Atharva Veda 3.21.1: Kanda 3, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 21, Mantra 1

Sukta 21

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

शान्तिः। ये अ॒ग्नयो॑ अ॒प्स्व॑१न्तर्ये वृ॒त्रे ये पुरु॑षे॒ ये अश्म॑सु । य आ॑वि॒वेशोष॑धी॒र्यो वन॒स्पतीं॒स्तेभ्यो॑ अ॒ग्निभ्यो॑ हु॒तम॑स्त्वे॒तत्

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 3.21.1

IAST Transliteration

śā́ntiḥ | yé agnáyo apsv àntar yé vṛtré yé púruṣe yé áśmasu | yá āvivéśóṣadhīr yó vanaspátīṁs tébhyo agníbhyo hútam astv etát

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Peace. The Fires that are within the waters, the Fires that are within Vṛtra, the Fires that are within man, the Fires that are within stones; he who hath entered the herbs, he who the forest-lords hath entered—to those Fires let this oblation be offered.

Translation

Шантих (Мир). Те Агни, что внутри вод; те Агни, что внутри Вритры; те Агни, что внутри человека; те Агни, что внутри камней; тот, кто вошёл в травы-ошадхи, кто вошёл в лесных владык — деревья-ванаспати: тем Агни да будет принесено это возлияние (хута).

The meaning

What it says

A śānti invocation offering to the manifold Fires: those within waters, within Vṛtra, within man, within stones; the Fire that has entered herbs and forest-lords—may this oblation be offered to those Fires.

The inner meaning

Recognizes ‘heat’ everywhere: in emotions (waters), in obstruction/conflict (Vṛtra), in the body (metabolism), and in stones (latent spark). By acknowledging and offering to these fires, one pacifies destructive inflammation and recruits transformative energy for healing.

The truth in it

The same force that harms when uncontrolled heals when honored and regulated; peace comes from integrating elemental energies rather than denying them.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Bhaisajya (Healing) / Śānti (Pacification)

Its aim

To pacify and enlist the manifold immanent fires (in water, stone, body, plants) so that their dangerous heat is quelled and their protective/curative potency is secured.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

शान्तिः । ये । अ॒ग्नयः॑ । अ॒प्सु । अ॒न्तः । ये । वृ॒त्रे । ये । पुरु॑षे । ये । अश्म॑सु । यः । आ॒वि॒वेश॑ । ओष॑धीः । यः । वन॒स्पती॑न् । तेभ्यः॑ । अ॒ग्निभ्यः॑ । हु॒तम् । अ॒स्तु । ए॒तत् ।

शान्तिः

peace; pacificationpacification; ritual quelling of danger (śānti-karman preface)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot शान्ति- (√शम्)

ये

who (those who)which; those who (relative plural introducing classes of Agnis)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

अग्नयः

fires; Agnisthe Fires/Agni-powers (plural: manifold immanent fires)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot अग्नि-

अप्सु

in the watersNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अप्- (जल)

अन्तः

withinwithin; inside (immanence, hidden presence)Indeclinableअव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अन्तः (अव्यय)

ये

whowhich; those whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

वृत्रे

in Vṛtra (the obstructor); in obstructionin Vṛtra/obstruction (demonic blockage; also ‘in the enclosing’)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot वृत्र-

ये

whowhich; those whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

पुरुषे

in the man; in a personin the man/person (bodily fire: digestion, fever, vitality)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot पुरुष-

ये

whowhich; those whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

अश्मसु

in the stones; among rocksin stones (fire latent in flint; also ‘hard substances’)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अश्मन्-

यः

whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

आविवेश

has entered; enteredhas entered; has pervaded (ā-vi-viś: penetrative indwelling)Verbलिट् (परोक्ष), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole KartāRoot √विश्

ओषधीः

herbs; medicinal plantsherbs/medicinal plants (bhaisajya-bearing vegetation)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot ओषधि-

यः

whoPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

वनस्पतीन्

trees; lords of the forestlords of the forest; trees/woody plants (arboreal medicines, timber)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot वनस्पति-

तेभ्यः

to themto those; for those (dative/ablative plural: addressed recipients)Pronounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, बहुवचनRole SampradānaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

अग्निभ्यः

to the fires; to the Agnisto the Fires/Agni-powers (plural recipients of offering)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, बहुवचनRole SampradānaRoot अग्नि-

हुतम्

offered; oblation (that which is offered)offered; oblated (huta: poured into fire as efficacious gift)Participle (past passive)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot √हु (हू) → हुत-

अस्तु

let it beVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole KartāRoot √अस्

एतत्

thisPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• ‘अप्स्वन्तर्’ = अप्सु + अन्तः (उदात्त/स्वरचिह्नयुक्त संहिता-रूप)
• ‘आविवेश’ लिट्-रूप (√विश्) ‘आ-’ उपसर्गयुक्त
• ‘हुतम्’ √हु-धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृत् (P.P.P.)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic tradition (often transmitted under Atharvan/Angiras rubric; specific r̥ṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī)

Devata

Agni (plural forms; Vaiśvānara implied by the hymn’s theology)

Chandas

Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (mixed/irregular in Atharvanic śānti verses)

Rasa

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