Atharva Veda 3.22.4: Kanda 3, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 22, Mantra 4
Sukta 22
यत् ते॒ वर्चो॑ जातवेदो बृ॒हद् भ॑व॒त्याहु॑तेः । याव॒त् सूर्य॑स्य॒ वर्च॑ आसु॒रस्य॑ च ह॒स्तिनः॑ । ताव॑न्मे अ॒श्विना॒ वर्च॒ आ ध॑त्तां॒ पुष्क॑रस्रजा
yát te várcó jātavedo bṛhád bhavaty ā́hutyāḥ | yā́vat sū́ryasya várca āsurásya ca hastínaḥ | tā́van me aśvínā várca ā́ dhattāṁ púṣkara-srajā ||
That splendour of thine, O Jātavedas, which through oblation becomes great—as much as is the splendour of the Sun, and of the Asura, and of the elephant—so much splendour, O Aśvins, lotus-garlanded, do ye set upon me.
హే జాతవేదసా! ఆహుతి వల్ల మహత్తరమయ్యే నీ వర్చస్సు—సూర్యుని వర్చస్సు ఎంతయో, అసురుని వర్చస్సు ఎంతయో, ఏనుగుని వర్చస్సు ఎంతయో—అంత వర్చస్సును, హే అశ్వినులారా, పుష్కర-స్రజా (కమలమాలాధారులారా), నాపై స్థాపించండి.
Rishi: Atharvanic
Devata: Agni Jātavedas; Aśvins (installers of splendour)
Chandas: Jagatī/Triṣṭubh-mixed tendency (three long pādas; edition-dependent)
Primary: adbhuta
Secondary: shanta
Sāyaṇa emphasizes āhuti as the mechanism that magnifies Agni’s tejas; the rite ‘feeds’ splendour. āsura is taken not as demonic but as ‘īśvara-svabhāva’—lordly might. The Aśvins, as divine physicians, are invoked to ‘place’ the acquired radiance upon the client, with puṣkara-srajā marking auspicious, beautifying charisma.
To scale one’s splendour to solar and elephantine magnitude, via oblation-fed Agni and Aśvinic installation
Replenishment of tejas/ojas through Agni-fed offering and Aśvinic restoration; used for convalescence from fatigue, pallor, or ‘loss of luster.’
Supports agni (metabolic fire) and ojas (vital essence); useful conceptually in rasāyana (rejuvenation) framing.
Burnout recovery ritual; combining nourishing routine (sleep/food) with confidence reinstallation and social re-engagement.
mixed
Self
To enlarge and ‘set’ splendour upon the practitioner to solar/elephantine magnitude, through oblation and Aśvinic bestowal.
Oblation amplification (āhuti makes varcas bṛhat); proportional magic ‘yāvat… tāvat…’; divine ‘investiture’ by Aśvins (ā dhattām).
Debility, dullness, reputation loss, inauspicious appearance
Health + prestige; attractiveness; success in public dealings
Agni Jātavedas’ splendour grows through oblation; the speaker asks the lotus-garlanded Aśvins to place upon him splendour equal to that of the Sun, the Asura, and the elephant.
Two-stage empowerment: (1) feed the inner fire with disciplined offering (habit, attention, nourishment), (2) invite the Aśvins—healer-twins of repair and coordination—to ‘install’ radiance as a stable trait. The lotus garland signals purity and social auspiciousness: radiance that is beautiful, not merely forceful.
What you consistently ‘offer’ to your core capacities (time, care, devotion) magnifies them; and true brilliance is stabilized by balance and healing—skillful means, not raw intensity alone.
- जातवेदस् (Jātavedas)
- the intelligence of transformation; memory of how things come to be
- आहुति (āhuti)
- intentional nourishment of a capacity; disciplined investment
- सूर्य (Sūrya)
- unquestioned visibility; natural authority
- आसुर (āsura)
- sovereign potency; formidable presence (not necessarily ‘demonic’ here)
- पुष्करस्रज (puṣkara-sraj)
- purity, auspicious adornment, healing elegance
- आ धत्ताम् (ā dhattām)
- ritual ‘installation’ of a quality as if clothing/crowning the person
Offer-and-install: on inhale ‘feed the flame’; on exhale ‘receive the crown of light.’
Manipura (fire) + Sahasrara (installing radiance as a crown/garland).
4-4-6 breathing: inhale 4 (feed Agni), hold 4 (let varcas grow), exhale 6 (Aśvins place it).
A golden sun above the head; twin streams of cool-white healing light (Aśvins) braid into a lotus garland resting on the crown.
Receptive confidence—strength without agitation.
Chant 7 or 11 times with a small offering; end by touching the crown and heart, affirming ‘varcas’ as steadiness and kindness.
Keep udātta prominence on ‘varco’, ‘jātavedo’, and the proportional ‘yāvat… tāvat…’; let the final ‘ā dhattām’ descend with certainty.
Mark a clear proportional pause after ‘hastinaḥ’; then place emphasis on ‘tāvan me…’ as the transfer point.
Articulate ‘jātavedo’ with long ā: jā-ta-, Keep ‘puṣkara-srajā’ with ṣk cluster: puṣ-ka-ra, ‘āhutyāḥ’—retain aspirate: ā-hu-tyāḥ
Warm and devotional; slightly softer on Aśvin invocation to invite healing.
If performing with offering, synchronize ‘āhuti’ word with the physical act of offering for bandhu alignment.
11
Recovery from exhaustion; rebuilding confidence after illness; preparing for public role with grace.
At dawn or before a healing/prosperity rite; after bathing; ideally with a lamp and simple offering.
Renewed luster, steadier energy, improved social presence, sense of being ‘blessed’ and supported.
If using fire offerings, follow safety; keep intentions non-exploitative—radiance should not become arrogance.
Sandhi resolved as: यत् + ते + वर्चः + जातवेदः + बृहत् + भवति + आहुतिः । यावत् + सूर्यस्य + वर्चः + आसुरस्य + च + हस्तिनः । तावत् + मे + अश्विना + वर्चः + आ + धत्ताम् + पुष्करस्रजा । Notes: (1) ते वर्चः: ‘ते’ = युष्मद्-षष्ठी एकवचन; no further split. (2) भवत्याहुतेः in saṃhitā = भवति + आहुतिः (final -i + initial ā- gives y-glide in recitation; written as भवत्याहुतेः). (3) सूर्यस्य वर्चः: simple juxtaposition; vṛddhi/visarga not involved. (4) तावन्मे: saṃhitā often shows -n- insertion before enclitic ‘मे’; pada is तावत् + मे. (5) वर्च आ धत्ताम्: saṃhitā may show वर्च॒ आ; pada keeps वर्चः + आ. (6) पुष्करस्रजा is a compound epithet agreeing with dual subject अश्विना.
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