Atharva Veda 2.29.2: Kanda 2, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 29, Mantra 2

Sukta 29

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

आयु॑र॒स्मै धे॑हि जातवेदः प्रजां त्व॑ष्टरधि॒निधे॑ह्य॒स्मै। रा॒यस्पोषं॑ सवित॒रा सु॑वा॒स्मै श॒तं जी॑वाति श॒रद॒स्तवा॒यम्

Recitation with translationAtharva Veda 2.29.2

IAST Transliteration

ā́yur asmái dhéhi jātavedaḥ prajā́ṃ tváṣṭar adhinídhehy asmái | rāyás póṣaṃ savitárā́ suvāsmái śatáṃ jī́vā́ti śarádas tavā́yám ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Bestow on this man his life, O Jātavedas; and, O Tvaṣṭṛ, set progeny firmly upon him. Impel for him, O Savitar, the thriving increase of wealth: may this man live a hundred autumns under thy favour.

Translation

اے جات ویدس، اس آدمی کو زندگی عطا کر، اور اے تشٹر، اس کے لیے اولاد مضبوطی سے رکھ۔ اے ساوتر، اس کے لیے دولت کی ترقی اور بڑھاؤ کی تحریک کر، یہ آدمی تیرے فضل میں سو خزاں جیوے۔

The meaning

What it says

A benediction asking Agni Jātavedas to bestow life, Tvaṣṭṛ to ‘set’ progeny firmly, and Savitar to impel prosperity; the beneficiary is wished a full hundred autumns of life under divine favor.

The inner meaning

Stabilizing the three pillars of a household psyche: vitality (āyus), generativity/continuity (prajā), and confident forward motion in livelihood (rāyas-poṣa). The prayer ‘installs’ these as enduring inner endowments rather than momentary luck.

The truth in it

Human flourishing is multi-dimensional: life-force, continuity of care/lineage, and sustainable abundance must be harmonized; when aligned with cosmic order (ṛta), longevity becomes ‘seasonal’—maturing like recurring autumns rather than burning out.

What it is for

Kind of hymn

Paustika (Prosperity) / Āyuṣya (Longevity) with Prajā (Fertility) emphasis

Its aim

To secure long life, stable progeny, and the flourishing increase of wealth for the named ritual beneficiary.

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

Pada patha

आयुः । अस्मै । धेहि । जातवेदः । प्रजाम् । त्वष्टः । अधि-निधेहि । अस्मै । रायः-पोषम् । सवितरः । सुव । अस्मै । शतम् । जीवाति । शरदः । तव । अयम् ।

आयुः

life-span, vital lifelife-span; vital duration (as a bestowable, preservable power)Nounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)

अस्मै

to/for himto this (man/patient/beneficiary); dative of the ritual recipientPronounचतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

धेहि

place, bestowset, place, bestow (imperative); ‘implant’ life as a magical endowmentVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot धा (धातु)

जातवेदः

O Jātavedas (Agni)Jātavedas (Agni as knower of births/creatures); the divine conveyor of oblations and lifeNoun (proper epithet)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot जातवेदस् (प्रातिपदिक) [अग्नि-नाम]

प्रजाम्

offspring, progenyprogeny, offspring; generative continuity and household increaseNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)

त्वष्टः

O TvaṣṭṛTvaṣṭṛ (the Fashioner); divine artisan who forms bodies and reproductive capacityNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot त्वष्टृ (प्रातिपदिक) [देव-नाम]

अधि

upon, over; in additionIndeclinableउपसर्ग/उपपद-अव्ययRole AdhikaraṇaRoot अधि (अव्यय)

निधेहि

place down, deposit, bestowVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot धा (धातु) + नि (उपसर्ग)

अस्मै

to/for himto this one; reiteration intensifying the targeted efficacyPronounचतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

रायः

of wealthNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग (वैदिक), षष्ठी, एकवचनRole SambandhaRoot राय्/रायि (प्रातिपदिक) [=रयि ‘wealth’]

पोषम्

nourishment, prosperityNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनRole KarmaRoot पोष (प्रातिपदिक)

सवितरः

O SavitṛSavitar (Impeller); the deity who sets in motion, stimulates, and ‘drives forth’ boonsNoun (proper)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचनRole SambodhanaRoot सवितृ (प्रातिपदिक) [देव-नाम]

आ

towards, hither; intensifierIndeclinableउपसर्गRoot आ (अव्यय/उपसर्ग)

सुव

impel, set in motion; grantimpel, set in motion, grant (imperative); cause prosperity to flow forthVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot सू (धातु)

अस्मै

to/for himfor him; dative marking the beneficiary of the ‘impelled’ prosperityPronounचतुर्थी, एकवचनRole SampradānaRoot अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

शतम्

a hundreda hundred; conventional totality for ‘full measure’ of yearsNumeral/Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (अवधि-अर्थे), एकवचनRole KarmaRoot शत (प्रातिपदिक)

जीवाति

livesmay he live; optative/benedictive sense of continued livingVerbलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRoot जीव् (धातु)

शरदः

autumns; yearsautumns/years; the standard Vedic count of years by ‘śarad’ seasonsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचनRole KarmaRoot शरद् (प्रातिपदिक)

तव

yourthy/your; addressed to the invoked divine powers (esp. Savitar/Agni/Tvaṣṭṛ)Pronounषष्ठी, एकवचनRole SambandhaRoot युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

अयम्

this (man/person)this (person here present); deictic anchoring to the ritual subjectPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole KartāRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

Sandhi Notes

• आयुः अस्मै धेहि जातवेदः | प्रजाम् त्वष्टः अधि निधेहि अस्मै | रायः पोषम् सवितरः आ सुव अस्मै | शतम् जीवाति शरदः तव अयम् ||
• 1) आयुः + अस्मै: विसर्गः परे स्वरादौ यथावत् (उच्चारणे ‘आयुरस्मै’)
• 2) त्वष्टः + अधि: विसर्गः परे स्वरादौ (उच्चारणे ‘त्वष्टरधि’)
• 3) निधेहि + अस्मै: संहितायां ‘निधेह्यस्मै’ (इ/ई + अ → य्-आगमः)
• 4) सवितरः + आ: विसर्गः परे स्वरादौ (उच्चारणे ‘सवितरा’)
• 5) सुव + अस्मै: संहितायां ‘सुवा॒स्मै’ (अवग्रह-लोपः; व् + अ संयोगः)
• 6) तव + अयम्: संहितायां ‘तवायम्’ (अ + अ → आ)

Seer, deity and metre

Rishi

Atharvanic tradition.

Devata

Agni (Jātavedas), Tvaṣṭṛ, Savitar (composite benedictive invocation).

Chandas

Triṣṭubh-like cadence (benedictive pādas; exact metrical classification may vary by pada-counting in recensional analysis).

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