Atharva Veda 13.2.34: Kanda 13, Anuvaka 1, Sukta 2, Mantra 34
Sukta 2
चि॒त्रं दे॒वानां॑ के॒तुरनी॑कं॒ ज्योति॑ष्मान् प्र॒दिशः॒ सूर्य॑ उ॒द्यन्। दि॒वा॒क॒रोऽति॑ द्यु॒म्नैस्तमां॑सि॒ विश्वा॑तारीद् दुरि॒तानि॑ शु॒क्रः
citrám devā́nāṃ ketúr anī́kaṃ jyótiṣmān pradíśaḥ sū́rya udyán | divākaró ’ti dyumnáis tamā́ṃsi víśvātārīd duritā́ni śukráḥ
Wondrous, the gods’ bright signal, the luminous face—Sun, arising, (illumining) the quarters. The maker of day, with splendors, hath passed beyond the darknesses; the bright one hath carried us over all evils.
దేవుల అద్భుతమైన చిత్రకేతువు—దీప్తిమంతమైన ముఖం—ఉదయించే సూర్యుడు దిశలన్నిటినీ ప్రకాశింపజేస్తాడు. దివాకరుడు తన ద్యుమ్నాలతో సమస్త అంధకారాలను అతిక్రమించాడు; ఆ శుక్రుడు (ప్రకాశవంతుడు) మమ్మల్ని అన్ని దురితాల (అపశకునాల) పారం చేర్చాడు.
The meaning
What it says
Sūrya rises as the wondrous banner/mark of the gods, illumining the quarters; as Divākara he overpasses all darkness and ferries the worshipper beyond every durita (harm/evil).
The inner meaning
The psyche’s ‘sun’—clarity, conscience, and wakeful attention—breaks through depressive/chaotic tamas. When awareness rises, inner ‘demons’ (fear, confusion, compulsions) lose their hold; one feels carried across crisis by steady lucidity.
The truth in it
Light is not merely illumination but orientation: it reveals, orders, and protects. When truth becomes visible, harmful forces (seen or unseen) are deprived of hiding places, and the person regains safe passage through adversity.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Rakṣoghna (Apotropaic) / Bhaisajya-adjacent (purificatory healing by light)
Its aim
Removal of darkness-associated harms (demonic, disease, misfortune) and safe passage beyond durita through solar purity.
Word by Word
Pada patha
चि॒त्रम् । दे॒वानाम् । के॒तुः । अनी॑कम् । ज्योति॑ष्मान् । प्र॒दिशः॑ । सूर्यः॑ । उ॒द्यन् । दि॒वा॒क॒रः । अति॑ । द्यु॒म्नैः । तमां॑सि । विश्वा॑-तारीत् । दुरि॒तानि॑ । शु॒क्रः
- चित्रम्
- bright, variegatedwondrous, brilliant (marvel-working radiance)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole विशेषण (कर्म/कर्तृ-पदस्य)Root चित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- देवानाम्
- of the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- केतुः
- banner; sign; raybanner, sign, signal (manifest token of divine presence)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ (उद्यन्/अतारीत् इत्यस्य)Root केतु (प्रातिपदिक)
- अनीकम्
- face; front; appearanceface, front, visible disk/host (the Sun’s manifest ‘front’)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole समानााधिकरण (केतुः इत्यस्य)Root अनीक (प्रातिपदिक)
- ज्योतिष्मान्
- luminousAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole विशेषण (सूर्यः/केतुः)Root ज्योतिष्मन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
- प्रदिशः
- the directions (quarters)quarters/directions (space to be purified)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot प्रदिश् (प्रातिपदिक)
- सूर्यः
- the SunNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot सूर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- उद्यन्
- risingrising up (the daily victorious emergence)Verb (participle)वर्तमानकालिक शतृ, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषणRoot उद् + या (धातु) → उद्यन् (शतृ-कृदन्त)
- दिवाकरः
- day-maker (Sun)maker of day (producer of visibility and safety)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot दिवाकर (प्रातिपदिक; दिवा + कर)
- अति
- over; beyondover, beyond (surpassing, overcoming)Indeclinableअव्ययRole उपसर्ग/क्रियाविशेषणRoot अति (अव्यय)
- द्यु्म्नैः
- with splendors; with brillianceNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचनRole करणRoot द्यु्म्न (प्रातिपदिक)
- तमांसि
- darknessesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot तमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- विश्वा
- allAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole विशेषण (दुरितानि)Root विश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- अतारीत्
- crossed over; overcameVerbलुङ् (अorist), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रियाRoot अति + तॄ (धातु) → अतारि (लुङ्)
- दुरितानि
- evils; misfortunesevils, misfortunes, sins (ritual and social harms)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole कर्मRoot दुरित (प्रातिपदिक)
- शुक्रः
- bright; purebright, pure (purifying brilliance)Adjective (also noun)पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ-विशेषण (दिवाकरः/सूर्यः)Root शुक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- केतुः + अनीकम् → केतुरनीकम् (विसर्गस्य ‘र्’ आदेशः स्वरादौ)। ‘दि॒वा॒क॒रोऽति’ इति: दिवाकरः + अति → दिवाकरोऽति (विसर्गस्य ‘ओ’ पूर्वे अवग्रहः)। ‘विश्वा॑तारीद्’ इति: विश्वा + अतारीत् → विश्वातारीत् (आ + अ → आ; संहितायां दीर्घसन्धिः), तथा पदान्त ‘त्’ परे विरामे/उच्चारणे ‘द्’ इव दृश्यते (तारीद्)।
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Solar seer tradition; verify in anukramaṇī.
- Devata
- Sūrya (Divākara).
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh-like (verify).
- Rasa
- Shanta and Adbhuta
Sāyaṇa emphasizes ketu as ‘pratyakṣa-cihna’—the visible sign by which the gods are known. ‘Duritāni’ are read broadly (pāpa, upadrava, amānuṣa-bādha). The Sun’s rising is thus a daily rite of purification: by his dyumna he overcomes tamas and transports the sacrificer beyond misfortune.
Unknown (solar seer tradition; AVŚ 13.2 anukramaṇī to be consulted for exact attribution)
Āditya/Sūrya-stuti used for protection, purification by light, and ‘crossing beyond’ durita; characteristic Atharvanic apotropaic theology.
The seer-voice functions as a domestic priestly ‘light-maker’: speech (vāc) becomes a protective radiance that exposes and expels unseen harms.
Sūrya (Divākara, Śukra)
Illumines the directions, establishes diurnal order, and serves as the cosmic ‘ferryman’ beyond darkness and durita.
Purificatory healing through light: dispels ‘dark’ conditions—feverish stupor, psychic heaviness, pollution, and fear—by restoring sattva/clarity.
Rakṣoghna by exposure: darkness-associated beings/forces lose efficacy under solar brilliance; grants safe passage through crisis.
4 pādas × ~11 syllables (with Atharvanic sandhi/word-boundary flexibility)
Possible irregularities in syllable resolution and cadence typical of AVŚ hymn diction; verify against pada + saṃhitā counting.
Forward-driving, declarative; suited to ‘breaking through’ imagery (tamas → jyotis).
Produces a felt ‘rise’ and expansion, mirroring sunrise; supports confidence and clearing of mental fog.
Recite at dawn as the disk becomes visible (udyán).
Perform a light-sprinkling (prokṣaṇa) of water around the patient/threshold while reciting ‘ati dyumnaiḥ tamāṃsi’.
Conclude with a forward step at ‘viśvātārīt’ to enact ‘crossing over’ evil.
Kauśika Sūtra: sunrise recitations for expelling durita/rakṣas (rakṣohā rites commonly employ Āditya mantras); exact sutra number to be fixed by concordance.
Atharvan as purifier: synchronizes dawn-visibility with water and movement to ‘carry over’ durita.
Recite at dawn facing east; optionally accompany with opening of doors/windows, sprinkling clean water, or lighting a household lamp as a solar analogue.
Sunrise; also during transitions from illness/nightmare to recovery.
Householder may recite; a purohita may add nyāsa-like touching of head/eyes and direction-ward gestures.
Morning recitation as a protective ‘reset’ before travel, exams, medical procedures, or difficult conversations.
Dyumna (splendor) as purifying agent; Tamas (darkness) as the target to be expelled
Dyumna functions as a ‘subtle substance’ (tejas-like radiance) that cleanses; tamas is treated as a removable, quasi-material pollution to be driven out by the sun’s presence.
Darkness-associated afflictions: fear, nightmare/demonic oppression; also lethargy, stupor, and ‘shadow’ illness paradigms.
Solar purification and apotropaic illumination: the mantra aligns the patient with jyotis and ‘crosses over’ durita.
Tamas-reduction; supports sattva; conceptually aligns with kapha-tamas heaviness and agni/tejas restoration (non-clinical, symbolic).
Grounding for anxiety/panic, seasonal low mood, sleep-inertia, and stress-related ‘fog’—as a contemplative adjunct.
Tamas-linked forces/conditions (seen and unseen)
Pacify and remove harms linked with darkness (rakṣas, misfortune, pollution); secure safe passage beyond durita via solar purity.
Illuminative naming + crossing formula (ati … tārit): proclaiming Sūrya’s rise and overpassing darkness to effect expulsion and protection.
Night-terrors, ill-omens, psychic oppression, misfortune during transitions (journey, illness, uncertainty).
- केतु (ketu)
- apotropaic ‘standard’ of order; a visible sign that repels chaos
- अनीकम् (anīkam)
- the manifest presence of divinity; the ‘front’ of consciousness
- ज्योतिष्मान् (jyotiṣmān)
- luminous intelligence; healing radiance
- प्रदिशः (pradiśaḥ)
- totality of life-spheres; all domains brought under protection
- दिवाकर (divākara)
- the principle that generates wakefulness and moral visibility
- तमांसि (tamāṃsi)
- tamas: ignorance, disease-shadow, demonic concealment
- दुरितानि (duritāni)
- all forms of affliction—physical, social, karmic
- शुक्रः (śukraḥ)
- purifying force; cleansing brilliance that restores integrity
- अति (ati)
- crossing-over motif: transcendence of danger
Inner sunrise: bring attention to the ‘light behind the eyes’ as clarity and truthfulness.
ajna
Gentle sūrya-bhedana (right-nostril emphasis) or slow nāḍī-śodhana before recitation.
A golden disk rising in the heart/forehead, rays flooding all directions, dissolving dark knots of fear.
Wakeful, lucid, sattvic steadiness.
Recite 9 or 27 times at dawn; end with a brief silence to ‘rest in light’ and consciously name one durita to release.
Vedic udātta/anudātta/svarita as per Śaunaka recensional accents; keep udātta peaks on ketuḥ, sūryaḥ, divākaraḥ, śukraḥ (per marked text).
Maintain clear word-boundaries at pada breaks; emphasize the ‘crossing’ phrase: viśvā-tārīd duritāni.
Bright, steady, slightly elevated pitch to mirror ‘rising’.
In Atharvanic use, dawn-recitation functions as rakṣoghna ‘opening’ for the day; avoid reciting in a careless/impure state if used as a protective charm.
27 times
After nightmares, during a run of bad luck/ill-omens, before travel, or when entering a new home/room after illness.
At sunrise or whenever ‘darkness’ (fear, confusion) feels dominant; face east if possible.
Calm clarity, protection, renewed confidence; sense of being ‘carried beyond’ adversity.
Not a substitute for medical care in serious illness; if anxiety is severe, combine with professional support.
The verse substitutes a cosmological purifier (śukra-jyotis) for plant medicine. In Atharvanic therapeutics, ‘purity’ and ‘visibility’ are curative categories: darkness is etiologized as a carrier of harm.
‘Durita’ includes moral and social fault; the priestly voice authorizes purification that can reintegrate a person into ordered society, indicating ritual control over social legitimacy.
Ketu/anīka/dyumna are RV staples; the Atharvanic framing intensifies their pragmatic valence: not only praise but explicit removal of durita.
Gopatha’s emphasis on brahman as a force that ‘makes day’ in the ritual sphere aligns with divākara: the mantra is efficacious because it reproduces the cosmic transition from tamas to jyotis within the domestic rite.
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