THE TEXT · ATHARVAVEDA
Hymns discussed in this article
Begin with the verses shown here. Open the other cited hymns to compare their images and aims.
ATHARVAVEDA · BOOK XIV IN FOCUS
Marriage ceremonies
By truth is the earth established (ut-stabh); by the sun is the sky established; by righteousness the Ādityas stand; Soma is set (çritá) upon the sky.
By Soma are the Ādityas strong; by Soma is the earth great; likewise in the lap of these asterisms is Soma placed (ā-dhā).
One thinks himself to have drunk Soma when they crush up an herb; what Soma the priests (brahmán) know, of that no earthly man partakes.
When, O Soma, they drink thee ⌊up⌋, then thou fillest thyself up again; Vāyu is Soma's defender; the month is norm (ā́kṛti) of the years (sámā).
Read the remaining 60 verses of XIV.1
Guarded by covering-arrangements, defended by watchmen (?? bárhata), O Soma, thou standest hearing the pressing-stones; no earthly one partakes of thee.
Intention (cítti) was the pillow, sight was the ointment, heaven [and] earth were the coffer (kóça), when Sūryā went to her husband.
The rāíbhī was the parting [song] (?? anudéyī), the nārāçaṅsī́ was the welcoming one (? nyócanī); Sūryā's garment verily was excellent; she goes adorned with song (gā́thā).
The laudations (stóma) were the cross-pieces (?? pratidhí); meter was the kurī́ra, the opaçá; of Sūryā the Açvins were the wooers, Agni was the forerunner.
Soma was the bride-seeker; both Açvins were wooers, when Savitar gave to her husband Sūryā, praising (çaṅs) with her mind.
Mind was her cart; heaven also was [its] canopy; the two draft-oxen were white (çukrá), when Sūryā went to her husband.
Haltered with verse (ṛ́c) and chant (sā́man), thy two oxen went peaceful (? sāmaná); ears were thy (two) wheels; in the sky the wandering track.
Clean were the (two) wheels of thee as thou wentest; out-breathing (vyāná) was the inserted axle; a cart made of mind did Sūryā ascend when going forth to her husband.
The bridal (vahatú) of Sūryā, which Savitar sent off (ava-sṛj), has gone forth; in the Maghās are slain the kine; in the Phalgunīs is the wedding.
When, O Açvins, ye went asking, with your three-wheeled [chariot], to Sūryā's bridal, where was one wheel of yours? where stood ye for pointing out?
When ye went, O lords of beauty, unto the wooing of Sūryā, all the gods assented to that [deed] of yours; Pūshan as son chose a father.
The two wheels of thee, O Sūryā, the priests (brahmán) know seasonably; further, the one wheel that is in secret—that, verily, the enlightened (addhātí) know.
We make offering to Aryaman of good connections, husband-finder; like a gourd from its bond, from here I release, not from yonder.
I release [her] from here, not from yonder; I make her well-bound yonder, that she, O gracious Indra, may be rich in sons, well-portioned.
I release thee from Varuṇa's fetter, with which the very propitious Savitar bound thee; in the lair (yóni) of righteousness, in the world of the well-done, be it pleasant for thee accompanied by the wooer (-sambhalá).
Let Bhaga lead thee hence, grasping thy hand; let the Açvins carry thee forth by a chariot; go to the houses, that thou mayest be housewife; thou, having control, shalt speak unto the council.
Let what is dear succeed (sam-ṛdh) here for thy progeny; watch thou over this house in order to housewife-ship; mingle thy self (tanū́) with this husband; then shalt thou in advanced age speak to the council.
Be ye (two) just here; be not separated; attain your whole lifetime, sporting with sons [and] grandsons, rejoicing, well-homed.
These two move on one after the other by magic; two sporting young ones go about the ocean; the one looks abroad upon all beings; thou, the other, disposing the seasons art born new.
Ever new art thou, being born; sign of the days, thou goest to the apex of the dawns; thou disposest to the gods their share as thou comest; thou extendest, O moon, a long life-time.
Give thou away the çāmulyà; share out goods to the priests (brahmán); it, becoming a walking (padvánt) witchcraft, enters the husband [as] a wife.
It becomes blue-red; [as] witchcraft, infection, it is driven away (?); her relations (jñātí) thrive; her husband is bound in bonds.
Unlovely becomes [his] body, glistening in that evil way, when the husband wraps his own member with the bride's garment.
Carving on, carving open, also cutting over apart; see the forms of Sūryā; them also the priest (brahmán) cleans (çumbh).
Harsh is that, sharp, barbed, poisoned; that is not to be eaten; what priest (brahmán) knows Sūryā, he indeed deserves the bride's [garment].
That priest verily takes this garment, pleasant, well-omened, who goes over the expiation, by whom the wife takes no harm.
Do ye (two) bring together a successful (sámṛddha) portion, speaking right in right-speakings; O Brahmaṇaspati, make the husband shine (ruc) for her; let the wooer (sambhalá) speak this speech agreeably (cā́ru).
May ye be just here; may ye not go away; may ye, O kine, increase this man with progeny; going in beauty, ruddy, with soma-splendor—may all the gods turn (kṛ) your minds hither.
May ye, O kine, enter this man together with progeny; this man minisheth (mī) not the share of the gods; for this man shall Pūshan, and all the Maruts, for this man shall Dhātar, Savitar quicken (sū) you.
Free from thorns, straight, let the roads be by which [our] comrades go a-wooing for us; together with Bhaga, together with Aryaman—let Dhātar unite [us] with splendor.
Both what splendor is placed in dice, and what in strong drink—what splendor, O Açvins, is in kine, with that splendor favor (av) ye this woman.
With what [splendor] the backsides of the courtezan (mahānagnī́), O Açvins, or with what the strong drink, with what the dice were flooded (abhi-sic), with that splendor favor ye this woman.
He who shines (dī) without fuel within the waters, whom the devout (vípra) praise at the sacrifices (adhvará)—O child of the waters, mayest thou give waters rich in honey, with which Indra increased, full of heroism.
Now do I remove (apa-ūh) the glistening seizer (grābhá), body-spoiling; what sheen is excellent, that I draw up (ud-ac).
Let the Brahmans take for her [water] for bathing; let them draw up (?) waters that slay not a hero; let her go about the fire of Aryaman, O Pūshan; father-in-law and brother-in-law are looking on (prati-īkṣ).
Weal be to thee gold, and weal be waters; weal be the post (methí), weal the perforation (tárdman) of the yoke; weal be for thee the waters having a hundred cleansers (-pavítra); for weal, too, mingle thyself with thy husband.
In the hole of the chariot, in the hole of the cart, in the hole of the yoke, O thou of a hundred activities, having thrice purified Apālā, O Indra, thou didst make her sun-skinned.
Hoping for well-willing, offspring, good-fortune, wealth, becoming obedient (ánuvrata) to thy husband, gird thyself in order to immortality.
As the ⌊mighty (? vṛ́ṣā)⌋ river (síndhu) won (? sū) the supremacy of the streams (nadī́), so be thou supreme (samrā́jñī), having gone away to thy husband's home.
Be thou supreme among fathers-in-law, supreme also among brothers-in-law; be thou supreme over sister-in-law, supreme also over mother-in-law.
They (f.) who spun, wove, and who stretched [the web], what divine ones (f.) gave the ends about, let them wrap thee in order to old age; [as] one long-lived put about thee this garment.
They bewail the living one (m.); they lead away the sacrifice (adhvará); the men sent their thoughts after ⌊root dhī...ánu⌋ a long reach (prásiti); what is lovely (vāmá) for the Fathers who came together here; joy to the husbands for embracing the wife.
I maintain for thee, in order to progeny, a pleasant, firm (dhruvá) stone in the lap of the divine earth; stand thou on that, one to be exulted after, of excellent glory; let Savitar make for thee a long life-time.
Wherewith Agni grasped the right hand of this earth, therewith grasp I thy hand; do not stagger in company with me, with both progeny and riches.
Let god Savitar grasp thy hand; let king Soma make thee to have good offspring; let Agni, Jātavedas, make the spouse well-portioned, long-lived, for her husband.
I grasp thy hand in order to good-fortune, that with me as husband thou mayest be long-lived; Bhaga, Aryaman, Savitar, Purandhi ⌊púraṁdhi⌋—the gods have given thee to me in order to housewifeship.
Bhaga hath grasped thy hand; Savitar hath grasped thy hand; thou art [my] spouse by ordinance (dhárman), I thy house-lord.
Be this woman mine, bringing prosperity (pósya); Brihaspati hath given thee to me; in company with me ⌊as husband⌋ do thou live, rich in offspring, a hundred autumns.
Tvashṭar disposed (vi-dhā) the garment for beauty, by direction of Brihaspati, of the poets; therewith let Savitar and Bhaga envelop this woman, like Sūryā, with progeny.
Let Indra-and-Agni, heaven-and-earth, Mātariçvan, Mitra-and-Varuṇa, Bhaga, both Açvins, Brihaspati, the Maruts, the bráhman. Soma, increase this woman with progeny.
Brihaspati first prepared (kḷp) the hairs on the head of Sūryā; with this, O Açvins, do we thoroughly adorn (çubh) this woman for her husband.
This [is] that form in which the young woman (yóṣā) dressed herself; I desire to know with [my] mind the wife (jāyá) moving about; I will go after her with nine-fold (? návagva) comrades: who, knowing, unloosened (vi-cṛt) these fetters?
I loosen (vi-sā) in me the form of her; he verily shall know, seeing the nest of mind; I eat not stolenly; I was freed (ud-muc) by mind, myself untying (çrath) the fetters of Varuṇa.
I release thee from Varuṇa's fetter, with which the very propitious Savitar bound thee; wide space (loká), an easy road here, do I make for thee, O bride (vadhū́), with thy husband.
Raise ye [your weapons]; may ye smite away the demon; set this woman in what is well done; inspired Dhātar found for her a husband; let king Bhaga go in front, foreknowing.
Bhaga fashioned the four feet; Bhaga fashioned the four frame-pieces (? úṣyala); Tvashṭar adorned (piç) the straps (? várdhra) along in the middle; let her be to us of excellent omen.
The well-flowered (sukiṅçuká), all-formed bridal-car (vahatú), golden-colored, well-rolling, well-wheeled, do thou mount, O Sūryā, to the world of the immortal; make thou a bridal -car pleasant to husbands.
Her, not brother-slaying, O Varuṇa; not cattle-slaying, O Brihaspati; not husband-slaying, possessing sons, O Indra—bring [her] for us, O Savitar.
Injure ye not the maiden (kumārī́), ye (two) pillars, on the god-made road; the door of the divine house we make pleasant, a road for the bride.
Let the bráhman be yoked after, the bráhman before, the bráhman at the end, in the middle, the bráhman everywhere; going forward to an impenetrable stronghold of the gods, do thou (f.), propitious, pleasant, bear rule in thy husband's world.
Whitney–Lanman translation as printed (1905) · Read XIV.1 at Wikisource ↗
ATHARVAVEDA · BOOK III ALSO CITED
For success in trade
Read comparison hymn III.15 (8 verses)
I stir up (cud) the trader Indra; let him come to us, be our forerunner; thrusting [away] the niggard, the waylaying wild animal, let him, having the power (īç), be giver of riches to me.
The many roads, travelled by the gods, that go about (sam-car) between heaven-and-earth—let them enjoy me with milk, with ghee, that dealing (krī) I may get (ā-hṛ) riches.
With fuel, O Agni, with ghee, I, desiring, offer the oblation, in order to energy (táras), to strength;—revering with worship (bráhman), so far as I am able—this divine prayer (dhī́), in order to hundred-fold winning.
This offense (? çaráṇi) of ours mayest thou, O Agni, bear with (mṛṣ), what distant road we have gone. Successful (çuná) for us be bargain and sale; let return-dealing make me fruitful; do ye two enjoy this oblation in concord; successful for us be our going about and rising.
With what riches I practise (car) bargaining, seeking riches with riches, ye gods—let that become more for me, not less; O Agni, put down (ni-sidh) with the oblation the gain-slaying gods.
With what riches I practise bargaining, seeking riches with riches, ye gods—therein let Indra assign me pleasure (? rúci), let Prajāpati, Savitar, Soma, Agni.
Unto thee with homage do we, O priest Vāiçvānara ('for all men'), give praise; do thou watch over our progeny, our selves, our kine, our breaths.
Every day may we bring constantly for thee as for a standing horse, O Jātavedas; rejoicing together with abundance of wealth, with food, may we thy neighbors, O Agni, take no harm.
Whitney–Lanman translation as printed (1905) · Read III.15 at Wikisource ↗
ATHARVAVEDA · BOOK VII ALSO CITED
For success in the assembly
Read comparison hymn VII.12 (13) (4 verses)
Let both assembly (sabhā́) and gathering (sámiti), the two daughters of Prajāpati, accordant, favor me; with whom I shall come together, may he desire to aid (? upa-çikṣ) me; may I speak what is pleasant among those who have come together, O Fathers.
We know thy name, O assembly; verily sport (naríṣṭā) by name art thou; whoever are thine assembly-sitters, let them be of like speech with me.
Of these that sit together I take to myself the splendor, the discernment (vijñā́na); of this whole gathering (saṁsád) make me, O Indra, possessor of the fortune (bhagín).
Your mind that is gone away, that is bound either here or here—that of you we cause to turn hither; in me let your mind rest.
Whitney–Lanman translation as printed (1905) · Read VII.12 (13) at Wikisource ↗
XIV.1's favorable speech belongs to wooing
Within the wedding sequence, XIV.1.31 asks that a wooer speak agreeably and that the husband appear favorable to the bride. Nearby verses concern bridal garments and cattle for household prosperity. The setting is a marriage negotiation and ceremony, not selection of someone for a job. Whitney notes a later ritual use when a wooer and companion are sent to win the bride, but that application remains a separate layer from the verse's words. Favorable presentation can resemble an applicant's wish to be chosen only at a very general level. It does not turn the marriage text into a hiring charm or establish a wage, employer, or opportunity.
III.15 has work and return dealing
III.15 asks Indra to precede a trader and clear dangers from the road. The hymn then invokes routes, buying, selling, and fruitful return dealing. Its economy is a mobile trade venture in which gain follows exchange and risk. A contemporary paid opportunity may likewise involve work and compensation, but the specific transaction is different: an employer or client chooses a person to perform a task. The ancient poem does not include that selection process or a promise of wages. Comparing it with XIV.1 reveals how easily the word gain slides from household blessing to commercial profit. The text itself keeps these domains more concrete than a vague prosperity slogan.
VII.12 asks a group to receive the speaker
VII.12 (13) invokes an assembly and gathering as powers to favor the speaker. He seeks pleasant speech among those present, compatible words from the seated members, and standing within the group. Whitney records a later application in debate or deliberation. This provides a closer comparison for being evaluated in public than either the wedding hymn or the trader's road. Yet the assembly is not a modern hiring panel, and favor does not amount to a paid offer. Reading all three sources in sequence distinguishes reception, productive exchange, and ceremonial marital approval. A present-day paid opportunity would require all its own terms and decision-makers.
The Paid Opportunity is contemporary
“Make a target person choose me for a paid opportunity” and The Paid Opportunity are original modern benefit and working. The exact result is not attested by any cited hymn. A reader can compare ancient wishes to be favorably heard, to trade successfully, and to enter a prosperous household, but none identifies the person selecting them for paid work. Nor can the poems show that the reader's qualifications fit the opportunity or that fair compensation will follow. The project-created wish belongs to a present-day economy. Its historical comparisons clarify the different roles of audience, transaction, and social blessing without promising that a known person will offer money.
WORKED READING
Separate being liked from being paid
Read XIV.1.31, where a wooer is to speak agreeably, then VII.12.3, where a speaker asks for standing in an assembly. Finally read III.15.4, where bargain, sale, and return dealing should be fruitful. The first two seek favorable reception in different social institutions; the third seeks gain from exchange. A modern paid offer joins evaluation and compensation in one decision. No verse makes that join. The comparison keeps the wedding hymn's marital setting intact while showing why a line about favor or riches alone cannot serve as evidence for a job award.