Atharva Veda 4.22.2: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 22, Mantra 2
Sukta 22
एमं भ॑ज॒ ग्रामे॒ अश्वे॑षु॒ गोषु॒ निष्टं भ॑ज॒ यो अ॒मित्रो॑ अ॒स्य। वर्ष्म॑ क्ष॒त्राणा॑म॒यम॑स्तु॒ राजेन्द्र॒ शत्रुं॑ रन्धय॒ सर्व॑म॒स्मै
enám bhaja grā́me áśveṣu góṣu níṣṭaṃ bhaja yó amítró asya | várṣma kṣatrā́ṇām ayám astu rā́jendra śátruṃ randhaya sárvam asmai ||
Allot to him in the village, among horses, among cows, the choicest portion; whoso is his foe—this man let him be the eminence of powers, O King. O Indra, subject the enemy, subject them all, unto him.
اسے گاؤں میں، گھوڑوں میں، گائیوں میں بہترین حصہ دے، جو اس کا دشمن ہے - یہ شخص طاقتوں کی بلندی ہو، اے راجا۔ اے اندر، دشمن کو اس کے تابع کر، سب کو تابع کر۔
The meaning
What it says
A prayer that the client receive the best allotment in village resources, horses, and cows; let any foe be displaced, while the client becomes the ‘eminence’ (varṣman) of kṣatra; Indra is asked to subject all enemies to him.
The inner meaning
Resource-security and social legitimacy: the mind seeks its rightful share (niṣṭa) and the esteem that prevents deprivation-anxiety. ‘Enemy’ includes envy, scarcity-mindset, and destabilizing comparison.
The truth in it
Prosperity and authority are socially distributed; stability comes when one’s share is both sufficient and recognized as legitimate—otherwise rivalry proliferates.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Rājakarman / Abhicārika (Subjugation and Preferential Allotment)
Its aim
To secure for the client the best shares of communal wealth and to reduce all rivals/enemies to obedience.
Word by Word
Pada patha
एनम् । भज । ग्रामे । अश्वेषु । गोषु । निष्टम् । भज । यः । अमित्रः । अस्य । वर्ष्म । क्षत्राणाम् । अयम् । अस्तु । राज । इन्द्र । शत्रुम् । रन्धय । सर्वम् । अस्मै ।
- एनम्
- him/this (person)him/this one; the clientPronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) → एनद्/एतद्-श्रुति (acc. sg.)
- भज
- allot/assign; placeallot, bestow, apportion; grant a share/possessionVerbलोट् (आज्ञार्थ), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot भज्
- ग्रामे
- in the villagein the village; settled community resourcesNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचनRole अधिकरणRoot ग्राम (प्रातिपदिक)
- अश्वेषु
- among the horsesamong horses; elite wealth and military mobilityNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot अश्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- गोषु
- among the cowsamong cows; primary wealth and ritual economyNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी बहुवचनRole अधिकरणRoot गो (प्रातिपदिक)
- निष्टम्
- (as) fixed/assigned (place/lot)the best share, choicest portion; preferential allocationAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (क्रियाविशेषणवत्)Role कर्मRoot निष्ट (प्रातिपदिक; ‘settled/placed/assigned’; also used adverbially)
- भज
- assign/placebestow; repetition intensifies the grantVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot भज्
- यः
- whowho; relative marker introducing the foePronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अमित्रः
- enemyenemy; rival claimantNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (यः… अमित्रः)Root अमित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्य
- of him/of this (man)of him; against this clientPronounपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive)Root इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- वर्ष्म
- strength, vigor, eminenceheight, bulk, eminence; figurative ‘stature’ of powerNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन (अत्र प्रथमा)Role कर्तृ/विशेष्य (अयम्… वर्ष्म)Root वर्ष्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- क्षत्राणाम्
- of the kṣatra-powers / of rulers/warriorsof rulerships/powers (kṣatra); the domain of political mightNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी बहुवचनRole सम्बन्धRoot क्षत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- अयम्
- this (one)this one; the client singled outPronounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृRoot इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्तु
- let (him/it) belet be; jussive establishmentVerbलोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपदRole क्रियाRoot अस्
- राजा
- kingNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचनRole कर्तृ (अस्तु)Root राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
- इन्द्र
- O IndraO Indra; invoked as enforcerNoun (Vocative)पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचनRole सम्बोधनRoot इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
- शत्रुम्
- the enemyenemy; hostile opponentNounपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचनRole कर्मRoot शत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
- रन्धय
- subdue/overpowersubject, reduce to obedience; political subjugationVerbलोट्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद (णिच्-प्रयोगः: ‘cause to be subdued’)Role क्रियाRoot रन्ध् (रध्/रन्ध् ‘to subdue, bring under control’)
- सर्वम्
- wholly, completelyall; totality of enemies/hostilityAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (समस्तं/पूर्णतः—क्रियाविशेषणवत्)Role कर्म/क्रियाविशेषणRoot सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
- अस्मै
- for him/to himto him; for the client’s benefitPronounपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी एकवचनRole सम्प्रदानRoot अयम् (अस्मद्-प्रयोगः; दत्तिवाचक सर्वनाम)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः (सम्भाव्यः): एनम् | भज | ग्रामे | अश्वेषु | गोषु | निष्टम् | भज | यः | अमित्रः | अस्य | वर्ष्म | क्षत्राणाम् | अयम् | अस्तु | राजा | इन्द्र | शत्रुम् | रन्धय | सर्वम् | अस्मै ।
- 1) ‘एमं’ इति संहितापाठे ‘एनम्’ (एतद्/एनद्-रूप) एव
- ए/एन्-परिवर्तनं वैदिक-उच्चारण/लिप्यन्तर-भेदेन।
- 2) ‘राजेन्द्र’ = ‘राजा इन्द्र’ (अ + इ → ए) संधिः
- अत्र ‘इन्द्र’ सम्बोधनम्।
- 3) ‘निष्टं’ = ‘निष्टम्’ (अनुस्वार/हलन्त-लिप्यन्तर-भेदः)।
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic/Āṅgirasa milieu (varies by anukramaṇī)
- Devata
- Indra (with the king as ritual addressee)
- Chandas
- Triṣṭubh-like (requires metrical verification)
- Rasa
- Vira and Adbhuta
Sāyaṇa emphasizes distributive sovereignty: the king receives the ‘best share’ in village wealth (cattle, horses). ‘Vārṣma’ is glossed as pre-eminent stature among kṣatra-powers. The double address (rāj / indra) binds human kingship to Indra’s coercive capacity; ‘randhaya’ is the key verb of making rivals compliant.
Āṅgirasa milieu (allocation + subjugation charm)
Rājakarman concerned with shares (bhāga), cattle/horse prosperity, and coercive pacification of rivals.
Shows Atharvanic ‘economy-magic’: speech securing the best portion in communal distribution, backed by Indra’s coercive kingship.
Indra (as Rājā/King)
Regulator of victory and social precedence; empowers the patron to receive prime shares and to compel obedience.
Guards wealth (cattle/horses) and protects status from rival claims and hostile factions.
4 × ~11; Atharvanic compression around enumerations (grāme/aśveṣu/goṣu).
List-style pādas can produce irregular syllable counts; reciters often maintain rhythm by lengthening key words (niṣṭaṃ, varṣman).
Enumerative then climactic; builds from goods → eminence → total subjugation.
Creates a sense of ‘claim’ and ‘seal’ over communal resources; good for oath-like affirmation.
Recite while presenting symbolic tokens of wealth (e.g., a cow-product, a horse-hair/bridle piece, or village earth) to the client.
Perform a ‘best share’ gesture: place the token in the client’s right hand or on a higher seat to enact níṣṭa.
Utter the Indra-line while facing outward from the client, projecting subjugation toward rivals.
Kauśika Sūtra: royal prosperity and enemy-subjugation rites (rājakarmāṇi; exact sūtra number requires edition alignment).
Atharvan priest mediates redistribution ideology: he ritually legitimizes preferential allotment and invokes Indra to enforce compliance.
Used in household prosperity rites for livestock/business, often with ethical reinterpretation (rivalry → obstacles).
At new ventures, acquisition of animals/property, community decisions about shares, or before assemblies.
Atharvan ritualist voices the claim; patron may repeat key lines as affirmation.
Recite before financial negotiations; pair with charitable giving to reduce the ‘abhicāra edge’ and align with communal welfare.
Village resources (grāma); Horses (aśva); Cows (go)
Horses and cows are ‘living wealth’—mobility/force and nourishment/continuity. The mantra treats prosperity as a distributable share (bhāga) that can be ritually redirected.
Prosperity-affirmation for livelihood security; can support anxiety regulation around scarcity and competition.
Rivals contesting shares/status; hostile claimants within the community.
Secure choicest shares of communal wealth and ensure all foes/rivals are subjected to the client.
Apportionment command (bhaj) + enemy-identification (yo amitraḥ) + enthronement of eminence (varṣman) + Indraic subjugation (randhaya sarvam).
Loss of property, unfavorable allotment, social marginalization.
Cattle, horses, village wealth, status-based access to resources.
- bhaj
- distribution of fortune; karmic ‘portion’ and social recognition
- grāma
- the social field where status and resources circulate
- aśva
- mobility, military capacity, prestige
- go
- wealth, nourishment, continuity, ritual capital
- niṣṭa
- optimal outcome; preferential destiny
- varṣman
- preeminence of power; the ‘high ground’ of authority
- rājendra
- sovereign force that ratifies hierarchy
- randhaya
- binding of rivalry into obedience
Rightful share (bhāga) contemplation: receiving without grasping; leading without envy.
maṇipūra
Moderate pace; inhale on enumerations (grāme… aśveṣu… goṣu), exhale on commands (bhaja, randhaya).
Visualize cows/horses as steady streams of support; rivals dissolve into cooperative silhouettes beneath a protective canopy.
Confident steadiness; non-reactive awareness toward comparison.
After chanting, practice gratitude and a small act of redistribution (dāna) to harmonize ‘best share’ with dharma.
Maintain clear udātta lifts on bhája and rājendra; keep steady pitch through the enumerative segment.
Give rhythmic triplet feel to grāme / aśveṣu / goṣu; emphasize niṣṭám; climax on randhaya sárvam asmái.
Confident, measured, ‘administrative’ authority.
This is a ‘share-claim’ charm; intention should be framed as receiving rightful, non-harmful precedence to avoid agitation and social backlash.
9 times
Securing livelihood, fair (or favorable) outcomes in resource allocation, business deals, community leadership selection.
Before negotiations, bidding, community decisions, or acquiring livestock/property.
Greater confidence, improved bargaining clarity, sense of support and legitimacy; symbolic ‘opening’ of prosperity channels.
Avoid unethical manipulation; pair with fairness and transparency; if conflict escalates, switch to a śānti mantra.
None; the material field is economic (cows, horses, village). The mantra is a redistribution charm, sacralizing elite access to resources.
It naturalizes hierarchy by making ‘best share’ a ritual entitlement of kingship. Wealth categories (cows/horses) index both agrarian and martial capital under royal claim.
The imperative ‘bhaja’ in a distributive-economic sense and the explicit listing of wealth domains is more administrative/domestic than RV praise style, though Indra’s subjugating role is inherited.
Gopatha’s logic of bandhu supports the idea that speech can ‘allot’ shares: the mantra is a juridical-sacral act, with Indra as cosmic sanction behind human redistribution.
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