Atharva Veda 4.39.9: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 4, Sukta 39, Mantra 9
Sukta 39
अ॒ग्नाव॒ग्निश्च॑रति॒ प्रवि॑ष्ट॒ ऋषी॑णां पु॒त्रो अ॑भिशस्ति॒पा उ॑ । न॒म॒स्का॒रेण॒ नम॑सा ते जुहोमि॒ मा दे॒वानां॑ मिथु॒या क॑र्म भा॒गम्
agnā́v agníś carati práviṣṭa ṛ́ṣīṇāṁ putró abhiśastipā́ u | namaskārḗṇa námasā te juhomi mā́ devā́nāṁ mithuyā́ kárma bhāgám
Within the Fire doth Agni move, entered therein—son of the Seers, a warder-off of imprecation. With salutation, with obeisance, to thee I offer: let not the gods’ portion of the rite be taken in falsewise manner.
అగ్నిలోనే అగ్ని ప్రవేశించి సంచరిస్తుంది—ఋషుల కుమారుడు, అభిశాప-నివారకుడు. నమస్కారంతో, ప్రణామంతో, నీకు నేను ఆహుతి సమర్పిస్తున్నాను; యజ్ఞకర్మలో దేవుల భాగం మిథ్యా రీతిగా హరించబడకూడదు.
Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (attributed within AV ritual corpora; specific ṛṣi not stated in the provided excerpt)
Devata: Agni (as protector against abhíśasti and guardian of correct offering)
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (AV mixed; requires padic verification)
Primary: shanta
Secondary: bhayankara
Sāyaṇa glosses Agni as the internal carrier of the offering and as ‘abhíśasti-pā’—the remover of hostile denunciation and curse that might arise from rivals or from ritual fault. ‘Mithuyā karman-bhāgam’ is taken as misassignment of the oblation (offering to a wrong deity, wrong time, wrong procedure), which would generate doṣa; the mantra is thus a prophylaxis against sacrificial error and its social-legal consequences (abhíśasti as accusation).
To secure Agni’s protection against abhíśasti (hostile accusation/curse) and to prevent misallocation of the gods’ sacrificial share (ritual error-doṣa).
abhíśasti (imprecation/hostile accusation) and ritual fault (mithuyā karma) as ‘social-ritual afflictions’
Appeal to Agni as purifier/witness; offering with namas to correct/secure the rite; prevention of misdirected sacrificial share.
Not directly Ayurvedic; aligns with Atharvan concept that misfortune and ‘harm’ can be speech-born and ritually corrected.
Stress from blame/accusation; performance anxiety; community conflict—ritual as coping and social repair.
shantika
Hostile speech/curse; ritual misallocation; unseen fault-beings.
Pacify dangers from curses/accusations and prevent ritual misperformance that could ‘steal’ the gods’ portion.
Oblation with explicit humility (namas) + juridical prohibition formula (mā… bhāgam).
Imprecation, slander, ritual failure and its feared consequences.
Agni moves within Agni (in the fire), entered therein—son of the seers, warder-off of imprecation. With salutation, the speaker offers oblation, praying that the gods’ share not be taken wrongly/falsewise in the rite.
The verse treats ritual error and social hostility (abhíśasti) as real dangers. Inner purification is enacted through humility (namas) and precision—an antidote to anxiety about ‘doing it wrong’ and to fear of accusation.
Integrity in action—doing the offering rightly—protects communities from conflict and individuals from guilt. Reverent attention is itself a protective technology.
- अग्नौ अग्निः (agnāv agniḥ)
- awareness within its own luminous field; self-validating sacred presence
- प्रविष्टः (praviṣṭaḥ)
- indwelling protector; the sacred ‘inside’ the rite and the heart
- ऋषीणां पुत्रः (ṛṣīṇāṃ putraḥ)
- authorized tradition; Agni as heir of inspired speech and correct practice
- अभिशस्तिपाः (abhiśastipāḥ)
- shield against curses, slander, hostile speech
- नमस्कार / नमस् (namaskāra/namas)
- ego-lowering that restores ritual alignment
- मिथुया कर्म (mithuyā karma)
- misapplied effort; error that diverts sacred ‘portion’ (bhāga)
Ritual integrity as inner integrity: align speech, intention, and action.
Anahata (reverence/namas) and Vishuddha (speech purity).
Three slow breaths before offering; exhale on namas to release ego and fear.
A steady inner flame in the heart; hostile words dissolve as ash before reaching you.
Reverent vigilance; calm accountability.
Chant before difficult conversations or formal commitments; keep posture upright, palms together briefly on namaskāreṇa.
Solemn recitation; keep compounds clear; slight emphasis on abhiśastipāḥ and mithuyā.
Pause after abhiśastipāḥ; treat mā…bhāgam as a protective injunction with clear negation.
abhiśastipāḥ: keep śas-ti distinct; long ā in pāḥ, mithuyā: clear th + u; long ā, juhomi: aspirate h lightly
Grave, steady, respectful; not aggressive.
Often paired with actual offering; the mantra’s force is strengthened when synchronized with the ladle movement into fire.
9
Fear of mistakes in ritual/important tasks; being targeted by blame, accusation, or hostile speech.
Before ceremonies, contracts, exams, public speaking, or family meetings; also when correcting an error.
Calm focus, sense of protection, strengthened ethical/ritual alignment.
If facing harassment or legal issues, seek appropriate support; mantra is supportive, not a substitute for action.
पदच्छेदः: अग्नौ | अग्निः | चरति | प्रविष्टः | ऋषीणाम् | पुत्रः | अभिशस्तिपाः | उ | नमस्कारेण | नमसा | ते | जुहोमि | मा | देवानाम् | मिथुया | कर्म | भागम् । सन्धि-विशेषाः: (1) अग्नावग्निश्चरति = अग्नौ + अग्निः + चरति (औ + अ → आव्; विसर्गः + च → श्च). (2) प्रविष्ट ऋषीणाम् = प्रविष्टः + ऋषीणाम् (विसर्ग-लोपः पदान्ते). (3) पुत्रो = पुत्रः (विसर्ग-लोपः पदान्ते). (4) अभिशस्तिपा उ = अभिशस्तिपाः + उ (विसर्ग-लोपः). (5) नमस्कारेण नमसा = नमस्कारेण + नमसा (सन्धि न आवश्यकः; पदविभागः). (6) मा देवानां = मा + देवानाम् (सन्धि न आवश्यकः).
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