Atharva Veda 5.12.1: Kanda 5, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 12, Mantra 1

Sukta 12

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

ऋतस्य यज्ञः। समि॑द्धो अ॒द्य मनु॑षो दुरो॒णे दे॒वो दे॒वान् य॑जसि जातवेदः । आ च॒ वह॑ मित्रमहश्चिकि॒त्वान्त्वं दू॒तः क॒विर॑सि॒ प्रचे॑ताः

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 5.12.1

IAST Transliteration

ṛtásya yajñáḥ | samíddho adyá mánuṣo duróṇe devó devā́n yájasi jātávedaḥ | ā́ ca váha mítram ahaścikítvān tváṃ dūtó kavír ási prá cetā́ḥ

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

The sacrifice is of ṛta. Kindled to-day in the house of man, thou, O Jātavedas, the God, dost worship the Gods. Hither, too, bear Mitra, thou who knowest the days: thou art messenger, seer, of forethought.

Translation

พิธีบูชานี้เป็นของ ṛta (ระเบียบอันเที่ยงธรรม/สัจจะจักรวาล). วันนี้เมื่อถูกจุดให้ลุกในเรือนของมนุษย์แล้ว โอ้ ชาตเวทัส (Jātavedas เทพแห่งไฟ) ผู้เป็นเทพ ท่านบูชาเหล่าเทพทั้งหลาย. ขอจงอัญเชิญมิตร (Mitra) มาด้วยเถิด ผู้รู้วันเวลา; ท่านเป็นทูต เป็นฤๅษีผู้เห็นแจ้ง (kavi) เป็นผู้มีญาณล่วงหน้า.

The meaning

What it says

The sacrifice belongs to ṛta. Kindled today in the human house, Agni Jātavedas worships the gods. He is asked to bring Mitra, the knower of days; Agni is messenger, seer, foreknowing.

The inner meaning

A household becomes psychologically ‘coherent’ when a daily center (Agni) is lit: attention gathers, time becomes meaningful (ahaḥ), and relationships are regulated (Mitra). The mind’s scattered impulses are recruited into a single rite-path.

The truth in it

Order is sustained by daily renewal: when a clear inner ‘fire’ is tended, communication improves, commitments hold, and higher values can be contacted.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Śānti/Paustika (domestic fire rite; ensuring orderly sacrifice and divine attendance)

Its aim

To activate Agni as messenger so that the gods—especially Mitra as contract-lord—are conveyed to the rite, stabilizing ṛta in the household and securing orderly prosperity.

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Word by Word

Pada patha

ऋतस्य । यज्ञः । समिद्धः । अद्य । मनुषः । दुरोणे । देवः । देवान् । यजसि । जात-वेदः । आ । च । वह । मित्रम् । अहः-चिकित्वान् । त्वम् । दूतः । कविः । असि । प्र-चेताः

ऋतस्य

of ṛta (cosmic order/truth)of ṛta (cosmic order; truth as ritual law)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग (प्रयोगानुसार), षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)Root ऋत (प्रातिपदिक)

यज्ञः

the sacrificesacrifice (ordered offering; the rite as mechanism)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचनRole Kartā (nominal subject) / विषयRoot यज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)

समिद्धः

kindled, well-litkindled (fire lit; ritual activation)Adjective/Participleभूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole विशेषण (of देवः/यज्ञः by sense: ‘kindled’)Root सम्-इध् (धातु) → समिद्ध (कृदन्त)

अद्य

today, nowIndeclinableकालवाचक अव्ययRole Adhikaraṇa (time)Root अद्य (अव्यय)

मनुषः

of Manu (the ancestral man)of Manu/man (human lineage; normative ritual community)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (Genitive: ‘of Manu’)Root मनु (प्रातिपदिक)

दुरोणे

in the house/dwellingin the house, at the dwelling (domestic altar context)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचनRole Adhikaraṇa (locus)Root दुरोण (प्रातिपदिक)

देवः

the god (Agni)the god (Agni as divine fire)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (subject)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)

देवान्

the godsNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole Karma (object)Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)

यजसि

you worship/sacrifice tothou sacrificest/worshippest (Agni as officiant)Verbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रिया (with implied subject ‘त्वम्’)Root यज् (धातु)

जातवेदः

O Jātavedas (Agni, knower of births)Jātavedas (Agni ‘knower of births’; omniscient carrier of offerings)Noun (proper epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole सम्बोधन (vocative address)Root जातवेदस् (प्रातिपदिक; अग्निनाम)

आ

hither, towards (us)hither (inviting arrival)Indeclinableआह्वान/आगमनार्थ निपात; here with वहRole क्रियाविशेषण (directional particle)Root आ (उपसर्ग/निपात)

च

andIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थ अव्ययRole समुच्चय (connector)Root च (अव्यय)

वह

carry/bring (hither)bear, convey (Agni’s transport function)Verbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रिया (imperative)Root वह् (धातु)

मित्रम्

MitraNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (object of ‘वह’)Root मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)

महः

greatness; the Great One (often Varuṇa/mahas as ‘great power’)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole Karma (co-object with मित्रम्)Root महस् (प्रातिपदिक)

चिकित्वान्

wise, discerningAdjective/Participleपरिपूर्ण/विशेषणार्थ कृदन्त (वत्/वान्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole विशेषण (of त्वम्/दूतः/कविः)Root चित्/चिकित् (धातु) → चिकित्वस्/चिकित्वान् (कृदन्त)

त्वम्

youthou (Agni addressed directly)Pronounउत्तम/मध्यम? (here 2nd person pronoun), प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā (explicit subject)Root युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

दूतः

messengerNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā/विशेष्य (predicate nominative of ‘त्वम्’)Root दूत (प्रातिपदिक)

कविः

seer, poetseer-poet (inspired, discerning)Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole Kartā/विशेष्य (predicate nominative)Root कवि (प्रातिपदिक)

असि

you arethou artVerbलट् (वर्तमान), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole क्रिया (copula)Root अस् (धातु)

प्रचेताः

foreknowing, wise, intelligentfore-knowing, of clear intelligence (ritual omniscience; ensures correct conveyance)Adjective/Nounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole विशेषण/विधेय (predicate nominative of ‘त्वम्’)Root प्र-चेतस् (प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• ऋतस्य | यज्ञः || समिद्धः | अद्य | मनुषः | दुरोणे | देवः | देवान् | यजसि | जातवेदः || आ | च | वह | मित्रम् | महः | चिकित्वान् | त्वम् | दूतः | कविः | असि | प्रचेताः । प्रमुख सन्धि:
• (1) समि॑द्धो → समिद्धः (ओ = अः पदान्त-विसर्ग-प्रयोग/स्वर-परिवर्तन)
• (2) दुरो॒णे दे॒वो → दुरोणे देवः (ओ = अः)
• (3) दे॒वान् य॑जसि: नासिक्य/स्वर-चिह्न मात्र, सन्धि-परिवर्तन नहीं
• (4) मित्रमहश्चिकित्वान् → मित्रम् महः चिकित्वान् (म्+म → म्म, तथा महः+च → महश्च)
• (5) चिकित्वान्त्वं → चिकित्वान् त्वम् (न्+त् संयोग)
• (6) कविरसि → कविः असि (र् = विसर्ग-आदेशः पदान्ते)

Seer, deity and metre

Devata

Agni Jātavedas (with Mitra invited)

Chandas

Mixed; opening is a nominal sentence, followed by likely Triṣṭubh (requires metrical verification)

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

Scholarly Questions