Atharva Veda 3.21.2: Kanda 3, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 21, Mantra 2
Sukta 21
यः सोमे॑ अ॒न्तर्यो गोष्व॒न्तर्य आवि॑ष्टो॒ वयः॑सु॒ यो मृ॒गेषु॑ । य आ॑वि॒वेश॑ द्वि॒पदो॒ यश्चतु॑ष्पद॒स्तेभ्यो॑ अ॒ग्निभ्यो॑ हु॒तम॑स्त्वे॒तत्
yáḥ sóme ántaḥ yó góṣv ántaḥ yá āvíṣṭo váyaḥsu yó mṛgéṣu | yá āvivéśa dvipádo yáś cátuṣpadas tébhyo agníbhyo hútam astv etát
He who is within Soma, who is within the cows, who hath entered the birds, who is in the wild creatures; he who hath entered the two-footed and who the four-footed—to those Fires let this oblation be offered.
ผู้ที่อยู่ภายในโสมะ (Soma) ผู้ที่อยู่ภายในโคทั้งหลาย ผู้ที่ได้เข้าไปในนกทั้งหลาย ผู้ที่อยู่ในสัตว์ป่า; ผู้ที่ได้เข้าไปในผู้มีสองเท้า และผู้ที่ได้เข้าไปในผู้มีสี่เท้า—ขอให้เครื่องบูชา (huta) นี้ถูกถวายแด่ไฟทั้งหลายนั้นเถิด.
The meaning
What it says
Offers to the Fires immanent in Soma, cows, birds, wild creatures, and all two-footed and four-footed beings—may this oblation be offered to those Fires.
The inner meaning
Life is sustained by an inner fire across species and nourishment streams (Soma, milk, food-chain). Pacifying this shared agni reduces fear of nature and illness, replacing it with kinship and regulated vitality.
The truth in it
Vitality is a shared principle across beings; well-being increases when one harmonizes the life-force in oneself with that in animals, food, and environment.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Paustika (Prosperity) + Bhaisajya (Healing) / Śānti
Its aim
To secure well-being of humans and animals by pacifying and strengthening the internal ‘fires’ that sustain life, fertility, and nourishment (especially cattle-wealth).
Word by Word
Pada patha
यः । सोमे॑ । अ॒न्तः । यः । गोषु॑ । अ॒न्तः । यः । आ॒वि॒ष्टः । वयः॑सु । यः । मृ॒गेषु॑ । यः । आ॒वि॒वेश॑ । द्वि॒पदः॑ । यः । चतु॑ष्पदः । तेभ्यः॑ । अ॒ग्निभ्यः॑ । हु॒तम् । अ॒स्तु । ए॒तत् ।
- यः
- who (he)who (relative singular: the indwelling Agni)Pronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- सोमे
- in SomaNounपुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्Role अधिकरणRoot सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्तर्यः
- being within / indwellingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root अन्तर्य (प्रातिपदिक; ‘अन्तर्’ + य)
- गोषु
- among/in the cowsin the cows (cattle as wealth; also milk-bearing life)Nounस्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, बहुवचनम्Role अधिकरणRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- अन्तर्यः
- being within / indwellingAdjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृ (विशेषणम्)Root अन्तर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
- आविष्टः
- entered, pervadedentered; possessed (āvista: settled within, operative presence)Verb-derived (Participle)भूतकृत् (क्त), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot √विश् (विश् प्रवेशने) + आ- (उपसर्ग); क्त
- वयःसु
- in the birds / in living beings (vayas-)in birds/fowl (vayas: winged creatures; life-breath imagery)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, बहुवचनम्Role अधिकरणRoot वयस् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- मृगेषु
- among/in the wild animalsin wild beasts (mṛga: game/forest animals)Nounपुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, बहुवचनम्Role अधिकरणRoot मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- आविवेश
- has enteredhas entered; pervadedVerbलिट् (परस्मैपदम्), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot √विश् (विश् प्रवेशने) + आ- (उपसर्ग)
- द्विपदः
- the two-footed (beings)the two-footed (humans)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (कर्मपदम्)Role कर्मRoot द्विपद् (प्रातिपदिक)
- यः
- whoPronounपुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्Role कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- चतुष्पदः
- the four-footed (beings)the four-footed (domestic animals; cattle broadly)Noun/Adjectiveपुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, बहुवचनम् (कर्मपदम्)Role कर्मRoot चतुष्पद् (प्रातिपदिक)
- तेभ्यः
- to/for themto thosePronounपुंलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम् (अत्र दत्तिः/सम्प्रदानार्थः)Role सम्प्रदानRoot तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अग्निभ्यः
- to the fires (Agni-powers)to the FiresNounपुंलिङ्गः, चतुर्थी, बहुवचनम्Role सम्प्रदानRoot अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
- हुतम्
- offered, oblatedoffered (oblatory act)Verb-derived (Participle)भूतकृत् (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्मRoot √हु (हु दाने/होमने) ; क्त
- अस्तु
- let it beVerbलोट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्Role क्रियाRoot √अस् (अस् भुवि)
- एतत्
- thisPronounनपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्Role कर्म/विषयRoot एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Sandhi Notes
- यः | सोमे | अन्तर्यः | गोषु | अन्तर्यः | आविष्टः | वयःसु | यः | मृगेषु | यः | आविवेश | द्विपदः | यः | चतुष्पदः | तेभ्यः | अग्निभ्यः | हुतम् | अस्तु | एतत् । प्रमुख-सन्धयः:
- (1) सोमे॑ अ॒न्तर्यः → सोमे + अन्तर्यः (स्वर-सन्धिः/पदसन्धिः).
- (2) गोष्व॒न्तर्यः → गोषु + अन्तर्यः (उकारस्य वकारादेशः: गोषु + अन्तर्यः → गोष्वन्तर्यः).
- (3) आवि॑ष्टो॒ वयः॑सु → आविष्टः + वयःसु (विसर्गलोपः/स्वरसमायोजनम्).
- (4) यश्चतु॑ष्पदः → यः + चतुष्पदः (विसर्गः + च → यश्च).
- (5) पदान्त-स्वर/निग्रह-चिह्नाः (॑, ॒) वैदिकस्वरनिर्देशाः
- पदच्छेदे रूपपरिवर्तनं न कुर्वन्ति।
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic tradition (anukramaṇī attribution varies)
- Devata
- Agni (immanent in Soma and beings)
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh-like (Atharvanic mixed)
- Rasa
- Shanta and Adbhuta
Sāyaṇa treats Soma, cattle, birds, and beasts as successive ‘supports’ (ādhāra) of Agni’s power: in Soma as sacrificial/tonic vigor, in cattle as nutritive heat (milk, ghee), and in living beings as the internal fire sustaining life. The two-footed/four-footed pairing universalizes the scope: the offering is meant to reach all embodied fires and thereby avert disease and misfortune affecting humans and livestock.
Atharvanic tradition (variable anukramaṇī attribution)
Śānti-paustika integration: protecting cattle and household prosperity by harmonizing the inner fires of food, drink, humans, and animals.
Extends peace-work beyond the individual to the whole ecology of nourishment—Soma, cattle, birds, wild and domestic life.
Agni (immanent in Soma and all beings)
Maintains life through digestion, warmth, and transformation in every creature; in Soma, it is the subtle fire that turns sap into vitality.
Supports vitality/ojas via regulated agni; protects herd health and human metabolism through pacification.
Guards livestock and household by harmonizing the life-force across the food chain and domestic sphere.
Loose 4×8 with enumerations; parallel structure to 3.21.1.
Listing of beings may stretch cadence; performance often uses a calm, repetitive litany style.
Even, inclusive cadence; broadening scope from specific loci to all beings.
Creates a communal, protective field-feeling; stabilizes anxiety about animals, food, and livelihood.
Kindle homa-fire; place ghee and (if available) milk-products as ancillary offerings for paustika intent.
Recite the mantra while offering ghee; mentally extend the offering to Soma (as tonic), then to cattle, then to all creatures.
If performed for cattle-protection, sprinkle consecrated water on the herd after the oblation, reciting the mantra softly as an anuvāka.
Conclude with a protective circumambulation of the byre/threshold.
Kauśika Sūtra: domestic śānti/paustika homa for protection of cattle and household (edition-dependent citation; AV 3.21 used as offering-mantras to Agni in living beings).
Atharvan priest as household-protector (paśu-śānti): conducts homa and transfers mantra-power to herd and family.
Recite during a small offering (ghee/lamp) while touching or mentally including food/drink (Soma substitute), cattle-shed threshold, and family members; can be used as a blessing over milk/food.
Morning feeding time for cattle; before meals; during illness in family or herd.
Atharvan priest may perform a brief śānti-homa for cattle and household; householder may recite as daily protective blessing.
Often suited to Kauśika-style śānti for herd/household welfare (exact citation depends on ritual context in the sūtra).
Use as a meal blessing and as a ‘family-and-pets’ well-being chant.
Soma (somá); Cows/cattle (go); Birds (vayas); Wild animals (mṛga); Two-footed and four-footed beings
agnibhyaḥ—oblation to immanent fires.
Soma and cow-nourishment represent life’s replenishing streams; the mantra ‘offers’ into the metabolic principle that makes nourishment become strength.
General debility affecting humans and livestock; digestive/metabolic imbalance; epidemic anxiety in herd/community (broad Atharvanic framing).
Pacifies and strengthens the internal fires that sustain nourishment and immunity-like resilience; sacralizes food sources (Soma/milk).
Agni and ojas support (conceptual); cows/milk as rasāyana symbolism; Soma as cooling restorative principle balancing pitta.
Community/household health routines; nutrition-centered well-being; stress buffering around livelihood (animal husbandry/food security).
Household and herd (dvipad/catuṣpad totality).
To secure well-being and prosperity by harmonizing the life-sustaining fires in nourishment (Soma), cattle, birds, wild creatures, and all humans/animals.
Totalizing enumeration + offering formula; creates a ‘net’ of protection across species and food sources.
Disease in livestock, loss of nourishment, ecological imbalance, fear of wildness.
Cattle-wealth, nourishment, vitality, communal peace.
- सोम (soma)
- nourishing cool essence; restorative joy/ojas
- गोषु (goṣu)
- cattle-wealth; nourishment; maternal support
- वयःसु (vayaḥsu)
- breath, mobility, prāṇa-like circulation
- मृगेषु (mṛgeṣu)
- instinctual life-force; untamed vitality
- द्विपद / चतुष्पद (dvipad / catuṣpad)
- totality of living community; household and herd together
- अग्निभ्यः (agnibhyaḥ)
- to the sustaining metabolic sparks in all beings
Cultivate gratitude for nourishment and kinship with all beings; stabilize inner fire with calm attention.
anahata
moderate
A gentle flame in the heart spreading as warm light to family, animals, and the wider living world; Soma as cool moonlight balancing the flame.
Inclusive, steady-hearted awareness that supports vitality.
Recite before eating; on each listed category (Soma, cows, birds, wilds, two-/four-footed), extend a silent blessing outward.
Even śānti recitation; slightly brighten tone on ‘some’ and ‘goṣu’ (nourishment loci), then return to calm on the offering closure.
Keep parallelism clear: (yaḥ … antar) (yaḥ … antar) (yaḥ āviṣṭaḥ …) (yo …) then the final offering line.
gentle, inclusive, blessing-like.
Best paired with a simple offering or at least a mindful ‘inner offering’ before meals—aligning mantra with nourishment streams it names.
Concern for family health, livestock/pets, food security, communal well-being; recovery periods needing steady nourishment.
Before meals; during morning household routines; when animals are sick or stressed (as supportive prayer).
Calm, gratitude, and a felt protective field around nourishment and living community; supports disciplined care routines.
Do not replace veterinary/medical treatment; ensure hygienic food and animal care as the practical ‘offering’.
Soma functions as paradigmatic ‘plant-power’ whose potency is construed as Agni within. The verse extends the same principle from a ritual plant to animal bodies, implying a continuum from pharmacology (Soma) to physiology (internal fire) and veterinary well-being.
Cattle are foregrounded as the household’s economic base; ritual technology is deployed to protect wealth and life. The Atharvan specialist mediates between sacrificial substances (Soma, ghee) and everyday assets (herd), reinforcing priestly expertise in domestic risk-management.
The universalizing dyad ‘dvipad/catuṣpad’ is common in later Vedic and Atharvanic protective discourse. The verse’s enumerative, almost taxonomic sweep (Soma → cattle → birds → beasts → all bipeds/quadrupeds) reflects Atharvanic encyclopedism.
A Gopatha-like reading would treat Soma and cattle as bandhu-pairs for vitality and nourishment; by offering to Agni in these supports, one stabilizes prāṇa and annādya (food-power) across the household’s living network.
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