Atharva Veda 6.124.3: Kanda 6, Anuvaka 13, Sukta 124, Mantra 3

Sukta 124

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अ॒भ्यञ्ज॑नं सुर॒भि सा समृ॑द्धि॒र्हिर॑ण्यं॒ वर्च॒स्तदु॑ पू॒त्रिम॑मे॒व। सर्वा॑ प॒वित्रा॒ वित॒ताध्य॒स्मत् तन्मा ता॑री॒न्निरृ॑ति॒र्मो अरा॑तिः

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 6.124.3

IAST Transliteration

abhy-àñjanaṃ surabhí sā samṛ́ddhir híraṇyaṃ várchas tád u pūtrímam evá | sárvā pavítrā vitátādhy asmát tán mā tārīn nírṛtir mó arātíḥ

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Fragrant is the unction: that is prosperity; gold is splendor—yea, that is offspring-giving. Let all purifiers be spread above us: let not Nirṛti bear us over; nor let malignity (of foes) [prevail].

Translation

Благоуханна эта мазь (абхьянджана): она — процветание; золото — сияние, и оно же — дарующее потомство. Да будут над нами распростёрты все очистители (павитры); да не унесёт нас Ниррити, и да не возобладает вражья злоба.

The meaning

What it says

The fragrant unction is declared to be prosperity; gold is splendor and ‘offspring-giving’; may all purifiers be spread above us like a protective canopy; may Nirṛti not carry us off, nor Arāti (hostile malignity).

The inner meaning

A prosperity-charm that ‘coats’ the self with auspiciousness (scent/unction), radiance (gold), and continuity (offspring). The psyche is placed under a protective ‘cover’ of purification to prevent being swept into despair, loss, or social hostility.

The truth in it

Auspicious habits and symbols (care, cleanliness, generosity, beauty) create protective order; they counter both inner entropy (Nirṛti) and outer ill-will (Arāti).

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Paustika (Prosperity/Fertility) + Apotropaic (Nirṛti/Arāti warding)

Its aim

To confer auspicious radiance, prosperity, and offspring, while preventing Nirṛti and hostile forces from ‘carrying off’ the subject.

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

Pada patha

अभि-अञ्जनम् । सुरभि । सा । समृद्धिः । हिरण्यम् । वर्चः । तत् । उ । पूत्रिमम् । एव । सर्वा । पवित्रा । वितता । अधि । अस्मत् । तत् । मा । तारीत् । निरृतिः । मा । अरातिः ।

अभ्यञ्जनम्

ointment, unguentNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot अभ्यञ्जन (प्रातिपदिक; √अञ्ज् ‘to anoint’ से निष्पन्न)

सुरभि

fragrantfragrant; sweet-smelling (auspicious potency; repels evil)Adjective(अभ्यञ्जनम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्) नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (रूपं अव्ययवत्)Role KarmaRoot सुरभि (प्रातिपदिक)

सा

that (she/it)that (unction) (deictic identification of the applied substance)Pronounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

समृद्धिः

prosperity, abundanceprosperity; thriving increase (desired state produced by the unction)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot समृद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)

हिरण्यम्

goldNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot हिरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)

वर्चः

splendour, radiancesplendor, lustre, vital radiance (charisma/health-glow)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot वर्चस् (प्रातिपदिक)

तत्

thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

उ

and, indeedindeed (emphatic)Indeclinableनिपात (समुच्चय/अनुनासिक-बलार्थ)Root उ (निपात)

पूत्रिमम्

bringing sons/offspring; pertaining to a sonoffspring-giving; pertaining to sons/issue (fertility/lineage security)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (तत्/अभ्यञ्जनम् इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KarmaRoot पूत्रिम (प्रातिपदिक; ‘पुत्र-सम्बन्धि/पुत्र-प्रद’)

एव

just, indeedjust so; verily (fixing the identification)Indeclinableनिपात (निश्चय/अवधारण)Root एव (निपात)

सर्वाः

allAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)

पवित्राः

purifiers; purifying (things/forces)Noun/Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनRole KartāRoot पवित्र (प्रातिपदिक)

वितताः

spread out, extendedAdjective (Participle)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (पवित्राः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role KartāRoot वि-√तन् (कृदन्त; ‘विस्तारित’) / वितत (प्रातिपदिक)

अधि

upon, overover; upon (superposition of protection)Indeclinableअव्यय (अधिकरणार्थे ‘upon/over’)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अधि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

अस्मत्

us; upon us / from us (contextual)upon us/from us (the protected group)Pronounषष्ठी/पञ्चमी? (वैदिके ‘अस्मत्’ रूपं; अर्थतः ‘हम पर/हमसे’) बहुवचन-सम्बन्ध/अपादानार्थRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

तत्

thatPronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

मा

may (it) not; do notme/us not (prohibitive particle)Indeclinableनिषेधार्थ/प्रार्थनार्थ अव्यय (‘do not / may not’)Root मा (निषेध/प्रार्थना-निपात)

तारीत्

may it not carry (us) across / may it not overpowermay it not overpass/cross; may it not carry (us) away (negative wish against harm)Verbलोट्/आशीर्लिङ्-प्राय (वैदिक injunctive/benedictive प्रयोग), परस्मैपद, 3 एकवचनRoot √तॄ (तॄ/तॄण् ‘to cross, overcome’)

निरृतिः

Nirṛti (goddess of destruction/misfortune); calamityNirṛti (calamity/dissolution personified)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot निरृति (प्रातिपदिक)

मो

may not (…); do notIndeclinableनिषेध-निपात ‘मा’ का संधि-रूपRoot मा + उ (वैदिक संधि-रूप ‘मो’)

अरातिः

harm, hostility; mischiefhostility, malignity, ill-will (socialized harm; enemy-force)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot अराति (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• (1) समृद्धिर्हिरण्यम् = समृद्धिः + हिरण्यम् (विसर्ग-संधि: ः + ह → र्ह)
• (2) तदु = तत् + उ (व्यञ्जन-संधि/निपात-संयोग)
• (3) पूत्रिममेव = पूत्रिमम् + एव (म् + ए → मे)
• (4) वितताध्यस्मत् = वितताः + अधि + अस्मत् (ः + अ → ओ/लोप; यहाँ पदपाठानुसार ‘वितताः अधि अस्मत्’)
• (5) तन्मा = तत् + मा (त् + म → न्म)
• (6) ता॑री॒न्निरृ॑तिः = तारीत् + निरृतिः (त् + न → न्न; वैदिक संधि)
• (7) मो = मा + उ (निपात-संधि)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic tradition.

Devata

Auspicious prosperity (Samṛddhi), Varchas (radiance) as quasi-personified; anti-deity targets: Nirṛti and Arāti.

Chandas

Anuṣṭubh-like; requires metrical verification.

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