Mantra 36

Sukta 4

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

सहस्रधारं शतधारमुत्समक्षितं व्यच्यमानं सलिलस्य पृष्ठे। ऊर्जं दुहानमनपस्फुरन्तमुपासते पितरः स्वधाभिः

IAST Transliteration

sahásra-dhāraṁ śatá-dhāram útsam ákṣitaṁ vyacyámānaṁ salilásya pṛṣṭhé | ū́rjaṁ dúhānam anapásphurantám úpāsate pitáraḥ svadhā́bhiḥ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

The spring with thousand currents, with hundred currents, unwasting, spreading abroad upon the surface of the waters—milking forth nourishment, never failing—this do the Fathers attend with their svadhā-offerings.

Translation

نَبْعٌ ذو ألفِ مجرى، ذو مئةِ مجرى—غيرُ نافدٍ—ينبسطُ وينتشرُ على سطحِ المياه. يَحْلِبُ القُوَّةَ المُغَذِّيَة (ūrj)، لا يَفْتُرُ ولا يَخُون؛ هذا ما يُلازِمُه الآباءُ (Pitṛ) بقرابينِ السْفَدْهَا (svadhā) الخاصةِ بهم.

Word by Word

• सहस्रधारम्: having a thousand streams (as an outflow)
• सहस्रधारम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र-धार (प्रातिपदिक; बहुव्रीहि/कर्मधारय-समास)

• शतधारम्: having a hundred streams
• शतधारम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शत-धार (प्रातिपदिक; समास)

• उत्सम्: spring; fountain; well-source
• उत्सम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्स (प्रातिपदिक)

• अक्षितम्: unperishing; undecaying
• अक्षितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √क्षि (क्षय) + अ (निषेध) → अक्षित (कृदन्त/विशेषण)

• व्यच्यमानम्: being spread out; expanding
• व्यच्यमानम्: Karma
• Type: Participle (Adjectival)
• Root: वि + √अच् (अच्/अञ्च् ‘to move, to spread’) → व्यच्यमान (वर्तमान-कालिक कर्मणि कृदन्त, शतृ/शानच्-समकक्षः)

• सलिलस्य: of the water; of the flood
• सलिलस्य: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल (प्रातिपदिक)

• पृष्ठे: on the back/surface
• पृष्ठे: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)

• ऊर्जम्: nourishment; strength
• ऊर्जम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊर्ज्/ऊर्जा (प्रातिपदिक)

• दुहानम्: milking; yielding (nourishment)
• दुहानम्: Karma
• Type: Participle (Adjectival)
• Root: √दुह् (to milk) → दुहान (वर्तमान-कालिक परस्मैपदी कृदन्त; शतृ)

• अनपस्फुरन्तम्: not shrinking back; not recoiling
• अनपस्फुरन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective/Participle
• Root: अन् (निषेध) + अप + √स्फुर् (to quiver, to recoil) → अनपस्फुरन्त (वर्तमान-कालिक कृदन्त; शतृ)

• उपासते: they worship; they attend upon
• उपासते: (क्रिया) —
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + √आस् (to sit near, to worship) → उपासते

• पितरः: the Fathers (ancestral spirits)
• पितरः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)

• स्वधाभिः: with svadhā-offerings; with ancestral oblations
• स्वधाभिः: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वधा (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Traditionally Atharvanic/Ancestral seers (Pitṛ-sūkta complex; specific r̥ṣi attribution varies by anukramaṇī traditions for AV 18).

Devata: Pitaraḥ (Fathers), with Āpas as the effective medium.

Chandas: Triṣṭubh-like cadence (AV 18 often preserves mixed/expanded meters; this verse is not strict anuṣṭubh).

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"shanta","secondary_rasa":"adbhuta","emotional_arc":"From vast abundance (many streams) to reassurance (unwasting) to gentle devotion (pitṛ attendance).","listener_experience":"Cooling, replenishing calm; sense that support is present and continuous.","intensity":3}