Atharva Veda 4.19.3 — Kanda 4, Anuvaka 2, Sukta 19, Mantra 3

Sukta 19

Sanskrit (Devanagari)

अग्र॑मे॒ष्योष॑धीनां॒ ज्योति॑षेवाभिदी॒पय॑न्। उ॒त त्रा॒तासि॒ पाक॒स्याथो॑ ह॒न्तासि॑ र॒क्षसः॑

IAST Transliteration

ágram eṣy óṣadhīnām jyótiṣeva abhidīpáyan | utá trātā́si pākásyā́tho hantā́si rákṣasaḥ ||

English Translation (Griffith/Whitney)

Foremost thou goest of herbs, as with a light thou shinest forth against (the foe). And thou art guardian of the household’s food; moreover thou art the slayer of the Rākṣasas.

Translation

يا أُوشَذِي (النبتةُ الدوائية)، إنكِ تتقدّمين سائرَ الأعشاب؛ وكأنكِ بنورٍ تتلألئين وتسطعين في وجه (العدو). وأنتِ حارسةُ قوتِ البيت؛ بل أنتِ أيضًا قاتلةُ الرَّاكْشَسَات (Rākṣasa).

Word by Word

• अग्रम्: foremost place; the front; pre-eminence
• अग्रम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्र (प्रातिपदिक)

• एषि: you go; you proceed
• एषि: Kartā
• Type: Verb
• Root: इ (धातु)

• ओषधीनाम्: of the herbs/medicinal plants
• ओषधीनाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओषधि (प्रातिपदिक)

• ज्योतिषा: with light; by radiance
• ज्योतिषा: Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्योतिस् (प्रातिपदिक)

• इव: like; as
• इव: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अभि: towards; upon
• अभि: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अभि

• दीपयन्: shining; causing to shine; illuminating
• दीपयन्: Kartā
• Type: Verb (Participle)
• Root: दीप् (धातु) → दीपय (णिजन्त)

• उत: and also; moreover
• उत: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत

• त्राता: protector; saviour
• त्राता: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रातृ (प्रातिपदिक; √त्रा)

• असि: you are
• असि: Kartā
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)

• पाकस्य: of the ripening/cooking; of the (domestic) cooking/food
• पाकस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाक (प्रातिपदिक)

• अथो: and then; and also
• अथो: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथो (अथ + उ)

• हन्ता: slayer; destroyer
• हन्ता: Kartā
• Type: Noun
• Root: हन्तृ (प्रातिपदिक; √हन्)

• असि: you are
• असि: Kartā
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)

• रक्षसः: of the demon/evil spirit (rakṣas)
• रक्षसः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)

Attribution

Rishi: Atharvanic tradition (often treated as Atharvan/Angiras-type seership for apāmārga hymns)

Devata: Apāmārga (personified oṣadhi) as the operative power; secondarily rakṣoghna light

Chandas: Anuṣṭubh (4 pādas of ~8 syllables)

Mantra Rasa

Primary: vira

Secondary: adbhuta