Sukta 21
Rishi: Atharvanic seer tradition for oṣadhi hymns (often anonymous/collective in later indices).
Devata: Oṣadhi (the herb) and Bhūmi/Pṛthivī as source of medicinal power.
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh tendencies with prose-like opening label; metrical classification varies due to the initial rubric-like phrase.
अयं संक्षिप्तो भैषज्य-पौष्टिकसूक्तः केशवर्धनी-ओषधेः प्रभावं भूमौ/पृथिव्याम् एव प्रतिष्ठापयति—या वनस्पतीनां भेषजानां च परमा आधारभूता। पृथिव्याः त्वचः (बहिर्वल्कात्) भेषजं समाहृत्य, ततो भेषजानां मध्ये ताम् ओषधिं अग्र्यां स्तौति; अन्ते च ओषधीः समृद्धाः अजेयाः कर्त्रीः सम्बोधयति, याः केशान् बलयन्ति वर्धयन्ति च।
Mantras
Mantra 1
केशवर्धनी औषधिः। इ॒मा यास्ति॒स्रः पृ॑थि॒वीस्तासां॑ ह॒ भूमि॑रुत्त॒मा। तासा॒मधि॑ त्व॒चो अ॒हं भे॑ष॒जं समु॑ जग्रभम्
केशवर्धनी नामौषधिः। इमासां तिसृणां पृथिवीनां मध्ये भूमिरुत्तमा; तासामधि त्वचः अहं भेषजं सम्यक् जग्रभम्।
Mantra 2
श्रेष्ठ॑मसि भेष॒जानां॒ वसि॑ष्ठं॒ वीरु॑धानाम्। सोमो॒ भग॑ इव॒ यामे॑षु॒ दे॒वेषु॒ वरु॑णो॒ यथा॑
त्वं भेषजानां श्रेष्ठोऽसि, वीरुधानां वसिष्ठः। यथा ऋतुषु सोमो भग इव, यथा देवेषु वरुणः, तथा त्वम्।
Mantra 3
रेव॑ती॒रना॑धृषः सिषा॒सवः॑ सिषासथ । उ॒त स्थ के॑श॒दृंह॑णी॒रथो॑ ह केश॒वर्ध॑नीः
यूयं रेवत्यः अनाधृषाः सिषासवः सिषासथ। उत स्थ केशदृंहणीः अथो ह केशवर्धनीः।
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used to consecrate a hair-promoting herb so it strengthens hair and increases growth, treating the remedy as an earth-derived power that can be made ritually effective.
Because the hymn grounds medicinal potency in the earth itself: Bhūmi is called the highest support, and the remedy is said to be taken from the earth’s outer layer—symbolizing concentrated, accessible healing power.
Traditionally it refers to keśavardhanī, a hair-increasing herb; in practice, a locally known hair-strengthening plant may be used, but the rite’s logic is to treat the herb (especially its ‘skin/bark’ layer) as the medicine empowered by the mantra.
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