Atharva Veda 20.49.4: Kanda 20, Anuvaka 5, Sukta 49, Mantra 4
Sukta 49
तं वो॑ द॒स्ममृ॑ती॒षहं॒ वसो॑र्मन्दा॒नमन्ध॑सः । अ॒भि व॒त्सं न स्वस॑रेषु धे॒नव॒ इन्द्रं॑ गी॒र्भिर्न॑वामहे
táṁ vo dasmám ṛtīṣáhaṁ vásor mandānáṁ ándhasaḥ | abhí vatsáṁ ná svasaréṣu dhenáva índraṁ gīrbhír navāmahe ||
Him, for you—the wondrous, the overcomer of harms, rejoicing in wealth, exhilarate with the pressed draught—even as milch-cows in their own stalls press round the calf, so with our hymns we celebrate Indra.
మీ కోసం ఆ దస్ముడు—అద్భుతుడు, అనర్థాలను జయించేవాడు—వసు (సంపద)లో ఆనందించేవాడు, పిండిన సోమరసంతో ఉల్లాసపడేవాడు—అతనిని మేము నూతన గీతాలతో స్తుతిస్తాము. తమ తమ గోశాలల్లో పాలిచ్చే ఆవులు దూడను చుట్టుముట్టినట్లు, అలాగే మా గీర్భులతో ఇంద్రుని కీర్తిస్తాము.
The meaning
What it says
The hymn praises Indra as wondrous and a destroyer of harms (ṛtīṣaha), rejoicing in wealth and exhilarated by the pressed soma (andhas). As cows crowd their calf in their stalls, so the singers crowd Indra with hymns.
The inner meaning
Indra is the inner strength that metabolizes adversity (‘harms’) into vitality. Soma/andhas symbolizes concentrated life-essence; the cow-and-calf image is the psyche’s instinct to gather around what sustains it—attention clustering around the source of resilience.
The truth in it
Prosperity and protection are intertwined: a well-nourished center (andhas/essence) attracts supportive forces, and collective praise/attention amplifies that center. What you repeatedly ‘circle’ with thought and speech becomes stronger and more protective.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Bhaisajya/Śānti overlap (harm-destroying Indra) with Paustika (wealth, cattle imagery)
Its aim
To invoke Indra as destroyer of harms (ṛti) and to attract prosperity and secure domestic well-being (cattle, stall, nourishment).
Word by Word
Pada patha
तम् । वः । दस्मम् । ऋतीषहम् । वसोः । मन्दानम् । अन्धसः । अभि । वत्सम् । न । स्वसरेषु । धेनवः । इन्द्रम् । गीर्भिः । नवामहे ।
- तम्
- himhim; that very one (Indra) as the targeted recipient of praise/installationPronounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वः
- of you / yourfor you/unto you (plural); for the community/clients addressedPronounषष्ठी बहुवचनम् (एन्क्लिटिक)Role सम्बन्धRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- दस्मम्
- wondrous, mightywondrous, mighty; of marvelous power (effective helper)Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्म (विशेषणम्)Root दस्म (प्रातिपदिक)
- ऋतीषहम्
- overcoming harm/hostilityovercoming harms/assaults (ṛti); a destroyer of mischief, disease, and hostile magicAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्म (विशेषणम्)Root ऋति-षह (प्रातिपदिक; षह ‘to endure/overcome’ से)
- वसोः
- of wealth / of the goodof wealth/good; belonging to prosperity (vasu)Nounपुंलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot वसु (प्रातिपदिक)
- मन्दानम्
- gladdening, exhilaratedgladdening/exhilarated; thriving in strength (often with soma-joy)Participle (Adjective)पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्म (विशेषणम्)Root मन्द् (धातु) → मन्दान (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; शानच्/आनच् प्रकार)
- अन्धसः
- of soma-juice / of the drinkof the pressed draught (soma-juice); the invigorating essenceNounनपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी एकवचनम्Role सम्बन्धRoot अन्धस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- अभि
- towards, untotoward, upon; with enveloping approach (as cows crowding a calf)Indeclinableअव्ययम्Role उपपद-सम्बन्ध (दिशा/अभिमुखता)Root अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वत्सम्
- a calfcalf; the beloved center drawing nourishment/protectionNounपुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्म (उपमान-आश्रयः)Root वत्स (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- like, aslike; simile markerIndeclinableअव्ययम् (उपमा-वाचक)Role उपमान-सूचकRoot न (अव्यय)
- स्वसरेषु
- among the sistersin their own stalls/enclosures; in the home-pen (secure domestic space)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गे सप्तमी बहुवचनम्Role अधिकरणRoot स्वसर् (प्रातिपदिक)
- धेनवः
- the cowsmilch-cows; nourishing powers, providers of abundanceNounस्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा बहुवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot धेनु (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्रम्
- IndraIndra; the victorious protector and giverNoun (Proper)पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- गीर्भिः
- with hymns / songswith songs/utterances; with consecrated praises (mantric speech)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया बहुवचनम्Role करणRoot गीर् (प्रातिपदिक)
- नवामहे
- we praise / we invokewe praise, we celebrate; we ritually laud (as an act that effects presence)Verbलट् (वर्तमानकालः), आत्मनेपदम्, उत्तमपुरुषः, बहुवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot नु/नव् (धातु; स्तुति/प्रार्थना-अर्थे) → नवामहे
Sandhi Notes
- (1) दस्मम्+ऋतीषहम् → दस्ममृतीषहम् (मकार + ऋ → मृ)
- (2) मन्दानम्+अन्धसः → मन्दानमन्धसः (म् + अ → म)
- (3) गीर्भिः+नवामहे → गीर्भिर्नवामहे (विसर्ग/रुत्व-प्रकारः: भिः + न → भिर् + न)
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- RV-derived Indra hymn tradition
- Devata
- Indra
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh/Jagatī-type (longer pādas; RV-style stanza)
- Rasa
- Adbhuta and Vira
Sāyaṇa glosses ṛti as manifold harm—disease, calamity, hostile sorcery—and ṛtīṣaha as Indra’s specific capacity to crush it. The cow–calf simile is read as an image of intimate, home-bound protection and nourishment: as cows gather to the calf in the stall, so praises gather to Indra, drawing him near and making his protective/wealth-giving power present for the patrons.
RV-derived Indra hymn tradition (exact ṛṣi not fixed in AV 20 excerpt)
Indra as ṛti-slayer (harm-destroyer) and paustika bestower; cattle/wealth imagery used for domestic well-being.
A classic Atharvanic re-reading of RV praise: the cosmic victory becomes household medicine—Indra protects the ‘stall’ (home) and the ‘calf’ (life-force, children, vulnerable dependents).
Indra
Champion who defeats harms and secures abundance; mediator of vigor and victory for the sacrificer.
Removes ‘ṛti’—a broad Atharvanic category spanning disease, misfortune, and destructive influences—by restoring strength and appetite for life.
Guards the domestic sphere (cattle-stall metaphor) and gathers protective community around the vulnerable (calf).
Triṣṭubh (RV-style longer pādas; AV 20 preserves extended cadence)
4 pādas × ~11 syllables (with RV-style flexibility)
AV recensional delivery may slightly regularize pauses; long compounds can shift perceived caesura.
Expansive and laudatory; rolling momentum suitable for building ‘praise-pressure’ (stuti) that culminates in the cow-calf simile.
Energizing and nourishing; evokes abundance and collective protection through sustained cadence.
At the cowshed (gośālā) or household threshold, prepare a clean spot; optionally place kuśa and sprinkle water for śānti.
Recite the mantra while standing near the cattle, orienting the recitation ‘abhí’—toward the herd—so the simile is enacted.
If offering is performed, give a small oblation (ghṛta) into a domestic fire, or offer fodder/water to the cows as a material counterpart to ‘wealth’ (vasu).
Conclude by circumambulating the stall once (pradakṣiṇa) to ‘enclose’ protection.
Kauśika Sūtra: paustika and rakṣā rites for cattle/household prosperity commonly employ Indra-stutis; this verse is especially apt in go-rakṣā (cattle-protection) and śānti for removing ṛti (calamity).
Atharvan as paustika-rakṣin: applies Indraic praise as a protective and prosperity-generating charm for the household and herd.
Recite for household prosperity, cattle welfare, and recovery from misfortune; can be spoken near food stores, cowshed, or family hearth as a blessing of nourishment.
Morning (when cattle/food routines begin) or during recovery periods; also on new-moon/full-moon household observances.
Householder recitation is suitable; a priest may integrate into a larger Indra-pūjā/yajña framework.
Paustika and rakṣā patterns involving praise of Indra and prosperity symbolism are common; specific Kauśika citation for this AV 20 RV-stanza uncertain.
Use as a ‘tonic’ chant during rebuilding phases—after illness, financial setback, or family instability.
Andhas (soma-juice as invigorating essence); Cows (dhenavaḥ) and calf (vatsa) as prosperity/protection symbols; Gīr (hymnic speech) as attracting force
Andhas is the archetypal energizer (essence); cattle/milk symbolize renewable nourishment and domestic stability—prosperity as ongoing lactation rather than one-time gain.
‘Ṛti’ (harms): can include wasting, weakness, recurrent misfortune, fear-driven illness, and vague afflictions without clear cause.
Invokes a robust, tonic deity energized by essence (andhas) to ‘overcome harms’; uses prosperity imagery to strengthen protective immunity via nourishment and social cohesion.
Tonic/rasāyana orientation: supports ojas (vital immunity) through imagery of nourishment (milk/cows) and invigorating essence (soma-like).
Convalescence support, burnout recovery, strengthening routines and community support around vulnerable individuals.
Household (especially pastoral/agricultural prosperity) and the vulnerable center (children, dependents, ‘calf’ of the home)
Destroy harms and draw prosperity—especially cattle/food security and household cohesion—by attracting Indra through concentrated praise.
Attraction-by-simile: as cows gather to the calf, so hymns gather Indra; stuti functions as a summoning net.
Misfortune, wasting influences, loss of wealth/cattle, diffuse harm (ṛti)
Cattle, nourishment, general wealth (vasu)
- दस्म (dasma)
- Awe that opens trust in protective power
- ऋतीषह (ṛtīṣaha)
- Disease-and-misfortune crusher; resilience principle
- अन्धस् (andhas)
- Vital essence; energizing medicine; concentrated joy
- वसु (vasu)
- Supportive resources—food, allies, inner reserves
- धेनवः/वत्स (dhenavaḥ/vatsa)
- Prosperity, nurture, and protective clustering around the vulnerable core
- गीर्भिः (gīrbhiḥ)
- Speech as offering that attracts and binds beneficence
Nourishing strength: cultivate an inner ‘Indra’ that defeats harms by feeding on pure essence (sattvic vitality).
Maṇipūra (strength/metabolism)
Kapalabhāti-light (if appropriate) followed by slow chant; or simple deep diaphragmatic breathing to build ‘ojas’.
Golden nectar (andhas) filling the abdomen and heart; protective ‘cows’ (supportive thoughts) encircle the vulnerable ‘calf’ (inner child/life-force).
Energized steadiness—strong but benevolent.
Chant, then take a small nourishing meal mindfully; dedicate nourishment to overcoming ‘ṛti’ and stabilizing the home.
RV-style accenting; keep long cadence across each triṣṭubh pāda; avoid chopping the simile segment.
Slight lift on epithets (dasmam, ṛtīṣaham); broaden tone on the cow-calf simile to ‘enact’ gathering.
Full, resonant, slightly melodic; suited to longer meter.
As a paustika-healing overlap, fewer repetitions with deeper attention are preferred; follow with a silent dedication of nourishment.
3 times
Recovery from setbacks (health/wealth), strengthening family cohesion, blessing food/cattle/resources.
During morning routines, before meals, during convalescence, or when beginning a new livelihood effort.
Renewed vigor, optimism, sense of support; symbolic reinforcement of nourishment and protection.
If using breath-intensifying practices, adapt to health status; the mantra itself is safe, but avoid strain.
The closest ‘substance’ is andhas (soma-juice), an energizing essence rather than a herb. The verse models efficacy as nourishment: soma invigorates Indra; cows nourish the calf; hymns nourish/attract Indra—creating a chain of alimentary power that becomes protective medicine against ṛti.
Prosperity is indexed by cattle and wealth, and protection is secured through priestly praise that ‘brings’ Indra. The household’s economic base (cows) is thus ritually safeguarded through specialized liturgy, binding agrarian life to sacerdotal mediation.
The epithets dasma, ṛtīṣaha, and the soma term andhas are RV-standard. In AV reception, ṛti is readily reinterpreted in Atharvanic fashion to include sorcery and disease, broadening the semantic field toward applied apotropaics.
Gopatha’s framework treats praise (stuti) as a functional act that compels presence and protection. The cow–calf simile aligns with that: hymns cluster to Indra, drawing him into the domestic ‘stall’ of the rite, where he overcomes ṛti and stabilizes vasu.
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