Atharva Veda 3.21.2: Kanda 3, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 21, Mantra 2
Sukta 21
यः सोमे॑ अ॒न्तर्यो गोष्व॒न्तर्य आवि॑ष्टो॒ वयः॑सु॒ यो मृ॒गेषु॑ । य आ॑वि॒वेश॑ द्वि॒पदो॒ यश्चतु॑ष्पद॒स्तेभ्यो॑ अ॒ग्निभ्यो॑ हु॒तम॑स्त्वे॒तत्
yáḥ sóme ántaḥ yó góṣv ántaḥ yá āvíṣṭo váyaḥsu yó mṛgéṣu | yá āvivéśa dvipádo yáś cátuṣpadas tébhyo agníbhyo hútam astv etát
He who is within Soma, who is within the cows, who hath entered the birds, who is in the wild creatures; he who hath entered the two-footed and who the four-footed—to those Fires let this oblation be offered.
சோமத்தின் உள்ளே இருப்பவனும், பசுக்களின் உள்ளே இருப்பவனும், பறவைகளில் புகுந்தவனும், மிருகங்களில் இருப்பவனும்; இருகாலிகளிலும் புகுந்தவனும் நான்குகாலிகளிலும் புகுந்தவனும்—அந்த அக்னிகளுக்கே இந்த ஹவிஸ் அர்ப்பணமாகட்டும்.
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (anukramaṇī attribution varies)
Devata: Agni (immanent in Soma and beings)
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like (Atharvanic mixed)
Primary: shanta
Secondary: adbhuta
Sāyaṇa treats Soma, cattle, birds, and beasts as successive ‘supports’ (ādhāra) of Agni’s power: in Soma as sacrificial/tonic vigor, in cattle as nutritive heat (milk, ghee), and in living beings as the internal fire sustaining life. The two-footed/four-footed pairing universalizes the scope: the offering is meant to reach all embodied fires and thereby avert disease and misfortune affecting humans and livestock.
To secure well-being of humans and animals by pacifying and strengthening the internal ‘fires’ that sustain life, fertility, and nourishment (especially cattle-wealth).
General debility affecting humans and livestock; digestive/metabolic imbalance; epidemic anxiety in herd/community (broad Atharvanic framing).
Pacifies and strengthens the internal fires that sustain nourishment and immunity-like resilience; sacralizes food sources (Soma/milk).
Agni and ojas support (conceptual); cows/milk as rasāyana symbolism; Soma as cooling restorative principle balancing pitta.
Community/household health routines; nutrition-centered well-being; stress buffering around livelihood (animal husbandry/food security).
mixed
Household and herd (dvipad/catuṣpad totality).
To secure well-being and prosperity by harmonizing the life-sustaining fires in nourishment (Soma), cattle, birds, wild creatures, and all humans/animals.
Totalizing enumeration + offering formula; creates a ‘net’ of protection across species and food sources.
Disease in livestock, loss of nourishment, ecological imbalance, fear of wildness.
Cattle-wealth, nourishment, vitality, communal peace.
Offers to the Fires immanent in Soma, cows, birds, wild creatures, and all two-footed and four-footed beings—may this oblation be offered to those Fires.
Life is sustained by an inner fire across species and nourishment streams (Soma, milk, food-chain). Pacifying this shared agni reduces fear of nature and illness, replacing it with kinship and regulated vitality.
Vitality is a shared principle across beings; well-being increases when one harmonizes the life-force in oneself with that in animals, food, and environment.
- सोम (soma)
- nourishing cool essence; restorative joy/ojas
- गोषु (goṣu)
- cattle-wealth; nourishment; maternal support
- वयःसु (vayaḥsu)
- breath, mobility, prāṇa-like circulation
- मृगेषु (mṛgeṣu)
- instinctual life-force; untamed vitality
- द्विपद / चतुष्पद (dvipad / catuṣpad)
- totality of living community; household and herd together
- अग्निभ्यः (agnibhyaḥ)
- to the sustaining metabolic sparks in all beings
Cultivate gratitude for nourishment and kinship with all beings; stabilize inner fire with calm attention.
anahata
moderate
A gentle flame in the heart spreading as warm light to family, animals, and the wider living world; Soma as cool moonlight balancing the flame.
Inclusive, steady-hearted awareness that supports vitality.
Recite before eating; on each listed category (Soma, cows, birds, wilds, two-/four-footed), extend a silent blessing outward.
Even śānti recitation; slightly brighten tone on ‘some’ and ‘goṣu’ (nourishment loci), then return to calm on the offering closure.
Keep parallelism clear: (yaḥ … antar) (yaḥ … antar) (yaḥ āviṣṭaḥ …) (yo …) then the final offering line.
some: long o (sōme), goṣvantar: maintain ṣv cluster cleanly, vayaḥsu: visarga ḥ audible, mṛgeṣu: syllabic ṛ, dvipado/catuṣpadaḥ: retroflex ṣ in catuṣ-; final ḥ released
gentle, inclusive, blessing-like.
Best paired with a simple offering or at least a mindful ‘inner offering’ before meals—aligning mantra with nourishment streams it names.
Concern for family health, livestock/pets, food security, communal well-being; recovery periods needing steady nourishment.
Before meals; during morning household routines; when animals are sick or stressed (as supportive prayer).
Calm, gratitude, and a felt protective field around nourishment and living community; supports disciplined care routines.
Do not replace veterinary/medical treatment; ensure hygienic food and animal care as the practical ‘offering’.
पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविग्रहः): यः | सोमे | अन्तर्यः | गोषु | अन्तर्यः | आविष्टः | वयःसु | यः | मृगेषु | यः | आविवेश | द्विपदः | यः | चतुष्पदः | तेभ्यः | अग्निभ्यः | हुतम् | अस्तु | एतत् । प्रमुख-सन्धयः: (1) सोमे॑ अ॒न्तर्यः → सोमे + अन्तर्यः (स्वर-सन्धिः/पदसन्धिः). (2) गोष्व॒न्तर्यः → गोषु + अन्तर्यः (उकारस्य वकारादेशः: गोषु + अन्तर्यः → गोष्वन्तर्यः). (3) आवि॑ष्टो॒ वयः॑सु → आविष्टः + वयःसु (विसर्गलोपः/स्वरसमायोजनम्). (4) यश्चतु॑ष्पदः → यः + चतुष्पदः (विसर्गः + च → यश्च). (5) पदान्त-स्वर/निग्रह-चिह्नाः (॑, ॒) वैदिकस्वरनिर्देशाः; पदच्छेदे रूपपरिवर्तनं न कुर्वन्ति।
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