Atharva Veda 2.16.5: Kanda 2, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 16, Mantra 5

Sukta 16

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

विश्वं॑भर॒ विश्वे॑न मा॒ भर॑सा पाहि॒ स्वाहा॑

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 2.16.5

IAST Transliteration

viśváṃbhará víśvena mā́ bhárasā pāhi svā́hā

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

O All-upholding One, with thy universal might, by thy sustaining power do thou protect me—svāhā.

Translation

اے سب کو تھامنے والے، اپنی جامع قدرت سے، اپنی تھامنے کی طاقت سے مجھے محفوظ رکھ - سواہا۔

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Word by Word

• विश्वंभऱ: O all-sustaining one
• विश्वंभऱ: — (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun/Adjective (epithet)
• Root: विश्वंभर (प्रातिपदिक; विśvaṃ-bhara)

• विश्वेन: with/through the whole (all)
• विश्वेन: Karaṇa
• Type: Adjective/Pronoun-like (sarva)
• Root: विश्व (सर्व/विशेषण-प्रातिपदिक)

• मा: me
• मा: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• भरसा: by (your) support/strength
• भरसा: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरस् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘bearing/support’)

• पाहि: protect
• पाहि: (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा (धातु) ‘to protect’

• स्वाहा: svāhā (oblational exclamation)
• स्वाहा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वाहा (निपात/उद्गार)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (specific r̥ṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī for this hymn)

Devata: Viśvambhara (a sustaining protective power; often treated as a functional epithet rather than a narrowly personified deity)

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh-like cadence (short protective formula; exact metrical classification may be listed as anuṣṭubh in anukramaṇī traditions)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: shanta

Secondary: vira