Mantra 8

Sukta 69

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

मा नो मर्ता अभि द्रुहन् तनूनामिन्द्र गिर्वणः । ईशानो यवया वधम्

IAST Transliteration

mā́ no mártā abhí druhán tanū́nām índra girvaṇaḥ | ī́śāno yavayā vadhám ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Let not mortal men assail our bodies with treachery, O Indra, Lord of Song. As sovereign, drive thou the deadly blow away.

Translation

لا تدع البشرَ الفانين يعتدون على أجسادنا بالغدر، يا إندرا، ربَّ الترانيم. وبصفتك السيدَ، ادفع الضربةَ القاتلة بعيدًا.

Word by Word

• मा: do not
• मा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (निषेध) / mā

• नः: of us / our
• नः: सम्बन्ध (possessive relation)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्

• मर्ताः: mortals
• मर्ताः: कर्तृ
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त (प्रातिपदिक) < √मृ (to die)

• अभि: against, towards
• अभि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि

• द्रुहन्: may they not harm / let them not injure
• द्रुहन्: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √द्रुह् (to harm, be hostile)

• तनूनाम्: of (our) bodies / persons
• तनूनाम्: सम्बन्ध (genitive dependent on द्रुह्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनू (प्रातिपदिक)

• इन्द्र: O Indra
• इन्द्र: सम्बोधन
• Type: Noun (proper)
• Root: इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• गिर्वणः: O praised-by-hymns (Indra)
• गिर्वणः: सम्बोधन
• Type: Noun/Adjective (epithet)
• Root: गिर्वणस् (प्रातिपदिक; epithet of Indra)

• ईशानः: being lord / as master
• ईशानः: कर्तृ
• Type: Adjective/Participle
• Root: ईशान (प्रातिपदिक) < √ईश् (to rule, be master)

• यवय: ward off, drive away
• यवय: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √यु / √यव (Vedic: to ward off, remove)

• वधम्: slaughter / deadly blow / killing
• वधम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Traditionally attributed to Ṛgvedic seers in the Indra cycle (AV 20 is largely RV-derived); specific r̥ṣi for this verse follows the RV Anukramaṇī for the source hymn.

Devata: Indra

Chandas: Triṣṭubh/Jagatī context in RV-derived material; this pāda-set is commonly treated within the RV meter of its source hymn.

Mantra Rasa

{"primary_rasa":"bhayankara","secondary_rasa":"vira","emotional_arc":"Acknowledges danger → invokes sovereign protector → forceful expulsion of harm.","listener_experience":"From anxious vigilance to steadier courage and felt protection.","intensity":7}