Atharva Veda Sukta 4
Kanda 4Anuvaka 1Sukta 48 Mantras

Sukta 4

Rishi: Atharvan/Āṅgirasa (hymn-cycle attribution typical for AV 4th kāṇḍa charms)

Devata: Vanaspati/Osadhi-rasa (plant-essence), with Soma as paradigmatic correlate

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (predominant charm-meter; pāda-structure consistent with AV usage)

Sanskrit recitationAtharva Veda 4.4

Mantras

Mantra 1

वाजीकरण यां त्वा॑ गन्ध॒र्वो अख॑न॒द् वरु॑णाय मृ॒तभ्र॑जे । तां त्वा॑ व॒यं ख॑नाम॒स्योष॑धिं शेप॒हर्ष॑णीम्

O virilizer, thee which the Gandharva dug for Varuṇa, gleaming with potent essence— that herb we now dig up, thee, the stirrer of the member.

Mantra 2

उदु॒षा उदु॒ सूर्य॒ उदि॒दं मा॑म॒कं वचः॑ । उदे॑जतु प्र॒जाप॑ति॒र्वृषा॒ शुष्मे॑ण वा॒जिना॑

Up let Dawn arise, up let the Sun; up let this my utterance rise: up let Prajāpati bestir himself, the Bull, with vigor, with stallion-might.

Mantra 3

यथा॑ स्म ते वि॒रोह॑तो॒ऽभित॑प्तमि॒वान॑ति । तत॑स्ते॒ शुष्म॑वत्तरमि॒यं कृ॑णो॒त्वोष॑धिः

As, indeed, while it springs for thee it pants as though all-heated, so therefrom let this herb make for thee a vigor yet more vigorous.

Mantra 4

उच्छुष्मौष॑धीनां॒ सार॑ ऋष॒भाणा॑म्। सं पुं॒सामि॑न्द्र॒ वृष्ण्य॑म॒स्मिन्धे॑हि तनूवशिन्

The upraised vigor of herbs, the essence of bulls—do thou, O Indra, body-master, wholly set the bull-like might of men within this one.

Mantra 5

अ॒पां रसः॑ प्रथम॒जोऽथो॒ वन॒स्पती॑नाम्। उ॒त सोम॑स्य॒ भ्राता॑स्यु॒तार्शम॑सि॒ वृष्ण्य॑म्

Thou art the Waters’ sap, first-born; yea, the very essence of the lordly Plants. Moreover thou art Soma’s brother; moreover thou art the virile, the bull-like might.

Mantra 6

अ॒द्याग्ने॑ अ॒द्य स॑वितर॒द्य दे॑वि सरस्वति । अ॑द्यास्य ब्र॑ह्मणस्पते॒ धनु॑रि॒वा ता॑नया॒ पसः॑

To-day, O Agni; to-day, O Savitar; to-day, O Goddess Sarasvatī—to-day, O Lord of Prayer, stretch forth for this one the noose, as one would draw a bow.

Mantra 7

आहं त॑नोमि ते॒ पसो॒ अधि॒ ज्यामि॑व॒ धन्व॑नि । क्रम॒स्वर्श॑ इव रो॒हित॒मन॑वग्लायता॒ सदा॑

Forth— I stretch for thee the noose, upon thee, as a bowstring on the bow. Step onward, like the virile one, the ruddy force—never slackening, evermore.

Mantra 8

अश्व॑स्याश्वत॒रस्या॒जस्य॒ पेत्व॑स्य च । अथ॑ ऋष॒भस्य॒ ये वाजा॒स्तान॒स्मिन्धे॑हि तनूवशिन्

The strengths of the Horse, the Mule, the Goat, and of the Ram; and then the prizes of the Bull—those, O body-master, do thou implant within this one.

Frequently Asked Questions

It is primarily a healing-and-strengthening charm aimed at restoring male sexual potency and overall vigor by consecrating and administering an herb’s ‘sap’ (rasa).

Because it treats potency as a single essence: born from Waters (āp), concentrated in Plants (oṣadhi/vanaspati), and exemplified by Soma as the paradigmatic life-giving plant power.

Both function together: the herbs/plant-essence are the substance of power, while Indra (as tanūvaśin, ‘body-master’) is invoked to ‘install’ that power firmly into the person.

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