Atharva Veda 5.28.2: Kanda 5, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 28, Mantra 2

Sukta 28

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अ॒ग्निः सूर्य॑श्च॒न्द्रमा॒ भूमि॒रापो॒ द्यौर॒न्तरि॑क्षं प्र॒दिशो॑ दिश॑श्च । आ॒र्त॒वा ऋ॒तुभिः॑ संविदा॒ना अ॒नेन॑ मा त्रि॒वृता॑ पारयन्तु

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 5.28.2

IAST Transliteration

agníḥ sū́ryaś candrámā bhū́mir ā́po dyaúr antárikṣaṃ pradíśo díśaś ca | ārtavā́ ṛtúbhiḥ saṃvidā́nā anéna mā trivṛ́tā pārayantu

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Agni, the Sun, the Moon, Earth, the Waters, Heaven, Mid-air, the fore-directions and the directions—seasonal powers, in accord with the seasons—by this (charm) with threefold (aid) let them carry me safely across.

Translation

Agni, Słońce, Księżyc, Ziemia, Wody, Niebo, Przestrzeń pośrodku, kierunki przednie i kierunki, moce sezonowe w zgodzie z porami roku, niech ten czar z troistą pomocą przeprowadzi mnie bezpiecznie na drugą stronę.

The meaning

What it says

A cosmic enlistment: fire, sun, moon, earth, waters, heaven, mid-air, all directions and fore-directions, and seasonal powers aligned with seasons are invoked to carry the speaker safely across by a ‘threefold’ aid.

The inner meaning

The threatened self re-anchors in a total map of reality—elements, space (directions), and time (seasons). Anxiety is ‘carried across’ by restoring trust in order (ṛta) and by constructing a threefold support (body–breath–mind or past–present–future).

The truth in it

Safety arises when life is aligned with the whole: matter, space, and time cooperate when one moves in accord with order rather than fragmentation.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Bhaiṣajya (Healing) / Āyuṣya (Long-life) / Apotropaic safeguarding

Its aim

To enlist the entire ordered cosmos—elements, directions, and seasons—to ‘carry’ the patient safely through danger, stabilizing life within ṛta-aligned time.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

अग्निः । सूर्यः । चन्द्रमा । भूमिः । आपः । द्यौः । अन्तरिक्षम् । प्रदिशः । दिशः । च । आर्तवाः । ऋतुभिः । संविदानाः । अनेन । मा । त्रिवृता । पारयन्तु ।

अग्निः

Agni (fire-god)Agni (fire; vital heat and protector)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot अग्नि- (प्रातिपदिक)

सूर्यः

the SunSun (life-giver; regulator of time)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot सूर्य- (प्रातिपदिक)

च

andIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root च (निपात)

चन्द्रमाः

the MoonNounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot चन्द्रमस्-/चन्द्रमा- (प्रातिपदिक)

भूमिः

the EarthEarth (support, stability, embodied existence)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot भूमि- (प्रातिपदिक)

आपः

the WatersWaters (healing, cleansing, life-fluid)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot अप्- (प्रातिपदिक; नित्यबहुवचन)

द्यौः

Heaven/skyHeaven (upper realm; divine oversight)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot द्यौ-/दिव्- (प्रातिपदिक)

अन्तरिक्षम्

the midspace/atmosphereMidspace/atmosphere (realm of winds and transitions)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot अन्तरिक्ष- (प्रातिपदिक)

प्रदिशः

the fore-directions (intermediate quarters)the intermediate directions (quarters as protective boundaries)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot प्रदिश्- (प्रातिपदिक)

दिशः

the directions (quarters)the directions (cardinal quarters)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot दिश्- (प्रातिपदिक)

च

andIndeclinableअव्ययम्Root च (निपात)

आर्तवाः

seasonal (powers/ones)seasonal powers; those belonging to the proper times (ṛtu-linked agencies)Adjective (substantive use)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot आर्तव- (प्रातिपदिक)

ऋतुभिः

with/by the seasonswith the seasons (ordered time as sustaining law)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot ऋतु- (प्रातिपदिक)

संविदानाः

being in agreement/combined, unitedin concord, agreeing together (harmonized cosmic forces)Participle (Adjective)पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्; वर्तमानकाले, आत्मनेपदीय-शतृ/शानच्-प्रायः (Vedic: -आन)Role कर्तृRoot सम् + √विद् (विदँ ‘जानने’) → संविदान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)

अनेन

by/with thisby this (rite/charm/mantra)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role करणRoot इदम्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

मा

mePronounद्वितीया, एकवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role कर्मRoot अस्मद्- (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

त्रिवृता

with the threefold (arrangement/cord/measure)with the threefold (triply-woven protection; also triadic rite-form)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम् (करणे)Role करणRoot त्रिवृत्- (प्रातिपदिक; ‘threefold’)

पारयन्तु

may they carry (me) across / bring (me) throughlet them carry across; bring safely through (deliver from danger into wholeness)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थे), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Root √पॄ/पार् (पारयति ‘पारं नयति’, causative)

Sandhi Notes

• अग्निः | सूर्यः | च | चन्द्रमाः | भूमिः | आपः | द्यौः | अन्तरिक्षम् | प्रदिशः | दिशः | च | आर्तवाः | ऋतुभिः | संविदानाः | अनेन | मा | त्रिवृता | पारयन्तु । प्रमुख-सन्धयः:
• (1) सूर्य॑श्च → सूर्यः + च (विसर्ग + च = श्च)
• (2) दिश॑श्च → दिशः + च (विसर्ग + च = श्च)
• अन्यत्र स्पष्ट संधि-परिवर्तनं न आवश्यकम्।

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic healer tradition

Devata

Cosmic totality (Agni, Sūrya, Candramas, Bhūmi, Āpaḥ, Dyauḥ, Antarikṣa, Diśaḥ, Ṛtavaḥ)

Chandas

Triṣṭubh-like (enumerative cosmic invocation)

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