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 III IN FOCUS
Morning invocation to various gods, especially Bhaga
Early (prātár) do we call Agni, early Indra, early Mitra-and-Varuṇa, early the (two) Açvins, early Bhaga, Pūshan, Brahmaṇaspati, early Soma and Rudra do we call.
The early-conquering formidable Bhaga do we call, the son of Aditi who is disposer (vidhartár), to whom every one that thinks himself weak [or] strong, ⌊to whom even the king⌋ says: "apportion [me] a portion."
O Bhaga, conductor, Bhaga, thou of true bestowal, Bhaga, help upward this prayer (dhī́), giving to us; O Bhaga, cause us to multiply with kine, with horses, O Bhaga, with men,—rich in men may we be.
Both now may we be fortunate (bhágavant), and in the advance (? prapitvá) and in the middle of the days; and, O bounteous one, at the up-going of the sun, may we be in the favor of the gods.
Read the remaining 3 verses of III.16
Let the god Bhaga himself be fortunate; through him may we be fortunate; on thee here, Bhaga, do I call entire; do thou, O Bhaga, be our forerunner here.
The dawns submit themselves (? sam-nam) to the sacrifice (adhvará), as Dadhikrāvan to the bright place; hitherward let them convey for me Bhaga, acquirer of good things, as vigorous (vājín) horses a chariot.
Let excellent dawns, rich in horses, rich in kine, rich in heroes, always shine for us, yielding (duh) ghee, on all sides drunk of: do ye protect us ever with well-beings.
Whitney–Lanman translation as printed (1905) · Read III.16 at Wikisource ↗
ATHARVAVEDA · BOOK V ALSO CITED
Against niggardliness and its effects
Read comparison hymn V.7 (10 verses)
Bring to us, stand not about, O niggard; do not prevent (? rakṣ) our sacrificial gift as led [away]; homage be to baffling (vīrtsā́), to ill-success; homage be to the niggard.
What wheedling (? parirāpín) man thou puttest forward, O niggard, to him of thine we pay homage: do not thou disturb my winning (vaní).
Let our god-made winning progress (pra-kḷp) by day and by night; we go forth after the niggard; homage be to the niggard.
Sarasvatī, Anumati, Bhaga, we going call on; pleasant (juṣṭá) honeyed speech have I spoken in the god-invocations of the gods.
Whomever I solicit (yāc) with speech, with Sarasvatī, mind-yoked, him may faith find today, given by the brown soma.
Do not thou baffle our winning nor speech. Let Indra and Agni both bring good things to us. De ye all, willing today to give to us, welcome the niggard.
Go thou far away, O ill-success; we conduct away thy missile; I know thee, O niggard, as one putting (? mīv) down, thrusting down.
Likewise, greatly making thyself naked, thou fastenest on (sac) a person in dreams, O niggard, baffling the plan and design of a man (púruṣa).
She that, being great, of great height (-unmāna), permeated all regions—to her, the golden-haired, to perdition have I paid homage.
Gold-colored, fortunate, gold-cushioned, great—to her, the golden-mantled, to the niggard have I paid homage.
Whitney–Lanman translation as printed (1905) · Read V.7 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 ↗
The words of V.7 seek confidence
V.7 verse 4 describes pleasant, honeyed speech in a divine invocation; verse 5 asks that the person approached with mind-yoked speech be found receptive. The wider hymn addresses niggardliness and fears that winning or speech may be blocked. It is therefore tempting to read it as a guarantee of persuasion, but its mode is petition, not proof of an idea’s merit. A current proposal may be clear and still be rejected, or praised without being adopted. The verse gives an image of the vulnerable moment when words meet a listener. It cannot decide whether the listener understands, values, or owes payment for the idea.
III.16 asks for a share after hearing
Bhaga in III.16 is asked to apportion a portion, and verse 3 imagines prosperity in cattle, horses, and people. The hymn broadens the hope beyond successful speech to a favorable place in a distribution of good things. Yet it does not describe intellectual property or compensation for concepts. If a modern worker wants an idea to yield income, that is a further claim requiring an agreement about use and reward. Recognition alone is not the same as a share. The ancient pairing is productive because it exposes this gap rather than pretending that a listener’s admiration automatically becomes money.
An idea can matter in several ways
A suggestion may help a team solve a problem, attract an invitation to do paid work, or remain a thought someone appreciates without using. These outcomes are different. V.7 speaks most naturally to being heard; III.16 speaks to the wish for beneficial allocation. III.15, the trader’s hymn, becomes relevant only when there is an actual bargain and sale involving a service or product. The texts do not offer a modern rule of ownership. Their comparison encourages precision in the contemporary wish: is the person asking for serious attention, an opportunity to develop the idea, or a negotiated payment? No one verse can collapse those stages.
The modern working cannot create a fee
The attached working is an invented expression of wanting another person to recognize the value of one’s ideas. It has no ancient authority over an employer, client, or audience. Its strongest historical support is comparative: V.7 gives voice to the hope that speech will not be stopped; III.16 names the separate hope for a share in prosperity. Where money is desired, the present-day agreement must define it. This reading lets appreciation be real without overstating it as a payable debt. It also leaves room for a proposal to need revision, rather than assuming rejection means a supernatural barrier to recognition.
WORKED READING
Worked reading: praised proposal, no budget
A team praises a colleague’s proposal but says it cannot fund the project. V.7 verses 4 and 5 resemble the successful hearing of a thoughtful idea; the audience responded. III.16 verse 2 expresses the colleague’s wish for a favorable share, but it does not award one. If the team later offers a paid role to develop the proposal, III.15’s bargain becomes a better commercial comparison. Until then, praise and compensation remain distinct. The worked reading prevents a good reception from being misdescribed as a withheld payment while still acknowledging that being heard has value.