Atharva Veda 19.49.1: Kanda 19, Anuvaka 5, Sukta 49, Mantra 1

Sukta 49

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

रात्रिः। इ॒षि॒रा योषा॑ युव॒तिर्दमू॑ना॒ रात्री॑ दे॒वस्य॑ सवि॒तुर्भग॑स्य । अ॒श्व॒क्ष॒भा सु॒हवा॒ संभृ॑तश्री॒रा प॑प्रौ॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी म॑हि॒त्वा

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 19.49.1

IAST Transliteration

rā́triḥ | iṣirā́ yóṣā yuvatír damū́nā rā́trī devásya savitúr bhágasya | aśvákṣabhā́ suhávā saṃbhṛ́taśrīr ā́ paprau dyā́vāpr̥thivī́ mahitvā́ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Night—impetuous maid, young house-dweller—O Night of god Savitar, of Bhaga. Horse-eyed, easy to be invoked, with gathered splendour, she hath filled heaven and earth with her majesty.

Translation

ราตรี—หญิงสาวผู้พุ่งพลัน ผู้เยาว์วัยผู้อยู่เรือน—โอ้ราตรีแห่งเทพสวิตฤ (Savitar) และภคะ (Bhaga). ผู้มีดวงตาดุจม้า ผู้ถูกอัญเชิญได้โดยง่าย ผู้มีรัศมีอันรวบรวมไว้; นางได้แผ่ความยิ่งใหญ่เติมเต็มฟ้าและแผ่นดิน.

The meaning

What it says

A hymn-verse praising Night as an impetuous young house-dwelling maiden, connected with Savitar and Bhaga; she is horse-eyed, easy to invoke, gathered in splendor, filling heaven and earth with majesty.

The inner meaning

Night is not mere absence of light but an active domestic presence (damūnā): the inward feminine principle that gathers scattered energies, consolidates fortune (śrī), and makes the psyche whole across the day–night cycle.

The truth in it

Cosmic rhythms are also household rhythms: when one honors the night as a regulator (not an enemy), rest, fortune, and protection arise naturally.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Rakṣā with Paustika overtones (Night as fortune-regulator)

Its aim

To praise and enlist Night’s cosmic and domestic sovereignty for protection and auspiciousness through the night

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Word by Word

Pada patha

रात्रिः । इषिरा । योषा । युवतिः । दमूना । रात्रीः । देवस्य । सवितुः । भगस्य । अश्वक्षभा । सुहवा । संभृतश्रीः । आ । पप्रौ । द्यावापृथिवी । महित्वा ।

रात्रिः

NightNight; the goddess Night (opening identification)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot रात्रि- (प्रातिपदिक)

इषिरा

vigorous, livelyquick/mighty/impelling; vigorous in operation (driving rest, order, protection)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (रात्रिः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot इषिर- (प्रातिपदिक)

योषा

woman, maidenwoman, young wife; feminine personification with domestic resonanceNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (रात्रेः समाना-अधिकरण-सम्बन्धेण)Role कर्तृRoot योषा- (प्रातिपदिक)

युवतिः

young womanyoung woman; in full vigor (auspicious, potent)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot युवति- (प्रातिपदिक)

दमूना

house-abiding, domesticof the house/home-abiding; domestic, belonging to the household sphereAdjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (युवतिः/रात्रिः इत्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot दमून- (प्रातिपदिक)

रात्री

NightNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (सम्बोधन/पुनरुक्त-प्रथमा; स्तुत्यर्थे)Role कर्तृRoot रात्रि- (प्रातिपदिक)

देवस्य

of the godof the god; divineNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot देव- (प्रातिपदिक)

सवितुः

of Savitṛof Savitar; the impeller (cosmic regulator)Noun (proper/title)पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot सवितृ- (प्रातिपदिक)

भगस्य

of Bhaga (the dispenser of fortune)of Bhaga; dispenser of shares/fortuneNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot भग- (प्रातिपदिक)

अश्वक्षभाः

having horse(-like) eyes / horse-eyed (epithet)Adjective/Noun (epithet)स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (रात्रेः विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot अश्वक्षभा- (प्रातिपदिक)

सुहवा

easy to invoke, graciously callableeasy to invoke; readily called (ritually accessible)Adjectiveस्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (रात्रेः विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot सु-हव- (प्रातिपदिक)

संभृतश्रीः

whose splendor is well-gathered/fully endowedhaving gathered splendor; endowed with collected glory (stars, moon, auspiciousness)Adjective (kṛdanta compound)स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन (रात्रेः विशेषणम्)Role कर्तृRoot सं-√भृ (धातु) + श्री- (प्रातिपदिक) → संभृतश्री- (कृदन्त-समास)

आ

forth, toward; intensifierforth, unto; preverb of pervasionIndeclinableउपसर्गः (पप्रौ इत्यस्य)Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

पप्रौ

filled, pervaded, spreadhath filled, pervaded; spread overVerbलिट् (परस्मैपद); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचनRole कर्तृ (रात्रिः)Root √प्रा (प्रा/प्रै; ‘to fill, pervade, spread’)

द्यावापृथिवी

heaven-and-earthheaven-and-earth; the cosmic totalityNoun (compound)स्त्रीलिङ्ग (द्वन्द्व-एकवचन-रूपेण); द्वितीया; एकवचनRole कर्मRoot द्यावापृथिवी- (द्वन्द्व-समास; द्यौ- + पृथिवी-)

महित्वा

by (her) greatness, through majestywith greatness; by her majestyNoun (instrumental adverbial)नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया; एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषणभावे)Role करणRoot महित्व- (प्रातिपदिक) / महत्-सम्बद्धं भावनाम

Sandhi Notes

• पदच्छेदः (सन्धिविच्छेद): रात्रिः | इषिरा योषा युवतिः दमूना | रात्री देवस्य सवितुः भगस्य | अश्वक्षभाः सुहवा संभृतश्रीः | आ पप्रौ द्यावापृथिवी महित्वा ||
• 1) ‘रात्रिः’ इति विसर्गः पदान्ते विरामे स्थितः।
• 2) ‘द्यावा-पृथिवी’ इति द्वन्द्वसमासः मन्त्रपाठे ‘द्यावापृथिवी’ इत्येकपदमिव।
• 3) ‘संभृतश्रीः’ इति कृत-समासे पदान्त ‘ः’ (विसर्ग) विरामे।
• 4) ‘आ’ उपसर्गः ‘पप्रौ’ इत्यनेन सह।

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic tradition (anukramaṇī-dependent for this hymn)

Devata

Rātri (connected with Savitar and Bhaga)

Chandas

Triṣṭubh-like cadence (hymnic; metrical classification may vary by recension analysis)

Rasa

Adbhuta and Shanta

Sayana's Commentary

The Seer

The Deity

The Metre

The Rite

In the Home

Substances

Healing Context

Magic Charm Layer

Symbols in this Mantra

Yogic Application

Chanting Notes

Practical Application

Scholarly Questions