ । धारा॑म् । अ॒मृते॑न । सं॒भृ॑ताम् । इ॒माम् । पा॒तॄन् । अ॒मृते॑न । सम् । अ॒ङ्ग्धि॒ । इ॒ष्टा॒पू॒र्तम् । अ॒भि । र॒क्षा॒ति॒ । ए॒ना॒म्

पूर्णम्

full, filledfull, filled; ritually ‘complete’ and auspiciously repleteAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्म (भर-क्रियायाः)Root पूर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) < √पॄ (पूरणे)

नारि

O womanO woman; the female householder/ritual agent (bringer of prosperity)Noun (vocative)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole (सम्बोधन) कर्तृ-प्रेरणासम्बन्धःRoot नारी (प्रातिपदिक)

प्र

forth, forwardforth; in forward offering/presentationIndeclinableउपसर्ग (भर-धातोः)Role क्रियाविशेषणRoot प्र (उपसर्ग)

भर

bring, carrybring, bear; carry in for installationVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole (आज्ञा) क्रियाRoot √भृ (भरणे)

कुम्भम्

jar, potjar; consecration-vesselNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्मRoot कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)

एतम्

thisthis; the present jarPronoun (demonstrative)पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole विशेषण (कुम्भम्) / कर्म-संबन्धRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

घृतस्य

of gheeof ghee; clarified butter as life-sap and sacrificial essenceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (धाराम्) / षष्ठी-सम्बन्धRoot घृत (प्रातिपदिक)

धाराम्

stream, flowstream/pour; a flowing measure (continuous auspicious supply)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (सम्भृताम्—‘भरिताम्’ इत्यर्थे) / लक्ष्यRoot धारा (प्रातिपदिक)

अमृतेन

with ambrosia; with immortality (nectar)with amṛta (immortality-substance); here: consecrated, death-warding potencyNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)

सम्भृताम्

collected, filled, heaped upParticiple (past passive)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (धाराम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्म-विशेषण (धाराम्) / परिणाम-भावRoot सम् + √भृ (भरणे) → सम्भृत (कृदन्त)

इमाम्

thisthis (fem.); the woman/house/rite-object in view (contextually the woman addressed or the house’s fortune)Pronoun (demonstrative)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (समङ्ग्धि-क्रियायाः)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

पातॄन्

the fathers; ancestorsprotectors/guardians; also ‘patrons’ (those who guard the house/lineage)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्म (समङ्ग्धि-क्रियायाः) / लक्ष्यRoot पितृ (प्रातिपदिक; वैदिक रूप: पातृ)

अमृतेन

with ambrosia; with nectarwith amṛta; with deathless consecrationNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole करणRoot अमृत (प्रातिपदिक)

समङ्ग्धि

anoint, smear together; consecrateVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (वैदिक रूप)Role क्रियाRoot सम् + √अञ्ज् (अञ्जने/लेपने) → समङ्क्ति/समङ्धि (वैदिक)

इष्टापूर्तम्

merit from sacrifices and charitable worksiṣṭāpūrta (merit of sacrifices and charitable works); accumulated religious capital protecting the householdNoun (collective) / Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (रक्षाति-क्रियायाः) / रक्षणीयम्Root इष्टापूर्त (प्रातिपदिक; द्वन्द्व/समाहार: इष्ट + आपूर्त)

अभि

towards, overtoward, over; in protective coveringIndeclinableउपसर्ग (रक्षाति-धातोः)Role क्रियाविशेषणRoot अभि (उपसर्ग)

रक्षाति

protectsprotects, guards; wards off harmVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot √रक्ष् (रक्षणे)

एनाम्

her; this (woman)her/this one; the woman/household-fortune being protectedPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole कर्म (रक्षाति-क्रियायाः)Root एना (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक; ‘इमाम्’ इत्यर्थे)

Sandhi Notes

• पूर्णम् | नारि | प्र | भर | कुम्भम् | एतम् | घृतस्य | धाराम् | अमृतेन | सम्भृताम् || इमाम् | पातॄन् | अमृतेन | समङ्ग्धि | इष्टापूर्तम् | अभि | रक्षाति | एनाम् ।
• 1) कुम्भम्+एतम् → कुम्भमे॒तं (अनुस्वार-सन्धि/व्यञ्जन-सन्धि)
• 2) धारा॑म्+अमृते॑न → धाराम॒मृते॑न (स्वर-सन्धि: आ + अ → आ; लेखने ‘म’ परसवर्ण/अनुस्वार-प्रवृत्तिः)
• 3) अमृते॑न+सम्भृ॑ताम् → अमृते॑न॒ संभृ॑ताम् (पदसीमा-स्वरविन्यासः; सन्ध्यभावः न्यूनः)
• 4) इमाम्+पातॄन् → इमां पा॒तॄन् (अनुस्वारः)
• 5) अमृतेन+समङ्ग्धि → अमृतेना समङ्ग्धि (आ + अ → आ; लेखने ‘अमृतेना’)
• 6) अभि+रक्षाति → अभि रक्षाति (सन्धिः न आवश्यकः; पदविरामे पृथक्)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic domestic tradition (anukramaṇī attribution varies)

Devata

Amṛta / Ghṛta as consecratory power; Gṛha-protection (implicit)

Chandas

Triṣṭubh (two long pādas with domestic-ritual diction)

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