Sukta 21
Rishi: Atharvanic seer tradition for oṣadhi hymns (often anonymous/collective in later indices).
Devata: Oṣadhi (the herb) and Bhūmi/Pṛthivī as source of medicinal power.
Chandas: Anuṣṭubh tendencies with prose-like opening label; metrical classification varies due to the initial rubric-like phrase.
这首简短的疗愈与滋养赞歌，将“增发草”（keśavardhanī）的效力系于大地／普利提维（Bhūmi/Pṛthivī）——植物生命与医药之力的至上依托。赞歌说从大地外层的“皮”（tvac）采聚此药力，继而推尊此草为诸药之首，最后呼唤众草药为丰饶而不可战胜的施力者，使毛发强健并增长。
Mantras
Mantra 1
केशवर्धनी औषधिः। इ॒मा यास्ति॒स्रः पृ॑थि॒वीस्तासां॑ ह॒ भूमि॑रुत्त॒मा। तासा॒मधि॑ त्व॒चो अ॒हं भे॑ष॒जं समु॑ जग्रभम्
“增发草”（Keśavardhanī）乃一味药草。在这三重大地之中，确乎以土壤为至高；我已从它们的表皮之上，尽取此药疗之方。
Mantra 2
श्रेष्ठ॑मसि भेष॒जानां॒ वसि॑ष्ठं॒ वीरु॑धानाम्। सोमो॒ भग॑ इव॒ यामे॑षु॒ दे॒वेषु॒ वरु॑णो॒ यथा॑
你是诸药疗之最胜，是诸草木之至上；如苏摩（Soma）在时序中如同福神婆伽（Bhaga），又如伐楼那（Varuṇa）在诸天神之中。
Mantra 3
रेव॑ती॒रना॑धृषः सिषा॒सवः॑ सिषासथ । उ॒त स्थ के॑श॒दृंह॑णी॒रथो॑ ह केश॒वर्ध॑नीः
你们丰饶施与，不可攻破；你们奋求成就，也使人成就。你们是发根的强健者，确然也是头发的增生者。
Frequently Asked Questions
It is used to consecrate a hair-promoting herb so it strengthens hair and increases growth, treating the remedy as an earth-derived power that can be made ritually effective.
Because the hymn grounds medicinal potency in the earth itself: Bhūmi is called the highest support, and the remedy is said to be taken from the earth’s outer layer—symbolizing concentrated, accessible healing power.
Traditionally it refers to keśavardhanī, a hair-increasing herb; in practice, a locally known hair-strengthening plant may be used, but the rite’s logic is to treat the herb (especially its ‘skin/bark’ layer) as the medicine empowered by the mantra.
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