Atharva Veda 6.21.2: Kanda 6, Anuvaka 3, Sukta 21, Mantra 2
Sukta 21
श्रेष्ठ॑मसि भेष॒जानां॒ वसि॑ष्ठं॒ वीरु॑धानाम्। सोमो॒ भग॑ इव॒ यामे॑षु॒ दे॒वेषु॒ वरु॑णो॒ यथा॑
śréṣṭham asi bheṣajānā́ṃ vásiṣṭhaṃ vīrudhā́nām | sómo bhága iva yā́meṣu devéṣu váruṇo yáthā
Thou art the best of remedies, the most excellent of plants: as Soma is like Bhaga in the seasons, as Varuṇa among the gods.
Ngài là bậc tối thắng trong các phương dược, là bậc tối thượng trong các loài thảo mộc; như Soma ở các thời tiết tựa Bhaga, như Varuṇa ở giữa các thần linh vậy.
The meaning
What it says
The herb is praised as the best of remedies and foremost among plants, compared in excellence to Soma among seasonal powers (yāma) and to Varuṇa among the gods.
The inner meaning
The psyche needs a ‘chief remedy’: a trusted stabilizer that organizes scattered efforts. By enthroning one remedy, the mind stops wavering and commits to healing.
The truth in it
Efficacy grows when we recognize hierarchy: some supports become central anchors, like Varuṇa’s sovereign order or Soma’s nourishing delight.
What it is for
- Kind of hymn
- Bhaisajya (Healing) / Paustika (Enhancement)
Its aim
To enthrone the keśavardhanī herb as the foremost remedy, ensuring dependable success in hair-strengthening and growth.
Word by Word
Pada patha
श्रेष्ठम् । असि । भेषजानाम् । वसिष्ठम् । वीरुधानाम् । सोमः । भगः । इव । यामेषु । देवेषु । वरुणः । यथा ।
- श्रेष्ठम्
- best, most excellentmost excellent; supreme in efficacyAdjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole विशेषण (सम्बन्धः) — ‘असि’ इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम्Root श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; √श्रि/श्रय् ‘to lean on, excel’ → श्रेयस्/श्रेष्ठ superlative stem)
- असि
- you arethou art; declarative consecrationVerbलट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचनRole अख्यात (क्रिया)Root √अस् (भू-सत्तायाम्)
- भेषजानाम्
- of medicines/remediesof remedies; among medicinesNounनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive) — ‘श्रेष्ठम्’ इत्यस्य सम्बन्धःRoot भेषज (प्रातिपदिक)
- वसिष्ठम्
- most excellentmost abiding/best-established; firmest in power (also echoing ‘Vasiṣṭha’ = preeminent)Adjectiveनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनRole विशेषण (सम्बन्धः) — ‘असि’ इत्यस्य विधेय-विशेषणम् (द्वितीयं विशेषणम्)Root वसिष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक; ‘most excellent’)
- वीरुधानाम्
- of herbs/plantsof plants/creepers; among vegetal beingsNounस्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचनRole सम्बन्ध (genitive) — ‘वसिष्ठम्’ इत्यस्य सम्बन्धःRoot वीरुध् (प्रातिपदिक; ‘herb, plant’)
- सोमः
- SomaSoma; paradigmatic sacred plant/juice, model of invigorating potencyNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole कर्तृ/विषय (उपमान-वाक्यस्य विषयः)Root सोम (प्रातिपदिक)
- भगः
- Bhaga (the god of fortune/share)Bhaga; dispenser of good fortune and allotmentsNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole उपमान (इव-युक्तः)Root भग (प्रातिपदिक)
- इव
- like, asas if/like; simile markerIndeclinableअव्ययRole उपमान-निर्देशकRoot इव
- यामेषु
- in the watches/periods (of time)in the watches/turns (of time); in proper seasons/occasionsNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकरण (locative) — ‘in the times/watches’Root याम (प्रातिपदिक; ‘watch of night/time/period’)
- देवेषु
- among the godsamong the gods; in the divine assemblyNounपुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचनRole अधिकरण (locative) — ‘among the gods’Root देव (प्रातिपदिक)
- वरुणः
- VaruṇaVaruṇa; sovereign regulator, exemplar of stable authorityNounपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनRole उपमान-विषय (यथा-युक्तः) / कर्तृ (अन्तर्निहित-‘अस्ति’)Root वरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
- यथा
- as, just asas; completing the comparisonIndeclinableअव्ययRole उपमान/प्रकार-निर्देशकRoot यथा
Sandhi Notes
- श्रेष्ठम् | असि | भेषजानाम् | वसिष्ठम् | वीरुधानाम् | सोमः | भगः | इव | यामेषु | देवेषु | वरुणः | यथा । विशेषः: ‘श्रेष्ठमसि’ = श्रेष्ठम् + असि (म् + अ → म् अ; संहितायां ‘मसि’)
- अन्यत्र स्पष्ट संधि-परिवर्तनं नास्ति।
Seer, deity and metre
- Rishi
- Atharvanic tradition (oṣadhi-focused hymn).
- Devata
- Oṣadhi (keśavardhanī); invoked comparanda: Soma, Bhaga, Varuṇa.
- Chandas
- Anuṣṭubh-like (two pādas; compact comparative structure).
- Rasa
- Adbhuta and Shanta
Sāyaṇa takes the verse as a stuti (praise) that ‘raises’ the herb’s rank by analogies to high divine exemplars. Soma represents unsurpassed vegetal potency; Bhaga represents beneficent distribution; Varuṇa represents sovereign steadiness—thus the herb is installed as preeminent and reliable in its effect.
Collective Atharvanic oṣadhi-seer (anonymous in many indices for Book 6 charms)
Praise-formulas (stuti) that ‘install’ (pratiṣṭhā) a remedy as supreme; comparative theology applied to medicinal success.
Uses divine comparanda (Soma/Bhaga/Varuṇa) to confer cosmic legitimacy on a domestic medicine.
Oṣadhi (Keśavardhanī) elevated by Soma–Bhaga–Varuṇa comparanda
The plant is framed as a sovereign remedy whose reliability mirrors Varuṇa’s order and Soma’s nourishing supremacy through time-cycles.
Strengthening and restorative; ‘best remedy’ claim implies broad support beyond hair (general tonic framing).
Guards against relapse and inconsistency; stabilizes outcomes through ‘right order’ (Varuṇa-like).
Likely 4×8 with strong caesura after bheṣajānām / vīrudhānām; diction is compact and comparative.
Book 6 often exhibits tight, epithets-heavy anuṣṭubh with reduced verbal elements.
Enthroning, proclamatory; parallelism creates a ‘ranking’ rhythm.
Confidence-building; suitable as a ‘seal’ verse after preparation/application.
After preparing the herbal application, recite this praise to ‘install’ superiority (śreṣṭhatva) in the remedy.
Apply to scalp/hair roots with steady strokes, synchronizing the similes (Soma/Varuṇa) with the notion of stable, enduring growth.
Optionally repeat over remaining preparation to preserve potency for later use.
Kauśika Sūtra: Keśa-karmāṇi — praise-recitation during anointment/administration of the hair-promoting herb (edition-dependent numbering).
Atharvan priest as consecrator: he upgrades materia medica through stuti, aligning it with divine paradigms.
Recite while holding the prepared herb/oil; optionally touch the preparation to the crown of the head as an ‘installation’.
At the start of a treatment cycle; repeated at weekly intervals to reinforce commitment.
Householder; in formal settings, atharvan-priest may recite as a consecration verse.
General bhaiṣajya-stuti usage for oṣadhi rites (edition-dependent).
Affirmation-like enthronement verse used before daily hair-care regimen.
Keśavardhanī (implied continuing referent); Soma as archetypal sacred plant
The remedy is placed into a cosmic hierarchy: as Soma nourishes cyclic time and Varuṇa stabilizes divine order, so the herb stabilizes bodily renewal.
Primarily hair weakness/loss in the hymn context; secondarily general debility addressed by ‘best remedy’ framing.
Implicit: hair/scalp (from 6.21 context).
Mantric elevation (stuti) to intensify the plant’s perceived and ritually installed potency; aligns remedy with cosmic regulators of time and order.
Soma imagery resonates with rasāyana (rejuvenation) and rasa/ojas support; Varuṇa suggests regulation and restraint (niyama) for balance.
Adherence and placebo-enhanced efficacy: declaring a regimen ‘primary’ improves consistency and stress reduction, supporting hair health indirectly.
User/patient and the remedy itself (installed as ‘chief’).
To enthrone the herb as the foremost remedy so its action becomes dependable across times/seasons.
Stuti + divine analogy (upamā) to transfer prestige/power from major deities to the herb.
Doubt, inconsistency, and ritual/behavioral non-adherence that undermines results.
Body-luster and vitality; auspicious share (bhaga) of health/beauty.
- श्रेष्ठम (śreṣṭham)
- the chosen ‘primary’ support that organizes healing
- भेषजानाम् (bheṣajānām)
- the whole pharmacopeia as a sacred field
- वसिष्ठम् (vasiṣṭham)
- reliable steadiness; ‘the one that stays’
- वीरुधानाम् (vīrudhānām)
- life-power that rises and spreads
- सोमः (somaḥ)
- rejuvenation, rasa, blissful nourishment
- भगः (bhagaḥ)
- good portion, luck, auspicious allotment
- वरुणः (varuṇaḥ)
- binding order, truthful restraint, moral sovereignty
- यामेषु (yāmeṣu)
- right timing; cyclical renewal
Establish a single ‘chief support’ for healing; cultivate satya-niyama (Varuṇa-like truthfulness) in regimen.
Ajñā (commitment/decision) supporting Sahasrāra (crown).
Moderate pace; inhale on śreṣṭham… and exhale on varuṇo yathā to ‘bind’ resolve.
A gold-green nectar (Soma) descending in seasonal cycles to nourish hair roots; a gentle ‘noose’ of order holding routines steady.
One-pointed confidence (ekāgratā).
Use as a vow-verse: after recitation, commit to one concrete supportive action daily.
Clear udātta on śreṣṭham/vasiṣṭham; keep comparisons (iva/yathā) lightly linked, not rushed.
Mark parallelism: śreṣṭham… / vasiṣṭham… // somo… / varuṇo…
Bright, affirmative, slightly elevated pitch compared to 6.21.1.
Works well as a concluding ‘praise seal’ after the operative handling verse (6.21.1).
11 times
Starting a new hair-care or rejuvenation regimen; needing confidence and consistency.
At the beginning of application or at the start of a weekly cycle.
Strengthened resolve, reduced doubt, and traditional consecration of the remedy as ‘primary’.
Avoid absolutism that delays medical care; compare-and-praise is ritual speech, not clinical ranking.
The mantra is a ranking technology: by comparing the herb to Soma and Varuṇa, it rhetorically transfers prestige and reliability to the plant, functioning as a verbal ‘potentiator’ alongside the physical application.
Efficacy is articulated through hierarchy: remedies and plants are ordered like gods and kings. The household’s bodily aims are legitimated by embedding them in the same prestige economy that structures divine society.
The simile-driven praise resembles RV style, but its target is a specific domestic remedy rather than a major deity—an Atharvanic redeployment of high hymn rhetoric for applied medicine.
Gopatha’s logic of mantra as ‘installation’ (pratiṣṭhā-like effect) fits the verse: praise is not ornamental but constitutive, making the herb ‘best’ in the ritual economy and thus in expected outcome.
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