Atharva Veda 2.26.4: Kanda 2, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 26, Mantra 4

Sukta 26

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

सं सि॑ञ्चामि॒ गवां॑ क्षी॒रं समाज्ये॑न॒ बलं॒ रसम्। संसि॑क्ता अ॒स्माकं॑ वी॒रा ध्रु॒वा गावो॒ मयि॒ गोप॑तौ

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 2.26.4

IAST Transliteration

sáṃ siñcā́mi gavā́ṃ kṣīráṃ samā́jyena bálaṃ rásam | saṃsíktā asmā́kaṃ vīrā́ dhrúvā gā́vo máyí gopátau

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

I sprinkle together the cows’ milk, and with the ghee their strength, their sap. Well-sprinkled, may our heroes be made steadfast; steadfast the cows in me, the lord of cattle.

Translation

ข้าพเจ้าพรมรวมน้ำนมของโคทั้งหลาย และด้วยเนยใส (ghee) ก็พรมพลังและรสเลี้ยงชีพของมัน เมื่อพรมดีแล้ว ขอให้วีรชนของเรามั่นคง; ขอให้โคทั้งหลายมั่นคงอยู่ในข้าพเจ้า ผู้เป็นนายแห่งโค

The meaning

What it says

The speaker ritually ‘sprinkles together’ cows’ milk with ghee, invoking their combined strength (bala) and vital sap (rasa). Through this consecration, the household’s men/sons (vīrāḥ) and the cattle are made ‘dhruva’—fixed, steady, not departing—under the patron’s lordship as gopati.

The inner meaning

Milk and ghee symbolize integrated nourishment: soft sustenance (kṣīra) joined to clarified, concentrated vitality (ājya). The psyche seeks coherence—resources, family, and resolve gathered and stabilized. ‘Sprinkling’ becomes a mental act of consolidating scattered energies into steadfast confidence and responsibility.

The truth in it

Prosperity endures when nurture and strength are consciously unified and ‘fixed’ by disciplined stewardship. What is gathered must be stabilized—wealth, relationships, and personal vigor—through repeated acts of mindful consecration.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Paustika (Prosperity; cattle-securing and household stabilization)

Its aim

To consolidate and ‘fix’ cattle-wealth and the household’s vital strength (bala/rasa), ensuring steadfast sons/men and non-departing cows under the patron’s guardianship.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

सम् । सिञ्चामि । गवाम् । क्षीरम् । सम्-आज्येन । बलम् । रसम् । सम्-सिक्ताः । अस्माकम् । वीराः । ध्रुवाः । गावः । मयि । गो-पतौ ।

सम्

together; completelytogether; wholly; ‘into one’—a consolidating, binding force in the riteIndeclinableउपसर्ग/अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण)Root सम् (उपसर्ग) / सम् (अव्यय)

सिञ्चामि

I pour/sprinkleI sprinkle/pour; the ritual act of consecratory wetting to transfer potencyVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुषः? → उत्तमपुरुषः एकवचनम् (सिञ्चामि)Role KartāRoot √सिच् (सिञ्चति)

गवाम्

of cowsof cows; the bovine source of nourishment and wealth (paśu), ritually centralNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root गो (प्रातिपदिक)

क्षीरम्

milkmilk; life-sustaining sap, a strengthening and auspicious fluidNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक)

समाज्येन

with ointment/with unguent (with an anointing substance)Noun/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग (द्रव्यवाचक), तृतीया, एकवचनम्Role KaraṇaRoot समाज्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘सम्+√अञ्ज्’ से निष्पन्न ‘anointing/unctuous substance’)

बलम्

strengthstrength; bodily and social power, the ‘force’ sought to be establishedNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot बल (प्रातिपदिक)

रसम्

sap/essence; vital juicesap/essence; nutritive ‘juice’ (vital essence) to be made present in the householdNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role KarmaRoot रस (प्रातिपदिक)

संसिक्ताः

sprinkled; moistened; fully anointedAdjective/Participleपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (वाक्ये विशेष्यस्य)Root सम्+√सिच् → संसिक्त (कृदन्त, भूतकर्मणि/क्त)

अस्माकम्

of us; ourof us/our; the patron’s household/lineage as the beneficiaryPronounषष्ठी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)Root अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

वीराः

men; heroesmen/sons/warriors; the male line as bearers of continuity and protectionNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (विशेष्य)Root वीर (प्रातिपदिक)

ध्रुवाः

firm; steadfastfirm, fixed, unshaken; ritually ‘made stable’ against loss and misfortuneAdjectiveपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम् (वीराः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्)Role Kartā (विशेष्य-विशेषणभावे)Root ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)

गावः

cowscows; movable wealth and auspicious prosperity, to be secured and retainedNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचनम्Role Kartā (द्वितीयः समुच्चितः कर्ता)Root गो (प्रातिपदिक)

मयि

in me; on mein me/on me; locating the protective nexus in the officiant/patron as ‘holder’Pronounसप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

गोपतौ

in (me as) the lord/protector of cattlein the lord/master of cattle; the cattle-owner as the ritual locus of guardianship (gopati)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot गोपति (प्रातिपदिक; ‘protector/lord of cows’)

Sandhi Notes

• सम् | सिञ्चामि | गवाम् | क्षीरम् | समाज्येन | बलम् | रसम् | संसिक्ताः | अस्माकम् | वीराः | ध्रुवाः | गावः | मयि | गोपतौ।
• 1) ‘सं सि॑ञ्चामि’ = ‘सम् + सिञ्चामि’ (उपसर्गः पृथक्)।
• 2) ‘संसि॑क्ता’ = ‘सम् + सिक्ताः’ (सम्-उपसर्गेण ‘संसिक्ताः’)।
• 3) ‘गोप॑तौ’ इति ‘गोपति’ शब्दस्य सप्तमी-एकवचनम् (ओ-प्रत्ययः) — ‘मयि गोपतौ’ = ‘मयि (अधि) गोपतौ’ (सप्तमी-सप्तमी सामनाधिकरण्य/अधिकरणभावः)।

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic tradition (household/prosperity seer-line; specific r̥ṣi attribution not secure from the single verse alone)

Devata

Paśu/Go (cattle as prosperity-power); implicitly the patron as gopati and the nutritive ‘rasa’ principle

Chandas

Anuṣṭubh (probable; 2 pādas with anuṣṭubh cadence)

Rasa

Shanta and Adbhuta

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

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