Atharva Veda 19.49.3: Kanda 19, Anuvaka 5, Sukta 49, Mantra 3
Sukta 49
वर्ये॒ वन्दे॒ सुभ॑गे॒ सुजा॑त॒ आज॑ग॒न् रात्रि॑ सु॒मना॑ इ॒ह स्या॑म्। अ॒स्मांस्त्रा॑यस्व॒ नर्या॑णि जा॒ता अथो॒ यानि॒ गव्या॑नि पु॒ष्ठ्या
várye vánde súbhage sújāta ā́jagan rā́tri sumánā ihá syām | asmā́n trāyasva náryāṇi jātā́ átho yā́ni gávyāni púṣṭhyā ||
O choice and worshipful, O fortunate, well-born—Night hath arrived: may we be here of gracious mind. Protect us from the human harms that have arisen, and also from whatever touches cattle-wealth and nourishing increase.
वर्ये वन्दे सुभगे सुजाते—आगता रात्रिः; इह वयं सुमनासः स्याम। अस्मान् त्रायस्व नर्याणि जातानि; अथो यानि गव्यानि पुष्ठ्यानि च।
The meaning
What it says
A reverent salutation to Night—choice, worshipful, fortunate, well-born. Night has arrived; may we be gracious-minded here. Protect us from human harms and from whatever affects cattle-wealth and nourishing increase.
The inner meaning
The mantra invites a collective emotional alignment (sumanāḥ) as the first defense: right-mindedness reduces vulnerability to conflict. It then asks protection from both social violence (naryāṇi) and economic depletion (gavyāni, puṣṭhyā).
The truth in it
Prosperity is safeguarded by both outer security and inner concord; a community that enters the night with goodwill is less exposed to harm.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Paustika + Rakṣoghna/Apotropaic
Its aim
Night-time protection from human aggression and preservation of cattle-wealth and nourishment
Word by Word
Pada patha
वर्ये । वन्दे । सुभगे । सुजात । आजगन् । रात्रि । सुमनाः । इह । स्याम् । अस्मान् । त्रायस्व । नर्याणि । जाताः । अथो । यानि । गव्यानि । पुष्ठ्या ।
- वर्ये
- in/at the excellent (place/condition)O choice-worthy, excellent one; most to be chosen (honorific to Night)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्गे/स्त्रीलिङ्गे सम्भाव्य; सप्तमी एकवचन (loc. sg.)—‘वर्ये (स्थाने/विषये)’Role AdhikaraṇaRoot वर्य (प्रातिपदिक; √वृ/√वर् ‘choose, prefer’ से ‘श्रेष्ठ/वरणीय’)
- वन्दे
- I praise / I bow toI praise, I reverence; ritual salutation to secure favorVerbलट्, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole KartāRoot √वन्द् (स्तुतौ/नमस्कारे)
- सुभगे
- O fortunate oneO fortunate, auspicious one; bringer of good fortuneAdjective (vocative) प्रयुक्तःस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot सुभग (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुजाते
- O well-born oneAdjective (vocative) प्रयुक्तःस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot सुजात (प्रातिपदिक)
- आ
- towards, untoIndeclinableउपसर्ग (गमनार्थे ‘towards/unto’)Root आ (उपसर्ग)
- जगन्
- has comeVerbलिट् (परफेक्ट), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole KartāRoot √गम् (गत्यर्थे) → जगन् (परस्मैपद-लिट्/परफेक्ट का 3sg रूप ‘जगाम’ का वैदिक/छान्दस रूप)
- रात्रि
- O NightNoun (vocative) प्रयुक्तःस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
- सुमनाः
- well-disposed, kindly-mindedof good mind, gracious; favorably disposed toward usAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (छान्दस रूप: सुमनाः = सुमनाः/सुमनस्)Role KartāRoot सुमनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- इह
- herehere; in this place/householdIndeclinableअव्यय (देशवाचक)Role AdhikaraṇaRoot इह
- स्याम्
- may I bemay I/we be; optative of well-being under her presenceVerbविधिलिङ् (optative), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole KartāRoot √अस् (भू/सत्तायाम्) → स्याम्
- अस्मान्
- usus; the ritual community/householdPronounद्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम)
- त्रायस्व
- protect (you)protect! save!; explicit apotropaic imperativeVerbलोट् (imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपदRole KartāRoot √त्रा (रक्षणे)
- नर्याणि
- human (ills/evils) / things pertaining to menhuman (ills/harms), pertaining to men; social dangers, human-caused threatsAdjective (substantive) / Noun-likeनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot नर्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘मनुष्य-सम्बन्धी/वीर्ययुक्त’)
- जाताः
- born, arisenborn, arisen; that have come into being (present dangers)Participle (past passive) used adjectivallyपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन (अस्मान् इति कर्मणि सापेक्षं—‘उत्पन्नाः’)Root √जन् (जन्मनि) → जात (कृदन्त)
- अथो
- and alsoand also; additive extension of protectionIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थक निपातRoot अथो (अथ + उ)
- यानि
- whatever (things)which(ever); all that (enumerative)Pronounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन (सापेक्ष-सम्बन्ध)Role KarmaRoot यद् (सर्वनाम)
- गव्यानि
- bovine-related (evils/afflictions)bovine goods; cattle, milk-wealth, cow-derived prosperityAdjective (substantive)नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot गव्य (प्रातिपदिक; गो-सम्बन्धी)
- पुष्ठ्या
- by/with nourishment, prosperitynourishing, thriving; pertaining to increase and well-being (puṣṭi)Noun/Adjective (instrumental)स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचनRole KaraṇaRoot पुष्ठ्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘पोष/समृद्धि-सम्बन्धी’)
Sandhi Notes
- वर्ये | वन्दे | सुभगे | सुजाते | आ | जगन् | रात्रि | सुमनाः | इह | स्याम् | अस्मान् | त्रायस्व | नर्याणि | जाताः | अथो | यानि | गव्यानि | पुष्ठ्या ।
- 1) आजगन् = आ + जगन् (उपसर्ग-सन्धि; ‘आ’ उपसर्ग + √गम्-परफेक्ट छान्दस रूप)
- 2) अथो = अथ + उ (निपात-सन्धि)
- 3) अस्मांस्त्रायस्व = अस्मान् + त्रायस्व (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि: न् + त् → न्त्; लिखित रूप में ‘अस्मांस्त्रायस्व’)
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic/Angirasa tradition (Book 19 late strata)
- Devata
- Rātri
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh-like (late, somewhat irregular)
- Rasa
- Shanta and Vira
Sāyaṇa treats the opening epithets as formal stuti to win Rātri’s prasāda. ‘Naryāṇi’ are harms arising from men (theft, violence, social conflict) especially feared at night; ‘gavyāni puṣṭhyā’ denotes cattle and their productive abundance, a primary index of household prosperity requiring nocturnal safeguarding.
Late Atharvanic/Āṅgirasa stotra tradition (Book 19)
Paustika-protective hymns for household welfare; integrating praise, mood-setting (sumanas), and concrete pastoral security.
Models Atharvan domestic spirituality: worship (vande) + psychological alignment (sumanas) + practical protection (people and cattle).
Rātri (Night)
Arrives as a sovereign interval; grants rest, concealment, and protection; mediates social peace and safeguarding of wealth.
Supports emotional settling and restorative night; protects ‘nourishing increase’ (puṣṭi) foundational to health.
Guards against human harms and threats to cattle-based prosperity.
4 pādas with approximate 11-syllable targets; some expansions due to vocatives and compounds.
Late Book 19 diction with devotional opening; metrical flexibility supports clear petition clauses.
Devotional opening (salutation) → petitionary firmness (trāyasva).
Creates auspicious mood first, then directs it into protection and prosperity.
At dusk, recite the mantra near the cattle-shed or at the threshold of the house.
Name/mentally include specific risks: theft, predators, quarrels, and loss of milk/offspring.
Conclude with a protective resolve (rakṣā-bandha): the spoken ‘trāyasva’ functions as the binding command.
Optionally, the priest performs a quiet perambulation of the cattle enclosure, using the mantra as verbal fencing.
Kauśika Sūtra: Rātri-protection for house and cattle (night-guard recitation; edition-dependent numbering)
Atharvan priest as guardian of property and social peace; he directs the deity’s protection specifically toward cattle and household prosperity.
Recite as Night ‘arrives’—at lamps-lighting; include a brief household silence to cultivate sumanas; then check cattle/doors.
Dusk (pradoṣa) and before sleep; especially when social tensions or livelihood risks are present.
Householder; can be led by elder as a family rite.
Evening family recitation paired with gratitude and practical securing of property.
Cattle-wealth (gavyāni) as the protected asset
Prosperity is treated as a living field (puṣṭi) that can be guarded; cattle-wealth symbolizes both economy and nourishment continuum.
Indirect: promotes ‘good mind’ (sumanas) and puṣṭi (nourishing increase), supporting resilience and recovery.
Puṣṭi aligns with dhātu nourishment and ojas; sumanas supports sattva and balanced sleep.
Evening gratitude/affirmation practice supporting stress reduction and family cohesion—protective for long-term health.
Household/community; indirectly human aggressors and forces threatening prosperity.
To welcome Night auspiciously, establish harmonious mindset, and secure protection from social harms and loss of cattle-wealth/nourishment.
Stotra + āvāhana (welcoming arrival) + mood-consecration (sumanas) + direct protective petition (trāyasva).
Human violence/sabotage; depletion of cattle-wealth; threats to growth and nourishment.
Cattle, food security, growth (puṣṭi), social harmony.
- वर्ये (varye)
- Selecting the auspicious interpretation of night; value-orientation
- वन्दे (vande)
- Humility as protection; aligning with larger order
- सुभगे (subhage)
- Attracting good fortune by naming it
- सुजात (sujāta)
- Night as legitimate, orderly, not demonic—part of ṛta
- सुमनाः (sumanāḥ)
- Collective psychological hygiene; harmony as shield
- नर्याणि (naryāṇi)
- Social aggression: feud, insult, violence, litigation
- गव्यानि (gavyāni)
- Livelihood, nourishment, movable prosperity
- पुष्ठ्या (puṣṭhyā)
- Growth, fertility, thriving stores and bodies
Cultivate sumanas (goodwill) as protective field; welcome rest without surrendering discernment.
Anāhata (goodwill) and Mūlādhāra (security/prosperity).
Metta-style breathing: inhale ‘sumanāḥ’, exhale ‘trāyasva’—10 cycles.
Night enters like a benevolent queen; a soft gold-green aura nourishes family and livestock; threats dissolve at the boundary.
Gentle pratyāhāra with heart-centered calm.
Recite 3, 9, or 27 times; after recitation, speak one sentence of reconciliation/gratitude to anchor sumanas socially.
Devotional lift on vocatives (varye, subhage, sujāta); settle into firm petition on trāyasva.
Make a clear pause after ājagan rātri; then deliver sumanā iha syām as a blessing line.
Warm, reverent, then steady-protective.
This verse pairs well with a brief household concord act (sumanas): even a moment of mutual forgiveness is treated as ritual reinforcement.
9 times
Evening household routine; periods of social tension; safeguarding livelihood and food security.
At dusk when lamps are lit; before sleep; before leaving home unattended overnight.
Auspicious mood, social harmony, and felt protection over household prosperity.
Do not use as a substitute for conflict resolution or security planning; treat as support for wise action.
The verse is non-botanical; it targets concrete assets (cattle, nourishment) and social threats. The ‘medicine’ is protective speech-act rather than materia medica.
Cattle-wealth is foregrounded as the household’s economic base; the mantra presumes a settled pastoral-agricultural society where nocturnal insecurity includes human raiding—implying inter-household competition and the need for priestly protection.
Epithets (sujāta, subhaga) are RV-common, but the explicit domestic-economic focus (‘gavyāni puṣṭhyā’) and direct apotropaic imperative (‘trāyasva’) are characteristically Atharvanic in pragmatic orientation.
Gopatha’s Atharvanic theology often frames protection as the proper deployment of mantra at liminal times (dusk/night). The efficacy lies in aligning household order and wealth with a deity’s guardianship through correctly timed recitation.
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