Atharva Veda 5.21.6: Kanda 5, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 21, Mantra 6

Sukta 21

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

यथा॑ श्ये॒नात् प॑त॒त्रिणः॑ संवि॒जन्ते॒ अह॑र्दिवि सिं॒हस्य॑ स्त॒नथो॒र्यथा॑ । ए॒वा त्वं दु॑न्दुभे॒ऽमित्रा॑न॒भि क्र॑न्द॒ प्र त्रा॑स॒याथो॑ चि॒त्तानि॑ मोहय

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 5.21.6

IAST Transliteration

yáthā śyēnā́t patatríṇaḥ saṃvijánte áhardivi siṃhásya stanáthor yáthā | evā́ tvaṃ dundubhe ’mítrān abhí kranda prá trāsayā́tho cittā́ni mohaya

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

As, at the hawk, the winged creatures quiver together, day and night; as at the lion’s thunder-roar: even so, O Drum, cry against the foes; drive them forth in terror, and bewilder their minds.

Translation

Tulad ng, sa lawin, ang mga may pakpak ay nanginginig nang magkasama, araw at gabi; tulad sa kulog ng pagungol ng leon: gayundin, tambol, umiyaw laban sa mga kaaway; palayasin sila sa takot, at lituhin ang kanilang mga isipan.

The meaning

What it says

By analogies of fear—birds trembling at a hawk and creatures at a lion’s thunder-roar—the mantra commands the war-drum (dundubhi) to cry against enemies, terrify them, drive them away, and bewilder their minds.

The inner meaning

Sound becomes psychological warfare: the consecrated drum externalizes inner courage and projects destabilization into the opponent’s attention field; it also represents the practitioner’s ability to disrupt hostile narratives and confidence.

The truth in it

Fear spreads through perception and rhythm; coordinated sound can dissolve enemy cohesion by attacking attention, not just bodies.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Abhicarika (battle-sorcery / enemy-subduing), with apotropaic military application

Its aim

To terrify and mentally disorganize enemy forces through the consecrated war-drum’s sound

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Word by Word

Pada patha

यथा । श्येनात् । पतत्रिणः । संविजनते । अहर्दिवि । सिंहस्य । स्तनथोः । यथा । एव । त्वम् । दुन्दुभे । अमित्रान् । अभि । क्रन्द । प्र । त्रासय । अथः । चित्तानि । मोहय ।

यथा

just as, asjust as; in the manner that (comparative exemplum for magical efficacy)Indeclinableसम्बन्ध/उपमानार्थे अव्ययम्Root यथा (अव्यय)

श्येनात्

from/than a hawkfrom/at the hawk (śyena); a feared raptor whose sudden swoop causes panicNounपुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी-एकवचनRole ApādānaRoot श्येन (प्रातिपदिक)

पतत्रिणः

winged (birds)winged creatures, birds; those that fly (the startled flock)Nounपुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-बहुवचनRole KartāRoot पतत्रिन् (प्रातिपदिक)

संविजनते

are startled/are set in motion togetherthey tremble together, are agitated; collective shuddering (desired effect on foes)Verbलट्; प्रथम-पुरुष; बहुवचन; आत्मनेपदRoot वि√जन् (जनि) / √विज् (कम्पने) + सम्

अहर्दिवि

by day and by nightby day and by night; at all times (uninterrupted terror)Indeclinableअव्ययीभाव; अव्ययम्Role AdhikaraṇaRoot अहर्दिव (समास: अहः+दिव)

सिंहस्य

of a lionof the lion; emblem of royal/violent powerNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-एकवचनRole SambandhaRoot सिंह (प्रातिपदिक)

स्तनथोः

of the two thunders/roarsat the roaring/thundering (stanatha); the lion’s roar as sonic weaponNounपुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-द्विवचनRole SambandhaRoot स्तनथु (प्रातिपदिक)

यथा

just asjust as; again marking the second simileIndeclinableउपमानार्थे अव्ययम्Root यथा (अव्यय)

एव

so, indeedeven so; thus (transition from simile to injunction)Indeclinableनिश्चय/उपमान-समुच्चयार्थे अव्ययम्Root एव (अव्यय)

त्वम्

youthou; addressed to the drum as an empowered agentPronounउत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-एकवचनRole KartāRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

दुन्दुभे

O drum (dundubhi)O dundubhi (war-drum); personified apotropaic instrumentNounपुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot दुन्दुभि (प्रातिपदिक)

अमित्रान्

enemiesfoes, non-friends; hostile opponents in battle/contestNounपुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot अमित्र (प्रातिपदिक)

अभि

towards, againsttoward, against; directional force of the cryIndeclinableउपसर्गः (अभिमुख्य/आक्रमणार्थ)Root अभि (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

क्रन्द

cry out, roarcry out, roar; perform the terrifying sound (mantra as acoustic act)Verbलोट्; मध्यम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपदRoot √क्रन्द् (क्रन्दने)

प्र

forth, stronglyforth, forward; intensifier of the driving-away actionIndeclinableउपसर्गः (प्रकर्ष/प्रवृत्त्यर्थ)Root प्र (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)

त्रासय

frighten, terrifyfrighten, cause to tremble; produce panic (explicit intended effect)Verbलोट्; मध्यम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्तRoot त्रस् (धातु) → त्रासयति (णिच्)

अथो

and alsoIndeclinableसमुच्चयार्थे अव्ययम् (अथ+उ)Root अथो (अव्यय)

चित्तानि

minds, thoughtsminds, intentions, thoughts; the enemy’s strategic cognitionNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)

मोहय

bewilder, deludebewilder, delude; induce confusion (tactical disorientation)Verbलोट्; मध्यम-पुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्तRoot मुह् (धातु) → मोहयति (णिच्)

Sandhi Notes

• श्ये॒नात् प॑त॒त्रिणः॑ (पञ्चमी + प्रथमा)
• संवि॒जन्ते॒ = सम् + वि + जन्ते (धातु-समास/उपसर्गयोगः; रूपं लट् आत्मनेपद). अह॑र्दिवि = अहः + दिवि (अव्ययीभाव). स्त॒नथो॒र्यथा॑ = स्तनथोः + यथा (विसर्ग-लोपः/रकारादेशः). दु॑न्दुभे॒ऽमित्रा॑न् = दुन्दुभे + अमित्रान् (अवग्रहः; अ-आदि संधिः). क्र॑न्द॒ = √क्रन्द् लोट्. प्र त्रा॑स॒याथो॑ = प्र + त्रासय + अथो (पदच्छेदः)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic tradition (hymn to the dundubhi; seer attribution varies by anukramaṇī lists)

Devata

Dundubhi (personified war-drum) as the operative power; implicitly Indraic battle-force

Chandas

Predominantly Anuṣṭubh-like cadence with Atharvanic flexibility (mixed/irregular pāda lengths occur in this hymn)

Rasa

Vira and Raudra

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