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 XIII IN FOCUS
To the sun (with imprecation on the evil-doer)
He who generated these two, heaven-and-earth; who clothes himself in existences, making them a garment (drā́pi); in whom abide the six wide directions, toward which he, the flying one, looks all abroad—against that god, angered, [is] this offense (ā́gas); whoso scathes a Brahman that knows thus, do thou, O ruddy one, make him quake, destroy him; fasten on the fetters of the Brahman-scather.
From whom the winds in their season go purifying (pū), out of whom the oceans flow forth—against that god etc. etc.
Who causes to die [and] causes to breathe; from whom all existences breathe—against that god etc. etc.
Who gratifies heaven-and-earth with breath; who fills the belly of the ocean with respiration—against that god etc. etc.
Read the remaining 22 verses of XIII.3
In whom is set (çritá) Virāj, the most exalted one, Prajāpati, Agni Vāiçvānara with the series (pan̄ktí); who took to himself the breath of the lofty one, the brilliancy of the loftiest one—against that god etc. etc.
Upon whom are set (çritá) the six wide [spaces], the five quarters, the four waters, the three syllables (? akṣára) of the sacrifice; who, angered, looked with his eye between the two firmaments (ródaṣī)—against that god etc. etc.
Who became food-eater, lord of food, and also Brahmaṇaspati (lord of worship); who is and shall be lord of existence—against that god etc. etc.
He who measures out the thirteenth month, fabricated (vi-mā) of days-and-nights, having thirty members—against that god etc. etc.
Black the descent, the yellow eagles, clothing themselves in waters, fly up to the sky; they have come hither from the seat of righteousness—against that god etc. etc.
What of thee, O Kaçyapa, is bright (candrá), full of shining (rocanā́vant), what that is combined (saṁhitá), splendid (puṣkalá), of wondrous light, in which seven suns are set (ā́rpita) together—against that god etc. etc.
The bṛhát dresses itself in him in front; the rathaṁtará accepts [him] behind: [both] clothing themselves always in light unremittingly—against that god etc. etc.
The bṛhát was his wing on the one side, rathaṁtará on the other, [both] of like strength, of like motion (? sadhryàñc), when the gods generated the ruddy one—against that god etc. etc.
This Agni becomes Varuṇa in the evening; in the morning, rising, he becomes Mitra; he, having become Savitar, goes through the atmosphere; he, having become Indra, burns (tap) through the midst of the sky.—Against that god etc. etc.
A thousand days' journey are expanded the wings of him, of the yellow swan flying to heaven; he, putting all the gods in his breast, goes viewing together all existences.—Against that god etc. etc.
This is that god within the waters, the thousand-rooted, many-powered (?) Atri; he who generated all this existence—against that god etc. etc.
Swift-running yellow [horses] draw the bright one (çukrá), the god shining with splendor in the sky, whose lofty bodies heat the sky; hitherward with well-colored gleams (? paṭará) he shines forth.—Against that god etc. etc.
By whom the yellow steeds draw the Ādityas together; by what sacrifice go many foreknowing; which, sole light, shines forth variously—against that god etc. etc.
Seven harness a one-wheeled chariot; one horse, having seven names, draws [it]; of three naves [is] the wheel, unwasting, unassailed, whereon stand all these existences.—Against that god etc. etc.
Harnessed eight-fold draws the formidable draft-horse (váhni), father of gods, generator of prayers (mati); measuring with the mind the line of righteousness, Mātariçvan goes cleansing (pū) to all the quarters.—Against that god etc. etc.
A united (saviyáñc) line along all the directions, within the gāyatrī́, the womb (embryo?) of the immortal.—Against that god etc. etc.
Three settings, dawnings also three; three welkins, skies verily three: we know, O Agni, the birth-place of thee threefold; threefold the births of the gods we know.—Against that god etc. etc.
He who in birth (jā́yamāna) opened out the earth, [who] set the ocean in the atmosphere—against that god etc. etc.
Thou, O Agni, impelled by powers (krátu), by lights (ketú), didst shine up, a kindled song (? arká) in the sky; unto what did the Maruts, having the spotted one for mother, sing, when the gods generated the ruddy one?—Against that god etc. etc.
He who is self-giving, strength-giving, of whom all, of whom [even] the gods wait upon the direction, who is master of these bipeds, who of quadrupeds—against that god etc. etc.
The one-footed strode out more than the two-footed; the two-footed falls upon the three-footed from behind; the four-footed acted within the call of the two-footed ones, beholding the series (pan̄tí), drawing near (upa-sthā).—Against that god etc. etc.
The white son of the black [mother], the young of night, was born; he ascends upon the sky; the ruddy one ascended the ascents.
Whitney–Lanman translation as printed (1905) · Read XIII.3 at Wikisource ↗
ATHARVAVEDA · BOOK XIII ALSO CITED
To Rohita (the sun, as ruddy one)
Read comparison hymn XIII.1 (60 verses)
Rise up, O powerful one (? vājín) that [art] within the waters, enter into this kingdom [that is] full of pleasantness; the ruddy one (róhita) that generated this all—let him bear thee, well-borne, unto kingdom.
Up hath arisen the power (? vā́ja) that is within the waters; mount (ā-ruh) thou the clans (víç) that are sprung from thee (tvádyoni); assuming (dhā) the soma, the waters, the herbs, the kine, make thou the four-footed, the two-footed ones to enter here.
Do ye [who are] formidable, O Maruts, sons of the spotted mother, with Indra as ally, slaughter our foes; the ruddy one shall listen to you, ye liberal ones (sudā́nu), ye thrice seven Maruts that enjoy sweets together.
The ruddy one ascended (ruh), mounted the ascents (rúh); [he,] the embryo of the wives, [mounted] the lap of births; him, taken hold of by them (f.), the six wide [spaces] discovered; seeing in advance the track, he hath brought (ā-hṛ) hither the kingdom.
The ruddy one hath brought hither thy kingdom; the scorners have scattered; fearlessness hath become thine; unto thee, being such, let heaven-and-earth, by the revátīs, yield (duh) here thy desire by the çákvarīs.
The ruddy one generated heaven-and-earth; there the most exalted one stretched the line (tántu); there was supported (çri) the one-footed goat (? ajá); by strength he made firm (dṛh) heaven-and-earth.
The ruddy one made firm heaven-and-earth; by him was established the sky (svàr), by him the firmament (nā́ka); by him the atmosphere, the spaces (rájas) were measured out; by him the gods discovered immortality (amṛ́ta).
The ruddy one examined (vi-mṛç) the all-formed, collecting to himself the fore-ascents and the ascents; having ascended the sky with great greatness, let him anoint (sam-añj) thy kingdom with milk, with ghee.
What ascents, fore-ascents thou hast, what on-ascents (ārúh) thou hast, with which thou fillest the sky, the atmosphere, with the bráhman, with the milk of them increasing, do thou watch over the people (víç) in the kingdom of the ruddy one.
What clans (víç) of thine came into being out of ardor (tápas), those have come hither after the young (vatsá), the gāyatrī́; let them enter (ā-viç) into thee with propitious mind; let the ruddy young with its mother go against [them].
The ruddy one hath stood aloft upon the firmament (nā́kā), generating all forms, [he,] young, poet; Agni shineth forth with keen light; in the third space (rájas) he hath done dear things.
The thousand-horned bull Jātavedas, offered to with ghee, soma-backed, having good heroes—let him not abandon me; let me not, a suppliant, abandon thee*; assign thou to me both prosperity in kine and prosperity in heroes.
The ruddy one is generator and mouth of the sacrifice; to the ruddy one I make oblation with speech, with hearing, with mind; to the ruddy one go the gods with favoring mind; let him cause me to ascend with ascensions (róha) of meeting (sāmityá).
The ruddy one disposed the sacrifice for Viçvakarman; therefrom have these brilliancies come unto me; may I speak thy navel (nā́bhi) upon the range (majmán) of existence.
Unto thee ascended bṛhatī́ and pan̄ktí, unto [thee], O Jātavedas, kakúbh with honor; unto thee ascended the uṣṇíhā syllable, the váṣaṭ-utterance; unto thee ascended the ruddy one along with seed.
This one clothes himself in the embryo (womb?) of the earth; this one clothes himself in the sky, the atmosphere; this one, on the summit of the reddish one, has penetrated the heaven (svàr), the worlds.
O lord of speech, [be] earth pleasant to us; [be] the lair (yóni) pleasant, [be] our couch very propitious; just here be breath in our companionship; thee here, O most exalted one, let Agni surround with life-time, with honor.
O lord of speech, the five seasons that are ours, that came forth into being as Viçvakarman's—just here be breath in our companionship; thee here, O most exalted one, let the ruddy one surround with life-time, with honor.
O lord of speech, [generate] well-willing and mind; generate kine in our stall (goṣṭhá), progeny in our wombs (yóni); just here be breath in our companionship; thee here, O most exalted one, I surround with life-time, with honor.
May Savitar, god Agni, surround thee [with honor]; with honor may Mitra-and-Varuṇa deck (abhi⌊+dhā⌋) thee; striding down all niggards come thou; thou hast made this kingdom full of pleasantness.
Thou whom the spotted one (f.), the side-horse, draws (vah) in the chariot, O ruddy one, thou goest with brightness (çúbh), making flow the waters.
She that is ruddy (róhiṇī) is submissive to the ruddy one, being liberal (sūrí), of beautiful color, vast (bṛhatī́), very splendid; by her may we conquer booty (? vā́jān) of all forms; by her may we overcome all fighters.
Here the seat (sádas), she that is ruddy, of the ruddy one; yonder the road by which the spotted one (f.) goes; her the Gandharvas, the Kaçyapas, lead up; her the poets defend unremittingly.
The sun's yellow (hári) bright (ketumánt) horses, immortal, constantly draw the easy-running chariot; the ghee-drinking ruddy one, shining (bhrāj), the god, entered the spotted sky.
The ruddy one, the sharp-horned bull, who encompassed Agni, the sun, who props asunder (vi-stabh) the earth and the heaven—out of him do the gods create creations.
The ruddy one mounted the sky, out of the great sea (arṇavá); the ruddy one ascended all ascents.
Measure thou out (vi-mā) the milk-giving, ghee-dripping (ghṛtā́ñc) [cow]; this is the unresisting milch-cow of the gods. Let Indra drink the soma; let there be comfort (kṣéma); let Agni commence praising; do thou thrust away the scorners.
Agni, kindled, being kindled, increased with ghee, offered to with ghee—let the overpowering, all-overpowering Agni slay them who are my rivals.
Let him slay them, burn [them] away,—the enemy (ári) who fights us; by the flesh-eating fire do we burn away our rivals.
Do thou, O Indra, having arms, smite them down downward with the thunderbolt; then my rivals have I taken to myself with Agni's brightnesses (téjas).
O Agni, make our rivals fall below us; stagger the truculent (utpípāna) fellow, O Brihaspati; O Indra-and-Agni, O Mitra-and-Varuṇa, let them fall below [us], impotent in their fury.
Do thou, O heavenly sun, arising, smite down my rivals; smite them down with the stone; let them go to lowest darkness.
The young (vatsá) of the virā́j, the bull of prayers (matí), mounted, bright-backed, the atmosphere; with ghee they sing (arc) the song (arká) unto the young; him, being bráhman, they increase with bráhman.
Both ascend thou to heaven and ascend to earth; both ascend to kingdom and ascend to property; both ascend to progeny and ascend to immortality; make thyself contiguous with the ruddy one.
The kingdom-bearing gods who go to surround (abhítas) the sun—in concord with them let the ruddy one, with favoring mind, assign kingdom to thee.
Sacrifices purified by bráhman carry thee up; yellow (hári) roadsters draw (vah) thee; thou shinest over (ati-ruc) across the ocean, the sea.
On the ruddy one are set (çritá) heaven-and-earth, on the goods-conquering, kine-conquering, booty-conquering one, of whom the births are a thousand and seven; may I speak thy navel on the range of existence.
Glorious thou goest to the directions and quarters, glorious of cattle and of people (carṣaṇí); glorious in the lap of earth, of Aditi, may I become pleasant (cā́ru) like Savitar.
Being yonder, thou knowest here; being on this side, thou seest those things; from this side they see the shining space (rócana), the inspired sun in the sky.
Thou, a god, molestest (mṛc) the gods; thou goest about within the sea (arṇavá); they kindle the same fire; it the high (pára) poets know.
Below the distant, thus beyond the lower, bearing her calf with her foot, the cow hath stood up; whitherwards, to what quarter, hath she forsooth gone away? where giveth she birth? for [it is] not in this herd.
One-footed, two-footed [is] she, four-footed; having become eight-footed, nine-footed, thousand-syllabled, a series of existence; out from her flow apart the oceans.
Mounting the sky, immortal, do thou favor my words; sacrifices purified by bráhman carry thee up; yellow roadsters draw thee.
I know that of thine, O immortal one, namely (yát) thy climb (ākrámaṇa) in the sky, thy station (sadhástha) in the highest firmament.
The sun overlooks (ati-paç) the sky, the sun the earth, the sun the waters; the sun, the one eye of what exists, hath mounted the great sky.
The wide ones (urvī́) were the enclosures; the earth took shape as sacrificial hearth; there the ruddy one set (ā-dhā) these two fires, cold and heat.
Having set cold and heat, having made the mountains sacrificial posts (yū́pa), having rain as sacrificial butter, the two fires of the sky-finding ruddy one performed sacrifice (yaj).
The fire of the sky-finding ruddy one is kindled with bráhman; therefrom heat, therefrom cold, therefrom the sacrifice was born.
The two fires [are] increasing by bráhman, increased with bráhman, offered to with bráhman: kindled with bráhman, the two fires of the sky-finding ruddy one performed sacrifice.
The one is all set in truth, the other is kindled in the waters: kindled with etc. etc.
What one the wind adorns about, or what one Indra, Brahmaṇaspati: kindled with etc. etc.
Having shaped (kḷp) the earth as sacrificial hearth, having made the sky sacrificial fee, then having made heat his fire, the ruddy one made all that has soul, with rain as sacrificial butter.
Rain as sacrificial butter, heat as fire, earth as sacrificial hearth took shape; there, with songs (gír), the fire shaped these mountains aloft.
Having shaped [them] aloft by songs, the ruddy one said to the earth: in thee let this all be born, what is (bhūtá) or what is to be.
That first sacrifice was born [as] the one that is, that is to be; from that was born this all, whatsoever shines out (vi-ruc) here, brought (ā-bhṛ) by the ruddy one [as] seer.
Whoever both kicks a cow with the foot and urinates in face of the sun—of such a one I hew off (vraçc) thy root; thou shalt not further cast (kṛ) shadow.
Thou that goest past me shading me, and between me and the fire, I hew off thy root; thou shalt not further cast shadow.
Whoso this day, O heavenly sun, shall go between both thee and me—on him we wipe off evil-dreaming, pollution, and difficulties.
Let us not go forth from the road, nor, O Indra, from the sacrifice with soma; let not the niggards stand between us.
What line, accomplisher of the sacrifice, is stretched clear to the gods, that, sacrificed unto, may we attain.
Whitney–Lanman translation as printed (1905) · Read XIII.1 at Wikisource ↗
Cosmic reach before the threat
The opening names the ruddy power as the one who generated heaven and earth and inhabits living forms. Winds, ocean, breath, death, directions, waters, and even syllables enter the sequence. That catalog does more than decorate a curse. It presents the sun as active in every region to which an offender might flee. As the hymn widens its field of vision, its recurring warning against a Brahman-scather receives an imagined cosmic witness. The move also reveals the social stakes of the poem: the authority of a particular religious class is attached to a universal account of life and order. Readers need both levels to hear the verse movement honestly.
A refrain that presses against the verses
In many stanzas the punitive appeal follows descriptions only loosely connected with an injury to a Brahman. This is worth noticing rather than smoothing away. A verse about the thirteenth month, for example, pulls time itself into the sun's domain before the threat returns. The underlying logic is cumulative: whatever the ruddy one governs becomes a potential ground of sanction. Yet the fit between topic and refrain varies markedly. Whitney's notes recognize this strain, and the irregular fit makes the piece sound like a sequence of cosmological praises adapted to an imprecatory frame rather than one argument developed without seams. A repeated ending can unify material whose internal questions remain different.
The red figure and social boundary
The designation 'ruddy' focuses attention on the visible sun, while the hymn makes that sun a generator, observer, and enforcer. The text gives no evidence that every person labeled a Brahman-scather had committed a defined crime. It is a partisan utterance, positioning harm to a Brahman as a disruption of cosmic order. The fetters requested for the offender dramatize confinement, and their rhetorical force depends on the disproportion between one individual's act and the immense divine response invoked. An analytical reading can describe that force without adopting the hierarchy or recommending its violence. The social boundary, and the attempt to make it universal, is part of what the artifact preserves.
A witness with a revealing exception
Whitney identifies verse 10, concerning Kashyapa and the seven suns, in Pāippalāda with a different ending rather than the usual refrain. That difference makes the repeated punitive closure look less like an inseparable property of every piece of solar praise and more like one way this sequence was framed. We cannot reconstruct a complete earlier hymn from one surviving divergence. We can say that the witness prevents a simple claim that all the cosmological material always carried precisely this imprecation. Book XIII.1, another Rohita hymn, combines solar ascent with royal and pastoral prosperity; its emphasis helps show how a common solar vocabulary could be directed toward different human concerns.
WORKED READING
A worked comparison
Set verse 1 beside verse 10. Verse 1 announces the ruddy sun's reach across heaven, earth, and living beings, then turns that reach against whoever harms a Brahman. Verse 10 invokes Kashyapa and the seven suns, another image of vast solar scope; the Pāippalāda version noted in Whitney ends differently. The comparison shows how the Śaunaka refrain transforms praise into social threat at the end of a stanza. It also shows why a variant conclusion matters: the solar vision can survive without this particular penalty. Neither verse supplies a modern procedure or a defensible judgment about an alleged offender.