Atharva Veda 3.14.4: Kanda 3, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 14, Mantra 4
Sukta 14
इ॒हैव गा॑व॒ एत॑ने॒हो शके॑व पुष्यत । इ॒हैवोत प्र जा॑यध्वं॒ मयि॑ सं॒ज्ञान॑मस्तु वः
iháiva gā́va étanéhó śakéva puṣyata | iháiva utá prá jāyadhvaṃ máyi saṃjñā́nam astu vaḥ ||
Hither, even here, O cows, come ye; here, with Śakra’s might, do ye thrive. Here, even here, moreover, bring ye forth; in me let there be concord among you.
Tu, właśnie tutaj, o krowy, przybywajcie; tutaj, z mocą Śakry, rozkwitajcie. Tu, właśnie tutaj, ponadto, wydajcie na świat; niech między wami zapanuje zgoda we mnie.
The meaning
What it says
The cows are commanded to come here and stay; to thrive with Śakra’s (Indra’s) power; to reproduce here; and to maintain concord with the sacrificer as the focal point.
The inner meaning
Anchoring and retention: ‘iháiva’ fixes attention and resources to the present place and purpose. Indra/Śakra signifies assertive vitality; ‘pra jāyadhvam’ is creativity and renewal. ‘Saṃjñānam’ asks for shared understanding—no inner parts at war with the whole.
The truth in it
Growth requires localization (a safe base), vigor, renewal, and shared understanding; without concord, even abundance becomes unstable.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Paustika (Prosperity) / Go-prasava (Cattle fertility)
Its aim
To keep cows localized in the cowshed, make them thrive strongly, and ensure reproduction; to maintain herd-cohesion under the sacrificer’s control.
Word by Word
Pada patha
इह । एव । गावः । एतन । इह । उ । शकेव । पुष्यत । इह । एव । उत । प्र । जायध्वम् । मयि । संज्ञानम् । अस्तु । वः ।
- इह
- hereIndeclinableस्थानवाचक अव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot इह (अव्यय)
- एव
- indeed, justindeed; just (emphatic restriction: ‘right here’)Indeclinableनिश्चय/अवधारणार्थक अव्ययRoot एव (अव्यय)
- गावः
- cowsO cows (direct address; wealth and nourishment embodied)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; बहुवचनRole KartāRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- एतने
- these twoPronoun(पुं/नपुं); द्वितीया; द्विवचन (एतौ/एते इत्यस्य वैदिक-रूप)Role KarmaRoot एत (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- इह
- hereIndeclinableस्थानवाचक अव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot इह (अव्यय)
- उ
- and/also (emphatic particle)and; also (enclitic connective)Indeclinableवैदिक निपात (उद्गार/अनुनासिक-बल/समुच्चयार्थ)Root उ (निपात)
- शक
- be able, have powerVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRoot शक् (धातु)
- इव
- as if, likeIndeclinableउपमार्थक अव्ययRoot इव (अव्यय)
- पुष्यत
- thrive, prosper, be nourishedthrive; wax; grow fat (prosper, yield milk/offspring)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपदRoot पुष् (धातु)
- इह
- hereIndeclinableस्थानवाचक अव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot इह (अव्यय)
- एव
- indeedindeed; just hereIndeclinableअवधारणार्थक अव्ययRoot एव (अव्यय)
- उत
- and alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चय/अपि-अर्थक निपातRoot उत (निपात)
- प्र
- forth, forward (prefix)forth; forward (productive emergence—birth/increase)Indeclinableउपसर्ग (प्र-)Root प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- जायध्वम्
- be born, come into being (multiply)be born; bring forth (2nd pl. middle; reproduce, calve)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); मध्यमपुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदRoot जन् (धातु) + प्र
- मयि
- in mein me; on me (the sacrificer/officiant as prosperity-anchor)Pronounसप्तमी; एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- संज्ञानम्
- agreement, concord, common understandingaccord, recognition, harmonious agreement (social/animal cohesion; non-straying)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole KartāRoot सं-ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्तु
- let there beVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot अस् (धातु)
- वः
- for you / of youfor you; among you (2nd pl.; the herd’s internal cohesion)Pronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी; बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role SampradānaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- इह एव गावः एतने इह उ शक इव पुष्यत । इह एव उत प्र जायध्वम् मयि संज्ञानम् अस्तु वः । Sandhi:
- (1) इहैव = इह + एव (स्वर-सन्धि: अ + ए → ऐ)
- (2) एतने॒हो = एतने + इह (अ + इ → ए; लिखित रूप में ‘एहो’)
- (3) शके॑व = शक + इव (अ + इ → ए)
- (4) इहैवोत = इह + एव + उत (इहैव + उत; ‘एवोत’ में ए + उ → ओ)
- (5) प्रजा॑यध्वम् = प्र + जायध्वम् (उपसर्ग-संयोग; ‘प्र’ पृथक् अव्यय)
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic tradition (not specified in excerpt)
- Devata
- Cows; Indra/Śakra as vigor-bestower (implicit)
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh (probable)
- Rasa
- Vira and Shanta
Sāyaṇa construes the repeated iháiva as niyama—restriction to the cowshed so the herd does not wander. śakéva is ‘with Indra-like power,’ i.e., robust thriving and victorious increase. prá jāyadhvam is explicit reproductive prosperity. saṃjñānam is mutual recognition/accord—cows remain together and obedient; ‘mayi’ again makes the sacrificer the stabilizing centre.
Unknown (AVŚ 3.14 cattle-prosperity unit)
Paustika stabilization and increase of cattle: localization, thriving, and breeding; use of Indraic vigor for herd-strength.
Frames the householder as the organizing ‘center’ (mayi) for concord—typical Atharvanic domestic sovereignty over prosperity through speech and boundary.
Gāvaḥ (Cows) with implicit Indra/Śakra; Saṃjñāna (Concord) as functional power
Indraic vigor energizes growth; cows represent productive abundance; concord ensures that abundance remains organized and reproductive rather than chaotic.
Indirect veterinary health: thriving and reproduction imply resistance to wasting and infertility.
Protects against dispersal and reproductive failure; maintains herd order centered on the owner/ritual head.
4 pādas of ~8 syllables; repeated ‘iha eva’ creates a strong metrical anchor.
Repetition and enclitics (u/ota) may create slight syllabic elasticity typical of AV domestic charms.
Anchoring refrain (‘iháiva’) + vigorous imperative (‘puṣyata’, ‘jāyadhvam’).
Creates a ‘stay here’ sonic tether; energizes thriving and fertility intentions.
Recite at the cowshed while beckoning the cows inward (‘etan’), repeating gestures that indicate ‘here only’ (pointing to ground/stall).
At ‘puṣyata,’ provide fodder/salt or water as the concrete enactment of thriving.
At ‘prā jāyadhvam,’ touch or indicate pregnant cows/calfing area, marking reproductive intent.
At ‘mayi saṃjñānam astu vaḥ,’ touch the sacrificer (chest/head) and then the herd-leader/rope, signifying cohesion anchored in the officiant.
Kauśika Sūtra: goṣṭha-stability and cattle-increase rites (general alignment; exact numbering varies by edition).
Atharvan/householder: directs localization, administers feeding/watering, and ritually ‘anchors’ herd concord to himself as ritual-economic head.
Recite while closing the cowshed gate/threshold; optionally while touching the enclosure posts; repeat during breeding season or after acquiring new cattle to ‘settle’ them.
At stalling time; at the start of breeding season; on auspicious days for herd rites.
Householder; Atharvanic priest if performed as a formal paustika rite.
KauśS: AVŚ 3.14 commonly employed in cattle-stalling/prosperity rites (exact sūtra numbering varies).
Use as a ‘settling’ chant when relocating animals to a new shed/farm, paired with gradual acclimatization.
Cows (gāvaḥ); Indra/Śakra power (śakéva) as vigor; Cowshed localization (iháiva)
The key ‘substance’ is place itself—‘here’ as a charged enclosure. Indraic ‘strength’ is treated as transferable potency that makes life thrive and reproduce.
General decline and infertility risk in cattle (non-specific); stress/dispersal as contributing factors.
Stabilization + vigor invocation: grounding (‘iháiva’) reduces loss/stress; Indraic power symbolizes strengthening; concord reduces injury/conflict within herd.
Puṣṭi/ojas increase; fertility as śukra/garbha continuity (by analogy) in veterinary framing.
Herd management for reproductive success: secure housing, reduced stress, consistent nutrition; monitoring fertility and calving outcomes.
Herd within the goṣṭha and the owner’s prosperity-field.
Keep cattle localized; make them thrive strongly; ensure reproduction; establish herd concord under the sacrificer’s center.
Bandhana/niyama through deictic anchoring (‘iha eva’) and command; empowerment via Indra/Śakra epithet; concord installation (‘saṃjñānam’).
Straying, theft/predation due to dispersal, wasting/weakness, infertility, herd conflict.
Cattle increase, milk yield, calves, stable ownership.
- इह एव (iha eva)
- grounding; containment; anti-flight/anti-loss
- शकेव (śakéva)
- Indraic vigor; resilience; capacity to overcome decline
- पुष्यत (puṣyata)
- increase of puṣṭi/ojas; robust productivity
- प्र जायध्वम् (pra jāyadhvam)
- renewal, creativity, continuity of lineage/stock
- संज्ञानम् (saṃjñānam)
- shared mind; coordinated behavior; herd/household coherence
- मयि (mayi)
- the gṛhapati as ‘center’ where prosperity is held and ordered
Grounding and retention: establish a stable inner ‘here’ where energies gather and cooperate.
muladhara
Square breathing (4-4-4-4) while mentally repeating ‘ihaiva’ to anchor attention.
Visualize roots from the feet into the earth; a protective boundary around home/body; within it, life-force multiplying (calves/seed imagery).
Firm, settled presence with energized steadiness.
Chant 9 times before tasks requiring stability and growth (finance, family planning, long projects); end with a vow of non-harm and responsible stewardship.
‘śakéva’: pronounce śa-ke-va (three clear beats).; ‘saṃjñānam’: keep jñ cluster as palatal ‘gya/nya’ depending on tradition; avoid over-separating.; ‘gāvaḥ’: long ā, and visarga lightly audible in careful recitation.
Keep ‘iháiva’ clearly articulated; allow a slight lift on ‘śakéva’ to signal empowerment.
Emphasize the deictic anchors (iha eva) and the fertility verb (pra jāyadhvam).
Firm, protective, warm—like a directive to a valued herd.
In Atharvanic domestic magic, repeated deictics (‘here’) function as spatial binding; recite while physically indicating the enclosure (gesture/stance) to ‘seal’ the intent.
9 times
Preventing loss/straying; supporting fertility and steady growth in livestock; stabilizing a household after change (move, new members).
When settling into a new home/shed; before/after introducing new animals; during calving/breeding season.
Increased sense of stability, improved cohesion, and a ritual focus on thriving and reproduction.
Do not neglect fencing, nutrition, veterinary reproductive care; avoid coercive handling—concord is part of the charm’s logic.
No botanical is invoked; the ‘technology’ is spatial restriction (iháiva), provisioning (fodder/water implied by puṣ), and reproductive intention (prā jāyadhvam). Atharvanic prosperity rites often operate through management of place and nourishment rather than materia medica.
The herd’s ‘concord’ is explicitly anchored ‘in me’—the sacrificer as household head and ritual agent. This encodes authority over animal wealth and frames prosperity as dependent on sanctioned ritual speech.
The heavy deictic repetition (iháiva… iháiva) is a hallmark of applied incantation style, emphasizing constraint and immediacy. The semantic field is managerial (localize, thrive, reproduce, maintain concord) rather than encomiastic.
A Gopatha bandhu reading would treat ‘here’ as establishing a bounded ritual world; thriving and birth are the visible confirmations of correct bandhu alignment. Concord (saṃjñāna) is the social analogue of ritual order—when order holds, prosperity manifests.
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