Atharva Veda 4.16.1: Kanda 4, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 16, Mantra 1

Sukta 16

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

सत्यानृतसमीक्षकः। बृ॒हन्ने॑षामधिष्ठा॒ता अ॑न्ति॒कादि॑व पश्यति । य स्ता॑यन्मन्य॑ते॒ चर॒न्त्सर्वं॑ दे॒वा इ॒दं वि॑दुः

IAST Transliteration

satyā́nṛtasamīkṣakáḥ | bṛhánn eṣām adhiṣṭhātā́ ántikād iva paśyati | yáḥ stā́yan mányate cáran sárvaṃ devā́ idáṃ viduḥ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

The discerner of truth and falsehood—the Great One, their Overlord—beholds as though from close at hand. He who, moving about, deems himself stealing unseen: all this the Gods do know.

Translation

مُمَيِّزُ الصدقِ والكذب—العظيمُ، سيِّدُهم—يرى كأنما من قربٍ شديد. ومن يتنقّلُ ويظنّ أنه يسرقُ خفيةً: فإن الآلهةَ تعلمُ هذا كلَّه.

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Word by Word

• सत्यानृतसमीक्षकः: the examiner/judge of truth and untruth
• सत्यानृतसमीक्षकः: Kartā
• Type: Noun (agentive epithet)
• Root: सत्य-अनृत-सम्-ईक्ष (प्रातिपदिक: सत्य, अनृत; कृदन्त: समीक्षक)

• बृहन्: the great (one)
• बृहन्: Kartā (apposition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बृहन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)

• एषाम्: of these (people)
• एषाम्: Sambandha (genitive relation)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• अधिष्ठाता: the overseer/ruler
• अधिष्ठाता: Kartā
• Type: Noun (agent)
• Root: अधि-स्था (धातु √स्था) → अधिष्ठातृ (प्रातिपदिक)

• अन्तिकात्: from nearby
• अन्तिकात्: Apādāna
• Type: Indeclinable (ablatival form used adverbially)
• Root: अन्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)

• इव: as/like
• इव: —
• Type: Particle
• Root: इव

• पश्यति: sees
• पश्यति: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (दृश्-अर्थे)

• यः: who
• यः: Kartā
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• स्तायन्: stealing; acting as a thief
• स्तायन्: Kartā (qualifier of यः)
• Type: Participle (present)
• Root: √स्ताय्/स्ते (स्तेय-आचरणे; ‘to steal’) → स्तायन् (वर्तमान कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)

• मन्यते: thinks/supposes
• मन्यते: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √मन् (मन्यते)

• चरन्: moving about; roaming
• चरन्: Kartā (qualifier of यः)
• Type: Participle (present)
• Root: √चर् (गत्यर्थे) → चरन् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)

• सर्वम्: everything
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective/Pronoun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)

• देवाः: the gods
• देवाः: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)

• विदुः: know
• विदुः: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद् (ज्ञाने)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic/anonymous

Devata: Varuṇa (as satyānṛta-samīkṣaka) and the Viśve Devāḥ as witnesses

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (didactic-judicial tone)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: bhayankara

Secondary: shanta