Atharva Veda 6.125.3: Kanda 6, Anuvaka 13, Sukta 125, Mantra 3

Sukta 125

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

इन्द्र॒स्यौजो॑ म॒रुता॒मनी॑कं मि॒त्रस्य॒ गर्भो॒ वरु॑णस्य॒ नाभिः॑ । स इ॒मां नो॑ ह॒व्यदा॑तिं जुषा॒णो देव॑ रथ॒ प्रति॑ ह॒व्या गृभाय

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 6.125.3

IAST Transliteration

índrasya ójaḥ marútām ánīkaṃ mitrásya gárbho váruṇasya nā́bhiḥ | sá imā́ṃ no havya-dā́tiṃ juṣāṇó deva rátha práti havyā́ gṛbhāya

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Indra’s vigor, the Maruts’ battle-front; Mitra’s very womb, Varuṇa’s navel-hub—accepting for us this gift of oblation, O god, O Chariot, lay hold of the offerings in return.

Translation

Witalność Indry, szereg bojowy Marutów; samo łono Mitry, pępek Varuny, przyjmując dla nas ten dar ofiary, o boże, o Rydwanie, chwyć ofiary w zamian.

The meaning

What it says

The chariot is praised as a composite of divine powers: Indra’s vigor, the Maruts’ battle-front, Mitra’s womb, Varuṇa’s navel-hub. Accepting our oblation-gift, O god, O Chariot, grasp the offerings in return.

The inner meaning

The instrument (ratha) is psychically personified as the integrated self in action: force (Indra), coordinated drive (Maruts), covenant/rightness (Mitra), and structural order/center (Varuṇa). When action is fed by offering (havis), it ‘grasps’ success without fragmentation.

The truth in it

Power without order collapses; order without power stagnates. Sustainable victory arises when strength, teamwork, ethical bond, and central coherence are fused into the tools and systems we rely on.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Paustika / Rakṣoghna (victory-consecration of equipment)

Its aim

To make the chariot a composite of divine powers and ensure it ‘takes’ the oblation—thereby fastening victory, order, and protection to the patron.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

इन्द्र॑स्य । ओजः॑ । म॒रुता॑म् । अनी॑कम् । मि॒त्रस्य॑ । गर्भः॑ । वरु॑णस्य । नाभिः॑ । सः । इ॒माम् । नः । ह॒व्य-दा॑तिम् । जुषा॒णः । देव॑ । रथ॑ । प्रति॑ । ह॒व्या । गृ॒भा॒य

इन्द्रस्य

of Indraof Indra; the paradigmatic source of battle-mightNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)

ओजः

strength, vigorvigor; victorious force to be embodied in the object/actNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विशेष्य (समास/समुच्चय में नामपद)Root ओजस् (प्रातिपदिक)

मरुताम्

of the Marutsof the Maruts; storm-host, collective martial energyNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root मरुत् (प्रातिपदिक)

अनीकम्

face, front, hostfront, face, array; the battle-front/host in formationNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विशेष्य (समास/समुच्चय में नामपद)Root अनीक (प्रातिपदिक)

मित्रस्य

of Mitraof Mitra; covenant/order, social binding powerNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)

गर्भः

womb; embryo; inner corewomb/embryo; inner core, generative seed of efficacyNounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विशेष्य (समास/समुच्चय में नामपद)Root गर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)

वरुणस्य

of Varuṇaof Varuṇa; sovereign restraint, moral-ritual bindingNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति; एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी)Root वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)

नाभिः

navel; hub; centernavel/hub; central point (also chariot-hub resonance)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विशेष्य (समास/समुच्चय में नामपद)Root नाभि (प्रातिपदिक)

सः

hehe/that; the empowered ratha/vajra complex as agentPronounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

इमाम्

this (f.)this; the present rite/oblation now offeredPronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

नः

for us / of usfor us; for the patron and his peoplePronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी विभक्ति; बहुवचन (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (प्रसंगानुसार: ‘for us’)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

हव्यदातिम्

gift/act of giving oblationsgift/portion of oblation; the offered sacrificial shareNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot हव्यदाति (प्रातिपदिक; हव्य + दाति)

जुषाणः

accepting, taking pleasure inenjoying, accepting; ritually ‘taking’ the offeringParticiple (Adjectival)वर्तमान कृदन्त (शानच्), परस्मैपद-भाव; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (विशेषण)Root जुष् (धातु) → जुषाण (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)

देव

O godO god; vocative addressing the divine powerNoun (vocative)पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन; एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot देव (प्रातिपदिक)

रथम्

chariotNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot रथ (प्रातिपदिक)

प्रति

towardstoward, in return; in response to the offeringIndeclinableअव्ययRole दिशा/सम्बन्ध (उपसर्ग/निपात; ‘towards/against’)Root प्रति (अव्यय)

हव्यानि

oblationsNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot हव्य (प्रातिपदिक)

गृभाय

take, graspgrasp, seize; take hold of (for protection/victory)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ); परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष; एकवचनRole क्रिया (आह्वान/आदेश)Root गृह्/गृभ् (धातु; ‘to seize, take’)

Sandhi Notes

• (1) इन्द्रस्यौजः = इन्द्रस्य + ओजः (अ + ओ → औ)
• (2) मरुतामनीकम् = मरुताम् + अनीकम् (म् + अ → म)
• (3) मित्रस्य गर्भः (संधि नहीं; पदसीमा)
• (4) वरुणस्य नाभिः (संधि नहीं)
• (5) स इमाम् = सः + इमाम् (विसर्ग-लोप/सन्धि: सः इ → स इ)
• (6) हव्या गृभाय = हव्यानि + गृभाय (पाठ में ‘हव्या’ = नपुंसक बहुवचन का संहितारूप/पदपाठ-भेद; यहाँ पदच्छेद ‘हव्यानि’ ग्रहण किया गया)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic/Āṅgiras attribution (anukramaṇī-dependent).

Devata

Ratha (as deified instrument) with Indra and allied deities as power-sources

Chandas

Triṣṭubh-like (edition-dependent).

Rasa

Vira and Shanta

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